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.