organic vegetable gardening courses, growing tips and homegrown recipes.
Root vegetables are transformed by roasting (50 minutes at 180 degrees C) in a slosh of olive oil and with a sprinkle of salt. They are delicious, versatile and attractive. This was our Saturday night combo - beetroot, turnip, carrots, potatoes (strictly a tuber, not a root), garlic and corn. All fresh from the garden. I could have substituted … [Read more...]
Some days in the garden in Wellington, there is nowhere better. Today was one of those days. Sun, but not too hot. Wind, but not too strong. So many tuis, blackbirds and sparrows it was almost deafening. Even the California quails were chatting to me, or perhaps I was overhearing them chatting to each other. It's perfect weather for the start of … [Read more...]
It's easy to get enthusiastic about gardening in spring, but I think February is the best time to sow seeds. Get the help you need by coming next Saturday afternoon to the fresh food garden course or the following Wednesday evening to a seed sowing session. You can take away worms for your wormery, garlic to sow in May and herbs to grow in your … [Read more...]
It's a busy time of year picking beans, cucumbers and zucchinis. The trick is to pick them before they get too big - that's why I like yellow zucchinis as they're much easier to spot. These recipes will help out on the zucchini front. Zucchini fritters can be lunch-box fillers, pass-arounds or barbecue fare. Zucchini and corn self-crusting … [Read more...]
Just over three weeks to Christmas so if you sow some lettuce seeds now you can keep them watered (either in pots or in the soil) so they'll be established enough to survive without watering if you go away. Or you'll have some lettuce to eat from your garden in the New Year. They grow quickly at this time of year and prefer some shade, particularly … [Read more...]
Somehow we never have strawberry gluts. But beans, zucchinis, tomatoes and cucumbers can all prove a challenge at times. If you have enough plants to give you a good portion at the start and end of the season, you'll have more than you can cope with during the height of the summer. The main thing with fruiting plants is to keep picking regularly - … [Read more...]
Picking is a daily necessity particularly after some welcome weekend rain. It gives me time to ponder my resolutions for the next season. There are a few spaces left on this Saturday's fresh food garden course. I'd love to meet you if you want to join the course. It's a great time to sow vegetables to keep you through the winter. Everyone will take … [Read more...]
Here's Tess, once again waiting patiently for Christmas. Gardening has essentially been cancelled for the week due to nearly constant rain and drizzzzzzzzzle. Well we got what we asked for. Fortunately I made an enormous pile of hot compost last week. Worthwhile making plenty now so you'll have something to spread in autumn when the summer crops … [Read more...]
Here are some more or less gardening related gift ideas, to add to last year's ten vegetable gardening gift ideas. I'll send a gift card if you'd like to give someone a place on the fresh food garden course. Next one is Saturday 28 January 2012. 1 The best pair of secateurs money can buy - everyone one loses a pair (or ten) in their … [Read more...]
The climbing beans can't decide up which stick to climb. Every time they make a decision they get blown back down. A few days of warm sunshine are what they, and the rest of the garden, need. They haven't made much progress since this photograph in mid-November. The mulching has kept the weeds down well though. I picked the first zucchini and … [Read more...]
