Showing posts with label Vegie Garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vegie Garden. Show all posts

Monday, 29 January 2018

2018 Hopefully a Year of Abundance ..............!!

How distracting life becomes when it takes us away from spending time doing what we enjoy....The start of the year has unfortunately been filled with nothing but bad news about family and friends....Illness and loss has pervaded the first few weeks but life being what it is we continue to try and make the best from awful situations.  Loving thoughts to all friends and loved ones who are going through difficult times.

On a lighter note the New Year has bought forth an abundance of life into my garden....even my fruit trees have started to produce fruit...and like all other vegie gardeners the zucchini and tomatoes are rampant.  We planted a small but mature little peach tree that had two buds on it several months ago and they turned into two lovely peaches, the birds didn't find them and we picked them yesterday.....they were delicious!!  A sign of things to come I hope....as the Apricot tree was laden with fruit but was useless as they had a brown fungus on them which we will have to watch next year.

Yesterday's haul from the garden including the Peaches and the fist of the pears, passionfruits and eggplants !!
The chicken coop got a revamp last month....we have raised the enclosure fence...the new girls..even with clipped wing....managed to get over the small fence....we have also netted the roof to keep out birds who eat their food and poop in the water....we hope to put raised garden trugs in there along with the chooks, to grow berries that we wont have to share with the wildlife !!
The new fenced enclosure attached to the chookhouse to keep out wild birds and keep the girls in.



Planted pumpkins along side their chook house to try and create a bit more shade.
In just over 18 months that the garden and trees have been planted it has all grown incredibly well...the red soil we have in Gippsland must be doing the trick....even after all the really hot weather we didn't lose too much....kept the water up to the plants and heavy rain last night seemed to have made it all look quite lush today.

All of the pink flowers in the front have self seeded...not sure what they are called but they look lovely...I love anything that self seeds 

You'll have to excuse Daisy taking a PEE on the path as I took the photo !!!

We have over 17 fruit trees planted in our small suburban back yard....our whole block is only 800 sq metes....we put in the Avocado tree that you can see above surrounded by hessian...it's been in since September but is the only tree not doing very well... keeping water and food up to it but it is struggling....Just have to wait and see.
It's a little late for New Year wishes but I hope everyone has an abundant 2018 !!

Wednesday, 1 February 2017

The January Whip Around... !

I say it all the time...but I can't believe how fast time flies and January is already done and dusted...It's been busy especially the CWA volunteering on Australia Day....and preparations for the town's Ficifolia Festival.  CWA have a big weekend planned on 11th & 12th at the hall and I'm busy with recipe in a jar and preparations for the garage sale......AND... Zucchini's are everywhere at the moment ... followed closely by some early tomatoes...so bring on the bottling !!


Zucchini's all sliced up with onions ready to be pickled.
All pickled and in the jars.... !!
January also saw me continue on the mosaic which I haven't touched since before  we moved over 18 months ago....it was originally going to be for a covered external wall in our old house....wasn't sure where it would go here, but have decided we can hopefully waterproof it somehow and hang on the outside wall when it finally gets finished...it has been a very long project...like all my projects !!


Finally making some progress with the mosaic.
One of our small apple trees (an orange Blenheim) ... only been in a year produced about 10 apples...they were a bit scrappy but the birds decided to leave me these five and along with our rhubarb I managed to make an apple & rhubarb crumble...so excited to have fruit in the garden even if at this stage they are minimal.


Apples and rhubarb from our own garden...so exciting

Homemade crumble....it was surprisingly delicious ..!!
 The zucchini assault continued all of January.....this lot turned into Zucchini Relish ...even managed a few red capsicums from the garden as well....it's been a zucchini fest !
Zucchini and capsicums from our garden....onions, vinegar, sugar, turmeric etc.....equals relish.

