Succulent Flower

This year it was the first time all of the adopted succulent plant in our garden produced flower after 3 years growing them in our garden. We only have 4 different succulent plants in our garden. We don't really need to take care of them. The succulent plant seems to be happy provided with sun and does not require much water to grow well, with these the plants do grow really fast and needed re-potting or divide in dormant season. It is a new experience and fun learning to watch how these plant have grown. Most of these succulent flower colour interestingly are bright orange-red. 

 I think this is an aloe plant type flower, I might be wrong since I adopted them without knowing anything.This is a new bird which adopted itself in our garden since autumn. The birds like to follow us around in the garden and caught our attention. The bird did not fly away as I get closer to take a photo.

I am not sure what succulent plant this is but it has grown quite large. Almost 50cm in diameter. Do you know the name of this plant? 

Sue from Our Plot at Green Lane Allotment has helped me to identify this cotyledon plant. 

Not sure either what succelant plant this is. A volunteer calendula plant sharing the same pot caught in between.

A memory photos of our succulent plants, as I might forgot how they flower.

Have a lovely weekend.

Another Adopted One ( Cotyledon)

 This is another plant that we adopted together with Arum Green Goddess blooming side by side in the garden at the moment. I still have no idea what plant this is. Not very good with this type of plants. I thought it does not produce any flower, how naive can I be. Still am novice in this part of group plants. I hope you can help me identify this plant. The flowers are slightly reddish and in a shape like bell. 

This is how the plant actually look like growing in pot.

A drought-hardy plant and thrive without care.

Never got any fertiliser since we adopted this plant.

Suddenly a flower stalk appeared in the middle.

Just noticed that there is a yellow insect nestling between the bud.

Do you know what it is?

Apparently not a good bug.

Infested the flower stalk and causes it to rot and not blooming.

Weird never seen this bug on other plants before.

Lucky some flower stalk were save and free from that bug.

The flower does take a long time to bloom from the emerging buds.

It took several months before the buds finally open and bloom.

New Blooms.

Have a lovely weekend!

Are you staying indoors for Olympic or outdoors gardening :).

Da Cheong Chae Harvest Week

Most of the harvest last week were from our backyard container garden.

Last week, we harvested our last batch of parsnip harvest for this year after growing them for almost 10 months with the leeks. Not much parsnip this year due to heat wave earlier this year the ones growing on the soil all perished and had to be harvested earlier. Only the ones growing in container survive, although some of the leaves got burned. However, it revived. The first purple vienna kohlrabi harvest for this year for us.

Main harvest of this weeks which is almost on every harvest photos is Asian greens Da Cheong Chae from only one small polystyrene container. Da Cheong Chae has very dark green and big leaves. Since only 3 of us now, harvesting 3 da cheong chae plants each time is more than enough for one meal.

 Afghanistan carrots that were harvested this week were from our home-saved seeds collection.

Parsnip and sweet potatoes.

Parsnip for the chicken korma.

Sweet potato fritters for Sunday breakfast.

Both dishes prepared by dear hubby.

Some chillies and Italian Sprouting broccoli sprouts for fish curry. Hubby the temporary chef (I am on leave from the kitchen until not sure when) asked for eggplants or okra which not going to fruit in this cold winter. So broccoli were use as substitute for his fish curry menu. We eat what is in season and learn how to improvise. We harvested some baby kailan (chinese broccoli) because we need to thin them as they were sowed really closely to each other. Finally, for 2 years now we don't have the need to buy kailan seeds anymore as kailan seeds collected from our own garden has been sufficient enough up till now. Germination rate of these seeds is also very good so I am very happy with it. The benefit of growing non-hybrid plants. So, I can allocate my seeds shopping budget for new plants each year.

This is the dish my husband cook for us last Saturday, fresh from our garden.

This is his version of Stir-fry kailan with salted mackeral fish.

Visit Daphne's Dandelions Harvest Monday!

