As you sow, so you shall reap

[Ben]

I thought I would share this photo of some of the produce that I harvested from the vegetable garden I have been working on.
Autumn is my favourite time of year and my garden is continuing to reward me with beautiful food. Some of which I am having for dinner.

[Virgo]

I'm coming over!

Those are some seriously nice vegies there Ben, congratulations. How are the pumpkins coming along?

Kevin

[Ben]

Thank you, Kevin!
The tomatoes are beautiful and I ate the beans (scarlet runners) as part of my evening meal.
When the sweet corn started to ripen - over a month ago - I was eating it raw in the vegie garden. Very sweet and juicy.
There's lots of vegetables ready for picking right now, including hundreds of tomatoes, the hottest chillies I've ever had, celery, zucchini, beetroot, button squash and thousands of green beans. There's still some broad beans. The cauliflower and red cabbage have taken a battering from the cabbage moth but there are heads of cauliflower that have survived. I've also got some asparagus, globe and jerusalem artichoke planted. The globe artichoke and asparagus are long-term investments and the jerusalem artichoke harvest was disappointing. I've also got apple cucumbers and I had one last week for lunch and it was delicious.

The pumkins are still a little way off. My main two varieties are a small (shot-put sized) "golden nugget" and the very large "Queensland Blue" or "Jarrahdale" which are around 10-20kg each. They're big ridged green/blue skin with a deep orange flesh. There are very many pumpkins and I am looking forward to them ripening.

And that is not to mention my herb and salad greens garden which is at the other end of the campus which is going crazy.

Everything has been grown without recourse to pesticides.

At the moment I am turning my thoughts to planting the winter vegetables. My neighbour (in launceston) yesterday gave me some cow garlic and tree onion bulbs which I am keen to get into the ground. More brassicas, and anything else I can get to live in this winter flood-prone and heavy frost environment.
And yes, you would be welcome to join me harvesting the vegetables!
kind regards,

Ben

[Dan74]

Ah, the joy of growing your own veggies!

I am jealous, Ben.

Is there a plot of vacant land nearby? i bet we can afford a decent life in Tassie after selling our utilitarian shoebox in Mentone. Not sure about jobs though...

[Ben]

Hi Dan,
I think if you sold up and moved to Tasmania you would get a decent rural block or house in Launceston or Hobart. You cant beat the lifestyle. And it really is a stunning part of the world if you like natural beauty.
Winters in launceston can seem a bit bleak but in reality only one or two degrees colder than Melbourne and warmer than winters in Ballarat. Summers are much cooler than Melbourne summers but more humid. In my first year here, I was getting around in jeans and t-shirt on winter days to the disbelief of the locals.
Finding rewarding and well-paying employment can be difficult. After three years I still haven;t found work in my chosen profession. But a state with a population of only 500,000 and in economic recession - its no wonder.
kind regards,

Ben

[Sam Vara]

Hi Ben,

Congratulations on what looks and sounds like a fine crop. Here in the UK I am sowing rather than reaping, as spring is getting under way. Broad beans, french beans, onions, garlic, chillies, fennel, and the find of the year: a fantastic heritage strain of beetroot which is golden-yellow all through, and therefore liked by my children!

I visited Tasmania in the 1980s. I was a guest of your Senator, and both he and all the people I met there were kind and friendly. A lovely place.

[Ben]

That was waaay before my time! I;ve only been living in the state since 2009.
The photo above was really just the tip of the iceberg. THere is already so much to be harvested - I just brought in what I was confident of consuming over the next 18 hours. I wish you all the best with your gardening efforts and look forward to the photos.
kind regards,

Ben

[David N. Snyder]

the hottest chillies I've ever had,

Everything has been grown without recourse to pesticides.

Looks great Ben!

[Virgo]

Ben, looks great! We could of really used some of your pumpkins last year. A lot of our crops were decimated by Irene.

