fruit – Veggie Patch Anywhere

Tomatoes

03/01/202503/01/2025Posted in fruit, Gardening, plants, propegation, Vegetables, veggie patchTagged figs, Gardening, tomatoes, trees, VegetablesLeave a comment

30 Dec 2024

A Bountiful Garden: Tomatoes, Watermelons, and the Joy of Growing

There’s something deeply satisfying about watching a garden thrive, and this season, it’s all about tomatoes and watermelons! Our backyard is bursting with life, and every visit to the veggie patch feels like a small celebration of growth and resilience.

Tomatoes Galore

The tomatoes are growing beautifully—vigorous, green, and full of promise! Clusters of little tomatoes are already forming, and the plants are adorned with plenty of yellow flowers, each one a sign of more delicious fruit to come. Among the varieties, my dad’s special pointed tomatoes are a standout. He fondly refers to them as “friendship Borghese.” This unique variety is shaping up well, with lots of tiny tomatoes already developing. Watching their progress has become a joyful daily ritual for both of us.

A Special Connection Through Pointed Tomatoes

My dad has a special bond with these pointed tomatoes, lovingly tending to them and tracking their progress. There’s a charm to these tomatoes—not only because of their shape but also due to the sense of tradition they carry. It’s like they’ve become a symbol of connection, care, and continuity in our family garden. We often joke about their determined, pointy shape, but they’ve earned a special place in our hearts.

Watermelons: A New Experiment

While the tomatoes steal the spotlight for now, our watermelons are slowly making their debut. I’ve planted two in pots and two directly in the veggie patch, eager to see how each group fares. Watermelons can be a bit of an experiment, needing just the right combination of sunshine, water, and patience. But their growth feels exciting and full of potential—like watching a story unfold and waiting for that first sweet reward.

The Joy of Growing

There’s magic in planting something and watching it grow. The garden teaches patience, resilience, and the importance of nurturing. Each bloom and each little fruit is a small reminder of nature’s ability to thrive with care and attention. Whether it’s the pointed tomatoes or the sprawling watermelon vines, this process is filled with hope and discovery.

As the days get warmer, I’m excited to see how things develop. Will the watermelon vines take over the veggie patch? Will we be snacking on “friendship Borghese” tomatoes fresh off the vine in a few weeks? No matter the outcome, the journey of growing these plants is already a gift in itself.

Strawberries

20/11/2024Posted in fruit, veggie patchLeave a comment

4 Oct 2024

A Sweet Beginning: My Strawberry Adventure

What started as a single strawberry plant has now multiplied into three, and they’re settling beautifully into their new home! This sunny Saturday marks the beginning of what I’m calling my “strawberry war”—a battle for the most bountiful summer crop. With a self-watering pot, a touch of care, and a sprinkle of patience, I’m excited to see how these berries grow and thrive.

A Fresh Start for the Strawberries

The new self-watering pot is a game-changer. Not only does it make maintenance easier, but it also ensures that the strawberries get consistent hydration—perfect for their needs during the warmer months. A little dose of fertilizer (I’ve named it Cecil, because why not add some fun to gardening?) has been added to give these plants a strong start.

Now, it’s all about waiting and watching as the blooms turn into luscious berries. If all goes well, this could be the first of many pots in what may soon become a mini strawberry empire.

Why I Love Growing Strawberries

Strawberries are a gardener’s delight for so many reasons:

1. They’re Beautiful: The bright green leaves, delicate white flowers, and vibrant red berries add a touch of charm to any space.

2. Space-Saving: Whether in a garden bed, a pot, or even a vertical planter, strawberries adapt to fit your space.

3. Delicious Reward: There’s nothing quite like the taste of a homegrown strawberry—sweet, fresh, and full of flavor.

Tips for Thriving Strawberries

If you’re thinking about starting your own strawberry patch, here are a few tips:

• Choose the Right Spot: Strawberries love sunlight, so pick a sunny location where they can soak up at least six hours a day.