I have to show my appreciation to my husband since I rarely cook these days (I only cook once a week due to my health state at the moment)...hehehe...Last week went for an ultrasound because I was a bit anxious wanting to confirm again our baby I am carrying is in good health. I am 34 weeks pregnant and baby doing good about 2.1kg now. Rayyan was born at 37 weeks with 2.3kg which was more than a kilogram lighter than Ilhan was. To be honest, I am a little bit scared and alone without other family to lean on except hubby. Hubby really happy at the moment as we might have a girl this time and I am getting more extra pampering. Baby birth estimation date is the same day as my PhD completion date (18th August 2012) in total of 4 years. Very ironic and unlucky with date I am. However, realistically I don't think I can finish before that date. In actual, I have taken more than 3 months of  leave of absence due to Rayyan medical reason. So, I should get another 3 months extra for it to be 4 years. Sigh...worry...but see how much I can do this month. Don't want to dwell too much on it yet of the uncertain things.

June Container Garden

I am glad that last spring I left many plants go to seeds. Now we have many self-seeding plants that the garden take care of itself while continuously provide us food. Not only edibles, but provide us many volunteer flower seedlings around the garden. The weather has started to get colder, maximum temperature has been below 15 degree Celsius and minimum average 4 degree Celsius this week. The container garden needs weeding but its hard to judge still which one is veggies, flowers or simply weeds. With the mood and mental state I am currently in, I just let it be for awhile since the brain is not functionally as sharp as when I am in good shape. I might make wrong decision. I have just started a low dose of antidepressant medication this morning and feel the moods lifted up a bit with a bit boost of energy but the minds feel like in clouds.

In this section, rainbow chard, tomato and leaf amaranth (bayam) that can be seen here are actually self-seeded plants growing among vegetables which were sowed March-April this year. 

There are some warm-loving vegetables in this container section that I am going to leave it alone and treated as perennials like capsicum inter-planting with cold season plants. We still actually have several sweet potato plants growing in containers that have not been harvested. The last parsnip and leek plants we have in container, saving them from harvest until I can really enjoy them.

We grow sweet potatoes at this section previously, after cleaning it up last month we sowed some Asian greens, spinach, beetroot, radish and florence fennel in this corner. Hopefully by July~August this corner will started to provide us fresh harvest. Lots of weeds there.

The cucumber season is over as seen in the photos and need to be disposed. So that other plants will receive more light from the sun. Behind the trellis, there are some containers as well with plants that now needed some light. It works well in summer to give some shade with the cucumber foliage but not now in winter.

Growing cape gooseberry plants for the first time in containers. I have not harvest any fruits from this plant yet though its fruiting at the moment. Not sure how tolerant is this plant with our winter here. The cape gooseberry plants did not like our dry summer here as it hardly grows at all during that time. The plant pick up growth again early fall. The cape gooseberry is sharing the container with capsicum and carrots. The capsicum plant was taller than the cape gooseberry previously in summer and has already produce fruits. Only a few capsicum fruit left on the plant as it really does take a long time ripen in this cold weather. Now that the cape gooseberry plants has certainly grown tall and bushier, it will helped protect the capsicum plants against cold wind.

This veggie corner needs to be organize a bit. So many different plants self-seeded at the back row containers like nasturtium, flat leaves parsley, chinese spinach, pot marigold, garlic. I can't see our florence fennel seedlings anymore must be suffocated by the nasturtium. Waiting for 'Jack be little' pumpkin ripening (can you see an orange fruit peeking near carrot leaves). Chilli and capsicum ripening as well and I am collecting seeds from this plant. This chilli plant is the second generation grown from seeds we collected and it has been tolerant with our summer heat and winter cold here now. It is a very hot chilli type, I was collecting the seeds without gloves this week and my hand stings for 2 days.

Have a lovely weekend!

'Topweight' Carrot for Winter season

We have been trying to sow carrot seeds each month (succession sowing) to ensure continuous supply for our kitchen as it is one of our favourite vegetables.  Sowing carrots in winter is tricky it probably won't give you root but gives you flower. Last cool season, we tried growing 3 different varieties of carrot which is Afghanistan carrot, dragon carrot and topweight carrot. Sowing Afghanistan carrot and dragon carrot after the month of May (end autumn) has the tendency to bolt rather than produce root. This is the second year we grow topweight carrot in winter season and they tend to be more resistant to bolt. I sowed some topweight carrot in polystyrene container early winter (June) and the seeds germination rate was good. The seeds germinate quicker than it usually does.

New topweight carrot seedlings last June.

After 16 weeks from sowing, a reasonable size of carrot roots to harvest. In winter, growth should be slower than usual so I was not expecting a big root. Winter growing carrot taste sweeter.

