The garden has been super active this month, so much so that I’ve split my wrap up into 4. So here is my Wrap Up of November without any members of the solanaceae family or any beans or any lettuces.
To kick things off a big thank you to Andrea at Harvest with Glee for these fabulous Cavolo Nero seedlings that she dropped off a month or so ago. They are doing really well in amongst my beans and eggplants.
Also doing well is the Black Zucchini which started producing this month.
It is already beginning to encroach on other crops though so I may have to give it the occasional chop to keep it in check.
Since the above photo was taken I harvested both the lettuces and the cabbage and the zucchini has already grown to fill in the space.
Speaking of filling space my passionfruit vine has taken off nicely. Its growing over the top of the chook shed (which, excitingly, is nearing completion).
I planted this vine last Spring – it is a grafted Nellie Kelly black passionfruit, and I am very hopeful of fruit:
It has at least 20 flowers on it and even if only a couple set I will be pretty happy with that return for its second year.
Also flowering at the moment is the tamarillo. The tree itself is looking pretty unhappy, not sure if this is just a hangover from winter or something more serious. I don’t remember it looking this bad previously but last winter was a little cooler.
I’ve fed it and given it a few decent drinks so perhaps it will pick up in the next month or two.
My other fruit of note are my blueberries. They are frustratingly slow. They seem to be just sitting there on the plant not doing much at all. Hopefully they will do something useful, like changing colour soon….
Speaking of things that take a while to grow I have put my sweet potatoes in pots this year. It will be interesting to see how they do. I suspect their first act will be to smother all the plants in their vicinity before moving on to attempt to take over the whole garden…
My beds at the moment are a mixture of spring plants which are ready to pick – ie beetroot, lettuce, dill, etc and plants that will be due to pick next month like the shallots you can see below, as well as all the summer crops.
Beetroot is doing really well for me this year, but although the dill looks healthyish on closer inspection it is starting to look a little sad and sorry for itself. I always seem to have issues with dill but I really don’t know why.
One thing I’m not having issues with (at least not yet) is the plant I’m going to finish on. A plant that speaks summer as much as tomatoes and eggplants, and is delicious when eaten with either of them. Yay for the first of the basil.
Come back later in the week for updates on the progress of my tomatoes, eggplants, chillies, beans and lettuce.
Everything looks great!
Your garden is looking beautiful. I also have a Nellie Kelly passionfruit, planted over a year ago. It’s growing heaps but I haven’t seen any flowers yet. And like yours, our blueberries show no signs of ripening…
I do hope you get some flowers soon. Perhaps we shoudl be the blueberry equivalent of a rain dance….
Wrap up for November is the right title for us. We have a passion flower in our garden which seems to try and take over – the fruits are edible but not really a special variety so are not really wonderful to eat.
I grew them in london too. Not an edible variety but I still adored the flowers.
Our November wrap-up is of a different nature. The temperature is sub-zero today. Still, that should make the Parsnips super-tasty.
If I were you, I’d be thinking now about how to protect those Blueberries from the birds. The pesky Blackbirds are very ingeniuos and persistent thieves!
I must do it – a have a garden full of birds (including blackbirds) all of whom seem to be feeding young so I know the blueberries are in danger.
The first harvest of basil is always a sign that summer has arrived. Seeing your photo has me looking forward to it already, but it’s going to be a long wait here…
I had a tomato and basil salad for lunch today – simple and absolutely delicious.
I have been told dill is quite anti-social and wants to be in it’s own pot away from the rest (of course I tried that and had no luck either). I have had had a bumper crop of blueberries but I have had to get a net as well, sigh. Tell me though I have never had a tamerello what do they taste of?
Ah – perhaps I should try a pot. It really doesn’t seem to like it in my garden – it gets to a certain size and then just dies. I will keep trying though. As for tamarillo – its hard to describe a cross between a tomato and a passionfruit is probably as close as I can get. I love them but I know that they’re not for everyone.
Your garden looks fabulous and abundant, Liz. I’m envious that you don’t seem to have the need to drape everything in bird netting as I do. Mind you, once you get those chooks…!
I have quite a lot of bare space at the moment. I just haven’t had the time to dig it over and build it up for the next crop. I really need to get cracking. Right. I’ll do it today!
Having just harvested my garlic and pulled many beetroot I to have some space to fill – I have a fair few seedlings I need to do something with though.
Ah, it is so good to see a garden that is happy and growing, green and lush, thriving and giving… Such a delight compared to the sad soggy half dead mess that be mine. It looks fabulous and I can’t wait to see more.
I have to admit to a bit of selective photography but i am pleased with it at the moment.
Wow, your garden is looking fabulous with things really chugging away. I wonder about your tamarillo – did it have a bit of a run in with strong wind? The top leaves look like they might be a bit wind burnt? Your zucchini is looking fabulous.
We have had quite a few pretty windy days and its a bit taller this year thus more exposed so your theory is probably right.
Your garden looks fantastic and its wonderful to see how you utilize every area in the garden. I am amazed that you grow sweet potatoes in pots, this is giving me some inspirational ideas.
I am rather hoping they work – we shall see….
Happy to see those kale seedlings looking good and at home in your garden, everything looking so healthy I’m thinking the shade from your trees are now an advantage to your plants, while my plot out in the full sun isn’t fairing to well at all……….
I think it works well for some things like cucumbers etc but less well for eggplant, garlic etc. You win some you lose some I guess.