Think of it as going to back to basics: sourcing your kitchen ingredients from your garden. Whilst this seems to be a growing trend all over the world, in many parts of Australia and Oz, it has long been the way of life of folks with big properties. When you have great weather and a large outdoor space, it’s hard not to constantly think about how you can get functional mileage from it. And what better way to get more use out of your outdoor space than to turn it into one of your home’s source of “sustenance?”
For an edible garden, one of the keys to a successful harvest is carefully selecting the fruits and vegetables to plant. You need to know what will thrive well in your area based on quality of soil and your climate. Likewise, it will help a lot to know more about seasonal fruits and vegetables. This way, you can have fresh picks throughout the year.
Here’s a seasonal fruit and vegetable guide for year-round planting success for your edible garden.
Winter
In the winter, the following are what you can expect to harvest:
Fruits – apple (except in Sydney), blood orange, cumquat, custard apple, grapefruit, kiwi, lemon, lime, mandarins, nashi, navel orange, persimmons, pears, pineapple, quince, rhubarb and tangelo.
Vegetables – Asian greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, fennel, horseradish, kale, leek, okra, onion, olives, peas, potato, pumpkin, spinach and turnip.
Spring
This season yields:
Fruits – most tropical and citrus fruits, cherry (only in Sydney though), and rhubarb.
Vegetable – artichoke, asparagus, avocado, beans, broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, lettuce, peas, potato, silverbeet, snow peas, spinach and sugar snap peas.
Summer
When it comes to harvest, summer yields the most for fruits especially in Brisbane, Melbourne and Tasmania.
Fruits – tropical and citrus fruits, blueberries, boysenberries, currant, gooseberry, guava, loganberry, mulberry, and tamarillo.
Vegetables – similar to the yield of spring.
Autumn
This season is an abundant time especially in Brisbane and the following are harvested in the midst of autumn:
Fruits – apples (both green and red), avocados, blueberries, coconuts, custard apple, dates, dragon fruit, figs, grapefruit, kiwi, lemon, lime, mandarins, passion fruit, strawberries, and a vast variety of tropical fruits.
Vegetables – most winter vegetables, plus capsicum, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, borlotti beans and mushrooms.
Year-round harvest
There are fruits and vegetables that thrive throughout the year especially in certain regions. Among them are bananas, grapefruit (in Melbourne), red and green apple (in Brisbane), avocados (also in Brisbane), and carambola (in Brisbane).
Have an outdoor party coming up? There are many garden party ideas and tasks that you can undertake to get your backyard party ready! Learning about backyard party ideas can be fun for getting you in the space to entertain. We hope this list gives you plenty of inspiration to host a garden party to […]
Recently, there have been many bushfires across the country. The soaring temperatures and lack of rain aren’t helping the situation, and many brave firefighters are battling the flames, trying to get them under control. It can be a scary time, particularly if you live close to where a fire is burning, or have loved ones […]
Excessive foot traffic. Too much shade. Dog urine. All these (and more) can damage a lawn, making it look less than stellar. Here’s a brief look at some of the most common types of lawn damage as well as solutions for these problems. Dry patches Dry patches are fairly common on properties in Western Australia […]
Spring Lawn Care: Steps to Prepare Your Lawn for Warmer Months The warmer days of spring tend to signal growth for grass that may have been lying a little more dormant during the winter months. As such, you might be finding your grass needs extra attention in the spring. This growth will only continue into […]