It’s been quite a while since our last garden update!
The strange Sydney summer we’ve had – with 46C days followed by torrential downpours – continues to be unpredictable. The garden has coped quite well, although the powdery mildew is proving a problem for our new zucchinis…
The snake beans continue to thrive – we’re picking a large bunch daily. The beans seem to grow exponentially – each flower produces a pair of beans, and when they’re picked, each remaining stem grows a flower, which in turn grows a pair of beans! I’m not sure how long the season will last for, but I will certainly miss these when they’re done…
Sage has finally returned to our garden – we have great trouble growing it in the herb garden, but it seems to be doing well in the beds…
Our Little Gem mini cos are a staple, and seem to grow and grow with very few pests. It’s actually been a good year for pests – I’m not sure if that’s due to the weather, or increasing predator numbers as the garden becomes established…
Eggplants galore! We have both the fat bottomed ones…
…and the skinny ones. They’ve all been delicious…
Our tromboncino bed is still going strong, although it’s now making a lot of leaf rather than fruit. Having said that, there is always a tromboncino in the fridge waiting to be used…
Linda’s flat capsicums are fruiting – fingers crossed, as we don’t have a lot of luck growing caps here…
Our neighbour Nic bought Pete a lemongrass plant for his birthday last year, which was timely, as the clump we’d had was dying off. This new one is quite stunning…
Purslane is going gangbusters – we planted this on purpose, even knowing that it could become a weed – and have been cheerfully giving it away to anyone who will use it. It’s a delicious addition to salad, and I stirred a handful through mash potato recently, without any complaints…
My basket of French marigolds has grown back, and offer a little colour to the garden…
The purple and blue lake beans near the house are growing well and cropping heavily. Having now tried climbing beans, we will never go back to dwarf varieties…
Last Christmas, Nic wove this basket for us, using the dwarf papyrus from our pond for the handle. It’s filled with echeveria hens and chicks…
Our succulents have either thrived or died – this summer has been a test of fire for them. Several have outgrown their pots, so I spent a little time repotting them on the weekend…
Perhaps not surprisingly, the succulents in the old self-watering pot have done particularly well…
In January, Uncle Steve came over and built a new outdoor setting for us, to Pete’s specifications. He recycled our old Blackbutt A-frame picnic table and added new Merbau to make this long bench seat, with a companion table and stool…
And because my husband is both clever and pedantic, the back of the chair is contoured to provide lumbar support…
We missed a giant tromboncino at the back of the dome, so decided to keep it for seed. It was well over 3kg by the time we brought it in…
We’re picking eggplant and tromboncinos regularly…
…and this many beans almost daily!
How are things going in your garden?
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Love your garden,you eat your vegies fresh daily,thanx for the update,
Thanks Sponge! Hope the weather is being kind to you in SA – I hear it’s been hot and dry…
Bench and the table are my favourite :D teamed up with great food of course :)
You need to spend more time eating here, darling! :)
Looks great! We are below freezing again and the weather can’t make up it’s mind about snowing. Start, stop, start, stop.
But it is only a month to the equinox and then it should get warmer.
Pat, we’ll do a season swap soon! It’s still hot here, but it’s been raining a lot over the last few days.
Everything in your garden is so healthy and happy. Love the basket Nic made for you.
My garden is still snow covered and may be getting more snow this weekend and next week so nothing in my garden yet. Need to start certain seedlings indoor ASAP, hoping to get organized find the time next week.
Norma, thank you – I love the basket too! Last year we bought a heated propagating mat, and it’s made a huge difference to our ability to grow seedlings!
The two of you certainly do have a knack for successfully growing vegetables…your harvests have been amazing. My garden is buried under many feet of snow in Maine and won’t be planted until the end of May (our last frost date).
Karen, we have the whole backyard turned over to veg, so it’s not really all that productive. Having said that, we have heaps of beans and eggplants at the moment, and we’re really enjoying the bounty! Many feet of snow…wow, we never get anything remotely like that here! :)
I really love seeing your garden, Celia!
Those beans are incredible- and the eggplants just plain make me envious!
Your bench and table look so nice- I love the lumbar curve.
My garden is covered in snow about 4 inches deep. But they are talking about rain and sleet this weekend- so it will probably be encased in ice by Monday.
Thanks Heidi! The new bench is really amazingly comfortable, Uncle Steve did a wonderful job!
Do you play classic or rock music on the Tromboncino?
So named for that very reason, I believe! :)
It’s all looking beautiful, Celia. Loving the outdoor setting (w/lumber support!) and the sweet woven basket!!
Try a little spray of 1 part milk to 10 parts water with a tsp of bicarb for your powdery mildew problems. This seems to work well for me..spray it on the foliage in the morning and let it dry off in the heat of the day.
