The pleasure of growing vegetables;

Red or Spanish onions are sown in autumn and grow during winter to be harvested from spring into early summer. They are very mild to use in salads.

The path to the veggies...

Logan and young berries growing outside of the vegetable garden;

Dwarf beans grow in autumn and in spring. In winter the daylight hours are to short to grow them successfully.

Aljnta Strawberries grow in autumn and spring. They are always grown from the new runners they produce after the harvest of the berries.

Dwarf fruit trees are growing on the side of the vegetable garden;

Under the white hats are freshly planted fennel seedlings; they produce bulbs over winter.

Aubergines or eggplants grow generally from spring into winter. This is a very tasty kind with snow white flesh and a medium dark purple skin, very attractive looking and delicious to eat.

The vegetable gardener busy planting lettuce seedlings.

White radish grows from autumn over winter.

Lettuces grow under cages because of the native pigeons, they like it as much as we do.

Sugar peas are sown in autumn and grow through winter cropping well.

Tomatoes, capsicums and cucumbers are still harvested.

Believe it or not:

It is better for you to be free of fear lying upon a pallet, than to have a golden couch and a rich table and be full of trouble.

(Epicurus, 341-270 BC,Greek philosopher)

SkyWatch Friday; A season of clouds;

Light slashes through grey and wispy black clouds, a watery smear of pink, the sun sets in the season of rain. Please click the pictures.

Click here

and enjoy SkyWatch Friday

Original Photos.TS

Come....my wild garden beckons...

Shady stands of tall trees, sweet fragrance drifts on shimmering wings...

Please click the pictures.

Where darkness looms...

Where the sun can be glimpsed between the tree tops...

Where vivid splashes of colour cheerfully wink through the dark leaves..

Where spiky plants soar into the sky...

Where the sun likes to play hide and seek...

Where plants grow in all sizes patterns and colours...

Where Salvia madrensis grows tall to show of its pretty, yellow spikes...

Where Gums shed their bark to reveal a smooth peppermint coloured trunk....

Where deliciously coloured Orchids bloom...

Where smooth golden cane grows, Camellias grow fat buds, leaves litter the floor and nourish Bromeliads, Ferns love the shade and Philodendrons climb up trees; this is a small part of my garden and I love it.

Believe it or not:

I wish I had a painted garden

Where the sun spreads golden glitter over rouge and over bleu

Where the clouds drift over rainbows, and the stars are silver raindrops

When the fairies and the goblins, danse le pas de deux.

T.S.

Dulse, a sea vegetable for good health;

I mix Dulse flakes into my home made herb salt. I use whatever herbs are in season and grow my herb garden. I do not use any commercial flavourings like stock cubes etc.

Palmaria palmata, Dulse, sea lettuce flakes is a red alga (Rhodophyta). It grows on the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It is a well-known snack food, and in Iceland, where it is known as söl, it has been an important source of fibre throughout the centuries.

The earliest record of this species is of St Columba's monks harvesting it 1,400 years ago.

Dulse grows attached by its discoid hold fast to the stipes of Laminaria or to rocks. It has a short stipe, the fronds are variable and vary in colour from deep-rose to reddish-purple and are rather leathery in texture. The flat foliose blade gradually expands and divides into broad segments ranging in size to 50 cm long and 30 - 8 cm in width which can bear flat wedge-shaped proliferations from the edge.

As a food

Dulse is a good source of minerals and vitamins compared with other vegetables and it contains all trace elements needed by humans and has a high protein content.]

It is commonly found from June to September and can be collected by hand when the tide is out. When collected, small snails, shell pieces and other small particles can be washed or shaken off and the plant then spread to dry. Some collectors may turn it once and roll it into large bales to be packaged later. It is also used as fodder for animals in some countries.

Dulse is commonly used in Ireland, Iceland and Atlantic Canada both as food and medicine. It can be found in many health food stores or fish markets and can be ordered directly from local distributors.

Fresh Dulse can be eaten directly off the rocks before sun-drying. Sun-dried Dulse is eaten as is or is ground to flakes or a powder. In Iceland the tradition is to eat it with butter.

As for its nutritional content, Dulse is extremely high in vitamins B6 and B12, as well as iron, potassium and fluoride. Dulse also contains many other vitamins and nutrients, including vitamins C, E, and A,, magnesium, calcium, dietary fiber and protein. Additionally, Dulse is a natural source of iodine, essential for thyroid gland health and thyroid hormone secretion.

Some information courtesy Wikipedia.

Happy, sunny Days!