Saturday 12 December 2009

Summer harvesting has begun..

It is cool and very windy down in the Huon Valley, with a possibility of showers.  It has been like this most of the last week. 
I harvested all my garlic ( I know I was going to leave it till the summer solistice, it was just to wet and warm at times, I was afraid it would begin to go mouldy) and I am very happy with the results.  I hope to be picking up my camera on Monday so will be able to return to photos as well as my words.  I have over 200 head of garlic, some are small, but will still taste lovely.  Majority of it is a good size.  So I will have cloves to plant next season, and a lot to use for us.  This was a sucessful year for garlic. 

We have had a harvest of just over 10kgs of broad beans, and we ate nearly all of them. I have some pods drying for seed next year, and I will buy the red flowering seed varitey to plant as well for next season.  So this was a sucess story aswell. 

I am very happy with my flowerpot garden so far.  I have flowers on some of the tomatoes already and all are growing well.  Mind you the same is true of the self seeded one, though they are smaller but very healthy.

I picked some strawberries both my red ones, and my white variety, in fact I had a lovely handful of red currants, jostaberries and a few raspberries, along with the strawberries.  It was so good since I grew them all!  For me that is being a success. 

The beans in the vegie garden are growing and some in a pot on the deck are flowering, they are scarlet runners.  They have lots of flowers on them.  I must have got very carried away with planting seeds.  As in this pot is a star jasmine, and I added sweet peas, which we have been getting quite a lot of flowers off.  I also have some violets growing, not planted by me?  Then I noted I have beans..lol.  My DH wonders if anyother things are going to turn up!

My snow pea and sugar snap also in a pot on the deck is flowering and giving pods, just a few every day.  Added to salads it is enough. 

The chooks are growing and getting used to Toby.  There is one whose comb and wattles are begining to go red and grow, my understanding means that this chook is heading towards egg laying.  The next one is a bit behind this one, and the other two girls well their combs are not very noticeable at present.  I estimate I may begin to get at least one egg in the next 2-3 weeks.  Fingers crossed.   The Chooky TajMahal has had to be rearranged as I realised that the girls jump of their roosts into the laying boxes the way I had it set up!  Not a good idea at all. Unless scrambled egg is my intention. 

It must be almost Christmas, as my DH has been requesting mince pies, (fruit mince) which I make for him as a special thing at Christmas.  I used to make them as a pie, but now just roll out the pastry and use a glass or biscuit cutter in a circle shape, I fill teaspoon of mince on one half, fold the other side over and Wallah Christmas Fruit Mince pasties.  Much easier to do, less pastry, less fat, not less taste!  Quick and easy compared to making pies with lids.

7 comments:

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

So much beans! and You´ve already eaten them :-)

I´m planning a small vegetable garden this comming season. Just enough big to give me some anyway.

I wish I could have chickens, but I feel I have to much as it is. During winter I wouldn´t see much of tham at all. The sun goes up so late and goes down so early.

Have a great day now!
Christer.

Unknown said...

I have harvested my garlic too now- isn't the taste divine?
Gardening in Tasmania is very rewarding for me and judging from your amazing garden it is for you too! Keep up the photos, I love them and hope to have a garden as splendid as yours one day.
Jealous of your loverly chooks

Aussiemade said...

Hi Christer, we have fairly short days in winter but not as short as yours I think. Makes it difficult in climates like yours. I guess it would take a lot of money to set chickens up for winter there.

Aussiemade said...

Jessiebean, ah now you will soon have chooks. We have been just talking as we watched Toby our dog working the girls. We hope that they will begin to lay eggs in a few weeks..maybe he is a little bit too rough with them..sigh. I am hoping he will get more used to them. He just wants to play with them. Round the up into the house, make the leave, and heaven help if one is in the house and the rest out!..lol

Veggie Gnome said...

May I ask which variety of garlic you planted?

I love growing and harvesting garlic. It's a very rewarding bulb! I grew Purple Monaro which performed really well, but I'm always for the lookout for another good performer.

Aussiemade said...

Veggie gnome, I am not much help with the type of garlic. Some is giant russian. The rest has been gifts, or purchased and grown from organic markets. I buy a bulb and keep a clove or two. I have as previously mentioned the giant russian(not much of it as too mild for my taste). I have some smaller purple bulbs and white bulbs. sorry.

Nelly said...

Hi there,

Just dashing about catching up on all my blogs...I haven't read any for ages.
Your garden is looking magnificent and the view is too!
Love your chooks, I hope they lay soon for you.