It's been a decidedly odd year - gardening wise I'm talking about this time.

Last year we were battling heat and water concerns (too little).

This year we're battling cool and water concerns (too much), to say nothing of locusts and rats and snail plagues and whilst the frogs are welcome visitors, if they start raining from the skies I'm going under the doona and not bloody well coming out again.

Along with the various nefarious weather and vermin goings-on we've had a bit of a concern as our main raised bed this year is pretty new, and the growing medium was simply rotted down straw and fairly fresh manure - so I was expecting odd things to happen.  But we also had to cover a lot of stuff up to keep the locusts at bay and that's meant a less than stellar tomato year, a zuchinni explosion (is there any way that you can ever estimate how few zuchinni plants to put in), and another fabulous pumpkin crop.  Along with various green things along the way - we've had reasonable Asian veg (although the locusts did put pay to our middle season crop which means we're a bit behind the 8-ball at the moment).  But the biggest problem has been adjusting to the humidity.  A lot of what grew like topsy last year most assuredly does NOT like humidity (that includes me!)

But still - not bad, and everything bodes well for upcoming years as we've still got another 4 or so beds to get into place.

The overall garden - as you can see it's nice and wild.  I don't garden in straight lines, and I'm not a tidy person.  Anywhere.  Can't stand tidy.  Makes me nervous

 

 

But the various pumpkin patches (there are lots of vines all around the place - all at various stages in their production).  A couple of these large beauties I didn't even realise we had until clearing other veggies meant they suddenly appeared (which is better than the Queensland Blue pumpkin I discovered in the pear tree at our old house one year... never realised the vine had gone in that direction until the tree lost its leaves in autumn).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then tomatoes and various other bits and pieces - the grape tomatoes are stellar performers as usual - and they are the self-sown ones from the first year we were here so that's an added bonus.

 

 

 

And of course there would be a crop circle:

 

 

Tomatillos, zuchinnis:

 

 

 

The Fruit trees are laden as well:

 

 

 

We've even put in a couple of experimental grain crops - French and Japanese Millet and Buckwheat - which I forgot to take a photo of!

 

 

And because they are so much a part of the system around here - Archie the new rooster (although it seems like one of the Australorp pullets is looking suspiciously like it's trying to crow so is provisionally named Mini-Me).

 

 

And the obligatory ooooo moment - Meg and Jedda - and yes they both know the other one is there.