Photos from my garden

Lots of tomatos growing at the moment. Many different varieties too. These are "Thai Pink".

Above and below are Tomatos from the Heirloom mixed seed pack I sowed. They are finally starting to develop and its exciting to see the different shapes and colours coming out.

A capsicum, again from the heirloom mixed seeds.

Broccoli (Kailaan) just starting to form a head. Should be ready for picking soon.

Corn (hopefully I'll have better luck with these than the last lot)

Freckles lettuce

A young casper eggplant

Purple King Climbing beans

My so-far-unnamed Khaki Campbell pair. The boy is showing off the little curl in his tail and you can almost make out the green shimmer in his head feathers. He is a lot more cautious than the girl. She goes first and he follows.

Passionfruit about to ripen. I'm not sure which variety they are because they self-sprouted.

A young pumpkin.

This is my very first attempt at blogging so here goes...

A little bit about myself to begin with... My name is Nicki and I live in the dry tropical part of North Queensland, Australia. What can you expect to read about in this blog? Well, everything from gardening to camping to renovating to teenagers, and maybe the occasional rant about ex-husbands.

I am really enjoying gardening at the moment. My largish garden (about 890 sqm) is slowly being more productive as I work my way toward living a little more self sustainably. It can be difficult and very disheartening trying to grow certain things, especially vegetables where I live. We have only two seasons, hot and dry, and hot and wet. What the humidity doesn't kill, the bugs eat, or the rain swamps. There seems to be only a small window of opportunity during the cooler winter months, or should I say less-hot winter months, when the day time temperature is about 25 degrees Celsius on average and rarely drops below 10.  I'm by no means an expert but I think I've done everything right...raised the beds, mulched, fertilized, watered...and so far so good. I have pak choy, lettuce, corn, fennell, beans, tomatos and various herbs romping away. I'm really hoping they will all be ready for harvesting long before the humidity returns.

I've also planted many fruit trees, including various citrus, mango, avocado, figs, sapote, coffee, mulberry, grumichama, guava, miracle fruit, jaboticaba, pomegranate, and probably a few I've forgotten. They all seem to be growing happily at the moment and none have kicked up their heels so far although the real test will be when the heavy rains come again.

A large part of the rear of my block houses the 'chook nook' with my 4 girls each producing an egg a day on average. There is also a pair of Khaki Campbell ducks which keep us amused with their antics. The duck lays eggs which she insists on never laying in the same spot and often hides - much to the kids amusement, often finding several all at once.  Duck eggs are actually good eating, that is to say 'we' like them, but for some reason I have trouble giving the excess away.

Photography is yet another interest so there will be photos to come soon.

I am also a bit of a DIY nut as well - I know my hex head from my phillips head, and my architrave from my skirting, and all I wanted for christmas was a circular saw...but this will be a topic for another time....