Chloe's Garden

New Winter Rose

2006-08-27T09:35:00.000+10:00

We were nursery hopping yesterday, and I finally succumbed and bought myself a new Hellebore. I had to - it was in a purple pot! (Glad I don't use that rule all the time, as I would have bought some truly awful plants).

This one is Mrs Betty Ranicar - a double white.

I am just waiting for my others to come into flower, that I bought in April from Post Office Farm Nursery. And I bought a couple of others yesterday at Big W - a white and a white with a pink flush, which I don't think will flower this year.

If I get them all in the same bed, they are well-known for being promiscuous and hybridising happily. Could be fun.

As for the rest of my garden - it is very weedy, as I have been missing in action on other projects. But I do have two beds almost ready for the tommies - except we are still getting frosts, so not yet. And one of the beds needs a lot of gypsum still.

But all my daffodils are out, and are rather beautiful. Once again I need to list what is where, so I can get rid of a few more of the fairly ordinary ones.

But it is definitely the time of the year when getting out into the garden is wonderful fun.

First Jonquil

2006-05-11T08:07:00.000+10:00

Life has been too busy lately, and my garden is showing it. But when it stops raining on my gardening days, I will be back to it soon.

But I just have to stop by to ecord I have my first jonquil flower - and no camera handy!!!!

And it was one of those white ones, not the ones that are usually the first.

Strange.

Green Beans etc

2006-04-09T08:27:00.000+10:00

Right at this time of year, I have green beans (I only grow climbing ones), but not a lot, from my second planting. I generally want to preserve some - my favourite mix is green beans, carrot, cauliflower and capsicum, brined and then into vinegar - see picture.

The problem is I never have enough for a big batch, so then I remembered how they were done when I was a child. They were just picked daily, as they mature quickly, and thrown into a stone crock with salt, and brined. They kept for months - they were just thoroughly rinsed and cooked as per normal.

So I have been picking beans, throwing them into abig glass (ie inert) bottle with salt (I haven't got to the stone crocks yet, although I still have them). When I get enough I then add the other three veggies, and brine the lot overnight and then bottle in spiced vinegar the next day.

Why this comes to mind at the minute, is yesterday I had a magic moment. We have been though a long and difficult medical process with my mother over the past two years, and at the same time a former workmate has had an identical series of appointments, and we kept meeting in towns many hours drive from home with out mothers. Mary's mother is Macedonian.

Yesterday was the last appointment, and we added a very feisty elderly German woman and her daughter to the mix, as we all waited for appointments running an hour and a half late. Mary's Mum was a very avid veggie gardener and put a lot of sauce and preserves down. And so did the German lady and her daughter. So there we were, discussing methods in all countries, swapping recipes (although Mary's Mum and I started this a few appointments ago) and engaging in general hilarity.

The long-term brineing of green beans was common in Germany, not heard of in Macedonia. So I asked my mother where she got it from, as it doesn't seem to be something common. "Did you learn it from your Mother?". "No - your father taught me it".

Conversation just kept getting louder and louder in the waiting room, everyone was throwing in recipes and tips, and it was almost a disappointment when we got our time with the specialist.

Has anyone else struck long-term bringing of green beans as a way of preserving them? Curious minds want to know.

And if anyone wants details of exactly how these veggies are bottled - drop me a line.

Catching up again

2006-04-09T07:30:00.000+10:00

I have heaps of catching up to do - the Wanderers have hatched and flown while I wasn't watching, we have eaten our last tomatoes, and still have cucumbers and beans. Capsicums were a failure this year. Maybe they wanted watering.

But my big news is that I got to the Garden Show in Melbourne, for a couple of hours, and had a lovely walk around in the rain and wind.

And bought myself three Hellebores - I love Hellebores. And now that I have found a webpage for Post Office Farm Nursery at Woodend, I may be impoverished for ever. If you have a look at this page, I got the blackish, the plum-purple and the white.

The Garden Show was interesting - I haven't been for years. Lots and lots of places selling the same bulbs (only one had anything resembling a white daffodil or blue ixia, and do you think now I can remember which it was), and not a packet of seeds to be seen. Lots of trendy stonework stuff and things like that.

But speaking of white daffodils - look what I found yesterday in Go-Lo. Not pure white, but very nice. And the price, being Go-Lo, was also very nice - $2.99 for 3.5 bulbs. I just hope they grow.

