Update from Central Qld

[Jane]

Bob's bean in the whitehouse.

Garden goes ahead in leaps & bounds, lovely weather to be gardening. My whitehouse plantings are really doing well, beans just flowering with no sign of bean fly, they are really healthy, I think the covering is keeping them warmer at night, temps down to 8C, but have not installed a thermometer. Broccoli also excellent, picking giant heads.

Visiting Elaine's garden at Tannum she also has a 'whitehouse' but has made hers from fruitfly exclusion shade cloth, mine is insect exclusion at 25 threads to the inch. I think hers may prove better as it is not getting as hot in the middle of the day also gets more breeze in, also shade is less at 17% mine is 27%, time will tell hers may not keep the beanfly out!!

In the outside garden tomatoes are doing well, this year I have supported them on bent reo wire to keep plants off the ground & am cutting off all lower leaves & any that show signs of black spot - so far very good

Brandywine, just starting to flower.

Cherry Tomatoes

Our honey bees are enjoying the plants that are flowering, this is Chinese Broccoli.

I've been growing my own fruit & veg for 30 years but it still gives me a thrill to have grown all the veg we eat in a day. Tried winter corn this year they filled well, & no bugs but did not have the flavour of summer corn, suppose it needs more heat for good flavour.

The bread oven is started.

Then the mud , two more layers to come. First the sand mold

[Scarlett]

beautiful :)

[Donna]

Florence, let me know if you want seeds of the chilli - think they are still in my 'drying' container on the windowsill :)

[Jane]

Thanks for comments. Yes its a Bell Lantern Chili, i sent Donna & Elaine seeds, you may be able to access.
Re cost of 'Whitehouse' I brought 10M x 10M of fabric, $145 I think but only used half, making bags etc from rest, sun proof sewing thread was $20 but plenty left, its about 5x3M, & 7ft high. With 4 hoops of 1&1/2" poly pipe to suport & some bamboo poles these we had. doing all the sewing my self - that was a labour of love- cost less than $100. Not sure how good it will be in Summer as feel it will get too hot, time will tell. I want to get an old fly screen door for it at the moment i have a velcro closing which is proving a nucence.

[Elaine de Saxe]

Drrooolll! Great produce :-)

[Donna]

What a great inspiration! I will be interested to hear more about the white house updates... they could well be a very good (read essential) investment in our climate - especially if they deal with both the fruit fly/ moth/ pest problems as well as our summer heat issues! Would you have a guesstimate about how much you paid for yours - and how big it is?

Love the bread oven, it is coming along really well! Bet you can't wait for your first loaf :)

[Florence]

Nice harvest!! Very good variety.. is that a a bell shaped chilly you've got there Jane?

[Vanessa Collier]

Your garden is gorgeous!!