Tomatoes

I have had some awesome luck with my little punnet of Tomatoes brought and planted only late November! I added Sheep manure to the mix prior to planting and have this awesome crop coming with lots of little green Tomatoes coming along and the growth of the plant is massive, I did wonder if that was the nitrogen in the manure and I would not end up getting so much fruit just all be plant but I think not! In other news our little chick is growing up and looks to be a girl so good news and if a male it would not be allowed to stay have a look at the shots of this girl born only 6 weeks ago! Her father is a pure Cochin and the mother is a half Barnvelder and a half Cochin - I just love her legs!

This year 2012

This year I have been a very sparodic blogger, it has been hugely busy with my eldest child starting high school and my activities and work becoming much busier. I am hoping that 2013 can be a year for doing much less - better! I think I wanted that for this year but sadly it did not eventuate. This year we have had some pretty big highs and lows and find we go out of the year fairly tired actually but grateful for so much. We nearly changed the boys schools but in the end decided to stay with the one we are at, had some house issues but our health is good so much to be grateful for. I have been busy all year helping my youngest 2 boys Primary School with their Environmental group as my middle child was an Environmental monitor for the year, we have maintained an awesome veggie garden at the school and added 10 fruit trees that are doing really well. I go into the school once a fortnight and we planout what things we will do for the session such as make our own environmental take home harvest bags, planting seeds to grow and weeding and maintaining the garden beds. I also put a proposal into the school for a Sensory garden and that has taken off with one of the parents managing to get a grant fo the school and in the funding conditions the school will be working with the local special school and their team to propagate some plants for us. All very exciting and we hope to have some huge working bees at the school over the next year to get it all in place. In my own garden we have had to radically change a lot to get the moisture away from the house such as installing a pump near the verandah for the "one in a hundred year" storms that are happening - every year. We have slowly been removing all plants aurrounding the sides of the house and mulching and spreading the mulch onto the edging of the Veggie garden to suppress the weeds. Its a big job but we are slowly getting there. The Orchard looks to be going very well as there are tons of Plums on the tree and also Apricots this year which we have not had for a few years, the Nectarines are prolific and many Apples too. Although still only a few Pears on the tree. I started 4 new veggie beds in the paddock and got a nice potatoe crop, some Kale, Lettuce and a ton of Red Onions although not as many as last year. This season I have planted Lettuce, Basil, Tomato's, Corn, Coriander, Pumpkins, Zuchini and Chives, all going well so far nearly time to stake the Tomato's we added pulverised sheep poo to all the beds and the Tomatoe's are loving it. We had a little chicken born last month, looking to be a pullet thank goodness so will be able to stay here, we cannot have 2 Roosters, I had a hen sneak off to the veggie garden area and lay 8 eggs, unfortunetly she only had access to the Rooster for one of the eggs! Not to worry she is now living amongst the bunnies area in my paddock and will be intergrated with the other chooks when the little chick is larger. For now though mummy hen is showing her all the ropes and they are foraging and free ranging all day. We have had to sell a few adult rabbits in the rabbitry and will most likely no longer be breeding, I will no longer be showing as the entire ethics regarding showing and judging based soley on appearances never really did sit well with me, particularly as I do not have "perfect children" so why demand it in my animals? I loved breeding for pets, I really enjoyed matching the kits to new owners but unfortunetly for the 10 people you get keen for a rabbit many, many are not suitable and mess you around or are not the sort of people you want to be the owners of your pets. Out of all the people I sold to over the 4 years 98% were awesome and exactly what I was looking for, but a couple were not and so it all needed to end for me in this field as I was no longer comfortable with breeding, who knows maybe in the future once a year maybe! So not so much manure for the gardens anymore and particularly as all the rabbits get free ranging time per day in the large paddock so not so much to collect. On a personal note I have been studying Philosophy and loving it, made some fantastic new like minded friends and travelled to Melbourne occasionally with the group for cultural days which I have really enjoyed and on the way back we have managed to visit CERES where we brought a mushroom farm and some organic vegies and also a couple of Jackie French Garden books. We didn't get that many mushrooms I think perhaps we failed to water enough sadly but got a few really large ones. My sons business Ballarat Bird Houses & Feeders did so well this year he makes all manner of birdhouses we do have a Facebook page so feel free to take a peak, we have really cut back on the work there as we pre made many for Xmas so have a large stock, the business is reliant on me having the time to sell online and meet people when they arrive to pick up the houses and I no longer have such a large amount of time to dedacate this this so for now occasionally we put houses on Buy Swap and Sell sites but not quiet as much as previously and have the odd driveway sale, many cars slow down a few stop but again probably not worth the effort we put into it. Hope all readers have a wonderful 2013 and your gardens give you as much joy as mine gives me.

Wheel Barrow Conversion

Last week end on my daily walk to get the paper, I went past a house across the road only 5 blocks up from my home to see a garage sale was on. Not one to refuse a look to see if there any decent gardening gear.

I have lived here for 16 years now and I am pretty sure the person in that house has been here the entire time. I have never seen him. He was elderly, they lawn was always cut, the place tiny and neat, the men's shed HUGE, so I assume he spend most of the time in that.

All the people manning the sale looked to be in their 60's-70's and I hesitantly asked what happened to the man.

He had passed away. I guilty left feeling like the worst neighbour ever, how is it possible to not even talk to your neighbour, to not have clue who they are for 16 years?

I have no idea, I have walked past that house I would estimate well over 80,000 times as I walk twice a day usually past there. I never can recall seeing him. As I left the sale I passed a broken down wheelbarrow, I asked and found it could be mine for as little as $5. I rushed home got my money rushed back and toddled home with a wheelbarrow that bumped every turn of the wheel.

This is what I did with it and put out the front of my home to honour the nameless man from small house up the road, a kindred soul who also liked to garden in his backyard anyway. May you rest in peace. I wish I'd had the chance to at least say g'day.

School Garden Planting

Today we had our fruit tree planting day and as a nice touch one of the teachers had brought some pansies to put around some of the older more established trees, we had our normal crew of year 4 kids in the Environmental group and also some older grade 6 helpers.

We were lucky in that its been pouring the past few days but the rain held off for pretty much the entire 2 hours we planted so here is what we put in the Orchard area:

1 x Royal Gala Apple Tree
1 x Golden Delicious Apple Tree
1 x Granny Smith Apple Tree
1 x Josephine Pear Tree
1 x Mariposa Plum Tree
1 x Satsuma Plum Tree
1 x Flavourcrest Peach Tree
1 x Preston Prolific Fig

We also planted in another area as feature trees;

1 x Moorpark Apricot
1 x Hick Fancy Red Mulberry

The soil was shocking, just pure clay probably pushed over to the site from building works years prior, so the school brought in a soil compost mix which we added to the soil. We staked with wooden stakes and stabilised the trees wit hot pink string, then raked over and added straw to the base of the trees

I have also included some pictures of the school veggie garden, it's looking awesome, some plant's I donated and notice they are growing so much better than my own in my veggie garden planted at pretty much the same time! Just that collective green gardening thumbs of the kids and their spirit that goes into gardening and planting I am sure makes them grow better.

They are using no chemicals on the garden so they are pretty much organic and just look incredibly healthy, so please enjoy I have loved working with this garden and hope we can continue to add more sustainable trees and area's for the kids to enjoy being around nature. :)

Winter 2012

I have been very remiss in updating my blog of late but very busy at my massage work, my Philosophy Course, book clubs and attending children's sports! I am also advising my sons Primary School - just as a help to the 2 teachers that run it on Environmental Studies. We have planted out the School veggie garden too with donations from many, although I do note the plants I donated are doing so much better tin the school garden than my own - I feel from community spirit of the children attending to the gardens! We have started a Worm farm from old re used boxes and started a compost and its all coming along well but tomorrow we plant a whole Orchard with 10 fruit trees, if the school allows I shall do a blog page on that also. Also been spending a lot of much deserved time in the garden, and loving it! We have 5 new veggie beds which we made with left over bricks that were stored in the paddock and wooden beams. They are all planted out we were able to fill with compost from the compost beds and only one sat a little low until a friend came over unasked and kindly gave us 6 bags of rotten down bunny poo that had turned into the most delicious compost!

