In my Garden -Vivien- February 2022

 In my Garden -Vivien- February 2022 

We visited Vivien and Marks garden only recently, in October 2021. They have been very busy indeed in the few months since then. Come for a walk with Vivien to see what has changed.  

This is the view from back garden into the fruit enclosure. A self sown amaranth and tomato on the right are trying to block the entrance. What I put on this spot a few months ago was a tea plant (camellia sinensis) and  some lovage seed. The garden had different ideas!

On the left in the first picture is a French heirloom zucchini plant called 'Rondo de Nice'. This is what they look like. We pick them at cricket ball or slightly bigger and they are delicious. At this size it is possible to eat skin seeds and all.

Inside the fruit cage. All plants have been planted for only a few months except the blueberries in pots because our soil isn't acidic enough.

A gogi berry in the back left corner  is trying to take over the world after nearly dying/ being killed in a small pot through years of neglect. No fruit yet. My friend who has tasted the fresh fruit says "why bother". 

There are also strawberries, a dwarf mulberry that needs a visit with secateurs, a new white currant (thank you Dirk), and new autumn fruiting Heritage raspberries. 

The raspberry plants look great until you notice the leaves on the taller older canes are being skeletonised. We haven't sprayed. Last year on different plants in a different spot we got a good crop of fruit despite whatever it is attacking the leaves.

This is the view into the rest of the kitchen garden. Less than 2 years ago most of this and all of  the garden on the previous pictures was part of a bitumen car park. The only plant to have been here previously is the Myer lemon tree.

Now there are various  other citrus, cherry guava, avocado, myrtus ugni, bay tree pruned to a globe (also struggled in a pot) lots of herbs, self sown black tomatoes, asparagus, parsnip, tree chilli, nasturtium and a small choko that hasn't tried to cover everything (yet).

A tree chilli ? Rocoto. Growing in  front of a climbing rose. Keeps most of its leaves in our our garden in winter. Fruit that is still green now will go black then scarlet when ready. Very pretty fruit. Hot (bearable if you don't eat the seeds) and subtle too: lots of flavours.

Lots to see in this photo: Bay tree now happy in the ground, sprawling  black tomato taking advantage from heat from compost bins.   I have been watching  a few leaves which look spotty but plant seems okay. Choko plant : I saw it growing in St Helens and a friend from a farm at Rocky Cape gave me some fruit. You leave it unplanted in a warm place until it grows tendrils. The secret apparently is to eat the fruit small. Climbing nasturtium. Tropaelum speciosum. I think I remember reading you can eat the roots but I haven't confirmed that.

From left kale 'Nero di toscana'. Celtuce going to seed, potato patch cleared of dead foliage. Last remains of broad beans 'Coles dwarf'. Celtuce is great. A massive stem lettuce. Leaves can be picked individually and stem can be eaten in salad or stir fries. We have only eaten the delicious leaves so far.

Fig newly in ground. 'Brown Turkey' ( I stuck cutting from a friend) after many years in a pot. We have restricted the roots. Rhubarb from a friend. Gigantic. Gets water regularly when I tip the water from washing the vegetables on it.

Dwarf gala apple kept very short with secateurs. I see there are some fallen apples that I must clear up but so far this season we have had very little coddling moth in the fruit. I think the moths might be having difficulty distinguishing fruit from flower.

Dwarf Moorpark apricot 5th year. Badly split bark at base and on left trunk. Almost removed it last year but leaves look healthy and we had excellent fruit this year. Have to decide on this one. The bark on the adjacent dwarf peach is also split but not as badly. It also gave good fruit.

Before and after shot of the new driveway bed. First photo taken in July 2021. And this is the driveway bed now. Volunteer pumpkin will have to go. Herbs flowering, chicory, zucchini, volunteer tomatoes, almond, pomegranate and plum. Also 4 x 4 year old grapes on the fence.

Early merlot grape on fence. Last year we lost most of our grapes to rats despite putting bunches in individual bags. So far so good.

And lastly, Vivien has this tip for how to remember what you've got in the garden when someone asks you!