The Ugly Truth About Gardening....

...isn't the floral gardening gloves or the safari hat, or even the dirt under the fingernails. Actually, it's letting things go to seed! My garden at the moment looks like it has been taken over by great giant warty stick insects - that are taller than me! But what has actually happened, is that the silverbeet (chard for those of you reading from the States ;-P ) has gone to seed. And since I am a gardener who likes to save her own seed, I have to put up with these monsters that are sprouting up everywhere.

Normally, I don't care so much for an untidy garden, after all, if it was good enough for Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden (no, there were no gardeners there, were there? Yet, it's everyone favourite garden), then it is good enough for me. But some things are always the exception to the rule - scraggly gone-to-seed plants are mine.

Unfortunately, this is pretty much all I have growing in my garden for the time being too, since we had the 30 year floods hit on Christmas day - our suburb being one of the worst hit. I lost all my cucumbers, lettuces, most of my tomatoes, and anything that was at seedling stage (that means nearly EVERYTHING).

So, today, I decided it was time to clear everything out. Since I had put my hand up for the Nillumbik Home Harvest Festival, and volunteered at the bare minimum, silverbeet, then I figured that I must at least have that GROWING by harvest time in April (which is Autumn/Fall over here in the Southern Hemisphere).

Well, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only so I have a few seedling silverbeets starting, but I also found plenty of parsnip and carrot seeds to share on harvest day. I also will have plenty of spaghetti squash to contribute to the event, which should challenge the chefs and cooks on the day! I might even have a few watermelons and rock melons to spare - fruits that normally don't grow this far south, but have been the only thing to flourish with all the rain and humidity.

But my greatest find was one last Golden Queen peach, clinging to a branch. With all the Queensland weather we have had this summer, all our stone fruit have moulded as soon as they started to ripen. But I found one that is close to ripening. One that I can take off the tree now and let mature on a windowsill inside.

Hopefully, there will be one peach to enjoy this season!


Technorati Favorites">

So Long Between Posts

Since last summer I have been so dejected with my garden. The extreme heat killed everything last year. I haven't even been game to weed. With winter, has come enough cool weather and moisture for stuff to start growing again. Any greenery is good as far as I'm concerned.

So what has actually been happening in my garden? Besides the weeds, there has been plenty that has self-seeded. Open pollinated seeds are wonderful things. With absolute neglect and chicken invasion (we moved the coop, and it is STILL not secure), we have plenty of silver beet, mustard, carrots, onions, dill, leeks, lettuces, wheat, oats, marigolds and parsnips growing. And that is just what I can see at a glance. I'm not really game to get out there and hunt around too much, otherwise the chickens will follow behind and dig up all the goodies.

We also have masses of stinging nettles. These are great to dig back into the garden as a green manure, but I prefer to eat them. Most people look at me like I'm a martian when I mention that stinging nettles are one of my favourite vegetables. The first obvious question is: "Doesn't it sting when you eat it?"

No, stinging nettles don't sting when you eat them, but that is only after it has been plunged into boiling water. Both this and vinegar neutralise the sting. Of course, picking it and preparing it is quite a treacherous path. I once picked nettles while wearing those thin latex gloves - even through two pairs, you will get stung! I had to soak my hands in vinegar, rather than the usual quick wipe over. To pick nettles you need thick rubber gloves. The ones you buy to wash dishes with are perfect.

So what do you do with the nettles, once they are picked? Besides washing them thoroughly, they can be cooked and used in place of spinach or silver beet. The flavour is far superior to either of these greens. My favourite recipe is a greek one that involves homemade filo, fetta, onions, dill and nettles. You mix up everything and roll it up in the filo. It is then baked in the oven and eaten warm - YUMMO!