Come on a virtual walk with me through my subtropical garden.  Summer has just begun so there is a big shift from the mediterranean vegetables that need dry heat, to the more humid tropical plants. The garden is just bursting with abundance, and summer has only just started.

These plants all form part of an intricate web of relationships which is my permaculture garden. There are many many more plants, and I plan to introduce these over time.

I love this time of year – everything just grows and grows. At this point, I become the abundance manager – working out how to manage the rapid expansion of all the plants. This is the best time to gather lots of materials for chop and drop, mulch and compost making.

Self-Seeding cosmos adds delightful colour

Creeping cucumbers

Red hibiscus spinach – edible leaves

Perennial spinach going to seed

Lettuce seeding – I will let it go out into the soil to come up by itself.

Lemon Myrtle Flower – what a sweet scent!

A great discovery of chillies hiding in the shade up near the bananas.

Turmeric, pumpkin,  comfrey, taro, yakon and banana are all doing wonderfully in this food forest terrace

You have got to try these grumachammas – they are so delicious. I don’t care now that I can’t grow cherries.

The spider lilies are out and help to guide us down the path at night.

The Buddha’s Hand (Citrus media) are forming their wonderfully individual fruits – each one is unique.

Bushtucker, midyim berry, is flowering – looking forward to the little eucalytus flavoured fruits.

The ice-cream bean tree is HUGE – and there are flowers all over it attracting a vast quantity of bees.

Hooray – olives, finally!

The Brazilian Spinach is looking shiny and lush again – it thrives in this weather.

Exquisite swirls of newly forming frangipani flowers

The cassava is growing well. It should be a good crop this year.

The chickens form a central part of our permaculture system and are located in the heart.

New limes forming – I love limes.

Coriander seeds are gradually forming and drying. It’s wonderful to be able to grow my own spices.