Bottled up into jars....most of these get given away as gifts..... one can only eat so much zucchini !!
This month I discovered the local op-shop warehouse....they have some amazing stuff in there...picked up a dozen fowler jars...$1 each... they have heaps so I will be back....also vintage tortoiseshell knitting needles...I have been on the hunt for these for ages...couldn't believe it...I had been looking for some on Ebay and the few I saw were very pricey....I actually paid extra for these at the op-shop because they were so cheap !!...they were a real treasure to find.

Fowler jars and vintage knitting needles.... I just need the top bar for the jars.
My neighbour Les introduced me to his 'lunar planting guide' that he bought off the internet....I made a copy of it for myself...he swears by moon-planting so I am going to follow the guidelines and see what happens...There may be something in it.


Sunday, 27 November 2016

The Broad Bean Blog......!!

I know a blog about broad beans doesn't sound all that interesting but this is the first time I have prepared, packaged and frozen anything from the garden..(unless you count a miserable attempt 2 years ago at freezing zucchini which was very ordinary when defrosted)...I usually give any oversupply of vegies away...but I am determined to preserve as much as I can for later use....(following instructions from the internet)...I removed them from the pods......blanched them for 1 minute in boiling water...then into an ice bath to prevent them from continuing to cook...then into reusable plastic bags and into the freezer....hopefully this will result in lovely broad beans when defrosted.

shelled and ready to go

into the boiling water

then the ice bath

into snap lock bags ...then into the freezer.
It seems so easy but I guess it all depends on the result when defrosted...hopefully they will be great.

Friday, 4 November 2016

The Garden Update....+

Things have been growing amazingly well over winter...I've had the joy of giving so many baskets of vegies away each time we visit friends....it really is the perfect gift...nothing like a load of fresh produce to get people excited and more importantly starting to talk about wanting to grow some for themselves.  I would love to encourage people to just have a go...it really is something so basic but so rewarding.

The garden has loads of broad beans planted throughout which are now producing. ..... word from the "experts" at Permaculture group is pick them before they get too big as the smaller beans are more tender than if you allow them to get large and they get the thick tough skin around the bean....It's probably a personal taste thing, but the small beans were delicious, boiled for 4 mins and then tossed in the pan with Butter/oil and garlic and onion salt....very tasty.
Loads of broad beans throughout the garden.

Currant bushes and broad beans throughout the garden

Loads of borage popping up all over the garden.,..self seeded and bringing in the bees !!

The flowering sage is also a great bee attractor.
 The artichokes have started to appear on the plants....I have never grown them before...planted them as an understory plant for the fruit trees....not too sure about how to prepare them...looked on google but it seems challenging....I would love to try marinated artichoke hearts, but this years crop may just be practicing on how to dissect these tricky guys...members of the thistle family.
The artichokes have flowered
 We had loads of broccoli this year....it did take a while to start...I was beginning to think nothing was going to appear but once they form the start of the heads it's all systems go and they produce lovely big heads in no time.
Broccoli en-masse this year....yay.
 Over winter I thought that our Kiwi vines had died....it was a great relief to see them get going again once Spring arrived....hopefully kiwi fruits in the next couple of years....I get so excited about trying to grow our own fruit....I know, simple things right !
 
Kiwi his and her vines....using up the fence space next to the garage...I can't wait for fruit.
 I did want to share a tip that perhaps everyone already knows ... but I didn't....putting your freshly cut broccoli heads in a glass of water then into the fridge keeps them fresh for about a week....it really does work....give it a try if you aren't already.

Broccoli into a glass of water and then into the fridge
Couldn't let Halloween go by without a quick comment....I was minding my grandson so we took him  to The Courthouse in Warragul for a Halloween night....he didn't have his costume so we made do with a pirate skull mask and a bucket of lollies..he thought it was great.  I couldn't resist taking a pic of a young boy whose mother had gone to a lot of effort and put a zip on his face.. it was really effective and looked great.


My Gboy went to his school Halloween disco as a zombie...complete with fake teeth, latex skin and blood capsules.....awesome !!
He loved dressing up as a Zombie....
 
