New Year Wishes For You

Garden Log 28 Dec 08:

With Christmas and the Summer Solstice behind us now the next couple of months are set to be scorchers. We have had a very mild start to summer here and as a conclusion have had some great harvests already…mainly in the Zucchini family.

The Costata Romanesco Zucchinis have been wonderful they are nearly creamy in texture. The Black Zucchinis are in full production now and I have a couple of the Trombocino Zucchinis setting and growing bigger each day…I’m looking forward to tasting these.

In preparation for the coming heat I’ve covered Bed 4 with white 50% shadecloth…I’ve not enclosed it yet as planned.

It was to be an enclosed shaded bed to keep the grasshoppers at bay but so far that year the grasshoppers haven’t been a major problem.
In that

He speaks of using Turkeys as grasshopper control. I have found young chickens useful and comical to watch attacking grasshoppers…

…but I believe that year it’s the gangs of Apostlebirds (left photo) that are doing the work. They are often to be seen scratching around the front garden just next to the Main Veg Garden. And I’ve seen the Wattlebirds (right photo) catching grasshoppers in the evenings. So thank you, my garden friends.

The Sunflowers are towering by the beds

Harvest Tally:
Doesn’t include Greens fed to the chooks or herbs picked for use in the kitchen for cooking or tea making.
Zucchini Costata Romanesco^^^^^1705g
Zucchini Black^^^^^1238g
Lebanese Mini Cucumber^^^^^288g
Lemon Cucumber^^^^^65g
Atomic Red Carrots^^^^^141g
Ida Gold Tomato^^^^^17g (first tomatoes for the season)
Beans^^^^^16g
Apricots^^^^^3500g (these were dried)
Strawberries^^^^^242g
Peaches^^^^^275g (plus grazing)
Plus a yummy mix of greens for salads…young Kale, Lettuce, Watercress, Lebanese Watercress, Chives, Parsley, Gotu Kola.

[Source] Scarecrow