Firsts

Not much to report last week except I put up a shadecloth for the young seedlings to protect them from the harsh tropical sun. I couldn't risk them dying within the first few days of being planted in the middle bed. So I rigged up a temporary shelter using star pickets and a shadecloth we salvaged from a tip. The plants seemed happier in the semi-shade. The corn especially, recovered well after being quite droopy in the midday sun. I think I might be starting to learn a thing or two about caring for plants!

I guess I'll go into a few 'firsts' we've had in the garden....



Such as the first zucchini flower in the garden bed...

The first desert rose bloom...

The first pumpkin flower (male) from about 3 weeks ago....

The first (and hopefully last) unfertilised pumpkin...

The first 'rogue' sweet potato? We're not sure what it is yet... It just popped up in the most unlikely spot next to the slab of concrete beneath the clothesline.

Growing Mangosteen

MANGOSTEEN

New leaves have appeared on the ends of each branch of the mangosteen plant. I noticed this a couple of days ago, and give credit to the liquid fertiliser I fed the mangosteen about a week ago. Or perhaps the new leaves have appeared because it IS the 'Springtime' of the Northern Territory at the moment? I now know I should have put in garden beds months ago in preparation for this time of year, but not knowing how the seasons in the tropics work (or even how to really garden in general) I will better my knowledge for next season.

Back to the mangosteen however.. I have had it for about three years now. It was given to me by a friend as part of a joking bet. During a random, late-night conversation after work, we talked about herbs and plants. I bet that he would not be able to locate a mangosteen plant in Darwin. About a week later, he proved me wrong. My very generous friend had gone to a nursery (I know not which) and bought me a bunch of herbs (rosemary, basil, oregano, mint) as well as tomatoes (Roma and cherry) and topped it all with a never-before-seen mangosteen plant (to my eyes anyway).

I read in "Tropical Food Gardens" by Leonie Norrington that it may take 15-20 years for mangosteen to fruit! A bit disheartening, but I now know why they are so expensive to buy at supermarkets. On the outside, the fruit is a deep purplish/brown colour (think eggplant) and rounded (about the size of a medium tomato). The flesh inside comes in a succulent, creamy white parcel which you can eat piece by piece (think orange). It has a luscious, tangy flavour. Mmm.... Mangosteen. The last time I ate one was during a holiday in Vietnam about a year ago. Funny how I still remembered how it tasted from when I was a child, which would have been the time before last.

Talking of springtime, I also noticed one of the desert roses have just started to bud. Am looking forward to seeing its fuchsia coloured blooms! When I first received the plants, the leaves on both of the desert roses were facing upwards, in a horizontal position. Nowadays, I have noticed that the leaves on both plants have taken on a diagonal turn. It makes the plants look a bit lopsided, and I am not sure what to make of this at all.

TWO DAYS LATER....

'DIAGONAL' FACING LEAVES