Sunday, September 30, 2012

Spring gardening


The weather is certainly heating up, and the garden has got stuff happening all over the place! 

I love how snow peas practically spring up overnight. One day just leaves, the next day enough for lunch.


And two heads of broccoli ready within just days of each other. This we had lightly steamed with some garlic... dear lord it was good. And way more fun because we grew it. Still can't believe I did! I know, novice much?

Anyway, I'm told the leaves and stems are delicious with butter and garlic.

and to leave everything as is once you've harvested the head to get little broccolini offshoots for a bit longer. Gardens are seriously awesome.


Once Bobbin jumps this fence, I've no idea where he goes. But he's pretty cute.


Kale is amazingly easy to grow. If I don't pick this for a stir fry or colcannon soon, I will make kale chips. They will be delicious.

DELICIOUS, I TELL YOU.


The rocket has been going mental, and I'm worried it will get out of hand. I foresee rocket pesto in my very near future. Considering my basil went weird (am I the only person to kill basil?), this will be a great alternative.


And spinach, my old friend. We've been having liberal handfuls of this stuff with our weekend breakfasts, sauteed with mushrooms and tomatoes. Every week there's more for us, just like the Magic Pudding. Only with less attitude and sailor sea shanties.


Not sure what the beans are doing, as I've never grown them. So i'll just let them chill.

In front of them is some spinach I grew from seed that went all sad and non-growing and I replanted them to see if they'd come to life again. They did, so I'll be happy to see what happens there!

This no-dig garden desperately needs weeding but at 39 weeks pregnant, that's almost like asking someone to get seven elephants into a mini. or something.


 And our little strawberry experiment appears to be doing what strawberry plants do. Well there you go.

I also bought several more tomato plants because I need and love and want them. Also some cucumber and various other herbs I'm going to plant in this weird little border-type thingy around our patio that is currently covered in ugly little were-once-white stones. My attempt at edible landscaping, haha!

The baby capsicum also seems to be getting on well, the zucchini are nearly ready and the eggplant is still yet to do anything except give us spikes and purple flowers.

I also pulled out the dill because it grew taller than me and I'm not sure I like dill anyway. I put it in some scones with cheese and paprika. THAT was a success!

So, Mary Quite Contrary, how does YOUR garden grow this spring?





20 comments:

  1. Beautiful and inspiring. Pity about the dill, I love it. I find it goes perfect with some of the blander veggies, would have made a great tart with all your zucchini coming up. Plus Indian curries, rice dishes, chutneys....mmmm yum. That broccoli pic is a pleasure to look at

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your post has inspired me to get planting in my veggie patch. It's been weeded so now it's just waiting for me to plant. Do you grow your snow peas along a wire fence?

    ReplyDelete
  3. No I'm a bit lazy, I just let them hang over the side of my raised beds... I'm not very good at this!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I really, really want to like it. Truly! The scones were very nice, but I know if I made a zucchini tart I'd be wanting maybe basil or something in it instead. Stupid dill, why can't we be friends?!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jess @ myheartisyourhomeSeptember 30, 2012 12:15 PM

    I love that you let your snow peas hang over the edge! I wish I had of thought of this before I planted all along the edge of my vegie bed... Im thinking I may need to move something around because I would just love to have some snow peas out there!
    My garden is still in the very early stages, only three weeks old. But everything is growing so suprisingly well and I find myself out there just watching them and feeling VERY pleased with myself. Especially my little carrot seeds that are starting to sprout these last few days (they were the only vegie I planted from seed. I may have done a little dance. Who knew how rewarding gardening can really be! All of a sudden my Grandma's obsession makes sense!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've been told that cucumber grows quite viral. When we grew them it was only in a small space so they didn't have far to go but it did take over. They were delicious! And we've had basil gardens in 2 different houses and we continually manage to kill them. 2 different gardens, different soil, different plants, and dead! I don't know, basil is just moody!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your garden is amazing! I do not have a green thumb, not even pale light green, but I love to admire gardens belonging to clever people like you! Actually, I have a bean stalk growing in a cotton wool ball in a plastic cup on the window sill. It's Seb's really- but it's still alive which is truly exciting.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Snow peas are great, i also use the tendrils in salads. Beetroot, goats cheese, pecan nuts and snowpea tendrils..very nice.

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a great looking garden! You must have a green thumb...or two!


    I too am a killer of basil...my sister in law has a giant basil bush...and all I ever end up with is a twig with one leaf on it.


    Enjoy your fresh veggies!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Our garden is doing okay - have just planted another crop of snow peas, the basil is only JUST beginning to get happy and grow, the tomato plants are taller and my baby greens are looking juicy and tender! :) But we killed the chilli plant. I'm not sure how I managed to do that....

    FYI: Broccoli stems make a great pesto - just blitz with Parmesan salt, pepper, pine nuts, garlic, chilli and a bit of olive oil then toss through hot pasta. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Kyrstie @ A Fresh LegacyOctober 1, 2012 1:59 PM

    Stacey your garden is looking fab! Your plants -with the exception of Rocket which I have a small forest of - are much more advanced than mine are that moment. I have lots of lettuce, spinach, onions, garlic and leeks growing. I have just planted a heap of seeds - beetroot, peas, carrots, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, capsicum, fennel, potatoes, coriander, pumpkin, more spinach and corn will go in next. I am slowly taking over the back yard!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I am terrible at gardening! Every plant under my care has died... Including a cactus because I overwatered it, then dried it out...

    I have tried to grow basil twice. The first one died. The second one gave me some nice leaves to use before it got caterpillars then winter came and it stopped growing... then spring came and it got aphids... I am a hopeless case =(

    ReplyDelete
  13. My snow peas have gone a little sad the last week or so - but I've been busy! I can see they're starting to revive with the three days of rain we've had, so I'm pleased. I don't grow many but I'd like to increase the amount. I love seeing the fruits of my labours... it really is addictive isn't it? I feel like I've achieved something. I think I might give carrots another go...

    ReplyDelete
  14. Yes I'm a bit worried, I just planted four plants and my garden is very haphazard and I try to grow too much in one area so I'm convinced these are just going to go mental :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Haha have you done the carrot top in a saucer of water thing too? I will grow you some stuff :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. oh man, you had me at beetroot and goat's cheese...

    ReplyDelete
  17. I have a two-twig four-leaf thing going on. I've planted some more so hopefully I'll figure it out one day!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Ha I killed my jalapeno plant when I moved it. Probably for the best, as I'd prefer Abby doesn't grab stuff off it and eat it! That broccoli stem thingy is such a good idea - usually I just eat it as normal, but I'm not going to say no to the addition of parmesan and garlic...

    ReplyDelete
  19. haha you killed a cactus? I just actualled LOLed. You win! That is at least my sixth basil attempt, but the previous four I was trying to grow at my beachfront unit and the salty air wouldn't allow such nonsense.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Even I am very cruel to my garden, I so wanna learn a lot about gardening....

    ReplyDelete

Addthis Sharing Gadget