The heat is on...and then not

Welcome to 2012! Hot weather arrived with the new year which meant tending to the veggie patch with a watering can. These hot days were a real contrast to Christmas Day. Areas to the west of Melbourne and the northern suburbs were hit with severe thunderstorms which even spawned a tornado at Fiskville on the way to Ballarat. Belgrave thankfully was spared the damaging hail and torrential rain, however, I feel for those who've had their summer break ruined by nature. Today Melbourne's been lashed by strong cold winds, showers and hail. Summer's taken a break!

Back in the garden the veggies have been powering along. The first batch of cos lettuce is nearly finished and a new crop of seedlings has gone into the ground.  The tomatoes are bearing lots of fruit and picked a ripening San Marzano. Last evening we ate the first lot of beans that went into our traditional bean salad. Delicious!

Being on leave has given me the chance to get stuck into some projects. This week I've begun re-modelling some steps to the backyard. They were little more than tired old sleepers holding back dirt with weeds growing out of then. I've re-levelled the runs and new sleepers will go in along with proper paving. I'll put up a photo when they're done.

Dwarf beans in flower.

San Marzano tomatoes coming along nicely.

Cheers