First Cucumbers

Cucumis sativus, Cucumber

A week ago I checked my cucumber vine and the fruit were only finger size and then we had some rain and they suddenly matured overnight. In the heat of summer you almost have to check then daily as they have the habit of turning into zeppelins very quickly. Cucumbers are one of the easiest vegetables to grow and take up very little space. They have few insect or disease pests and spraying them is never necessary. During the very humid days of summer they are prone to mildew on the leaves but by then the bush has ceased to be very productive.
Cucumbers have been cultivated for over 3000 years and are originally thought to have come from the southern foothills of the Himalayas in India. Worldwide they are used in salads, cold soups, in pickles and even in hot dishes. I like to make the Greek sauce/dip Tzatziki which combines cucumber with yogurt, mint ,garlic and lemon juice. This is very similar to the Indian Raita which has identical ingredients but cumin is added for a touch of spice.This dish makes a cooling accompaniment to curries.
The Turkish Cacik is a yogurt cucumber soup using the herb dill as well as walnuts, garlic and olive oil for flavouring. The other cold soup of note using cucumber is Gazpacho Andaluz ,the chilled vegetable soup of Spain .For this I can't resist adding lots of Tabasco sauce after it is served.
There are also many salads in which cucumber is used as a base. The Chinese Liang Pan Huang Kua combines it with ginger, rice wine vinegar, soy and sesame oil to make a side dish. Burmese cucumber salad called Thankat, calls for it to be cooked until translucent and then combined with turmeric, sesame seeds,  chilli and vinegar. A variation on this adds pieces of Citron peel to the end result.
I have never tried cooking cucumber but various recipes appear in Caribbean and German cook books where it is used in this way.. The German Gefullte Gurken has them stuffed with cold meats and anchovy fillets and then simmered in stock. The Germans are masters of the pickled cucumber and the list of ingredients usually combines white wine vinegar, horseradish, bay leaves, tarragon and nutmeg.
So from this first harvest ,I am thinking of making the Egyptian Michotetta, a cream cheese and cucumber salad. The soft creamy Persian Fetta cheese is perfect for this. The sliced cucumber is combined with red onion, lemon juice , olive oil and salt /pepper for a simple combination of flavours.

Hippy Chic

Hippeastrum vittatum Red Cultivar

These brilliant flowers appear from August to November and it is impossible not to notice them when you drive past a garden with a good display. The big fat bulbs can be planted from January to April with their nose just sniffing the air. They like a rich well composted soil in full sun but are adaptable to a semi shaded spot . They make excellent container plants and can be brought indoors while in flower. Mail order bulb firms offer a good selection of cultivars from pure white to scarlet, and crimson with striped flowers as well.

Sarcochilis Orchids

Sarcochilis species Orchids

These Orchids are native to the warm east coast regions of Australia, the name Sacrochilis is from the Greek sarx = lip and cheilos = lip.

Rocket Man

Eruca sativa, Rocket / Arugula
Diplotaxis tennifolia, Perennial Wild Rocket

The season for the annual Rocket is coming to an end as masses of the windmill shaped flowers are towering above everything in the vegetable patch. I don't try to grow it during the summer as the flavour is too hot and can be a bit bitter. I let the seeds dry on the bush and scatter them about. Young plants usually appear after autumn rains. The large leaves of this type are great added to cooked pasta and go well in a salad with spek bacon and goats cheese. In India and Pakistan it is grown as a commercial oilseed crop. Rocket oil or jamba oil is obtained from the seeds which contain about 30% oil.
The perennial wild Rocket is a much better plant for using as a leafy salad green, in say a mesclun mix of leaves. The leaves are smaller and are produced in great abundance. Yellow flowers on tall stems occur during the warm months and these can be just cut off if you don't want the plant coming up everywhere. It is really a very tough plant and is not particular as to soil . It just needs some regular water to keep the leaves sweet.

French Tarragon little dragon

French Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) kitchen window herb

Tarragon is one herb I can't live without. Being a herbaceous perennial plant it disappears underground during the cold months and makes a welcome return at this time of year. One could almost call it seasonal, as the dried herb is no substitute. Most of the unique quality of its flavour escapes when it is dried, though freezing some in late summer is a way to keep a supply going. In history it was called the ;dragon herb', herbe au dragon, because of its supposed ability to combat venomous stings in a time when a botanical aspect of a plant held some medical association. The roots were thought to resemble a serpent coiled to strike. The botanical species name dracunculus is derived from the Greek drakontion meaning adderwort.

The name tarragon may have come from the Arabic word tarkhum also meaning dragon as it was described as such in the13th Century by Arabian botanist Iban Baither.
When it comes to using tarragon in cooking it is important to remember the term 'less is more' as one leaf if often sufficient to impart a subtle flavour to a dish. It is too individual to do its best when subdued to the qualities of other herbs, though it is combined to form the quartet of fine herbes in french cooking to make the perfect omelette. The other three being chervil, chives and parsley. Tarragon lends 'glitter' to many recipes and is often associated with haute cuisine ,though it works its magic on simple dishes such as a roast chicken, mushrooms fried in butter or a tomato pizza where it substituted for basil . Avoid recipes which have it being used by the handful such a one I read recently where it was used instead of basil to make a pesto. This would have enough of a kick to anaesthetize the tongue.It is indispensable in making sauces ;a tartare sauce for fish; a sauce vinaigrette for an asparagus salad,a bearnaise or even a simple white roux. Tarragon imparts a subtle flavour to the velvety richness of sweetbreads cooked in a plain roux.
French Tarragon does not set seed and must be propagated by division.  It is readily available at most Nurseries and Garden Centres during the warm months.

Echium fastuosum, Pride of Madeira

Echium fastuosum 
 Pride of Madeira

This sprawling 2 metre shrub is native to the Canary Islands and the usual flower colour is a deep cobalt blue, but shown here is a dusty pink flowered form which is equally attractive. The tall flower panicles are much loved by bees and its close relative Echium vulgare is a honey producing favourite in South Australia. (Echium vulgare is more likely to be known under the names Salvation Jane or Paterson's Curse.) To grow Pride of Madeira you need a spot which has gravelly well drained soil which is not too richly fertile . Given well fertilized soil and too much water ,this plant can grow too quickly and may collapse from a weak shallow root system during the first strong winds.
 It has adapted to a dry climate where the root system goes deep looking for water, thus making the whole plant more stable. For general maintenance, the flower heads are best removed once they have finished so that a more compact shape can be maintained. The foliage which is silvery grey and slightly hairy may irritate the skin so it is advisable to wear long sleeves when pruning. It is worth looking out for the cultivar 'Cobalt Tower' which has huge flower spikes and the ruby flowered species E wildpretii 'Tower of Jewels'. Diggers Nursery in Victoria usually has these more unusual forms . Local nurseryman Geoff Duxfield from the Southern Highlands of New South Wales also has a selection with powder blue flowers which he has called 'Duxfield Blue'.
2017 update: I have no pink and only limited supply of blue.

Arisaema sikokianum

Arisaema sikokianum (back view) Cobra Lily
Arisaema sikokianum

This Aroid bulb is quite unusual and is in flower now. It is from southern Japan and was named after the Island of Shikoku where it is now considered a threatened species. Bulbs such as this one are usually available from specialist nurseries usually by mail order. They like a semi shaded position under trees where the soil may contain a generous amount of leaf mould.
2017 update: I have no plants of this available.