We usually harvest only the amount needed and left the rest to grow. But by November all those carrots have to be harvested because the carrot core begins to become woody. It was nice to have fresh carrots in spring while waiting for the spring-sown carrot roots to grow.

Topweight carrot seems to be a good all year round carrot.

This variety also does well in partial shade.

It also can be force grown in hard clay soil.

But you won't expect a good size of root from clay soil.

But you can get a baby carrot size.

We started to harvest topweight carrot sowed in end winter.

Morialta Conservation Park

We always wanted to visit Morialta Conservation Park because we have always wonder how the waterfall there is which is closest to the city. Since Adelaide is the driest city in Australia, we have to make sure that there are many rain this month before we set our foot there. We heard that in summer it can be very dry there and the river will not have any flowing water. It was very nice weather today, you can walk with only a T-shirt during the day. So off we went to Morialta Conservation Park. The trail to the waterfall has nice sceneries of native plants to enjoy. There are many different trails for hiking which we like to hike next time. Because we are still fasting during Ramadhan so perhaps next time.

High platforms to enjoy the nice view of this conservation park. I am used of hiking sceneries through tropical rainforest and Japan green forest during my studies to complete my bachelor degree in fieldwork. But today it is a new interesting experience to me to understand this part of Australia native vegetation.

The waterfall.

Rainbow near the waterfall which made my boys excited. 

Hope you have a nice weekend too.

Perennial Polyanthus

The bright colours of polyanthus bloom has always reliably decorated our garden in winter each year. Since our polyanthus plants has been well-established in our garden at the moment, it bloom much earlier than previous year. This year polyanthus has started to bloom early July. Polyanthus grows very well in shade.

Visit Ewa for more Flowers on Saturday.

This year to add more brilliant colours in winter, last early April I tried to propagate new polyanthus plants by division from several old plants from last year that look a bit bushy. For example, this is one of the plants that I chose to give us more plants.

Made several division from that plant.

All of it survive, grow and are flowering at the moment.

Although it blooms later than well-established plants in our garden.

Have a nice weekend!

Spring Blossoms at Carrick Hill

It is still officially end winter here in South Australia. But for some people it is already the beginning of spring season. I am celebrating spring and thinks winter season has already ended. We have mild winter here at Adelaide plain. When I was living in Japan, cherry blossom season is about to enter mid-spring. I am not complaining as we can grow all year round now just depending on warm and cool season crops. Thanks to Maggie email, we got to visit this lovely place at Carrick Hill last weekend. I never heard of this place before so I was really curious. Last weekend we were away for a fishing trip and after a rest we drove to Carrick Hill in the afternoon. Some of the plants made me reminisced spring gardens in Japan. I always like garden that has water flowing through it. 

Surprised to see Momotaro the Peach Boy from Japan folk legend statue in this garden.

Do you know what is the name of this flower plant?

Last weekend we had very fine sunny weather.

Hopefully this weekend will be full of sunshine too.

Hope this weekend will be nice weather for you too.

Linking with Fishtail cottage~ Cottage Flora Thursday #32.

Major Saving This Week

Starting from this week, instead of cutting big stems from our rainbow chards for the kitchen, we harvested the whole plant. We are coming closer to spring and many of our vegetables are showing the sign of entering the next phase to reproduce which is flower and later on producing seeds. Italian sprouting broccoli plants are producing many side-shoots and enough for at least 2 meal portions weekly. A few precious tomatoes ripening in this end winter season to harvest. Cut some herbs such as dill and Chinese celery for cooking. We also harvested the last potato plants (sebago, pink-fir eye) that were planted last fall. Lettuces are also available to pick any time from the garden.

We pull out the last Afghanistan carrots that were growing on the veggie patch. Leaving a few big carrots to flower to collect seeds later. One of the carrots have already starting to bloom and I am excited because this will be the first time I am collecting carrot seeds. I have already direct-sowed beetroot seeds on that spot that were growing that carrots last weekend. Next carrot harvest, we have to rely with the ones growing in containers. Carrots and potatoes seems to be never enough for us. So this month we prioritise empty veggie patch corner or containers for sowing carrot seeds and potatoes. Our komatsuna and tatsoi greens are producing flower buds so we had a rush harvest. Other vegetables that were harvested last week was snow peas, yellow cherry tomatoes and spring onions.

Our major saving for this week for our kitchen cost is actually blue-swimmer crab.

