My progress in turning an unworked patch of the garden it into an organic mini-farm. Encounters with bugs, typhoons etc.
Being somewhat constrained in the middle of a city, the garden offers a decent start on the road to being self-sufficient. Whilst I’m no expert on gardening, I’m keen as mustard. Over the past few years, trying to grow a variety of vegetables without the use of chemical feeds, sprays, and potions.
Some herbs and rogue grasses at the start of last month
I’ve hardly watered the garden this year. The summer has been very dry and very hot. It looks set to be long too. This year’s summer vegetables have finished. All that seems to be doing well are the weeds. What herbs that go to seed have done so leaving little worth checking upon except pumpkins. I should have done a lot more. It is remarkable just how quickly things go awry.
アイコ (aiko) tomatoes
This year by far, has been the best for tomatoes. They were looking good before, since then, quite perfect. Only about six feet away, the father-in-law’s specially fed vines have started to shrivel. One in the corner began to yellow, soon after the rest like dominoes. Hopefully, there is enough space between each other’s and not too much flying back and forth. 
The plan has always been to grow a variety of tomatoes, with the expectation that some will be a bit hit and miss. I think the yellow cherry tomatoes boast the best flavour with the yellow aiko down at the other end. Continue reading
Kabocha sitting on garlic necks
Amongst the sea of grasses a couple of kabocha have plumped up nicely. They look to be somewhere in the expected 500 g to 800 g range. Not sure when will be the best time to harvest them. The skin should be darker anyway.
Tomatoes are good. Following a deluge the larger ones tend to burst before the crowns have had chance to turn red. However, this year, the fruit have ripened fully and been picked before any such calamity. Not so many made the kitchen. 
Not for the pot?
There has been quite a lot of rain fall recently. Weeds are running rampant despite weekly culls. The odd day of sunshine offers a chance make things a little more orderly.
Quite mushroomy
Several mushrooms have popped up. It would be nice to know what they are. No doubt they are common; somebody will know. The second has a strong mushroomy smell and appears to be more Agaricus than Amanita.
Biwa
Known as Japanese medlar or loquat, biwa are a member of the rose family. Pictured are some slightly under ripened, ideal for jam or chutney; and some perfect for eating once they have been peeled. They can be used to flavour shōchū, much like umeshu or sloe gin. In addition, the leaves can be used to make tea (biwa cha):
There’s also a biwa pale ale brewed down in Kagoshima.
Garden somewhat weeded
The rainy season reached Kagoshima on Friday. Rain reached here yesterday. Strangely, today is hot and cloudless. With work starting late in the day, there wasn’t reason to skimp the blossoming garden chores. June is especially punishing if the weeds are untamed. Firstly, the month grants ideal conditions for them to run rampant. Second, it is generally an unpleasant time to exert oneself outside; hot and humid with purposeful mosquitoes on the prowl. Continue reading
Short straight scape, rather than the usual snaky scape.
Early last week I harvested the garlic scapes. I wanted to get them earlier, as last year they were a little tough. The Elephant garlic tends to produce a long upright stem, whereas the rest curls once or twice. Chopped up, they go very nicely with a little sliced pork.
Japan Australia: I hear that it has been an extremely hot and dry summer this year in Japan and more extreme than ...Japan Australia: Thanks for the recipe. I have never tried making ice-cream before. How much do ice cream makers usually cost? 
~fer: Hello my name is Fernando
I am a fellow gardener from japan.
I want to meet other people who share my passion ...
Gardening Guru: These are so delicious... I think the frozen corn won't be as tasty as that which has been freshly picked. 
phil: i've also been looking for some rhubarb to grow. almost all seed companies sell starts, not seeds. besides the ...