Chloe's Gardens

New Holland Honeyeaters

2012-01-09T07:28:00.002+11:00

We have lots of new Holland Honeyeaters in the garden. At times we can count nine at once without even trying. They love the grevilleas, but especially the G. petrophiloides. There are usually heaps more flowers than this - it has just had an annual pruning.

Much Excitement!

2012-01-08T16:08:00.003+11:00

Much excitement here.

Only about three sleeps to go.

Why? Here is a clue.

Exit Gymea

2012-01-07T12:31:00.002+11:00

There goes the Gymea.

The head went into the hopper, and now it is all beautiful mulch.

We are having a big cleanup. Big, big news soon.

Hello 2012

2011-12-31T21:41:00.000+11:00

There was I, announcing my return to 2012, when I lost the whole post. Memo - save as you go!

I am back. My garden, which I have loved and grown for 25 years was handed to new owners on 25 November, and I only managed to take a few cuttings and pots with me. From being a carer of a garden (not mine!) in the past, where I had care of 900 roses, I am now down to three. How DO you choose what to take with you and what to leave. Just ask me!

In the meantime, I am now living permanently in a garden where I have been on a part-time basis for 14 years, so it is not totally new to me. This garden is mainly natives and veggies. Here is our highlight for the year, with the Gymea lily flowering.

My old garden is HERE, and my new one HERE.

Back soon to introduce you to more of my garden. Happy new year to everyone for 2012, and may if bring you 100% germination on your seeds!

Tree Onions

2011-08-21T12:05:00.001+10:00

Tree Onions offer is open again - although it is a little after optimum planting time. There are both bulblets and offsets available, until 15 September 2011, or if all gone first.

Only way I will send them is if you e-mail me for my snail mail address, and then send me a pre-paid 500gm plastic mailing bag.

Please do not ask for them after that - I will post again if I have more after this year.

We are on the market

2010-12-11T19:34:00.003+11:00

The house (and garden) are finally on the market. As you can see, the Smoke Bush (more like a tree), is in full bloom.

The house is really difficult to photograph because of the garden along the front - the agent's photos actually show it from the rear. But the Silky Oak is looking good.

Here's another view of the front:

The Fairy Fishing Rods are out at the minute - will post some views of the Kitchen Garden in a few days.

They are advertising it as "Lovely Garden" - but I wonder if anyone will realise just how lovely - it changes so much during the year.

The Veggie Garden

2010-10-17T08:54:00.002+11:00

Spring is here, and we have been making a determined effort in the Veggie Garden. This is the one where I will be growing my tommies in future. The beds have been cleared out, and we are making pilgrimages up the highway to the place where they put out the horse manure at $2.50 a bag. That is good value, but I am going to miss having poddie calves next door - I really think cow manure is the best of the lot.

This garden is surrounded by a dense planting of natives, which are having a stunning spring with all our rain (about three inches over the last week). The honeyeaters are everywhere.

Saying Goodbye to a Garden

2010-10-04T19:28:00.000+11:00

It is over 12 months since I have blogged this garden - for the past five months I have not been able to garden after a knee injury in the garden - so now it is looking sad - but very springlike.

We are just a few weeks away from putting this house and garden onto the market, and I am relocating to a wonderful native garden that I have worked on for the past ten years, with serious veggie garden.

But it means this garden, which I started to plant 24 years ago, is going to be sold.

So right now, it means I need to choose what I am going to take with me - hopefully the cottage garden stuff that is most important will be finding a new home at Old Gippstown.

Like these Sparaxias. The orange and white ones have been hybridising all over the place by themselves for the past few years. Once each colour is isolated, it then keeps true to that colour. There is one in this group that is such a deep red, it is almost black.

So I have been picking out the nicest, and lift them to grow on next year.

Cabbage Time

2009-09-12T15:19:00.002+10:00

It is Cabbage time at Our Place. No photos - only a lament that it has taken until this age to discover this way of preparing it:

Finely slice desired quantity of Cabbage.

Grate a Carrot or two.

Finely slice some bacon and lightly fry in a spot of oil in large saucepan (with available lid)

Throw in Cabbage, Carrot and a good pinch of Coriander Seeds, plus no more than a quarter of a cup of water.

Gently cook for about ten to fifteen minutes with lid on saucepan.

Eat!

Wonderful with mashed potatoes and sausages. Make a bit more of the spud and cabbage, and it makes a stunning bubble and squeak for brekkie.

Back from Hibernation

2009-08-30T09:46:00.002+10:00

I've been hibernating over winter - except for looking after the Broad Beans and Onions.

Time to wake up, get the Green Manure in, get the Mulch on, and start planting.

The system I have now developed is that I only fork over my beds twice a year - once when I plant the green manure, and once when I dig it in. I now pull my green manure, dig a trench, cut the green manure into it (so it doesn't shoot again), and cover the trench. That is the second dig-over for the year. I then dig the next trench beside the last one.

It was only towards the end (not photographed), that I added some refinements:

Firstly, I jumped the fence (note the bag, it is barbed wire), and collected a few barrow-loads from the neighbours. This was added to the trenches with the manure.

And I discovered that if I put the soil from the first trench in the barrow, threw the soil from the second into the first, and used the barrow load to fill the last ....... it saved a heck of a lot of work!

The mulch is now on, the brew is cooking, and some seeds are in. Tommie seeds into punnets next!

Limes with Frost Bite?

2009-07-19T21:51:00.002+10:00

This happened once before, a couple of years ago. I had a heavy crop of limes (seems to happen every second year), and all of a sudden they started to turn grey in patches and go rotten on the tree. I thought then it was some sort of fungal disease.

It has just happened again, and this time I have twigged. About a week ago there were a couple of very heavy frosts.

I think they have got frostbite. Even though there is no rhyme or reason for which part it gets - those in the centre of the tree are just as susceptible as those on the outside, sometimes it is around the stem, sometimes not.

They have been going up to the local cafe by the basket load, where there is a sign with "Free Limes" on it, and people take them home. Guess these ones are going in the compost.

The rest on the tree will be going out too - just I haven't had time to pick them all.

Has anyone else had this happen to them?

I'm Back

2009-07-18T19:06:00.002+10:00

I'm back after my winter blogging break. Time to dig in the green manure, so time to get blogging.

