The Vegetable garden

There is a large vegetable garden at the property measuring 7.5 x 14.5 m. This is surrounded by open fencing with a dessert grape vine trailing along it. The southern wooden fence is an deal place for sun-loving plants, and at various times we have had Tamarillo (tree tomato), and kiwifruit there. A selection of photos are below.
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It is interesting to take photos of the vegetable garden from the belvedere throughout the growing season. This photo is early December and plants are still quite small. Enlarge

A tunnel house has been put into the garden for strawberries and propagating plants on trays Enlarge

The garden at an early stage of the growing season taken from the tunnel house. Enlarge

The strawberries in the tunnel house run rampant every year and produce abundant fruit so long as they are watered regularly. Enlarge

Planting out the tomatoes after germination in pots each year. Small plants need protection from weka birds which are inclined to pull them out while looking for worms. The kiwi fruit vines upper left have been removed to make way for new plants. Enlarge

Ngakuta Bay has a very warm summer climate for this far south making it possible to grow a range of tropical plants, including ginger, turmeric, banana, and in this case taro (Colocasia esculenta) from the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. Enlarge

Here are two varieties of banana flourishing in the garden. The one on the right is present in several gardens around Ngakuta Bay, mainly for the leaves as only tiny fruit are produced. Enlarge

The larger of the two bananas in the garden again produces only small fruit and is probably the fehi banana Musa troglodytarum, a variety that is cooked while still green. Enlarge

The garden is always very productive and we freeze excess fruit and vegetables for the winter. Here are several varieties of tomato from a single picking. Enlarge

This is one of the varieties of radish that we usually grow, well named as 'Gentle Giant'. Although it is a large size it is solid throughout and not too strong in flavour. Enlarge

The garden is always very productive of beans, especially Scarlet Runners, shown here. Enlarge

Butter beans are another great favourite, and also French Green Beans. Enlarge

Around the property there are some fruit trees, mainly plums, but there is one apple tree, Fuji variety, shown here. Enlarge

There are five plum trees on the property These produce fruit during various stages of the summer. Duff's Early Jewel always has a mass of ripe plums for Xmas and is a great favourite with small children. This is followed a little later by Greengage and Coes Golden Drop. Later in the summer Black Doris ripens. The final plum to ripen is Omega, shown in this photo. This can be frozen whole as a dessert plum for use in winter. Enlarge