Kitsch in the Garden

2006-03-22T19:38:00.000+11:00

Sometimes a girl just gotta do what a girl gotta do.

I went to the Lions Garage Sale a week or so ago, and just had to take this home for fifty cents. I don't have a lot of ornaments in the garden - three dragons and one gargoyle, all carefully hidden.

This one is a light plastic biscuit barrel, and I reckon if I fill it with stones and carefully secrete it somewhere in the garden it will last for a couple of years before it disintegrates.

And will be little bit of fun for just about the right amount of time.

What do others reckon???? Bearing in mind that my garden is definitely a Gnome-free zone. I infinitely prefer quirky ornaments rather than mass-produced ones.

(And all Fairy Fishing rods gone - and there were lots - some went to work with me Tuesday, and the rest went to a trading table for Save the Children. Now, what will I dig out this week - it makes a change from cucumbers to give away).

Fairy Fishing Rods

2006-03-19T22:19:00.000+11:00

Maureen was asking for more details - It is Dierama pulcherrimum - one of the Iridaceae. There is a picture in the link. It has bulbs a little like Gladioli, and they stack up, one on top of another. My beloved, who dug them out for me, reckons they had been there ten years, by his count of the bulbs - I think it was more like fifteen!

And, on a sadder note - my beloved was helping me today by doing some whipper-snipping. And Mary Queen of Scots has just been beheaded for the second time. Think I will have to put some worthwhile markers up. :(

More in the Barrow

2006-03-18T15:46:00.000+11:00

I've just been putting more out in the barrow. There is a magnificent white iris, and a semi-dwarf mauve one. Both are beautiful.

Tomorrow, with any luck, there is going to be a real lot of pink Fairy Fishing Rod going out. I need to move it out of the shade and divide it up.

Catapillars are Pupae

2006-03-12T18:13:00.000+11:00

Well, that was quick!

Thursday I was sure there was nothing there.

Friday there were catapillars.

Yesterday they had almost all disappeared. I was hoping the birds hadn't got them.

Then I found this one:

It had attached itself to the outside power point I use for the mulcher, and could not be gently removed. The tail was attached, and it hung thee all day in this position. I was watching it, and wanted to see exactly how it pupated. Late last night it was still like that.

And this morning it was like this:

I have found two more hidden in a nearby Rosemary bush.

I just hope I am around when they come out, but I don't like my chances. These ones are sneaky.

And I had to use that power point yesterday. I hope it doesn't produce some sort of "Super Monarch

Wanderer / Monarch Butterflies

2006-03-11T21:59:00.000+11:00

Here is a website for the Butterfly.

It gives it as uncommon for Victoria - I have never had a problem attracting them when I have the right plant growing - the Swan Plant. But not a lot of people grow them now.

So I have seeds at the minute, for anyone wanting them.

The Barrow is out

2006-03-11T20:43:00.000+11:00

Quick Notice for Locals and Alice

The barrow is out on the nature strip, with excess bulbs, irises, speciality onions etc. Locals - please feel free to come and get bits. There is a jar in there for donations for the Community House, but don't feel you have to. More going out tomorrow (Sunday).

And Alice - can you drop me an e-mail with your snail-mail address???? Please. Catherine S and Maxine - parcels in the mail to you on Tuesday.

Wanderers

2006-03-10T23:58:00.000+11:00

The Wanderers (Monarch Butterflies) didn't come at all last year, and I was beginning to despair of them at for this year. But I walked past this morning, and there they were.

There isn't a lot of my Swan Plant left, but who cares.

Hang in there - the chrysalis comes next.

Mud Wasps Again

2006-02-17T11:21:00.000+11:00

The Mud Wasps are at it again. Doing strange things.

This is what is in the car port:

I am not sure that I have ever seen one like this before, looking all like a Mud Triffid. (Yes, the plant Triffid is out at the minute, so it must be the season).

Here is last year's nest, so it looks like each spider (I think it is), with wasp eggs laid in it, goes in a particular chamber.

So maybe, just maybe I have caught this before the final layer of mud goes on, and all those little tubes are incorporated into the big nest.

Seeing what they did last year, I will be waiting in anticipation

And trying to catch up on my garden posts - not a lot of time lately, for gardening or posting, but have a few things saved up to talk about.

But gotta go and finish batch two of sauce first.

Local blog

2006-01-25T20:05:00.000+11:00

Hi Everyone,

Not a lot to write about at the minute, except it is exceptionally hot and all gardening time is taken up with target watering.