We’ve never grown tromboncino, I would love to try sometime! We do have spaghetti squash growing for the first time and it’s a real novelty to cook it and then shred it afterwards..the girls find it great fun.
Your beans are very handsome!. Are you freezing them? I cooked up a small batch yesterday for the freezer, mainly to test out my new gadget..a Fagor pressure cooker that I found brand new at the flea market..for only $10! Needless to say I was pretty excited and have been searching online for tips about using this device! :)
Chris, thanks for the milk spray recipe, we’ll have to give it a go. Would you like some tromboncino seed? We’ve collected some, but we have to test them first. Not freezing the beans, as we seem to be eating them up as fast as we can. And I saw your pressure cooker! I won’t even begin to tell you how much they retail for, you’d faint! Needless to say, that’s the bargain of the year, and it’s only February! :)
Amazing. Everything looks so green and fresh and thriving. I can’t believe you can be harvesting so many beans every day. And your eggplants look so good. Yes, the weather! What about the rain last night – it just didn’t stop xx
Charlie, the garden is quite drowned after the deluge. I think the beans are producing madly but due to stop some time soon – they can only go on for so long, and we’ve been eating them for weeks and weeks now!
What a fantastic garden! I love that you’re picking so much daily, and that you can nearly live off your home grown produce. What an absolutely stunning chair you have.
Clare, thank you! And I absolutely adore the chair – it fits snugly on the deck, and curves in slightly at the ends, so folks can sit and chat…
Love your work Celia and Pete. Your garden looks beautiful and so productive. How cool is that succulent basket…it looks like a little work of art. Your outdoor seating looks very comfy! x
Aah Jane, you know what it’s like – the garden seems to be bare one day, and the next it’s full of produce! And Nic’s basket is wonderful, isn’t it? It has a permanent home on the deck now.. :)
So lucky Celia! What a bounty of beans indeed, after my record year last year this season I’ve picked less than a dozen :( My eggplants are doing really well, and my chilis and zucchinis are great, but capsicums, cucumber and peas were sadly pathetic. We’ve had our hottest Summer ever, and practically no rain at all. The weather man promises it every week, but it just doesn’t happen. I think you Sydneysiders are getting it all!
Forgot to say how impressed I am with Pete’s and uncle Steve’s setting. Awesome work guys! Xox
Thank you darling, I’ll let the boys know you approve! Interesting that you grow peas now – we can only seem to grow them in winter! I wish we could send you some of our rain, we seem to have more than we need!
WOW! Everything looks so…abundant! My little balcony is going well…nothing has died from the extreme heat or rain but my zucchini have powdery mildew on them and I think the cucumbers are sick…only produced a few fruits and the vine is dying off already…should it keep refruiting or is it a one time wonder kinda thing?
Thanks Mel. Our cucumbers have given up the ghost as well, although they did well for quite a while..
Celia and Pete, love your harvest! That’s awesome. And the thought that went into the garden setting. I’m comin’ over!
I’ve got the kettle on, love. xx
Agree with theintolerantchef – beautiful craftsmanship boys – and feels as good as it looks!
Thanks Nic. Everyone loves your basket! :)
Garden fresh beans are my absolute favorite and how nice to be harvesting so many! I adore the basket. Come Spring, my succulents will be moving into new homes too. Right now they are busy surviving winter. Lovely garden Celia!
Pamela, thank you! I’m still a succulent newbie, but we’re slowly figuring out which ones will survive in our backyard. And frankly, if they’ve survived this summer, they’re virtually bulletproof! :)
Your garden continues to amaze, Celia. Considering your weather this Summer, your garden’s fine yields are a testament to the care you give it.
John, thank you. We certainly don’t give the garden the sort of care your Nonno gave his – our thinking is to be to give it lots of room, and then hopefully we’ll end up with something we can eat at the end! :)
I love seeing your garden Celia – there is always something wonderful to marvel at. This time round I’m adoring your outdoor seating with the lumbar support – what a clever husband, to think of that!
Amanda, he is clever, isn’t he? It was a bit of a bugger to build though – Uncle Steve nearly tore his hair out over the angles! :)
It never ceases to amaze me that all of this is going on in your very own backyard! Just lovely Celia! I think if we lived near each other, I’d invite myself over for dinner quite often ;) Even if it was just to sit in that AWESOME seating area with a cup of tea. Love it. And Pete is absolutely brilliant for requesting lumbar support! Enjoy xx
Emilie, thank you! You’d be welcome for tea anytime, but you’d have to bring the littlies for us to play with – we love kids in the garden! :)
Thank you for the joyful walk in your garden: it does love you, but I hate to think how much time goes into making it thus! Powdery mildew: that can cause havoc overnight, I have found! My lemongrass is in two pots and a decision has just been made to find sites in my garden!! Love the furniture and have to look carefully at that lovely hanging basket – my metal ones showing distinct fatigue! Wonder how you did weather-wise last night: at about 2 am I was nearly surrounded by water and thought the blessed roof would be 1/2 km up the street any moment . . . :( !
