The Garden Update....+

Things have been growing amazingly well over winter...I've had the joy of giving so many baskets of vegies away each time we visit friends....it really is the perfect gift...nothing like a load of fresh produce to get people excited and more importantly starting to talk about wanting to grow some for themselves.  I would love to encourage people to just have a go...it really is something so basic but so rewarding.

The garden has loads of broad beans planted throughout which are now producing. ..... word from the "experts" at Permaculture group is pick them before they get too big as the smaller beans are more tender than if you allow them to get large and they get the thick tough skin around the bean....It's probably a personal taste thing, but the small beans were delicious, boiled for 4 mins and then tossed in the pan with Butter/oil and garlic and onion salt....very tasty.

Loads of broad beans throughout the garden.

Currant bushes and broad beans throughout the garden

Loads of borage popping up all over the garden.,..self seeded and bringing in the bees !!

The flowering sage is also a great bee attractor.

 The artichokes have started to appear on the plants....I have never grown them before...planted them as an understory plant for the fruit trees....not too sure about how to prepare them...looked on google but it seems challenging....I would love to try marinated artichoke hearts, but this years crop may just be practicing on how to dissect these tricky guys...members of the thistle family.

The artichokes have flowered

 We had loads of broccoli this year....it did take a while to start...I was beginning to think nothing was going to appear but once they form the start of the heads it's all systems go and they produce lovely big heads in no time.

Broccoli en-masse this year....yay.

 Over winter I thought that our Kiwi vines had died....it was a great relief to see them get going again once Spring arrived....hopefully kiwi fruits in the next couple of years....I get so excited about trying to grow our own fruit....I know, simple things right !

 

Kiwi his and her vines....using up the fence space next to the garage...I can't wait for fruit.

 I did want to share a tip that perhaps everyone already knows ... but I didn't....putting your freshly cut broccoli heads in a glass of water then into the fridge keeps them fresh for about a week....it really does work....give it a try if you aren't already.

Broccoli into a glass of water and then into the fridge

Couldn't let Halloween go by without a quick comment....I was minding my grandson so we took him  to The Courthouse in Warragul for a Halloween night....he didn't have his costume so we made do with a pirate skull mask and a bucket of lollies..he thought it was great.  I couldn't resist taking a pic of a young boy whose mother had gone to a lot of effort and put a zip on his face.. it was really effective and looked great.

My Gboy went to his school Halloween disco as a zombie...complete with fake teeth, latex skin and blood capsules.....awesome !!

He loved dressing up as a Zombie....

 

 

What would a post be without a picture of my latest cup of tea....this one was shared at the Emerald bakery ....I still attend the writing Group in Emerald and we head over to the bakery afterwards...... it never ceases to amaze me how many different ways there are to present cups of tea...this one came with a cute little heatproof cup...

A lovely cup of green tea.............enjoy!