We’ve had a very wet summer in Sydney!
As a result of the regular soakings, the garden is gorgeously green, but not nearly as productive as it might have been with a few more sunny days. Having said that, the dwarf beans (photo above) are still going strong and providing us with a colander full every couple of days.
Below is my pride and joy – after several attempts, I’m finally growing bishop’s crown chillies. The seeds for this variety are notoriously fickle – it took me four attempts to get one to germinate, and then even longer for it to get to fruiting stage. But it will be worth the effort, as these are my favourite fresh chillies in the whole world, and I’ll harvest them soon…
We have a few beetroot growing…
…and our latest cucumbers – apple variety this time – started out promising, but are now struggling with the lack of sun…
We’ve planted pumpkins for the first time – baby golden nugget ones – and are thrilled with how quickly they seem to be growing…
All three plants are laden with fruit, but the wet weather is causing powdery mildew problems in all the curcubits…
A brand new variety of basil which I found at Enfield Produce – this limelight basil has attractive crinkly leaves…
The eggplants have just started to fruit…
We originally purchased three Davidson’s plums with the intention of planting them on a shady side of the house. That hasn’t happened yet, but the potted plants are busily fruiting nonetheless. Pete thinks they’ll make an interesting jam if we’re able to pick enough…
Our spearmint was recently pruned to the ground by Big Boy, and is now growing back vigorously…
Our perennial leeks continue to thrive and reproduce in almost all conditions. They ensure there’s always something green to put on the dinner table…
Mini cauliflower seeds were very expensive – 15 seeds for $3.50 – and of those, only two grew. This is the only one in the garden, and it’s about 10cm (4″) in diameter at the moment. Charming, but I doubt we’ll grow them again given the cost and poor germination rate…
The rain let up for long enough today for us to plant out another bed – this one has a serrano chilli, another mini cauli, broccoli, kale, onions, carrots, kohlrabi, rocket and loose leaf lettuce…
And finally, a photo of the one and only lemon on our young tree. I was very chuffed with the soft greens of this photo, particularly with the fern-like asparagus in the background…
Anything exciting happening in your garden at the moment?
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Celia you have quite a garden growing at the moment. The first time I ate those chilis (I picked them from someone’s garden) I thought they were capsicum. It was a rather painful surprise!
I can’t wait to get home and see how my garden is going. I know how you feel about the little lemon. I still get so excited just seeing one thing grow in my garden!
Claire, it’s the only lemon so far on our young tree, so I’m hoping it will ripen and not fall off like all the others have. Look forward to seeing what’s in your garden when you get back! :)
Too bad for all the rain, but the garden still looks beautiful. You have quite a garden to be grateful for and very proud of. I’d give anything to have a garden like that. What a beautiful little lemon!! Has that tree produced very many lemons in the past, or is this the very first one? How nice it would be to have a basket on the kitchen counter overflowing w/ fresh picked lemons.
Melanie, it’s our very first lemon ever! I hope one day we do get an abundance of them! Our vegetable garden is now huge – we took out the whole back lawn for it. But it’s surprising how much space is needed to grow (not quite) enough for our family’s needs..
I have popped this page on my Facebook garden page.. so beautiful, so inspiring! i love the set up of your beds! it must be a joy to work in your garden, rain or not! c
Thanks Celi! The beds are set up in a round mandala shape according to Linda Woodrow’s book, and the chooks in the dome rotate onto each bed to till and fertilise them for us! Here’s a shot of the whole garden from last year..
Wow, it all looks so great still. Love those peppers.
Thanks Greg! The peppers are a sheer joy, and they’re pretty hot too!
That all looks so good, Celia! It’s exciting trying new things, but frustrating when they aren’t productive.
There’s almost nothing in our garden at the moment. A touch of real winter at last has wilted the chard, and will kill back the first rhubarb leaves which were just poking through their heap of protective compost.
Suelle, it is a bit frustrating – the snake beans we tried didn’t germinate at all in our temperate Sydney climate. Ah well, live and learn.. :)
From the news, it sounds like winter has really hit hard in Europe, hope you guys are all ok..
Hi there Celia
Love seeing your garden. Those chillies look interesting… will investigate those. We are blessed in having the space and sunshine to be able to grow produce for our tables, aren’t we. You certainly have a wonderful assortment there! Wish the rain would ease for you.
