Our community garden

Recently we had a brilliant idea. It was warmly welcomed by our neighbours and it has got me planning and thinking.

We are going to set up a three way community garden with two of our neighbours! I have more gardening in me than space to garden. My neighbour has more space in her yard than she cares to think about and an interest, but little knowledge of vegetable gardening.

My Mum is over the fence as well. She is, of course, my inspiration to start gardening. She ignited the gardening spark, so to speak. (And I think I still have my copy of the children's gardening book "Gardening is easy when you know how")

Together we are planning more of a free form permaculture garden, each with gates into the yard. I suppose it is really my husband and my brain child, but I am looking forward to all of us enjoying the space and the produce!

Seeds sowing in Autumn

Any time is seed sowing time when you believe in the miracle of the seed.

Corn silks

The silk of the baby corn or popping corn (yes, they are the same plant!) is just amazing. Maroon-ish in colour it almost looks like the hair of a Dr. Seuss character.

Capsicums

My capsicums have never done very well before. I grow chili plants quite well in pots or garden beds and get great chilies. But finally... Some big capsicums! I have about 8 there so I think I'll let some go red and will pick some soon. Yum.

And finally the seeds are growing...

It has taken a full cage over the seed bed, but my seeds are growing beautifully now they are totally protected from the chickens. With a few rows of carrots, onions, turnips and beets sown a few weeks apart we should have some good root veg in the next few months. I have another bed with a similar structure over it, so we will even have successive crops!

Fingers crossed the chickens don't learn how to lift the top mesh and scratch these up too...

The bottom potato

This potato looks a like a bottom. The creamy flesh of the Nicola potato looks almost skin like, which is a little disturbing... The question is, what should we do with Nicola's bottom?

Tonight's pasta sauce

Eggplant, zucchini, tomato, garlic, onion, basil, parsley, chorizo, bacon and haloumi. Six from ten out of the garden, not bad. Delicious actually!