View from ground up...

Herbs are aromatic, herbs are delicious and they are also good for you! Stick a twig of rosemary into a pasta sauce or a roast...yum! Throw in a thyme branch into your stew; Basil - the God of herbs, makes excellent Pesto and a fragrant garnish; Parsley - For that "continental aroma" and a great herb for Arabic cuisine

Lavender flowers - natural perfume!

Herbs in pots!

Tomatoes are vital, tomatoes are versatile and mostly form the hidden magic potion in a dish! I am trying out a few seeds my husband brought back from Dubai. Italian Tomatoes, coloured Peppers (capsicum) and a "sweet" succulent chilli, which is great for grilling and making chutney and sauce.

Trying out "imported seeds"

Salad leaves are my favourite and especially when fresh, their colour and juices remain intact. A quick dash of olive oil and squirt of lime or over a pizza or in pasta - rocca is a leaf I use the most. Influenced by my stay in the Middle East, rocca makes a salad staple and the rocca pesto is full of flavour and oomph! Curly leaf lettuce and Romaine lettuce are perfect add ons and tick the "green portion" for the meal. Cabbage and Cauliflower although need a cooler climate, I am hoping the monsoon (which is playing hide and seek) rains will take care of temperatures. The Black Beauty Brinjal is a delight - in traditional bharta or Greek delight of a moussaka or a muttabal. 

Seed to seedling

I also sowed onion seeds so I can have my seedlings all ready in time for planting in early July. This year round the rain Gods are dictating not to mention the delay in installing porous pipe drip irrigation. But in the end it will all sort itself out! Will keep you posted.