We actually started our gardening in May by planting tomatoes, eggplant—also called brinjal—green chilies, zucchini, spring onions, and purple beans. Along with those, we planted herbs like basil, mint leaves, Indian oregano, rosemary, coriander leaves, and fenugreek leaves. By July, we could see them slowly growing despite the difficult weather conditions. The growth was really, really slow, but zucchini was doing well from the beginning.

Zucchini was definitely a star in my garden. It grows really fast, and you can harvest plenty from just a single plant. Normally, I hand-pollinate to increase the yield, but this year I didn’t need to—because we had lots of bee friends doing their job perfectly. 🐝 Thanks to them, the zucchini plants produced so well! I usually pick them when they’re medium-sized and tender. They grow so quickly—sometimes just one day is enough for them to double in size. When I came back from a one-week vacation, I found a humongous zucchini! Normally, oversized ones lose their tenderness and get filled with seeds, but luckily, this one wasn’t too bad considering its size.

From the kitchen, I sprinkled some fenugreek seeds on the soil, and within a week, beautiful green leaves started growing. Fenugreek leaves are really good for health, but you need to harvest them before the plant flowers. By nature, they have a slightly bitter taste, and once they flower, the bitterness increases.

I just harvested my first batch of fenugreek leaves! I washed them thoroughly since they had quite a bit of soil. These leaves are so versatile—you can make curry, pakoras, methi parathas, and so many other dishes.

My dianthus also started flowering this year. It’s a perennial plant, which means it comes back year after year with beautiful blooms.

Basil was another herb that grew really well this season. I harvested the leaves while they were still lighter in color—that’s when they taste sweet and perfect, before the plant starts flowering. I used the fresh basil to prepare pesto, which comes in handy for many recipes. I also harvested mint leaves—they were so fresh and aromatic, perfect for making chutney. From my Indian oregano plant, I made tea and even added it to pakoras for extra flavor. Rosemary was another favorite—I used it in pasta and a variety of western dishes.

So that’s a little glimpse into my garden and this year’s harvest. It wasn’t an easy season with the tough weather, but I’m still happy with what I was able to grow. Let’s get started and take a closer look!"** 🌿🌸🥒🐝🍃

Next, let’s move on to my green chili plant. It grew a little slower than expected, but still gave me a good yield this year. Surprisingly, they weren’t spicy at all.

This year, I also planted two varieties of tomatoes—beefsteak tomatoes and Roma tomatoes. We had a good harvest, but the main problem was squirrels! They would bite almost all the tomatoes, and even managed to get to some of the green chilies and zucchinis. Protecting the plants from them wasn’t easy, but somehow I managed.

Now, you might be wondering why I harvest my tomatoes when they’re still raw. The reason is, even after growing big, they just weren’t ripening on the plant. We waited for quite some time, but from my gardening experience in Canada, I know it doesn’t happen that quickly. So, I usually follow two different methods to ripen them. The first is keeping the tomatoes in a big bowl or vessel and covering it tightly with a cloth. The second is tying them in a cloth and waiting a few days. Both methods work really well.

Lastly, let’s talk about my purple beans. I actually got the seeds from a friend, and last year I harvested a huge batch. I saved some seeds and planted them again this year. Purple beans grow quickly and give a very good yield. They look so beautiful in purple, but once cooked, they turn green. The taste is amazing—you can use them in sambar, stir-fry, curry, kurma, and so many dishes. By around two months, they reach their peak. Honestly, they grow so fast—one day they’ll look tiny, and by the next, they’re ready to harvest!

This year, I also propagated jade plants in two different pots. Towards the end of September, as the cold weather sets in, most of the yields start to diminish. Right now though, the purple beans are ready to harvest. I chopped a few and froze them for later use.

That’s all for today’s gardening update! I hope you enjoyed this video. Please don’t forget to hit the like button and subscribe to my channel for more gardening stories, interesting recipes, and travel videos. See you next time!"** 🌱🍅🌶️🌿