After I wave to Alice. Hi Alice!

Time too, to introduce everyone to the new neighbours.

I came home one day a couple of weeks ago, and there they were.

Ever since then, they have been helping me prune the Lemon Tree. And I notice they are handily depositing manure in one spot (where they sit in the shade on frosty days and chew their cuds. And I thought sheep were stupid!). I will be jumping the fence soon with a bucket.

In the meantime, I have started work on the Winter Veggie Garden.

At the minute I am working on digging in Green Manure, and finalising compost tanks so I have somewhere for next season's pumpkins.

More Pumpkin photos

2009-05-07T18:16:00.002+10:00

It was too much for me - here are two more photos, taken with time to position things a little better.

Total for the year - 46 pumpkins. There were 28 last year, and I thought that was good!

First Frost

2009-05-07T08:11:00.001+10:00

First frost was the night of 30 April - so it just made it into that month. And it was a corker. That's the end of the pumpkins.

So I picked the last of them:

Hint to photographers - choose your shallowest barrow - it makes it look much more impressive.

Change of Seasons

2009-04-17T21:11:00.003+10:00

It definitely is the change of season time. Today I dug out a whole heap of tomatoes that were not ripening, and gave the lot away to pickles makers.

This is what Bed #1 looks like now:

This is what it looked like in December - before I had exactly worked out my photo naming system, so I am unsure of the date (I edit pics and lose the date taken)

There is one thing this has taught me, for sure. It is that I need to stand at the same place (ie a set place each end) and take the same photograph, month by month. Even now, I cannot believe how much there was in this garden in December and January.

Tree Onions all Gone

2009-04-16T14:31:00.001+10:00

The Tree Onion bulblets for this year have all gone. My Beloved wanted to try pickling some (in Beetroot Juice), as cocktail onions. He didn't like them, but it considerably reduced the number I had available.

If you would like some next year, you can register with me by e-mail and you will be top of the list for the next lot.

Random Thoughts on Green Tomato Pickles

2009-04-12T19:49:00.001+10:00

We have spent most of Easter making an in-depth study of Green Tomato Pickles. The bushes are all still loaded (mainly the Romas), but they are not ripening, and the beds are needed. So out they come.

Waste not, want not.

So we have made two batches and are on the third.

All recipes seem to be a combination of tomatoes, onions and sometimes capsicum/peppers - usually red for colour.

Brining seems to be either wet (salt and water) or dry (just salt). What gets me is that a number of recipes don't suggest you wash the vegetables after brining. Imagine the overpowering salt that would be in them!

The vinegar and sugar (very high) seem around the same, but the spices vary. The first one I used had fresh ginger in it, which I liked. But there is also paprika, curry, mustard and powdered allspice.

So the batch we are making now is that of my Beloved's late Mother - and it is fascinating to see how few spices are in there - just curry (lots!) and turmeric (also lots). Thinking about it, he feels his mother would have had very few spices in her armoury - probably mustard, curry, probably not even paprika. Fascinating.

Has anyone heard of any of any other vegetables routinely added to Green Tomato Pickles?

(And yes, we did make a batch of Spicy Mustard Pickles in there - cauliflower, green beans, corn, onion and capsicums. We only had to buy the cauliflower.)

I can feel a batch of Zucchini pickles coming up - if we don't run out of bottles.

Keeping Records

2009-04-09T19:24:00.002+10:00

Long time, no blogging. Life has been busy in the garden, but it is only with the Easter break that I am finding a little time again. And today, only after getting two large batches of pickles on to brine.

So, because I am at work in the kitchen, my mind has turned to record keeping. Years ago I tried keeping a paper diary for the garden, but it was too difficult. The only one I keep now is an exercise book in which I make notes about which pickles and sauce recipes I use - and how I vary them, what we think of them etc. That book has been going since 2000, and is really useful. My Beloved also has an exercise book in which he scrawls some details when he plants seeds.

The other thing that I have now settled on, is how I name and keep photographs. I have a folder just for garden photographs, within my photographs. Then, within each one, I create a folder for the month, naming it with the year and month. This month is 2009-04. That way the folders are always in order. There are also a few sub-folders in the main directory for themes such as Irises, when I am trying to work out which one is where.

Within the folder for the month, I name the photographs with the date taken, down to the day. Then each one taken that day is given a letter of the alphabet. This photograph is 2009-03-21h. In other words, it was taken on 21 March this year. That way I can compare the progress for this month with the same time last year.

So my main record now is this blog, which has been going for a few years. This is where I put odd comments about the unusual - such as that in our first year of growing Amish Paste tomatoes, which look a bit like Ox Heart, that this year it has grown a complete second crop. I picked the first, it flowered again, and I now have another heavy crop on one bush. All my other bushes for the Amish Paste

Has anyone else had that happen with Ox Heart / Amish Paste?

This was the second crop a few weeks ago - it is much heavier now.

And my first crop of green manure is in. I was quite impressed with it last year, so tried to get it in earlier this year than June.

Autumn is Here

2009-03-26T17:39:00.003+11:00

Chookie was asking how we know autumn is here. In my case, it is usually the Autumn Crocus coming up.

This year the first one was on the 20th February - and then all the rest waited until 25 March. So I am confused.

Except the ornamental grape started to change colour, about a week or so ago. That is one of my other first indicators of autumn.

The other annual indicator I use around this time is, as soon as the first petals come out on the Tree Dahlia, the first frost will arrive. So I never seem to get a good show on them any more, as they are cut down before their prime. And that may not work this year anyway, as in the heatwave a month or so ago, the Tree Dahlias were totally destroyed. Or so I thought.

But no - they are back again, as good as ever, but probably very confused about when they are supposed to flower. So it will be "wait and see".

The season is dry - so I am glad to announce I have found a good way to have water out for the Bees. They soak water up, rather than drink it, which is why they can often be found on mud at the edge of water. I have tried using cloth and sponges in the bird bath, but without luck. Then I lucked on this:

This is a cheap flower from a cheap shop - a sort of thin spongy plastic, that once was purple. The bees are very attached to it, as it gives a lot of spots where they can suck the water up. It seems to me that, as it ages and breaks down, it becomes more popular - or maybe they are just finding it difficult to find water elsewhere.

