January has been another good month for rain, with summer doing just about what its supposed to do here, and producing plenty of summer storms, we got around 100 mm for the month. We've had some very hot days, like last summer, but with the rain, this results in everything growing really well (instead of just withering!).
With the rain has come BEANS! I currently have four types of beans growing, eight purple bush beans, two climbing purple kings, one yellow butter bean bush, and one snake bean. I'm particularly excited about the snake bean as I haven't grown them before and it got off to a very slow start. The snake beans are long and thin, and rounder than the other beans. They are supposed to be more suited to the tropical climate.
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| the snake bean |
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| snake bean foliage |
The choko vine has finally started flowering, so we should have chokos soon. I'm still waiting for the rosellas to flower. In the meantime we have plenty of button squash. The carrots that I planted in winter have started to grow now, and there is always kale and silverbeet. The herbs seem quite happy in the sunken garden and the turmeric has popped up (forgot I put it there!). As has the sweet potato patch, and the potato area where I plant any that sprout in the cupboard, is looking good too. The occasional cucumber for fermenting, and the occasional strawberry for eating immediately.
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| choko flower |
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| sweet potato |
This month I should probably start thinking about planting things for winter, but my garden kind of looks after that itself as all the seeds start popping up, I see broccoli, parsley and chervil appearing already! I will sprinkle some others out later in February just to be sure.
How was your January? Did you get some rain? What are you plans for February?
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Lizzie at Strayed from the Table.
We're just up the road from you in Hervey Bay. We didn't get the rain you got and my poor old garden ended up being given a break. Looking forward to the end of March when I can plant out the garden and not see it wither away in the heat. I love snake beans. Just don't leave them on the vine too long or they get very woody.
ReplyDeleteYes I know what you mean Jane, it gets easier when the weather cools down!
Deleteyour garden is looking good Liz, and glad you are getting the rain. We have not got what we normally get and it is so hot and humid that the garden is struggling.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get some soon Gill, its hard work keeping everything going otherwise :(
DeleteSo glad you took the shot of the choko flower, I have never seen one. How long do they need to grow for before they start producing? Mine has been in the ground for about 3 months now and is growing slowly but steadily.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure, that one has been growing since last year, and it produced last season as well. I can't figure out what makes it start to fruit, seems like it grows vigorously for ages and then suddenly there are fruit, maybe temperature, moisture or day length! Age doesn't seem to matter though, so if you get the other mystery factors right, you should get chokos! Sorry, I'm not much help, I just plant things and see what happens....
DeleteEverything is looking fabulous! The choko flowers are beautiful. My purple beans are doing well this year also although we have less plants than you do. I will plant more next year I think. I love that your next season plants are sprouting already! Have a great month. I look forward to next months update.
ReplyDeleteThanks, you too Kyrstie!
DeleteYay for beans, they look great and how fabulous are snake beans - they can be really prolific and I love their flavour. I am surprised that you have broccoli coming through already.
ReplyDeleteLovely garden pictures Liz. Do you find that ants like to crawl on the snake bean? They don't seem to do any damage but I always find them on my plants.
ReplyDelete