 
What would a post be without a picture of my latest cup of tea....this one was shared at the Emerald bakery ....I still attend the writing Group in Emerald and we head over to the bakery afterwards...... it never ceases to amaze me how many different ways there are to present cups of tea...this one came with a cute little heatproof cup...
A lovely cup of green tea.............enjoy!

Wednesday, 6 January 2016

Keeping it Simple......

I had a quick burst of zucchini's which now unfortunately seem to have halted...I think it's the weather...very hot and very windy days are not the friend of many of the vegies in the garden.....did manage to make a vegie lasagne using up the four zucchini's I had managed to grow...had a mixed "left over" vegie layer, pumpkin, tomato and zucchini and a spinach and ricotta layer...topped off with cheese sauce.... washed down with a glass of sav blanc....not too shabby !
 
Last night's vegie lasagne....wasn't brave enough to make my own lasagne sheets just yet !

All the vegies are good for you....not so sure about all that lovely  melted cheese though.
The old charmer over the back fence is back from his Queensland holiday and popped his head over when I was out feeding the feathered girls......he had a couple of ears of corn he had grown so I swapped him for a capsicum from my garden.....he also bought over  a pile of silverbeet that went to seed while he was away which he tossed to the chooks....we talked tomatoes and cucumbers before he  headed back home....my tomatoes are a bit lacklustre.....there are tomatoes but the plants are still very small....hhmmmmm....I am blaming the weather again !!...although old Les tells me it's because I'm not planting basil next to them and using magnetics like he is.......maybe next year.

Tomato and chilli from my garden....swapped the neighbours corn cobs  for one of my capsicums.
 Today was also bath the dogs day......they hate the bath and it is quite the struggle....I think I get more water on me and the laundry than I get on them....final result is two lovely white fluffy girls....impossible to get a picture of them together....they won't sit still long enough....they are a pair of characters and nothing alike in personality...one easy going and one very highly strung...I have a favourite...I know ...it's wrong....but they don't know so it's ok....I love them both.
Daisy always smiling...
Daphne  nervous as always....

Monday, 4 January 2016

A New Year....A New Day

2016 arrived without it's usual bells and whistles for me.....I had a tough lead up to Christmas and wasn't really prepared... or in the festive spirit...very unlike me. But the start of a fresh year always rejuvenates me and inspires me to get back to basics and doing the things that make me most happy.  I have finally had a go at making my own pasta with the machine that has been waiting expectantly to be used for quite a long time......I definitely need a lot more practice ...it looked okay but I think the texture was not quite right ... my lovely husband ate it anyway, but I thought it was very ordinary.  Hopefully practice will make perfect and I will keep at it.


I have planted out the existing vegie beds as we await for major yard construction to be started.  We need to add additional retaining walls as the new yard is quite steep and I want more vegie growing room...you can never have too many vegie beds...The soil here in Gippsland is reddish clay..... needs a fair bit of help to get stuff growing in it.  It's also quite windy here, something we are not used too, and the garden takes quite a battering. 



Have managed to grow a couple of zucchinis and capsicums already.  I had to place some lavender plants around the place as we had quite a bee shortage....hardly any to be seen and not a lot of pollination was going on...the lavender have bought a few into the garden but I definitely need more...my own hive is hopefully on the agenda very soon !!
 
 
 

Tuesday, 17 March 2015

Let Loose in an Orchard......

