Jackie French: My 2021 new year gardening resolutions | The Canberra Times

1. I firmly promise that this year I will not plant any more fruit trees (except the ones sitting in pots by the front door);

2. I will definitely plant the fruit trees by the front door at some time in the near future, possibly even next week, or earlier if anyone else trips over them;

3. I will respect the family’s right to a clear area for backyard sport and not plant any tree, fruiting or not, on the paddock where they play cricket, frisbees, toy helicopters and family football;

4. I will pick the zucchinis every single day, and agree that the chooks will eat them even if we don’t. Our household hens now include the two new arrivals who hatched at Christmas. Cherry is brown and fluffy and Santa is black and fluffy;

5. I will not make any more zucchini pickles during the whole of 2021, but might possibly make more zucchini fruit slice, if asked nicely;

6. Next spring I will only plant three zucchini plants. I really mean it this time;

7. I will stop fantasying that I am going to ever have a front garden full of annual flowers again, and enjoy the roses, camellias, banksia, grevilleas, umpteen bulb species and other flowering plants we have already;

8. I may however plant a couple more proteas to replace the ones lost in the drought, but only with the full knowledge and agreement of my husband;

9. I will much everything in the garden as soon as it reaches 20 cm high, except the wombats and Gnome Chomsky;

10. I will water weekly, even if the forecast promises ‘showers about the ranges’;

11. Every time I overwater the indoor plants I will wipe up the overflow at once instead of hoping it will dry up before anybody notices. They always notice;

12. I may browse the January and February season autumn and winter bulb and plant catalogues, but will not buy any more bulbs (probably);

13. At least half the ripe strawberries will henceforth be brought into the house instead of being scoffed in the vegie garden;

14. I will put the garden tools away even if I am ‘just going inside to answer a few emails’;

15. I really will weed the melons …

16. …. and transplant the gladioli taking over the asparagus and rhubarb….

17. … and stake the young blueberries before they get lost among said gladioli…

18. … and plant the 104 apricot seeds chilling in the fridge (a luscious old early variety no longer found commercially) …

19. … and pick the runner beans before they become giants, only good for drying the seeds for winter beans soup …

20 … and actually sort out my seed collection, instead of shoving packets of new seeds onto ‘parsnips: best planted before 2002’ … next week, or possibly the week after.

But not today, or even tomorrow. This week the garden will have no weeding, no feeding, and no watering. If it doesn’t rain the garden can do without for a while.

Instead I am going to spend a week enjoying a sky with no smoke, a bubbling creek and kids laughing as they pick the fattest native limes, the Earliblaze apples, cucumbers and tomatoes, Christmas lilies and roses, and just possibly sweet corn, too.

• Heading to the nearest farmers market, or deciding which acquaintance has the most productive vegetable garden, and just happen to drop in at lunch time for a taste test;
• Tasting new season garlic, still mild and incredibly sweet when roasted whole, with the soft cloves spread on freshly buttered toast;
• Mixing sun warm tomatoes, roughly chopped with a little olive oil, a few drops of balsamic vinegar and lots of torn basil leaves;
• Trying new potatoes, ‘bandicooted’ by wriggling your hand in the soil and pulling out the tubers forming under the plant;
• Tasting white peaches, the red flushed kind that bruise if you blink at them and don’t keep in cold storage. Eat outside, so the drips don’t make a mess, or puree to add to champagne for a Bellini;
• Tasting buttercrunch lettuce – small and sweet and just the right size for one person;
• Picking strawberries, raspberries, sweet corn that tastes of the sun (not plastic wrapping), and every other good thing being harvested now in a gloriously green Canberra region.

1 and a half teaspoons baking powder

half cup chopped sultanas

2 cups grated raw zucchini

Cream butter and sugar; add eggs; mix in other ingredients.

Spread onto a greased and floured or non-stick tray; bake at 200c for 30 minutes or till pale brown on top and firm when you press it.

Cool a little before turning out of the tray.

Cut into slices with a sharp knife while still warm, to help prevent crumbling.