Sweetpea's Garden

6 months

2012-01-27T11:57:00.001+11:00

6 months and my life will be back..after 3 years otherwise occupied.
Uni starts at the end of Feb and it is going to be a 1000 mile an hour ride ...for 5 months ... and then I'm done .
Looking forward to this change backward with a intense yearning .
Its been 3 long years with hobbies abandoned , activities curtailed ,life =work and no play.
In no way do I regret this degree in fact, but acknowledgement of the missing parts need to be made ..........and the support rendered by all.

Now ...change of subject .......GARDENS ANDS VEGETABLES.
I have spent a while this morning perusing blogs I used to frequent and forums ....WAH ... gone ,changed ,stagnated... What am I to do .????

future planning

2011-08-23T10:57:00.001+10:00

because I think the vege prices will go sky high this summer ..gardening becomes a matter of necessity not fun.
My job tonight is to go through the seed box and see what i have.
If all goes well a planting of tomato seeds will commence .Over the last few years I have fallen back on a few shop bought plants but long every summer for big brandywines,white tomatos ,tiny little tom thumbs,big multicoloures beefsteaks and the good old hawksbury(cousin to grosse lisse).
Yesterday Iweeded and mulched a small section ready for strawberries.
When I close the laptop (soon)I must go and sort out the now no longer marauding free rangers..they are complaining bitterly.

2011-08-22T09:37:00.001+10:00

Growing Strawberries.

When?

In July to early August decide where you are going to plant them, Can be in the garden or pots. Dig the soil over and add whatever compost, manure and straw (layer on top) you can lay your hands on. Try to enrich the soil BEFORE you plant .A month gap is perfect but if the manure isn't fresh closer is OK.

Decide if you are going to use home-grown runners or disease free certified runners/crowns from a nursery or shop. (Online or in Real life).

Where?

Strawberries like full sun. This also helps to stop the various moulds and disease that can attack. Traditionally Strawberries are grown in raised beds and also pots. Pots can be tricky as they dry out quickly.

Some people like to have black plastic or black matting to keep the weeds down; others choose to grow them under a good layer of straw. To grow under black Matting (this is better than plastic) lie the matting out and secure it into position over the garden bed. After this, cut a cross in to the mat, planting the strawberry crown into this slot. You can mulch over the matting ....avoid any wood chip in the garden -it is not suitable (draws too much nitrogen as it breaks down)

How to get strawberries- not runners. Plant up to 30 plants for a family. Pick the fruit, don't let it stay on the plant. Water them and fertilise (but not too much, especially if you have really dug through lots of manures etc.) Charlie carp or fish emulsion is good. It's that simple.

Pinch out the runners as this makes the plant produce fruit. As the season draws to an end or you have had enough strawberries (this does happen) let the runners grow and plant them .......next year's crop. A healthy bed of strawberries will crop 2-3 spring /summers in a home garden .Commercially they are replaced each season. One tip, don't plant where tomatoes/ capsicum or eggplant have been in the last year...verticullim wilt will cross to strawberries.

Further Infomation

Strawberry disease control guide from NSW Agriculture. This is an excellent reference guide to what the diseases look like and what to do...not organic

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/119558/strawberry-disease-control.pdf

Canberra organic growers guide-Fact sheet

http://www.cogs.asn.au/growing-guides/growing-strawberries/o.

Diggers fact sheet-

http://www.diggers.com.au/fact-sheet-strawberries-growing-your-own-organically.aspx

Garden express fact sheet
http://www.gardenexpress.com.au/growing_guide/strawberries/strawberries.html

Fruit from NOV-DEC	Continuous....NOV-MAY
Cambridge Rival ,Hokawase, Chandler,Kunawase.	Alinta, Kamu, Aromas
Cambridge Rival ,Hokawase, Chandler,Kunawase.	Perenial type (wild strawberries) golden leaf,Temptation,Alpine,Fraise de Bois.

 June-bearing varieties produce one large crop of berries in late spring to early summer..

 Everbearing varieties produce two smaller crops: one in early summer and another in early fall.

 Day-neutral berries, the newest type, can produce fruit continuously throughout the growing season. Read more:

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-grow-strawberries.html#ixzz1UmvvhSwP

Enjoy.

scenary

2010-07-11T17:21:00.003+10:00

random shots

freeeeezing ....

2010-07-05T14:46:00.001+10:00

but the cold is an excellent time to renovate the garden -both veges and flowers....plus the blog..
be back soon ....

random selection

2010-05-19T19:52:00.001+10:00

ready for winter

2010-04-29T11:12:00.003+10:00

During summer i bought two wooden barrel pots and as you can see had a great displa in them .This winter I have dianthus and poppies ...oh and back pansies .

I have bought a couple of new roses , cleaned up the rose garden ...Loking at it I decided it needed something underneath .....found seaside daisy in punnets ..plus Im imaging ranuculus in spring

The vege garden is neglected and I dont think im going to find the time to do one thing to it ..lucky pumpkins thrive on neglect....

Yarrangobilly Caves....Blue waterholes ..all in the snowy mountains

2010-04-13T10:44:00.004+10:00

Cameras can't capture the absolute beauty of the Jersey cave ...I did not realise that we had such beautiful formations in OZ

Just awesome ............the jersey cave is a guided tour

Glory hole cave (self guided) yarrangobilly has a aboriginal meaning similiar to mouth or teeth and i think this might be why .scary place it think

Fishing of yarrangobilly river ..boy 2 caught a trout............... OMG LOL...unlucky fish

THermal pools at yarrangobilly............2mtre depth and a breeding place for southern bango frog (or pobblebonk..the big fat toadlike but not frog)

Brumbies on the way to kiandra

Coolamine homestead..this is the cheese hut

Lichen everywhere ..................growing on all wood surfaces

Coolamine homestead again .......

If you are looking for a nice campspot ..blue water holes or aywhere along the long plains rd is great ..the further in you go the more isolated you become ...blue waterholes at the end is wortha stay ..self guided alpine walks and caves (sadly well visited) dingo in calling from ridge to ridge at night ..kangaroos raiding camp at night .
Yarrangobilly Cottage or river spot is also well worth a stop ..river/trout/water rats/and tiny birdies .....toilets(composting type)

bring firewood

and everything else you need.........shops a long way away .

week in condobolin ...this was the highlight

2010-02-10T13:19:00.002+11:00

humbug creek....................more water in this than the lachlan river ...guessing its not permanent ...

too hot for me.46 degrees

Alpine mountains ....Mt Kosciuszko..picture heavy

2010-01-26T10:54:00.006+11:00

acres and acres of burnt trees ..legacy from fires in the snowy mountains a few years ago

distant shot of lake jindabyne ..lovely tourist park ....1/2 from thredbo .......really nice

SNOWW>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>may have been discoloured fron dust storms and icy from melt but still SNOW .

veiw from the top ,but coiming down...gee it was a climb... we made it even with major winds ..20 km going up and 80 coming down ( made the eight yr old walk on the inside as the wind was buffetting him side to side)

the photos cannot pass on haw stark but beautiful the alpine was ....

rocks and snow and sone apline flowers and evidence of animals

toilets stop .. modern pits from here the hard climb up and around to the summit

going up ..see the wind ..i came home with the worst burn i have ever ever had

mesh tracks to save the alpine plants ...the broad tooth rat has made good use ofthese ..with virtual highways underneath the mesh ........can see a lot of owl taunting ......hard on ankles tho.this is going up

semi permenent snow ...just beautiful ...there were ravens camping on this ..taking turns to soar the thermals All in all an excellent adventure .We walked 13 km and thought we might die going up ..I've decided that they must be crazy to do antartic exploring ..seriously crazy
.

next time we'd like to come in from charlottes pass.......we will all be a LOT fitter .

strike 1 of the bucket list .......

holidays 2010

2010-01-09T13:04:00.002+11:00

There has been a birthday sleep over at our house recently

Food was eat, noise was made, dogs were loved and yabbies caught(not eaten).

Much energy was used with very little sleep .

The tent was up but a fly at 1130 pm proved a bit scarey (all came trooping in clutching sleeping bags) and new stops were found.

think we passed the sleep over 'test'

back tomorrow with pictures of our pre xmas adventure -- mt kosiosko( also back with correct spelling)

summer beans

2009-11-20T08:37:00.002+11:00

these are 'lazy house' wife that i save each year. I planted them 2 weeks ago and gave up hope that they'd emerge.Also have butterbean bush beans poking there heads out of the ground so am doubly pleased.

Above is how I stopped the raids and giant holes in the flower bed from assorted chooks -all used to free range access.

Isn't totally attractive but does the job extremely well.

in other matters .got a big suprise yesterday ...sat the science exam ,much harder than i'd anticipated ..fingers crossed re passing ...but on the way home ducked into harvey norman young to look at sml (read cheap )digital cameras ..ended up buying a samsung model for $89 and have to admit I'm impressed with the quality of photos and also suits the press and shoot style of some members of the household...plus when boy 10 drops it in the monkey cage at the zoo it will not be as disastrous as a moreexpensive model.

And yes ..we are at catastrophic red alert fire bans today (and yesterday ) yesterday 40 degrees ,today even hotter ..was 30 degres when i got up at 0700.

Sadly we remain awaiting the a/c man to come and put it back together .........last night nearly did the little boys in ....have never had to deal with extreme heat at night .(30 in the house)... and ...........OMG ...in bed

have to return to work tomorrow .......after 10 days offfff.........sniff....but they have A/c

my morning

2009-11-18T08:39:00.004+11:00

*8am drive 4.4 km to bus stop past scrub and flowering kurrajong trees.Temperature is at the moment 25 degrees.Note the natural shape of kurrajong ...this one has had in the past the centre lopped out ..usually as a desperate measure to feed livestock.

Lots of bird life ..richards pipits ,magpies ,wedgetails on the thermals ..assume they have fledged thier latest baby,rosellas and grassparrots plus pee wees, and crows.

815 am boy 10 on bus drive back the way i came ..notice the billy buttons have started to seed but are still vibrant yellow and in drifts . these would have to be my favourite wildflowers

notice how brown everything looks ..listening to the radio wonder what our catastrophic weather rating would be if SA is 50 .......

820am come home wander up to the garden ..inspect the 40 degree southerly wind damage to baby tomatos..marvel that the zucchinis dont seem to have noticed...

Check assorted chicks ..havent deliberately set any this year ..have about 40.these are modern game and a funnier lot I have not encountered .they are into everything and if you can climb it and fly off ...the better ..that included mum hen

SUPRISE .........12 ..cross breed bantams(langshan x blue-red moderns)

Withered mini red floppy rose ....floppy cause it doesnt climb.......

830am Go inside ..check tonsils out child ..see he's having jelly for breakfast..look at assignment ...find something else to do urgently

45 in the shade

2009-11-15T16:54:00.003+11:00

climbing through the crawl space in the cave on the mountain is great fun when your boy10...scary if your mum001

shot from top of the mountain..thats oats down below

45 degrees ,..yep summers here ...paddocks are dry and brown ...have 1 exam and one essay for the yeafr and uni is over until march......having difficulty finding the enthusiasm to write the essay ...i must do it this week ...boy8 had his tonsils out ..consequently i took a weeks holiday. for that plus study and eassy writing .

rejuvenated garden bed..hard yakka .