Or maybe they have a sort of "map" of how to find it now - bees return to the hive and carry out a complex dance that lets other bees know where they have found nectar - maybe they do the same for water. I wonder if there are bees within a hive tasked to find water, and others to find nectar?

So don't forget to leave water out for the bees. And experiment around to find a platform from which they can soak it up.

Lovely idea

2009-03-22T14:11:00.003+11:00

Have just been watching Gardening Australia. Josh in WA has a brilliant worm farm - it is an old bath where the top is just a hinged lid of boards. It doubles as a garden seat. My worms eat stuff so quickly I don't have an odour problem, so it looks good. He has interior liners, and is running two different lots - I would possibly go for three.

I assume the liquid runs out the liner and out through the plug hole - where you have something handy to catch it.

Wish he had put a photo on there.

There are few words

2009-02-13T14:27:00.002+11:00

Vale

Geoffrey Walker,

Gardener, Flower Judge and Historian

who died with his parents Faye and Bill in their garden at Narbethong

Soot in the Bird Bath, Sunday Morning

I was in Cockatoo in 1983, working over Easter clearing blocks with a team of young people. What we all remember is the Belladonnas coming up through the wreckage, bright splotches of pink in the black. My first Belladonna for this year came up Monday morning.

We are all fine, and at varying distances from varying fires.
This blog will resume some time soon.

First Tomato Boil Down

2009-01-25T09:25:00.003+11:00

Today is a Most Significant Day in our garden calendar. It is the First Tomato Boil Down.

This is the day when we have too many ripe tomatoes to eat, so we boil them down and freeze them, in today's case until we have enough for the first quantity of sauce.

We have been keeping preserving records since 2001, although the data did not really get comparable until 2005. And this is what we have found for the First Boil Down Day.

10.02.2005 First boil down, mainly Romas

07.01.2006 First boil down, mainly Romas, a few Grosse Lisse. We knew that was a really
early year.

28.01.2007 First boil down, mainly Romas

16.01.2008 First boil down, mainly Romas. This was the best year in memory - usually we
eat the last boiled down ones (ie use is pasta etc) about August. This year they
lasted until New Year's Day in 2009 - and we still have tomato soup left.

25.01.2009 First boil down - mainly Earliest of Them All. The Romas are all still green, and
the Grosse Lisse are an almost total failure. The Amish Paste are not far away.

This is them - we find they are a true climber, and have taken the top out now. next year they will go up a really tall trellis, if we can find one.

And memo: don't plant tomatoes on red stakes, or use red ties. It makes it really hard to sort out the ripe tomatoes.

It doesn't get much better ...

2009-01-25T08:17:00.003+11:00

It doesn't get much better than this

Take

Two cobs of corn, lightly pre-cook and strip

1 zucchini, middle sized, grated

1 spring onion, finely sliced

2 home grown spuds (as were the above), grated

2 beaten eggs, dash of milk, plain flour to thicken, salt and pepper to taste - all unfortunately shop-bought.

Throw in some sliced, cooked bacon

Mixed all and cook in lightly greased pan.

Eat at any time of day. Throw a few in the freezer, once cooked, for snacks and BBQs

Think I might stock up the freezer. Summer is here.

The Galtonias are Here

2009-01-17T18:37:00.004+11:00

The Galtonias are here - so I am off to add them to Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - just a little bit late.

I love my Galtonias, and they are so easy to grow. Hopefully I will have seeds available this year for anyone in Australia who would like some (as long as you know I can send seeds to you from Victoria).

Late Note: Since a few people obviously haven't met these before, I went outside and measured them. The tallest is 1.25 metres high. These are the giants of the snowdrop world. They are growing in full sun in my Kitchen Garden.

Sweet Corn Update

2009-01-11T06:07:00.003+11:00

I am grateful to Val Webb on Kitchen Gardeners International who has pointed me to the Ohio State University poster of Abnormal Corn Ears, where a similar condition is described a "Tassel Ear". There is more HERE.

Ours are definitely on "tillers", side shoots to the main stem. There is no useful corn on those side stems.

I now suspect we have so many tillers as the soil is too rich. In both gardens the crops have followed the green manure cycle, in one of them there was also horse manure added. The corn loved it so much it thought it would throw in a few extra side shoots.

Reading further, we find that some hybrid varieties are more susceptible to tillering under certain conditions, although these are not specified.

So there, I think, we have it. Unfortunately we have just put in another lot of seedlings of that variety, but they will be the last.

What is Happening to the Sweet Corn ???

2009-01-10T14:17:00.004+11:00

What is happening to the Sweet Corn?

Cobs are growing out the tops, where the Pollen Anthers usually are found. And the cobs are mixed in with the anthers. These cobs don't have husks, either.

When I first saw them, I thought "looks like weedicide drift to me".

Then I found it in both my gardens, 80 km apart.

And saw a reference somewhere, on someone else's blog, to it happening to them.

So, is it happening to anyone else?

Ours are DT Brown's "Kelvedon Glory F1" that we have grown from seed. If it is happening to you - are you growing the same variety, or is it only happening with "Kelvedon Glory F1", no matter who is the supplier?

Curious Minds want to Know. Because we do not like it.

Here is another shot:

We have done nothing to these to interfere with husks etc - they are as they are growing, on top of the plant. In verrrrry rich soil, I have to admit.

New online Australian Gardening Group

2009-01-10T07:44:00.003+11:00

There is a new online Australian group at Kitchen Gardeners International.

It is Gardening in Australia - obviously with a Kitchen Garden focus. Not a lot of members yet (eight as I write), but it does look to have potential.

Update on Toilet Rolls Experiments

2009-01-02T14:06:00.002+11:00

An update on the toilet rolls experiments:

The mustard in the toilet rolls all died. The rolls can dry out easily, and coupled with some slugs, the whole lot bit the dust.

The Watermelon seedlings are still showing the same difference.

The one grown in a punnet and transplanted is on the left, the one grown in and planted in the toilet roll is on the right. The difference is mirrored in another tub, which only has two from punnets, which are as small as the smaller one here (if you follow).

New Conundrum:

This is Russian Tarragon, planted side by side. The ones in the toilet roll centre are doing fine, the ones in a long roll that we cut up (from the centre of a roll of fabric), are hardly moving.

