How does my garden grow?

[Donna McCallum]

Ate our first tomato of the season yesterday - it was a Green Zebra, yum. Won't be long before we are swimming in tomatoes, there are so many on the vines. Have had a bit of problems with some little black spots but keep pulling those leaves off. Just notices some white mould on one of the plants so have pulled off what I could see - hopefully it doesn't spread. Only three seedlings survived so I have planted these ready for when this crop is harvested. Also ordered some seeds from diggers that are supposed to be good for drying so will get them started soon.

This weekend I will harvest my first broccoli. The plant is huge, but the seed head It isn't very big but looks like it is about to go to seed so hope the rest get a bit bigger. Mind you it could well be normal for the variety but I won't take the chance just yet.

The beetroots are still a bit small but I did dig some up and plan to try baking them, only ever had them out of tin before so will see what they taste like. Otherwise I will try Scarlett's recipe and pickle the next lot.

The tamarillo has flowers and the paw pa thw has two little fruits so will get fruit of them this year. The other fruit trees are too small and I will remove any fruit after they finish flowering to give them a chance to grow better root systems this year. I will start another blog listing the varieties I have planted so far.

I recommend Asian lettuce to anyone who wants a quick easy harvest - originally bought seedlings from bunnings but have since sourced seeds for Mizuna & Red Mustard still looking for Mibuna but looks like I have found it just have to buy heaps as it is from a wholesale supplier so will probably order it next week . Planted in June and have not bought any lettuce since July, it is cut and come again and while the Mizuna from the original seedlings (which by the way are still going although are about to be replaced) is flowering the leaves are still nice to eat.

Strawberries were a bit of a no show with only one or two fruits at a time but have planted a heap of seeds so will see if they come up. The beans are also a bit of a no show with only a couple at a time, probably not in the best position should be more sun but it was available so gave it a go.

The bok choy are starting to go to seed but have harvested one and will harvest more this weekend, the silverbeet have been harvested twice already and are ready for another go this weekend. I make a yummy quiche - cook frozen puff pastry in the dish, mix up cooked & chopped silverbeet, semi dried tomatoes, spring onions, fetta cheese and almost fill the pastry. Mix up eggs, milk, tumeric and pour over the top and sprinkle cheese over it - ends up almost a silverbeet pie.

All my herbs are going well, the dill and coriander almost took over the garden but I will pull the old ones out (or more likely prune them) soon as new ones come through. Collected my very first seeds which were basil seeds.

Spring onions, red onions and garlic take too long to grow but are doing well. Zucchini is now the bane of my gardening life, they gave me two fruits then succumbed to a white mould and have had nothing since (fruit gets rotten and drops off when very little) so they will be given the boot this weekend. I was also disappointed with a pumpkin that was supposed to be a compact garden and the plant only grew as big as a dinner plate and the fruit was 20c piece size. Have bought proper pumpkin seeds from diggers so will try them along with new zuchini in a different garden as soon as I get some seedlings up.

Sunflowers are starting to flower although the bottom leaves are yukky - I wonder if it is a normal thing for them to do (like paw paw & tamarillo)?

Asparagus crowns have come up, not allowed to touch them this year - maybe not even next year :( but at least they are in. I am not sure if it matters but I think they might be different sexes as some have little seed pod things on them and others don't seem to. I think the females are supposed to be better cropping but you can still harvest the male spears I hope...