Abundance

There are days that I look at parts of the garden and feel a deep dissatisfaction. The lettuces aren't growing or the squash aren't producing. But in spite of these minor failings there is always an abundance of food to be harvested.
Plant enough variety and no matter what happens with the weather or pests there will always be something doing well.
Now that we have chooks we get our daily eggs. Today we picked up the 3 younger hens, so the 2 elderly chooks have company. I am still amazed to be able to go out every day to collect the eggs.

 

Then there is the surplus of fish we get daily from the river. We eat it sometimes several times a day fresh or smoked. Here are some of the fillets coming out of the smoker.

 

Down the river from us, at the mouth of the harbour, there is an oyster bank that covers several acres. We harvested a few sack loads a couple of days ago. Last night we made a big pot of oyster and fish gumbo to share with friends.

Early January we harvested the garlic. It was planted last April and had nothing much done to it since. It was a little over run with weeds, but still we got a good harvest.

 

 

Then onto the potato harvest. Potatoes that were planted in October when I was last here were ready for harvest. because I wasn't here to hill them up properly there were quite a few with green shoulders. Never mind, they can be seed potatoes for the next round of planting.

 

The tomatoes are producing regularly. Not huge amounts at once, but a constant supply for eating and making the odd batch of tomato sauce for pasta or a batch of tomato relish.

 

 As well as an abundance of veges we are starting to get an abundance of seed and dried beans and peas. Some of the dried beans will get eaten and some will be saved to plant next time.

 

 

And then there is the fruit. We have plum, oranges, apples and lemons being harvested now. And more than we will be able to eat or turn into preserves. No matter, the birds and chooks enjoy the surplus.

Next month the peaches and grapes will be ripening. Then come the figs.

As you can see we are not going to go hungry here. The land is rich with its produce, and we are thankful.