My first reaction was to put the pH metre over everything (knowing from another life how acidic cardboard can be). Every roll tested is so near seven (neutral) that there is no appreciable difference.

So, as far as I am concerned, there is something nasty in the non-toilet roll.

Another thing is - have a look at the little toadstools growing along the edge in this poor photo:

We sort of figured that there is fungus growing all through the soil, most of it probably beneficial - we definitely need it in our compost heap. This one doesn't seem to be effecting the seedlings, so we aren't too stressed.

Therefore, our general feeling with toilet rolls so far is:

The bigger the seed, the better they seem to grow in them. We like them for Sweet Corn, Cucurbits and Beans. All have worked well in them, other things not so well.

We have also pulled up some of the Rocket that was planted in the little jiffy peat pots.

Although the roots obviously got through the jiffy pots, the plants were still a little root bound, and the pots didn't break down all that well. There wasn't a large, healthy root system.

One of the few plants that has been pulled out from toilet rolls - excess Zucchini, no photo, sorry - the toilet roll had completely broken down and the roots were good and widespread.

So that is it at the minute - toilet rolls for large seeds, and we will see how things progress.

Salad of the Day

2009-01-02T14:04:00.000+11:00

Today's salads included

Several small Zucchini, sliced across, thinly

Several small radishes, sliced across thinly

French dressing (fresh lemon juice - although I sometimes use lime) and an equal quantity of good olive oil.

Brilliant!

More Allotments

2008-12-28T10:27:00.002+11:00

Should you wish to have the simple joy of looking at some wonderful photographs - especially sheds, and towards the end, the gardeners, go to

Leyton Allotment Society. It is in England, not sure where. But beautiful to look at, if you are a true gardener.

Which reminds me - have you ever been photographed at work in your garden? I haven't, as I hate being photographed, and I like taking them. I only have one of my father at work in his, unfortunately behind the rotary hoe - but I do treasure it, as it is him in his chosen environment.

Maybe we need to go out and do it - not that we have to post them. Just go out and do it though (or have it done, to be more correct). And archive it safely away.

Waiting on Galtonia

2008-12-27T14:33:00.003+11:00

Waiting on Godot has nothing on waiting on Galtonias. The buds are just sitting there - I think they are one of my favourite flowers - you can see one on the top lefthand corner of this blog.

I love growing them from seed, which they do easily, but it takes them a couple of years to flower.

I have also been asked if I will share the seeds from the Blue Chinese Forget-Me-Not. So I have agreed in one case, but that is probably all the spare seed I will have this year, as I want to re-establish them fairly widely.

But I will have Galtonia seeds in a couple of months. All I ask is that you send me a stamped, self-addressed envelope. I will give out my e-mail address when they are available, write to me then off-blog, and I will give you an address to send it to.

Tree Onions II

2008-12-26T07:58:00.000+11:00

I have been harvesting the Tree Onions. It was supposed to happen on the longest day, but it is only a few days late.

It is always interesting to find out who is reading the blog - so if any of you anonymous readers out there would like a few to grow, drop me a line at kapana[at]netspace[dot]net[dot]au. The only caveat is that you have to be in Australia, and you have to be sure you are allowed to receive plant material from Victoria - I think that counts the Sandgrophers out, sorry.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T05:57:00.002+11:00

Merry Christmas, Everyone.

It is Christmas morning here, and in a quiet time, before anyone else is up, I have been out on the net looking at shed and garden photographs.

So, just to share a little beauty - have a look at THIS (I am off to the Op Shop, as soon as it re-opens, to see what I can find that will do something similar).

And, if you have the time, work through the photographs of the Liverpool Allotments. Especially if you are into sheds. I guess I am lucky, having my own "dirt" on which to garden. But I guess I would be lucky, too, if I was on an allotment and sharing with like-minded people.

And I used the word "dirt" in "talkies", as another thing my father would say was "Dirt gets on your face. You are working in SOIL"

May your Christmas be Joyous, Peaceful and Meaningful. Lots of fun. And full of food you have grown yourself. And maybe Santa brought you some new tools? He bought me some nice new pots yesterday. Thanks Santa!

Chinese Forget-me-Not

2008-12-24T08:32:00.000+11:00

I had Chinese Forget-me-Not years ago - Cynoglossum amabile. The blue is so intense it cannot be caught on camera. And then I lost it, in the weeds. Usually it is as hardy as it comes, but I lost it. I think I have seen it in pink and white too, but the blue is the common one, and would have to be my preferred one.

Then I found it growing out the front of one of the quirkier nurseries in a nearby town, but they didn't have it in stock. So out they went, and dug some up for me, and it transplanted well. And they didn't even charge.

Like other Forget-me-Nots, it has a really sticky seed - and I will be sticking these in everywhere, now that I have them again.

Christmas Flowers

2008-12-23T19:07:00.002+11:00

I have been wandering around shops full of Poinsettias, where I am supposed to be convinced that they are the flowers of Christmas. Which got me thinking - what are the real flowers of Christmas in the southern hemisphere? Looking around my garden, there are four that are always there for me, but this year they are going a little slower due to the cool weather and the rain.

Lavender - I always have a drift along the front of the house, and some in the Kitchen Garden to attract bees.

Gladioli - I always have a sheaf inside for Christmas - I will probably just manage these two lemon ones peeping out, if I am lucky. Although I notice some out in full in nearby towns.

Agapanthus - they are out everywhere now. I don't grow the common one, but have a very dark one that is a stunning blue, although not as prolific. It will just make it out in time.

And Hydrangeas - when there is enough water (there has been plenty this year, but not enough time to re-pot the ones in pots), they are always at their peak.

There are, of course, lots of beautiful Australian natives that make wonderful Christmas flowers too - but these are the one I grew up with.

Garden Sheds

2008-12-23T06:09:00.001+11:00

My garden shed is one of my greatest loves and luxuries. When I started this garden, I was working out of a corrugated iron tank on its side. You put a few boards on the "floor" and fit some across the end, and you have a shed. One of Australia's disappearing icons, the tank on its side.

Wish I had taken its photograph.

So, while I am out documenting the garden in December, I took a shot of the shed, just as it is. And because I love peering into other people's garden shed.

There are a few Flickr groups - A Gallery of Great Garden Sheds, Just Sheds (lots there) and, wait for it, Sheds!

Think I will go back there and play for a while. And dream.