• Keep Them Hydrated: Self-watering pots are fantastic, but if you’re using a regular pot, make sure to water consistently.

• Fertilize Wisely: A balanced fertilizer helps ensure healthy blooms and sweet fruit.

• Protect Your Berries: Birds and bugs love strawberries too, so consider netting or organic deterrents to protect your crop.

The Joy of Veggie Patching

On this sunny Saturday, I’m reminded of how rewarding it is to grow your own food. Gardening is more than just planting and harvesting—it’s about nurturing life, connecting with nature, and celebrating every little win.

As I gaze at my blooming strawberry plants, I can’t help but dream of warm summer days filled with fresh strawberries, perhaps even enough for a few desserts or a jar of jam. For now, I’ll keep tending to my little patch and sharing updates as the season unfolds.

Happy veggie patching, everyone! May your gardens bloom, your crops flourish, and your strawberries be sweet and plentiful.

The bug wars continue …

02/06/2024Posted in flowers, fruit, Gardening, insects, plants, trees, veggie patchLeave a comment

2 June 2024

It’s a never-ending saga with my citrus trees: plenty of bugs and leaf miner scales. They really like to hide. So when you’re spraying your trees, make sure you get the underside of the leaves and even unfold some of the curled leaves to find them. Sometimes, I just pick them off when the leaves are too damaged.

For a homemade anti-bug solution, mix one drop of dish soap, one drop of oil, and half a liter of water. Give it a good mix/shake and spray your trees as many times as you like. This solution works well against whiteflies too. If that doesn’t work, a biodegradable room spray is great as well. Make sure it’s biodegradable and environmentally friendly.

Also, top up the pots with some fresh, good-quality potting mix and feed your trees with Seasoil.

The lemons are looking great. Autumn is my favorite time of the year.

What a beautiful day to be out working in the veggie patch!

Strawberries in a tin

16/03/2024Posted in fruit, home made, plants, Vegetables, veggie patchLeave a comment

10 Mar 2024

I’ve always loved strawberries and recently Facebook sent me a reminder of something I did years ago when my son was a baby.

I repurposed the baby formula tins by poking a few holes in them and then hooking them onto the chain link fence. I then planted the strawberry plants inside these tins. The seedlings loved it and I had a great crop that year. My son loved eating them too 🙂

This once again proves the fact that you can basically have a Veggie Patch Anywhere… even an ugly chain link fence can be made pretty this way.

Keep gardening and be kind – always.

Flowers and the Fig Tree

25/02/2024Posted in flowers, fruit, Gardening, trees, veggie patch1 Comment

12 Feb 2024

I just have to show you guys these beautiful flowers… they are absolutely stunning and the aroma is almost too much. They are Oriental Lilies. I will have to try and grow some of these.

The fig tree has rejuvenated and is looking great. It took three tires, but my determination eventually paid off. Now an actual tasty fig would be worth the wait!

Mandarines and the Fig Tree

17/02/202417/02/2024Posted in fruit, Gardening, trees, Vegetables, veggie patchLeave a comment

27 Jan 2024

Mandarins

I’m exploring all the plants in the garden and have come across our first mandarin. The tree is a great little plant that is very green and compact; not much needs to be done.

There is something wonderful and tasty about homegrown mandarins. I am partial to citrus fruits; in Sicily, there are thousands of lemon trees.

I also enjoy the brilliance of the Pansies; they give the garden a lot of color, and they are my wife’s favorite. Absolutely beautiful!

The Fig Tree

My ongoing saga with saving the fig tree continues. Too many offshoots have dried out the soil, and the plant has withered, losing all its leaves. It is a stubborn plant; I know it’s very hard to kill.

I decided to repot it with new soil and get rid of all the offshoots, except for one that I pulled out weeks ago, and it is doing well.

Additionally, I placed some old newspaper sheets underneath the mulch to retain water and slow down evaporation; hopefully, the weeds won’t thrive either. Today, I noticed new budding leaves.

I also collected a bunch of unripened tomatoes and am letting them ripen in the sun. The wildlife is very hungry and will eat anything, even before it’s ripe.

