Backyard Business

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When we moved to this house almost 3 years ago we downsized the land area from 1.5 acres to a 991 square metre block. While we did not utilise all of our land previously it was still a significant change. We have a long driveway as well as a shed so the usable space is not massive.

Nevertheless, we have more than enough space to grow some of our own food.

Yesterday I collected 17 passionfruit. The fruit are super sweet. This was in addition to a couple of similar hauls over the past few weeks and there are still dozens more on the vine. I scooped out the pulp and will freeze it.

Here is the result.

The passionfruit vine was here when we moved in but it did not amount to much. There were no fruit the first year and a few last year. The vine seems to have thrived in the past year despite no attention from us. We are now reaping the rewards.

The somewhat unexpected bounty of passionfruit led me to thinking about how much food you can produce in a relatively modest space.

This year I planted one Roma tomato plant which has been a raging success with over 20kg of tomatoes from this single plant. I managed to nurse it through the 40C+ heat in January and we are certainly nearing the end of the crop. The trellised archway provided the perfect support and allowed for plenty of airflow.

Of course, there were cherry tomatoes by the bucketful. Some have become passata, others tomato paste and there are multiple bags of them in the freezer which will go into winter casseroles or be turned into sauce.

The other summer success story has been the capsicums (bell peppers). I have had a couple of previous attempts over the years which have yielded small, green capsicums but nothing of note. These have been nothing short of amazing. I have harvested multiple large, fully red fruit and there are at least a dozen on the bushes. The main threat is the cooler autumn weather and the risk of the first frost which will finish them off in the blink of an eyelid. I am watching the forecasts closely and mentally designing a portable greenhouse to protect them for as long as I can.

You can see a red and a green capsicum in the foreground of the photo.

This morning I picked a bowl full of birdseye chillies. I removed the stalks and cut them in half lengthwise and here they are ready to go in the dehydrator. Once they are dried I will grind them to add to the jar of chilli powder.

We are not super-serious gardeners and put in only a minimum amount of effort yet we have been able to grow a variety of food across 2 distinct growing seasons – summer and winter. We have not grown all of these every year but this is a list of what we have grown here and gives an idea of the possibilities.

Grapefruit Cabbage Basil
Lemons Capsicum Chillies
Nashi pears Cauliflower Chives
Nectarines Cucumber Garlic
Oranges Eggplant Mint
Passionfruit Lettuce Olives
Raspberries Silverbeet (Chard) Rosemary
Rhubarb Snow Peas
Strawberries Spinach
Zucchini

According to AI this is our climate. It is absolutely accurate.

  • Climate Zone: Zone 6 (Mild Temperate).
  • Conditions: Mild temperate with distinct seasons, characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.
  • Temperatures: Summer high temperatures often around 30°C, with increasing days over 40°C, and winter temperatures with regular morning frosts and occasionally falling below zero.
  • Rainfall: Relatively low rainfall, generally under 600mm annually.

I hope to be a bit more consistent with my gardening efforts and expand the range, specifically to include beans, peas and possibly other things too.

DIY Decor

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Souvenirs are not something I usually buy when we are on holidays but I did make one small exception when we were in Helsinki before Christmas. I spotted a Marimekko store and decided to see whether they had any fabric that was what I imagined I wanted to make a couple of cushion covers.

I am not a great fan of cushions and am absolutely opposed to them piled on a bed. However, I was considering a couple for the sofa in the family room.

Amazingly, I found some fabric that I felt would be perfect. I did a couple of quick calculations and decided that 1 metre of fabric would be sufficient for 2 cushions. The fabric has been folded on the table in the sewing room for nearly 3 months since we returned home. I bought 2 cushion inserts a few weeks ago and today I decided that I should settle down and make the covers.

It only took a couple of hours and this is the result.

A close-up view.

I am really pleased with the colour match since I was relying on my memory when buying the fabric. My calculations proved to be remarkably accurate as the only fabric I discarded were the selvedge edges and a small strip that I cut off to straighten up the edge which had been cut in the shop.

Making A Decision

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I can remember telling my elder daughter that making decisions was part of being an adult. She was about 14 years old at the time and vacillating about what to do in a particular situation and really wanted me to make the decision for her. That was not going to happen, hence my comment.

Today we went to Melbourne with the express purpose of making a decision. We agreed a couple of years ago that our next car would be an EV. Since then we have been debating about when we would actually go ahead and buy one. Several things have happened, including the current global instability which is substantially affecting fuel prices and supply. This is not expected to improve any time soon so we were convinced that now was as good a time as any and we needed to make up our minds about exactly which EV to buy.

Coincidentally, the Melbourne Motor Show began today and runs for 3 days. We were armed with all of our research so far and a short-list of about 4 or 5 vehicles that seemed to meet our various criteria including price, range and features. So we set off with hundreds of other car enthusiasts and would-be buyers. Once we saw the vehicles in real life and were able to sit in them our previously preferred option of the Geely X5 appears to have come out ahead.

