The harvest that was.....

About 3 weeks ago, my friend Andrew asked me to blog about my garden.  In times gone by, my garden has been a place of plentiful harvest.  I've really enjoyed learning as I go, trying out different vegies and herbs and feeding my family fresh food I've actually grown myself.  Sadly in the last 10 months or so, the garden has been really badly neglected.  We've harvested very little in the way of vegies.... more in the way of a baby I guess. :)

The herbs have kept going strong, as herbs do.  And the lavender.  But that's about it.  Still, Andrew's request encouraged me to get out there and start weeding out those vegie patches.  And I'm pleased to say, I've done it!!  3 patches weeded, soil improved, and seeds sown.  I decided to be frugal and use up all the seeds I already had rather than buying seedlings (tempting as that was).  So we should have a mix of radishes, carrots, and various flowers up in the next few weeks!  It's been such a relief to get under control again.  

Blogger is driving me NUTS!!!  I can't get pictures to sit where I want them, so here they are, all out of order.....................

One of the weeded patches, minus a coriander plant which self-seeded - I couldn't pull it out!

The frangipani tree, with all it's lovely new Spring growth.

This is what my garden tends to do............ that little plant next to the pots is another coriander seedling which popped up on it's own...... the seeds tend to blow across the garden, so I'm always finding surprises!  Just this morning Will and I were walking in the front garden looking at the natives flowers when I noticed a big tomato plant which had popped up out of the compost!  It had 3 ripe tomatoes on it, which I promptly picked and Elijah and I had with our lunch!!  Gotta love permaculture-style gardening. :)

A much younger Elijah holding a basket of plenty.

Ha!!!  This is my VERY overgrown garden during the wet season of early this year.  It was completely overgrown and neglected.  In this photo you can see sunflowers, groundcovers, lots of mint, basil gone to seed, wild tomatoes, my rosemary bush, the lemon tree on the left at the back, a homemade scarecrow, corn along the back fence, and lots and lots of weeds!!

These ones are black and white because they went on our Christmas letter year before last.  Harvesting grape tomatoes and pumpkins. 

The pictured weeded garden, just a few weeks ago, BEFORE I weeded it!  Full of nasturtiams, calendula, and flowering coriander and basil.  All self-seeded.

The gardens a couple of years ago, the way Andrew remembers them.   I'll get there again.  Slowly, slowly, but surely.