But I thought a few of my overseas readers might like to have a look at Duncan's blog - he lives about ten minutes from me, and we share the same view of the mountain at the top of his blog.

He writes mainly about birdlife, and always has wonderful photos.

And it looks like Spike has been visiting there too.

Happy Birthday to Me

2006-01-15T08:46:00.000+11:00

Oooh - just quickly I am one. :)

One year ago, today, I started off my garden blog. This is going to be fun from now on, as I really can see if I was ahead or behind last year.

The Galtonias are definitely slower this year, even though the tomatoes are ahead.

But I have got a lot of beds cleared in that year.

And met a lot of other lovely gardeners - thank you to all my Readers - love you all.

(Even if we didn't celebrate the Summer Solstice by singing together. It got right by me. So I never harvested my onions on the longest day. But they are up now.)

Gotta Run!

It's Official - it's early

2006-01-07T18:41:00.000+11:00

It is official - this season is much earlier than last year. I thought I wouldn't have a record, as I didn't begin this blog until later in the month - but I have just checked my Stillroom Journal (ie cheap exercise book I have kept for a few years).

Today was my first day of having enough tomatoes to boil up for the freezer - both Romas and a few Grosse Lisse. Last year the first freeze-up was 10 February - and it was only Romas, as there were no Grosee Lisse ready.

So that is a whole month early, which really is significant.

The only reason I can come up with is that we didn't have late frosts, so I got the tommies in early, and they didn't get a check on their growth.

I wonder if that is it.

The other date to note - three days ago the first juvenile Harlequin Bugs were sighted.

Bugger!

Cherry Tomatoes

2006-01-04T20:56:00.000+11:00

Oh Dear, I do feel for Calidore, who doesn't have ripe tomatoes yet. While I probably couldn't feed a family your size, but we are several salads ahead now, and one of the "mainstream" (ie in the garden, not the cheating ones along the corrugated iron shed) has been fruiting for a while.

To such an extent that we are going to have a lot, soon, and I need ideas. We don't use them a lot for freezing (too much skin to flesh ratio).

I would have thought, in the warmer climate, you would be going fine by now. Except I have just been looking at my blog, and I started on 15th January last year, and even then I was talking about "only a few tomatoes fruiting" then. It seems to be about a week earlier this year.

So - can anyone come up with some good ways to use Cherry Tomatoes??? Apart from Greek Salad (toms, fetta, iceberg lettuce and olives, with dressing), and halving them about an hour before and tossing in very finely cut fresh basil???

I do have one salad, which is cherry toms, blue vein cheese, cos lettuce and fresh croutons, with a home-made dressing, that is to die for.

But anyone else got any good ways to use up excess Cherry Tomatoes????

Hot and Windy

2006-01-03T18:32:00.000+11:00

It is hot and windy - summer is here. But despite that, the kitchen garden is not looking bad.

The large size is HERE.

First Grosse Lisse tomatoes picked yesterday, and very nice they were, too. And plenty of climbing beans - you can see them on the archway.

Feeling Cheated

2005-12-29T21:47:00.000+11:00

I admit I feel cheated.

For two lovely days, despite the heat, I have been working in the garden, and following the Boxing Day Test Match. (Memo to non-Australian readers – a game of cricket against South Africa, due to go over five days).

I also admit I am a fan of the longer game – five days of following the twists and turns of a test, while gardening, is my idea of heaven.

And now it looks like it will be four days and a couple of balls tomorrow and it will be over.

Blast – I shall have to resort to playing CDs. Not nearly as much fun.

At least today I got my first ripe Roma tomato.

And the garden is almost covered in a mulch of the smoke from the Smoke Bush.

And a lot of the weeds are under control.

Even if the Australian Cricket team is not.

Getting New Bed

2005-12-29T06:23:00.000+11:00

Well, it is almost like getting a new bed. Can you see the Lime Tree at back right in this pic???

Well, for a lot of reasons, that Lime Tree had to go. And moving it was not an option.

So, this is what that bed looks like now:

That bed is mostly clay, spread out on top of the soil years ago from the footings when an extension went in. I have worked on it on and off over the years, but the time has come now to get serious.

I don't think I will get a crop in there this season - I have to get the Oxalis out first, amongst other things.

But the Lime Tree isn't shading the other beds now, and I can get a clear run at it. It never successfully fruited - had hundreds of tiny limes that always just dropped off.