2009-08-30T15:44:00.002+10:00

4 barrow lads later ,I can see the garden again.Its not so bad most things are still alive .I pulled out some stuff , think I'll get rid of the standard roses-they have served thier purpose.
I put some excess salvia and seaside daisy ina pot to get them a bit bigger.they can fill the bare bits .
I'm going to use a bit of aylissum to fill the bare patches as well.

Yesterday hockey was called off so visited the In laws in stead- to look at the new baler .Forgot how cute little piggies are ..all oink and pink wriggly tails

One of the canola crops down the road .......can you see how the frost of friday morning has sucked the moisture out and curled the leaves up ..I was amazed to see it really badly in crops closer to town.
Had 12ml rain yesterday..very nice ....

off now to finish essay due tomorrow ..tweak and reference list needed

Spring is certainly just around the corner here at the farm

2009-08-23T09:52:00.004+10:00

As you can see grevilla'coconut ice 'is flowering heavily.It is a compact nicely shaped shrub which has continuosly flowered.............. but ,really hit it's straps this month

hardenbergia...bees of all types are all over this.

well blogger said I had too.........

2009-08-21T20:46:00.004+10:00

Upgrade....mmm .......more like go back to an OLD template .......I'm going to sleep on it and fiddle Sunday.If any one bothers to visit me anymore ...I'm sorry for the mess.
I want my counter back And a few tomato disease links .....
I has fun going back to 2005 and looking through the pictures and such ...SO good to look and think.............OH THATS right ..I DID THAT OR IT LOOKED LIKE THAT ......I've done dirt,drought ,flood sheep ,hoppers ,kids ,lambs (oh so cute ),clves ..and much more ..sometimes I think I should tell people I actually know to come and LOOK at our lives ......
Croad Langshan cockeral..8 mnths old

Pandorea Pandorea ..Million bells or something like that ..loaded with pollen and oh so delicately pretty...interstinly enough ..onlt the litle native bees can fit in the blossom.

In the spirit of the good and the ugly...here is my main summer flower bed .......Disgracefull isnt it , usually the spring flowers are starting to show themselves .. I have started with the weeding ..but unfortunately University has been a priority along with work...Now I have outed ny weedy bed I will address it ..any one else having a Dip (or blip) in the will and want to garden.????

I will admit that the first hint of spring was in the air monday and I did feel the need to touch the soil.

Wattle is sooooo showy but only lasts a little while ...makes me wheeze

In the spirit of the good and the ugly...here is my main summer flower bed .......

short holiday over last weekend

2009-07-13T18:50:00.002+10:00

looking from port kembla across the beach to the steelworks

windang island.(near lake illawarra

freezing but nice..hada look round the armaments and old gun carriers mounted for the protection of the port area

green thunb sunday ..AKA the rain missed us again

2009-04-11T17:57:00.004+10:00

Very terrible photo but I would love and ID on this ... I bought it as a 'NoddingViolet "
Has purple mauve flowers with a white throat and a few spots on the throat .
sa far likeing indirect bright light . Has fleshy oval hairy leaves ??????????

Plumbago ..this is another tough plant ..looks a little shabby towards the end of summer ,but has survived only only excess air con water ....not much love
As the title says ..this was the view out the window half hour ago...pelted all the way home from work and drizzled here ...and dazzling sunshine at 5.30 pm
The dead looking shrub out the window above is actually a solanum shrub ..a shrub potato vine ..its another tough one . with a beautiful blue flower .. . I have a feeling if you lived in a kinder climate it would be a pest .(shirley stackhouse say zone 9-11 which translates as ....not me but all desert inland across to wa and sa and qld ..i disagree takes frost and heat equally well)

polygala..Green Thumb Sunday

2009-03-23T03:21:00.002+11:00

Polygalas are tough and pretty.
They come in both dwarf and full size shrub versions .
This was planted last autumn .It sulked a little thru winter and early spring but ,took off once summer hit.
It gets watered deeply about once a week .One thing that has bothered it was the heatwave back in Feb , a few branches have dried off on one side .
So far it has flowered all summer .

summer dawn

2009-03-18T18:31:00.000+11:00

well .....hello ..I have broadband ..of a sort

2009-03-17T11:59:00.005+11:00

I do , a very terrible telstra prepaid usb modem . Available from one spot in the house and only when the wind blows sideways ,the sun rolls backwards and the rooster crows hello.and sometimes from top of the silos.(1.46..and and the connection has disappeared.seems pictures are asking way too much)

Satellite via Activ8me is in its way... thank you to the government

I am trying to do a university course via DE .......not possible with dial up .

I even lashed out and bought a new lap top.. a little hp and I love it (not vista tho, its pugnacious)

In 4 years or so I will be a newly minted Registered Nurse ..Trust me to do it the hard way ...Not 14 yrs ago after EN training with 0 children .

I went to Bathurst in Feb Leaving MrP to deal with back to school ,shearing,shearers..and OMG ..a grade 4 bushfire ..we were on TV and I missed it .

2008-12-18T18:26:00.004+11:00

'Black Beauty ' Buddlea
These grow very well here I have also got flowering a mauvey pink one ...
We have had funny weather recently .......hot then freezing ..literally 3 degrees in December .The sunrises have been stunning and the cloud play awesome ... drove home thruough a madssive storm today ...hail and lightening

We have Grasshopper ...or should I say Plague locusts .

2008-10-26T16:14:00.001+11:00

note the stripped lucerne and grass plants

the black things are locusts
no green here
In the last few days amazing amounts have hatched .....we have very little green left ...our crops have turned ...But the neighbours ..oh my- they have lucerne ..sparse and spindly but green .
Tomorrow we'll report to the pp board ....( they aren't that interested..possibly tell us it's not a big enough band ... ) and see what comes of it ...
hopefully we'll be able to do th neighbourly thing and helpa little ...
I shudder to think how its going to be whe nthey are flying ...its still green and lush around Boroowa .
Amazing to see a carpet of hoppers .

Its October

2008-10-17T08:40:00.005+11:00

happy looking flower isnt it ... its a new release ..
first hatch of langshan + a few layer crosses ....these two hens are sharing ..they sat on the eggs toggether ..and now are shaing 12 chicks ..nicely..

I'm going to try blogging more often ...

Over the last 3 weeks I have weeded and weeded ...making up for a winters worth of neglect ...

The Iris bloomed beautifully .....3 and 4 spikes per clump....

'Pinky 'climbing mini rose has grown threefold and covered with blossom ..and aphids ..I have been squashing daily and considering sraying them but, yesterday I spotted lots of tiny wasps and mummified aphids ...I'll leave them alone to do there waspy, egg laying thing on the aphid colonies a bit longer ...who am I too disrupt nature .

The vege garden is still neglected ...must plant ,must weed , must weed ........I f I say it enough will it happen ??

I have been waiting to see if I gain entry to a uni course to increase nursing qualifications ..its like a extended suprise all this waitng ..I HATE not knowing .I have been granted a scholarship thru the Royal College of Nursing ....but of course need entry to claim same ..still that was a thrilll... someone giving me money ..I must be worthy !!

st andrews baby spider .

2008-09-01T16:27:00.001+10:00

croad 054, originally uploaded by knitta2.

Just in case you cant feel spring on the horizon ...the insects can ..
My hardenbergia is laden with these little fellas ....as well as a mirrid of bees doing the pollen round .I noticed only honey bees ,none of tthe natives were out ...

winter crop

2008-08-29T13:23:00.001+10:00

croad 021, originally uploaded by knitta2.

new croad chooks

2008-08-29T13:08:00.002+10:00

croad 001, originally uploaded by knitta2.

starting to look like the real thing

here they are now about 10 mnths ... starting to lay ...I think I will set a few eggs even tho they are still pullets .If I wait until late spring a dozen in the incubator will make me feel safer .It took me many years to find and procure these ..a trip to canberra ,arrangements from queensland ..I 've lost 2 roosters already ..some chicks would be a nice insurance

when you go down to the woods today

2008-08-29T12:59:00.001+10:00

croad 031, originally uploaded by knitta2.

.this is what I found..tiny orchid of unknown name .....

Flickr

2008-08-29T12:56:00.001+10:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

what ??..suprise,suprise no pictures blogger ......

2008-08-28T17:13:00.001+10:00

The eggs were fertile ..

2008-06-20T10:06:00.004+10:00

She hatched 13 out yesterday .
For those of you wondering why this is such a big deal .....hyline/isabrown /hybrid egg layers are bred not to be broody and sit .
The genetic ancestry is such that birds renown for egg laying where used and then selected ...thus reducing the natural instinct to brood .
Mind you, I have /over the years had them go clucky ...but they arent reliable ..I don't let them sit as they walk off half way thru ,break eggs ,kill chicks ....etc .
This hen is also fiercesomely aggressive ..biting, not pecking ..needless to say we havent had too much of a look .
chicks in winter is hard work ..esp a wet damp winter .....like it is now ...
The Happy Wanderer (hardenbergia) is loaded with flower bracts ready to burst into life .It really enjoyed the wet summer ,growing enormously in size and throwing tendrils everywhere ,looking to spread itself out along the fence .
Helped not having cows around to trim it ..
This wet, drizzly weather has my Asthma playing up severely(adult onset after a chest infection in Jan).Step foot outside and I'm puffing and wheezing .Doent help having a cold .

WHOOO HOOO we have pictures ...thanks blogger

2008-06-16T16:43:00.004+10:00

I hhave possibly lost every person who visited.... but we are now back on line ........... since i dont know where to start ...lets try here ..
Can you see the dopey hyline hen brooding in the garden .......
look a little closer ..........

I dont think they are(the eggs) fertile ...
I have new chooks ...Croad Langshan ..
One lot from Qld .....2 pair from vic via the Canberra 2008 national poultry show ....
They are so beautiful ..quiet and friendly ..plus HUGE in stature .they are aound 9 mnths so technically big chicks ........cannot wait for eggs .....hoping for brown eggs ..but any will do.

The canberra show was massive................literally 5,485 chooks ...a white silkie hen was sold for $700...yep ,thats right, not a typing error ............

Last weekend I got in and tackled one of the garden beds..removing what felt like a tonne of kikuyu grass and other assorted weeds .

Underneath I found a ice berg rose ,wonga bells and a old geranium .

In went 4 new roses ...and 2 wallflowers .

I have to go in somewhere around the yard .

2 saltbush

1 budlea

1hakea

1wattle

well over 2 months ...

2008-05-05T17:25:00.003+10:00

Has it been that long ...?

guess so.

cold down here,what with early frost and RAIN .. first of the winter crops in ..fingers crossed for oats and for the wheat crop which is being finalished as I type ...All is in and here s hoping

the garden is a mess ..busy at work ..days off I just want to lie down and do nothing .

I have managed to save a few hundred"lazy housewife" bean seeds .

Here's a excellent bean for you .

Tender even when big ..prolific bean bearer

great ..huge climber

tough..coped with our HOT wet summer .

still got one or two beans on it .

Another bean was "painted lady " runner bean ...(see picture )

saved many of these seeds also .

For me ..more decorative than useful ..It was a little hot for runner beans .

IT didnt set fruit until end of summer ..didnt really geta taste of them ,other than stringy .

Catch up later ..going to have another few hrs sleeep before work commences ..(10.45pm-715 am )

autumn pickings

2008-03-16T13:23:00.004+11:00

Proof that its time to weed ..in there somewhere are baby broccoli !!!

I mentioned last post about MrP 's obsession ..well heres' the proof ...the Atlantic giant pumpkins are still attached to the vines in a green stable manner so picking isnt yet warranted ...but when we do, it will be fun .

I estimate them to be around 85kg's ....see how right I am when they are weighted !

Shame really ,that the big orange ones aren't edible .....when you cut them open ,they are stringy and pithy inside ....sheep love them ...make great carved lamps

The pumpkin vines are going "off" in the hot weather .A bout of powery mildew isn't helping

I am not bothered to do anything about it .. I find that vine curbits seem to get powdery at the end of their life span ...esp those that have over produced . If you were bothered by it a milk/water spray will help .

One other plus is that the ladybird population should be well fed (on the powdery mildew) and populale well for next year .

The other strange long ones are called "Banana " from Eden seeds

They are very firm fleshed ,orange and strong pumpkin taste ........Nice baked and I would imagine ok to cook with.

Obviously the little ones are "golden nugget" .. You Cannot go wrong with this pumpkin ..it is small but prolific ..((these seeds were 4 yrs out of date and still germinated))30 pumpkins from 5 vines planted very closely .

And that, people is the last I have to say about pumpkins ..apart from how much the big ones weighed

Water Lilles

2008-03-12T11:01:00.004+11:00

Lots of rain over summer produces many weeds and some suprises ...like water lillies in understocked gully dams

These are Swamp lillies .(from the Hydrocharitaceae family , namely ...Ottelia Ovalifolia )

emergent in warmer month in nutrient rich waters

germinate readily in warm shallow water and mud

have green floating eliptical leaves (adult )

strap like spears when Juvenile .

grows in cooler weather once the colony established ..naturlises well

3 petalled white flower ..lasts one day .

flowers Nov -Jan

self pollinating

Very nice on the dam .I have a feeeling that cows would enjoy the wade into the water to munch these !!

Having said very wet summer ..The last few days have been extremely HOT ...I have had several roses go from lush to shrivelled overnight .(ACK) and buddlia bushes dropping dead ... I have been night duty -ing and havent really felt the heat ..Today I'm back on days for 4 (spread over 10 days....few days off......................... NICE !)

Mr P has had a summer obsession ...namely giant pumpkins ...You should see them .. huge , such a pity they aren't edible .. He's very proud !!

By the way- want to buy a farm ..nice 4000 acres (historically ok rainfall)..2/3 cleared good farming ,rest- natural bush ..excellent water .. resident wedgetails . good house ..1/2 hour to thriving country town .very sporting focussed .1 hr to huge inland city ..good shopping..owners relocating ......

tomatoes .

2008-02-18T13:28:00.000+11:00

All about pumpkins or those wild, feral things clambouring thru my garden ...

2008-01-04T17:44:00.001+11:00

Want a small pumpkin that has heaps of fruit and is quick maturing ? ......TRY Golden Nugget...sometimes called bush pumpkin..... ..unfailingly productive .easy to grow from seed .pumpkins keep for a while if properly matured (i.e.before picking) .....good for sml familes or those who only want a small amount of pumpkin.This sowing fro for 6 old seeds..they are al loaded with up to 10 pimpkins each ..the biggest are the first ones that set ..I find they get smaller as the bush gets older ....makes sense really .
This one is Australian butter pumpkin...Heirloom type ..not a butternut ..so far it has only 4 fruits ..all a good size ...more as it gets going ..
Banana Pumpkin ...grows huge ...over a metre long ..Last years were huge and solidly heavy .The flesh is good baked or cooked with ..very pumpkiny without the sweet taste ..ok if your a pumpkin lover .huge bush ..4-5 fruit so far
This one is one I have never grown...a gem squash .. eat like a zucchini or store over winter .I was suprised to find it isa rambler ..friut are grapefruit sized and dark ggreen I am planning to try one this week coming
And cause I think the world should have more Salvia ..a shot of "hot lips"

Loves Lies Bleeding

2007-12-28T10:02:00.000+11:00

ignore the kikuyu grass --its been reefed out.

otherwise known as 'Amaranthus Caudatus"(aka , Pendant amaranth, Tassel Flower, Velvet flower, Foxtail amaranth, and Quilete. ..)

Many types ..this is more ornamental ...altho I'm led to believe it is an edible grain ...

Very hardy and quick to get established .

The long weeping flower heads are very very pretty .I am wondering if the parrots will be in to feed from them ..

Full sun ,Some water ..Annual

The long crimson tassels can be dried for flower arranging .

There was a time in ancient history when these(or a close relative ..depending on the location in Sth America) were used as part of blod offering to the gods by the Inca ..both as a colouring and as a grain "cake " mixed with blood !(UGH ).

The red color of the inflorescences(flower colour ) is due to a high content of betacyanins

We have had a LONG Christmas ..between travelling to rellies homes and working ..I'm very ,very over it all. I have eaten too much and spent too much (thankfully all cash ..not credit )...May go out to Carrathool from New Years ...may not ...again- LOTs of travelling .

Any way -off to wash work clothes and go in for the late afternoon shift ..finish at 11pm..or 2300 hrs !

MERRY MERRY Christmas

2007-12-24T09:55:00.001+11:00

it rained Sat ..floooded in fact- washed away fences and gates and provided a mighty vista ..((when I work out how to download photos from the new phone ..I'll post them ..Amazing ))

Hubby is out fixing flood gates with the neighbours .....only the most urgent Christmas eve !!

I was at work and couldn't get home ..they(hubby and boys ) were in town and marooned ....

Duck creek roared out over its banks as did the Trigalong creek ..thus filling lake Centenary ...the water skiers will be having a merry old Christmas ..

Wishing you all a nice Christmas ....Be safe if your travelling ..

Melissa

Meet Max

2007-12-13T08:58:00.001+11:00

fully known as Maximus Rex or Maximus Prime ...depending on which child you are talking too (can you tell we have 2 underage boys !!...guess it could be worse ..imagine calling "Princess Feefee" out at the sale yards among all the butch Spot, Rex, Horse and Bundy's).

Mr P came home with him yesterday ..they were for sale at the sheep sale ...$150.00 each ..He was passed in ,shall we say ..Father in law approached the owners and got him and a sister for $10.00 each ..It is yet to be seen if he is a digger or chewer !!! I 'm guessing chewer and jumper .

So far he's friendly in a serious manner ............And ,if my boys could work out how to get him to school he'd be exibit #1 at show n' tell....thus ensuring theytake out the unspoken yet coveted "best show and tell "!

By the way ..I wish I could take my just flowered, dark purple ,velvety Gladioli to show and tell...!

Green thumb sunday

2007-12-09T13:41:00.000+11:00

Daylilies....finallyafter 2 yrs this has decided to flower again .

To say I'm thrilled is an understatement .It hasn't flowered since it was eaten down to the ground by cattleone dry summer .

It has spread in nice green clumps .I disturbed it this year by separating a few of the "pups" ..wonder if that made it flower ????

I'm off to shower and get dressed for work .We went swimming this morning at the mineral pool ..all feeling a bit tired ..I feel tired about getting up for a early shift tomorrow ..up at 5.15 for a 6.30 start ....UGh

(as a side note ..the chicks got stuck -literally ..since it is so dry they weren't able to get out of the shell ..sadly this happens .

Sometimes I help a little, esp if incubating ...really you shouldnt do to much -if you go in all fired up and rip away the shell you will make the little chick die .If I do help, its usually a gentle crack of the egg shell and I leave the membrane alone (thus not haemorrage**)I might mist the egg as well.Sadly years of doing this has taught me that some chicks dont hatch ..helping them just prolongs death .)

**..the chick needs to absorb the yolk and blood etc before hatching

look what came out of the shed

2007-12-05T09:40:00.000+11:00

4 sussex chicks and 2 black layer X ...Mother hen had been sitting on 9 eggs.,((unbeknown to us )) ...3 got stuck and ant attcked... she did well to bring out 6.

She is one of my older show hens ...

Can't decide what to show today .

2007-12-03T09:51:00.002+11:00

should I use the grevillia that looks like it is aglow? or, the long awaited"painted lady"runner bean flower?,
Maybe the tomato "first prize ' is the one ,
no? what about green bush cucumber flowers ..they are so big!
or possibly the bean shoots trying to reach for some thing ...some one...!!!!

So much to pick from and yet ,nothing .This past fortnight of afternoon storms means that the place is green , the plants and veges are feeling like growing ...rapidly .!!

20 ml

15ml

18ml

Once the heat hits , we will be in danger of being swallowed by rampant beans and pumpkin vines ..... all waiting with coiled energy.

Good news -I have zucchinis nearly big enough to eat ..I'm so glad to say good bye to the rubbery shop ones .I like zucchini sml and delicate ..sweet and light in taste .

This weather is from 10 ,15 yrs ago ..afternoon storms rolling in .

.So far ..the rain was too late for cropping ,arrived right on time to ruin the hay ...we have had in the local district ,an unheard of amt of spontanious hay fires .......the stems were too wet when baled and thus heated up when stacked together .

We have sheep getting fly struck in odd places ..around horns on shoulders ..any where really where the damp has settled .Its been a full time job check and then cleaning up those struck

with flies .

I have 2 hens sitting ..I think,.on dud eggs tonight I willl havea candle and see whats going on

The christmas roster is out and I have a lovely set of christmas /boxing day hours plus the resident christmas party .

Let's hope I feel a bit more like Xmassy

We have kilos of cherries in the fridge ..I'm almost sick of them .We have Black boy and Ulster -these are special -extra class(export ) and so sweet, meaty and oh so cherry .

Can't decide wha tto show you .

2007-12-03T09:49:00.000+11:00

green thumb sunday

2007-11-25T10:37:00.000+11:00

scarlet runner beans starting to clinb .In the background the french beans ..
Passionfruit flower .This is my pick for gts .Its a fascinating flower ..so pretty but strange at the same time .This is from a root stock plant so I dont expect fruit ....just part of the fence covered

pumpkins awaiting the heat to start their running growth ,nestled in amongst lucerne .The vines in the front are nugget pumpkins , at the back -australian butter

Tomato Bag

2007-11-19T09:54:00.001+11:00

I had a minor moment yesterday at bunnings and left with 4 tomato plants and a tomato grow bag.

(now I have the grand total of 30 tomato plants !!husband has taken over the garden ..He feels compeled to plant EVERYTHING ..this is the same person who would NOT listen and planted 16 .,YES, 16 zucchini plants !!)

I planted the tumbler cherry tomato in the bag .

Some opinion points on the bag so far .

took 12 hours to fully hydrate ..not the 10 mins suggested .

i think 7 or 8 litres did it but I soaked the bag opposed to the pour gently over !

The instruction indicate plant 2 tomatos but I think you would be pushing it ... I planted the one and feel comfortable with the space available .

feel that I will have to water often and fertilize more often .

Anyone else trying them ???

frogmouth info

2007-11-19T09:18:00.000+11:00

sheep track thru fallow ploughing

run off from top dam to our house dam

next years wheat paddock long fallowed after the rain

splotched cos lettuce flower .
suprising how pretty it is

mark , these few pages have some interesting info and a sound bite . the call is a pulsating ooom,ooom ,oomm -a really strange noise if you weren't aware what it is .
carries far on a hot still night .
http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/finder/display.cfm?id=60 this has a call sound bite
http://192.148.120.24/npws.nsf/Content/backyard_buddies_tawny_frogmouth
http://www.raptor.org.au/pstrigoides.html
some people get them mixed up with a boobook owl or a "mopoke "
It nice to know they are around but they are extremely hard to spot...we also have barking owls (now that would have scared me if I'd heard it 100 yrs ago whilst tramping the bush)but only hear them in summer .......................have never spotted one

Green thunmb sunday

2007-11-17T19:18:00.003+11:00

evening primrose

invading
lucky its pretty

frogmouth in daylight ..heard them up the back last night

tired......... many nights worked this week

leave you with some nice pictures whilst I go sleep .......

hot 35 degrees today ..nice hubby cleaned out the a/c ..came home to a cool house .....AHhhhhhh

Full dam and close up

2007-11-08T14:11:00.000+11:00

road over the bank
suprise !!
long view from verandah ..day after 60ml

For Sometimes Unwilling .. I present ......My full dam -so full in fact it over ran the other night ....every afternoon the clouds close in and it showers ..We havent had a sunsjiny da yin nerly a week ....(see I said it would ruin the hay, LOL!!)

Oh and a close up of the frogmouth ...grey on grey is hard to photograph ..

This morning she was gone ..assuming her and the fledgling have flown on ................

(Goodness ..it has just started to rain !!.2 mins later ..stopped )

60 ml of rain

2007-11-05T09:04:00.006+11:00

This weekend it rained and rained and rained ...serious rain -the likes of ,unseen for years .We have a tally of 60ml(200 points) for the 3 days ...a full dam (well all farm dams are full).,washed away road and wet ,wet paddocks .....,spoilt hay but glorious wet mud .

Coming home from work Sat night, I was in doubt about getting home -the road was flooded for about 2 kms .

The garden is at the ugly stage of seeds and sml seedlings ..not much to look at .I planted 12 heirloom tomato seedlings .Each one was snipped off -high on the stem .I am thinking earwigs . Nil evidence to say so , but I'm sure .I am off to find chemical solutions tomorrow .I usually don't, but this time I will ..possibly a tomato dust .

We have some new summer residents ... the rainbow bee eater is back from his migration to guinea and has taken up residence in the dam paddock .. anice flock of them are nesting in the banks ...Summer is here when they come back ...closely followed by grass hoppers .

the other photo if you look closely is a tawny frogmouth and her fledgling ...I 'll try for a better photo

I'm feeling HOT- HOT- HOT

2007-10-22T15:10:00.000+10:00

Yep ,Its begun-,my obsession with temperature .For those not in the know ..I tend to be obsessed with temperature ..It helps me feel hot(ter) .I take a gleeful joy in being able to quote the temperatures on any given day .!!

(34 today ,33 yesterday )

Since it is so hot the garden has cranked up a notch ...flowers are turning potpourri on the plant ......Grass has shrivelled ..Hay making has commenced ..Its only going to last a few days ..not weeks as per usual ...

I haven't as yet sent Mr P up onto the roof to bleach out the A/C..soon, it will be soon .

I have been busy planting seeds and mulching ..I have limited mulch .

So far we have in

Scarlet Runner beans

Lazy Housewife beans

plans for Flageolet "flagrano " bean - to go in soon

Fordhook zucchinni

Cucumbers -both apple and green

Golden nugget pumpkins

Keckley's sweet watermelon

turkish leopard melon

Still to get planted

Pumpkins ..australian butter pumpkin and plain ol'butternut

Tomatoes have to be transplanted -amish paste ,brandywine,college challenger,sweet bite ,roma cherry and some saved seeds from a black tomato I ate from the supermarket ..no brand mentioned .

love lies bleeding to be transplanted plus a whole plethora of things that need planting ..little worried this hot weather will burn them up .Altho rain is meant to be coming tomorrow /next day...you know toolate for any crops but right in time toruin the hay !!!!!

This warm weather has got me on the hop ..

Soldier boys .

2007-10-15T15:57:00.003+10:00

lachenachia..something or other.to lazy to find the latin name

These were not at all what I'd expected ..smaller .((just not what I'd been expecting .))Very pretty and grew thru winter to flower mid spring .
No green thumb sunday ..we weren't home ...We were packing meat..all hands were needed .We had a butcher friend do the cuts_ professionally !!
School is back tomorrow .It's been a LONG holiday .
nothing really happening in the garden dept ..seedlings awaiting transplant ..just got to muster up the enthusiasm to do so .
Don't let any one tell you they never run out of gardening puff ...mulch was invented to hide weeds ...and that bit if the garden that never ever looks good !!

ME

2007-10-09T18:00:00.000+10:00

(see..no smile ,odd stance ..second photo involved the wilie wagtail swooping me )

After years of being anonymous picture wise on the blog, I have tentatively added a picture .
I take terrible pictures -I'm always pulling a weird smile or looking odd .I tear up pictures I deem really bad . Plus, I dunno ..I like not being "seen " on the net ,but at the same time, like seeing your faces in the comments.

I'll give it a go ...(besides ..do you know how long it took to take a self potrait that passed Ok for being senn by LOTS of people )

Green thumb Sunday

2007-10-07T15:07:00.000+10:00

Been awhile but I have renewed interest and more importantly ..flowers and veges to photograph.
This is the first flowering flush of hybrid tea "Freesia ."It's a tough rose and flowers freely most of Spring and Summer .

Usually immune to fungal disease and what not ..one good thing abouta drought ..low humidity !!LOL

It was under attack from the dreaded green aphid .Noticing it covered with a corresponding amount of wasps and other predators ,I left them too it .A fortnight later there isn't a aphid to be seen .

Enjoy ...............I am .

I had to include these ducks(Australian wood ducks) .They have done a magnificent job raising these 7 ducklings..not losing one .(Dads in the lead here) The ducklings are about 5 1/2 weeks old and growing so fast .

the parents nest usually ina tree hollow ,when the eggs hatch ,the ducklings jump down and are lead to the prefered water source ..namely the house dam

Stupidity or Bravery ????

2007-10-03T08:54:00.004+10:00

Yesterday we took a unplanned day trip to Wagga Wagga -movies ,shopping ..such a nice day with 2 well behaved children .

I love Grace Bros ..sorry MYER ..usually we get in there and its time to be feral ..THis time the toy catalogue bribe worked .."If you be very good and do not fight ..you can go look at the lego.".look, not buy -cause you know Christmas isnt far away !!

Over at the other house, the resident willy wagtails have nested and raised a baby ..Its fledged now .

I wonder sometimes at these little birds ..IS it incredibly brave to attack the cat or incredibly stupid to be pecking him on the nose when you are no where near his size ...Havent decided yet ..I have warned them that he is very revengefull ....hope they heeed my warning -altho the warning was given just as one was lining up to peck out my eyes ..

People..a crazed ,diving bombing parent wagtail is just as scary as a crazed magpie trying to scalp you !!!. ..

Since my Iris are out we have had howling winds ..nil rain ...this means I have flat iris ...We still have 2 long fallow paddocks holding on for rain ..I just wish they'd die ..

I have nasturiums up in the garden .Have planted petunias and lobelia .

I think this week I will plant out some zuchinni seed and pumpkins..give them an early start .

I have decided not to grow potatoes this year ..

I need to plant more carrots .The garlic is nearly ready and the onion sets are trying to bolt .

The lamb was evicted from paradise when I found all the cabbages had mising hearts .He spends his time patrolling the fence looking IN

Broad beans

2007-09-28T09:09:00.000+10:00

Wonders never cease ..I have broad beans ..huge , fat pods .

.Filled with delight I opened one up ..peeled off the skin ..placed it in my mouth .............and promptly spat it out !!!

I still HATE broad beans .

They have been interesting to grow .I grew the dwarf kind, but they still ended up nearly a metre tall.

The plants were sown in med rich soil ...(after tomatoes so plenty of lime +blood and bone )and asked for nothing. I found the seed slowish to germinate but moved fast once they broke the surface

Some tips :

Late sowing tends to avoid the common problem of flower drop ,also- late sown plants will set pods right from the start of their flowering.

Also known as faba beans .

Like a well limed soil .If grown in a previously well limed area will hopefully resist beanfly attack .

Will withstand a light frost ..but not hot weather (and I can see mine wilting every warm day ).

Nitrogen fixers ..they take little from the soil .Can be slashed and left to brakdown on the surface

Run rows north- south ..catching the winter sun .grow in blocks or double rows

Tips can be picked and boiled -serve mature beans,boiled -fried with butter,bacon /ham or stir fried with garlic .

Companion plants ...include corn and dill. According to Judith Collins "broad beans and potatoes have been friends for ages .They also prosper in the company of corn ,viola and marjoram .Lettuce makes for a suitable broader plant "

My Iris have started to flower ....

Get in quick ...

2007-09-26T14:00:00.003+10:00

Spring is here and with zero rain it will be gone fast ...Everything is starting to flower ...MY heart swells a little with each new blossom . I figure I have a month to revel in flowers and blossom , then they will be gone, we'll sliiiiide into a long dry summer .

All iris are in full bud ..expect flowers soon .....usually I'd be worried about a hailstorm to wreck them

The black sweetpeas are , well not black ...see above !! -very pretty ,I hoping they are still in the vine tangle waiting to suprise me with a black flower.!!

We have no straw ..unbelievable .....no straw. I am a bit lost what to do for mulch in the vege garden ..I have a little that I can scrape put of the chook pens .but not enough for 6 big beds ..I had bought sugar cane mulch for the flower beds ...but this isnt feasable for a large area .MY only hope is IF the wheat stubble we have been offered to bale happens ..

Checked the crops the other day ..the old whistler wheat (grazing wheat ) is holding on ..if the forecast is right and it rains tomorrow it may hang on a little longer ..the rest is gone ..It's so gut renching that I cant even start to think how to blog about it ..so I dont ..

((((((((There is starting to be whispers around now of "SOSO and SO borrowed 50 grand ,100 grand .1/4 of a million to put the crop in /get thru and it has failed ...Scary stuff .

The worst thing is that up until 2 weeks ago they were the best crops seen for years ..high ,thick wheat ,now blue and shrivelled..... .Soaring plumes of golden canola flower ,now destined to be empty (of seed ) and cut for desperation feed ..only cattle will eat it or worse, gone- scorched into windswept drifts of withered silage ....too thin and brittle to bale .

We sold our cattle for NOT much ..and lambs/ hoggets for even less ...pity the prices in the supermarket don't reflect the prices we were paid ..$45.00 is criminal for prime fat lamb ..let me tell you, YOU are paying much, much more ...some one, not me, the farmer is profiting ....))))

Much easier not to delve into that bitter wound ..lets get back to flowers and veges..Did I mention how nice my flowers are looking ???

Wallflower

2007-09-03T16:49:00.000+10:00

Lets not talk about anything to do with the overwhelming , heartbreaking lack of rain .

Let's not acknowledge the fantastic crops that are growing on powder dry soil.The canola, in full head, the oats which have wilted and died .

Instead, admire my wallflower .

I forget each year how nice they are .This is one plant that benefits from a regular tip prune (aka sheep eating the sticking out bits )

NO ..can't seem to find it ,instead ..Grape hyacinth (muscari ) early but cheerful and undemanding

Farm paddock

2007-08-13T09:12:00.000+10:00

this is HORSE

(Cross fingers blogger loads ..seriously thinking about moving to wordpress)

These are Wheat pictures . After the last few calamatous years ,I'm not game to hope for a crop ... but , I will tell you a little about it .

This paddock ..almost 100 acres ..is growing Whistler Wheat .It is a grazing type , actually I think its the only grazing one in OZ .It grows several stems and spreads out .,guess you'd say in the gardening world prostrate grower (GOD- I hope I got the right word )!!)....certainly not as upright in growth as normal wheat .

Also in the above picture is a new fence and gateway .The boys decided to break this padock in 2 ..;One side arable paddock ,the other-rocky mountain paddock.

Yesterday was gorgeous day spent in Tumut( via Gundagai and Nangus ) (asleep in the car whilst MR P played hockey ..alas, I forgot the camera or could have posted some lovely winter alpine shots ...The last few days have been beautiful, almost too hot .I worked an extra night shift so have missed the weekend but fully intend to enjoy today .

I was rung this morning to see if I could work ..I said no .5 days in a row is enough (well actually I said "no babysitter" )..Back again on Wednesday evening ..

Want a bit of Broccoli ???

2007-08-10T09:42:00.000+10:00

Just come on down to my house ..I can provide you with several heads ... would 10 be too many???
Its the never ending glut that plagues gardeners ....I was organised this year ,staggered the plantings ,transplanted to stunt them growth wise a little . Unfortunately for me,my plants have their own time line and , as usual ,all are ready to eat NOW ~!!!!!

I must apologise for being lax with blogging ..This casual nursing caper /return to paid work ..has ballooned to epic proportions ....I"m not complaining too much- I like the money the work provides and it may all dry up next fortnight !!
This fortnight I have worked 49 hrs ...once I do the last night tonight ,that is !
Such a shock to a group of bones and muscles that haven't lifted or bent in over 4 yrs !

I am SOOOOOOOOOOO tired and grateful that my husband is able to feed the children .!
I have learnt the kindergarten boy can write messages on the whiteboard ..IE "I have don my homwork " In fact according to Mr P ,this is like a little exciting treat ..writing messages to mum !
Yesterday I started to tackle the weeds in the fallow garden beds (OHH, my sore shoulder muscles !!)....and mulched with chicken litter ,the 'too be' tomato and zucchini beds .
HAVE you organized your tomato varieties?? ..I have
We'll have
Amish Paste (new ..will tell how it goes )
Brandywine ( still my fav)
College Challenger (did well last year )
Roma ..(cherry type )hoping thisis nice
and what ever else I can't resist .!
Se you all ..I'm off to bed !

((I have photos ..blogger will not let them post ..DAMN ))

Green thumb sunday ...

2007-06-25T18:02:00.000+10:00

Don't know IF I'm still on it but here goes ...(I found the camera ..............)
THese are my NERINES (aka Spider lily,Guernsey lily ) about to flower ..I had given up on them flowering but after 3 HUGE white frosts out they came...hope thay can bear it ..they have some protection.They are HOT pink..I will post another when they are out fully .
They were interesting to plant ..the neck of the bulb had to be above the soil line ...Water well when growing ..keep dry when dormant .Native to South Africa .From Diggers
The other picture is showing the capeweed infestation out the side ..I'm sort of embarassed to show just how rampant it is ... There is a Iris and Sweetpea bed on the trellis .
Next dry-ish day I'm going to mow it all ...scalp it really using the blades .
IT has been bitterly cold here ...minus temperatures and frosty nights but little rain

MY mind is straying to Summer veges ....What did you grow that was really GREAT .and you would recommend .??
ESP' tomato types........... .
I am buying the seed for Brandywine and College Challenger again .I still have ES 58 seed .

Zero Degrees

2007-06-21T08:21:00.000+10:00

According to my thermometer on the verandah ...IT can't feel the sleety rain and wind from the snow fields HOWLING down the vallley...I'm sure the wind chill factor brings it too more like -3 degrees ..TOO cold for my heat loving blood ...........

I have some colour in the garden ..alyssum have popped up and flowered ...as has the hakea .

The salvias ,altho looking terrible, are still bravely flowering .

Most trees have lost the leaves that they have been holding onto (I"m always sure its like their blanket ,which they are all loathe to drop ..).

I have tiny broccolis ..and lots of lettuce

I have lost the camera ....HAVE no idea where it is ..........Hence old pictures ..sorry .

I Survived night duty last week and have a shift Fri night ...that will make hockey interesting on SAT ....

I can jump Puddles

2007-06-19T13:56:00.000+10:00

By Alan Marshall.

A lovely Aussie Autobiography ..in story form about a young boy living with polio in the ,40's 50's in outback ?QUeensland ..I think ....

I was re- re- re reading this little gem when I was tagged by PipBerry Prim weeks ago for this ........Now apparently for this I have to grab the book nearest to me, turn to page 28 and copy out the third paragraph.

Pg 28 is....." There's a kind little girl , now "he said to me one day when she smiled at him as she passed ."I'll shout her to see" the Blanche Family ", blowed if I don't.!........

MY favourite part is more like pg 215 in reference to Alan learning to ride (in a wild fashion).........

"I looked down at Father ,noticing with sudden concern that he was pale .Mother had come out of the house and was hurrying towards us .

"What's wrong ,dad ?"I asked quickly .

"Nothing "he said .

He kept looking at the ground and I could hear him breathing .

"You shouldn't have run to the gate "I said "You winded yourself "

He looked at me and smiled ,then turned to mother who reached out her hand to him as she came up to the gate.

"I saw it "she said .

They loked into each others eyes for a minute .

"He's you all over again "mother said ,then turning to me "Yoeu learned to ride yourself ,Alan ,did you?

If you havent read this book ..go get a copy ..I read it every so often and love it ...I loved the movie series that came out years ago ...I always finish feeling in awe of a little boy
(then man ) who prevailed ,when in theory he shouldnt have .

Talking about prevailing ...Worked out what was wrong with the above zygo cactus ...

Some may remember me wondering why all of a sudden it wilted and looked dead .....

IT WAS 4 CUTTINGS ..yes not a plant with roots but cuttings shoved into rock hard clay .!!!!!

I have begun a love affair with succulent types of plants but, am getting a little annoyed with the sellers ...I buy what I think is a plantlet ..with roots ..only to get home and find its a leaf cutting stuck into dirt .... Unfortunately this means that the fete and flea markets are out for me as I find it happens there the most ..by kindly looking gray haired ladies ....Now I wouldn't mind buying a cutting but need to know it is one so it can be treated a little kindly ....Any one else gota tale to tell about shonky succulents !!

Back on earth

2007-06-11T16:23:00.000+10:00

I've been busy, busy in the last month ..fancy a whole month without a post ....shameful..

* started a new job ..casual work ..orientation shifts SUCK big time ... Mind you Shift work is a shock to the system after so long away ..Tomorrow I have 2 night shifts ..My body may just rebel !!

* Mr 8 had tonsills and adenoids out ..thankfully .He wasn't at all well after the Op... Went down ina pile of dehydrated skin and big blue eyes ...I have to say It's very hard sleeping in childens wards..I can shut out the crying babies ..but the furniture movements at 2 am ,3 am, 4 am were a little too hard to bear .Mr 8 stayed a extra night ..they weren't too happy about this but I nicely requested a registar be called to look at him - he kindly took one look and decided he was a sick little boy ....

I had been to kids ward 14 yrds ago on prac ..I was astonished to find it EXACTLY the SAME ..truly that base hospital needs to be bull dosed and burnt (MRSA ) and a new one built .

On the garden front ..............

We are eating lettuce ,

the peas are flowering

pumpkins are frosted and in,

broccoli and cabbage powering along ,

onions transplanted and if I could work out which were leeks they'd be transplanted too !!

Chooks arent laying ..all pullets are looking more and more like hens ..should be any day .I have solved the missing nest box straw ..I caught the *swearword* poddies in the boxes eating the straw ..this explained the weird smashed eggs (we were getting one or two eggs a day)....they were sent away in disgrace as those eggs were more precious than gold ....

Went to a poultry show last weekend ..came away with a few blue tickets ...white chooks with POOP on them arent eye catching (only in boxes for 40 mins but 2 had big runny poops on their chests ...BAH )

THe cape weed in the house yard has gone berserk ...Our dam is slowly filling and our water tanks are full ...........Thank god .

I owe some of you cuttings and stuff .I will be getting to the salvia in about 2 weeks time ..hands up if any one else is interested ...pictures can be found in the summer months archives ..i think

After a short break .......GardeningTalk is resumed ....

2007-05-16T17:02:00.000+10:00

.nasty little
.visitors

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Been sick,
Been edgy ,
Been busy .
All's well now ..flu and the lingering after effects- gone ..nerves- settled (more on that later ) and business -managable ....
This arfo I was wandering around the garden and this rose was fairly glowing in the afternoon sunlight ....So much so ,I had to photograph itand share .This bush was a straggly climber with Wicked thorns until I had enough of it and hacked it back to the ground , ..best thing I have ever done ...It was like a phoenix rising from the ashes in spring ...A bushy rose with the most glorious single red flowers ..it has flowered and flowered all thru summer ....
I wish a harsh prune could solve all life's problems so easily !!LOL.
Talking problems, I am sad to report my favourite gardening forum is no more ..I had been a member for 4 or so years .. The forum was moved and changed ..I am no longer a valued member ..in fact My posts on the new version are pre moderated and take at least 3 days if not a week to appear ...as are a lot of other "old members " whilst others, who have little gardening skill(tread cut and paste ) are promoted as panellists ..HMMMMMMMMMM..mind you..... If you know what I"m complaining about ..you know who it is I'm bitching about .. its not you >>!
I have been lurking in all sort of garden forums but none are home ...bit disillusioned really ..
veges are growing fast ..supposed to rain tomorrow , not one egg coming from the hens ...we've had a little chat ... thought I'd sold a few hens but now don't know ,oats is up, some grazing wheat is up(whistler ) ..sheep still being fed ,feeed is running out .....
Ma ingals I see your tag .............................yeah ...thanks. I'll ruminate over it ..I might do a

Wanted ...Geraniums

2007-05-02T15:54:00.001+10:00

To swap ...

I have climbing ..or ivy ..bright pink and white with a tinge of pink in centre .
hot pink bush geranium
flat 4 petalled flower white edged with pink
ruffled pink (looks like apple blossom)
I would love any colour other than pink ..or salmon pink ..
A red climber ..or purple would be great ...

According to the ducks ................................

2007-04-24T09:27:00.000+10:00

According to the duck weather report ..this is what's coming ..thursday brings it in WA ..Fri into NsW and over us

A lovely amount of rain cloud .
Here hoping,......... with fingers crossed and toes and every thing else
Sat sees it around but dispersing .
I can't tell you in words how desperate things are .. .....................
US ..we're Ok not great .but. Ok ....Hanging on .Belt is tightened to the second last notch ..........
(We are officially out of feed wheat ...)
But others ..not so .
Say a litle prayer for us .
(.my MIL has St Anthony outside with an umbrella over his head ...)
Lucky ..expect a salvia parcel mid winter .
Cathy ...Dams are gettting lower and grosser ....Dont need to add fish emulsion !!!!!!
Glad to hear that others share the same opionion re the capsicums

End of season

2007-04-22T16:18:00.000+10:00

The zucchinis altho still producing ..look very over .
Leaves full of Powdery mildew (cool nights, dampness ),
Fruit yellow or miss-shapen .

Diggers "mini choc" capsicum .
Took FOREVER to mature ,..don't thinkI'll grow them again ..Taste wise I prefer a good thick meaty fleshed "mama mia".

Really cheap ($2.00) punnet ??broccoli ...
Bit moth eated -....But the new leaves are coming thru and they are fine ...bargain really .
The punnet the chooks demolished was $4.99

Today we planted ..more garlic ..generic AUSSIE grown from fruit shop ..refridgeratd for the week , migoneets lettuce ,broad bens ans minin cauliflowers .
I was pleased to see seed germinated of :
spring onion
hunter brown onion
leeks
I have OTS of Brassicas ..unfortunately I forgot to label whats what....................plus I see lots of self sown freckle face Cos lettuce ..thanks bluegreen.
Peas are up ...Parsley is in ...And Joy O' Joy 1 line of the "Ladyfinger " carrots (my seed) is up ...

Wierdest pumpkin ......

2007-04-11T09:14:00.000+10:00

I haven't many pumpkin this year ..I wish now, I had grown some ....I don't like pumpkin , only eat it mashed with spuds .But I have in the past piled them in the wheelbarrow in the shed and my father in law helps himself ...all winter .

This year I havea few of the Oddest butternuts I have ever seen ....the first few grew like this ..the rest are normal fat stumpy butternuts !!

I'm so envious ...my mother grew pink banana pumpkins(amongst others ) ,they are huge , some have to be at least a metre in length .She says they are nice to eat ,...not sweet like a butternut but still good eating .

As you can see the end of summer vege garden is a feral party haven for all out of control and exhausted plants ..

It is always hard to pull plants out that are well past their prime but still fruiting ....

I have still got a few zucchinis , tomatoes ..altho these arent colouring up .The cuc are done and the basil has flowered itself into oblivion .

God news ...........the early purple garlic is up .

The choc cap were interesting ..I like the big kind , hate the mini ones ...

I am going up once this has posted to weed and inspect the new seedlings ...hopefully they are up .I must find a spot for carrots .onion turnips and multitudes of broccoli and cabbage .

LUCKY ................thank you so much- your bulbs arrived yesterday .I look forward to seeing them bloom come spring .

33mls and counting

2007-03-20T09:12:00.000+11:00

It's a pavlovian response ..the sound of the Auger moter (above)brings sheep scrambling, from all four corners ((first photo )..just don't fall over ..you'll have a hoof up your nose and a trail of black pellets down your belly before you can let out a yell. ......!

(right clickt he picture ..open link if you want it big )

We have had two falls of rain ..yesterday 22ml (88 points)and last Friday ..11ml(44pts).

After 8 1/2 months of absolute ,zero rainfall ,It's smiles all round here on the farm .Sadly tho, the subsoil moisture is still lacking ...Mr P had grand plans of Oats(green feed and fingers crossed, hay in spring ) and tractors but a little more rain is needed yet ..Hopefully the grey clouds over head open again ...

Hopefully scenes as pictured above will come to a slow halt as the green pick grows ....It's absolute madness behind the feed bin ...............that and SO dusty .

I'm amazed this morning by A) the amount of BEES out buzzing madly ..and B) the way the garden has jumped after the rain(I swear the salvia flowers have doubled in size ) and also the weird fungi and mushrooms that sprouted overnight in the lawn.

We're havinga birthday party Saturday ..I've been wondering why not many replies had come in...seems some IDIOT wrote April 24th ,not March 24th ....LOL..

Birthday boy 8 has been sent in to school with instructions to tell all the boys in his class March ,Not April .Ring my Mum ... I"m planing a few games for the party and We built a few dirt jump humps over the weekend ...not really sure how to entertain extra children ... I know food ..LOTs of food and lollies ...

Wish me luck won't you ...I"m kind of a solitary soul........Parties make me nervous ....

I've had a few questions regarding the lebanese zucchini...........It tastes more like a squash to me(not as zucchini , more delicate ) but has a zucchini texture,When they are small ..nice to eat ...The huge one pictured was seedy and pithy inside , had a huge cavity ...good for stuffing ,I guess .

The vine is slow growing and creepery ..IT is still fruiting whilst the black beauty (similiar t o black jack )zucchini has exhausted itself ...Altho I think the black Zucc produced more ....

I will certainly grow this one again .It really really liked the chicken hay mulch (hay the chooks dug thro )and hasnt been botherd by disease or bugs ...could be just good luck that one !

They do grow BIG ..Very BIG

2007-03-18T12:52:00.000+11:00

Yes, All questions answered....Lebanese Zucchini grow really ,really big ...Not long but short and thick .......

So many photos+ SLOW dial up =Frustration

2007-03-15T10:15:00.000+11:00

I love this sequence ........shame its not a native bee ....THis is the second flowering of "little fat Dazzler "daylily ..It's a soft red medium flower (dwarf plant )
I"d recommend it ....It's grown here very well -the cows ate it ,I moved it and it didn't really notice .And its flowering again ...always a bonus .Note the pretty ruffled edges . Yes they are up to no good ..........Dont get sucked in by the prettines factor...4 langshan up to no good ...Namely excavating the garden beds .She totally stripped the nerine leaves ...didn't damage the bulbs .
She has been so well behaved but in the last few days discovered the garden and taught the chicks how to scratch and dust bathe
She got moved this morning AWAY from temptation but still in green pastures ...The chicks are entering the age of all legs and arse ...not much feather ....LOL

(want some ....have lots ...3-4 mnths old )

Pictures SLOWWWLY uploading .

I had a wander around this Morning ..the evenings and mornings are nicely cool ..the day is forecast at 34/35 degrees but you need a light doona at night .

The garden is responding to this slow change in weather by dying ,fruiting,germinatiing or slowing down .

I have the new Diggers catalogue and am again faced with temptation ..namely SALVIAS.and assorted tough plants ...and not so tough (like the Parma Violet and giant rhubarb ..I can't tell you how much I WANY IT ...but my sane inner self tells me NO ,you have no shade suitable for them ....mmmm)....nice enough to make me covet and drool ..

Think I"M going to find the salvia ladies website and price compare ...I also want to buy new ranuculus bulbs and some kind of new mini DAffodil ..I sent lucky some "jet fire " ..hope they grow well for her .

In the Diggers catalogue I'm severely tempted by the pots (4.75 if you order 10 ) ..things like .Salvia ......Vatican white ,Indigo spires ,Black knight (guargantica ).....

Dahlia "bishop of Llandoff.........sedum ,a red Achillia ...tree lupin.

Talking catalogues ..I have the new GA mag with a Garden express cat inside ...Has any one grown a BAT plant ...????I keep looking at it enthralled ...

I have also found a few excellent Iris websites ..I would like to buy (SWAP ?????anyone ) A couple more ..I see now the value in Iris(and salvia ..more salvias for me ) ...they sit in the garden not asking much and in springtime rush into huge spires of flowers .

(((((come on pictures ,no one wants to know about the lovely new female Dr in town and my visit to her ...nor her lovely bedside manner ...Nor do they want to know my resentment at having to get a new windscreen before the car will pass for rego ..for pities sake, it's only get 4 cracks in it on the passenger side ..the driver can still see well .! I guess blowing a tractor tyre this am am having MR P tell the UNIMPRESSED father ..in my presence .... not interesting ....nor that I forgot to buy fruit yesterday ...think the 8 yr old will go into withdrawals .AHHH great.................... PHOTOS )

two post in one day ...hope that's not it for the month !! lol

2007-03-12T16:30:00.000+11:00

I said in the post below that I have a lush looking garden ...well I do and I don't really feel guilty for it ..(ABOVE)This is the landscape I see every day outside the yard ..My small patch of 6x 6 mts of green grass ....Lifts the spirits ....We let the grass die off at the start of Summer but it was so disheartening to come home to more brown landscape and dust ..We have 5 sml Anguds heifers who come in every few days and eat it down ...SO ,when I say I have grass I should say COW PAddock !!
I haven't grwo n marigolds fopr years ..I love them ..I can't believe I forgot how nice and unassuming the are .These ar ethe "african " type ..Out of the 6 in the punnet -2 died ,2 have struggled on and 2 are blooming beautiful !!!
In the background you can see Daylily stalks ..they have never flowered ..OK maybe the first year they went in ...
In the foregroundt he Nerines have sprouted .....they sat an sat and one day I noticed foliage ...can't wait for the flowers (cows like to eat these ).
AND,finally in the pot is a new Iris called Taffeta bow ..you know, I have no idea what it will look like ..might go google it ......

Behind in the garden

2007-03-12T15:52:00.000+11:00

I have been meaning to post my favourie Salvia pictures for the last week .As you can see I have a lush looking flower bed ..Its only really Salvias ..periennial and annual plus an ornamental grass ...
The top picture is "Soda Pop "salvia ..annual, It self seeds and usually comes up mid to late summer and flowers profusely until the first frost ....hates frost ......I plan to collect the seeds this year and see If I can get them up a little earlier .

OLIVE

2007-03-08T15:23:00.000+11:00

"http://www.allaboutolive.com.au/"
Go read Olives blog ...She was born in 1899 and is retelling her life stories .She grew up in Broken Hill . Seriously ..GO...... have a look.
I think her Barnie looks a right tearaway ..in a nice way of course ..!

Too hot to blog

2007-03-04T16:31:00.000+11:00

Not much happening here .It seems.hotter and hotter ..one of the male members of the house hold swore the hot weather was over ...39 degrees today proves him wrong,............ very wrong .

NOt much diffeetn in the garden ..every thing is fruiting and I"M sick of zucchinis and cucumbers but feel obligated to eat /cook them !!

Here is my front lawn ..aka the cow paddock..currently keeping 5 poddy angus Hiefers alive .... They are so naughty ..they get in if the gate is left "bumpable "and then prove to be hard to remove..(aka much swearing when they eat the newly flowering daylilies and roses !!)

Having said not much happening ..we did get 9 mls of rain ...nice to wet the top layer of soil .We visited my parents at W..... this weekend .They have had several 40 ml falls and it is green and lush .

MUm and DAd had Bamana Pumpkins ..so big they put me into a dreadful state of pumpkin ENVY ..and they knew it !!LOL.

They kindly let Mr P (who had tempory Green grass Madness ..pick all thee clover growing as a weed and other assorted greenery to bring home ..in the boot I might add ..)

I have decided I don't wish to live here any longer ..too hot ..too dry and too far away .

I am so tired .

I am usually a positive person (you know ..the glass is always 1/2 full) but I have had enough .... of this dry ... I keep telling my self it could be worse ..I"m not sure how ..could live in Iraq.

Mind you We all felt very pleased when it did rain ...(picture the 5 yr old outside in gumboots , green lady bird umbrella,beanie , and kids dry as a bone ) maybe we can hold on a little longer .... IT did remind me that I"m not ready for the cold of winter ..!

(stinking blooger tells me error something ..can't post the cow paddock ..lost the salvia pictures ..how can salvia pictures get lost on the disk ??)AHHH got it ..

anyways toota'loos ..be back with "soda pop "salvia pictures next week ...

Legumes Like Super and Lime ...

2007-02-19T17:18:00.000+11:00

Isn't that the greatest title "legumes like super and lime ", especially in my bad british accent !!!

