Harvest Monday

Apart from broccoli leaves a a few stray lettuces the balcony garden hasn't been very productive this week. I did pick the last lemon though I forgot to photograph it. Here it was in more splendid days:

It made a delicious addition to my morning drink.

For far more hearty harvest posts go visit Daphne's Dandelions, where all the good garden bloggers post their harvest wares.

Lemon meet Lime

The lemon tree was one of the premier plants on the balcony - first posted about way back when. The lime tree followed after I decided to up the fruit tree content of the balcony in lieu of vegetable space (it was a slight soil saving measure that seems to have more than paid off.) After years of struggling where harvests were a meagre 1 or 2 fruits, the lemon tree has finally come into its own. Check it out in all its glory now (above and below):

I've picked a few lemons thus far, for garnishes, drinks and dessert purposes. The dessert was a slightly overcooked lemon delicious. I'm not sure if it was my oven, or the recipe (I'd vote the latter), but on my recent trip to Adelaide I gathered my Mum's amazing, handwritten recipe and will woo the man with a second attempt. But this first one at least tasted great served with blueberries!

And if you want to check out something culinary that is a little more decadent that this dessert head on over to my other blog, A teetotal 2012. It also shows my recent sewing projects including that quilt!
 
 I try and drink freshly squeezed citrus juice as much as I can in the winter. It involves freshly squeezing one or two of oranges, lemons and anything else I please that morning. It tastes delicious and helps give a good dose of vitamin C. In my 'time'-poor last few months I've barely managed this seemingly small task, but on the odd occasion I have it has been wonderful. I use it to ward away colds and other nasties in the winter. Even better with home grown lemons and limes thrown in the mix (this one had the juice of one orange also).

The lime tree itself is growing well, and I've harvested a couple for similar purposes. One even almost made its way in my superman's amazing attempt at spiced slow roasted chicken last Sunday (I'm still savouring the last few bits in sandwiches.)

Citrus trees are great plants for a balcony garden. The fruit is multipurpose and the smell of the blossom, which is there many months of the year, it phenomenal. They are heavy feeders but I just put some slow release on 4 times a year and they're happy as Larry if Larry was eating Mum's lemon delicious. No need to buy those fancy dwarfed citrus plants, they're just a waste of money. ANY citrus can be dwarfed and rootstock has little to do with it. With the right pot, soil and pruning regime any citrus can be kept at the size you want it. After 5 and a bit years in my hands (and a couple of years at its former home) the lemon is finally playing ball and the lime only took 2 and a half years to produce!!! Now that's what I'd call a winning combination.

That's a pretty fruity balcony you've got there ...

Indeed my balcony garden is so fruity, the apples grow upside down! If you recall a post a long while back - I decided to 'fruity' up my balcony in order to skimp on buying soil all the time. It worked a little - or maybe it just cluttered the balcony up even more - but either way the 6 fruit trees are here to stay, and it looks like this summer they are earning their keep. For those who aren't in the know, the balcony garden houses six fruit trees - they are (in order of entrance into the BG world)

A Lemon Tree (gifted by my dear friend the not-so-stinking Hippy G, probably Meyer, was kind of sickly, but seems to be happier now)
A Nectarzee (gifted by my birth mother, has issues with leaf curl but holding on)
A Tahitian Lime (gifted by me, to me, because, well, I wanted my friends to have G and Ts with style)
A Golden Delicious Apple (a me-gift again, but I love this apple, it's my favourite kind)
A Granny Smith (because every good apple tree needs a companion)
A Fig (gifted by the lovely Ms M for my 30th)

So how are they faring overall? The lemon tree has always struggled, but a larger pot, some care and careful fertilising and a prime position means it is covered in little lemons this season. When I say covered, I mean about 10-12, but when a usual crop is lucky to have more than one this is a total blessing.

The lime is less successful, no doubt because of its youth, the way-too-small pot, and lack of adequate fertilisation. He'll be my next care and repair task. At least he keeps on flowering, in the faint hope he will fruit, which smells divine.

The apples are amazing! They're still young but they're fruiting and unlike other growers who let their trees mature, I'm letting it fruit. I don't care what anyone says and how much they say this'll hurt the tree. I'm a free range gardener and if my younguns wanna let loose and fruit then so be it. I thinned the fruit back though, and they still look happy and healthy and I can't wait to try an apple in the later summer/autumn months.