For the first time in my life I've picked apples fresh from the tree..... the lovely lady who teaches the community writing group that I attend let me loose in her orchard. ..... I always bring her any goodies I have growing in the vegie garden and she said she would bring me in some apples but I said I was happy to go and pick them myself . ... She is widowed and in her 70's ( although very fit for her age) and the orchard has become quite overgrown and a little neglected but there were masses of apples just waiting to be picked......it was fabulous and I ate one straight from the tree and somehow they just taste so much better ...... simple pleasures I know but such a lovely experience.
The orchard is a bit overgrown but there was masses of fruit on all the trees... no pesticides so make great eating.
So many had already fallen wasted onto the ground...... such a shame.
Now I need to get busy and work out how to preserve some of them.....maybe apple sauce or cook them up and freeze.
Delicious apples......I even grabbed a couple of lemons and a few pears....
When I got home I checked the vegie garden and picked tomatoes, rhubarb, a couple of small eggplants and some new potatoes.  Beautiful to have so much lovely fresh produce around. 
Picked from the garden today
Only one little lonely egg today....the young girls still haven't laid any eggs yet but they can't be too far away. they are nineteen weeks old.... so hopefully egg production will be on the rise again soon.

Wednesday, 22 October 2014

Some More of the Same....

It's just another day in Pleasantville....it's the usual busy run up to Christmas now with lots of planning underway....we are doing quite a bit of entertaining over the next few weeks...need to get organised....still have lots of time for the garden and growing stuff.
Day 2 of the sprouter...looks incredible...these little guys grew overnight...it is really quite fascinating to watch what happens with just water.

They grow at an incredible speed...should be ready in a day or two.
Pickings from the vegie garden this morning...I know I bang on about it but it still surprises me every day that I can grow my own food...if a non green thumb like myself can do this anyone can...

Leeks, beetroot, kale, cauliflower and finally broccoli heads for the table...
 The girls also got into a bit of gardening action while I was outside...look at those little feet up on the furniture...we have a bit of fresh soil lying around the yard and they can't seem to stay out of it...
"Who me....What dirty feet"......
This project of mine is probably the world's slowest mosaic.....have set myself the target to have it finished before Christmas...there I've said it ..... I am the great un-finisher.
When both panels completed will read "Live a Simple Life"...it is taking ages as I have too many things on the go...
Should be picking up my greenhouse on the weekend....I am really excited about it...growing from seeds will be so much cheaper and much more rewarding I think...and the ladies are still on the eggs so hopefully chicks by cup weekend......enjoy your day !

Tuesday, 21 October 2014

Wellbeing Wednesday.....

The skies are sunny and Spring is everywhere....but  I've been spending a lot of time taking my folks to doctors and hospital visits...spending so much time around sick people and the elderly has made me take a good look at my own health....I always have the best intentions but continually fall of the healthy bandwagon...It really is time to take not only mine, but also my man's health seriously. I really want us to enjoy old age (not there just yet!) and think it's really important to do as much as you can to maintain a healthy mind, body and soul.

Juicing is an easy way to get lots of good stuff into you...I keep forgetting to make them...will aim for 4  times a week....it's messy cleaning out the juicer but worth it.
My favourite mix, organic carrots, apples, oranges and kale from the vegie patch

Drink straight away....I really love the taste of this one.
 Eat more vegies...I shop weekly at the local organic store in Kallista...the amazing colours of fresh fruit and vegies  bursting with goodness.....also need to up the fruit intake...don't think we are doing the two pieces of fruit per day.
Lovely organic vegies...the milk is what I use to make my own yoghurt and the organic sourdough is made locally.
 Healthy lunches....today was chicken and avocado with garden greens and feta.....will try to enjoy salad vegies daily...it is tricky over winter but so easy when the sun is shining..


Today's lunch.....I love avocado and use it on sandwiches instead of butter..
Keep growing our vegies...the broccoli finally got some good solid heads on them...will pick these babies for dinner tomorrow night.. 
Beautiful broccoli heads...finally..

 On the weekend I purchased a seed sprouter...I know you can sprout in a jar but I think it will be easier in this contraption....instructions say sprouts in 3 - 5 days.....see how we go...it's only been one day so far...should be great to add to salads.
Sprouting seeds....alfalfa and been shoots
 Also need to concentrate on fitness....my man's okay...but I am very unfit...will try to walk the dogs everyday and continue with my yoga practice...along with a busy garden and house to maintain that will hopefully be enough....While keeping my spirit strong with meditation......Namaste.
What do you do to stay healthy ?