Tackling the List

Making it Happen

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Posted on January 19, 2014

Late on a Sunday afternoon The Duke and I can often be found strolling around the garden or sitting on the verandah. The topic of discussion is invariably our plans for our patch of paradise. Both of us working full-time means that our time is somewhat limited but we have so many grand plans.

A couple of weeks ago we decided to create an action plan. In reality, it was just a matter of writing down all of the things that we regularly talk about.

1	Paint fenceposts
2	Fence vegie garden area
3	Buy & plant shrubs outside fence
4	Create rockery in V outside fence
5	Finish retaining walls under verandah
6	Buy and lay pebbles under verandah
7	Revamp compost area
8	Create 6 new garden beds
9	Extend concrete path to gate
10	Paint stairs and railing
11	Create corner garden outside the gate
12	Build a gabion seat in above garden
13	Make & erect lych gate
14	Rainwater tank under house
15	External plumbing/taps
16	Cut up and stack excess wood
17	Mulch wood as required
18	Build extra chicken roost/house
19	Trees cut down
20	Develop snakepit
21	Irrigation for fruit trees
22	Clear/replant along driveway
23	Plant rainforest on upper level
24	Slash top of the block
25	Battens/screening under house/verandah
26	Lighting under the house
27	Build pergola outside garage
28	Repair/replace verandah flooring
29	Build shed at end of driveway
30	Renovate downstairs shower/toilet

The list is by no means exhaustive. Some of the items are long-term projects, some require external help and yet others are beyond our budget at the moment. However, it is good to see where we are heading. We have roughly allocated priority to the tasks, however, that may change.

We do not necessarily plan to refer to the list or stick to it precisely. Without even looking at it, yesterday we made the decision to take the first step towards item number 1, painting the fenceposts. We retrieved them from where they had been stacked after the demolition of the previous chicken run. Using the high pressure cleaner, we cleaned the mud and mould from them and they are now stacked on the scaffold.

Some posts have already been painted and we now worked out how many of these are required to be able to complete the fencing of the vegetable gardens. There is still a bit more preparation to do before we can start painting. We need to cut some of the posts to the length we need and also remove the metal bolts which you can see at the end. The posts that are not required for the fencing project will be stored for future use.

The posts were still damp today so we made a start on one of the other items on the list – creating a rockery in the ‘V’ outside the boundary fence. When The Duke and my brother-in-law replaced the front fence last year we thought we would have t remove a couple of trees that were growing immediately adjacent to the fence. However, a bit of creative thinking led us to detour the fence around the tress which we did not want to lose.

I did not take a ‘before’ photo but here are a couple of shots to give you an idea of what we are doing. The first view is looking down the line of the fence with the ‘V’ to the right. We cleared all of the leaf debris and small branches and set them aside to be mulched. Then we created a rock border along the fence line and also to create an edge between the proposed rockery and the grass on the footpath.

Finding rocks is never a problem here as there is volcanic rock everywhere. We have all sizes from boulders that are over 1 metre high to pebbles and everything in between. It was a simple matter of collecting enough of the size we wanted and then positioning them. This has had the added benefit of blocking one of the escape routes for the chickens when they are free-ranging as the fence did not exactly follow the contour of the land.

Here is a better view of our handiwork. It is taken from inside the fence and looking towards the road. The point of the ‘V’ is on the left of the photo. There is still some leaf litter and twigs to be mulched. There are some quite big rocks around the base of the trees and they will remain. This should add structural interest and height to the finished area. I hope to clear some of the debris from the pockets between the rocks and fill them with soil to plant some groundcovers. A bullet-proof suit might be in order for that job as some of the biggest, nastiest ants I have met live in that spot!!

The next step will be to spread several layers of newspaper over the entire area and then cover it with mulch. We will plant an assortment of native shrubs and ground cover plants and before long the area will be much more aesthetically pleasing.

It is great to see the first results from our planning. Watch this space as we work through the list.