Mr fig twig - he aint no twig anymore - and he is fruiting happily and well. Rust is still an issue, mostly because I keep not attending to it!

The nectarzee (that's a dwarf nectarine for the uninitiated) had huge problems with leaf curl, at least it did in the past. While one branch was affected this year the rest of the tree came away unscathed. I am loathe to spray for it, and seems my little fighter fended for himself. There are two nectarines ripening this year, so cannot wait to nibble on them both.

Spiders are a problem with all the fruit trees, they seem to have made themselves at home. Not a problem in a large garden, with large trees, but for an arachnaphobe with a balcony garden of small trees it can be a bit of a problem. At the moment we are in a pretend-ignorant coexistance, but it is an uneasy truce. I'll keep you posted if arachnowar goes down.

So what fruit trees do you grow? Any tips?

Springtime for Mister Balcony Garden

Yes it has been a while, a very long while. Spurts of writing here and there but when you have cranked out 100 000 words on man's darker side you tend not to want to write much at all. Slowly I managed to start reading again (non-work books) and teaching took me away from Nazis, but still I couldn't muster the word-power to get back on this blog. But hopefully the winds of change are in town, and the inept balcony gardener can write once more. But just because I haven't written doesn't mean I haven't been gardening! Just take a look at the pic above, and you will see the balcony garden is going very well indeed. No camera cord yet (blame laziness and forgetfulness) so the pics in today's post are brought to you by my trusty little Motorola. Not bad either, if you ask me.

Above is most of the balcony at the end weeks of Spring. It is green, full of spiders and snails and vegetables and fruits are on their way. The flowers of spring have mostly died off, but I plan on adding a few pockets of annual colour here and there, mostly to attract some more bees. The abutilons are attracting birds (much to my delighted surprise) and the lemon and lime blossom works a treat on the bees but you can never have too much wildlife. Speaking of wildlife my neighbour's cat has discovered how to climb the fence, so he is an occasional visitor when I'm lucky.

But what about my pretties? The apples ... they're fruiting amazingly (I almost shed a tear thinning these)

Both the golden delicious and the granny smith have a few fruit left on them. I'm intrigued to see how well they grow.

Tomatoes are also thriving, some planted earlier than others. I'm trying a few varieties to see if they can outrun the early death. No hardcore boring hybrids this year with germ resistance. Instead I planted what I wanted, whether it is a softie and falls down dead at the hint of blight, or is a trusty old workhorse. I chose for flavour, variety, and what was in the shop at the time!!! Two green zebras, a lemon drop, a red tumbler and a black russian round out this year's contenders. I also planted a mortgage lifter in my friend's garden in the hope that it'll grow and she can supply the tomato crack. Here's a pic of the flowering and fruiting red tumbler.

There are also pumpkins (I'll do a whole post of them later) in a pot with corn and beans. Ok when I say pot, I mean mega pot, and yes, I'll post on it all very soon. I actually have two mega pots! There are also figs (just a pic of a bit of Mr Fig Twig below, but there are little fruits growing), nectarines (no pics), lemons (might be more than one this year!!!) and more. Garlic, mint (2 kinds, well 1 in a hanging basket and 1 that's been ravaged by the snails) lettuce, basil and so much more.

Right now we are getting a Spring shower, and the temperature has dropped. It makes me want to go sit in the Garden with a cuppa tea (or a long island version) and take in the Springy goodness. Instead it is back to first year essays! Until next time (and trust me, it won't be so long between posts.)

Meet the Candidates: Elections in the Balcony Garden

Today in Australia many of us toddled off or will toddle off in these last couple of hours to the polling station to vote. So long as you are on the electoral roll here you need to vote. I like voting, I like my ability to freely and easily participate in some form of democracy. The problem with today's voting - the distinct lack if sausage sizzle stands and cake stalls at many polling booths. For shame Australia! Cheap sausages and democracy go hand in hand I say.

Anyway two wonderful friends of mine have been blogging about the leadup to the election, including a 'meet-the-candidates' section which helped outline the more obscure parties in the senate. If you are at all into politics, or just good writing pop on over to Carefully Scripted Remarks or The Adventures of Max U in Crazyland for a good political read.