Out with the compost!

And my first Tiger Lily came out today. But gosh, the garden is dry.

Christmas in the Garden

2005-12-27T09:08:00.000+11:00

What is Christmas in the Garden???? I have been thinking about this, as there is something very like Cherry Plums out on a street tree I have spotted. They cannot be real Cherry Plums, as those trees are huge.

And years ago, they were the Christmas fruit. Every house had a Cherry Plum tree, as they were so easy to propagate. Just grab a seedling from under someone's tree.

And they came into fruit right at Christmas, and were just the right colour. I knew a lot of oldies in the bush, who knew Cherry Plums as the Christmas fruit.

The others are the flowers. For some, it is they must have a bunch of Hydrangeas in the house for Christmas. For some - Lavender, which is at its peak too, and wonderful everywhere in my garden.

For some it is Agapanthus, which are at their peak now - here are mine, which are a wonderful, deep blue. Surrounded by self-sown Larkspur.

Must move them - They were stuck in the Veggie garden as a sort of intensive care, to make sure I kept them when I got a small clump. But there are enough to divide now, and I need them to go somewhere else. Maybe along the back of the veggie garden, where it is too dry and shady for veggies.

Gardening with the Angels

2005-12-21T13:52:00.000+11:00

Yesterday, my beautiful Mother-in-Law, who loved her garden and her pot plants as much as she loved her sewing, went to garden with the Angels. Flo was 92, and even up to her 90th birthday, she was still tending her garden. After that, I would go to the home where she was, and she and I would garden there.

I am taking a little time off, and will be back after Christmas.

Merry Christmas

2005-12-17T10:33:00.000+11:00

I won't be blogging again until after Christmas - so I hope all my readers have a wonderful Christmas - even full of rain! (Looking at the blogs in the USA, I could not bear a white Christmas, where you don't have access to the garden for months because of snow).

The Christmas Lilies are out - may the Peace and Joy of the Season be with You All.

Pandorea

2005-12-15T14:30:00.000+11:00

This is for Googs (who I have just enjoyed a real lunch with)

This is the Pandorea jasminoides at our place. My main problem with it being similar to your plant is that no matter where I look, it only has three leaflets along each leaf (and one at the end), never four like in your picture.

But I still think this is somewhere near what you have - it may be you have a cultivar of this growing in ideal conditions, whereas ours is hot and dry.

This is half of the seed capsule - they make lovely little boats:

Anyone got any idea about Googs' plant?????

Introducing Spike

2005-12-10T19:58:00.000+11:00

It is blowing a gale out in the garden - but the Lavender is coming out and the Christmas Lilies are just lovely. And the Gladiolis too.

And I have spotted Spike. Or his brother or sister. Spike can occasionally be found in my garden, I think from the block next door - although they are not usually common in urban areas like ours. This one was just down the road

From experience, you avoid these (it is a Spiny Echidna, for those overseas), as if you hit one with your car the spikes will flatten your tyres. Ask me how I know. Which makes them a bit different to the Wombats which are a little more common on our roads. (Translation for those overseas - Wombat = large boulder on four legs. In the bush can suddenly jump in front of your car at night with no warning. Ask me about Hoop Snakes some time).

When at all alarmed the Echidna just rolls into a ball, and presents spikes on all fronts. They are really very timid little animals.

Here is Spike a little closer, looking for ants in the table drain at the side of the road.

You were asking....

2005-12-06T18:14:00.000+11:00

Someone out there was asking about the Tree Onions - here they are, in close-up:

and in even closer-up:

I have been told the trick is to grow from the tops one year and the bottom the next, tops the year after that etc. It apparently gets you more of the little onions on the tops. I sort of follow that, but not exactly. I put in both each year, and always have lots, not matter what they come from.

I will have spare little tops for anyone who wants to have a go at growing them - they are fun, but not an increadibly good onion - they are small and have a dry stalk up the centre.

And here, just for my father, whose birthday it would have been today, is a Dahlia. He loved growing them, and I haven't grown them for years, but I was given this one, and just stuck it in a corner. These were his favourites - dinner plate size.

And the first Christmas Lily came out today.

(Sorry I cannot remember who asked for the closeups. I really appreciate the comments, but with the speed of my life at the minute I am not getting a chance to respond to them - but believe me - I do read them. Soon I might get to go back and check for any questions)