The biggest producers during July were definitely the herb patch - we harvested like crazy, as the coriander does get the bit between its teeth and bolts so easily in our climate. Luckily we have a few more seedlings getting started, so we are letting it go and hopefully I will work out how to treat the seed for spice usage.
The legume patch is going gangbusters also, producing enough for several meals a week and a voracious 3 year old self-serving! There is a bit of powdery mildew, which was an issue with cucumbers in this bed last season. We used a milk spray (not always effectively) then, but I have just read about a chamomile spray suggestion so might see how that goes.
We have some new plants in the ground - Pak Choi is awesome, so I have coerced V into planting a few more here and there.
As the strawberries were busy disappointing us, V has thinned them considerably and mounded them, and is going to mulch to see if they are happier. We think this bed may be a bit unhappy - about 7 months ago we used a fair percentage of paper trash in a mulch on it and, while the chilli is going great guns, everything else complains. TLC is definitely scheduled here.
This little patch, however, needs no extra assistance - all by itself it has created a forest of tomatoes of all ilks, and we have already reaped a hearty crop.
That tomato created some excellent raita last night!
V has also been hard at work getting a few more seedlings up and running - I am looking forward to capsicums...
Another thing I am looking forward to is a bumper crop of limes next year - this year we got attacked rather severely by brown aphids (and there masters and controllers, the ants) - this year we have banded for ants and ladybirded for aphids, and it looks like me might be approaching a win
Something that does pop up from time to time and puts smiles on our faces are sunflowers (hence the header) - we are looking forward to this one blooming soon...
And these several million in Summer - V is trying to develop a bit more terrace out the front to define our ground a little more and stop the run off (and eventually grow a bit of a privacy border) - as an interim measure we put all of our flower trash from the front garden in here, and we are definitely going to have marigolds, whatever those flame flowers are and allysium in abundance to kickstart us.
Thanks to Lizzie from Strayed from the Table for inspiring and hosting the Garden Share Collective - go and see what else everyone is doing in their gardens this month.
