tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47900771005907648912024-02-07T15:07:53.759+11:00Urban Food ForestThis blog shares the wonder and joys - and trials and tribulations of developing a food forest in a suburban backyard in Canberra, Australia. We are in a cool temperate zone, with very hot, dry summers, and cold winters with regular frosts, but not usually snow.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-59105830938756598772014-08-31T18:31:00.002+10:002014-08-31T18:31:24.272+10:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I Love my Greenhouse</h2>
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Once upon a time, there was an oddly shaped corner of the garden that was getting very over-grown with unwanted spreading boysenberries. Obviously I want the original boysenberry patch - I just didn't want them spreading everywhere!</div>
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I had always wanted a greenhouse, and figured that this was the perfect spot! My lovely OH gave me one for my birthday which duly arrived in what he called "a lot of flat-packery"! And a 106 page instruction book! I kid you not - 106 pages ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcctLEkxS1LwUaoD3E6Q-CcbIdGFbWsPp3dr93fa0n2P1Fhyphenhyphenscf8TxkDwpWOpIJMOuWz1UmhWXii-1N8PSyzO8FmbgTsITmKSfEsHCvU7eV9smz2YISY6moIKUq1Frys4HZfmDptyOYRQ/s1600/2013-09-23+11.12.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcctLEkxS1LwUaoD3E6Q-CcbIdGFbWsPp3dr93fa0n2P1Fhyphenhyphenscf8TxkDwpWOpIJMOuWz1UmhWXii-1N8PSyzO8FmbgTsITmKSfEsHCvU7eV9smz2YISY6moIKUq1Frys4HZfmDptyOYRQ/s1600/2013-09-23+11.12.11.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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And I built it! It took ages, but I did it - and it looks fab at the bottom of the path ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsagAU-JeV2uexh8XTUUaivdMLO3V4V8tSgKCyufpIcL5HLTh-ccHCcHc8u7pzgnnjrfXSYyzIvZJxml8-zjGHB_XiADi2jzrhwvrPU48dzH1IVBMwhCW-iTrr81s-wufS5YAmTdewEs/s1600/2013-10-12+19.02.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsagAU-JeV2uexh8XTUUaivdMLO3V4V8tSgKCyufpIcL5HLTh-ccHCcHc8u7pzgnnjrfXSYyzIvZJxml8-zjGHB_XiADi2jzrhwvrPU48dzH1IVBMwhCW-iTrr81s-wufS5YAmTdewEs/s1600/2013-10-12+19.02.22.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
And now it's full!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />I've planted up Diosma cuttings to extend the hedge around the perimeter fence; raspberries cos I "share" way too many with the neighbourhood kids; gooseberries cos I really want lots of gooseberries; Swiss Chard cos I planted too many seeds and the chooks love their greens; ginger or galangal and lemongrass cos it's so great to be able to say I grow them here in Canberra; and a tomato and a chilli plant that I may have managed to over-winter. And then - I planted up one of the two polystyrene boxes with tomatoes, leeks, beetroot, broccoli, onions, and sage. I also planted some apple and Lebanese cucumbers and some black Jack zucchinis in the six-pack punnets in the background in the top photo of these two.<br />
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I love my greenhouse!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-88515844445590720852014-07-19T12:59:00.001+10:002014-07-19T12:59:48.135+10:00There's something about July!Well, after nearly two years of silence, I've got the urge to blog again. So, I'm baaaaaack! There must be something about July that makes me want to write up and share what's happening in the garden because I started this blog in July almost 3 years ago.<div><br></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Quite a lot has happened on the food forest front since the last time I posted. We've eaten</span> cherries, apricots, almonds, nectarines, mulberries, apples, peaches, broccoli, shallots, onions, cabbage, beetroot, mandarins, tomatoes, asparagus, strawberries, raspberries, boysenberries, potatoes, cauliflower, pumpkin, silverbeet and countless other things I can't remember from the garden. The grand-girlies love feeding the chooks, collecting the eggs and exploring the garden.<br><div><br></div><div> I have established the front garden and am hopeful the frogs might move in this Spring and summer. The garden beds are full of chives, strawberries, garlic, asparagus and flowers for the bees. And a broccoli plant that just gives me the best seeds ever! So I keep it going ...</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61DOBAHr6DNQcyfMUsWRuJc5Hgynenai6kNU-G9q4DdsPWsHNYcskMLXFV5nQzWLuZdwZPhXPWkT-se5B1YIjV1DEMWSlo2XXvaBjr8x2Nhnk_96dSkpWhI3QzQSSY467IFFzBO1aKik/s640/blogger-image--1852020783.jpg" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"></div></div><div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">And then last year, for my birthday, my lovely boyfriend (who I've been married to for nearly 30 years!) bought me a proper glasshouse! It arrived in what he described as "a lot of flat-packery" and I set about constructing it. It took about a month but look!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZ1PV1ohvXchVU7vFgmJEass4047ZW4QuZFPhGqfci3a1_zyijztWCGX0Dd6Q7ppF4NWxACRCM2PndYn1WMKkZPJYAHYuQZffGHIVfzP5OMJOyVAaAcwL9n8rHAx5bjXt-4e7ADqgXko/s640/blogger-image-1524865486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZ1PV1ohvXchVU7vFgmJEass4047ZW4QuZFPhGqfci3a1_zyijztWCGX0Dd6Q7ppF4NWxACRCM2PndYn1WMKkZPJYAHYuQZffGHIVfzP5OMJOyVAaAcwL9n8rHAx5bjXt-4e7ADqgXko/s640/blogger-image-1524865486.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I love it so much, and you can see the mandarins peeping through the foliage of the hedge. I love this too! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">And, despite being away for the whole month of April, we've managed to harvest bucket loads of tomatoes right up until about the end of June, so I got a cupboard full of preserved tomatoes and chutney.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrKHfJPIRdmZBI2Ycfaq-gwumoA1DWCPCIYk9UbOObdCMYYJv2FFZ1ERw7xndzMkfqcCRAMm4lsPKcK-qyq5iRQqyIQd480Omh2GVgqcU_NVrZaqMw22B6_mNCF5atyJwegnYRdIj23E/s640/blogger-image--1418910023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrKHfJPIRdmZBI2Ycfaq-gwumoA1DWCPCIYk9UbOObdCMYYJv2FFZ1ERw7xndzMkfqcCRAMm4lsPKcK-qyq5iRQqyIQd480Omh2GVgqcU_NVrZaqMw22B6_mNCF5atyJwegnYRdIj23E/s640/blogger-image--1418910023.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The mandarin hedge is also developing nicely as you can see and we've had so many mandarins this year, I've had a go at mandarin marmalade. Yummy!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vxr2DRWELSm_pbywcAPTXHzP2BgKw8opLAeDqwh5Gcj3NGNk97WkPC9Y9BkG3Ra5ejJ6YlSzoery7hPdm3u5JkalM2vp6sLWeSgUPM1mf-3IVtOCvVHYsvUmvWIzAcsaIW_veWlGhTM/s640/blogger-image--1252813262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vxr2DRWELSm_pbywcAPTXHzP2BgKw8opLAeDqwh5Gcj3NGNk97WkPC9Y9BkG3Ra5ejJ6YlSzoery7hPdm3u5JkalM2vp6sLWeSgUPM1mf-3IVtOCvVHYsvUmvWIzAcsaIW_veWlGhTM/s640/blogger-image--1252813262.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We have six chookies these days. Three young ones, two of which are part-Australorp, part-Isa Brown and a white Leghorn, dear old Lexie, the last remaining of my friend's flock who came home with use after shed looked after the others for me last year, Minnie the Moocher the Light Sussex and Big Red the Wellesummer.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJxb3V469I1sgHmEQOu2wJPxYpU-r3CgRJdYiohwBXeoAwV8x9WsYslduEZw437zKGZTmZ4KeIPPrYdQ__kIhR12ftq-oSX23DPxsd5HGGnCnhRFZXAcVcl_U3iUKBvQUA8_He7LOffE/s640/blogger-image--1234536250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJxb3V469I1sgHmEQOu2wJPxYpU-r3CgRJdYiohwBXeoAwV8x9WsYslduEZw437zKGZTmZ4KeIPPrYdQ__kIhR12ftq-oSX23DPxsd5HGGnCnhRFZXAcVcl_U3iUKBvQUA8_He7LOffE/s640/blogger-image--1234536250.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I make all our own bread, and we still cook most of our food from scratch. The chicken pate below is from a blogger I followed a couple of years ago but I can't remember who it was. Best pate ever and so easy! Thanks blog-land.