Recent posts have chronicled the arrival of the chickens, and the eggcitement over our first eggs. I am, predictably, keeping an Eggcel spreadsheet of the output . Plans for the web cam and live Chicken Feed are coming along nicely.

I promised I would give them a mention

We may branch out into a Web Foot Cam if we acquire a duck or two, but enough of the fowl puns – I thought I would go for a tour of the embryonic veg patch today.

Here is a little  music to get you in the mood:D

The dog of the blog and the tiny terror were basking in the sunshine when I nipped out to take a few photographs. They know better than to try to follow into the veg patch, so I took a picture of them where they were, and assured them I would give them a mention.

When we first saw the outside space at Fuente Amarga, I was thrilled to see so much scope for growing things, and for keeping a small amount of livestock. The house had not been lived in for a while, and the land had not been maintained, so there was work to do to make the dream possible. The bones of a productive paradise were there though, I was determined to see what a total newcomer to the Almeria climate, with some help, could achieve.

The veg patch has changed a lot, thanks to the muscle power of the lovely Mario, and the garden centre at Vera. Having started so late in the season, it seemed best to buy plants in plugs, rather than try to grow everything from seed. The seeds I had were rather elderly, so apart from a few dwarf beans and some wallflowers, nothing has grown from  those I planted when we first arrived.

There are only a limited number of ways to describe small brassicas, so today I will let the photographs do the work  …

Scope! It’s amazing how quickly the land reverts to untidy scrub

This year’s planting is very straightforward, and follows an uninspiring pattern of straight lines. Next year will be different!

It really is the same space. This was taken about ten days ago.  The tyre contains some potatoes, and is hiding the cover of the pozo (septic tank.)

Broad beans and broccoli around the bank and onions in the dip. When the plants on the rim have got their roots down, they will enjoy the water from the flooded area

The broad beans are beginning to look settled and happy

as are the broccoli and onions. The compost bin is made of pallets donated by our lovely neighbour, Di.

The nispero tree, which looked very nearly dead, has begun to shoot. I wonder if we shall get enough fruit for some chutney …

A quarter cork on a cocktail stick makes an unusual plant label. These are various salad crops.

The brussel sprouts are taking a while to really get going.

unlike the peas, which are growing very happily around their wigwam of bamboo, harvested from the rambla

I like having the tops left on the bamboo 🙂 This picture was taken a few days ago, when the peas were smaller.

It’s supposed to be easy to grow pineapple tops. So far, not much success, but they don’t take up much space.

I love basil, especially this pretty purple variety

The romanesco seems healthy, and is, thus far, the furthest on of the brassicas

If you look very closely, you can see tiny wallflower seedlings. I also have cuttings for a lavender hedge to edge the patch eventually. Lovely smells to mask the pig poo!

Tiny peppers are forming on the pepper tree

The palm is fruiting, but Minnow is intent on stripping it before we ever find out if the fruit is edible

I planted a couple of chard plants, to see if I can slip it past Geoff and Rosemary. I love it, but prefer the coloured stalk varieties for looks.

So there you have it – my little vegetable kingdom. It needs a thorough weeding, once my sense of balance will allow  (I suffer from Meniere’s disease, which has flared up a little this last week or two)  but otherwise, I am pretty smitten with it. I have to pinch myself from  time to time, when I putter about between the rows of greenery, enjoying the view of the hillsides opposite, listening to the busy buzzing if the bees in the pepper tree and the songs of the local bird population. I have so many reasons to be thankful!

PS. Here are a few plants that insisted I photograph them, although they are not in the veg patch: