18. Watching the growth

One of my favourite aspects of gardening is planting seeds and watching them grow (more on that next post). My other favourite thing is watching how the fruit forms. I'm avidly watching the aubegine grow. It's the coolest sight! First a beautiful, strong purple flower, larger than the delicate tomato and pepper flowers. Then the flower closes itself up. Our first aubergine flower was filled with ants and I gently opened it up and quirted water inside in the hope they might flee. Ha! How foolish to think a bit of water would deter these tiny, yet powerful animals. Seems the aubegine didn't mind and and is slowly developing inside the flower and now, oh the excitement, the auberine is popping out of the flower casing. 



The pardon peppe behaves slightly differently. The flower forms then withers and then comes the tiniest of peppers. I'm told that these peppers can be picked when they are 2cm but I'm going to leave this first one to see what happens. 

The potatoes seemed to be doing very well at first but now, the 3 that I have mounded up are looking a little poorly. I could be the instense sun so I put shade netting up. It could be the clay type soil I used to mound them up. It could be lack of water. So many variables! The unmounded potato seems to be doing better with greener and healthier looking leaves. 





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