The final step will be to organise a test drive at the dealer closest to home which is about 80km away.

Decision making is never easy and this has been particularly challenging as we are comparing features and capabilities such as battery power and range with which we have no previous experience.

Finding Friends

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I went to Melbourne on Saturday and had the absolute pleasure of catching up with these ladies. They are colleagues from my student nurse training and we were barely 20 years old when we last saw each other.

Our lives have taken remarkably divergent paths yet we are bound by a common thread from all those years ago.

This connection occurred because one of our former colleagues took the time to reach out on what was the 50th anniversary of the commencement of our student nurse training. The wonders of social media has meant that some of us have managed to arrange a reunion next month. I am really looking forward to that but in the meantime it was a happy coincidence that we were able to meet up briefly the other day.

Friendships are made through all sorts of encounters during our lives. Some endure and others fade. Some are rekindled in new circumstances, others not so much.

50 years is a long time and we have all matured, changed and been shaped by our experiences and the world around us.

Relocated

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Today is Sunday and it is a glorious autumn day. I have done 3 loads of washing, including the bed linen. This afternoon I will go to my regular Scrabble group. There is usually just 3 or 4 of us and we play several games.

Last week I continued working on getting the 3rd bedroom set up the way I would like. I have taken bundles to the op shop. These were mostly things that were left over from the community garage sale and that I had collected from other sources to sort out.

There is a small, plastic adjustable shelf that I no longer need. I am giving it away and it is being picked up this week.

Otherwise, there are only a few things left to deal with. The pile of towels is to be donated to a charity in Melbourne when I next head there. We need to buy some adhesive to attach a mirror to the wall and then hang the pictures once the mirror is in place.

I also sorted out the wardrobe. It had become a storage area for some of the equipment and supplies for our local film group. There is now some dedicated cupboard space at the hall where we screen the movies so I have rehomed them and freed up space in our house.

The ‘new’ cupboard with all of the catering supplies and equipment.

A bit of rearranging means that the home brew and some exercise equipment now have a specific location rather rather being shuffled around from place to place.

Every small step does make a difference.

Plans, Not Panic

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This is not an overtly political post, however, there is no doubt that the geopolitical events currently unfolding in the Middle East are going to have an impact on us all in one way or another.

I am interested to hear about what preparation and strategies you have in place. Have you considered how you will manage if fuel becomes limited, rationed or simply unavailable? What about food? Frozen goods, shelf stable supplies and home-grown produce?

Here are a couple of views of my pantry.

Luckily, it is autumn and the freezer is almost groaning with produce we have gathered and stored in various ways. I also did a big shop of bulk dry goods just a few weeks ago so the pantry is generally well-stocked.

The other thing to consider at all times but it is particularly relevant now is to make sure that food is not wasted. Leftovers can be turned into a whole new meal and some creative thinking might be required if ingredients run low. There are many websites that offer ideas of substitutions that can be made for specific ingredients.

This afternoon I saw a message to a local group asking if anyone was travelling to the next town (about 15km away) this evening and who might be interested in carpooling. This gladdens my heart immensely as it means people are thinking ahead about what they can do to make a difference as well as looking out for others in their community.

We have a small blessing as we are driving a hire car after my crash last month and it is a hybrid so less fuel required. We are also trying to minimise our travel and combine errands where possible. There is plenty to keep us occupied close to home and we are very fortunate to be able to catch the train to Melbourne if we wish with only a relatively short drive to the railway station in the next town.

I do have flights booked to travel interstate in about 6 weeks so I am hoping I am still able to do that. Yesterday, I received an email from Jetstar advising that my flight had been changed by about 10 hours – early morning instead of late afternoon. I expect that is as a result of the later flight possibly being cancelled. It is not a problem for me but the impacts are already starting to show.

I am mindful that the lack of fuel will have massive potential impacts in the farm and transport sectors so it is important that we all take whatever steps we can to minimise our personal usage. We should also try to be responsible for ourselves and look out for those less capable in our communities.

Let Me Loose

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Although I buy virtually all of my clothes secondhand it is still easy to end up with more than you need in your wardrobe. So, I made a conscious decision at the end of last year that I would be a bit more considered in my clothes purchases this year. To that end I have assiduously been avoiding op shops most of the time because once I am there I invariably manage to find something to add to my wardrobe.

As a result I have only bought 2 pieces so far in 2026.

Today I went to one of my favourite op shops in Bendigo. It is not large but I almost always find something there. This time it was a pair of red linen shorts for $9. They are Jacquie E brand and appear to be barely worn. Even though we are officially into autumn they will be a welcome addition. Coincidentally, I noticed that the white shorts I was wearing yesterday are starting to look as though they have seen better days. This is not bad considering I paid $5 for them at an op shop over 4 years ago and have worn them consistently ever since.