Similarly, we have had so much rain, which is good and bad. Good in that the plants love it, but then, this week my cherry tomatoes have all split, which was disappointing. Before going to Sydney in January, we dug a worm kit and lots of compost into two of the beds and were completely surprised by the hundreds of tomato seedlings and pumpkins that have germinated. I’ve been sharing them among friends, hopefully they will bear some fruit. Most of the tomatoes we have at the moment are self sown and produce very well. Peter built two smaller beds for me yesterday from a corrugated plastic compost bin we bought for $5 at our local recycling place. He cut it in half and now we have two oval herb beds. We will plant caulis etc in them for now. My Isabella grapevine is doing well in the pot and we have several bunches again this year. There is an update on my garden here if anyone is interested http://www.bizzylizzysgoodthings.com/2/post/2012/01/grilled-chicken-with-basil-butter.html
Happy gardening and cooking!
Lizzy, you’ve done much better with tomatoes than we have – we didn’t grow any outside at all this year, not even cherries. of course, that doesn’t mean they didn’t come up everywhere! :)
Thank you for the garden tour Celia! It looks very healthy and productive. The limelight basil looks lovely!
My summer crop of tomatoes is almost finished…just too hot here for them now. Cucumbers, eggplant, capsicum and pumpkin all still productive and looking good! Happy gardening :)
Jane, the limelight basil seems to be growing well in one bed but not the other – not sure why that is. Sounds like you’ve had a warmer season than we have – good to know not all of NSW was drowned this summer! :)
I arrived home yesterday, just in time to grab the last bucket of plums before the birds take them. Plenty of blackberries around here too, although most have been sprayed. I made some knockout blackberry jam last year & will make another batch during the week (hopefully).
Also have plenty of figs, so there will be some fig salads in our future too!
Amanda, how wonderful to come home from the cold US to figs and blackberries!! :)
This looks fabulous! How clever you are.
Thanks Deb! We’re not that clever though – the chooks and the worms do most of the work. Now that it’s set up, we’re pretty minimalist gardeners.. :)
Who knows what is happening tonight outside the back door! First there was snow and now there is driving rain… I’ll let you know in the morning. I love dwarf beans and I love all your beautiful photos, lush greens and vegetables everywhere. What joy there is in growing food for the table and just for the magic of it. That chilli is something special – well done! xx
Jo, I was thinking of you all when we heard the news about the extreme cold weather in Europe – hope you’re all hunkered down and safe. Stay warm! I’m overjoyed with my chillies, will take more photos of them once they’re really ripe!
our snow came and went in the west, the birds are singing away, my part of Europe has a milder climate than the East and mainland Europe. And I have lots of warm clothes and hot water poodles (winks).
Possums are wrecking havoc here. (Is that the right ‘wrecking’? Not sure.)
I think it’s “wreaking havoc” – just looked up “wreak” and it says:
wreak
verb (used with object)
1. to inflict or execute (punishment, vengeance, etc.): They wreaked havoc on the enemy.
2.to carry out the promptings of (one’s rage, ill humor, will, desire, etc.), as on a victim or object: He wreaked his anger on the office staff.
I shall now attempt to use the word in casual conversation today. :)
Hope the possums don’t do too much damage!
That’s great there were moments of sunshine yesterday to let you out of the house and into the garden. What a great variety of things you are growing. I love the look of your pumpkins Celia and those gorgeous chillies and the plums! Jamie Oliver has a great recipe for a plum tart if you have any leftover after making the jam!
Charlie, it was sunny all weekend, and now the clouds have descended again..sigh. The pumpkins are very cute and just about the only thing growing really well at the moment. And we’re still trying to figure out what to do with the plums – they have multiple seeds in them, which makes cutting them up a bit tricky, but if we get enough, maybe we can make a jelly..
Oh the possibilities are endless! especially once your tree has lots of fruit; Davidson’s plum and hazelnut jam, plum butter with almond and allspice, plum and blackberry jam, plum and date chutney (with lots of aromatic spices)
And the divine plum and mascarpone tart with sour cream pastry.
Your garden looks lovely; shows all the effort you’ve put into it.
Elaine, thanks for the suggestions! We’re still trying to figure out a way around the multiple seeds in the plums, but I’m sure we’ll figure it out. Not nearly enough this year though, so the chooks are feasting! :)
Oh, Celia… I am speechless! I wish Phil and I had 1/10 of your ability to keep a garden going… we are just hopeless. What’s the opposite of green? Anyway, THAT’s the color of our thumbs… (sigh)
Sally, you’re very kind, but I can’t believe you guys are so brown-thumbed! You can do almost anything! :)
What is it with chillies? I used a whole packet of seeds but not one germinated, after many attempts. I have a small variety of chilli plants from the nursery that are fruiting but I have to be quick as some possum has decided it likes chillies! I love the look of that basil.
