We were in amongst the vegetable garden this week and found some steady progress, as well as some pleasant surprises. April is a month with sunshine, but nights getting cooler. There are summer crops finishing, and autumn crops beginning. Lets have a look at what we have got happening.
Snow peas on the right have germinated better than Sugar snap peas on the left.
We took out the climbing beans and thought we’d leave the trellis in for the snow peas and sugar snap peas (with edible pods). We put 3 seeds in every hole. The snow peas are pictured on the right and seem to have germinated a bit stronger. It will be interesting to see what height both these varieties get. Although the pea flowers don’t like frost, we should get a crop in before the coldest part of winter. With the trellis we could also protect them at night if need be. If your little seedlings like this go missing, you will need to protect them from black birds, or snails.
Unusually coloured capsicum.
These very dark purple capsicum taste delicious and provide a little bit of difference from the usual red and green ones.
Grown in a greenhouse.
The garlic has jumped away.
These cherry tomatoes should colour up as they are growing in a greenhouse with the Autopot self watering hydroponic system. There are a few secrets though. Close the house up at night to keep the temperature above 12 degrees, use a pollinating device, and the variety is a strong performing hybrid available from the hydroponics shop here at Gardenworld.
The garlic has been in less than a month and has jumped away. A well balanced liquid feed before winter will see these plants jump away again in the spring. We won’t let them dry out, and will mulch soon. Its not too late to get some in right now.
hydroponically grown cucumbers
These cucumbers are ready to eat. They are grown hydroponically in the greenhouse, using the amazing Autopot system. The variety is a specially selected hybrid for these conditions.
A nice surprise !
Sometimes, you get a nice surpise in the vegie garden. I knew we had eggplants in, but they were kind of smothered by nasturtiums and a few other things. I also thought it was a bit late in the season. Using two hands to pull the foliage away, there was a nice cluster of five plump eggplants. There were six ready to harvest in total. We decided to turn some of them int a moussaka dish for lunch.
Perfect size !
The team in the kitchen is excited.
Moussaka is a classic Greek recipe that involves layering eggplant with a spiced meat. You then top it off with a creamy bechamel sauce baked until golden and maybe with some cheese on top.
As you can see, there is a bit happening in the vegie patch. Some gardeners don’t do much after the spring season, but we think it is a great time of year and adds diversity to your diet. What are you waiting for !
Vegies & Herbs to plant: Asian Greens, Beetroot, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Carrots, Coriander, Garlic, Kale, Kohl Rabi, Lettuce, Leek, Parsnip, Onions, Oregano, Pak Choi, Peas, Radish, Spinach, Turnip, Thyme
Mendel, this Czech-German guy did some amazing experiments on peas and then bees – what a nerd! He even created some hybridised bees that were so viscious they had to be destroyed. Later he cut down on the research to concentrate on priesthood and other religious duties. You don’t see many CVs like this one.
If you have ever seen a garden bed of Russell Lupins in full flower they are nothing short of spectacular. They make a perfect background plant and while not flowering, also have very interesting foliage.
got these plants the week before from a growers excess stock – lucky !