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzAMNm95sXyHarp35OwqKcgNwwy_yWo7f-8uHA9bZjTTV_A9sq0C5qrJ36moKxZCl6c0wRKNY3wB0QF61al7Thq54ikX8GFefuMr_6jlLcxyiRjfLQgn8_JxsurH25Q7o3wdosi-0hBE/s640/blogger-image-614931300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzAMNm95sXyHarp35OwqKcgNwwy_yWo7f-8uHA9bZjTTV_A9sq0C5qrJ36moKxZCl6c0wRKNY3wB0QF61al7Thq54ikX8GFefuMr_6jlLcxyiRjfLQgn8_JxsurH25Q7o3wdosi-0hBE/s640/blogger-image-614931300.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHarfW3DGg1zkOX1eqJCJNlhgWRUGgv3UxR5T1ABGLjlkbG4lWzFqjzmezSDhZtOw_YB8YcBXtgw2IIHQ0tIjCmO-0RVsquPWnm5NaG2BQyXcDWbPo4fyHo81S1k0eUvCSJP_pR7CC3w/s640/blogger-image-977540134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHarfW3DGg1zkOX1eqJCJNlhgWRUGgv3UxR5T1ABGLjlkbG4lWzFqjzmezSDhZtOw_YB8YcBXtgw2IIHQ0tIjCmO-0RVsquPWnm5NaG2BQyXcDWbPo4fyHo81S1k0eUvCSJP_pR7CC3w/s640/blogger-image-977540134.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Well, that's it for the update for now. Talk soon.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Greenie x</span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-24538763192660504632012-09-03T10:06:00.001+10:002012-09-03T10:06:37.650+10:00Morning CoffeeThe view from our coffee shop! Aaaaagggghh! Life's good<br />
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A wonderful Sunday full of relaxing, knitting and baking. Our weekly loaves and some White Chocolate and Lime Cookies! Yum yum<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3F8DluGjqmJLySG026lg0asjQAjg8mR5fGgrABJF_3aLUv3ntyCEAReKBc2aOHsyxnaa4xlFKTTPKUfn6BX_lm3JJIcWjZ9SHesxhR_s6JWuuOUV1NyuidHmtRU2utv95N9z_9894ynA/s640/blogger-image-1041611216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3F8DluGjqmJLySG026lg0asjQAjg8mR5fGgrABJF_3aLUv3ntyCEAReKBc2aOHsyxnaa4xlFKTTPKUfn6BX_lm3JJIcWjZ9SHesxhR_s6JWuuOUV1NyuidHmtRU2utv95N9z_9894ynA/s640/blogger-image-1041611216.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-32072020902782717662012-04-06T18:53:00.001+10:002012-04-06T18:53:07.967+10:00A Good FridayProductive day today - cooked up a big batch of our staple tomato pasta sauce. It used up just over 2kg of my tomatoes, some of which were beginning to look a bit tired, so it was good not to waste them. Also picked about 350g raspberries, and planted up my garlic in one of the front beds. I must show you some pictures of the front yard's transformation. Perhaps tomorrow ...<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPjhYmiQsBeHnkoJpq0qElrX35RZYjy93heArQXLfcejZH720UrfXfBXxOy3CyacoeW7eJLpwyPCv-sqYGTPZlE_udaHBIK1b3gXMftcQLxTrR-3axxTOSfoYUxjWXQwIg8yOk0KCmSNs/s640/blogger-image--1543941124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPjhYmiQsBeHnkoJpq0qElrX35RZYjy93heArQXLfcejZH720UrfXfBXxOy3CyacoeW7eJLpwyPCv-sqYGTPZlE_udaHBIK1b3gXMftcQLxTrR-3axxTOSfoYUxjWXQwIg8yOk0KCmSNs/s640/blogger-image--1543941124.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkGNP5Dz20mux2wq6n4kfIwVCsZ5FYfytA0f4Jh0CcuPXnd_lVo-rWePNxAoXCG-pgM92ekAVhYIKpEHEAGZXRZGn70bU4iI5zIZFUOog5ItukNb1mMhb8JGz3t-lE7hjCMKS_HMSEGk/s640/blogger-image--1004554751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkGNP5Dz20mux2wq6n4kfIwVCsZ5FYfytA0f4Jh0CcuPXnd_lVo-rWePNxAoXCG-pgM92ekAVhYIKpEHEAGZXRZGn70bU4iI5zIZFUOog5ItukNb1mMhb8JGz3t-lE7hjCMKS_HMSEGk/s640/blogger-image--1004554751.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-42328960135706090142012-03-28T09:18:00.001+11:002012-03-28T09:18:06.135+11:00Get me outa here!The punishment for spending the night in the trees!<br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHxhbH8qfzossziR1rlZKuLXpxVF4-JLQWcWXIv05VtmU1a2gc8rsZ9LGhRC_73-GOm9zp8DLPv_NjpvfnrXlYpPdtq0ohVxuVlfWDR2b2appG4KVZQ4rHZpdInmkl91_w7yCG_Iv5EU/s640/blogger-image-1293037435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHxhbH8qfzossziR1rlZKuLXpxVF4-JLQWcWXIv05VtmU1a2gc8rsZ9LGhRC_73-GOm9zp8DLPv_NjpvfnrXlYpPdtq0ohVxuVlfWDR2b2appG4KVZQ4rHZpdInmkl91_w7yCG_Iv5EU/s640/blogger-image-1293037435.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-52318154216490168352012-02-20T08:48:00.001+11:002012-02-20T08:48:30.113+11:00Hidden TreasureLook what I found hidden (amongst the weeds actually! LOL) right near the ground as I was admiring all the new baby eggplants coming along towards the top. Yum yum! And I have a few quite large green capsicums that I've been trying to be patient enough to let turn red in situ - so I feel a caponata coming on ...<br />
Have a great week everyone!<br />
Greenie x<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNPNQPlnME9EQ_MJixwBlps8zfsndEHVqkp3eZXZymENOPIlfPiCKyCvXChEihb8vsnCDW4-S4HRq8V05JDkCvugolDLJNevMq5xZv1z-lbuqa1RwheJ9kz8XnHCy6ty_JdTR2_tM6m8/s640/blogger-image-1784004922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNPNQPlnME9EQ_MJixwBlps8zfsndEHVqkp3eZXZymENOPIlfPiCKyCvXChEihb8vsnCDW4-S4HRq8V05JDkCvugolDLJNevMq5xZv1z-lbuqa1RwheJ9kz8XnHCy6ty_JdTR2_tM6m8/s640/blogger-image-1784004922.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJO3ts2MAgERxvVyIM0yx67jKvC8ASKaO0Rna117iR7mzszajKQ6qzm9SjzR_uDi8wPLW3EMYjMsgWnLclV5Bnlfbnjl6MMMWjzKMily01KFRWWiVOySso20Z2-Ro6ig1iurz0hYax47s/s640/blogger-image-99973385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJO3ts2MAgERxvVyIM0yx67jKvC8ASKaO0Rna117iR7mzszajKQ6qzm9SjzR_uDi8wPLW3EMYjMsgWnLclV5Bnlfbnjl6MMMWjzKMily01KFRWWiVOySso20Z2-Ro6ig1iurz0hYax47s/s640/blogger-image-99973385.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-79293127106711649852012-02-18T14:59:00.001+11:002012-02-18T14:59:12.001+11:00Weekend Heaven!Ah! The bliss of sitting on the deck eating home grown tomato & basil on home-baked toast after having planted carrots & leeks. Another loaf in the oven ... Heaven!<br />
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What are you doing this weekend?<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLE41serHDKmV81jodyxirsPzjkKcsgxdRYXobR8W-kCwZQapy2yyJPDG7A6f8evY0sTsh6ol4mp1UT_F0yGdfA1VD6hYfqTDflxxKZwnUbJ_n1dwhkf_uqpG-M6SSGnNisUTHly9NpSE/s640/blogger-image-937382032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLE41serHDKmV81jodyxirsPzjkKcsgxdRYXobR8W-kCwZQapy2yyJPDG7A6f8evY0sTsh6ol4mp1UT_F0yGdfA1VD6hYfqTDflxxKZwnUbJ_n1dwhkf_uqpG-M6SSGnNisUTHly9NpSE/s640/blogger-image-937382032.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGnihyzahg55pGBHQCPwNQm7kI86vNRO9v4UJstOqYSQff_d0w6wBshZXvwvC7mrR0cdsqTEPUMHXwJttqSiJSldUWTbRaFhOCycRIBCFYd0Rqcp1V4GAcmWpp2sEeGmFGmw-mzJMhaU/s640/blogger-image-1090801933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGnihyzahg55pGBHQCPwNQm7kI86vNRO9v4UJstOqYSQff_d0w6wBshZXvwvC7mrR0cdsqTEPUMHXwJttqSiJSldUWTbRaFhOCycRIBCFYd0Rqcp1V4GAcmWpp2sEeGmFGmw-mzJMhaU/s640/blogger-image-1090801933.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-87266772847875066062012-02-06T18:07:00.001+11:002012-02-06T18:07:51.219+11:00February update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hi everyone, I made a few goals and shared them with you at the beginning of the year. So I thought it would be good to share where I’m up to at the end of the first month:<o:p></o:p></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Loads of quality time with the family<o:p></o:p></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal">Good progress. Finally sorted little
Charlie’s swimming lessons out so they are at a time that suits her
(early morning rather than late morning when she’s tired and grumpy).
Looking forward to spending some more time with DD when she goes on mat
leave for baby II in April.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal"> Love spending my days with DH, but he’s going
away again in a couple of days. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal">And today is my darling boy’s 39<sup>th</sup>
birthday. I miss him terribly but am trying to think happy thoughts and
conjure up happy memories – he had the best, most infectious laugh ever!
