This year we have expanded our intensive vegetable garden, with the addition of another 9mx9m potatoe patch, and a garden for the kids which is actually quite big at 9mx2m (or thereabouts) (they have planted tomatoes, basil, peas, beans, sweet corn, sunflowers, capsicum, eggplants, cucumbers and salad greens). I've been flat out getting the spring/summer garden planted, with some sucesses and failures. My biggest failure was raising my tomatoe seedlings - many succumbed to the damping off fungus. I think a green house would help alot in this department, and its been on the to-do list for years already, but once we have our polytunnel set up, we will be able to have reliable plant propagation.
Our potatoe patch is growing great, and I think this year all being well we should be able to produce a year's worth. Its hard to go back to buying potatoes, and having to think about how much one needs in a fortnight.
We are ready to harvest the garlic, definately should be enough of it for a year, plus hopefully enough to replant as well.
We are getting plenty of eggs, which is a nice change to winter, when the eggs are few and far between. One hen has hatched a clutch of chicks which are very cute and already about 5 weeks old. Looking at them, I am feeling confident that we don't have too many roosters this time.
All the fruit trees I planted over winter are putting on good growth, and I am looking forward to the years to come the abundance of fruit they will provide. At this stage there are about 20 large trees, plus smaller varieties like blueberries and currants. I think this winter will be the last year I need to plant and we should have our food forest planted. Then the main work will be underplanting with 'good bug' attracting plants to complement the fruit trees.
We are harvesting loads of strawberries, and the raspberries and loganberries are starting to ripen too. Time to pull out the jam pot and start preserving! Although there is nothing quite so nice as sitting down to a big bowl of fresh organic strawberries for dessert! The plan is to expand these berrie patches more, so there will be even MORE next year, YUM!
