This time of year Northam is dry dry dry. The only reason we have a green lawn

P1070632compis because it’s artificial turf. (Wonderful stuff in this climate!)

So this was a game of backyard cricket in December, and in the background on the left near the fence (behind Bethany) you can see a small green plant. This was the Green Monster hatching its plan for World Domination.

While the temperature soared into the forties day after day, and everything else was dying, this monster thrived.

And then the babies started to appear.

green monster 2

Now we have discovered that we have a ‘Bottle Gourd‘, popular in countries such as India for its health-giving properties. Almost completely tasteless, and sort of slimy, as a food it is apparently great in curries and other spicy dishes.

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This one is still edible size, and we have watched it grow more than 5 cms a day. The larger ones are prized because they have seeds, which we have discovered are very expensive to buy (such as on eBay – if you can find them at all).

So we are learning about how to make use of these … big long green things. The Monster itself continues to spread its tendrils in all directions – climbing across the shade cloth over the vege garden but pulling back when it touched the hot roof of the granny flat. The leaves are big and luscious green, and a bit hairy!