LOCAL garden enthusiast Mario Caligiuri certainly knows the ropes when it comes to growing traditional Italian vegetables on a big scale, especially when it comes to growing eggplants.

With over 50-year experience as a gardener, Mario continues to grow capsicum, tomatoes, chili, basil and of course his beloved eggplant, keeping his Italian culture alive here in Wangaratta.

However, his focus, love and passion is on his eggplants which are famous for their giant size that have an average weight just under 1kg (900gms).

“I have been gardening for a long time and have a passion for gardening by growing traditional fruit and vegetables that remind me of my homeland back in Italy,” Mr Caligiuri said.

“Living up to traditions is very important to me, more so my eggplants are where my real passion is.

“I prefer to grow my own fruit and vegetables not only to save money at the supermarket, but nothing beats the taste of home grown vegetables from your own backyard.

“My eggplants grow to a considerable size each year, which I enjoy cooking (frying).

"It, which I peel and slice the eggplant and add onion, potatoes and other vegetables to make a lovely meal.

“Despite current weather conditions, my garden thrives every year because it all comes down to overall care every day to ensure I’m getting the best out of my plants.

“I’m very excited to see plenty of eggplants growing with some already growing big in size and can’t wait to see how big these ones get.”

Italian eggplants look like smaller versions of globes, but tend to have thinner skin and much fewer seeds. Most Italian eggplants also have a slightly sweeter flavor and a more tender, silky texture than the globe variety.