But today on totally inept balcony garden I would like to introduce you to those greater candidates that have been elected to hold top position in the balcony garden - the fruit trees. Currently the balcony garden has six fruit trees, with a seventh position up for grabs. From the lemon to the lime, the apples to fig and not forgetting Mr Nectarine they all make up the balance of the balcony garden.

The first tree to join the fray featured in my first blog post. Mr Lemon tree was a gift from Miss G, a lovely vaguely hippy friend from up the road. She had procured a better lemon tree for her own garden and this one was free to a good home. I have nurtured it through the years and it usually gives me a modest amount of fruit, never more than four lemons, never fewer than three. He is about to get a repot, so new soil and a much larger pot to grow into. I am hoping that hill help with the problems he suffers, like new growth being nibbled away and leaves occasionally dropping.

Lemon trees are integral to my lifestyle, I grew up with one in the garden and the sweet scent of the blossoms is heavenly all year round plus the few fruits it provides are tasty. Solid, sturdy and reliable, a lemon tree is something all politicians should aspire to emulate.

The next tree was also a gift, this time from my Birth mother (I am adopted) for my very belated 28th or early for my 29th birthday or as a ate Christmas pressie I can't remember. I'd never thought about getting a dwarf nectarine, it just simply wasn't on my radar of things I wanted. But this tree is great. Last year it only gave me three fruit, and I definitely need to hand pollinate but they were some of the tastiest nectarines I had ever eaten.

Nectarines are a bit like the senator you never expected to get a seat but does, and then they prove to be a real winner. I hope it fruits again this year, it is already budding though it doesn't have a lot of new growth. Perhaps a top up of good soil and some nutrients will help.

The balcony garden stayed a two fruit tree zone for a while, quite a while in fact. It was only when I realised the benefits of pots that only needed new soil every two years, as opposed to vegetable growing which meant refilling the pot twice or thrice a year, that made fruit trees more desirable. Armed with a voucher and drive I went in myself for fruit tree number there - the tahitian lime. He has been here a while and seems to have settled in well. He is showing good signs of new near-Spring growth including new leaves and even possibly some buds.

Probably too new to decide what kind of politician he would be, but judging by the dominant colour I'd put him in with the Greens!

Shortly after the lime tree joined the gang, was my 30th birthday, and with that passing into a new decade came a lovely present from Miss M - a fig tree. Ok I should really rephrase that, a fig twig, Mr Fig Twig to be exact. It is a black genoa fig, self pollinating which works well in a one fig environment. It will take a few years before he is of fruit baring size. I can't help but liken him to my favourite Australian Democrat of yesteryear - Natasha Stott Despoja. She was so full of hope and promise and ideas, but went in too hard too early and it just wasn't her time. I have heard vague rumours of a comeback. I, for one, think this would be a great thing as with maturity brings good things - like figs.

After the figs came what I term the 'accidental' purchase of not one, but two apple trees. As any good gardener knows you need two apple trees to cross pollinate to get fruit, and when two dwarf versions of my two favourites, golden delicious and granny smith, were avaible and they could cross pollinate I jumped. I had wanted a ballerina apple tree, but none were available that would cross pollinate with either of these. The bonus of a ballerina is its upright nature, and the lack of pruning needed. I am a terrible pruner, though as these were bare rooted trees I had to at least have a go.

As they've only been in for a couple of weeks it is far too early to suggest what kind of political style they'll have. As long as they don't form a coalition akin to the Nationals and the Liberal Party then we will be fine. Besides growing trees is far too green a policy for either of those parties, but it would be an interesting carbon offset.

So there are the six fruity candidates in my garden. And it would be a good balance if I left it as that, but there is, just a slight possibility, that the group of six could be joined by a seventh. There is a spare large pot just about to become vacant after the broccoli is pulled.

It could remain a vegetable only zone, or it could, just as easily, house a small fruit tree. The only problem is, what fruit tree would I choose? The major ones I would like are (in no special order)

• Self pollinating dwarf cherry (alas these only come in black varieties and I do prefer yellow/white cherries but imagine the blossoms)
• Persimmon (dwarf(ish) self pollinating varities are orderable, but the deep tap root would be quite a problem)
• Blood Orange (my favourite citrus fruit and one I cannot get enough of)
• A ballerina apple tree which can pollinate with one of the existing apple trees
• A dwarf peach/nectarine
• A white genoa fig

And those are just the tip of the iceberg. Do you have any other suggestions out there? What do you think makes a good potted tree?

