It's pretty much all on here at Struan Farm in the veggie gardens and orchard areas, "production mode" that is.
This past week I've been picking "June's Northland" nectarines along with heirloom tomatoes every night plus ripening Luisa plums, zucchini, beans and corn. The peaches and Initial apples are almost happening too; those are checked each evening.
We're into round two on the beans, edible flowers and basil (latter in the glasshouse), and rounds three and four on the mesclun and "Cocarde" lettuces. The zucchini have just about pooped out, but I've got some huge butternut squash and a pumpkin or two growing away in the "Garden of Neglect" at the Homestead.
While the bees won't be happy, I'm about to pull up the flowering bolted coriander, having saved some seeds. All of the different potato varieties have been dug up as well. "Purple Heart" is my new favourite in that department. The first round of "Torpedo" beetroot has been planted in the now vacant potato bed in the backyard. I've found beets do better for us in late summer/early autumn; they're a good filler crop to extend the veggie garden season, and "Torpedo" works really well roasted but also pickled. Its elongated shape fits well in jars.
I'm holding fire on pulling up more of the carrots, both red and orange, to give them some time to grow. There are still spring onions growing away as well, using those as needed.
Oh, and almost forgot the chiles! The jalapeños and serranos are coming along with "Wild Fire" not far behind. Think I might try to pickle a mix of jalapeños and serranos when the crop is ready for harvesting.
Later come the Blackboy peaches, Mrs. Preston's nectarines (a later fruiting Northland variety vs. June's), most of the apples, nashi, pears, quince, feijoas, hazelnuts, walnuts and figs. And of course we can't forget the kahikatea fruit! Just not sure if I'll make the jam again, removing all those wee seeds was one of the more tedious jobs I've done in recent years....
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