Learning and growing during Covid-19

One of the interests I've developed a bit more while slowing down because of Covid-19 is my garden which is a mix of natives, old favourites like daphne and lavender and food.  Food wise it's good to have an opportunity to explore bush food.  The time that's been available of late to spend in the garden has brought much nourishment, both for the body and the soul.  

The Jerusalem Artichokes are just at the beginning of harvesting.  Chucked a handful in with the roast veggies the other day and they were, not amazingly delicious, but quite tasty, so looking forward to trying out different recipes with them.  The bonus of course is while they are growing you get sunny yellow flowers like smaller sunflowers.

The fig tree next to the back deck has tempted me for the last few months with small figs, which are now beginning to ripen.  The birds do get a substantial amount but I do manage to get 4 or 5 a day which is sufficient for me.   The benefit of the birds eating the figs is I get to watch the little honeyeaters that love them and the pineapple sage I have growing underneath. The little eggplants that I planted have also provided a fairly bountiful harvest, not only do they look delightful, but they are so easy to slice up and add to just about anything I cook.  Beans however continue to frustrate me.  I put in seeds directly and watch and watch and watch ... and nothing!  The broad beans and carrots, however, are sprouting and looking quite healthy and there are some directly sown peas which are struggling up.  

Bushy Needlebush, one of the Hakea family.

A great discovery when wanting to explore different plants is the app called What Plant is That.  It is not always completely accurate but mostly pretty good for finding the name of a plant.  My walks of late have involved stopping at  many of the plants I walk past all the time to check what they are.It's particularly useful for working out what is native and what has just taken root around here and flourished.  The coastal rosemary is a bit of a trick as it does not smell or taste like Rosemary at all although it does look  a bit like Rosemary.  

A term I have come across is 'naturalised', it was in relation to a bird I was looking up and it was used to say even though something is an 'introduced' species, by European settlers, it has become acclimatised or settled in our bush.  Plants that are not native but have adapted to our soil and climates without taking over like those horrible Cotoneaster which grow everywhere they find a space down here. 


This bright little plant on the right is, I think, a Cobra lily and it has found a home on one of my favourite walks down here under the Moonah trees.  I don't see it really anywhere else so it doesn't seem to take over and it is a lovely burst of colour as you walk along.

Sea or Coastal Parsley

But bush food is what I have been exploring a little bit.  I have planted some Murnong Daisy Yams which are edible, though I am told by a friend that the variety (Microseris Lanceolata) that I have is the easiest one to grow but not the best tasting.  They take a year before the roots are ready to harvest, but in the meantime it seems to be happily multiplying.  Have also started some sea parsley which grows up on the cliff tops here on the ocean side, and am hoping that will take.  It tastes like European parsley but a little more salty.  
The finger lime I planted last summer is surviving and thriving now I have moved it to a sunnier spot.  Can't put it straight in the soil here as it's too sandy so have it growing in a half wine barrel.  It has had one fruit so here's hoping it will have more.  And then of course there is the Warragul lettuce which just goes wild here, it climbed over an old boat I have in the back yard.  I didn't realise that you couldn't eat it raw as it has toxins on the leaf, so when I put it in a salad I was not impressed.  However now I know to cook it, so I toss it in with stir fries or include it in my spinach and feta pies.  It was so rampant I pulled it out completely but now have replanted a few leaves so hopefully they will take.  Then I have a Coastal saltbush which I use to flavour anything I cook really, just chuck a few leaves in.   

Not native but the cutest little plant is the 'Mexican Cucumber' that I picked up one day at Bunnings.  The latin name is Melothria Scabra, and it has the finest little cucumbers (or mouse melons) which are good tossed in a salad, they have a slightly sour taste.  They are very prolific and grow on a delicate climbing vine.  Found some seeds at The Diggers Club diggers.com.au so have them ready to plant next spring, although the plant from this year is still producing and apparently they will self seed.  

In terms of sourcing the native plants, locally we are rather blessed with a Council run indigenous nursery at The Briars in Mt Martha.  Two other local ones that I am aware of that sell on line are https://merricks-nursery.business.site/ which is wholesale but they will sell retail as well, worth inquiring, and the other one is https://nativeplantproject.com.au/about/.

If you have time I would recommend getting into the garden and, even if you don't have much time just try planting a few herbs in pots, there is nothing nicer than just grabbing a handful of something from the garden to throw into whatever you are cooking.