So now all the veggie beds are fully planted out and we are growing this Winter: Rocket, Kale, Pak Choy, Bok Choy, Garlic, Potato's, Spinach, Carrots, Broad Beans, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Potato Onions, Snow Pea's and Red Onions. I may have missed a few things!

I have also added a Mulberry tree to the Orchard today, cannot wait to get some tasty berries, hoping I have planted far enough away from the washing line for those pesky birds that may decide to taste!

Will begin planting seeds in the glasshouses soon,you may remember we were planting in polystyrene boxes with glass sheets over the top. I stored these right next to my chicken run and apparently polystyrene is like chocolate to chickens as they have eaten the entire side to the box!

On that note 2 chickens are laying this year - YAY as we have had to buy eggs for months now, glad they are earning their keep again!

Thank you for reading hope you enjoy the pictures. :)

Talbot Market and the Herb bed

Today I took the teen to the Talbot Market, & how I love that term and being the parent of a teenager for one whole week!!

It was a gorgeous day here in Ballarat and I had heard there was a lady there that had organic seeds (Green Circle Organics) and the food there is divine so after only hearing the night before that it was on we made an inpromteu decision to go.

Didn't regret it one bit! I brought a some treats for the family - A belt for hubby after sizing up a slightly overweight man and asking him his size so I could work out hubbies ;) a wallet as hubbies has also seen better days. A couple of pkts of Pokemon cards for the boys - that is the latest phase, some Yellowbox honey, a Jade plant, some chocolate liquorice - well you do need sustenance, a Curry plant, a French Sorrell plant, Garlic Chive seedlings, Cauliflowers seedins, Pak Choy and Asian veggies seedlings & Kale and Jade Plant (brings good luck) and so many seeds I will need to list!

Garlic Chives
Kale
Cauliflower
Cabbage - Red
Red Onion
Mizuna
Pak Choy
Endive,
Sunflowers
Sweet Pea

I have planted the Endive, Garlic Chives & Mizuna in pots, most of the seeds bar the Spring ones like Sunflowers in the new and exciting glasshouse beds and the seedlings in the actual veggie garden, even though it isn't really the right time to plant by the lunar planting guide. So feel a bit guilty about that! We had an awesome day though, I love these special moments with the one child and we had a lovely Cafe style lunch and scones and creme with a Latte, a must on these occasions I feel.... :) Hope everyone else had as wonderful a weekend as I did!!! I have also taken a photo of the herb garden bed in the trough it's coming along really well with Coriander there, Parsley and Basil, all looking very healthy!

Mini Hot Houses & Autumn happenings

Sorry I haven't had much time to post of late, work has been flat out, however after a lovely evening walk while Ken was putting together a desk for one of my boys we I snuck out to the garden and make some hot houses. I usually use the Bunnings brought greenhouses to grow my seeds, but they don't last I don't really mind a couple of years use and then use the frames to hold the seedling trays however last year it was 4 months use before the plastic tore in a storm so the whole thing was useless and this year decided to take some valuable advise from the Ballarat Permaculture Facebook people and built my own! I got the idea from a link given to me by them;

http://www.urbanfoodgarden.org/main/seed-planting-and-propagation/seedlings/styrofoam-propagation-box-advantages-disadvantages.htm

I have been to a talk by John a few years ago and a tour of his garden and did see these boxes but had forgotten so really excited to finally get a chance to use them. I collected 6 boxes years ago to do this, then promptly forgot the whole concept and they sat in the corner of the shed un-used. I am going to plant some Pak Choy, Bok, Choy, Broccoli and Cauliflower seeds, and off to browse my Phoenix seeds catalogue that arrived this week for more seeds. You will notice in teh pictures it's light and quickly gets dark, I was determined to get this part of the houses finished so I can plant on the weekend!

This week end hoping to plant some see dings - Broccoli, Sprouts and Cauliflower too, and maybe some Winter Lettuce. The beds have all had a good dose of manure and been turned over so ready for planting now. Have my last bed of Corn ready to pick -it not really that yellow though, I am unsure what that means hopefully it's still edible though.

Also have an exciting project coming up, we will re fence the chook pen and regain some garden back to be used for a tank and another 2 veggie beds. Stay tuned....