I have collected over 180 cherry tomatoes so far and have enjoyed many garden salads this summer—very delicious!

Saving the fig tree (part 2)

11/02/2024Posted in fruit, Gardening, veggie patchLeave a comment

18 Jan 2024

After so much rain and floods my fig tree looks shocking! 😦

I decided to trim all the limbs growing out of the pot and leave only the two main stems. I took one of them and planted it in another pot – we’ll see if it takes off.

I replaced some of the soil with fresh potting mix and gave it a good watering and a dose of Seasoil solution too so hopefully it helps all the tiny root clusters just below the soil.

Two years of growing these figs trees and still no figs. I guess the waiting and patience will make them taste all the sweeter I’m sure. It is one of our favourite fruits and they’re very expensive at the shops so I’m not giving up yet.

Watch this space!

Biodiversity

03/02/2024Posted in flowers, fruit, Gardening, treesLeave a comment

28 Dec 2023

The lemon tree has shed some of the smaller lemons – I think this will give the other lemons a better chance of growing.

Lots of bees and butterflies hovering around too – probably because of the very colourful Petunias I planted with the lemon and mandarin trees.

One thing missing in my garden is a green canopy and a micro climate. I would love a few trees for shade and for cooling the house down.

The rabbits have eaten all the green waste from the kitchen to the point where they set off the security cameras a few times – probably looking for more 🙂

A huge flock of Rainbow Lorikeets are circling the house – probably trying to get to the apples in the surrounding orchards. We’ll visit one of them again soon for a coffee and some fresh produce… miles and miles of bird netting looks very strange – like cloud puffs in the distance but keeping the birds from eating the crop no doubt.

Reuse and Recycle

21/01/202421/01/2024Posted in fruit, Gardening, Vegetables, veggie patchLeave a comment

10 Dec 2023

An empty plain driveway is something I’ve never experienced growing up. Sustainability and recycling have been second nature to my dad. He would be able to reuse anything and everything he could find.

Old milk crates, old tubs, netting, homegrown bamboo tomato stakes, window frame, building supplies, torn up old linen as ties, mayonnaise buckets .. and the list goes on.

Babylonstoren (Part 1)

03/01/2024Posted in animals, flowers, fruit, Gardening, home made, trees, VegetablesLeave a comment

8 Dec 2023

Today I’m veering off the veggie garden path a little bit to tell you about this wonderful place.

In April of this year my wife and I went on a long overdue holiday to South Africa and on one of the days there, my brother and sister in law took us to an amazing place called Babylonstoren. It is an old Cape Dutch farm in the Franschhoek wine valley in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

It’s a working farm with agriculture landcare, fresh produce and more varieties off plants then you can imagine along with delicatessen hand made products, interactive activities and a wonderful cafe.

To put it mildly – this place was my heaven! We parked under an immense vine structure out in the car park. Hundreds of vehicles parked here – greeted at the gate by three very friendly donkeys. Just inside the gate we were offered some free pomegranates and they were absolutely delicious. As we walked through the building, our guide Marisa (sister in law) started giving us a tour which lasted a couple of hours or more. I was stunned at everything I saw there and I still think of this place often.

There will be many parts to this story as I experienced so many activities and sights there. Part 2 will follow soon and will be about the succulents, the snake path and open air church.

The Fig Tree Saga

02/12/202302/12/2023Posted in fruit, Gardening, treesLeave a comment

20 Nov 2023

We started with one tree, but then I decided to save a dead one. With some care, it took off and has grown over two feet. Later, a third tree joined the other two.

Unfortunately, one of them was destroyed by rabbits, but the other two were transferred to more solid half wine barrels.

Now, we have a lemon tree, a mandarin tree, and two magnolia trees, all thriving in their respective half wine barrels.

Additionally, I found a lemon tree at a local throwaway spot and saved it. One of the magnolia trees, called a fairy floss magnolia, was particularly magnificent. The aroma of its flowers was fantastic, and it perfumed the entire house.