Anyone else like to share theirs?

(And yes, that is the town Rabbit Suppression League poison cart lurking in the back of the shed. You just can't see it)

Garden Wisdom

2008-12-22T14:27:00.002+11:00

If you could impart just one bit of garden wisdom to a gardener starting out, what would it be?

My late father was a wonderful gardener, and passed on all sorts of knowledge, like "get the soil right, the rest will look after itself".

An elderly gardening friend, now into her late eighties, would always say of the onions - plant on the shortest day, harvest on the longest, so I need to get cracking.

I have also been digging into the The National Trust Calendar of Garden Lore by Julia Jones and Barbara Deer, which although northern-hemisphere oriented, is still a beautiful, beautiful book. I could kill the friend who borrowed it and left it where her children destroyed the cover. If anyone has it, and would be prepared to make a coloured photocopy of the cover, you can name your price.

So, what is my bit of Garden Lore?

If you are going to make a kitchen garden by just putting down bricks to make raised beds, make sure the paths are wide enough for your favourite barrow to fit its legs between them!

Here it is, in all its weedy glory. My beloved is examining ways of belting the struts on which the barrow stands just a little bit closer to each other.

I have another, smaller barrow with narrower struts, but it is a shallow apology for a barrow.

If you are trying the work out the large-leaved plant front left, it is Horseradish.

Anyone got any spare Garden Lore as a Christmas present for other gardeners? If it is on your own blog, please leave a link in the comments, so we can all grow in Wisdom.

The Thing in the Compost Bin

2008-12-17T17:23:00.001+11:00

A THING has suddenly appeared in the Compost Bin.

It is about 12 inches across, and appeared a few days ago. It was sort of gooey and moist then - now it is dry and brittle.

I know it is the fruiting body for what must be a lot of nice, beneficial fungus - but it looks like something from Planet X. Or like someone has mixed a sloppy dough of flour and water and poured it on there.

Fairy Fishing Rods

2008-12-16T09:14:00.000+11:00

Fairy Fishing Rods are one of my favourite flowers.

I have grown the pink for many years, and had a good clump of white going - we were using them as a wind indicator in the fires a few years ago. Unfortunately I moved them, and they take a while to get going again.

This one is a deep pink/purple - hard to describe the colour, and much darker than it shows up here.

I put in it about two years ago, and it has only just come into flower now.

I don't see them without thinking of the fires again, but we are okay at the minute - the suggestion is that we might get floods in the next couple of days!

More Colour

2008-12-15T17:10:00.000+11:00

There has been another colour added to the stakes in the Kitchen Garden - and it sure is bright!

One design fault is that as I walk towards the garden, inside, all I see through the glass door is a red stake. Sure is bright!

Sure wish I had taken the box off the chair in the background - you only see things like that when you download the photos!

Tree Onions

2008-12-14T16:06:00.000+11:00

The Tree Onions are just coming to maturity. I love these, and have carried them around for years. The onions themselves are not much chop, sort of small and finicky, but I plant these bulblets and use the young ones as spring onions.

Kids love them, and they get results with them every time.

I follow the advice I was given by an old gardener. Sort of. You are supposed to plant the offsets one year, and the mature onions the next year, to keep them vigourous. I just plant a bit of each each years.

Good Books

2008-12-13T21:36:00.002+11:00

Chookie has been writing about her favourite book, which is Joy Larkom's Creative Vegetable Gardening: Growing vegetables with flowers in the classic tradition. I am fortunate to have a copy. It is a wonderful post by Chookie - do drop over. She explains it so well - I have to admit I don't write detailed blog posts - I am more likely to throw up a picture with a long caption.

The other one I have is:

This is Diana Anthony's The Ornamental Vegetable Garden. This is a book by a New Zealand author and a New Zealand photographer, so the conditions are very similar to our own Australian climate - well, where I am, anyway.

I have to admit I spend a lot of time just dreaming over the photographs in both.

For those looking for them:

Joy Larkom's Creative Vegetable Gardening: Growing vegetables with flowers in the classic tradition was published 1997 (my copy), by Mitchell Beazley, an imprint of Reed International. ISBN 1 85732 805 1

Diana Anthony's The Ornamental Vegetable Garden was first published in Australia in 1997 by University of New South Wales Press, ISBN 0 86840 568 X

I have some herb books I love, must dig them out. Anyone got any others??? I am sure there is another ornamental veggies book somewhere on my shelves.

Pruning Tree Dahlias

2008-12-13T21:01:00.001+11:00

I have been out pruning the Tree Dahlia. This is something I do about two or three times, as it is growing. I just take the tip out (you can see it best on the righthand side), and it branches out. Take it out again, and again. It doubles the number of flowers each time, and makes sure the plant is not just long, spindly, and blown over in the first wind. They make a lovely, dense tree canopy.

Trouble is, Tree Dahlias coming out in flower at my place mean the first frost is due. It usually kills them off just as they come out.

Plaiting Garlic

2008-12-07T19:27:00.000+11:00

I have something to confess. You, Dear reader, probably think I am writing this blog just so you can read it. Wrong! Well, partially wrong.

Just sometimes, I write this so that when I go looking for something, I can find it again.

And, in this case, it applies to plaiting garlic.

All of the garlic has been lifted, and we only got two plaits - it wasn't in early enough this year.

Memo to Me: Start with three garlic, tie together if necessary. Add one garlic as each outside plait comes in. Make sure you twist that plait so the new garlic is in the inside.

Simple. But I only worked the last bit out halfway through. And didn't have time to go back to replait.

I have just been out for a lovely afternoon visit.

Guess what my hostess received???

But she understands me.

I hope.

.

Biodegradble Pots

2008-12-06T19:20:00.002+11:00

I thought I had posted about this here - but find I haven't.

Around October I bought some biodegrable pots, which were a very flexible green plastic - thinking they would break down in the garden - but they don't. Hence my moving to toilet roll inners - which are going well, except the water needs to be kept up to them.

This is one of them on the left. They have been through at least three different lots of seedlings so far. However I was just potting some stuff up, and find the one on the right is also supposed to be biodegradable, according to the label on the base. It is from Oasis, and we have been using it for at least a year. Doesn't show much sign of bio-degrading.

Maybe it means they only take fifty years to break down in landfill, rather than five thousand???