Pineapple Plantation

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Posted on January 17, 2014

OK, so plantation may be slightly too grand a description of the pineapples we have growing in the garden bed beside the front steps.

Live in a warmish climate with moderate rainfall or supplementary water? Next time you buy a pineapple, save the top and plant it. In about 18 months you will have a pineapple. In the meantime you will have a stylish, decorative plant. I expect that you can grow them in a pot as well.

We live not far from the pineapple farms in south-east Queensland so thought we would have a pretty good chance of success. Our first attempt was picked about 12 months ago and now a couple of these are getting close to maturity. We will definitely be continuing to grow pineapples in the future.

Corn Collapse

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Posted on January 12, 2014

It would be heartbreaking – not to mention an economic nightmare – being a farmer. It was bad enough when my lovely little crop of corn was just about flattened almost a week ago. We had a 40C + day with hot wind followed the next day by wild thunderstorms, gale force winds and rain.

This was the result.

The following afternoon I managed to add some extra soil/mulch to the bed and propped them back as upright as I could. I was not overly optimistic but it appears to have been reasonably successful.

Here is the same bed 5 days later.

Meanwhile, we continue to manage to harvest something from the garden almost every day. This is quite an achievement since we devote almost no time to it and a lot is actually self-sown. Today’s bounty included blueberries, cherry tomatoes, pumpkin, figs, avocadoes and eggs from the chickens.

Are you picking produce at the moment? Perhaps you are snowed in and planning the spring planting?

Make & Mend – A New Garden

I Can Grow Carrots

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Posted on August 24, 2013

This probably seems pathetic to many gardeners but I have finally managed to grow some carrots. It is a crop which has eluded me for the best part of 30 years of growing at least some food crops.

Some of my earliest memories are of the carrots growing in my grandfather’s vegetable garden. Carrots were one of the vegetables that my parent’s grew also.

So why is it so difficult to grow carrots? The seed is very fine and can easily dry out, blow away or be taken by birds. Whatever the reason, I have been unable to even get them to germinate previously. Then there is the issue of the soil. It needs to be a bit on the sandy side, well-drained and definitely no rocks or you can end up with some strangely shaped carrots. Mind you, I was so desperate to at least have carrots growing that I could not have cared less about them being misshapen.

When I sowed carrot seeds a couple of months ago I covered them with a few layers of damp newspaper until they had germinated and this seemed to do the trick.

These are the carrots I picked today. They are really just a few that I pulled to thin them out. They are still smaller than the beans that are also from the garden and I can almost hear my grandfather telling me that the soil is too rich in nutrients as they have all gone to the tops. I know, I know……..but at least I have carrots. I am so proud of myself. The beans and carrots were eaten for dinner.

We have been busy putting the strainer wires up for the fencing on the chicken run today. Tomorrow we hope to attach at least some of the chicken wire and also assemble the coop which we bought. It is currently still in the 2 flat pack boxes in the garage.

I am looking forward to the day when the fencing is all done and the remainder of the raised garden beds are built and then hopefully I will be able to concentrate on improving the results of my vegetable gardening efforts.

Slow Living – June

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Posted on June 30, 2013

Another month has flown by and it is time to review it in the spirit of the monthly round-up at Slow Living Essentials . {nourish*prepare*reduce*green*grow*create*discover*enhance*enjoy}

Here are the Slow Living categories:

{Nourish} More gluten-free discoveries this month. I have successfully made gravy, stuffing for roast beef and cheese sauce. For the gravy I used the pan juices and potato flour to thicken it. The cheese sauce was made using equal parts of potato and chickpea flours. I had previously tried making stuffing using well-cooked rice instead of the soft breadcrumbs and although it tasted good enough it just crumbled as we carved the meat. This time I used chickpea flour, almond meal, flaxseed meal, finely diced onion, chopped parsley, mixed herbs, salt and butter. I was able to create a texture very similar to the stuffing I used to make using soft breadcrumbs, it cooked well and stayed in place as we carved the meat so I was very happy.

