Zucchini

Another nice surprise – this large zucchini, which I didn’t even notice growing. It was hiding amongst the foliage of other veggies. It is over 30cm long and it is the largest zucchini I have ever seen.

Espaliered apple trees

These two dwarf apple trees (Pink Lady and Granny Smith) have endured a lot of wind gusts in its current location. I decided that I would have to espalier in order to support the branches, ease access to the surrounds and help keep the area neat and tidy. I used long stakes as posts and curtain rods tied horizontally.

After

After

Before

Potatoes

Purchases

I have wanted to grow rhubarb for a long time but the prices of adult sizes were a bit discouraging. So when I saw these small punnets of baby size rhubarbs at an affordable few dollars each, I was quick to grab them. Rhubarb Sydney Crimson - a delicious red stemmed variety that is excellent for pies, tarts and jams. The perennial rhubarb is often referred to as the ‘pie plant’ due to its use in pies. A highly productive plant that can be harvested within 6 months. I am hoping to be harvesting by December – February.

Dahlias for some window box colour

Alocasia or 'elephants ears' for inside the house

Perez's sea lavender (Limonium perezii) and purple coneflower (Echinacea)

Sunflowers

The sunflowers have finally opened up. Their giant flower head are too heavy for the stalk and are bending slightly.

Cordyline “Red Star”

I have been meaning to write about my birthday present for months but I keep forgetting to take photos of the plant. My friend Alaina paid a surprise visit on my birthday and gave me this Cordyline “Red Star”. I love the easy care quality of cordylines and the splash of colour, texture and form it creates in the bathroom. I place it in the corner, out of reach and I simply forget about it. Once in a while, I bring it outside for a week for some much deserved sunshine and washing down by the rain.

Melbourne City Square & Diggers

I caught a glimpse of this Diggers showcase just before it packed up the following day. The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival: Metlink Edible Garden (planted by Diggers) was located at Melbourne City Square, from 4 March 2011 until 13 March 2011. Here are some pics from today’s visit.

When: Friday 4 – Sunday 13 March, 9:00AM - 7:00PM
Where: City Square, Swanston Street, Melbourne
Cost: Free

Links:
http://www.diggers.com.au/
http://www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au/
http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/

Apples

This is the harvest of apples from the dwarf Pink Lady apple tree. There is one more fruit on the tree that is still growing. I was surprised by how successful the tree has been this year. In previous years, the young fruit kept dropping off at any chance of wind. I can’t wait to try the fruit.

Grafted Cactus

This latte tumbler was the perfect size to fit on the bathroom window sill as a new pot for the grafted cactus. I didn’t have any cactus mix, so I mixed some sand and soil in equal parts and used that instead. I re-potted the grafted cactus and now is much more appealing to look at.

Cucumber harvest

This is the latest harvest from my garden. There were three large cucumbers, beans (I think they are yin yang), silverbeet and a Lebanese eggplant. Had I realised cucumbers were super fast growers and the easiest, I would have planted them a long ago. The eggplant is the fruit of a second flush of flowers that the plant had following the previous harvest. They are decent size due to the rains in February. The yin yang beans (Phaseolus vulgaris Yin Yang) are still a bit young, but they were too tempting to leave on the stalks.

Passionfruit wall

I moved this passionfruit to its new location to try and catch as much sun as possible (as well as to hide the pipes and blank wall). I have tied bamboo sticks along the wall to aid the climb up. I was hesitant in planting the passionfruit directly into the ground as I know that they only live for about a few years, so in the pot it remains.

Treasures

I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw these items sitting on the nature strip. Someone was obviously in a mad cleaning spree and amongst other trash I was fortunate to find this large vase (tall as my knee) and an old empty terracotta pot (already aged for my convenience).

End of Summer

It’s the end of Summer and some plants are doing well and some are still developing. Here is the update:
I should a have started a bit earlier with planting the Turks Turban pumpkin. It has grown heaps in a month and is now flowering, but I left it too late and the cold weather is quickly approaching.

Cucumbers are doing well.

The zucchini fruit is finally developing.

Another flush of flowers from the Lebanese eggplants has resulted in new fruit, and bigger this time, as it’s been rather rainy this month.

The "Giant Russian" sunflowers are taller than the shed and starting to bud.

The Pink Lady apples are almost full size and are ready for picking but I want to wait as long as possible.

This grape vine started as a cutting and now it’s as tall as the fence.

Vasette

I walked pass a lovely flower shop, Vasette (www.flowersvasette.com.au) last night. Gazing inside, I was mesmerized by a banana inflorescence hanging from the ceiling. What a great idea! Not your usual run of the mill floral display.

Latest additions – sugar plant, black taro & dragon fruit

These are my latest additions to the garden ordered from Diggers Club http://www.diggers.com.au/

(left) Dragon fruit (Dragon Fruit Pearl Hylocereus undatus) - https://secure.diggersgardenclub.com.au/p-603-dragon-fruit-pearl.aspx is a climbing cactus ideal for hot climates. They bloom only at night, and usually last just one night where pollination is necessary to set fruit. The edible fruit is red with white pulp and small black seeds. I’m not sure where to place this plant as I am running out of space in the garden. I was hoping to place it by a wall (out of the way) so it can get as much radiated heat from the bricks.

(middle) The sugar plant (Stevia rebaudiana 'Bertonii') - https://secure.diggersgardenclub.com.au/p-1865-sugar-plant.aspx is 30-40 times sweeter than sucrose with no calorific value and an extremely low Glycemic Index. Eat straight off the plant or make stevia powder by grinding the dried leaves.

(right) Black taro (Colocasia esculenta 'Black Taro') - https://secure.diggersgardenclub.com.au/p-1437-colocasia-esculenta-black-taro.aspx has leaves up to 40cm long and edible roots. My plant will be housed in the bathroom for ornamental purposes rather than for food. Plants grown in containers need to be re-potted on a yearly basis or at the end of the growing season.

Chicken pie

Decided to make chicken pie and roast vegetables for dinner tonight. I got the recipe from http://www.taste.com.au/ an used herbs from the garden.