Garden Harvests
Seed sowing began in September in our greenhouse but because of constant periods of rain for some weeks in September and October, planting in the garden was delayed.
First harvests began in November and since then we have picked 23 cauliflower, 4 broccoli, 20kg broad beans, 30 beetroot, 35 bunches of celery, 10 bunches of radishes, 8 capsicum, 20 bunches of spring onions, 20 NZ purple garlic bulbs, 5 large sunflowers, 10 bags of dwarf runner beans, 60 different coloured tomatoes, 65 dark-green zucchini, 210 short-green cucumbers, a continuous supply of silverbeet leaves, lettuces and 30-40kg of large juicy marahau (cross between raspberry, blackberry & loganberry) and strawberries.
Many veges have been provided to the park animals, the café and we have even sold cheap produce to the staff and to the public in the café. Produce sold and still for sale include cucumbers, zucchini, beans, celery, spring onions and strawberries. To date we have made a considerable amount of money but there is still a lot more to be harvested. Vegetables still to be harvested include many-coloured tomatoes and capsicums, red and yellow and green silverbeet, green and purple cabbage, purple cauliflower, broccoli, baby carrots, cylindrica beetroot, leeks, pumpkin, watermelon, corn, potatoes including Maori, strawberries, boysenberries, blackberries, pink raspberries, lemons, lettuces, celery and sunflower seeds. The grape vines planted last season have put on a lot of growth and should be producing fruit next summer.