(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/17/hurricane-irene-pumpkin-shortage_n_967979.html)

Kevin

[SamBodhi]

That corn looks good! And I am from Illinois so I know good looking corn when I see it.


with Metta,
pung S

[Ben]

Hi all,
I thought I would share with you some photos of the pumkin harvest. I took this photo about an hour ago.

The blue/green variety are jarrahdale or "Queensland Blue" and I estimate they are between 5-10kg each. Some maybe more.
I harvested 18. There are some still in the garden but I think its too late for them to mature.
The smaller orange variety are known as golden nuggets.

pumpkin2.jpg (192.77 KiB) Viewed 768 times

[cooran]

Hello Ben,

Queensland Blue are very good for roasting. Yum!!!!

with metta
Chris

[tiltbillings]

Hi all,
I thought I would share with you some photos of the pumkin harvest. I took this photo about an hour ago.

The blue/green variety are jarrahdale or "Queensland Blue" and I estimate they are between 5-10kg each. Some maybe more.
I harvested 18. There are some still in the garden but I think its too late for them to mature.
The smaller orange variety are known as golden nuggets.

Great looking pumpkins, and just in time for Halloween:

[Reductor]

Dearest Ben. There appears to be something wrong with those big pumpkins of yours.

Best attach the stems again, and provide them with better nutriments!



It never occurred to me that pumpkins came in anything but orange. They'd make for interesting jackolanterns, for sure. Can't say I am accustomed to eating pumpkin in anything but a sweet pie, however.

[Ben]

Hi all,

Thanks for your comments.

As you know, Chris, when we were growing up the "Qld Blue" were the only variety available. Beautiful for roasting. My mother would cut a portion of one up to go in with the roast and leave the skin on. I remember them well.


Thanks Tilt.

Halloween is really a new phenomenon in Australia. The first time I noticed people getting out and about on Halloween were ex-patriot Americans who would visit fellow ex-pat households with their children. That was about 20 years ago. These days lots of kids get dressed up and go door-knocking. But of course - in late Spring for us rather than early Autumn.


Thanks thereductor.

The flesh of the jarrahdale/Qld Blue is a rich orange and they're very sweet. They're also lovely in a pumpkin streudel, or pumpkin soup. The little golden nuggets a lot of people like to bake whole, take the top off, scoop out the seeds and fill with pumpkin soup. They're the perfect size and shape for a bowl.

I just filled the back (boot) of my 4x4 with those pumpkins where I can fold out two seats for the kids. I think next year I'll try those 600kg giants.
kind regards,

Ben

[retrofuturist]

Greetings Ben,

The small ones are good in a tagine, or a Sri Lankan style curry.

Metta,
Retro.

[Ben]

Sounds like a plan, Retro.
I made a tagine for 100 people a month or two ago which contained about 4kg of pumpkin as well as about 2kg of dates and about 6kg of chicken. I made it with the masterfoods catering cook-in sauce which contained an error on the recipe. The little darlin's didn't like it so much. The next time I'll be cooking en masse for people here is some months away so I might need to donate the harvest.
kind regards,

Ben

[tiltbillings]

Thanks Tilt.

Halloween is really a new phenomenon in Australia. The first time I noticed people getting out and about on Halloween were ex-patriot Americans who would visit fellow ex-pat households with their children. That was about 20 years ago. These days lots of kids get dressed up and go door-knocking. But of course - in late Spring for us rather than early Autumn.

Halloween is my favorite holy day and thanks to the Irish for that.

[Virgo]

Hi all,
I thought I would share with you some photos of the pumkin harvest.

Ben, those look great.

Kevin

[Dan74]

That's an incredible quantity of pumpkin!!!

Last year our front neighbour planted a pumpkin that ended up taking over both our gardens - it was a monster! Mind you there was nowhere near as much yield from it, just lots of gigantic leaves covering everything.

Ah Tasmania... I've been a bit down with where and how I have ended up professionally, this lifestyle that I swore I'd never have and yet having to support a family is not really conducive to a career change. Where is that greener grass?...