Eha, the weather has been a bit rough these last few months, hasn’t it? Most of the gardening work really is done by the chooks, it takes very few hours a week of our time!
Celia your garden looks just wonderful as always. I’m in awe of those beans. They’re my mum’s favourite so when I get a house I’ll have to try my hand at growing them.
Capsicums are one of the things I somehow manage to grow without much effort here but I’ve never had any luck with sage either.
I’ve never seen those purple beans but I bet they’re tasty.
Love the new outdoor setting especially the lumbar support! It means you don’t need cushions outside that will just go mouldy and need washing all the time. He’s a smart man your husband!
Claire, the snake beans should grow really well in Brissie, as they’re a tropical plant. We usually struggle to grow them here, although having said that, my friend Brian somehow manages to grow them in Canberra! And thank you, yes he is a smart man, my Pete. :)
Celia, this is amazing – and so inspiring! Wow. My garden courtyard needs a lot of replanting and is rather a long way from this…it’s finally cooling down enough for me to put new things in so hopefully it will start to look better again within a month or so.
Kari, the garden goes through stages when it’s just tragic – whenever we get too busy to do anything with it, it just gets ignored. But it’s quite well established now, and the soil is improving, which means it’s getting easier to grow things. It has taken years to get to this point! :)
I love that outdoor set! The back of it is just so comfortable! :D
Thanks love, it’s really good, isn’t it! :)
Your garden is looking wonderful – in spite of this crazy weather. Ours was badly pummelled by cyclone Oswald and is now being renovated and extended. We only have one little black chook left, Her Maj. She was always the quietest and least pushy of our girls. She seems to have adapted to her royal solitude surprisingly well and has even returned to laying an egg a day – she must, I think, be about three or four years old. I do love that woven basket, what clever hands.
Jan, your poor garden! Maj sounds like she’s enjoying being the queen for a while! :)
I have planted zucchini this past week. Could you do a tutorial on how to split and replant succulents please? Have a super weekend :)
Tandy, I’m quite new to the succulent thing, so I don’t really feel qualified to write on managing them yet! Having said that, I replant them by pulling the plant out and yanking off the bits with roots and sticking them in the ground – they’re so hardy that they seem to take the manhandling quite well! :)
Your patio is lovely! How are the chooks doing? We are just on the edge of Spring here. The hub put in raised beds in the front yard.The artichokes are coming along. I’m mostly looking forward to having fresh herbs again. Bring on the basil! Maz.
Maz, the four remaining chooks are all doing well. Look forward to seeing your garden veg soon! xx
I am in awe of your garden. I’d kill to have one that productive. The milk spray will work wonders for the powdery mildew. I managed to bring my zucchini back from near death by using it. I have a theory on capsicums that I am putting into practice again this year. I find I get a dismal crop usually but if I treat them as a biennial I get a spectacular crop in the second year. They will look quite sad and sorry for themselves during winter but bounce back in warmer weather.
My garden is being over run by the pumpkin but everything else seems to have struggled this year. May have to try the snake beans next year. Would love a crop like yours.
Tania, isn’t it funny what we can grow in different parts of the country? Or even the same state, for that matter. I haven’t had any success with pumpkins yet, and for some reason the capsicums (just some of them) have started wilting, hopefully it’s not something serious. Thanks for the tip about the milk spray, and do try the snake beans, they’re awesome (as my kids say :)).
Hello Celia
Just look at your garden. How absolutely amazing. It is really coming along. I do love that outdoor setting , what is the best though is that it is partially recycled. Wish I had an uncle like that
Thanks Tania! Uncle Steve is Pete’s brother, but there are times I wish he were my uncle too. :)
Looking great! Your garden and your gardening have come so far – i love beans and agree the climbers are brilliant, you just have to watch out for windy days. It is fascinating how vegetables grow in different climates, isn’t it? Love seeing your garden photos.
Thank you darling. I am never going back to dwarf beans – we get so much more than I ever thought possible from the climbers! Will watch for the wind.. x
You’ve done so well to get the garden through the summer extremes and it’s still producing. The outdoor setting looks wonderful.
Thanks Jo! It’s been a tricky season!
Waw, Celia! Your garden is thriving with fresh veggies!
Your wooden bench seating area looks very cool & lovely!
