How does your garden grow, June 2015

With the change in season it's high time I did another update about how my garden is progressing I think. I'm linking this one into the Garden Share Collective for the first time.

With a seven month old (seven months already!) in the house who is an extremely needy infant, I haven't had time for serious gardening, so it's really been mostly maintenance and coaxing what is already in the ground along.

I've had galangal show itself again, which is exciting. Last time I had green shoots, nothing really happened below the surface so I have high hopes this time.

The sweet potato continues to produce lots of leaves but only small tubers which seem to be full of holes. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong there, but the leaves are at least a tasty addition to soups and casseroles. It's making flowers which is something I've not noticed it doing much before. It was an experimental plant in a little used section of the garden but I hate to put effort into helping it grow and then not getting results.

I threw in a couple of bokchoy seeds I'd saved from last years plants, and they've finally come up and started to look tasty. Technically I could start eating them now, but I'd like them to be a bit bigger before I use them I think.

Snow peas aren't doing so well, but there are a few stubborn peas coming and some green climbers going up the support, so if it's producing, it can stay for now.

What am I planting

Not a lot to be honest. I've put in some carrots and some new shallots as the old ones were looking a bit tired.

What I am harvesting

My eggplants are still producing prolifically. It's a bit of a hassle actually as they've taken over that garden bed completely. I'd love to dig them out and get some more variety in there, but it's such a shame when they're on a roll, so they get to stay for now

I've got to get the basil picked and preserved, likely into pesto form for use later. My passionfruit vine is finally (finally!) kicking into gear. I've got at least 30 fruit out there, likely more if I can conquer my grasshopper fear and do a proper search. I'm just waiting for them to ripen and shrivel up for maximum sweetness.

A lonely little lime. The only fruit that I have managed to coax from any of my citrus actually. This one was a survivor, managing to thrive despite leaf miner infestations and several attacks on the tree by the hoards of rampant grasshoppers in my garden. Go you good lime! I'm in desperate need of help from these grasshoppers though - both the little fellows and the giant scary looking ones. Here's my sad looking lemon tree trying to come good.

Plenty of parsley there for the picking. I've always had problems with parsley but this one won't quit. I can't complain, fresh parsley makes most meals delicious. I think this garden bed was well seeded with horse manure and dynamic lifter and it's paying off now.

On my to do list

• Research keeping chickens. I'd love to get a small chicken coop going but I'm unsure if I could make it work logistically on our small block, and with the dogs. Additionally, Mr Fork is rather fond of his grass and can't decide whether he wants lush greenery or friendly little cluckers more. I'm leaning toward a small moveable coop, suitable for housing 2-3 small bantam style chickens, and allowing them free range of the yard... but I need to research more and look into different coop styles
• Plant the rosemary sprigs that I've had sitting on my windowsill for quite some time now. I often have bad luck with rosemary, so I'm loathe to plant it, but it can't keep living in a jar and give me the amounts I want it to... so into the garden it must go!
• Attack weeds with gusto while they've slowed down, and then mulch, mulch, mulch!

How grows your garden?