Nearly 3 years since we lost him, and I still think of him every
day. <o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal">Establish front garden<o:p></o:p></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal">The wonderful Sustainable Gardener
comes back on Wednesday for the first time this year, and I think he’ll
probably finish the infrastructure this week – ie finish gravelling the
paths, and mulching the beds. Then its off to the creek for some tadpoles
and the garden centres for some plants.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">This is a whole of year goal …<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal">Find a moveable chook house that works
for me and the chooks and is secure enough to keep next door’s cat out!<o:p></o:p></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal">Well, I’m kinda pleased with this one!
It’s a bought hoop-house greenhouse, courtesy of Ebay and manufactured in
China. It’s dead cheap, super easy to erect, and light as a feather.
Obviously, not particularly sturdy, and I nearly had a disaster before it
was even in place. I fell into it while trying to fling the tarp over the
top, and bent a couple of the struts, and broke a couple of the
connectors. But 20mm pvc pipe fits over the connectors perfectly and
keeps it all together. The girls (did I tell you I have 6 now?) like it because they are protected from the pesky cat next door. The three new girls are in the first photo below. Wellesummer/New Hampshire crosses apparently. They're very sweet but very shy.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEO9M6LJZ9U4fJueZjI8dbvaRjVHkXrDuNf23bPmiplaDIfWf5WmbYaXO-yGSkSAzWTKeN1FWw5Qom5NCCCDsHOK949WzkR67mI6Qmq0dFNsV-lSb5QMPcxVaBDlTXLYcsSjH8-4AhZYY/s1600/IMG_0505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEO9M6LJZ9U4fJueZjI8dbvaRjVHkXrDuNf23bPmiplaDIfWf5WmbYaXO-yGSkSAzWTKeN1FWw5Qom5NCCCDsHOK949WzkR67mI6Qmq0dFNsV-lSb5QMPcxVaBDlTXLYcsSjH8-4AhZYY/s320/IMG_0505.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSiUUuXv0IgUMctAlQH3jLPoRTik24vcICGNpMiAa8fOufWvXFf1vCdsH4qo90RVu69rIp6S_qFxMwe3_CMaCTJqefKbIZEvr2kHfq4sDXMhnBBqh5oWBqX17j9JM7Jk2yEtc7eeoZO8/s1600/IMG_0500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSiUUuXv0IgUMctAlQH3jLPoRTik24vcICGNpMiAa8fOufWvXFf1vCdsH4qo90RVu69rIp6S_qFxMwe3_CMaCTJqefKbIZEvr2kHfq4sDXMhnBBqh5oWBqX17j9JM7Jk2yEtc7eeoZO8/s320/IMG_0500.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Make more staples from scratch – bread,
biscuits, pasta, preserves, yoghurt etc <o:p></o:p></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal">I finally mastered the art of the choc
chip cookie – DH’s staple for morning tea!<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">I went to a wonderful bread-making
workshop hosted by one of the Canberra Urban Homestead Clubbers, and made
some truly wonderful focaccia. Also received a wonderful everyday bread
recipe which I will try out. Am on the look-out for plain rice
crackers/rusks for littlies. And am about to try a couple of cheese
savoury biscuits.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Haven’t made pasta or yoghurt yet.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">We do make most of our meals from
scratch, which is why it wasn’t listed as a goal.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal">Get rid of the weed trees <o:p></o:p></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal">This is a job for autumn or winter<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal">Maintain and improve the back garden’s
food forest production <o:p></o:p></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal">I was interested to read <a href="http://www.greeningofgavin.com/2012/02/gardening-mistakes-happen.html" target="_blank">Gavin’s post</a>
about not having a great year because he’d forgotten to mulch way back
before Christmas. I have had a very mixed Spring/Summer with bugs galore
eating most of the seedlings; some nasty getting to the tomatoes, and the
nectarines rotting on the tree thanks to the leaf curl infestation in
early spring.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">However, on the up-side – I have made
fabulous compost! So, I’ve mulched a bed whose soil was in a terrible
state and mulched heavily and planted broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bush
beans, cucumbers, lettuce, and sunflowers just this last weekend. Here’s
hoping!<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Exercise, get fit, and lose weight – ie
improve and maintain my health <o:p></o:p></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal">Definitely could do better on this one.
February must be the month I start walking and cycling again.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal">Continue to Learn, Grow, Share and
Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal">I love this aim, cos it can be applied
in so many ways! I believe I am learning and growing as a gardener, and
as a cook, as a professional in my job and as a family member –
especially learning to be a Granny! I’m sharing my produce and my
expertise wherever I can, and for the most part, enjoying life!<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Enjoy your
February everyone!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hopefully I’ll
post a bit more regularly again now …<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Greenie x<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-3031306291632002802012-01-01T23:27:00.000+11:002012-01-01T23:27:53.228+11:00New Year Goals and a Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Well hello everyone in Blog-Land and Happy 2012! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I for one am glad all the festivities are over, so I’m no longer tempted by the gorgeous food and wine that accompanies the season. Although – there is still lots of my lovely SIL’s wonderful Christmas cake to finish off before we head home!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s been mild, but still cold over here in the North of England over the Christmas season. No snow, no frost, but lots and lots of rain, so everywhere is drab and damp and grey. A bit different from last year when it was a White Christmas and very bright. Beautiful – but Oh so cold and treacherous underfoot as well. It had melted by the New Year. So, we saw in 2011 in England with DH’s parents and we saw in 2012 in the same way! We had a lovely, quiet time and I turned into the biggest kid ever over the fireworks – running up and down the stairs to see the differing views from all of the windows!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, its January 1 now, so one’s mind turns to plans for 2012. Not resolutions as such, more a wish list and set of goals of what I’d like to achieve this year in my food forest, and more sustainable lifestyle. I've just read <a href="http://www.greeningofgavin.com/" target="_blank">Gavin's</a> and <a href="http://hazel-dene.blogspot.com/2011/12/why-new-years-resolutions-suck.html" target="_blank">Hazel's</a> blogs and my goals are in line with what they're saying.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">First, with the help of the Sustainable Gardener and his wonderful team, the front garden has gone from a dream to being just about ready to plant up. Yippeee! I think by the end of January, or perhaps February, I’ll be raiding catalogues, visiting garden centres and market stalls (darling daughter gave me shopping vouchers for TWO garden centres this Christmas, and I have $100 saved from my birthday stash as well!) to buy the canopy for the forest. And probably a few other bits and pieces that I just won’t be able to resist – LOL!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In terms of the canopy, I have to find room for a black mulberry, my lovely fig from one of the Urban Homesteaders, and one of those beautiful magnolias with the huge dinner-plate size white flowers. Not a food tree I know, but it will attract birds and bees and other good insects, so it’s a helper.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ve also learnt as a result of some of my research, and some of my lovely blog-friends, how important it is to have lots of natives, especially native shrubs so the little birds can hide from the big ones – the flowers act as a decoy from the fruits of the forest, and there’s lots of good insects that are attracted by native shrubbery as well. Excellent! Add that to shrubby food producing trees, and I have the second layer of the forest sorted too! So native shrubs are on the list as well. As is a bit more research to find out what is truly local so that I help to rebuild and sustain the truly native flora. We have quite a few native trees, so they are contributing to the food forest’s canopy as well.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Stay tuned for pictures of progress once I get home.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So as not to make this post waaaaaay too long, here’s the short list of my goals for the year:<span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Loads of quality time with the family </span><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Establish front garden </span><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Find a moveable chook house that works for me and the chooks and is secure enough to keep next door’s cat out! </span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Make more staples from scratch – bread, biscuits, pasta, preserves, yoghurt etc </span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Get rid of the weed trees </span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Maintain and improve the back garden’s food forest production </span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Exercise, get fit, and lose weight – ie improve and maintain my health </span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Continue to Learn, Grow, Share and Enjoy!</span></li>
