Now we're getting somewhere

It was showery and cold this morning and starting to feel like autumn, not that we had such a great summer to begin with. There were some warm days during the week and a great looking weekend is coming up. Whether it was from the protestations of last week's blog post or the warmer weather the tomatoes have taken a hint and started ripening at last! Hope to picking some by the end of the week. And my prediction was right, the sweetcorn was ready before the tomatoes, never had that before.

This season I planted the Kelvedon Glory variety. Being an early cropping variety, it's ready a couple of weeks earlier than other varieties such as Supersweet. The cobs are about 15cm long with smallish kernels that are tender and juicy when cooked. Cobs are ready for picking when the 'silks' protruding from the cobs turn brown. I find the best way to eat it is to cook it shortly after harvesting before the sugars in the kernels convert to starch causing the flavour to deteriorate.  This is the only way to eat corn on the cob in my view, a taste preference developed from childhood when my father would pick some corn and straight into the pot it went. Corn that's sat on a supermarket shelf pales in comparison.

To cook, I simply simmer the sweetcorn in water for about 15 minutes and serve with lots of butter and salt. Perhaps not so healthy but delicious, a real late summer/early autumn treat. I will also try out a corn chowder recipe this year, there's quite a few cobs on the plants and want none of it to go to waste.

Now that summer is drawing to close, a reminder to people in the hills to cut down and dispose of agapanthus flowers which are now past their glory and turning to seed. Agapanthus is a feature in many gardens in the Dandenongs, they look particularly good as a massed display or as a border. We have a row running across the front of the property by the road side. A plant originating from southern Africa, it thrives in the hills to the point of being a serious weed in bushland, as the result of illegal dumping of the rhizomes (the fleshy root system) and seed heads in garden waste but also from birds ingesting the seed from the pods and spreading it through their droppings. So people, do your bit and cut down those flowers! For more information the local council  (Shire of Yarra Ranges) website has a section listing major problem weeds in the hills and tips on controlling them including agapanthus. 

Check out some new photos of the veggie patch and the terraced garden project. I must say I'm rather pleased with the way it's going.

Dwarf beans (front), Vietnamese mint (left), capsicum, parsley, sweetcorn and tomatoes (rear).

Sweetcorn, tomatoes, sweet and lemon basil (bottom right).

Kelvedon Glory sweetcorn cobs. The browned off 'silks' protruding from the cobs means they're ready for picking.

Just a faint blush of red, now we're getting somewhere!

Blue fescue, pelargonium (front), pennisetum, lavender (middle), salvia (rear) and rosemary (top rear) set the scene in the terraced garden.

Cheers.

Patience is a Virtue

After the drama of the 'great flood' of last week it's back to normal around the garden. This meant some weeding around the veggie patch and applying organic fertiliser and the fortnightly application of diluted seaweed and fish emulsion. I felt a bit silly 'watering' the plants considering how damp the soil is after the deluge. The rain this summer has been amazing. In previous years we would have been well into the fire danger period, hot days on end without rain and the grass browned to a crisp. The lush green of now is a far cry from the horror conditions of two years ago that brought Black Saturday and a few weeks later a large fire right here in the neighbourhood that threatened homes in Upwey, Belgrave and Belgrave South.

However, the rain has brought cooler conditions which is great for bushfire safety but not so good for the tomatoes. I planted Apollo tomatoes which I've learnt are an early season variety with fruit that sets in cool conditions. Perfect for the cool nights and mornings in the hills and last year they performed really well. They've have been fruiting for a while now, there are lots on the plants and lots more on the way. But I've yet to see a single one ripen yet - in other years I'd be picking them from mid January. The way they're going we'll be eating the sweetcorn before the tommies. On the other hand, I 'm hoping the long maturation period will deliver superior fruit in quality and flavour then patience will be truly rewarded!

Meanwhile, I'm already thinking about giving some other tomato varieties a go this spring. On the web I came across the Greenfingers site that has a comprehensive list of tomato varieties. So many to choose from, but give me a home grown tommie anytime, even if I have to wait!

Cheers.

Wikileeks - leaks edition

Not a great weekend for gardening after last night's and this morning's massive downpours courtesy of ex-tropical cyclones Anthony and Yasi. Who would have thought weather systems in the far north of the continent could have such an impact here in Victoria? Large areas of the state have had a drenching. Mildura has had record rainfall - usually bakes under 40+ degree heat day after day at this time of year. As I write Koo Wee Rup residents are being advised to evacuate due to rising waters of the Lower Bunyip River.

The hills around Belgrave and the south east suburbs of Melbourne were hit pretty hard. The Dunns Hill weather bureau station not far from here recorded 150mm in 14 hours, must be some kind of record. The house did have a couple of leaks in the kitchen and dining area but thankfully nothing serious. The garden is soaked but everything looks fine. Stepping out on the deck this morning after the rain stopped I could hear the sound of water coming from the bottom of the gully. It was Monbulk Creek in flood. Usually it's just a small creek, no more than 2m wide in most places. But today I could actually see the waters flowing past the  Christian College. First time ever.

With nothing better to do my wife and I grabbed a camera and headed off to have a bit of a sticky beak...

Monbulk Creek in flood at McNicol Rd, Birdsland Reserve, Belgrave.

Old man Monbulk Creek.

Birdsland Reserve.

Kaola St landslip.

Wife contemplates crossing bridge. Monbulk Creek at Belgrave Lake Park.

Park bench that bore the brunt of flood water.

Belgrave Lake Park weir overflow.

Flood damage downstream of Belgrave Lake Park.

This was a footbridge, smashed by flood.

Just goes to show what nature can do and we're not immune to its effects even from events so far away.

Cheers.