Already a Year of Lessons, Losses, and Small Wins

So far, 2026 has delivered its fair share of highs and lows. The weather, unfortunately, has not been on my side. Prolonged high temperatures, strong winds, and a serious lack of rain have made gardening more challenging than I would like.

My raspberry patch, which was looking absolutely spectacular and promised a bumper crop, was one of the hardest hit. The combination of heat and wind scorched the plants until they were quite literally burnt to a crisp. After a bit of denial and a lot of wishful thinking, I finally accepted that the best option was to prune everything right back to ground level. While it was heart breaking to do, preserving the roots now will give future crops the best chance of recovery. Sadly, this means no home-grown raspberries for white chocolate muffins or smoothie additions in 2026.

Thankfully, not everything succumbed to the harsh conditions. The Logan Berry and Finger Lime trees have proven to be far more resilient, and I’m hopeful that I’ll still enjoy a small harvest from both.

On a much brighter note, the sauerkraut I started back in late December was finally ready to unveil — and it was met with raving reviews. With plenty of cabbages still growing happily in the garden, I’ll be starting another batch very soon.

The warmer weather has certainly encouraged other crops. Zucchinis and tomatoes are now producing abundantly, which means preserving season is well and truly underway. The zucchinis are been grated and frozen for use throughout the year, and I’ve bottled my first batches of salsa and passata. I’m often asked for my passata recipe, but the truth is I don’t follow exact measurements. Instead, I cook by feel and what I have available. I have, however, put together a simple recipe outlining the ingredients I use and the process I follow for anyone keen to give it a go.

My garlic that is still sitting on my drying racks is my next priority to get this all processed and preserved. As I have plenty of dried garlic powder, this crop will be turned into minced garlic pods as I will use the last of my 2025 batch in my passata. More to come on this process.

My sourdough journey continues to be one of trial, error, and learning. There have been some great successes — and a few loaves that were far from showstoppers. Through plenty of research and experience, I’ve learnt a few key lessons: don’t stress, be patient (something I’m still working on), and remember that sourdough starter is incredibly resilient. Even when a loaf doesn’t look perfect, it usually still tastes good. And when it really doesn’t go to plan, it makes excellent croutons — I now have a small stash frozen and ready for winter soups.

Out in the orchard, things are looking very positive. We’re enjoying an abundance of fruit, including fresh apples from an early-maturing heritage variety I planted around 25 years ago — unfortunately, the name has long since been forgotten. Still, the flavour more than makes up for the mystery.

Despite being in the middle of summer, my thoughts are already turning toward winter vegetables. Now is the time to start planting winter seeds if you have access to a small hothouse or protected area. Otherwise, you can wait another month and plant seedlings directly into the garden. Either way, they’ll need to be kept moist and well protected from the ever-persistent cabbage butterfly.

As always, the garden keeps teaching me patience, adaptability, and gratitude — even when things don’t quite go to plan. 🌱