.

New Stakes

2008-12-05T18:55:00.000+11:00

My beloved has decided I need some colour in the garden. So he has been painting stakes. We are rather limited in the colours we can get that he will use, so there is still red and blue to come. The red are ready to go in - the blue have not been started.

Game on

2008-11-25T20:45:00.003+11:00

Game on.

By the time you add scruched up paper to the toilet rolls, these contain about the same volume of soil.

I have put some mustard seed in them, and are turning them through 90 degrees every day.

So it is going to show me if there is much difference there. Although I suspect they are best for cucurbits and beans. But I have enough of them - definitely don't want any more zucchinis.

We have had three beautiful inches of rain - which sounds much more satisfying than however many millimetres it is. The gardening is humming.

Watermelon Seedling Progress

2008-11-22T09:50:00.003+11:00

Just a quick shot of some of those watermelon seedlings.

The one on the left is one of the leggy seedlings, the one on the right is one of the ones in the toilet rolls. The one on the right is more than twice the size of the one on the left, and going gang-busters.

We are sitting back waiting for heavy, heavy rain, according to the forecast.

Which is fine. Bring it on. We need it (unless you are a farmer cutting hay). Just as long as it does not put people at risk. My gutters all go to tanks, and in this case we just keep running hoses off them to remote parts of the garden. The trees love it.

Late Night Encounters

2008-11-14T22:37:00.003+11:00

It has been pleasantly damp here, so I was out snailing before bed. There was I bobbing around my garden with my trusty torch, when I hear a voice, asking me if I was okay, and had I lost anything?

It was one of the young blokes of the town, on his way home from a mate's place.

I explained that I was fine, and I was just picking up snails and dropping them into a bucket of hot water and biodegradable detergent.

"OOOOh", says he. "Lethal"

And he keeps on walking.

Just that little bit faster.

Now isn't this strange?????

2008-11-08T19:17:00.003+11:00

We have just realised - we put in three small black pots with two watermelon seeds in each, and two toilet rolls with one seed in each. They had exactly the same soil mix, fertiliser etc.

The ones in the black pots are rangy and weaker. The ones in the toilet rolls are stronger, bigger cotyledons, and overall much healthier.

All we can think is that maybe the black pots absorbed a little bit of sun (not much available) and got hotter. The two lots of pots have been together since planted, not even a few inches apart.

But to make such a difference? Any suggestions welcome.

We are off to design some carefully planned experiments.

Broad Beans

2008-11-07T18:33:00.002+11:00

The Broad Beans are just finishing, and they have been wonderful. The trick is to catch them young, and cook them by just steaming them for a short time.

We have managed to give quite a few of them away - it was especially good to swap a lot for a HUGE quantity of Asparagus.

So we have just invented a wonderful salad - just as we run out of beans.

Cook and chill the Broad Beans.

Add Kalamatta Olives, cubed fetta (we use Australian full-cream fetta) and some finely sliced spring onion (I use the red scallions).

Finally, pour over Italian dressing.

It is very, very nice.

The Ultimate Compost Bin

2008-11-01T19:40:00.003+11:00

We are just back from Auntie Dot's, after her 90th Birthday, and this is her late husband's compost bin. He was a third generation bricklayer. So what does he make the compost bin out of? Bricks, of course. (DH also tells me that ALL males in his generation were bricklayers!)

The compost bin is well over six foot high, and square. You climb up the two brick steps at bottom left, and throw in the kitchen scraps. (They were built for his wife. Ted was a giant and didn't need the steps). We don't think there was a lid, and it worked like a Lime Kiln - you just levered up the gate at the bottom (gate still in place, lever missing), and shovelled the compost out the bottom. Throw the hose in the top occasionally, and apparently it worked a treat.

Sadly, it is no longer in use.

DH, despite his genes, is not a bricklayer, and is not in the slightest interested in making one. He used Gedye-bin type bins, and I use half corrugated iron water tanks.

The Pots Progress

2008-11-01T18:29:00.002+11:00

We are just back from a week away, and have collected the seedlings from the Seedling Sitter.

The beans were hardly through the soil when we left - and this is how they are now. There seems no difference between those in cling wrap and those not. There is one stunted one where they were so damp the cotyledons fell off - so the plant did not have access to the nourishment from them, but still grew.

They all have roots poking out the bottom, and are about to be planted as is, except for the cling wrap.

Stand by for progress!

Perennial Onions, and Tulips

2008-10-23T20:30:00.002+11:00

I've been collecting perennial onions for a while. I have Tree Onions (not strictly perennial, but fun), Potato Onions, definitely not perennial, but still fun, and Dutch Onions. These are perennial and semi-useless, but I still grow them.

So I was glad to pick this one up:

I've googled it a bit, it seems to be a Scallion - which I haven't grown before. So I am looking forward to it.

While I am at it - I am enjoying my Tulips:

Abandon the Mulch

2008-10-22T07:43:00.002+11:00

I have always used pea straw as a mulch, with just a few peas coming up. That wasn't a problem. This year, after I run out of my donated straw, I bought a bale of pea mulch. And up came the peas. There were hundreds.

In despair, I have pulled that mulch off, watered again to try and germinate remaining seeds so I can dig them in before planting, and gone searching for straw.

We found wheat straw at two different farm/animal supplies places. The bale on the left was $14.50, the one on the right $12.50. And they weighed exactly the same, despite the size. The smaller one was just so much denser.

So I reckon I am changing to that in the future - cheaper, and no seeds. And I think it handles better, too.

Okay - next try

2008-10-18T07:50:00.002+11:00

Okay - here is the latest try from the seedling area. Have wrapped three of the six toilet roll "pots" in cling wrap, to see if that slows down the drying out. The other three are "control".

On a brighter note, I have been looking for this for a while:

My Mum loves it. This is obviously old stock (sow by Nov 2009), but what the heck, if I can get it going and save the seed. It obviously isn't being put out by the main seed companies any more - probably wasn't selling. And the specialist firms tend to go more for veggies than the old flowers. Except I notice Cornucopia Seeds do carry it. Must have a better look at their range.

Starting a Blog

2008-10-17T07:42:00.002+11:00

Over at aus.gardens (a usenet group), I was asked for a quick tutorial on starting a blog. But my news reader is playing up, and although I can read incoming messages, I cannot post any at the minute.