</ul><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Well, that should keep me pretty busy! Let’s see how we go.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What are your goals for 2012? Leave me a comment or link back to your blog in the comments section below. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m thinking I may start a monthly review section – research suggests people who review their goals regularly are more likely to achieve them. Do you want to join me?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Have a great start to the year everyone!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Greenie x<o:p></o:p></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-8782942509623528042011-12-12T19:07:00.001+11:002011-12-12T19:07:08.981+11:00Finally Completed!Well! I've finally tackled knitting socks! I had a beautiful pair of cream cashmere socks that a friend in Emgland gave me many many years ago. I had been darning them over the past few years, until one day I had to laugh at myself because the holes were so big, I would literally have had this crazy woven mess at the end. I had looked and looked at sock shops all over the world, but never found anything that could compare. Then one day, whiling away a few hours on the D2E Forum, I happened across sock making. I had never tackled this ancient craft, but I knew I could knit, so how hard could it be? Then I heard this funny little voice in my head say "Yeah, but where will you find the time to do that?"<br />
Well funnily enough that galvanized me. I have a very busy consultancy business, am establishing our food forest, and trying to make more staples from scratch. AND, I am looking after my grand-daughter one day a week, and trying to get organized for our trip back to England for Christmas!<br />
But, I thought if I wanted to do something badly enough, I could make the time. Then the answer popped into my head. At the end of the day, after dinner and before bed, I just slump in front of the TV, watching crap mostly, and feeling vaguely unsettled about being so unproductive when I go to bed. <br />
So, that's when I started to find the time. In front of the telly. While on the plane (I travel a lot for work). In my hotel room after a long "thinking" day. As I write this, I have a memory of myself, sitting up in my hotel room bed, after a hell of a day, knitting the stress out before I went to sleep.<br />
It was wonderful! And look at the result! I LOVE my new socks. And they're so toasty and warm over here in wet and windy England ....<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uRQPjlGxvVYRb4ypJve_dGDy9FiEQp_vcHPPntBqahzBgoi2QafNd93ZhMeQoX80n1pYq5Z8unMSdkT0_kIK2yWKSgkVOlrT06_NztqqQxqQuOviqjt6wl3NCuFcUwxq82K7OjFRLEY/s640/blogger-image--719026679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uRQPjlGxvVYRb4ypJve_dGDy9FiEQp_vcHPPntBqahzBgoi2QafNd93ZhMeQoX80n1pYq5Z8unMSdkT0_kIK2yWKSgkVOlrT06_NztqqQxqQuOviqjt6wl3NCuFcUwxq82K7OjFRLEY/s640/blogger-image--719026679.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-76077588941056000712011-11-22T23:14:00.001+11:002011-11-22T23:14:12.319+11:00Cabbage MothsFirst of all, I apologise for being absent so long - just too much going on somehow so something had to give :(<br />
Anyway, I wanted to share a testament to permaculture and Linda Woodrow's principle of interplanting. The cabbage moths hit town the other day and look at this - one patch of brassicas inter planted with celery, onions, leeks, carrots & celeriac, and the other a little cabbage all on its own!<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEROTCHzyiXXbBXoeuE8ZCDP-wupSVCh5hkdqFMGjn9GvTTi00U17EntkWRkjMkKd26ezRCzx6mQGjBjK3HlSUBlm0kNe9Pf1XN_hXfwoq_1eLG734xyhZ-0Jn_992ogCY7Pw3FQ2YTJI/s640/blogger-image-1788735463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEROTCHzyiXXbBXoeuE8ZCDP-wupSVCh5hkdqFMGjn9GvTTi00U17EntkWRkjMkKd26ezRCzx6mQGjBjK3HlSUBlm0kNe9Pf1XN_hXfwoq_1eLG734xyhZ-0Jn_992ogCY7Pw3FQ2YTJI/s640/blogger-image-1788735463.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVbXWyoUopKofA0bGT1D6pJ9svCBvi3X-lw-_pkbmS5dZdiUXiEIOCYktp9-tPEek3PUzjKMm51vXUM0AzGnApAzzYM0Mjs4yNPb8uh3J9ZoZntUU_PyCzGYt7p1PnGERjE6S2jNKMMw/s640/blogger-image--1852914726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVbXWyoUopKofA0bGT1D6pJ9svCBvi3X-lw-_pkbmS5dZdiUXiEIOCYktp9-tPEek3PUzjKMm51vXUM0AzGnApAzzYM0Mjs4yNPb8uh3J9ZoZntUU_PyCzGYt7p1PnGERjE6S2jNKMMw/s640/blogger-image--1852914726.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-26111452709440187072011-10-24T13:01:00.000+11:002011-10-24T13:01:57.712+11:00Seedling experiment - the results!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Well, many thanks to<a href="http://witcheskitchen.com.au/"> Linda Woodrow</a> for her growing from seeds tips. I, like a number of you in blogland, had been having trouble with my strike rate growing seeds in punnets and blogged about that <a href="http://canberragreenie.blogspot.com/2011/10/lessons-and-yolks.html">here</a>. Linda kindly shared her tips about growing seeds in a polystyrene box, so I rescued a number of them from the back of the local supermarket. And decided to try an experiment.<br />
So, I planted up a set of punnets and a number of rows of vegie seeds into the polystyrene box on the 9th October. I'm afraid I didn't have the energy to go dig up a bucketful of creek sand and collect cow manure from the farmer's field about 10 minutes' drive away, so I just used good quality seed raising mix in both the punnets and the box. Here's the results:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_V7e0U-CsJ8zIonVbsQ0Y5aCc9b2zmhWezo3ZykIeIaGIFSfSLtrMwW5HIs7chXBzpq068dOJdbvah1QT3LbDxKir3oqe9kk2otqojRoQNsob_KhUW4npLVJFEifoHiZaxqvrkbRfK0/s1600/IMG_0348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_V7e0U-CsJ8zIonVbsQ0Y5aCc9b2zmhWezo3ZykIeIaGIFSfSLtrMwW5HIs7chXBzpq068dOJdbvah1QT3LbDxKir3oqe9kk2otqojRoQNsob_KhUW4npLVJFEifoHiZaxqvrkbRfK0/s320/IMG_0348.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Things are looking pretty good in the polystyrene box aren't they?<br />
<br />
But over in punnet-world:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivS4iwjBVNo6SqlbegL2XFnaKWm3zgjoWbJSIm75pB4oYlWy6KrZtiRWUghucmHVWinxuiytLz4uTVaKIBA858R3vU_nuKSLMu5nt8y4M_J6MSmy6qcLLWpvA4TqZPl6FqqTtBUrle8bg/s1600/IMG_0346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivS4iwjBVNo6SqlbegL2XFnaKWm3zgjoWbJSIm75pB4oYlWy6KrZtiRWUghucmHVWinxuiytLz4uTVaKIBA858R3vU_nuKSLMu5nt8y4M_J6MSmy6qcLLWpvA4TqZPl6FqqTtBUrle8bg/s320/IMG_0346.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>That's right folks - on lousy leek seed is just starting to sprout!<br />
So, guess who is a complete convert to planting seeds in the polystyrene box? You guessed it - that'd be me!<br />
<br />
Very busy time in the emerging food forest at the moment. A Pictorial update in the next few days I promise!<br />
Enjoy - Greenie x<br />
<br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-73713045965415550512011-10-16T08:44:00.001+11:002011-10-16T08:44:36.793+11:00A little holidayAh! Down the beach for a little relax! The view from our room:<br />
<br />
And what is the first thing I think when I see that view? Just imagine all the veggies I could grow where that lawn is!!<br />
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Enjoy your weekend all<br />
Greenie x<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2vJ7b2gpij_2BGUTsvo0KmlKgzKdvlRB7J0hfcTfP1cV1wrBjF5u89rZ0DU7UwgYN3wJL8rJItncPb01BJ4hEKUIIf_FJkJPsH9wg7ZTXp41-Fi3adigRSen3D9O1O_44ZfWx3hOEh0/s640/blogger-image--455371297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2vJ7b2gpij_2BGUTsvo0KmlKgzKdvlRB7J0hfcTfP1cV1wrBjF5u89rZ0DU7UwgYN3wJL8rJItncPb01BJ4hEKUIIf_FJkJPsH9wg7ZTXp41-Fi3adigRSen3D9O1O_44ZfWx3hOEh0/s640/blogger-image--455371297.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLctu3sjNIqALFu7LU7kjShbEluCIZt75tk-QA4Dm1C8WYoFsFnl36Mo2ed86gOlV3Z344NLp75_JLVavU5roovoYAqPRBhQ3i1X0Q3TOhn_Ss41-jhV35C69znZQd-zDyxk1DRZNqiZk/s640/blogger-image--1539110853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLctu3sjNIqALFu7LU7kjShbEluCIZt75tk-QA4Dm1C8WYoFsFnl36Mo2ed86gOlV3Z344NLp75_JLVavU5roovoYAqPRBhQ3i1X0Q3TOhn_Ss41-jhV35C69znZQd-zDyxk1DRZNqiZk/s640/blogger-image--1539110853.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com2Batemans Bay Batemans Bay-35.711962 150.183348tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-38737063768922618192011-10-05T18:17:00.001+11:002011-10-05T18:17:36.566+11:00Lessons and Yolks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Well, first an update on the Monster Monster egg. Yep, she was a double yolker all right!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_U30dHuEDDtesfpZ-_O3U5rt411qaPc0ZcxDqb9RP5J2TAH9gUWpTS-QBEW_iKWy7vAzxWX6pq3b1HScwAkQtenaNVduwXm47IZRUotC9lGhiCKLw39IqkUrRKwUJpjOc0jk26LYHSQU/s1600/IMG_0332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_U30dHuEDDtesfpZ-_O3U5rt411qaPc0ZcxDqb9RP5J2TAH9gUWpTS-QBEW_iKWy7vAzxWX6pq3b1HScwAkQtenaNVduwXm47IZRUotC9lGhiCKLw39IqkUrRKwUJpjOc0jk26LYHSQU/s320/IMG_0332.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<br />
