A few haricot (navy) bush beans survived the snail/slug onslaught when they germinated, so we added some very late snow peas, which are now beginning their climb up the corn. Considering it's the middle of summer, the snow peas are doing admirably in the shade of the corn.

All the initial pumpkin seeds failed to germinate, so some alternate varieties were sown in late December. We doubt they'll produce mature fruit before our first frost in April/May, but our fingers are crossed. There are currently 3 small plants beginning to get their first true leaves.

The raised straw bed garden (Tomatoes and Tomatillos):

The 26 heirloom tomato varieties are loaded with fruit and beginning to ripen. They love the straw bales.

The 4 tomatillo plants are much smaller than last year's plants (grown in our sandy soil). They really don't seem to enjoy the straw bales so much.

Although the area is meant to have a thorough covering of white clover, there's still a fair amount of grass and a few weeds (poor time-management on our part), but the white clover is in there, and we'll continue to pull weeds and remove rival grasses during Ng summer and autumn.

Once the wheat has germinated and reached 6" in height, the net will be removed.

More updates will follow,if this first stage is a success.

Stage 4 will be the installation of drip lines; Stage 5 will be mulching, to keep the soil cool and inhibit grass growth near the vines, and we will also add some chook manure fertiliser at the same time.

Then we cross our fingers and irrigate, as needed, when we get to summer.