How does your Garden Grow?

Hils the Gardener was a little frisky the other day; flouncing around her garden like a young faun. I thought that she had been at the bottle but no, it was gardener's delight. We have come to that stage in the growing year where, after a good dose of sun and rain, all your precious plantlings are coming through and your heart is filled with joy as you contemplate a good crop; possibly a glut.

Luscious, plump and delicious sweet brown Turkey figs. If only there were more of them. I could eat figs until I look like one, hmmm come to think of it I already do.

Fields of sweet basil. Oh, alright. Trays of sweet basil; pray for some sun and get some real flavour into those leaves. We love basil.

Found as a young orphan in the valley near Orba this little Spanish shrub has taken to its new life in East London very nicely. But it still dreams of the orange groves of its native land. For you, little shrub, one day; a journey...

It is so happy here that it has even managed to flower this year. Sweet! Como estas, mi amigo? Muy bien gracias, Bebe!

Most of the tomatoes are still green but the golden yellows are starting to come on very nicely. Let's see the reds!

Raspberries on the raspberry bush. A little washed out you say? Never; these are also a yellow variety and very nice they are too. A milder flavour compared to their raspberry-coloured cousins.

But there's always some red in the garden; here they are, rosy cheeked and blushing. Apples on the apple tree.

Fushcia. My favourite flower; I love that colour. It always reminds me of Prince Murat who wore amaranth trousers. Pooftah!

Lovely looking plums on the plum tree. The only way to get nice plums is to grow your own (the law of plums)

Tomatillos in the greenhouse. These are a new crop never tried before and we await their ripening with interest. For those of a curious disposition, the tomatillo fruit is covered by a paper-like husk and as the fruit matures, it fills the husk which splits and turns brown. Tomatillos are also known as green tomatoes and are a key ingredient in South American green sauces.

Blackberries busily invading from next door's garden. We don't mind; come on in and get ripening. Blackberry liquor again this year?