seedlings | organised castle

A new year is a good time to remind myself of my aim. It is to live simply while adhering to the principles of organisation and sustainability.

Today I have done something that ticks both boxes. It may seem like a small, or almost insignificant action, but I see it as worthwhile.

After doing a trial last year, our council have decided to offer the option of receiving rates notices by email. When I saw this mentioned in a promotional booklet before Christmas, I sent an request for this option. I have now registered our details, and while I am not exactly looking forward to our next rates notice, it is good to know that I can receive this notification electronically. This means that there is no paper used (sustainable), the council saves money on postage and I do not have to handle and file the paperwork as it lands directly in my inbox (organised).

We receive as much correspondence as possible electronically. This includes statements, phone and internet bills. There are probably others that I cannot think of right at the moment. Automatic payments and direct debits also help to streamline and simplify the business of running a household. By automating as much as possible this leaves more time for doing productive and fun things.

Speaking of productive activities, yesterday The Duke and I planted out 23 rockmelon (cantaloupe) seedlings. If they all thrive and produce fruit I will be able to run a market stall! Some were planted in the rather desolate area nicknamed ‘the snakepit’. It is a barren patch near the low part of the garden and seems to be filled with rubble. Some months ago I managed to plant a couple of pumpkin seedlings which i had rescued from the compost heap and they are doing well. I counted at least 10 tiny pumpkins growing on the vine yesterday.

Do you receive mail electronically or have automatic payments set up in order to streamline the business of running your household? What other strategies do you use? I would love to hear your thoughts.

In the midst of all the turmoil going on around us some things remain constant, and for that I am thankful. We seem to be surrounded by uncertainty whichever way we turn.

It may be natural disasters of flood, drought, earthquakes and cyclones, the unrest we see in the traditional troublespots of the Middle East or less expected but no less traumatic violence seen in the running battles in London and other major cities in Britain.

Today, I was doing my paid work from home but I managed to sneak in an hour in the garden. I picked the beetroot and in its place I planted out 12 of the strongest bok choy seedlings which I have grown from seed. I usually buy punnets of seedlings as I simply do not have the time to dedicate to raising seedlings at the moment but this was an exception and they have been a great success so far.

I also picked other things from the garden and here it is spread all over the kitchen bench waiting for me to weave my magic and turn them into nourishing meals.

The pumpkin didn’t make it into the photo – it is already in the slow-cooker, being turned into pumpkin soup.

The garden does not get a great deal of attention but we still manage to grow quite a bit of our own food. I know that it has not been sprayed with chemicals, travelled halfway around the world, been kept in cold-storage or picked when nowhere near ripe. All of these things add up to real, full-flavoured produce which often bears little resemblance to their counterparts from the shops which are lacking in flavour. Apart from the obvious cost savings these are the things that making growing our own food worthwhile. We also have the knowledge that if ever things get really tough we could spend our days growing and preparing our own food to eat.

Although we have a small acreage, area we have for food production could easily fit into a good-sized suburban backyard. The only exception is the avocado tree which is enormous. Even if you do not have a backyard or are renting your home, there are many ways that you can grow some vegetables.

This is an old esky that the drain hole plug had broken as well as one of the lid attachments. I removed the lid and drilled some large holes in the base. I plan to grow some more of the bok choy in this, but more importantly, it will be useful for growing lettuce during the summer. I will be able to move it out of the hottest part of the garden and into some semi-shade when required and also put it under the house to avoid the lettuce becoming water-logged during our heavy summer rains.