We got a yummy lunch of scrambled eggs on toast (sorry Frugalites - it was bought bread - but a local baker!!) out of this and just one more egg - for the two of us. Oh and sorry - I forgot to take photos of it once it was all cooked up. My God it was good though. So thank you Keema and keep up the good work. She's only missed one day since that post - all pretty consistent around the 78g mark. The other two lay about 5 a week each. I'm keeping a tally so I can look back over the years. We got about 51/2 dozen in September. You can see how I'm progressing in my quest to build a food forest too by clicking on the Harvest Diary tab at the top of this page :)<br />
<br />
And now for the lessons. Every journey towards growing your own food is full of lessons, and I've just learnt a big one. Don't let your seed trays dry out and DO use good seed raising mix. All of the gardening gurus in books and in Blogland say so, but little Miss Greenie got a bit over-confident didn't she?<br />
<br />
You might remember me blogging about asking my daughter to make a<a href="http://canberragreenie.blogspot.com/2011/09/mercy-dash-and-close-call.html"> mercy dash </a>to check on the chooks and water the seedlings? Well, if they were already seedlings they made it, and if they were in the good seed raising mix in the<a href="http://canberragreenie.blogspot.com/2011/09/seed-raising-mix-surprises.html"> bucket</a> - they came up anyway, but those I potted with a mix of seed raising mix, and soil from the gardener - NADA! Well, that's unfair, I have three rockmelons, two sweetcorn, two zucchini (but I don't reckon one of them will last) a couple of struggling leeks and a few purple Basil - oh! a one tomato! That's it - out of 20 punnets!<br />
<br />
I'm bowed but not beaten. So, all that soil will be unceremoniously tossed into a little nook in the garden to see if anything eventuates. Meantime, I will pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again.<br />
<br />
This time, I'm going to plant some in punnets and some straight into the ground - and see what happens. This can be the beginning of my planting diary, which I will also put on the tabs at the top so you can see what's happening.<br />
<br />
Wish me luck! I've heard from a few blog-friends, like <a href="http://ourgangof7.blogspot.com/">Our Gang of 7</a> and <a href="http://outbacktania.blogspot.com/">Outback Tania</a> that they struggle too with planting seeds into punnets. What about you - any secrets to share?<br />
<br />
Take care<br />
Greenie x<br />
<br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-24035673648972289942011-09-27T19:11:00.000+10:002011-09-27T19:11:24.048+10:00The Monster Egg Chronicles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Well, there I was thinking it was just another day. I thought we might have got three eggs (a perfect score from our three chooks, but it doesn't happen that often), but I was not expecting this ...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyby42nPP63WMe3cCxHPvj1nquVZRMiwFffCwN9eiHZ7OPKwgR8HdYlkeNwLQ4k9lD-0P0QaWDvIeD72EkIq4ZUrPZ342etLTKy3X_oObd6emJaHREB4K4f-pqtI8bTb-YTo07HKmDkfE/s1600/IMG_0328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyby42nPP63WMe3cCxHPvj1nquVZRMiwFffCwN9eiHZ7OPKwgR8HdYlkeNwLQ4k9lD-0P0QaWDvIeD72EkIq4ZUrPZ342etLTKy3X_oObd6emJaHREB4K4f-pqtI8bTb-YTo07HKmDkfE/s320/IMG_0328.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
That's right ladies and gentlemen - a whopping 118 gram egg! Miss Keema completely outdid herself! You may remember one of my first blogs was about Keema laying a <a href="http://canberragreenie.blogspot.com/2011/07/finally-i-managed-to-work-out-how-to.html">90g egg</a>. Well, in a slightly modified version of the immortal words of Crocodile Dundee - that's not an egg .... now THIS is an egg!<br />
<br />
I swear to you, she's just a normal Langshan chook, not a duck or a goose. Here is a photo of the MONSTER alongside her normal offering (about 80g) and then on the right, an example of the typical egg we get from the other two girls (64-66 g)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxo6hzYpbfLTZmtQpKNBK2DlS_ad7O5T8LPZrmgJwZT3dcIFZ-Ui3w9D28Go3AA7hRpH7YOOF8IHc9tLlyQLzDcK_e42zUNNr5gdheF9-TXl90oA8h9zkk6X_Z9igtX4HMv7vvDrYptzw/s1600/IMG_0327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxo6hzYpbfLTZmtQpKNBK2DlS_ad7O5T8LPZrmgJwZT3dcIFZ-Ui3w9D28Go3AA7hRpH7YOOF8IHc9tLlyQLzDcK_e42zUNNr5gdheF9-TXl90oA8h9zkk6X_Z9igtX4HMv7vvDrYptzw/s320/IMG_0327.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
It would not fit in the egg carton and looked quite bizarre against the others - a kind of Mt Killimanjaro of eggs against a few measly hills<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIUaKS_79Xx73SuVJAfSCOymhfZjMaq61angznqyXSFbsE6sZz8x2eLFaFCa-6bxd-w5kZdWeDEEhjBgtOvgzu8qV7mjt1mwps8rbk4MsVCmHxrIyXhVe7uto59s7NR7rV9l23V66b0E/s1600/IMG_0326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIUaKS_79Xx73SuVJAfSCOymhfZjMaq61angznqyXSFbsE6sZz8x2eLFaFCa-6bxd-w5kZdWeDEEhjBgtOvgzu8qV7mjt1mwps8rbk4MsVCmHxrIyXhVe7uto59s7NR7rV9l23V66b0E/s320/IMG_0326.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
DH is a bit weirded out and is not sure about eating it. I can't wait to see if its a double yolker!<br />
<br />
And do you know the most incredible thing? She laid us another egg the very next day! Only 78g though - but that still qualifies as an extra large egg in the Supermarket. She skipped the next day and has laid consistently ever since.<br />
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What an amazing girl! Thanks Keema - queen of the layers!<br />
<br />
Talk soon<br />
Greenie x </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-76102153793846740352011-09-22T10:54:00.000+10:002011-09-22T10:54:52.982+10:00Seed raising mix surprises<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">This one is specially for<a href="http://ourgangof7.blogspot.com/2011/09/i-just-cant-believe-my-luck-latelygrrr.html"> Our Gang of 7</a> who's been having one hell of a run lately. Her seed babies got knocked over in the high winds of last weekend, so she wondered about throwing the seed raising mix from the pots on the garden to see what came up!<br />
<br />
Well, a few weeks ago, I went away for work and forgot to ask my best friend, DH to water the seed trays for me while I was away. It all got a bit dry and a big nothing happened. So, I threw all the seed raising mix into a bucket and mixed in some left over topsoil that we'd put on some of the garden beds. I've been using that on the new seeds I've planted ever since.<br />
<br />
Today when I went out to water - look what I saw in the bucket<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcldOand-Tn11I6vWMuu0x74FnRZzgIELOSTRv3BuwtyZTgJ1_Y04sTZ7HftlugQT0WAVY8WMdaLjZSRb73jGLtehU67uhoz8mlEgl0ObTOy_hXJcWuupQz7NZG7Ab4b9AdAhA7wEFsN4/s1600/IMG_0305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcldOand-Tn11I6vWMuu0x74FnRZzgIELOSTRv3BuwtyZTgJ1_Y04sTZ7HftlugQT0WAVY8WMdaLjZSRb73jGLtehU67uhoz8mlEgl0ObTOy_hXJcWuupQz7NZG7Ab4b9AdAhA7wEFsN4/s320/IMG_0305.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
There's about 8 little seedlings popping up! God only knows what they are, but I'm going to prick them out into some newspaper pots I made, using <a href="http://ourweefarm.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-make-paper-pot.html">Laura's instructions</a> via <a href="http://greeningtherose.blogspot.com/2011/09/in-kitchen.html">Rose's</a> wonderful blog (thank you Rose!). I do not have a fancy tool, I just used a round glass that we have in the cupboard, so keep scrolling down till you get to the instructions using a bottle.<br />
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Aaanywaay! I have no idea what these little fellas are, but it will be awfully good fun finding out, and I thought it would give ! Stay tuned!<br />
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Enjoy the rest of your week<br />
Greenie x<br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-6856825510633168612011-09-21T15:55:00.000+10:002011-09-21T15:55:24.168+10:00Mercy Dash and a Close Call<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">There were loads of sightings of foxes in the Canberra area over the past week, and we were away in Castlemaine in Victoria.<br />
<br />
And then, I heard it was going to be 26, hot and windy over the next few days. So then I began to worry about my darling little seedlings, including the new tomatoes I got from the <a href="http://theduckherder.blogspot.com/">Duck Herder</a> and <a href="http://murramumma.blogspot.com/">Murra Mumma</a> at the Canberra Urban Homesteaders Club meeting on the previous weekend.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORyQ6OtlQLlzxuoCs7VNESDbKXgFWB_2Pk5DCH017VWWb1agrOovNWsE7JSzwY_bxU8agQfq6OQWtgeDmODEwpAHaW_GKw6UGT6InFDV18w31fzGsr4DT9k3JYJsGlYEYlpCj-O1xeqk/s1600/IMG_0303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORyQ6OtlQLlzxuoCs7VNESDbKXgFWB_2Pk5DCH017VWWb1agrOovNWsE7JSzwY_bxU8agQfq6OQWtgeDmODEwpAHaW_GKw6UGT6InFDV18w31fzGsr4DT9k3JYJsGlYEYlpCj-O1xeqk/s320/IMG_0303.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I was getting more and more nervous, and it was ruining my weekend. So, I finally rang my daughter to see if she had time to do a mercy dash across town and check on my girls, and water my seedy babies. When she'd stopped laughing at me, she did promise to go.<br />
