Flourishing Today

 This is the recycled gutter garden that we built earlier this year with the Bok Choy flowering and attracting lots of bees. Hopefully they will self-seed into the gardens around them and we have enjoyed being able to pick fresh leaves every day for weeks and weeks. The native violets also attract bees and as the thyme grows bigger it will too. The lettuces and strawberries are also doing well, although that may change as the weather gets warmer.

  

We currently have a garden full of self seeded nasturiums, which we are leaving in place as much as possible as they are great nitrogen fixing plants and the bees and butterflies love them. If we do need to pull any out we chop and drop them straight onto the mulch to feed the soil and other plants. Three of the four grape vines now have leaves on them and bunches of grapes starting and the pepino bush also has lots of flowers and fruit. The mulberry tree is also covered in fruit and I can see that mulberry tree seedling are also growing beneath the tree which means I will be able to give some more plants away which I love to do,



Another quick harvest of white sweet potatoes, they are so delicious and much easier to grow here than potatoes we really love them. They still retain a great taste and texture even when they are huge and can be used in so many dishes. As well the leaves can be eaten and the bees love the flowers, win win!

Our Grapes and Bananas Today

The bananas are continuing to grow, although the papaya and mango have found the heat difficult so today we have moved some large potted plants next to the to try and create a canopy until they are used to their location.

The grape vines have all begun to shoot and the vine at the front and on the southern fence have a great many bunches of grapes forming. The shade sales have been put back up and are making a huge difference and the grape vine that we moved last year has put on its leaves and new growth on the pool fence facing east, which can be seen here. We are also inundated with  volunteer nasturtiums which we mainly use as a bee attractant, companion plant and mulch.

The vine that is in the front garden can be seen here and is growing back over the wire we put up. It has many small bunches on it which is exciting as we did not get much from it last year. We are going to need a frame of some sort to put under it and support it as it grew very heavy and low last year. It provides not only grapes and shade but valuable mulch when the leaves drop.