Friday, November 27, 2020

The surprisingly flourishing garden...

 At this time of year in the tropics there's not much we can grow with regards to vegetables and herbs, but this year has been a tad different. It's taken a lot of daily care (and a slow to arrive wet season) but we are actually reaping a surprising bounty at the moment. 

Green salad cucumbers which we slice and eat like potato chips, pickling gherkins, rockmelons, watermelons, tomatoes - roma and cherry, malabar spinach, silverbeet, perpetual spinach, blueberries, spring onions, kale, chillies, long peppers, red onions, leeks, pigeon peas, bananas, pineapples, chives, sage, parsley, mint, comfrey, tarragon, dandelion, rosemary, basil, marjoram, oregano, lemons, limes and lemongrass...

Let me take you on a tour.





































We find many hours need to be spent each week and indeed most days, keeping up with everything, but the joy and satisfaction of reaping a harvest is wonderful. 

We also have carrots just breaking through the soil and many lovely flowers scattered around. The perennial hibiscus trees, ixora, bouganvillea and bottle brush are in full bloom, but we also have other blooms to capture the eye - oriental jasmine and geraniums being my favourite right now.













It's not until I took these photos and began typing this post that I realised just how abundant our small quarter acre truly is, and the sense of gratitude in my heart to the Lord who led us to buy this particular home just over two years ago was magnified yet again.

There was hardly anything growing here back then, and a lot of concrete and rocks that needed to be broken up and removed in order to make garden areas (my husband worked like a trojan to tame and create our little patch called home) - but what we've learned is that persistence, a vision and physical toil brings great rewards. 

Hope you enjoyed the little wander around. 

Bless you dear ones and may the Lord of all Creation bring beauty and bounty to your hearts in these coming days, just as surely as He brought them to our garden.



"Oh taste and see that the Lord is good."
Psalm 34:8


Loving hugs


17 comments:

Annabel said...

Dear Jenny, Your garden is amazing and productive! I remember when we were both moving to our own homes and new gardens! The world seems peaceful when in the garden. I love it. Also like you I love the bird life everyday! God is good! Love Annabel.xxx

earthmotherwithin said...

Only two years! Fantastic work - it all looks so nice

Kay said...

These are wonderful blessings that have come after a lot of hard work. x

Lin said...

What a fantastic harvest Jenny - well worth all that hard work I know. Always delightful to go for a walk around your garden - thank you. xx

Tammy Lyons said...

Jenny love your garden tour. Nothing compares to home grown gsrden produce. It tastes so good. And so good gor you.

Joanne said...

Hi Jenny,
What a beautiful garden ! and in those temperatures ! I google Townsville weather to have an idea how warm it is while on your garden tour :) What a wonderful home grown produce list. I have to smile, knowing, leared from you, that it's too hot there for slugs and snails :)
hugs,
Joanne

celkalee said...

What an inspiring garden you have and after so much work in a relatively short period of time! I am sure there were days when the work seemed endless and overwhelming. We are in the end of Fall here, days still relatively warm but our growing season is over. I cannot wait for spring to start again. My raised beds have been removed and I am going to all container gardening. I am in my 70's and the arthritis is taking over! Many blessings to your and yours. Thank you for the tour, just what I needed from the other side of the world!

e said...

Your gardens are amazing. Thank you, The Christmas stitchery is such a beauty <3 <3 <3

Anita said...

What a green thumb you have been blessed with! Thanks for sharing.

Becki said...

I am so impressed! Not only with your beautiful veggies and flowers, but that you grow all of that on a quarter of an acre. I imagined you had a much larger space than that. I'm inspired. To dream, at least. Not sure I have the energy, but I can dream of cultivating such a beautiful, prolific space. :)

Winifred said...

My goodness what a harvest you have & lovely flowers too. A real blessing.

Farm Quilter said...

Your garden is spectacular!!! How lovely that you are getting an abundance of produce at this time of year!! Your hard work in the garden is paying off with a wonderful harvest! Only the honeysuckle here is still green, but it sits right outside the window in front of me, so I enjoy the fact that it stays green all year round (in a protected space between two houses).

Ondrea said...

An abundance of nourishment and beautiful flowers. Lots of hard work has paid off. Enjoy.

FlourishingPalms said...

Golly, but you have so much vegetation! Love seeing all the vegetables, which appear to be thriving, as well as blooms. You have so much abundance in Aus - as least where you live. I admire you for taking time to care diligently for everything. You deserve to reap the rewards of your effort.

Susan said...

It looks like you have plenty of edible goodness, and quite a lot of beauty, too!

Val said...

Wow! You are blessed. It is all beautiful.

Jeannett said...

what awwonderful home you have!!. Congratulations!!