🌱 Hand Pollinating Luffa: A Step-by-Step Guide 🌱 Ever wondered how to pollinate luffa when your garden is lacking pollinators? Luffa is an *amazing* zucchini substitute for hot tropical climates 🌞—it's more resistant to fungal issues and tastes great! Plus, this method works for melons, pumpkins, and cucumbers if you're struggling with fruit set. 🍈🎃🥒 Although luffas usually pollinate themselves pretty well, here's how to give them a little nudge: 1️⃣ Identify the Flowers - Male flowers: They’re on long, thin stems with no swelling behind the bloom. - Female flowers - Look for a small "baby luffa" at the base of the bloom. 2️⃣ Pick or Brush the Male Flower - Use a small paintbrush or gently remove a male flower to transfer pollen. 3️⃣ Pollinate the Female Flower - Dab the brush (or the male flower) directly onto the center of the female flower to transfer pollen. 4️⃣ Repeat as Needed - Morning is the best time when flowers are fresh and open! With a little effort, you'll have luffas thriving in no time—and they’re perfect for soups, stir-fries, or even grilling- think Weber BBQ, olive oil & garlic! 🍲🔥 Have you tried hand-pollinating your garden? Share your experiences below! 🌼👇 #UrbanFarming #GrowYourOwn #LuffaLove #HeirloomSeeds
🌞 What to Grow in Summer (Sub-Tropical Zone) 🌿Gardening in Australia’s sub-tropical summer is a rewarding adventure, with endless opportunities to grow delicious and vibrant produce. The warm weather is perfect for cultivating a variety of fruits and vegetables that thrive in the heat. 🍉 From the juicy sweetness of watermelon to the crisp crunch of cucumbers 🥒, your summer garden can be a feast for the senses. 🌽 Popular summer crops include tomatoes 🍅, capsicum 🫑, and sweet corn 🌽. These can be enjoyed fresh from the garden or transformed into mouthwatering seasonal dishes. Whether you're a seasoned green thumb or just starting out, summer in this region offers the ideal climate to grow an array of bountiful produce. 🌱 So, grab your tools, roll up your sleeves, and start planting your way to a fruitful summer garden! 🌻 Summer Vegetable, fruits and herbs to grow:Amaranth, Artichoke (Globe), Asparagus, Asparagus Pea, Basil, Beans (Climbing and bush), Beetroot, Burdock, Capsicum, Carrots, Celeriac, Celery, Chilli, Chives, Choko, Cucumber, Eggplant, Endive, Ginger, Leeks, Lettuce, Luffa, Malabar Greens, Okra, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radish, Rockmelon, Rosella, Salsify, Silverbeet, Squash, Sunflower, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Watermelon, zucchini #SubTropicalGardening #SummerHarvest #GrowYourOwn #FreshFromTheGarden #AussieGardeners 🌞
Absolutely adore these adorable little Brown Honeyeaters! 🐦💛🌿 #BrownHoneyeater #BirdLover #GardenWildlife #NatureLovers
🐝 Carpenter Bees: Nature's Buzz Pollinators 🥭🍆 In the garden, carpenter bees are more than just visitors – they’re essential workers! 💪🐝 Their unique ability to **buzz pollinate** makes them invaluable for fertilizing this season’s guava crops and other veggies. **What is Buzz Pollination?** Carpenter bees use their powerful flight muscles to vibrate flowers, shaking loose sticky pollen that other pollinators might miss. This technique is crucial for plants like: 🌸 **Guavas** 🌸 **Tomatoes** 🌸 **Eggplants** 🌸 **Chillies** **Why They're Valuable:** 1️⃣ **Increased Yield:** By ensuring thorough pollination, carpenter bees boost fruit and seed production. 2️⃣ **Hard-to-Reach Pollen:** Their buzz technique makes them indispensable for crops with tight or complex flowers. 3️⃣ **Biodiversity Champions:** These gentle giants support the overall health of our garden ecosystem. While their occasional drilling into wood may seem like a nuisance, carpenter bees are worth welcoming into your garden for their pollination prowess. 🐝💛 Consider planting **native flowering shrubs** or adding a simple bee house to encourage them to stick around. Have you spotted any buzzing carpenters in your garden lately? Let me know how they’re helping your crops thrive! 🌱✨ #CompanionPlantSeedCo #CarpenterBees #BuzzPollination #GuavaSeason #HeirloomGarden #UrbanFarming