I found a great little garden book at the op shop recently .BY HOTICO..be your own vegetable and garden expert !!!

Judging by it's cover- early 70's vintage (bit like me )Mainly by Kevin Heinze and Allan Searle plus a few others ..(they were all so young in there back cover picture ..its old )

IT has some great info and tidbits ..like .................."Broad Beans ..if the scar where the bean seed joins its pod has turned black ..it's too old ".... It has all the veges grouped by family and then offers a Emergency Ward section ..

In light of all the bean problems out there (mine had no problems ..they died !!)I thought I"d pass on the advice ..too late for this season but who knows maybe helpfull still............

Beans grow well in most soils except very sandy ones where it gets too hot for shallow rooted varieties .

If the soil is very acid or has not been limed for several years ,liming will be necessary .Lime leaches from soil very quickly.Gardens in limestone country may not need limimg (really!!)

Roughly a cupful of lime to the square metre ...........3 weeks before sowing .Agricultral lime is mild so can be applied as a dust in the drill along with the sown seeds .+ plus a phospate rich fertilizer .

Make sure the fertilizer has 5cm of soil between it and the seed as the bean skin is thin and damage can occur on fertilizer contact.

Provide a good climbing trellis .

General requiremants are specified on the packet.

Do not hestitate to try new varities -be adventurous,It helps maintain the enthusiasm (oh boy iys sure does !!)

Emergency Ward ..

lists things like :Aphides

mites of all types

canary fly

seed borne disease ..halo blight (sml brown spots surrounded by lemon coloured halo on leaves )

common blight

syringae (large brown spots on leaves .distortion of the pod )

Sclerotina......(soil borne ..causes stems to rot at ground leavel)

Weevils ..

More Winter Plans .

2007-02-18T15:20:00.000+11:00

Well I'm stunned.
It just rained 5 mins ago ..enough to wet the top layer of earth.Out OF nothing too, I might add .
Some of you might already know of my Sweetpea obsession (hence the blog name and my garden alter ego )
I hit Ebay in a big way recently .
Above us we have Prince of Orange ..a spencer type and heat resistant .
Next we have a lot called Ripples ,speckles and splash ..(sucked me right in )

Isn't the crimson one just delightful ..Altho I have grown ones in the past of this nature ..only to be EXTREMELY disappointed in them ..Sweetpeas have to have a scent .
I also have one Called "Black Prince .." supposedly its as close to black (deep Burgandy )as you can get .
I"M really pleased to have these new varieties .I also have a new blue (well lavendar )called "Flora Norton .." She's lovely I had her but failed to collect enough seeds 4 yr ago .
IN my existing stock I have 'King Edward V'(i think V)..a small highly scented bright red Heirloom.(very tough and heavy flowerer )
And 'Painted lady '...........pink and white Bicolour.PLus quite a few "commercial "ones
I limited myself- I could have easily bought 15 odd packets .
I love seeing how the old Heirlooms grow ......Whos good with heat ..hot wind etc !!.
This is Kale ..Black something or other ..I'm growing it primarily because I read it had a High calcium content..thus its going to the chooks and us .........if its nice .. Supposedly it grows to 2 foot ...Will e interesting to see

I have also had lots of the first winter veges up in punnets .On thurs I
soaked some more desert peas to try a second time ..planted them Fri ..can you believe they are up already ..as are the caulies and paper daisies ..Only the spring onions are lagging behind ...I plant into a punnet with seed raising mix .I use a highly evolved "germination chamber".........Discarded cake contianers are perfect .....some fit 2 /3 punnets others 1 ....
These all goon the kitchen windowsill to catch the afternoon sun .....see highly evolved ...NOT... LOL!!!!

February Round Up or is that Wind down ?

2007-02-14T15:35:00.000+11:00

Oh and Happy St Valentines Day
I thought a review of the garden was due ..especially since its mid Feb and March is bringing Autumn with it .
The Most Outstanding plant has been ****drumroll*******,the Zucchinis , no suprises there I guess.
The most suprising relationship was between the Sorgum and cucumbers .
To say they love each other is a understatement ..the cucumbers have twined all around the sorgum and the sorgum shades the cucumbers ..Definite companion planting success there.
We have eaten or are eating "Tomatoes
Corn
zucchini
Silverbeet
cucumbers
broccoli
onions and spring onions
potatoes ..aren't they the best
The pumpkins will be ripe soon as will the Chocolate capsicum .
I have in little punnets..sugarloaf cabbage ,broccoli and leeks ..all to go out in a week or so ... I have plans for onions ,garlic ,cauliflower (must get themi n SOON they take the longest and peasa )
I also have ordered and recieved several intriging varieties of SWEETPEAS ..yep I missed them last year ...I plan to go over board this year ..orange ,black, ripples and splashes ..all heirloom !
Mind you I spotted a few very early sweetpeas self sown in the garden .!!
I think they must be left over "painted ladies" ..a hardy pretty kind .
I the tomato world I liked homestead and College Challenger the best ...Brandy wine is only just getting really going but is big and beautiful ..The zebras caught "something " and died ..not good .
The es 58 's were ok as were the burnley surecrop ..Being wilt and such resistant IS a good thing

Scarlet Runner Beans

2007-02-11T16:49:00.000+11:00

Are doing it very tough..poor things .
This was not the right possie for them and they are genuinely not happy .
I bought the seeed for the beautiful flowers (salmon colours )not so much the bean .............
It's been (!) too hot for beans this year .
Any I did have survive were eaten by the wallaby on his night time visits ...Gourmet tastes that fella !
A little about Beans .
They like well drained soil and mulch and a little manure ..they really hate wind and are prone to damage .
Since they are a large seed don't overwater ..they will rot .
Runner Beans are a perennial ..they die back in winter .Growing again in Spring from a crown.The flowers are large and ornamental .
I hope mine makes it too Winter ....

Jess Kindly tagged Me for a 6 weird things about me .. meme !
Alright Here goes .

1) I get too hot in bed during winter ..I sleep with one foot out from underneath the Doona ..( OH and I have weird toes .My parents would tease me about my "Kangaroo toss ..you see they are long ..no ballerina here !!).

2)I plant too many seeds ..even when I make an effort not too ,I do .
Imagine 100 cabbages ,there is only so much cabbage a person can eat ..I feel bound not to waste it .

3) I have an overactive imagination ..as a kid this lead to deep fears and fantastic games ...For a while I was terrified of the DROP Bears !!!a natural Aussie legend .

4)I am scared of the dark ...Will not go out after dark ..I hear noises ..Only a extreme reason (like the flare up burn off fire - last july at 11pm) will make me do so .

5) I Put the toilet roll on with the toilet roll coming over not under ...I will yell at you if you do it wrong !!

6) I wash and blow dry my chooks ..........!!!!!!!!!!!!! much to my sons amusement ..and mine
I fel I must pass this on ....Lucky your it ....

By the way ..there are photos and a garden sunday Logo but my internet connection is too slow today ..storms passing right over head..guess their on their way to Else where ..only dust for us .

Organic Gardener ..Magazine review

2007-02-04T15:51:00.000+11:00

NO TAKERS ...................? When I Said old I didn't mean Ancient- Just last years ...??
Truely FREE . post any where .. oh well ...:(

The summer 06/07 issue is a good one .Full of interesting articles and tidbits .I find sometimes for me, this Magazine gets bogged down and misses the mark .
This issue was just Right
It always has great photos ....
Some of the articles which appealed to me were :
Watermelons .
A thorough look at 14 varieties of Heirloom melons ..long growers and short growers .(days wise )
Pollination ,care and picking ripeness . Pest control .
Some of the names make me want to try growing them again next year ...small shining light ,georgia rattlesnake ,warpaint ,drought master ...........
Seed Saving
A beginners guide how to ..with interesting tips on curbits and zucchinis ,storing ,record keeping and resources to go look up
Trees under Stress
Again tips on how to help your trees by Jerry coleby -Williams
Love your Garlic
Great timely article on garlic .sourcing /planting/ harvesting ..its all there
.Loved the table on varieties and there "garlicness "and characteristics ..
Natural paints
Cooking ..chef Sean Maran and some drool worthy recipes
Organic dairy
plusa whole range of colourful adds and snippets .plus other articles

I have to GIVE TO A GOOD HOME several OLd Issues of This mag .. plus a stray earth garden or grass roots ..
FREE .. I'll cover postage .. THink of it as my kindnes for the week .............that and I Haveoo many mags .

I love animations .................Feelfree to save to your own computer...

How much water ?.

2007-02-02T09:27:00.000+11:00

Our dam is diminishing at a regular rate .

We haven't seen the divider bank since Feb- 3 years ago .Mr P ,on the weekend ,broke thru the bank to let the water from the back dam into the front one ....saves us pumping it over .....

Having said that we have plenty of water here .

It is used on the gardens and thru the toilets and A/C .

If you came to visit I'd be embaressed because the water smells and is at times, green in the PIPES..... .thus its green in the toilet .

In case your wondering ..no amount or type of toilet "thingies " can disguise it ... LOL ..and your worried about reclaimed water ..(your ..as a wide all encompassing generalization !!).

As you can see the algal bloom is quite pretty ..as long as you dont touch it ....

Our water tank is a perilous low . Mr P is going to pump over the top half of the old shearing tank (desperation ) to top ours up .

We recently found a water stand (you fill your tank/er and pay the council for the water ) about 10 kms away ..afte talking to friend who lives next to it ...If things get worse we may try it .

My farmer husband is starting to feel the pressure ....And worry, but its nothing you can fix .. We don't expect to see any rain for another 4-5 weeks ..which would take us into March ..that will be a full **8** months without any rain (of a signifigant value ..we got 2 ml 2 weeks ago ...not even enough to wet the dust down ).

AHHHHHHH Well .

#2 summary of garden produce

2007-01-29T13:19:00.000+11:00

"Crystal apple " cucumber is again this year proving to be a good little grower .It is rampantly flowering at the moment .I planted it near the sorgum("sugar drip") and now , (If you believe in companion planting )there is a lovely little relationship going on .

The cucumber has twined its way thru the sorgum and both are happy ..If you've grown unhappy cucumbers ..you know what I mean ..

The apple cucumber fruit is about tennis ball size . Crisp with a nice cucumber taste .Some say they are bitter but I have never had this problem .Long green cuc's seem to not like it here ..but this type does .
The first of the Brandywines are in... big ,ugly and meaty.. I"m happy .

This is the "Suddeth" strain of Brandywine Pink ..Again no problems with this plant ..slow to get going ,enjoys heat ,sprawler ,soft skinned ..meaning its best to pick it whilst the colour is turning rather than leave it to redden on bush ..

Still my favourite by far .

The "homestead" tomato is not bad for a "supermarket "variety (by this I mean ..perfect round fruit all same size etc )It is a rampant fruiter coming in earlier than the others ..Meaty sweet fruit about the size of a tennis ball /cricket ball .Nice cut .

Would I grow it again ..yes ....I 'm going to save some seeds ."

ES 58" is ok (I'd grow it again )..another supermarket one as is" Burnley surecrop "(not growing this again ).

