Garden share Collective September - Garden size is a slice of pie!
I have had visitors so am a little late for this post. Here is Lizzies post where you can see the other bloggers talking about the size of their gardens Garden share collective.
Over the weekend I paced out my garden and it is a triangle 12ft long by 10ft wide. This photo is taken looking roughly South, so gets the morning sun, and afternoon shade. To the right I have climbing snow peas and beans with lettuces and tomatoes in front. Also a few volunteer pawpaw trees. To the left I have (from the front) spring onions, barbadoes cherry tree, rocket, cucumber on a frame, eggplant in wicking beds, lettuces, volunteer sweet potatoes, tropic tomatoes and a dwarf mandarine lime tree.
This photo is taken from the herb spiral where my veggie garden comes into a narrow point, looking West. The first bed is a herb spiral that over the years has flattened out and merged into the surrounding area incorporating some gerber daisies as that is one of the few sunny spots in the garden. At the back of that is an old gazebo frame which has orchids hanging on it. The herb spiral has a rosemary bush on top, then cuban oregana, sawtooth coriander, flat and curly parsley, dill, garlic chives.
Blue lake beans were not too succesful - only providing a snack for the gardener, never a meal for the family. Snow peas likewise. Tropic tomatoes have been amazing and have been feeding our family and all the neighbours for months now. This is a pretty regular daily harvest, without the leafy greens which I pick as needed. I let these eggplant get a little over-ripe but they were still great roasted.
My visitors loved eating out of my little slice of paradise. I think the fact that it is shaped like a slice of pie is a good thing!
Over the weekend I paced out my garden and it is a triangle 12ft long by 10ft wide. This photo is taken looking roughly South, so gets the morning sun, and afternoon shade. To the right I have climbing snow peas and beans with lettuces and tomatoes in front. Also a few volunteer pawpaw trees. To the left I have (from the front) spring onions, barbadoes cherry tree, rocket, cucumber on a frame, eggplant in wicking beds, lettuces, volunteer sweet potatoes, tropic tomatoes and a dwarf mandarine lime tree.
This photo is taken from the other corner of the triangle. Next to the mandarine lime tree I have two old council bins they were giving away at one stage. They are great for storing excess mulch, potting mix, buckets etc. The bed behind that is my perrenial bed with lemongrass, vanilla, coffee, peppercorns, asparagus tomatoes and polysterene boxes of mint and kang kong next to the path.
This has been a very productive season for me. Lots of leafy greens, herbs and tomatoes for salad. Cucumbers have suffered from downy mildew - even the so called resistant variety. My new favourite green is tatsoi - I got some seeds in a seed swap and sowed them pretty liberally, and am I glad I did! I got them from Liz at Eight acres - thanks so much - now you can see your seeds in action!
In fact I never got around to picking this bok choy and it is going to seed - I think the flowers are supposed to be good in salads, so I might pick some and save some.
Same problem in my garden in that i dont grow enough quantity of anything to preserve. A meal here or there and that's it. Snow Peas (right now) and tomatoes in summer are the exception.
ReplyDeleteLynda,
DeleteI am glad you are having success with your snow peas - I guess I really shouldn't even try them as I am always dissapointed. When you count in the fresh herbs and odd bits and pieces that we get from the garden I know it does add up though!
A good crop you're having. Lovely productive garden you have Gill.
ReplyDeleteSami,
DeleteI really like growing lots of variety and that way there always seems to be something fresh to pick.
It was interesting to read that your garden is only 12ft x 10 ft. It seems so much larger with the quantity of produce you fit into the area - It really is a food forest.
ReplyDeleteRoz,
DeleteI must say that I do jam an awful lot into my small garden - have to make every inch count. I look forward to seeing what you will do in your new garden as it is much smaller than your last one.
You have lots of nice vegetables and herbs in your garden.
ReplyDeleteMy bok choy would have been harvested since I love it so much....I make a veggie lasagna with it most of the time.
Virginia,
DeleteI guess I really dont have many recipes that use bok choy - mostly I just use it in a stir fry. A veggie lasagne sounds like a great plan.
Your garden looks wonderful. The idea of self-seeded pawpaws seems amazingly exciting and exotic to me.
ReplyDeleteit's not a bad thing to only grow enough to eat and not preserve. Tatsoi is one of my fave vegetables to grow on the balcony. They do so ell in all conditions and they'll keep giving if you just pick their leaves and leave enough behind.
ReplyDelete