Spotted a mature Tailed Emperor butterfly caterpillar in the garden this afternoon! 🌿🐛 With its vibrant green body, little horns, and unique markings, it's such a cool find! These caterpillars blend right in with the leaves as they munch away, supporting a healthy, thriving garden ecosystem. Can’t wait to see it transform into a beautiful butterfly! 🦋💚#TailedEmperor #ButterflyGarden #GardenEcosystem #WildlifeInTheGarden #NatureDiscovery #GardenLife #BackyardBiodiversity #Butterfly #CompanionPlantSeedCo #plantsforpollinators
A beautiful king parrot enjoyed a morning snack of his favorites—maturing sunflower seeds 🌻 and tomatoes 🍅—in our backyard today. We love growing a little extra each season to support the local wildlife ecosystem 🐦🌱. By planting more sunflowers, tomatoes, and other fruiting plants, we’re able to offer a natural food source for birds, insects, and other wildlife that visit our garden. It’s a simple way to create a sanctuary where wildlife and plants thrive together 💚🌿.#WildlifeGarden #BackyardEcosystem #GrowForNature #KingParrot #SustainableGardening #SunflowerSeason
Mulberry Heaven… what are you making with all your berry’s? #foodforest #springgarden #homegrown #urbanfarming #CompanionPlantSeedCo
🍅🌿Homemade Tomato Sauce Recipe🌿🍅
Today, I'm excited to share how I made delicious tomato sauce right from my backyard garden! Using fresh, homegrown cherry tomatoes from my Camp Joy plants, I created a rich and flavorful sauce that's perfect for pasta, pizzas, or dipping.
**Ingredients:**
- 3.6 kg whole cherry tomatoes (Camp Joy)
- 850 g white sugar
- 100 g salt
- 2.5 cups white vinegar
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 medium onions, chopped
Instructions:
1. Prepare the Tomatoes:**mWash and remove any stems from the cherry tomatoes. You can leave them whole as they will break down during cooking.
2. Cooking the Sauce:*m
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the cherry tomatoes and chopped onions.
- Stir in the white sugar, salt, white vinegar, and cayenne pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
3. Simmering:
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer uncovered. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking and prevent burning.
- Simmer for about 1-2 hours, or until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Stir more frequently as it thickens to prevent sticking.
4. Blending (Optional):
- For a smoother texture, you can use an immersion blender or transfer the sauce in batches to a blender. Be cautious with hot liquids.
5. Final Touches:
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. You can add more salt, sugar, or cayenne pepper according to your preference.
- Let the sauce cool completely before storing it in sterilized jars or bottles.
**Enjoy your homemade tomato sauce bursting with the flavors of your own garden! It's a satisfying way to preserve the goodness of tomatoes for year-round enjoyment. 🌞
🌼🐝 Today was a sweet moment in our garden! Our young one discovered a bee hard at work pollinating our vetch. Watching them get right into each flower, pollinating so diligently, was truly magical. It's these little moments that remind us of nature's beautiful dance and the importance of these tiny pollinators in our ecosystem. 🍃💚 #GardenJoys #NatureWonder #Pollinators #companionplantseedco
Hi everyone,I recently captured some yellow ladybug larvae in my garden, showcasing the incredible job they do at consuming mildew. 🌿🐞 These natural helpers thrive when we cultivate a healthy, balanced ecosystem without relying on synthetic sprays. 🌱✨ Nature truly steps in when we give it the chance! #OrganicGardening #EcoFriendly #NaturalPestControl #GardenHelpers #SustainableLiving #companionplantseedco #urbangardeninglife #heirloomseeds