Anyway voting in new plants in the balcony garden is a touch simpler than the election here in Australia today. The polls close in a few hours and I am off to an election party armed with green, red and blue macarons. It is no accident that most of the macarons are green. By tomorrow we may have a new Prime Minister (in which case if it is the horribly antiquated Mad Monk Mr Abbott I will be relocating to another country!) My hope of Greens in power is too far fetched for a voting public right now so I have my fingers crossed that the Labor Party retains power for another term. And for the record, the Lemon tree, when asked who he would vote for, refused to comment.

Budding Young Things

It has been no higher than 11 degrees out there today and raining all from dusk till dawn. It is Winter, true Melbourne Winter. However the balcony garden is certainly looking forward to Spring, with many of the flowers, citrus trees and even vegetables budding up. Sporadic sunny days certainly aid in this process, but I can't help but wonder if maybe they're a little bit sick of Winter too! The snapdragon is still getting ready to bloom, over a year after I planted it.

Another pink member of the family, the boronia is budding. It is so hard to see it in this photo, but trust me there are little floral buds nestled within the stick thin leaves. I had given this plant up for dead as most of the growth on the stems fell off but looks like I'll get another year of blooms on the new growth.

The red lantern is constantly budding, and flowering and generally awesome!

Another red tried and trusted bloomer is the geranium. It's been in the pot for years and it is still going strong.

A new purple pansy (a different purple from the ones I blogged about the other day) is budding up ready to add yet another shade of purple to the balcony.

Another purple budding plant is in the lettuce. A primrose with yet another purple flower.

The lemon and lime trees are budding up too, the lemon tree is particularly covered in floral buds while the new growth on the lime may well be more leaves, hard to tell at this stage.

Even the habanero is budding, IN WINTER! That is probably because I brought him inside and he is loving the warmer conditions.

What loively budding young things, giving hope for an end to Winter and promise that I might have some more beauties for garden bloggers blooms day at the end of the week!

Harvest Monday

Two lemons, five carrots, a bowl full of lettuce, every last inch of rocket and some coriander all went into last Friday's meal. Beetroot (from my Aunt's garden), goats' cheese, rocket and pancetta risotto, served with a carrot and greens salad followed by strawberry lemon cheesecake icecream, straight from the brand new ice cream maker! And what photos do I have to show for it? NONE! But we had 5 happy dinner guests and one proud owner of an icecream machine and balcony veggie patch. Next harvest Monday I promise to photograph the produce, but in the meantime please take these recent shots of the plants for your harvest viewing pleasure, and imagine what they looked like in my harvest basket and then on the plate.

Ok so that is a golden beetroot not the large bulls blood ones that I cooked with but isn't it pretty. More of a single serve risotto size though. And for extra droolage I'll have you know that the second icecream flavour made in the icecream machine was Dulche de Leche (recipe here)

Now if you are after proper photos of harvests that aren't just substitutes for the real deal then head on over to Daphne's Dandelions for this week's harvest monday post.

Harvest Monday

If you want to see lush Summer harvests, with bowls upon bowls of glistening tomatoes, yards of drying chillis and plenty of zucchini, then this isn't the harvest post for you (for plenty of posts in that manner head on over to Daphne's Dandelions for the rest of harvest Monday.) This is a Winter harvest post, though it is not as barren as one might think. The balcony garden is brimming with the greener side of the vegetable patch and some very well timed citrus. We have lettuce in hanging baskets (with a primrose stuck in the middle)

Baby coriander amongst the garlic (needing to be culled to help give the garlic a chance)

Lemons, four infact, two of which are still on the tree and one which went into this lovey slow cooked roast lamb dish (5 hours in the over, with lemon, garlic and some water in the pan, delicious)

The other lemon went to the fruit bowl, to be with his kind. Note the wonders of apartment living mean the fruit bowl and the powercords are very close friends.

Lunar white carrots, which generally grow more slowly, are the only ones reaching a decent size at the moment. I harvest one or two a day for salads. Wonder what happened to the purple haze and purple dragon carrots which are miniature in comparison.

Silverbeet that isn't silver gets added to stirfries and soups and more each day.

Not bad for a cold, wet, Wintery Melbourne. :) Veggie dinner anyone???