<br />
A few hours later, I got a text with the label "Bok Bok Bok" and this photo<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7Xt9u7GUnjENCQul8xN8XWRpDnhyphenhyphen664bm7KvS01Kri1JRxhOLoMiBK01RtL7e1kgMLJVvIMqC1_LCR7y-qL_13Fkf7bp4bt8yi6omFTta5MRTtlLJS50H1fSDobzRz_DjzLw6wtHnY8/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7Xt9u7GUnjENCQul8xN8XWRpDnhyphenhyphen664bm7KvS01Kri1JRxhOLoMiBK01RtL7e1kgMLJVvIMqC1_LCR7y-qL_13Fkf7bp4bt8yi6omFTta5MRTtlLJS50H1fSDobzRz_DjzLw6wtHnY8/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Phew! The girls are OK! Then I had to laugh because I had the opportunity to see how silly the annex looked all sewn up with twine from the straw bales!!<br />
<br />
When I got home, all the seed trays were fine, and the girls had laid 8 eggs! but one was broken (it was starting to get a little crowded in there!) So, I collected all the eggs, watered the planted out seedlings and the newly planted ones in the greenhouse, and went to bed.<br />
<br />
The next day, I went to let the girls out. All were happy to be going to the day facility again. But on the way back, look what I saw<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFR1ZKIvmNmznjDnWxeJzijsVXhVbocz1PhmVAOyjvpNmaQFLHtc4x0_fl1bmNZHXncFH_3AEW6DEg56CF_a8CAay9-06J8W9Wd0N4TqwlvnkAifV9n8JO7Ra3299KyJ5GQVqIbAGWJcA/s1600/IMG_0302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFR1ZKIvmNmznjDnWxeJzijsVXhVbocz1PhmVAOyjvpNmaQFLHtc4x0_fl1bmNZHXncFH_3AEW6DEg56CF_a8CAay9-06J8W9Wd0N4TqwlvnkAifV9n8JO7Ra3299KyJ5GQVqIbAGWJcA/s320/IMG_0302.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
I had left the nesting box door/lid wide open! I may as well have left a "Please Take Me" sign on the fence for the foxes! Luckily, the foxes were visiting another part of the neighbourhood last night. I don't kid myself that the perimeter is fox-proof; any fox that wanted to could get in. Only Guantanamo Chook is safe - unless you leave the bl#@$%y door open!<br />
<br />
Anyway, all's well that ends well - and this time - I seem to have got away with the one little slip up!<br />
<br />
I must be more careful. I must be more careful. I must be more ...<br />
<br />
Talk soon<br />
Greenie x<br />
<br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-18991638595356075512011-09-12T15:26:00.000+10:002011-09-12T15:32:58.957+10:00Awards and Accolades<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was just nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by Colleen over at <a href="http://ourgangof7.blogspot.com/">Our Gang of 7</a>. So thank you very much Colleen and the Versatile Blogger mob - whoever they are!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyIEGjtPf7ZWubfjipuJ1CRvM6rZkRHY8DWmoIuHNJdzxa9w4nNzTEdsdan5t7oxqSGcIws5BFCBJOU34xEPVqD0SrysWM_q1fN_1MJSO_6MkA265r41YCY1COohNxl7hOHPY1NQ8baM/s1600/Versatileblogger.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyIEGjtPf7ZWubfjipuJ1CRvM6rZkRHY8DWmoIuHNJdzxa9w4nNzTEdsdan5t7oxqSGcIws5BFCBJOU34xEPVqD0SrysWM_q1fN_1MJSO_6MkA265r41YCY1COohNxl7hOHPY1NQ8baM/s1600/Versatileblogger.png" /></a></div>
<br />
To accept one of these awards, there are three rules:<br />
- thank the blogger who awarded you and link back to them (see above)<br />
- share 7 interesting facts about yourself<br />
- pass the award on to 15 newly discovered blogs<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Now, 7 facts about me - that I hope you find interesting:</span><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I lived with nuns for 6 months once</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I am currently having a whole month alcohol and coffee free</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I once lived in Armidale NSW, which is very beautiful, before moving to Canberra</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I can't believe how many like-minded people there are in BlogLand - it's wonderful!!!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I rode 100km on my bike a few years ago in a Sea to the Vines challenge in South Australia</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I had to get married three times before I got it right!!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I've been married to my husband for nearly 27 years.</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Since I have only been blogging for about a month, ALL the blogs I know are newly discovered ;-), but my awards go to:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://eatatdixiebelles.blogspot.com/">http://eatatdixiebelles.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
<a href="http://smileymum.blogspot.com/">http://smileymum.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://theduckherder.blogspot.com/">http://theduckherder.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://sustainablesuburbia.net/blog/">http://sustainablesuburbia.net/blog/</a><br />
<a href="http://ittybittyhomestead.blogspot.com/">http://ittybittyhomestead.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com/">http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://girlswearbluetoogarden.blogspot.com/">http://girlswearbluetoogarden.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://veggiegobbler.blogspot.com/">http://veggiegobbler.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://thebokflock.blogspot.com/">http://thebokflock.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/">http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://witcheskitchen.com.au/">http://witcheskitchen.com.au/</a><br />
<a href="http://milkwood.net/">http://milkwood.net/</a><br />
<a href="http://scarecrowsgarden.blogspot.com/">http://scarecrowsgarden.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://greeningtherose.blogspot.com/">http://greeningtherose.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://hazel-dene.blogspot.com/">http://hazel-dene.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<br />
Thanks once again to all for welcoming me to the Blog Family! Love being part of this community!<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-47113548561279700482011-09-11T23:08:00.001+10:002011-09-11T23:08:41.702+10:00An Urban Homesteading Weekend<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was my turn to host the newly established <a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/theurbanhomesteadingclub/">Urban Homesteading Club</a> in ONC this weekend. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After an absolutely gorgeous, Spring-like week interspersed with
a couple of days of rain, Saturday was cold, threatening rain and altogether wintry.
I was very ecited, and had loads to do to get ready, so we made an early start.
Picked up the community catering equipment, chairs, urn and big box of coffee
mugs up from our daughter’s house. Then went to the butcher’s to get the pets
mince for the chooks – they don’t like the protein pellets, so I give them meat
– we get great eggs!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Home for lunch, then whipped up a quick chocolate cake,
which was just about done when the first knock came on the door!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
About 12 people in all turned up, and all were very generous
with ideas, swapping seeds and seedlings. It was great to be talking with a
bunch of like-minded people, rather than feeling like people think I’m some
kind of un-reconstructed hippie! (Actually, I <b>am </b>an un-recontstructed hippie!!)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yummy food, a wander round my garden, great company, relaxed
friendly atmosphere – can’t wait for the next one!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saturday night we had Moules Mariniere with chips (Moules et
fritte) for dinner, which was utterly yummy, and leftover chocolate cake for
dessert was an extra treat. I forgot to take photos, sorry.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday, after my healthy fruit punch<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqc-BWDXwnWqxANoJ7yLFtu3Q0JrRj-x2yGgby2H20YqW0EG2Y5sJJ70NBZPZ-hXW_UfE8AazB2k1L0naB82SxYBr8i3924mJHVLNV9-dcgGj3dSC54r9INl4xvpM2JsiQ76Mu0_Xvo-M/s1600/IMG_0268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqc-BWDXwnWqxANoJ7yLFtu3Q0JrRj-x2yGgby2H20YqW0EG2Y5sJJ70NBZPZ-hXW_UfE8AazB2k1L0naB82SxYBr8i3924mJHVLNV9-dcgGj3dSC54r9INl4xvpM2JsiQ76Mu0_Xvo-M/s320/IMG_0268.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
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I planted up about 12 punnets of all the new seeds from
yesterday’s swap. Then after hubby’s swim we had bacon, egg and tomato for
brunch. Keema’s big 80g eggs were called for, and again, too hungry to take
photos.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To make my fruit smoothie, I pour about a cup of apple juice
into a blender, and then add:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->A chopped kiwi-fruit<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->A slice of watermelon, chopped<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->A slice of fresh pineapple, chopped<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->A pear or an apple, chopped<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then whizz it all up till its smooth and creamy. Yum,
and awfully good for you! AND, I know I’ve had four pieces of fruit, complete