Chris, I’m so glad you said that, thank you! I thought it was just me. Apparently the bishop’s crowns can take six weeks to germinate. 6 weeks! I’ve given up well before then.. ;-)
I love your gardens, Celia!
Thanks so much for posting pictures- I look at them with such intensity- drinking the green and fresh with my eyes!
You give me hope.
My garden is covered with snow.
There are little plants- so confused with the strange weather conditions that I’m not sure if they will survive this winter.
But- there are many greenhouses around- and soon I will be making my rounds- smelling the earth, the plants, the growing cycle starting up!
Heidi, I look forward to seeing your photos when we’re in the middle of winter! :) I’ll try to take more photos for you when I get the chance..
How lovely Celia! I haven’t tried those chillis before, but what a shame about the cauliflowers.
We have zillions of tomatoes, too many zucchini, I accidently picked celaric thinking they were parsnips, spaghetti squash ripening, and one lousy pumpkin. I just bought a cranberry bush, peanut plant, Asian greens, red spring onions, broccolini, leeks and more beetroots to put in this week, so I hope we get some nice rain to bed them in. Maybe you could send some down our way?
Oh darling, if only we could trade a little rain with you. But how fabulous that you have so much stuff growing in Canberra! I was reading Lizzy’s post above, she’s in Canberra as well, and she has a gardenful of green.. :)
Once again, beautiful garden pictures, Celia! Those bishop’s crown chillies are very intriguing..I haven’t seen them before.
And aren’t those golden nugget pumpkins just the cutest thing to grow? Plus, the perfect size for 1-2 people. I think I am becoming a big fan of them. Actually, I think I am becoming a fan of several miniature vegetables..tomatoes, eggplants..we have a really strange mini banana shaped one growing at the moment! Except the caulis of course, we tried the mini variety and I was utterly disappointed with it – barely a head to speak of.
Here’s hoping you get some sunny days soon..
Chris, I absolutely adore the bishop’s crowns! They’re quite hot and sweet at the same time, and just so pretty in the garden! The golden nuggets are fabulous – I keep trying to pick them, but I don’t think they’re ready yet. Glad I’m not the only one who struggled with the mini caulis. Pete’s been tending to the one and only growing in the garden as if it were a fine jewel.. :)
What an inspiring garden! Mine only has herbs now that I work too many hours :( – but I miss my vegie patch and hope to do it again one day!
Nic, thanks for stopping by! A herb garden is wonderful – we have rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano in ours, and it’s probably the most harvested bed in the garden! :)
There’s nothing better than peering over the garden fence. Thank you. And summer bounty doesn’t do it justice, all the lush greens and bright light. And the chillies look adorable!
Claire, thank you! Stay warm over there, we’ve been reading about the recent cold weather…
Well it seems as though you’re doing a fine job despite the lack of sun. The lemon picture is beautiful – actually all of the pictures are beautiful and make me feel quite envious. I’ve never grown cauliflower’s before, but I hear they are not easy to grow – yours looks a fine specimen, even if it is a rare one! the chillies look amazing, I haven’t seen any like that before. Why do you like them so much?
Choc darling, thank you for saying that – when I saw the lemon photo I was so chuffed, it had come out like a watercolour. :) Oh the bishop’s crowns – I love them! They were almost the first chilli we ever grew about 20 years ago when we first moved in, from seeds the neighbour gave us. We grew them for two seasons, they died off, and then we never found them again, as I didn’t know what they were called.
When I finally tracked them down, they were poor germinators, so getting one to actually grow well in the garden has me very excited. They’re quite hot but sweet at the same time, and just so pretty!
We didn’t have a good orange crop this year. Not sure why, maybe not enough rain. We have tons of lemons and limes though. The artichokes are huge and doing well, should be a good crop. The wonderhub laid in a truckload of dirt for the back flowerbeds. I think we are going to plant flowers, impatiens, allysum and pansies. Onions, strawberries and herbs out front are doing well. All our pots are empty and waiting for Spring veg. :-)
Maz
Maz, sounds like it’s all happening in your garden! We’ve just put in onions as well, although they seem to take forever in our yard!
your garden looks wonderful as always celia..melbourne has had the opposite summer with little rain and lots of hottish days which has brought a different set of vegetable growing challenges..
