Well it seems like ages since I took you for a little stroll around our garden. Let’s blame the cold and wet because, my goodness, we have had plenty of both. With Spring poking its head out, and the occasional warm sunny day, it’s the perfect time to see what’s happening in the the garden. Over the next week or two, it will probably start to get a good clean out in preparation for Spring and Summer planting.
The pizza oven which we started planning before Easter still is not finished. No surprises there – all the rain has made it super hard to find enough dry days to get it built. We do have all the materials ready to go, but I don’t think we will be having any pizzas before the fire season starts in a few weeks!
As you can see the Western garden is going fairly well, with loads of spinach, as well as carrots, beetroot, onions and garlic. There is lots of parsley, which we always like to keep on hand. The Western garden also has a couple of rows of broadbeans which we will harvest in late October or November.
The beetroot has been prolific this year. I love the colour that their leaves bring to a winter garden. We like to roast the beetroot for dinner, or else pickle it to have with salads over the summer (just like canned beetroot – it’s a bit of an Australian thing for my overseas readers). Country Boy picked huge lot of them the other day. One of the beetroots weighed over 2 kg!
In the southern garden, the brocolli is starting to go to seed. On Sunday Toby and I picked a big bunch of it. I probably need to pick some more in the next day or two if there is any left and freeze it.
The kale, cauliflowers, and cabbages are all going to turn in the next week or two also, so we are racing against the clock to use up as much produce as possible. Lots of coleslaw, and other winter salads (check out my roasted cauliflower salad) are on the menu!
This next pic is probably the most exciting one of all (to me at least). It’s our first ever asparagus spear to eat! We have harvested about a dozen so far, and have eaten them for dinner, dipping them into soft boiled eggs with lashing of butter and salt, and just the tiniest drop of white wine vinegar. Oh my stars, it is good!!! Asparagus take at least 2 years before you can harvest them, so we have been waiting a while. Unfortunately the asparagus bed is right next to where our extension is going to be, so I am not at all sure that they are going to survive. We might have to wait a few more years before we get any more!
Aside from the vegetable garden, our daffodils have all started flowering (though the incessant rain damages them once they are out), and the blossom trees are blooming every where!
As the days get longer, we are reminded that the warm weather is on the way. Plans are afoot for Spring and Summer vegetables, and there is just so much to do. After almost five years on the farm, we are getting in sync with the seasons, and boy are we looking forward to the Summer produce!
Imagine that – being able to grow your own garden and vegetables. I would love to do that. It seems so strange to hear you speak of spring as autumn is starting to turn the leaves into all kinds of fiery colours here now and the days are getting darker and darker by the minute. 🙂 Love, Marie