College Challenger... still waiting for this one ..I think its ok ..just compared to the other great ones it pales a little .I'm going to save some seeds and give it a go next year ..It's very like "grosse lisse"

**I just weighed the Brandywine tomato ...It came in at 510grams ..biggest I've grown for a while .****

#3 Summary

2007-01-29T13:10:00.000+11:00

These according to the packet ..should be "tigerella" but I"m sure they are actually "green zebra"

Positively sure ..there is no way they turn tigerella colour ..they are exactly like the picture of green zebra .

Taste wise they are interesting ..some have been mind blowingly nice ..others insipid at best . They are very juicy and evenly segmented .I think they would cook up well in a pickles recipe .

The bush is self supporting ..needing only a small stake and bit of twine .Its not one of those rampant take over the garden sprawler typesbut it is a good reliable grower .. It has a fairly large amount of fruit one it of all sizes ..

Chooks eat the fruit .

wouls I grow it again ..yes ..possibly even try the red and black versions .

People I have have given it to have been interested by it ..ohh sure it' ripe ??

It hasn't yet been bothered by the heat and dry .

#4 summary

2007-01-29T12:59:00.000+11:00

on the left are self sown "yellow grape" cherry tomatos ...a typical cherry tomato taste .small seeds ..prolific fruiter .Seems impervious to bugs and disease.

It is loaded with fruit for few months and then seems to run out of life ..I have one or two pop up each year ...well worth the effort .(i'm going to save some seed this year )

on the right is a mystery which according to the packet has to be a "yellow peach .." but sure looks more like a "lemon drop"..

This tomato bush is a sprawling one loaded with fruit .It seems again not to notice hot weather ,bugs or disease. I'm not sure I like this one ..it is low acid and sweet with kind of a "crunchy "texture .. It has no bite or tang to it .if you sprinkle with salt it is tomatoey sweet .

It is sort of irridescent to look at ..lightly pastel yellow Would I grow it again ..???.no . not at this stage .

2007-01-28T15:49:00.000+11:00

Winter Murmurings

2007-01-27T17:04:00.000+11:00

WHAT?............I hear someone screech ..Winter .. It's as hot as and your thinking winter ... gee *mumbling * something wrong with you .

I am starting to think about winter gardening .

There is something pleasant about cold earth and frosty tips on the broccoli.............frost makes turnips taste good ,tightens the brussel sprouts and curls the cauliflower curds tightly .

Cold weather means the cabbage moth doesn't really poke her nose around..those pesky catarpillars come out when it warms up.

Mind you, It seems far ,far away when the outside looks like this .

I plan to grow ..

Garlic ,onions ,leeks ........

cabbage ,broccoli ,cauliflower.........

kale ,peas (bush kind this year )and red spring onions .

Most of these need to start growing now ..planted a few at a time to space out the crop in a sensible manner .

That never happens here ..we geta glut of cauliflower ..so much that we don'teat it for the rest of the year ..lots of broccoli and cabbages everywhere .

I grow "sugarloaf " cabbage as its small and so sweet.

I"m pleased that I have most of these seeds ..All I need is a packet of seed raising mix and a few discarded drink bottles and planting can commence

Gum trees in the park

2007-01-19T14:45:00.000+11:00

Our local council is one of those not afraid of anything new ..goes out of its way to try new things(e.g ..recently It voted to let bush blocks try solar power ..ie no Mains connection .."lets give them a try"............ individual basis ..if it doesn't work we'll change it ).

They also recycle the sewarage water and have recently .., last year ..spent I think, a cool 10 milion upgrading the system ...............Hats off to my little country council ..................

As a result we have very nice parks that are watered from the recycled waterand also excellent sporting fields .

We have coming up, a running race ("gift) in February .The track looks so green and nice .

Its a pleasure to come to town and see the green parks and gardens .

This photo doesnt do justice to the park ..the eucalypts are huge with giant canopies..all nicely spaced .

The other park is leafy , green and dappled ..We quite often have lunch there and lots of travellers pull up and do the same .

There is one other park in the Main street ..named ofter a famous pacer , He even has a huge statue right , smack bang in the middle .!!(not half proud...............)

Does your town have something really nice or "ODD"?

Too late ..do you think ???

2007-01-18T16:03:00.000+11:00

In the year 2007 I resolve to:
Become a modern-day Johnny Appleseed.

Get your resolution here.

Crib notes on grevillea species propagation....

2007-01-13T16:35:00.000+11:00

SEED
Slow/ difficult .
Nick the seed coat or peel seed coat off .
carefully if nicking the seed coat ..not injuring embroyo .
thin walled seed ..hot water soak for a couple of days may induce germination.
normal seed raising mix.
Appear in 2 wks -->year after planting .....depending on seed and climate.
Best sown in Autumn ..Spring .
CUTTINGS
Preferred over seed
cutting grown grevilleas will flower before seed grown
Cuttings ..a)75mm-100mm
b)12cm-20cm
leaves carefully removed from the lower 1/2 -2/3 stem .
"wounding "the lower stem by removing a sliver of bark and treating with a root promoting hormone improves the success rate
tip cuttings ..Dec-JAn give the best results
Easy to propagate ....4-8 weeks for a strike to be evident

"Coconut Ice "

(WA)G.bipinnatitida x(QLD)G.banksii(male parent )"Alba"white

Same cross parent as "robyn gordon ""Ned Kelly"

Easy to prop

"misty pink"

G.banksii xG.sessilis
quick growing
prune hard
frost tolerant
prop from cutting ...easy
produces seed but seed doesn'tgrow true to type ..offspring will be white or pink flowering

http://www.anbg.gov.au/acra/descriptions/acc325.html
http://farrer.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/g-mis.html
http://farrer.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/g-super1.html
http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp5/gre-long.html

YOU know its hot when .............

2007-01-12T12:07:00.000+11:00

the galah flock takes to the trees ...shreeeeeeeching their displeasure for all to hear......

the eucalypt leaves hang straight and change colour slightly ...........

Your feet burn on the soles in the 2 minutes it takes to take a photo of the temperature .........

every paper wasp in a 3km radius , is at your front door ..terrifying children as they make a valiant dash inside if a crack appears(only to be meet with a shot of fly spray )

the fluffy cat refuses to go outside and spends all day flat out like a lizard in various weird locations as he tries to get cool..

41' yesterday ..mid 30's last night

I Want IT ALL

2007-01-09T14:42:00.000+11:00

I was doubtful about joining the Diggers Club..... but I did ,to see ...

The last two catalogues have been ok ..ordered a few things ,but nothing grabbed me .

I want EVERYTHING in this summer catalogue ..everything , you understand .

I only got it yesterday but its already dog earred and creased from me looking through it .

I have managed a bit of self control and narrowed down the want list considerably .The plants I have to have ,can't possibly live without are as follows :

1 Knipholia "Percy's Pride "green spikes which fade to cream

1 Eryngium planum "Sea Holly "

Already warned MrP its not a thistle ..It will be meant to be growing nicely in the garden !

4 Columbines .."Burgandy and William Guiness "..love grannies bonnets ,shouldn't have pulled the ones I had out .

1Echium "Heronswood Pink" compact silver leaf ..pink flower spikes 1.5 x 1.5 mt

I'm going for a garden bed overhaul ..summer flowers here we come !!

1Licorice plant ..as in the real thing .(v.exciting )

1Pearl Dragon Fruit ..I have wanted to try one of these for ages .I love the fruit but I"M sure its nicer home grown than from woollies

plus some garlic "early purple " and a pack of kale seeds .

I have spent so much that I earned a free plant ....ONlY problem is nothing much takes my fancy ...maybe the Asparagus altho no one here will eat it ..I"m sure the wallaby would love to add it to his pickings ...HE's the culprit I think for the beans tops being eaten ...CAn't begrudge him ..there realy not doing well anyway !

I don't only grow tomatoes ..you know .

2007-01-06T17:10:00.000+11:00

Bet you all think the only thing I have growing are tomatoes and zucchini..since thats all I talk about !!
Up until now they are all I've had that were exciting .

From top to botttom:

Chocolate capsicum .
This has just started to move ..I find capsicums sulk and sulk , then suddenly grow and fruit.Theyseem to really love water and Heat
The best type I ever grew was a "Mama Lucie "

Crystal Apple cucumber.
Doesn't it look happy .Some times I'm a bit hit and miss with these but , this year looks like a good one ..fruit wise ./It has just started to flower ..Female fruits expected next week or so .

In the background you can see "Sugar Drip " sorghum..Its really interesting .
Mr P calls it Speed feed ,The rate it grows , I think I agree .
Its for green feed for our calves ...If it ever rains ..they are my school fees and holiday !!!!
I have little plots every where ..The latest is the rose bed.......planted with both sorghum and butternut pumpkins ..Figure, ..Might as well use the water since its watered (??Does that make sense !!LOL)

Lastly ..I have watermelons ...big watermelons .No idea what type ..just generic stripey ones from kmart specials trolley (seedlings that is )

water is low

2007-01-06T17:02:00.000+11:00

second go ..fingers crossed

new year ..same old blog

2007-01-06T16:55:00.000+11:00

will it post ????

Zucchinis

2007-01-01T17:08:00.000+11:00

I thought that new blogger would have less problems ..how wrong was I ..
Any way ..see above ..Black jack and Lebanese zucchinis .
The picture is so small ----you may not be able to see the Creep-iness I spoke about in a earlier post (only size pic's I can post ).
All around us are huge black rain clouds ..all heading to Canberra .sorry Canberra , that you have our rain and mud slides !
Blogger , Picasa and I have been fighting the last week ..

Aussie blogggers ..how do you post you photos ..I'm especially interested in those who post LOTS .I can only get 3, maybe4 on a good day .
Garden is going gang busters ..Tomatos are ripening ..had one this morning ....Flower beds are all looking dreary ..Have to admit I planted late butternuts into one ..shocking I know .!
Glad Xmas is over ..went to bed early last night ..well over the holiday's ..

Tigerella or Green Zebra

2006-12-31T16:16:00.000+11:00

What do you think ?? I'm hoping Tigerella but thinking Green zebra ...Guess i"ll have to wait until it ripens .
By the way ....I have red tomatoes .."Homestead" is the first to ripen .
So far it is proving to be a bushy heavily ladened tomato..seemly unaffected by heat and disease .

2006-12-24T10:03:00.000+11:00

summer flowers.finally

2006-12-21T12:18:00.000+11:00

Red hot pokers .
If you dont have these ,..go get yourself some ..boring most of the year but in Summer they flower and flower .
Over the last few days The Dry has increased and made itself felt .My flower beds tried to up and die ..I think a straw and manure re-mulch may have saved them ....Some of my natives have gone ..I thought they would be old enough and established (4 yrs ) but unfortunately I was wrong. I''m really sad to see the big wistringria may have died (one of my favourites ).

Some of our smaller dams have dried to a stinking mud hole ..Daily checks on sheep ..actually a few mobs have been boxed toogether in paddocks with good water and the dry paddocks shut or the gates opened ..making a super sized paddock .
Apparently Rain is forecast for Christmas Eve ...how nice would that be .......

The petals have all been blown of this bronze sunflower ..the winds have been huge over the last 3 days ..the Willy Willy's have started to be ferocious and nearly swept 4 little langshan chicks up and over the fence !! (go on ,.......ask !)

Tomorrow ..tomatoes ... I have a few results and identities to reveal . I have lots of green toamtos ..no red yet .Some bushes are doing well , some are showing there displeasure .!
I'm suprised at how we the veges are going ..Of course they get a bit of extra water and lots of mulch but still .............