To think I expressed such joy at having a wet spring awhile back. Little did I know that the rain simply wouldn’t stop! I had put a lot of effort into keeping my veggie garden going seeing everything was growing so well, but enough is enough. The zucchinis have well and truly collapsed into a heap as well as half the capsicums; and the eggplants aren’t looking that good either. To add insult to injury the weeds are growing at a phenomenal rate ready to take over the entire garden. This weather is enough to make the most dedicated gardener want to give up.
But wait. When I wander down into my tropical vegetable gardens I see an entirely different story. These vegetables are growing like giants waiting to be harvested before they overwhelm the entire garden with their massive leaves. With all this rain they have absolutely thrived and show no signs of slowing down. These gardens are like a tropical rain forest where the footpaths have to be carefully negotiated due to the rampant growth of the sweet potatoes. I know from experience that there will always be food to eat from these gardens whether it is in the wet or in drought. These plants are deep rooted and are mostly water wise, can obviously handle a big wet and give generously of their productivity.
Tropical vegetables are well loved by indigenous people of the Pacific region as well as South East Asia and Papua and New Guinea. They consist mostly of starchy tubers, leafy greens, beans, gourds and fruit.
