How rewarding it is to pick bright fruits from the garden to supplement the shopping. This week I have been harvesting Guava and Bananas and when the rain clears I'm popping down the road to a neighbours late ripening Mandarin tree. 
The fruit may be a bit tart but that is a nice change too. They will be perfect for juicing or freezing to make a yummy sorbet as a refreshing treat on hot summer days to come. Peel them first before freezing or you will have a mission trying to get the skins off later! It is important to pick fruit that you intend to keep fresh for eating when it is not wet or it will rot, save the harvesting for a fresh fine day where possible. If you see a tree laden with fruit don't be afraid to ask the owners if they are happy for you to harvest. I often find people not using the fruit for themselves are more than happy to let you pick it in exchange for something you have turned it into - a jar of jam or the like. Picking the fruit is often more of a help than it falling and making a mess for them to clean up or worse, attract vermin.
The fruit may be a bit tart but that is a nice change too. They will be perfect for juicing or freezing to make a yummy sorbet as a refreshing treat on hot summer days to come. Peel them first before freezing or you will have a mission trying to get the skins off later! It is important to pick fruit that you intend to keep fresh for eating when it is not wet or it will rot, save the harvesting for a fresh fine day where possible. If you see a tree laden with fruit don't be afraid to ask the owners if they are happy for you to harvest. I often find people not using the fruit for themselves are more than happy to let you pick it in exchange for something you have turned it into - a jar of jam or the like. Picking the fruit is often more of a help than it falling and making a mess for them to clean up or worse, attract vermin.
After the school pick up today a shot down to the beach to collect some seaweed and was rapt to find sea grass mixed in. This fine green 10cm long grass like seaweed is great for mulch on the garden and I have not seen it since living near the inlet in Wellington.
Get yourself ready to plant citrus, plum, apple, pears, apricots and quince in July and August. You will be able to buy them bare root which is the best way to get them. They will be packed with a little bit of sawdust around the root system. Organise yourself a consultation to determine the best varieties for your site and order them now before your supplier runs out.
In the Garden
June 17 - 22 This week in the garden with a new moon it is best to stick to digging and tilling the soil, don't be tempted to sow or plant anything. When I feel tempted to plant in these quieter times I fill my time with freezing, fruit picking and pickling!
Come June 23rd is the best time for sowing seeds for this month so get cracking and sow broad beans, lettuce, garlic, onions, peas, shallots, silverbeet and spinach where there are frost free areas. In cold inland areas or the south sow lettuce, garlic, onions, peas, shallots, silverbeet and spinach. I love to use my pouch potter to make small paper pouches that I can sow just the right quantity of seeds and then plant out each pouch straight into the garden once germinated. Visit www.edenliving.co.nz to see and order your pouch potter; the pouch potter is a great gift too.
June 24 - 30 is still seed sowing time. Restrain from sowing root crops but get everything else in like rocket - rocket pesto yum! Spinach, broad beans, bok choy will all do really well.
During this seed sowing time you can also plant out seedlings of
broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, silverbeet,
strawberries, shallots
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