Garden Update February 2016

Vintage is in full swing and the scent of fermenting grapes fill the air around the winery. Fields of sunflower and plenty blossom from the native trees are keeping the birds happy and well fed, leaving the grapes for the winery. Our multispecies summer cover crop of sunflowers, buckwheat, millet, beans and squash are thriving and in full bloom in the paddock, keeping soil biology alive where there would normally be dry brown earth.

Mulberry trees are nearing the end of their very generous harvest with the fig trees now taking over providing their delicious fruit with that unique internal flower and rich calcium content. Our kumquat tree is providing its sour orange fruit that has been transformed into a delicious ice cream by our talented team of chefs making full use of our amazing edible gardens. Native hibiscus, calendula, borage, parsley, dianthus, tomato and sweet basil flowers are providing the bees with their food source and our chefs with decorative and edible flowers.

Tomato plants are towering above head height and the last trusses have set their fruit. Aubergine, zucchini, chlli, capsicum and cucumber are loving the late summer heat and regular compost extracts with the addition of biodynamic barrel compost are assisting the plants vitality. Fresh plantings of radish, beetroot, tatsoi, mizuna, purslane, lettuce and rocket are filling the salad bowl. Pumpkins and butternut are sprawled out through the garden and ripening up for harvest with seeds and all being used in our delicious culinary delights.

It is a good time to apply horn manure, make compost, transplant seedlings, pruning, wine racking and harvesting for storage from the 6th-17th of February. This is a descending or waning period and is influenced by the earth and water signs. From the 1st-5th and 19th-29th of February it will be a good time to apply horn silica, plant seeds, graft and harvest for early consumption. This is an ascending or waxing period and is influenced by air or fire signs.

WE ARE CURRENTLY HARVESTING… Mulberry, strawberry, figs, lemon, aubergine, zucchini, butternut, tomatoes, capsicum, beetroot, radish, chard, salad greens, sunflower and wheatgrass sprouts, herbs, edible flowers, horse radish.

If anyone has any queries in regards to the garden, please feel welcome to ask… Cheers, Jaimie