Spring has truly sprung in my vegetable garden. It is a wonderful time of the year to be gardening with enough warmth to get things growing before it gets too hot and the precious vegetables start to melt in the heat.
Throughout the winter I launched my first attempt at raising almost my entire spring and summer crop from seed. This has been mostly successful and very rewarding if not time consuming and a real test of patience. It has also allowed me to grow heirloom varieties of vegetables that would not normally be available at local nurseries.
Currently I am nurturing beans, tomatoes, zucchinis, cucumbers, broccoli, kale, rhubarb, potatoes, artichokes, asparagus, pumpkins, rockmelons, garlic, lettuce, capsicums, strawberries and various herbs.
I have put a little of extra effort into my fertilising program this year and I believe this has helped develop my tiny seedlings into healthy plants. For the first time I have used potash on my tomatoes and strawberries to help promote fruit growth. Another experiment has been to feed my beans a little Epsom salts to supply magnesium.
On a less positive note some rather innocent looking pumpkin beetles are munching on the zucchini and pumpkin leaves making them look quite unhealthy. If anyone has an organic solution for these hungry critters I would appreciate your suggestions!
One book I can recommend is The Little Veggie Patch Co. Although it is mostly aimed at urban gardens it is full of inspiring photos and simple yet useful information that is easy to read and very entertaining. It even contains a couple of authentic Italian recipes which I am looking forward to trying later in the year.
as enticing as your cooking. Great.