with fibre, which is all any healthy body needs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then we bought a new tallboy and bedside cabinets to help
with the storage shortage in our bedroom, came home for more gardening, where I
planted out the rest of the leek, pak choy, swede & turnip seedlings, and
notcied that my old out-of-date parsnip seeds have finally sprouted<span> </span>under the apple tree – hooray!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dinner was one of our family favourites – pork spare ribs in
chinese barbeque sauce, potatoes and corn. The recipe comes from Ken Hom’s <i>Quick and Easy Chines Cooking</i>, one of my
favourite cook-books, with a few Greenie adaptations. You twice cook the ribs,
the second time in a yummy homemade barbecue sauce, with ginger, garlic, tomato
paste, soy and hoisin sauce, with a bit of sugar and sesame oil thrown in for
good measure. The recipe calls for chilli bean sauce, but I throw in a chopped
chilli and add extra servings of the liquids to make it nice and thick.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEqfZT1nJ6eXTRvifPy8pzhCubGvxwd0kvmoddq6RdaMDoeF7wxS1azX4HYtxq85IPSlc4hZoZC_6NE4XADXABXyZZlVmMtdlhvIEhs9l9BU4g1zH3uxwUHXVAxpkVW5hXKy33-cVnAc/s1600/IMG_0285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEqfZT1nJ6eXTRvifPy8pzhCubGvxwd0kvmoddq6RdaMDoeF7wxS1azX4HYtxq85IPSlc4hZoZC_6NE4XADXABXyZZlVmMtdlhvIEhs9l9BU4g1zH3uxwUHXVAxpkVW5hXKy33-cVnAc/s320/IMG_0285.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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[insert photo]<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Slumped in front of the TV and computer for awhile and now
off to bed for a good rest before the week starts in earnest!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have a great week everyone<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Greenie x<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-71578775342798148112011-09-06T17:32:00.000+10:002011-09-06T17:32:19.851+10:00My beautiful camelias<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After spending a couple of years and a small fortune on re-establishing my garden after the renovations and extensions - I had one of those "Oh Thank You!" garden moments ...<br />
Look<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU22ct1JwyGFnPCO8DdeIzVXlt3bpuCvNbKtl2pfdQ6wFjlGDpmJ6JxssorsNbDu6q5JC-Dzzw2nli4egEKqzS1t1kZi_xZm5ONOLKYzQ8av9SlTlM9XmBhCpKsAYD1fNSlH6tOQLSh4U/s1600/IMG_0258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU22ct1JwyGFnPCO8DdeIzVXlt3bpuCvNbKtl2pfdQ6wFjlGDpmJ6JxssorsNbDu6q5JC-Dzzw2nli4egEKqzS1t1kZi_xZm5ONOLKYzQ8av9SlTlM9XmBhCpKsAYD1fNSlH6tOQLSh4U/s320/IMG_0258.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
In fact, I'm having quite a few of those recently, with the spring blossom, heralding lots of fruit<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4EaQH_vfH2eotm-rzv4gLyhOqBf1YELn4IKDJfW7OH3ESFVlX5eklXLbhEcIBuY8y8tzHfRWnDBixmPzUXgp82xlns6_VKH3DYps1oetkG30eDiO9nBZNMa0upS_sl0oi9h_qXcJRPJU/s1600/IMG_0265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4EaQH_vfH2eotm-rzv4gLyhOqBf1YELn4IKDJfW7OH3ESFVlX5eklXLbhEcIBuY8y8tzHfRWnDBixmPzUXgp82xlns6_VKH3DYps1oetkG30eDiO9nBZNMa0upS_sl0oi9h_qXcJRPJU/s320/IMG_0265.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGTgah-er7dCLWP9Tbf2HGaA_bC4oxKlNPDdUBZJE-Pe_Nw0D1D_lYTJ02Ww-PBOkmQkkB5Ixtt3FRecVxJUoS8w9kVUGq4mhWSk3RjJMWmo-J5U_wkgqfJ_4NM7uoKSkbzNyMONFK5w/s1600/IMG_0266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGTgah-er7dCLWP9Tbf2HGaA_bC4oxKlNPDdUBZJE-Pe_Nw0D1D_lYTJ02Ww-PBOkmQkkB5Ixtt3FRecVxJUoS8w9kVUGq4mhWSk3RjJMWmo-J5U_wkgqfJ_4NM7uoKSkbzNyMONFK5w/s320/IMG_0266.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
The broccoli promising to give us so much I might have to try <a href="http://witcheskitchen.com.au/cream-of-broccoli-soup/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheWitchesKitchen+%28The+Witches+Kitchen%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher">Linda Woodrow's Cream of Broccoli soup</a><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEH007fLMAfjCnqz3zCZiEYoACdG8eAAAPBTQpBZoNYpCMDakWVRPTLPQsssldbjDUSCccks60y04mMlyCYRPcgfh_dWjOLc27J6GbaW4-NDb8nHlz4yHRU_QTAKDXRcdtqU7Y_xjg5g/s1600/IMG_0259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEH007fLMAfjCnqz3zCZiEYoACdG8eAAAPBTQpBZoNYpCMDakWVRPTLPQsssldbjDUSCccks60y04mMlyCYRPcgfh_dWjOLc27J6GbaW4-NDb8nHlz4yHRU_QTAKDXRcdtqU7Y_xjg5g/s320/IMG_0259.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
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<br />
It's a return to horrible cold and wet again today in ONC, but I have too much work to do to be in the garden anyway. Desperate to plant up all the seedling punnets I prepared on the weekend, but am just not getting to it. Oh Well - there's always tomorrow.<br />
Greenie x</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-6748540423103910282011-08-26T17:45:00.001+10:002011-08-29T09:54:04.906+10:00Home Sweet Home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">My mother always used to say, “It’s always nice to go travelling, but it’s Oh so nice to come Home!” And it certainly is.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">We had a wonderful fortnight with our dear dear friends, and I miss them terribly, but I am so glad to be home and to have my chooks, and the cat and my seedlings all in their allotted spaces again!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">The seedlings have grown amazingly well under the fabulous care of my friend Alison! Look!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Before</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIA9m4WP7JB9C7ZzLKmKq2Rw9ceDT7MG-K9hGJOWlr0nO78c65FpEMoogPfow0NUH3xincYk66KZwq6K7-vGko2qbyCVjh3ZkdiP3h7t5THfF5GNc2HddbQnr6tMLn-3x6xhyphenhyphenU116t7uI/s1600/IMG_0034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIA9m4WP7JB9C7ZzLKmKq2Rw9ceDT7MG-K9hGJOWlr0nO78c65FpEMoogPfow0NUH3xincYk66KZwq6K7-vGko2qbyCVjh3ZkdiP3h7t5THfF5GNc2HddbQnr6tMLn-3x6xhyphenhyphenU116t7uI/s320/IMG_0034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpyepPkEhL5vEzoBo-VNkJeyKL40SKn4k09jcMLTOpHyRJNMYYWD7BEp92ui5-QO0DIhIGMtmwptn33D-xvlDEzakZTZEbpM5-gR_55GMU_6zuy55Rx5aFaaJQFXmVIyxOIUWoRQe5rg/s1600/IMG_0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpyepPkEhL5vEzoBo-VNkJeyKL40SKn4k09jcMLTOpHyRJNMYYWD7BEp92ui5-QO0DIhIGMtmwptn33D-xvlDEzakZTZEbpM5-gR_55GMU_6zuy55Rx5aFaaJQFXmVIyxOIUWoRQe5rg/s320/IMG_0038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMKzZmygNXK3DgDyBxN9N2U8epDvKVaIb9ppz05Sloc6eK_9X6tR_n1xkDOUCkhCPyScf8wh9-fkUVUcesye1MYL0BzLfqR735e3TH6Fo_9sRMFJ69fEI-L6ykv-V20bNo8JvgY_39R0/s1600/IMG_0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMKzZmygNXK3DgDyBxN9N2U8epDvKVaIb9ppz05Sloc6eK_9X6tR_n1xkDOUCkhCPyScf8wh9-fkUVUcesye1MYL0BzLfqR735e3TH6Fo_9sRMFJ69fEI-L6ykv-V20bNo8JvgY_39R0/s320/IMG_0039.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>After</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvAnGHdNrXn6QZhTGAFakK5Yo-JY-sJtuNh15qbFBvUJfSs8ssm_6lxjaCpZeN66pg-bzacNyIhPNkCkvhZFy2ypvj4jyKan8gDn_V7ZBzk6pakSlu5-2wkJ31DTTrqCzXkEPYTCE2oo/s1600/IMG_0240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvAnGHdNrXn6QZhTGAFakK5Yo-JY-sJtuNh15qbFBvUJfSs8ssm_6lxjaCpZeN66pg-bzacNyIhPNkCkvhZFy2ypvj4jyKan8gDn_V7ZBzk6pakSlu5-2wkJ31DTTrqCzXkEPYTCE2oo/s320/IMG_0240.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVOKAZrvyfpxEP2kYq7SmfTSYBz-SuScndvnQvQSGgeJwGsKi5Eibwj-m47yV7WqBrST0TM7jOiX2OlALS5cSt5lNNe_sPtvHlTgZw58k1jrQQXMC1Pk8-c9joAlkJDKlw8S2_NOuIp4/s1600/IMG_0241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVOKAZrvyfpxEP2kYq7SmfTSYBz-SuScndvnQvQSGgeJwGsKi5Eibwj-m47yV7WqBrST0TM7jOiX2OlALS5cSt5lNNe_sPtvHlTgZw58k1jrQQXMC1Pk8-c9joAlkJDKlw8S2_NOuIp4/s320/IMG_0241.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NGtzZfuobJ94XKA6VDfE-TdvloNPM4UaOPIHG9GaVYfhAWnCE1azUPm9yGXi_Hu0otjWsV63xyuIsWvRkPb5ffvoFyTUIrhE4gF0HpkK7vsfOofecenHSPOKIzuJxqyRbXQHyIWi1EA/s1600/IMG_0243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NGtzZfuobJ94XKA6VDfE-TdvloNPM4UaOPIHG9GaVYfhAWnCE1azUPm9yGXi_Hu0otjWsV63xyuIsWvRkPb5ffvoFyTUIrhE4gF0HpkK7vsfOofecenHSPOKIzuJxqyRbXQHyIWi1EA/s320/IMG_0243.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">And that’s despite a little late night spray with flea mixture intead of water! <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The chooks are back from their holiday with the chook sitter. They had a fabulous time with all their friends and are sulking a bit at being locked in the day facility rather than free ranging with about 25 other friends all day. Here’s a photo of them off on their big adventure.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhND0g6mGjgOt3JH43Aj2c8PCHoZikk7BDleTcyGXXs3E5s5wU7YGXrvBLRzoT8h2zFJZFI5lnz30TUc7oHKqSLiFYarP-XrRAjLhMDwo6cDKYDFP6afkkUTmmOp-p04tzmsbLF2HSBkOY/s1600/IMG_0073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhND0g6mGjgOt3JH43Aj2c8PCHoZikk7BDleTcyGXXs3E5s5wU7YGXrvBLRzoT8h2zFJZFI5lnz30TUc7oHKqSLiFYarP-XrRAjLhMDwo6cDKYDFP6afkkUTmmOp-p04tzmsbLF2HSBkOY/s320/IMG_0073.