Great to sit & enjoy your home baked goods, to sip at a nice cocktail & watch your beautiful garden with friends & family! I wish I could sit there now, in the hot sunshine, with you! It is very snowy over here & minus 10°C! :( sigh!
Sophie, thank you! It’s hot and sticky here at the moment, which makes your cold snowy weather sound appealing! :)
Nice!! Here North of the Belt, we’ve just started some seeds indoors under lights. .Actual garden planting won’t start for at least another month (cool weather greens) with the tender crops not going in until approx. May 15th.
Winger!! It’s been an age, how nice to see you! Thanks for popping in.. x
Wow Celia, your garden is beautiful! I love the outdoor setting.
Thank you! I’m hoping we get a chance to put the outdoor setting to good use soon – it’s been too wet so far! :)
Everything looks great Celia. You have done a much better job of planting for your needs than I did. I will be wiser next year:)
Glenda darling, you just have to remember that anything you put your mind to, you end up being really, really good at it. No-one else I’ve ever heard of grows 28 cucumbers a day in their first year gardening! :)
And still they come. Picked 9 today:(
Celia that outdoor setting is great! You never see an outdoor setting with lumbar support, (which is why so many of them are so damn uncomfortable!) Sitting outside, admiring your lovely abundant garden…yes, very nice indeed :-)
Brydie, it is a nice spot to sit and sip tea. Hopefully you can come over and join us for a cuppa one day. x
It’s all looking great, but especially love the basket. The lumbar support is a great idea, outdoor settings really impede long luxurious sittings just because they are so darn uncomfortable.
Ali, it’s very comfy indeed, although we’re still debating whether or not I need to make cushions for the seat. Undecided! :)
I read your garden update with pen and post-it note in hand, writing my wish list… I was curious about climbing spinach which I saw at Eveleigh Markets just before Christmas… I wondered if you’d heard of it. It wouldn’t survive the grime on the Sydney balcony and by now at Taylors Arm it would have either dehydrated, drowned or blown away… which I think will be the fate of the herbs & rocket I left there… Oh the weather! The only things that have survived on my balcony have been the succulents despite finding them floating in their pots several times, geraniums which make a great privacy screen but no flowers, and a tiny full sun variety of Fuschia which amazes me by continuing produce purple & red flowers bought from Woolies.
I love Uncle Steve & Pete’s upcycled orthopedic outdoor setting :)
ED, thank you! It is hard for you with the two gardens to manage! I’ve never heard of climbing spinach before – was Julie at the plant stall selling it? The weather really has been completely bonkers, hasn’t it? Your fuschia sounds very beautiful!
WOW!!! Your garden looks just amazing! It is so lush, healthy and strong, no wonder you don’t have too many predators.
I have just replanted all our lettuce, chives, beetroot, shallot and coriander as they seem to have all finished at once, I realised if I didn’t hurry up and get them started again I would have to buy my salads :0!
I had forgotten how much I love the long snake beans until I saw your picture. I will have to replant those also.
Oh and I wish we could borrow uncle Steve… his seating looks fantastic and I don’t have an Uncle Steve in my garden :(
Julie, everyone needs an Uncle Steve, thankfully he’s Pete’s little brother, and lovely man does all sorts of things for us. The snake beans have been an absolute winner, I’m hoping we’ll be able to grow them in our garden every summer from now on! :)
Ah – all of that greenery is a joy to see on a day where we have snow again!
Luxembourg Gardens did look beautiful as I went past them this morning but it was hard to focus when slipping and sliding on the footpath.
Anna, your life always sounds so exotic! :)
Not sure it is so exotic to miss blue sky for one month!! Apparently this has been the gloomiest winter in 60 years….
I love the posts about your garden Celia, particularly as yours is at its most lush when ours is just bare earth. Do you companion plant your marigolds? I planted them in the greenhouse with the tomatoes to deter greenfly but I don’t know whether it really worked (though it made the greenhouse look pretty).
Anne, the basket of marigolds came as a gift last year from the plant lady at Eveleigh Markets, after the purple sprouting kale that she’d sold me turned out to be kohlrabi. :) I’ve never even taken them out of the basket, but we deadheaded them when the last lot finished, and new ones have grown back. They’re very pretty! I don’t know if they do much as companion plants, although we do companion plant garlic, and that seems to make quite a big difference to our cabbage moth problem (even though we can’t really grow garlic very well here!).
WOW! Everything is absolutely magnificent Celia! I love Uncle Steve’s work on Pete’s design – both such clever men.
:-) Mandy xo
Thanks Mandy! They are clever, aren’t they? :)
Love your garden Celia. Next year I will be planting snake beans. Pete and Uncle Steve are so clever.
That woven basket is really inpiring, Celia. I have to try that.