November in the Garden

Now the teaching season is over, the orchard weeding almost caught up I can, weather permitting get stuck into the gardens around the house including the vegetable garden. Its been an ‘average season’ which is great as we have had a several drought years where there was no subsoil moisture. The plants especially the trees have responded well and look lush and happy. The flowers have been  abundant as have the bees.

The Elder is abundant with flowers. Yesterday I made a batch of elderflower cordial and next week a couple of batches of elderflower champagne.






In the vegie garden the main seasonal  harvest is of broad beans and asparagus. While many of the winter vegies are going to seed (many to be saved) there are still plenty of greens,the last of the carrots, the peas are almost ready, the garlic is looking good as is my crop of rye , planted to make a traditional dough raising basket from the straw and a few grains of rye for the bread as well. The new crops of tomatoes, capsicums,  eggplant, cucumbers and pumpkins all grown from seed planted back in August in the tunnel house have been planted out and excess given away. Regular seed planting  continues (see sidebar for what I plant). Overall from now til Autumn is regular plantings, harvests and a little watering to provide a majority of our vegie needs. Out in the orchards the fruit set is looking good so hopefully it will be a more productive harvest than last year.

Garlic, Broad Beans , Rye	Broad Beans
Asparagus	November Plantings
Nasturtiums	Herb Garden