Spring has arrived and so far it has been divine. Sun, warmth and optimal growing conditions – could you ask for more? Actually I wouldn’t mind a bit of time to spend in the garden. I am working quite a lot at the moment and last Friday was my daughters 6th birthday. We had the party on Saturday and as a result I spent most of Sunday recovering from entertaining 25 small children (although they would call themselves big kids….) and being nice to my partner as it was Father’s Day here. I did have a bit of a play outdoors though and here are the fruits of my labours.
I had a couple of silver beet plants in a position I now want to use for mint. Out they came:
I tidied up the chillies and removed the last of their fruits.
Ditto the mini capsicums. I have been really pleased with this variety. My dad bought a plant from chain store ‘which shall not be named’ last Spring and he harvested from it all Autumn. I have been attempting to overwinter it as well as collecting seed which I am pleased to see have germinated. I will be interested to see if it comes to to type.
If you have good eyes you will notice the tiny bit of cauliflower in the above photo. This is why: –
I probably should have picked it a few days before when the head was tighter but still I reckon it should taste good. I have one left in the garden of this season’s crop.
The broccoli is still producing a decent number of shoots each week.
Also producing well are parsley and thyme which you can see here along with a bay leaf. My bay tree needs potting up I think as its growth seems to have significantly of late.
Also on the herb front, spring has brought with it new growth on my sages. Very timely as I roasted a chicken with a sage and onion stuffing for a Father’s Day.
Finally I continue to harvest mustard leaves. Apart from making saag I’m not really sure what to do with them. Any ideas?
In need of more harvests? Head over to Daphne’s Dandelions for produce from across the globe.
Looks like it was a wonderful harvest week. I have planted some silver beet. I hope mine grows as well as yours.
Super nice harvest! Love all those peppers. Hope you get what you want out of those seedlings!
Good to see some healthy herbs! I managed to kill a lot of mine by trimming in the lead-up to winter. Big mistake – they never recovered.
I have great hopes for your mini capsicums too 🙂
I do find that my plants tend to have to be well established to get through winter happily – not just herbs but things like kale as well.
That silverbeet looks so tender and healthy. Sad you had to rip those plants out to make room for something else. I imagine you have more of them growing elsewhere though.
I am toying with the idea of overwintering some pepper plants myself. Don’t really have anything to lose by trying and it would be good to get a jump on the next growing season. Wishing us both luck with that adventure.
I find the hotter varieties the hardiest in general, although there does seem to be a bit of variation between hot varieties. As you say its definitely worth a go.
What a great looking harvest. I have overwintered potted eggplants in the house in a cold room with bright sun; they were mighty sad by spring but they made it and of course fruited much earlier than the ones from seed.
I tried to overwinter eggplants last year and they seemed to get through the winter only to die in early Spring. I didn’t attempt it this year but I’m very keen to give it another go. The over wintered capsicums and chillies always fruit much earlier too.
I love the Bee mug! Re Mustard: have you tried using the tiny leaves as a salad ingredient?
No but to be honest I never seem to notice any tiny leaves – just big monstrous ones…I will look out for them though as I do like that idea.
Beautiful cauliflower! And your herbs look lovely too. Thanks for sharing!
Great looking harvest, wish I could grow cauliflowers like that! Can’t help with the mustard I’m afraid – husband and daughter won’t eat it, so I gave up growing it.
I’m not convinced that the rest of my family will eat it either but one lives in hope…..
That is one gorgeous cauliflower! And on a random side note.. I really love that bee mug 🙂
I love it too – great gift from my partner.
I still can’t get over the fact that you can grow chile all winter long! Amazing! Oh, and how glorious for spring to making an appearance! I love watching your seasons shift up while mine is shifting down!
We do have particularly cool but not really cold winters, whilst the chillies don’t really enjoy it they mostly seeem to make it through, just in some cases.
Best part of gardening – gathering in. Only 25 children that’s what I used to call a small class when I was teaching 🙂
Actually their class is only 21, which is about average for primary school here (at least I think it is). Personally I don’t know how the teacher copes with that many everyday, and if you had more – arrrrrggggghhhh nightmare!
My class were a bit older 11 year olds always 30+ with 39 one year. That year I told the head that if they brought another child in that I’d be going home!!!
Those are ridiculously big class sizes. The average class size in Australia is around 24 and they usually try and keep it lower for the lower grades. 30 + seems ridiculously larger – must making teaching really difficult at times.
As our days grow shorter, it’s nice to see that they’re growing longer elsewhere! Love seeing the freshness that spring brings.
I alwas find it difficult to pull out something that is productive, even marginally so, to make way for a new planting. It looks like the silverbeet put out one last good crop for you. Beautiful harvests all around!
It was looking a bit sad around the edges so I though I’d jsut pull it rather than wait for it to bolt. I would have been more reticent except for all the other chard plants scattered around the place.
Glad Spring is arriving for you, but you really can’t complain about Winter in your parts if you are overwintering peppers and bay. We usually make mustard Southern-style, although my Mississippi in-laws never make it (too peppery for them). Render a couple of pieces of diced bacon in a pot, then throw in the freshly-washed mustard leaves, cover, and turn down the heat and cook until wilted. Serve with pepper vinegar (vinegar steeped with chili peppers, a Southern staple you can’t find up our way). Or you can do it Italian-style: saute some garlic in olive oil, toss in the washed mustard, and saute until wilted and tender. Add a little salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon (we make Broccoli rabe the same way).
I know we shouldn’t complain but we do anyway….actually I don’t really aside from appreciating the moment it starts to get warmer if you know what I mean. Great suggests for the mustard – I’ll give them a try soon.
I was going thru the country songs you posted and I actually liked it. By the way you are not old, your daughter is 6 and mine is 17. Do I now consider myself old?
The produce look so tender and healthy. I have always used mustard leaves in saag and nothing more But Dave’s suggestion of sauteing and tossing with lemon juice is something even I can try.
No you certainly shoudln’t consider yourself old – your having older kids doesn’t neccessarily mean you are older than me also I do tend to subscribe to the view that age is a state of mind as much as it is a state of being.
The green of your harvests (reds too) never fail to inspire but the one thing that I kept staring at was the cute mug with a bee design on it!
You are welcoming spring…we are anticipating fall. Let the seasons roll!
My partner bought me the bee mug back from a trip to Kew Gardens in London.
Oh those chillies have been great value………………..good luck with those mini capsicum seedlings. A party for 25 I think you deserve a medal !!(or medication)
Seriously such a lovely age, they just grow up to fast.
I can’t believe its already been 6 years – and almost 3 years since the littlest was born. I have to say I really enjoyed the party but I’ll be glad if its only this year she wants one that big.
hee hee- do not knock the store which ‘shall not be named’- I think most of my seed stock came from some where like that- the one that starts with ‘B’- certainly my yellow capsicums which I love.
They seem to do a good line in Capsicums don’t they. If only their watering cans were as good – the last one I bought leaked on the second use.
Beautiful harvests. And it reminds me I have to go pick my broccoli. I have a couple of small shoots that are ready.