In between baking and cooking I started a makeover of our back garden which until now has been devoted exclusively to growing vegetables. Hilariously I decided to dramatically cut the amount of vegetables we have been growing just as the rest of Perth was plundering garden and hardware shops for seedlings for their new vegetable plot. I can't help but wonder how many people will be wondering why their newly acquired tomato plants are not developing ripe fruit in June!
The reason for our cutback was the flood of a particular fruit or vegetable at any one time and the need to be at home to harvest. Leaving fruit or vegetables on the ground will only attract vermin. Plus eating zucchini more than seven times a week is a challenge. It was probably as great a challenge for friends and family trying to avoid us when we tried to offload the over- abundance onto them
We have kept our 40 year old fig tree, planted a new Eureka lemon tree and have planted a small pottage garden to supply leaves, spring onion and radish for salads. We also retained the asparagus bed and the rhubarb patch. Roasted rhubarb in orange juice with star anise and cardamon pods is a firm favourite for breakfast with yoghurt.
Pictured above is the newly landscaped fish pond; a spot of quiet and gentle beauty watched over by my beloved Buddha statue. The mass of green behind Buddha is the remnants of a very successful crop of Italian parsley. We installed the fish pond for our daughter Caterina in 2001. The initial four fish have multiplied over the years to around 30 so they must love their pond as much as we do.
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