Bitter Melon, Pioneer Stringless & Strawberry Delight

A bunch of parsley for baking dog biscuits to freshen up Marco's breath, and a bunch of buk choy for lunch.

My aloe vera plant is really huge now with lots of growing pups.

I sliced off one piece for soothing a bit of itchy skin.

Hooray! Another eggplant is growing!

Two bunches of sweet strawberries growing from the two plants I have successfully propagated from the parent strawberry delight plant. As the two plants are under nets, they are growing very well without much pest disturbance.

Beans Pioneer Stringless are ready for harvesting. Going to simply blanch them in boiling water. They are named as such because there is no strings to be removed from their sides, unlike some beans.

My harvest of my first bitter melon/bittergourd and a bunch of beans Pioneer Stringless.

My pot of Kalanchoe has been attacked by caterpillars again though it was netted.

It's a new caterpillar which I have not seen before. It's colour is very similar to the kalanchoe branches but still not difficult to spot. I found more than a dozen!

What's Happening Recently in the Backyard?

Recently, I have been doing gardening in starts and stops and have not recorded much of what I had done. Besides being unwell physically, the weather has been rather scorching for much to do in the day time. I tried as much as possible to do gardening when the sun sets yet still bright enough. I have used some pieces of wood which was left by the previous owner to build a little vege patch just next to the back pongola (if I have named it correctly) :

Before weeding & filling up with soil (above) After (above)

The black carolina rose grape vine is growing well at the spot where I just put in the vege patch. My next 'challenge' would be to erect some support for it as it grows.

My capsicum plant in the pot has put forth several fruits, with me wondering how large they will get since the plant is confined in such a small pot.

Three tomato plants are growing in a larger pot since transplanting from their little pot. Where in the garden can they go? Or they would have to grow in a large pot.

The few calendula plants are growing faster with the warmer weather.

Strawberries are developing in two of the three strawberry plants in the pot and on the ground.

Protection against birds half-way there.

My passionfruit panama gold is still surrounded by a tree shield. Fortunately the leaves are not being eaten anymore since I surrounded the skirt of the tree shield with soil.

Peach (pixzee) fruits growing bigger. Just wondering where's the space for further enlargement since the branches are so close. I never thought about that when I bought it.

Snow peas are still fruiting but slowly dying down. Go to the compost soon!

Tomato beef steak has grown a lot, some flowers but no fruits yet.

Purple king seeds have germinated and are this big now! They are actually in a more shaded area and thankfully with more warmth and sunshine recently, they are steadily growing. Lots weeding to be done with the unmulched areas.

The first patch of grass has grown well and is now looking like this...good!

I have germinated some cucumber (burpless). Well germinated. Trellis and space to figure out.

I really have no idea how to care for this pot of kalanchoe. So I decided to prune all the dying flowers. New leaves have grown and I shall see if it flowers next season.

Kaffir kaffir...since into the ground, it looks a little better but still leaves still drop. Here showing some tiny fruits.

The apricot (Moorpark) which I pulled out of the ground and pruned still does not look too good..drooping leaves...may or may not survive me.

Pomegranate, Kalanchoe & Daffodils

The pomegranate tree has sprouted new flowers as spring settles in. I was attracted to this pot of trailing kalanchoe at Bunnings. It is a succulent that produces stunning red flowers. I bought it and have it hung at a shady corner of my new backyard. Looks like I am beginning to give more attention to flowers.

Two daffodils at the vege patch of the rental house have opened just two days before I move out. Thanks daffodils for that!

And then this daffodil greeted me yesterday just before I fly out of Melbourne. Thanks for such excellent timing!