So I thought I would post it here, in the hope it gets found. And it may be of use to any other gardener reading this who wants to start off.

Firstly, you need somewhere on the web to load your photos.

I use http://www.flickr.com/ They have a free account that will allow up to 200 photographs, with monthly upload limits for the free accounts. Once you reach 200 the old ones drop off, but they still show up in your blog.

People also on Flickr can choose to be shown your photos whenever you upload, and don't necessarily have to read your blog. There is a strong community of people who do that on Flickr, and some interesting groups. eg

http://www.flickr.com/groups/compost/

(I think you can see that without an account)

Flickr gives you your photographs in a number of sizes, ready to load on your blog:

(Any excuse to show off one of my irises)

You can also link to photos in a larger size, if they are too large to show on the blog.

You then need a blog provider. I use

http://www.blogger.com/

These come up with "blogspot" in the address.

It is free. You sign up and go through the steps of creating a basic blog. You pick up a html code from Flickr for your photos, and paste them into the blog posts. The photo then shows up in your posts.

The final trick is to read a lot of other people's blogs, to get an idea what it is about. The way I do it is by using a blog aggregator, where I just check in once a day and see who has updated their blog. I use:

http://www.bloglines.com/

There is a fair bit more tweaking to it than that, but I am happy to mentor anyone offlist. So feel free to contact me and I will talk you through it. Or anyone else that is interested.

My email is kapana[at]netspace.net.au

And, once again, if you want a few blogs to look at, to practice subscribing to bloglines, pop over to my sidebar, to the left, and have a look at some that I read.

Seedling Update

2008-10-16T19:11:00.003+11:00

Here is today's view inside the seed raising area (a small cold frame from Aldi)

There is a bigger copy HERE.

The toilet rolls (bottom left) have not started to unravel yet, but are drying out quicker than the plastic pots.

The peat trays (in groups of eight) are also drying out quicker than the plastic pots.

The Corn Starch pots (green, in two groups, both with tomatoes) have not yet started to break down. Some are being used second time around. The theory is we throw them in the compost bin when finished, and they will break down. Seems a bit like encouraging us to be part of the throwaway society, to me. Next try is going to be cut down milk cartons.

Only other observation at the minute is that we have been buying seeds of a particular brand in the cheap shops. The germination in them is definitely not as good as ones such as Goodmans etc. Guess it is a case of you get what you pay for.

Two more nice blogs

2008-10-16T09:46:00.000+11:00

Scarecrow's Garden is an interesting edible garden in northern South Australia. There are all sorts of interesting things being grown in a dry environment.

Garden Amateur is in Sydney, and just starting out. It looks like a good start.

I'll put these two on my side bar as soon as I get a chance.

New Book

2008-10-14T19:34:00.002+11:00

I have just bitten the bullet, and bought my own copy of The Seed Savers' Handbook. I collect veggie books a bit, but didn't have this one - it is exclusively for things that are edible - so it won't help you with natives. The illustrations are things of beauty in black and white.

We primarily needed it as this year we are growing two new tomatoes - "Amish Paste" and "Earliest of All", and I needed to know how far apart to plant them in case I wanted to save the seeds and be sure they weren't cross pollinated. It turns out we are fine - put them in different beds, and take from the middle of the group. Plus a few directions on fermenting the seed.

It is available from The Seed Savers Network - and I like it.

Good season for Irises

2008-10-14T19:02:00.002+11:00

This is shaping up to be a good season for irises. I have about thirty different ones, but cannot find my plan of what is what. Drat.

I have two large clumps of this white iris, and it appears to be one of the most vigourous - certainly one of the earliest. It is the only one surviving in some of my dry shady areas.

So one big clump is going to have to go, as it is taking up good veggie ground in the kitchen garden. Sometimes I put a pile out on the nature strip, and a notice up in the post office, and people come and take them away. Other times I compost them - not sure what I will do this time. They do compost easily.

Last year was a poor season for irises, and a good season for daffodils - this year it seems to be the reverse.

The Smoke Tree bed out the front is looking good, if a little bare. But that comes with the territory when you declare orange sparaxis (a sort of bulb) to be feral, and try and pull them out a bit early. With luck it might decrease their vigour a bit, and I will pull them out as they come up neat year.

There is a bigger pic of this bed HERE.

I want this Potting Bench

2008-10-12T13:56:00.001+11:00

I really feel the need for a better potting bench.

In fact, I seriously want THIS ONE.

Guess I better settle for just cleaning up the shed.

Compost Tanks

2008-10-12T08:01:00.002+11:00

My compost tanks are looking good.

This one is currently being filled. I am trying drainage pipes for the first time, inserted as far as the bottom, with a tomato stake for support. This is supposed to be for aeration, but I use it for getting water to all levels. Then I sloly pull them a bit up the stick, and the water gets delivered about two thirds down.

The cans are there to stop me filling the pipes as I fill the tank. And make a good spot to collect the snails from.

This one has a good layer of mown weeds on top.

This tank is full, with a layer on top of shredded garden prunnings. It was too late to put full tubes in, when I decided to use them, so I just have short ones in there to help water the pumpkins. Although they did all right last year without them.

Pumpkin total last year was 28 Queensland Blues. This year it is a combo of four different types of pumpkin, plus three Butternuts in the garden (my friends wanted something easier to peel). I must be mad - although one place where I work takes all the pumpkins I can spare.

This is the spud tank. There are three short watering pipes in there too, but you can't see them any more. Plus a bit of mint. I should have let it die and mown it.

And that is about it for my compost. The slotted drainage pipe, that lets me water all through it is good. And I run a three-tray worm farm where I keep emptying fresh worms into the tank I am currently filling.

The local Lions are selling sheep manure again, so I might throw a bit of that in - plus some of that horse manure I pick up by the highway. As things are coming under control this year, and I might not have enough weeds.

Looking for Garden Blogs???

2008-10-11T08:26:00.002+11:00

I have just found a wonderful list of Australian Garden blogs.

There is one there from a friend of mine that is a sad warning though - she had deleted her blog, so spammers claimed it. I can't read what is on there - I think it is in Hebrew.

But apart from that, it is a really good list of blogs.

I'm off to make another cup of coffee - you may never see me again!

