Wet weather

I've not spent much time in the garden this week - actually I've barely been out the back door. It has been wet and miserable most of the week and have only been home when its dark outside. I'm really looking forward to the days getting longer so I can sit outside after work. 

There is still a lot of progress in the garden however. The sweetpeas are in flower, and are starting to form pods. I am, however, starting to suspect they might actually be snowpeas. Either way, I'm getting excited about being able to pick them straight off the vine in a few weeks time. 

 The kale is getting bigger and bigger - It's almost time to start making green smoothies with some of it!

The garlic is really taking off and has almost doubles in size over the last two weeks. I've got it growing in 3 pots, two over in a sunny part of the garden and one in a more shaded area. Interestingly the one with less sunlight has barely grown at all so I've moved it across to the other side of the garden.

The succulents are also growing well. These two were transplanted from another local garden, and the ones below are going crazy!

I've also got lots of silverbeet, both in green and purple - again almost ready to join the kale in a green smoothie.

Finally, the spring onions, red russian kale and purple silverbeet are growing happily in their new homes.

Spring is in sight

The sun is out, the windows are wide open, and there is a feeling of warmth in the air. It is only early August, but it is starting to feel like the worst of winter is over and time to start getting back in the garden. As I wondered outside earlier this morning, it suddenly became clear how badly my garden has become neglected over the past few dark dreary months. The garden beds are full of weeds, there are strange plants taking over my pots, and the lettuce have gone crazy! Fortunately everything is still alive and looking green - it just needs a little bit of love.

So - this weekend I plan to have a garden clean out. That is, if this amazing weather holds out and its not back to the usual drizzle and icy winds that whip through Melbourne.

There are still plenty of signs of new spring growth in the garden. The sprouting garlic I picked up last week at the local farmers market is settling in well to its new pot.

The lemon tree I had almost given up on is now sprouting new growth. This tree received a rather agressive prune after coming home from the nursery, on the advice of the staff. I thought I might have gone a little too far when it then decided to spend the next 6 months hibernating and pretending to be dead. It is back though, and should start to have branches and leaves (and hopefully lemons) in no time.

Throughout the garden flowers are popping up. These interesting orange ones recently grew out a a succulent, and the pink snap dragons below are a surviving remnant from last summer.

 The peas are beginning to flower, some mint I pulled out from between the brick pavers is taking off in its new home, and the broccoli and kale (despite a slow start) are now beginning to take off.

Farmers market finds

This morning I stumbled across a farmers market not far from where I live. I had heard about it before, but had never managed to remember to go down on a Sunday morning (I am usually curled up on the couch with a cup of coffee).

As well as picking up my usual fruit and vegetables, I came home with some lovely flowers, a bunch of adorable heirloom carrots and four seedlings wrapped in newspaper. There was a huge selection on offer but I eventually went with red spring onions, purple silverbeet, red russian kale and some broccolini. I also picked up a bulb or planing garlic which will make an interesting experiment as growing garlic is completely new to me.

While not from my garden, a neighbour recently gave me a large bag of lemons and baby mandarins that were growing on their tree. The mandarins were polished off quickly, but the lemons have been waiting for the right dish. I've finally decided to go with a lemon butter so I use them before they go mouldy or dry out. I'll post the results of that later.