My other purchase was about a month ago. I bought this top at an op shop in Melbourne when we caught up with some of the family for lunch. I altered it slightly as the underneath layer was longer than the top and I am not keen on that look. I have yet to wear it but I am sure I will find an occasion soon.

Rearranged and Ready

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While we were away on holidays in northern Europe there was a catastrophic bushfire which began less than 20km from our home. That was far too close for comfort. When we arrived home a couple of weeks later we decided to upgrade our vague evacuation plan. You can read about our initial response in this post from late January.

We have had some rain and are experiencing much more moderate temperatures so the bushfire threat is significantly reduced.

Anyway, yesterday I decided that I really needed to tidy up the 3rd bedroom. When we gathered up everything in case of another catastrophic fire risk we had it all stashed in that room.

I carefully resorted everything and decided on an arrangement that would allow us to keep things we use in their regular locations for the 9-10 months of the year when the risk of an emergency evacuation is minimal.

I have 2 emergency boxes stocked with detailed lists attached and a third box in which to collect a few other things in order to leave immediately if required. There is also a bag with 2 woolen blankets. These do get used on beds during the winters months but this is where I will store them during the summer and they form part of the emergency kit. I have lists of everything. These are all stored in the top of the linen cupboard which is located centrally in the house. It is funny that I still refer to it as a linen cupboard as there is more of other stuff than linen in it.

A close-up view.

I hope I never have to put this plan into action but I feel that I am as prepared as possible should the worst case scenario ever eventuate.

Oil and Dead Fish

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There has been such a lot going on behind the scenes while there have been no blog posts for just over a week.

Last night was the regular monthly film screening for our local film society. As secretary of the group I am usually occupied making sure that everything is ready for film night. There have also been other community activities as well as some administrative work at home.

The harvest continues with nashi pears to be stewed and I have also dehydrated quite a lot. GMan’s help has been invaluable in peeling, coring and slicing.

However, by far the largest disruption to my preferred pattern of blog posts has been the frightening existential threat posed by the invasion of Iran and the subsequent global chaos. Like many of you, my general mental state and equilibrium has been severely tested as I try to balance my day-to-day existence with the very real spectre of a global conflict affecting us all. The functional closure of the Strait of Hormuz is playing havoc with the accessibility of oil, petrol and other fuels.

Meanwhile, back to the title of this post – Oil and Dead Fish.

A few weeks ago I was the recipient of a substantial platter of excess food from a corporate catering event. It is not unusual to have significant leftovers from these type of events which happen thousands of times every day. Most of the food was distributed and able to used and I was extremely grateful to see it not end up in landfill. Included on the platter was a container of individual serves of condiments for sushi. These were soy sauce and wasabi paste. The soy sauce was in the ubiquitous, tiny plastic fish. These plastic fish were banned in South Australia in September 2025 in a world-first but they are still currently used elsewhere.

I emptied all of the soy sauce from these tiny containers and this is the pile of plastic waste which will literally take hundreds of year to break down in landfill.

The yield was 100ml of soy sauce which I have put in a jar and will use in my regular meal preparation.

There is a very obvious environmental hazard that these small containers, and their even smaller plastic lids pose to wildlife, particularly of the marine variety. They are plastic and where does plastic come from? That’s right……oil. Yes, the very same oil that is required in one form or another for a large percentage of our transport fuel, medical equipment, food, fertilisers and a thousand and one things that are part and parcel of our daily lives.

Could there possibly be a more wasteful and frivolous use of a finite resource upon which our very civilisation depends than making single-use plastic containers to dispense a mere 3-5ml of soy sauce onto your takeaway sushi?

Plastic is made from oil. Oil is finite. Oil is expensive. Perhaps now is the time to stop and consider everything that we take for granted that is made from plastic in some form or another. Is it necessary? Is there an alternative?

Time to buy a glass bottle of soy sauce?

Harvest Happenings

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Even with a relatively small garden the late summer and early autumn harvests are enough to keep idle hands occupied.

We have 2 varieties of Nashi pear trees espaliered and we have had them netted for the past 3 months to allow the fruit to grow and ripen unhindered by our feathered friends.

Today we picked all of the fruit from one tree. 70 Nashi pears.

GMan has been busy for several hours peeling, cutting and slicing. We cooked them in batches in the microwave and they are now cooling before we freeze them. We use the lightly stewed fruit on our breakfast cereal.

The fruit from the other tree will need to be picked before too long. Meanwhile the tomato harvest continues. This all from a single plant. We have enjoyed generous serves of tomato in lots of meals over the past few weeks. I think I will need to dice and freeze some of them for use in casseroles and other cooking during the winter.

Additionally, the cherry tomato plants are now ripening so I am simply destalking and rinsing them and freezing in 1kg bags. I can see some sauce making in the not too distant future.