Found another garden blog

2008-10-11T03:07:00.002+11:00

Lilyflax from Organic Edible Gardening popped over to say hello. She gardens at home and in the edible garden at Geelong Botanic Gardens (in Victoria, same as me).

Worth popping over for a look.

The New Biodegradble Pot

2008-10-11T02:55:00.004+11:00

By George, I think I've got it! The new biodegradable pot for things with deep roots. ie the Cucumbers and sweet corn. Plus anything else that comes along.

Step 1

Cut section from egg container, and put four cuts from top towards bottom. This lets them overlap a little to fit.

Step 2

Insert bit of egg container in toilet roll centre.

We have a pot.

These can be inserted in small, tall square pots for support and ease of handling.

Might have been an idea to wash them first. Hmmmm.

My main worry is that there are a lot of lovely dark, hidey holes in there for slugs. We have had a few of them in the seedlings lately.

I'm off to plant some up to try.

LATE EDITS

I'm told another method is to just scrunch up some newspaper and push that up the bottom of the toilet roll tube.

There is a tutorial on how to make folded pots HERE. Except she admits at the end they are too thick to break down quickly.

AND YET LATER AGAIN

The final decision on how to use them:

This should make them a bit less attractive to the slugs

An Alternative to Chemicals

2008-10-04T09:15:00.002+10:00

We would like to be able to give up chemicals - so we are experimenting with alternatives.

This is Gary, the Guardian of the Garden.

He is new, and as it is time to start planting out the veggies seedlings, and he promised us that he adores snails, we thought we would give him a try.

We are getting serious about the Veggie Gardens this year - in both gardens where I am splitting my time. Right now it is the brinksmanship about - is is safe to put the tomatoes in yet??? The first ones (commercial) went in this weekend, but we have all sorts of little seedlings poking their heads up, and we are watching them carefully.

BAAG

2008-06-17T19:15:00.002+10:00

We have been spending more time in Melbourne than we would like, but one of the advantages is that we have checked out a few nurseries.

My beloved is flat on with his native garden, so we have been out at Kuranga a lot.

Today we zipped out to The Greenery at Heidelberg, which gets good reviews as one of the big ones, but left me a bit cold. Although we did get a Grevillea there we have been looking for.

Then, we made the most wonderful discovery. Almost opposite was Bulleen Art & Garden (BAAG). It is heaven - really good range of herb and eadibles, and lots of lovely and unique garden art. I could have spent hours there. It is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

And the website is really good, with heaps of practical advice for the eadibles. Check it out. All that is missing is a coffee shop.

Free mulch

2008-06-07T21:14:00.002+10:00

It is so long since I have been here. Life has been busier than I would like.

But I am back.

With a whole lot of free mulch that someone in town kindly delivered to my nature strip. Mixed with horse manure.

I will let it stand for a month before I use it.

Then I have to decide if it is mulch, or if I will mow it to a smaller size and dig it into the veggie garden.

Should I mow it now? In case there are worms in there when I want to mow it? I couldn't bear that.

It has been a good year for pumpkins - I ended up with 28.

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)

Last Day of Spring

2005-11-29T20:52:00.000+11:00

Tomorrow is the last calendar day of spring, and it has been a day of beautiful rain here - two inches, or 50mm, depending on which way you measure it.

My Christmas lilies are about to come out, so is the lavender. And the Smoke Bush is in full bloom. Here are some snaps just before the rain arrived. All are in the Kitchen Garden.

The mint is escaping between the loose bricks.

Self-sewn pink Larkspur and Poor Man's (or Russian) Garlic

Carthusian Pinks, with Tree Onions in the background. This pink was the one used in the 15th Century by the Carthusian Monks to flavour whatever alcoholic drink it was that they were famous for.

My Artichokes coming out in flower - how anyone could pick and eat these, rather than let them flower, I will never know.

Yes!!!!!!!!!!

2005-11-25T19:59:00.000+11:00

Remember those deadlines keeping me away from the garden, and away from the computer????

They are all around, going GOTCHA!!!!!!

But I do just have to post the picture below. And I know they are yellow. But they are ripe.

Well, the one on the right is, anyway.

Whatever happened to Mary Queen of Scots

2005-11-19T15:45:00.000+11:00

I have been out looking at the roses growing along my fenceline. There is no fence, and I just mow them to keep them in place.

The Chestnut Rose is there, flowering its little heart out:

This is a spiny little bush, with an odd, three-part hairy/furry bud.

And Mary Queen of Scots was supposed to be beside her. But she is not there. Surely I wouldn't have totally mown her to death would I? In mistake for a bit more of the out-of-control Jamieson rose.

Toyota!

That cutting came from a wonderful old historic church in another state. And I loved her dearly.

Here, although it is no compensation, is another view do the Apothecary's Rose:

I must move some of this to the fenceline, too. It is currently only in a bed.

Is this Rambling Rector????

2005-11-16T07:20:00.000+11:00

Okey Dokey, you growers out there of Rambling Rector. Is this it????

I do know what the one below is - it is the 14th Century Apothecary's Rose, used for making rosewater, attar of roses and all similar concoctions. Including the rosewater for the Taj Mahal. Its scent is pure bliss, but it only flowers once.

I have it growing everywhere through a garden bed, as mine is a struck cutting. So, wherever I dig and cut roots, the cut off section comes up as a new plants.

And it is beetle season. Those pesky little brown and black beetles that dig into the rose flowers, especially the lighter colours. And cluster all over white sheets on the clothes line.

It is Albuca canadensis

2005-11-14T10:39:00.000+11:00

Just quickly - the Lily is Albuca canadensis - common name Sentry in the Box. And it is from South Africa, not South America. Well, close - maybe.

First Zucchinis

2005-11-12T11:45:00.000+11:00

First Zucchinis picked today. Small, but nice for a salad.

And almost all my tomatoes staked. All except the fifteen I don't have stakes for. Surely I couldn't have that many more in than last year. Well, twelve more, maybe, as three stakes have made a tripod for the second lot of cucumbers.

No-one would steal tomato stakes, would they. I must have more tomatoes.

Pictures???? No point in what I now believe is Rambling Rector - the rain has ruined that, and the rest of the roses for the minute.

How about this??? It is in the Lily family, and must find its name again - something obscure, from South America, from memory.