Click on image to enlarge view
A visual record this month.
I wanted to start focusing on individual plants rather than the garden as a whole.
In the montage mix, note the Jerusalem Artichoke harvest from one plant! And in part shade!
The Prickly Pear has taken off . Maybe that's not a surprize in Queensland --given the past infestation -- but its rootedness ensures I can look forward to nopales.--especially for salsa.
- Guide to Weeds:Prickly pear (Opuntia spp. other than O. ficus-indica). I'm growing Opuntia. ficus-indica
And I'm so pleased that after a year of so much frustration with cucumbers my Achocha plantings have decided to settle and grow. Mouse Melons are still indifferent...
...and my Samphire
survives. I haven't grown it from seed with any success but cuttings
are a maybe.I have nibbled and can vouch for the taste and texture...So
I'm keen to persevere.
The Katuk does well. A most generous plant. The leaves in Autumn have a deeper, less sweet, flavour but there are more of them.
In
the air I'm being over run with chokoes and, not far behind, Butternut
Pumpkins/Squash. Beans coming on. Plenty of greens in da spinach mode:
Egyptian, Okinawan, Brazilian...and the Vietnamese Pepper/Betel Leaf.
I had this dish when I was recently in Melbourne -- Bo la lot – Betel Leaf Wrapped Minced Beef(or Lamb) -- and it was stunning.
ADDENDUM:Much as I want to grow my Cannas I've planted Indian Shot Canna (Canna Indica) as a mulch resource (note the small crimson flower in images) and my Queensland arrowroot (Canna edulis) is doing famously. I'm planning on adding a large range of flowering Cannas not only for the flowers but as a mulch resource. At the moment I'm relying on Lemon Grass to supplement my mulch reserves in the hard , mulch scarce, months of August to November and have also planted Vetiver Grass with that coverage in mind.Since I'm burning wood to create ash (as a soil addition) I'm looking forward to any cut backs and trimmings both at home or in the neighborhood.
