A Look Around The Garden

Chilies

Beetroot in raised bed - Johnny Jump Ups just visible on the left

Snow Peas in dappled morning light

General view of small part of the garden

Went out this morning and took some photos of some of the things growing in the garden.  I have chilies in a half wine barrel.  Snow peas climbing up a small shed.  Beetroot in a raised garden bed and a general shot of a messy patch with rocket and weeds.

You don't realise what you have until you start taking stock.  Lettuce here spring onions there.  Lemons in the backyard and limes in the front yard.  I love it all.  Click on Photos for a magnified picture.

Johnny Jump Ups

The viola tri-colour or "Heartease " also known as Johnny Jump Ups because of their wonderful habit of self seeding and growing in unexpected places are a wonderful addition to any garden.  You can crystallise the flowers and use them as cake decorations so they also have a function inside the kitchen as well as decorating the garden.

Beside the raised garden bed

I love to see them popping up beside the raised garden beds and also amongst the vegetables.  They even appear after you have added extra nutrients to the soil and turned the bed over.  There is no deterring them. 

Dance of the Bees

Bee at work amongst basil flowers click on photo

What wonderful creatures the bees are.  What other creature gives more than it takes.  Tirelessly they work all day to fertilize and take home the fruits of their labours to the hive.  Whole populations of humans would collapse without their endeavors.  Crop failures and starvation would ensue their demise.  Yet these little creatures are in danger.  Hive failures are endemic in the USA.  Overpopulation and environmental pressures will not help their cause.
Growing bee loving plants is the best we can do on an individual level and hope that humans wake up before it is too late.

Frog Spawn

Tadpoles growing bigger click on photo

Spawn in centre front - little tadpoles lying still

As you can see I have taken out frog spawn from the pond and have spawn and small tadpoles which have hatched out of the black eggs.  The challenge now is to see how big I can grow them before putting them back in the main pond.  I have done this several times before and the small tadpoles have disappeared.  So if I can get them larger this time they may stand a chance at survival.  If only I knew what is wrong. 

There are so many of them and more to come.  I might try and use different vessels so they don't become too overcrowded.

Trials and Tribulations

What a joy the garden is.  Even with all the trials and tribulations of failed crops, seeds and pilfering by the wildlife.

I love to walk around and see plants sprouting from last years crop without any help from me.  All the eggplants this year grew this way.   I remember digging in damaged eggplants and up sprouted the seedlings a year later.  Johnny Jump Ups are the same.  They just love to spread their seed around.   You find them sprouting in all sorts of little corners in the garden.  I  have planted Forget Me Nots.  They haven't flowered yet but when they do they will also present me with little surprises later.

I also love to watch the spring onions pop their little heads through the soil.  They seem to take a while to take off but when they do they are a delicious addition to our salads and stir-frys.  Spring onions grow the most wonderful flower head which is full of seed.  I pick these and let them dry and I then have enough seed for next spring.

Silverbeet, coriander and thyme also love to spread themselves around.  I hate to disturb them to plant new seedlings, but the practicalities of garden life take over and I do plant around them.  Rocket also lives up to its name and I wouldn't have planted a seed of the three varieties in the garden which grow everywhere.

Why doesn't everybody have a garden?   What's not to love about them?  They are good for the soul and the environment.   What is better than a bowl of salad leaves picked fresh from the garden, put in bowl and eaten within an hour of harvesting?

It is now Autumn and the garden still loves the lettuces, chilies, beetroots and parsley.  My Alpine Strawberries are flowering and I am waiting for the little fruit to colour to taste my first one.