{Prepare} Citrus harvest is in full swing here so I have many the first of what will probably be several batches of lemon syrup cordial. I also diced up some chillies that we were given and stored them in oil.

{Reduce} Another blouse gone from my cupboard. I continue to be vigilant about reducing the ‘stuff’ that seems to insidiously creep in while we are not watching. The fabric stash reduced slightly when I made a cot quilt. It is not yet finished but you can see it under ‘Create’.

{Green} For many years I have worked on reducing our reliance on single-use plastic items. Many of these habits are simply second nature now but it never hurts to be challenged and reminded of what else you can do. I have signed up for Plastic Free July and will be tracking my success (or otherwise on my blog).

{Grow} The garden beds are filling with green. The seed potatoes are growing apace and need earthing up if this rain ever stops. We planted garlic in the top bed and I counted them yesterday – we have 99 garlic seedlings poking their heads skywards. Judging by a couple of gaps, I think there are 3 that have not yet come up.

{Create} I started making a cot quilt with some fabric from my stash. I have the binding to finish attaching and some hand quilting.

I am working on refashioning a skirt for myself. This is the before photo.

It is now too big and too long so I am making a simple, knee-length skirt. I love the fabric and did not want to part with it.

{Discover} I am spending time reading and researching about making liquid soap. My mother gave me this book for my birthday and I am finding that there is so much to learn. Perhaps next month I may be able to report on my first attempt??

{Enhance} This month most of the things that fall into ‘enhance’ have been in my head. I am mulling over ways to encourage closer ties and co-operation amongst our neighbours. It is most definitely a challenge as there are many ‘weekender’ properties that are only inhabited intermittently. The other complicating factors include distance between homes (most are are on small acreage) and a clear reticence by some folk to have any real rapport at all with their neighbours. But it is a matter of small, incremental steps.

{Enjoy} A couple of weeks ago my mother came to visit for the weekend and we enjoyed a day out at ‘Gardening on the Edge’ which was 6 local gardens oren to the public. I certainly enjoyed what they had to offer but it also made me realise that ours is pretty darned good in its own way.

The last day of the month and we took ourselves off to see ‘The Great Gatsby’ with some free tickets that The Duke had been given from work. We took our own snacks and drinks so were set. Our treat was fish and chips on the way home.

Now I am off to check out some of the slow living blogs.

Til next month………..

The Great Garlic Massacre & Other Dirty Tales

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Posted on June 16, 2013

We have finally had some of the glorious winter weather for which south-east Queensland is renowned – clear, sunny days and crisp, cool nights.

The majority of yesterday and today has been spent in the garden. I have previously shown you the 3 raised vegetable garden beds. One was planted out with seeds a couple of weeks ago. I planted 2 bean seeds together in each hole and they all germinated so I transplanted the extras. I am not sure whether they will survive the process but it never hurts to try.

We moved some lemon tree prunings which had been in this tank and filled it with soil from one of the old garden beds which is now redundant. The soil is fabulous and it would be a shame to waste it. We mixed it with some mulch (from the poinciana stump which we had ground last year) and also some mushroom compost. In the centre you can also see some bok choy seedlings. The bok choy seeds came up so thickly that I have thinned heaps of them and will thin them out again as they get a bit bigger. I could not bear to just throw the thinnings away so they were all transplanted. Some went into this old esky filled with soil and mulch.

I put some others in between the potato plants in the other raised bed. The bok choy will be well and truly finished before the potatoes take over.

The carrots, onions and beetroot have also germinated and are growing but are probably too small to identify in this photo. You can, however, see the beans and bok choy.

A few weeks ago I bought some organic garlic ready to sprout and plant. It has been languishing in a bag on the floor of the pantry but today was the day to plant it out. Firstly, we had to finish preparing the third raised bed. It was about 1/3 full of leaf litter, mushroom compost and shredded arrowroot leaves. Today we added some grass clippings after The Duke had mowed the lawn area area the vegie patch, more mushroom compost, lots of mulch and soil as previously described. Then it was time to plant the garlic. We peeled off the papery outer layer, separated the cloves and planted them in rows with the sprouting tip pointing upwards. You can see all of the shredded outer layers on the ground beside the bed. It really did look like something had been massacred. The bed is 2.4m x 1.2m and it is entirely planted with rows of garlic. If this is even moderately successful I should never have to buy garlic again!

