Design By Nature

I have written about pattern and texture in nature before on this blog, in 'Try A Little Touchy Feely' back in June, which remains by far my most read blog - I'm sure it's the title that intrigues people; maybe they were expecting something a little more than photos of tree trunks, clouds and rocks.
Anyway, I couldn't resist sharing the wonderful pattern of the inside leaves of a red cabbage I cut today.

Usually, by this stage of the year, there are no cabbages, broccoli etc in the garden because they are annihilated by the cabbage moths if I plant them at the traditionally recommended time. My strategy for many years has been to wait until most of these pests have disappeared before planting any brassicas, usually in April - May. By the time the pests return in October - early November I have harvested most of the crop. This year, though, the red cabbages are very slow to mature and some went straight to seed. The outside leaves of the remaining cabbages are very holey (thanks, cabbage moths), so when I harvested this one I was anxious to see if the damage extended to the inside. As you can see, the inside is undamaged and stunning, a perfect illustration of nature's artistry.

I always choose red cabbages instead of green ones because I like to create pleasing patterns in the vegie garden whenever I can and the gorgeous colour of these at every stage of growth can be just as pretty as a flower bed. (The reds also taste better than the greens and don't give me a gassy tummy.)The photo below shows how the bed looked soon after planting, with its pattern of red cabbages and baby beets. In hindsight, I see that the seedlings were planted too close together for all of them to develop, hence the cabbages that went to seed. They did make a pretty picture though, and that's part of the fun of gardening.