I had a break from the garden last weekend.

We all went for a long weekend fishing trip.

Fishing trip but we caught no fish.

However, we were pretty happy with the numbers of crabs that were caught.

We caught more than 30 crabs.

In summer when crab is in season it cost AUD13.00perkilogram (cheapest).

It is winter and crabs are not in season.

Usually 2 big crabs are almost a kilogram.

We saved at least total AUD200 this week for the kitchen cost, thanks to gardening and crabbing.

My favourite to prepare crab is Chilli crab.

Any other suggestion will be most appreciated (you can even paste the recipe link).

My family also caught a few squids.

The gardener got to rest this week.

When the others went fishing out in the cold winter night at the jetty, I snuggled with my boys in the cabin. 

Visit Daphne's Dandelions for Harvest Monday.

Living in the shadow

In winter, our front yard are usually in partial shade or shade.

Ever bemoan at the fact that the place you can grow edible in winter receive barely no sunlight?

Impossible?

I did thought so too once upon a time but I turn over a new leaf about it.

To make it interesting, we are comparing the growth progress of the plants in the shade with last month which links here.

At this corner, Chinese celeries, kohlrabi, chervil and other vegetables seems has grown twice the size of last month stage. This is my first time growing kohlrabi in shade, so I am holding my breath at the moment if success is ours or not. Last year, we planted broccoli here and all did produce nice head, though smaller than the ones in full sun. Well, as long as it producing I think size does not matter. Its not growing at its optimum condition anyway.

Cauliflower plants also shows some growth at this patch. This is our third season growing cauliflowers here. I imagine the earliest cauliflower that will be harvest here perhaps next month if we have more warm weather. Hmmm...I don't think I should be that cocky now, what if we don't have a repeat performance.

This is the patch that received no sunlight at all in winter. Our perennial Chilli plant that has gone through 3 winter seasons is dying already, its time to say sayonara. Polyanthus plants does very well in shade here, one established plants has bloom and others are producing buds. Cauliflower and Nero Black kale plants are growing but slow compare with other veggie patch. Self-sowed celeries are still growing on this patch. We still have to work on this hard clay soil here.

Arrgghhh...can't wait to cut some celery stalks. Grow celery grow. Hopefully this year it won't bolt that quickly for us to enjoy some long harvest. Those celeries are growing in total shade block by that wall. However, this is the best spot to grow celery in our garden. I think it must be because of the soil.

2011 No Gardening Rest At All (Winter Wednesday)

This is the first year that we don't actually have any break from the garden in any month of year 2011. Previous years, the month of July is spending time daydreaming about the garden or browsing through catalogues or looking at gardening book picture. However, the allium family makes us very busy in winter season this year with preparing veggie patch, sowing and transplanting seedlings. Our first winter, we only had garlic and spring onion as representatives for allium family. Second winter season, additional members are leeks, chives, red onion and brown onion. Now our third winter season since we involved ourselves in gardening, we are trying our first time to grow shallots, potato onions, Egyptian walking onion, different variety of garlics and brown onions. On top of that the number of garlic cloves and onion seedlings planted this year were more than at least 5 times last winter. So, this winter is all about the allium group. Why allium? The main reasons are I don't have to worry much about pest and it does not need much water compare to others. Rows of garlic and brown onion plants along our drive-way.

Matador shallots and garlic growing in container at different growth stages.

New members in our garden from the back row are Potato onions, Matador shallots, Red Adelaide Garlic, and Creamgold onions.

Red Odourless Onion seedlings inter-planted with other vegetables because it is growing so slow at the moment. 

Last year spring-sowed Aussie Brown Onions have start to bloom this week. Hopefully, it will be pollinated well by the bees and we can save some seeds. Another task, collecting seeds from the allium group. Allium are usually biennial which produce seeds on its second year of life.

Now its August, end of winter.

Allium preparation for this year is almost completed.

Its up to them, to perform or not this year.

We only need to sow leeks and spring onion seeds now, with just a little bit of work with transplanting.

Hopefully, we have more success than failures with allium this year.

So What is happening in August in our garden?

Its the start of seed potatoes planting now at our place.

See, no rest from the garden this year.

Next month is spring here.

September-The Start of Summer Seeds Sowing time.

The first year in our garden, No Rest.

Linking with Hazel Winter Wednesday.