I cleared some old cherry tomato plants out of another round tank, topped up the soil and mulch and planted these golden sweet potato plants that had been in a pot for ages since my brother-in-law gave them to us.

This is the old garden bed where we have been digging up the soil to re-use. There is still plenty left.

The pile of mulch which resulted from the grinding of the tree stump last year has been put to good use in the garden beds. We still have more that we can take from here to build up the next round of garden beds.

It is gratifying to be able to use and reuse everything from our own property in the gardens. Leaf litter, compost, mulch, soil and grass clippings all go into creating the next lot of vegetables for us to eat. Chickens, chickens manure and eggs are also part of the cycle. Trees provide fallen timber for firewood which in turn leaves ash that we put back into the compost heap or garden bed. Permaculture in action really is the circle of life.

More Fun

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Posted on May 25, 2013

The fun continued yesterday when we made the cupcakes. Once they were cool, I iced them and Miss O dipped them in sprinkles. Here is the result.

There was a purpose to our baking as my sister was coming for afternoon tea. Miss O set the table and we prepared quite a feast.

We all had a very enjoyable afternoon.

Today it was back to the garden. We moved enough composted mulch and soil from near the driveway to 2/3 fill one of the newly-created raised garden beds. Then we cut up the sprouting seed potatoes which I had bought from the Co-op last week. I ended up with about 60 pieces which are all planted. Next, we harvested the last of the cabbages and a few bits of broccoli before clearing out another bed. All of the old cabbage and broccoli plants went to the chickens who will enjoy them.

Meanwhile, the chickens were having a fine time ‘rotary hoeing’ the freshly cleared garden bed. Miss O was very unsure of the chickens a couple of days ago but all of her reticence was gone today as she delighted in running around the bed trying to get close enough to ‘pat’ them. It was great to hear the whoops of joy as she managed to touch their tails.

Thanks to the efforts of an exuberant 5 year old with a rake plus the chickens my garden bed is now ready for replanting.

Happy Harvesting

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Posted on May 23, 2013

In a complete turnaround from yesterday, it has been a gloriously sunny day although quite cool and windy. Miss O was delighted when she woke up to sun streaming in the window.

Apart from a trip into Maleny to go to the library and a short stint in the nearby playground, we have spent the day at home. While I have been doing some paid work, my grand-daughter has happily entertained herself with some dolls and a dolls house which I received from Freecycle a couple of years ago. There has been lots of chattering, singing and imaginative play going on.

While we were hanging out the washing, Miss O noticed some lemons on the tree and was keen to pick them. We put on our gumboots and headed downstairs to spend some time in the garden. The first stop was the chicken run to give the chickens the contents of the scrap bucket.

Next, it was time to collect the eggs. Only 2 today.

Quite a number of limes had fallen and there were a few grapefruit ripe but most of the lemons and oranges will be a bit longer before they are ready. We collected up the rotten fruit and put them in the compost bin. We took the extendable fruit picker and picked some avocadoes from high up in the tree. No words can begin to describe the squeals of delight and, “Get it, get it!” as Miss O bounded through the leaf litter, offering encouragement to me as I wielded the long-handled picker.

Finally, I took her out to the front yard where the cherry tomatoes are growing wild and flourishing. It was only a couple of weeks since I had picked 2 kg of tomatoes so I was not sure how many there would be. However, there we plenty to keep us entertained and she was quick to point out to me that you do not pick the green ones and the squishy ones are no good.

Miss O was very keen to pose with her harvest.

We put all of the produce in the bucket and used the wheelbarrow to collect some more firewood from the shed.

The clear sunny day means that the night will be cold so I will light the fire soon as the sun has just about set. We will bring the clothes in from the line and hang them on the airer in front of the fire to finish drying.