Around the back of the ute, the garden is looking lush and full of life. The snow peas have begun flowering, which means they should be producing pods soon. The only concern is the strong wind, but hopefully everything stays standing.

The vegetable beds are filling out nicely. The broccoli is healthy and vigorous, and I’ve already been harvesting some of the outer leaves. There are radishes and turnips growing well too. One of my favourite crops at the moment is the chili peppers. I’m not exactly sure what variety they are, but they’re delicious. Some are mild, while others have a really satisfying heat. I’ve been adding them to nearly every meal, and they’ve quickly become a staple in my kitchen.

This has also been an excellent year for fruit. The trees have been so productive that I’m actually struggling to keep up with the harvest.

Another project I’m excited about is growing shallots. I planted around ten bulbs, and each one should divide into several new bulbs as it matures. They’re much quicker to grow than regular onions, making them a great addition to the garden.

My First White Oyster Mushroom Grow

Today I watered my first batch of white oyster mushrooms. The spawn has only been growing for a few days, and with some rain expected later today, conditions should be ideal. At this stage, all I can do is keep the growing medium moist and be patient while nature does the rest.

I’m looking forward to seeing my first harvest in a few weeks.

Harvesting Wild Edible Greens

One of today’s highlights was harvesting stinging nettles for the first time. Interestingly, I never planted them—they simply appeared on their own. Although most people think of them as weeds, stinging nettles are packed with nutrients, including iron and calcium.

Because the fresh leaves sting, I harvested them carefully and planned to boil them before eating. Cooking removes the sting completely, leaving behind a leafy green with a texture very similar to spinach.

I also harvested some pūhā, another edible wild green that grows naturally. Rather than letting these nutritious plants go to waste, I decided to use both of them in today’s lunch.

The nettles are already beginning to flower and produce seeds, which is exciting because I’m hoping they’ll naturally spread throughout this part of the garden. Since this is my first time growing them, I’m learning as I go. I only harvested the leaves, leaving the plants intact so they can continue flowering and produce even more seed for future seasons.

Of course, despite being careful, I still brushed against a few leaves and got stung. My fingers definitely felt it, but that’s all part of the experience!

Lunch Straight From the Garden

For lunch, my partner prepared a rich beef broth, and I added leftover rice along with the freshly harvested stinging nettles and pūhā. We also picked a handful of fresh chili peppers straight from the garden to complete the meal.

Once cooked, the nettles completely lost their sting and tasted remarkably similar to spinach. Combined with the beef broth, rice, and fresh greens, it made for a simple, nutritious lunch made almost entirely from the garden.

It was incredibly satisfying to sit down and enjoy a meal made with ingredients I’d either grown or foraged myself.

By the time I’d finished the bowl, I was completely full. A nap and perhaps a glass of wine sounded pretty tempting.

The Work Never Ends

Even after lunch, there was still plenty to do around the property. I’m continuing to clear away old branches and twigs to make the paths easier to walk through and improve the overall appearance of the garden.

There’s always another project waiting, another crop to plant, or another experiment to try. That’s one of the things I enjoy most about gardening—there’s always something new happening, and every season brings another opportunity to learn.

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