Snakes in the garden

Life has been busy, and the garden's been thriving. My discovery for this season has been the 'Rampicante' zucchini I got from King's. They haven't grown like zucchini, but they're very grown! Huge vines all over the boardwalk by the pond, and the strangest fruit!

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This one ended up at 95cm long, which is more than I could contemplate cooking in a single go.

The raspberries also grew more than we could eat, as did the paste tomatoes and the basil. So I've been giving away eggs, silverbeet, basil, and raspberries. Oh and plenty of baby fish :)

It really is the end of the season now, only a few raspberries left, the tomatoes are slowing down and the basil is getting mildewy. On the up side the grapes have just started to ripen, and the chinese gooseberries are looking like they're going to be great in a few months. The kohlrabi are just coming through too, having grown caterpillars for the chooks they're going to be dinner for me very shortly :)

I'm hoping to spend some of next weekend planting the winter crops. Two varieties of broad beans I think, plus peas, lettuces, more silverbeet, spinach and maybe potatoes. Then I'll see how much room I've got to sneak in some treats like some beautiful beetroot and radishes.
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The chooks are out

The chooks left the chookery for the first time today, very very cautiously. It's been a really hot day so they spent a lot of time hanging out under the trees, but now it's cooled down are exploring the bank under the plums.

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Sometimes the way they move in a group reminds me of fish; it's not just that they stick near each other it's the way they move in sync.

As well as running plastic mesh around the garden to keep the plants safe, I got heaps of planting done:
  • Grapes – Golden Chasselas, Albany Surprise, Iona and Steuben
  • Squash – Rampicante
  • Beetroot – Bulls' Blood seeds
  • Bush Beans – Roquefort seeds
  • Florence Fennel – Orion F1
  • Melons – Tigger Moon and French Charentais (inside)
  • Watermelons – Moon and Stars (also).
I also got the places ready for the last group of tomatoes, which will go in this evening or tomorrow depending on the weather. Not to mention topping up the pond and watering just about everything.
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