Jane, how unusual for us to have such different weather – wish I could send a little of our rain to you! On another point, I tried leaving a comment on your blog yesterday and today, but can’t seem to do it, not sure why? I’ve left comments before in the past..thanks..
oh..that’s annoying for you and disappointing for me..i’m not even sure how to correct it with my very limited computer skills..but i will look into it..thanks for letting me know..
hi celia..i’ve just made a change in the comments settings so i hope i’ve fixed the problem..
Thanks Jane! It worked! Have left you a comment..
Hi Celia! Your garden looks lovely! Mine’s still covered in snow. Do you think the potatoes grown in the bags were so small due to all the rain? I want to try growing some in bags this year…..leaves more room in the garden for other things!
Manuela, I’d love to tell you that it worked for us, but growing potatoes in sacks really didn’t. It might have been the rainy conditions – they just didn’t get enough sun to really grow well, and very few of them actually flowered. They also turned out to be frightfully expensive, as the bags broke and can’t be reused, and we only got a couple of handfuls of tiny potatoes from each one. I think next year I might try in the laundry tub (although Pete’s not that keen). I hope your garden defrosts soon!
Celia, you really do have the best veggie garden! You patience and love are very evident!
Seems our move to Namibia is still on the cards so I have not planted anything at home yet – well except for my herbs. I will just keep admiring your garden instead.
:-) Mandy
Mandy, thank you, lots of love, but with all the wet, not really all that much growing. We’re going to harvest that cauliflower soon though, which is exciting! Namibia sounds like an adventure.. :)
I grow jalapeño peppers in the greenhouse during the summer, and then chop and freeze them for use during the non-growing seasons. Last year the crop was minimal, due mostly to lack of sunny days and warmth that they need. I ended up buying some peppers at the supermarket, and freezing those to top up our supply. I think this summer I’ll be growing things that aren’t terribly thirsty because our local water supplier is already warning of a hosepipe ban.
Misk, it’s like you’re now getting the weather we had here for the last ten years! We all need to re-adapt to these changing conditions!
Wow you have the most vibrant garden. It’s so wonderful that all of these can turn into delicious dishes at the end :)
Tes, we’ve eaten the first of the eggplants already, and they were delicious!
What a spectacular garden and gorgeous produce! Incredible beauty! I must say that those bishop’s crowns are a particular eye-catcher, both because they’re a showy specimen of a kind of chile I’ve never even heard of before and because as a retired bishop’s kid I would be tempted to try growing those elusive beauties just for punning fun!
Kathryn, thank you, and as a retired bishop’s kid, surely you have to grow these chillies! I’ll take some photos for you when we harvest.. :)
Hi Celia!
Here in the north of Sydney, there’s a distinctly tropical feel. I had butter beans that decided to climb, and actually succeeded to germinate some rather old snake beans, though I have lost them since! All the avocado and mango seeds in my compost have sprouted, so I have potted them out. I should perhaps start an orchard! And some kumera (sweet potato) that I planted some months ago has reemerged, climbing up the Jerusalem Artichoke plants. It’s a jungle.
Have given up planting anything else until the weather sorts itself out. Having more misses than hits.
Vix, isn’t that interesting how the weather can be so variable! We’re in the midst of an early winter tonight here in Sydney, it’s actually a little chilly! Our snake beans did squat this year, but I’m keen to try again if it warms up next year!
We grew some of these https://picasaweb.google.com/113174640141909637975/January12201204#5696878329786804114 this year. Romanesco broccoli is so fun! The spirals in the flowers follow the Fibonacci series so it’s educational too.
Chris? You’re growing plants now? ;-) We’ve planted the Romasneco, I will let the boys know about the Fibonacci flowers!
Celia – those Bishop Crowns chilis are amazing! I’ve never seen or heard of them before but they are absolutely beautiful! We don’t get enough consistant sunshine up in rainy Seattle to be able to grow peppers with any success but if we could, I’d search for those. On the heat scale, are they closer to a jalapeno or a habanero (scotch bonnet?) I love your lemon picture too. My dad just sent me a box of lemons from my mom’s Meyer lemon tree in California. So fragrant – I have a batch of lemon curd to make!
Lynn, they’re quite mild (for me) – I can eat them straight – and they’re probably close in heat to a jalapeno. There are some that look similar that are blazing hot though, so it’s important not to mix them up. How fabulous to receive a box of lemons in the mail!!