Monday Harvest On Tuesday

A bit late but better late than never.

Bok choy and broccoli, almost finished but there is still enough in the garden for one more meal. Sugar snap and snow peas and there are, I am happy to say, plenty more to come. Eggs, always plenty of eggs. This will all (except for the eggs) be used in tonight's dinner of Lemon Chicken. Linking up to Daphne's Dandelions

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Well This Is Embarassing

On a sunny Sunday in March I sowed seeds of Chinese broccoli as well as various others. When they were big enough I transplanted the seedlings into the garden with the other brassicas and waited for them to grow. And grow they did, into lovely, lush green plants and I have been using the leaves in stir fries. The last time I used them they tasted a bit bitter but I didn't think anything of it just that maybe the leaves became bitter the bigger they were.
The next morning I went down to give the hens some leaves as a treat and just as I was snapping the leaf off I noticed a bulbous growth coming out of the ground, what the hey!! Turns out my Chinese broccoli was in actual fact ...ahem... turnips!

Seriously, what sort of gardener am I that I can't tell the difference between Chinese broccoli and turnip leaves? The thing is I never even gave any thought to the shape and colour of the leaves, that was the spot where I planted the Chinese broccoli (and that was what was written on the label); therefore it must be Chinese broccoli.  So, if the Chinese broccoli turned out to be turnips, what happened to the Chinese broccoli? I guess that will remain one of gardening’s little mysteries.

As for the turnips, they were sweet, tender and good enough to eat raw; instead they went into the soup that I just happened to be making that day.

So tell me, have you ever made a mistake like this? Surely I can't be the only one!

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This Week In The Garden

The snow peas are finally producing enough to pick.

 The sugar snaps on the other hand are taking there own sweet time, I counted a total of four.

Loads of self seeded coriander, some of which has started to go to seed. Hopefully the seeds will be ready to harvest before I run out of last years.

Celery that was planted last spring and is now only just big enough to pick.

I haven't had a lot of luck growing beetroot in the past but these plants seem to be doing OK so far.

I had never eaten kohlrabi until I grew it myself a couple of years ago, it quickly became one of my favourite things to grow. I use it finely sliced in stir fries, leaves and bulbs, it tastes like a very mild broccoli. It is super easy to grow and the best thing about it is that unlike broccoli the cabbage white butterflies show no interest in it at all.

Winter is the only time of the year you can grow potatoes here in South Australia and this year's crop looks like it is going to be a good one.

Lettuce, good anytime of the year.

A forest of carrots that really need to be thinned out. If ever it stops raining I will do just that.

 Broccoli that's just about finished,

and purple sprouting broccoli that is just starting.

The first blossoms on the Mariposa plum tree made an appearance.

And two more cauliflowers were harvested. Not very big, only 200gms each, but very tasty.

So tell me, what's happening in your garden?

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Harvest Monday

 My very first homegrown cauliflower used in a vegetable curry for dinner tonight, and there are more to come.

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Signs Of Spring

It's feels like winter has only just begun and I'm definitely not ready for spring yet. But whether I'm ready or not the signs are there, telling me that spring is just around the corner.

 White Hyancinth

Gazania

Caterpillar of the black and white tiger moth.

Oriental poppy bud.

Sunflower

Peach blossoms in my neighbours yard.

Hydrangea shoots.

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Todays Weather Forecast

Overcast with the chance of rain.

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After The Rain

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Thrifty Finds

I have a small collection of vintage books, I like to add to it when I can.

 It is hard to find books with red or yellow covers but the last time I went thrifting I was lucky enough to find two, both written by Australian authors. The one on the left is Black Lightning by Dymphna Cusack and The Rainbow Bird by Vance Palmer.

These next three were bought just because I love the artwork on the front covers.

 Readers Digest condensed stories, these two were published in 1966

 and this one in 1965.

 I wasn't sure what I was going to do with this little dish when I bought it but I needn't have worried, my youngest daughter claimed it as hers as soon as see saw it.

This salt box reminded me of the one my Mum had in her kitchen, I just couldn't pass it up. And a apple corer to replace the one that broke.

Not bad for less then $10.00.

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A Quiet Week

It's been quiet this week. I'm feeling a little introspective, slightly overwhelmed with things and not wanting to do much of anything.  But I did want to share a few photos from the last week or so.

I had been helping my daughter feed the steers and heifers while uni was on semester break.

 It's been fun, and a break from our normal routine but it has also been very wet and extremely muddy.

Which made for some very dirty gumboots indeed. 

Sunset through the trees.

 So excited to discover my first ever cauliflower, grown from seed no less.

Purple sprouting broccoli which hopefully will start producing soon.

Something is eating my kai lan but I can't figure out what.

 Blackbirds high in the white cedar tree.

 It's nice to see that soursobs are good for something other than trying to take over my yard.

Field peas germinated from the pea straw I use as mulch for the veggie garden, so pretty.

 Gorgeous skies.

A daily visitor,

and beautiful snowdrops. I will be back tomorrow with some thrifty finds.

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