I have no idea of how to start this gardening journal for November, 2021. I'm not the most methodical or organised gardener! The end of October saw a massive storm with huge wind gusts that toppled many trees in the area. We only lost two, but a lot of the garden was looking rather frazzled. Needless to say, we couldn't even get in the garden for a few days!
Things are quite humid now after all the rain and with lots of lovely sunshine. The tomatoes are doing well. Most people say to put them in on Melbourne Cup day, which is today - you know, the day everyone gambles and contributes to animal abuse, that day. I always plant mine a good few weeks earlier!
I've been pulling lots of broccoli and snowpeas. I think I prefer the harvest after the first heads - the offshoots and the leaves feel like a secret abundance to me.
I've planted out two beds with a summer green manure so they'll lie largely unused, except for some beans around the edges. Last year I got a huge crop of yellow butter beans so I'm hoping the same this year. I planted borlotti and some others as well but I've already forgotton which was which. I really must get better at labelling.
I'm a bit puzzled about this elder still. It was sold as a 'native' elder, but google isn't helping me at all in this regard. To me it still looks like sambucus nigra - what do you think? The pink one. It smells nicer than the golden one so I'm keen to use the flowers as well as the berries. It's proper big and provides beautiful shade for the chooks.
Speaking of chooks, the gold laced wyandottes are the noisiest birds I've ever had. They'll tell you all about it and the neighbourhood as well, but won't come near you AND will jump fences. Might get rid of a couple when I see how these babies grow up. And yes, I used the cute fluffy butts as clickbait. I think I have too many chooks as I'm spending far too much time keeping them off my garden.
I'm also loving the irises. The white ones appeared first, but any day now should see the deep yellows and burgundies. Whilst they don't give me food, they sure give me cheer, as do the little heartsease and my old fave, calendula, whose seeds I throw everywhere.
It really is a time of abundance. I'm more looking forward to next year though, when my garden time is uninterrupted by work. Also, mushroom farming - that's a whole new addition to the food self sufficiency I'm aiming for. It was super satisfying making a meal that consisted largely of home grown produce - mushrooms, artichokes, nettle gnocchi was a winner on the weekend - if I can get into cheese making with milk swapped with locals for produce I feel I'll have it made!
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