First zucchini harvest was really gratifying! When we returned from Melbourne a week ago, there they were, ready for the wok! My dad had been watering the backyard while we were away, thank goodness, or everything would have shrivelled up and died.

However, while we were away, the dreaded mildew had also developed on the zuk and cuke plants. Started spraying with watered-down milk and that seems to have halted the pest. I am still hand pollinating, as the male and female flowers seem to not be coordinating their act! But they are still producing well, although the lebanese cukes are doing better than the burpless.
The sweetcorn were also ready to pick, and we have been slowly and appreciatively nibbling at them. They are only littlies, but sooo sweet! I've left the cobless plants as stakes for the beans planted next to them. Also planted a new patch of sweetcorn seedlings to keep us in supply through summer.

While we were away, the arrowroot had shot up, and selfseeded amaranth has taken over again. This part of the bed is a new extension, and is already crowded with arrowroot, cassava, lemongrass, a mandarin tree, selfseeded tomatoes...

Up from this patch, in the same bed, the winged beans are thriving, flowering, already past the top of the wire mesh, and okra are doing well, with pods showing. The infrastructure manager has put a shadecloth over this area too, so hopefully they'll do well through summer.


I put in another eggplant (blue striped) - the first one which was planted in winter has already yielded 2 fruits, and I'm hoping the heat will have them zooming ahead. Next to the egg plant is the Brazilian Spinach grown from a slip that Cassandra gave me months ago.


The second raised raised bed is a bit empty since I pulled out the broccoli and caulies, and the rest of the brassicas. I've put in bittermelons at one end, already fruiting, and angled loofah at the other end, with 3 golden zucchinis sharing the bed. This morning I sprinkled some radish seeds in a row next to the soaker hose.


I miss my leafy veges, so will try to grow some near the radish.
The remaining Green Harvest potatoes - kipflers - were sprouting, so I had no alternative but to make a bed for them, in the shade under the big trees near the back fence. They seem to be doing ok, keeping my fingers crossed! I'm trying the mulching method again, but this time layering with compost.

The purple kings are still giving us a handful a week, plenty of leeks left, and lots of celery, although they are starting to get woody. The last of the kale has gone into the compost. Also into the compost went the mushroom kit, which was a big disappointment - we got 3 flushes of about 300gms each time. But I think I'd overwatered it, as there was a lot of water in the bottom of the box when we tipped it out.

Yesterday I dug out most of the garlic that was in the kale bed, they were all single bulbs!

The "sick" lemon bush has been resurrected, with a bit of pruning, feeding and is bursting with flowers!

This has been a fulfilling year of growing, tending, harvesting....and starting again, as I've planted from seeds from the last harvest! It's also been a year of learning - from you fellow gardeners - Thanks!!
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