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">I used the laundry basket on wheels because I’m not supposed to lift weights any more and these girls are very heavy! It works a treat but one of them always has to travel alone. She sat up the front with me and seemed very interested in all the goings on during the journey. When they arrived, they just leapt out of the basket and cage and joined in with all their new friends straight away. Hmph! Me and my empty laundry basket went home to pack …<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">It took nearly a week after they got home for them to forgive us before they laid any eggs. In fact, we got one lousy egg today and it's about time I think! :) They won’t eat the laying pellets in ordinary chook mix, so now I give them mixed seed and pets mince from my favourite butcher. You should see ‘em go when they get their meat! They also get kitchen scraps, weeds, and al the snails they can eat – although I’ve noticed there aren’t too many snails around at the moment. Maybe the girls have eaten them all …<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I planted carrots yesterday. I havent had any luck wth carrots for years, and the ones in my current patch are bought seedlings so who knows what shape they’ll be when I pull ‘em up. But then I was going through my very old garden diary, and saw that I’d followed this idea posted by a reader in an old Earth Garden magazine. Cover the seeds with a hessian bag and keep wet. Lift the bag after 4 – 8 days and the seedlings will have emerged! So despite Jackie French saying the soil’s too cold yet – I couldn’t wait – and planted a whole packet yesterday of red chantenay. They’re the short fat ones that it says you can plant from autumn to spring. I covered them with an old quilt cover I had been using as a kneeling cushion in the garden till I thought of putting a pillow inside a large plastic shopping bag – so comfy! I’ll let you know if I have success with the carrots.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Well, it's great to be home, and hopefully I can get back into the swing of gardening, blogging and pretending to seek a balance between that, looking after Charlie and working to pay for it all!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">See ya soon everyone</div><div class="MsoNormal">Greenie x</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-73322327578416195822011-08-05T22:55:00.000+10:002011-08-05T22:55:01.730+10:00What a week!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:TargetScreenSize>800x600</o:TargetScreenSize> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-AU</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">Phew! What a week! We've been frantically trying to get our work finished and get our house in order (no mean feat for us!). We're getting ready for our oldest friends from England to come for a visit. So we're trying to make everywhere look nice, and not like a cross between Steptoe & the Good Life, which I sometimes think our place looks like.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">So, we've been busy, busy busy ...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">On the weekend I went to the Yarralumla Nursery, probably the best nursery in Canberra, and the one place in Canberra that is seriously dangerous to let me loose in. I bought:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">2x gooseberries to replace the ones I've killed</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">1x Tahitian Lime</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">1x Kaffir Lime</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">1x Williams Pear</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">1x white seedless grape</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">2x roses, one called Elle after my daughter and the other a Honey Dijon</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">15x pansies cos I love them and I wanted to cheer up the view from the uncovered deck for our English friends who arrive on Wednesday</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">2x punnets of lettuces cos they were there ( :-))</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">2x punnets of coriander</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">2x punnets of colored foxgloves</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">2x punnets white foxgloves</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">1x punnet russel lupins</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">Then I came home and planted everything except one gooseberry and the coriander because it was going dark, and I could barely move!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2glT2oD7UrBpALPTeqnqpHQh89ROQH2ejiEqSBBwO0gmXJZfm4Jiv0t9-O8begCm3NuRVLTT1F2mUtyMcT0UDystKvCK3uJDhOS_xqN_-VXZ4v9YDGTUjzmX7cGUYgKSLjAHRaESDkJs/s1600/IMG_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2glT2oD7UrBpALPTeqnqpHQh89ROQH2ejiEqSBBwO0gmXJZfm4Jiv0t9-O8begCm3NuRVLTT1F2mUtyMcT0UDystKvCK3uJDhOS_xqN_-VXZ4v9YDGTUjzmX7cGUYgKSLjAHRaESDkJs/s320/IMG_0046.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">On Sunday I had a wonderful lunch with a friend, visited my beautiful daughter (BD) and grand-daughter (beautiful son in law (BSIL) was there too!) and collected more lemons from her tree. Went home and juiced most of the lemons after shaving their skins for homemade citrus cleaner - allegedly this stuff is better than spray and wipe. <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(255, 255, 255);">Find the recipe <a href="http://downtoearthforums.com/showthread.php?6516-Easy-Citrus-Cleaners&highlight=citrus+cleaner">here</a></span><span style="background-color: white;">.</span> I've kept the best lemons to make preserved lemons. I just need to find a container that is exactly the right size for them. DD gave me a couple of old jars that had had bought tomato (pasta) sauce in them, so I filled those up and I have another enormous old Maxwell House coffee jar that oonce held dried pasta. There weren't enough lemons to fill the big jar, but the long tall jars from DD look really elegant with the lemons in them so I'm really glad I bottled them up. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">Monday and Tuesday were spent working, cleaning, working. Cleaned the bedrooms, got the beds ready, cleaned out the car, finished our work projects, cooked ready for Wednesday's dinner. Wednesday was Charlie day as well as arrival day for our friends, so we made a lovely mushroom lasagne, and a lemon meringue pie. I made myself feel a bit like a Masterchef contestant once DH had gone to pick up our friends. I raced around feeding Charlie, putting the lasagna together - remembered I'd not put towels on their bed - brushed my hair, collected the eggs, picked up all the food Charlie had spilt on the floor, took the pie out of the oven, put the lasagna in .... Phew!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">Then DD arrived and said that the nanny couldn't look after Charlie tomorrow ... Could we? Well, of course I said yes, knowing that our friends would think it was pretty good fun. But then, one of my work clients rang, could I join a teleconference at 830am? So, Thursday it was up at 645 (unheard of these days for me), raced over to pick up Charlie, home again, breakfast oats and fruit for Charlie. Then the teleconference, breakfast for the rest of us - DH poached eggs and they were yummy! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">We went to the shopping centre for lunch and then went on a walk round the lake. I expected Charlie would sleep, but she sang and burgled and put her hand out to feel the breeze for 40 minutes. By the time we got home again, she was completely wrecked and was fast asleep when I went to get her up for her tea before Mummy came to collect her. I felt terrible disturbing her, but she was pretty cheerful about it all, just like the little angel she is :)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">We're off on the road-trip tomorrow. Canberra to McLaren Vale via the Hay Plain and Mildura. I love a good long drive so it will be so much fun showing parts of Australia to our friends.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">Will be back again in a couple of weeks! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">Take care everyone - talk soon</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">Greenie x</span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790077100590764891.post-78209926830635724392011-07-28T10:50:00.000+10:002011-07-28T10:50:42.237+10:00A great big THANK YOU!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
I just want to indulge for a moment and thank everyone who's visited in the last week or so since I started this blog. It's great to "meet" you all and see what you're doing. Having spent over 20 years in the public sector world where there wasn't a lot of collegiality and I remember once overhearing that someone wasn't going to be promoted because they wore yellow (I kid you not), it's so nice to be part of a community that is so supportive and accepting and welcoming. Don't get me wrong I loved working in the public service and contrary to popular belief, everyone I met and meet who is a public servant works really, really hard and tries their very, very best to do a great job.<br />
<a href="http://greeningtherose.blogspot.com/">Rose</a> it was lovely to meet you on <a href="http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/">D2E</a> and thanks for visiting my little blog. Your post about CSR is disturbing and I'm looking forward to hearing of a more sustainable, Australian sugar source.<br />
<a href="http://outbacktania.blogspot.com/">Tania</a> and <a href="http://heartsdesigns.blogspot.com/">Hearts in Asia</a> I was so jealous when I read you were getting 20 degrees + already, although we got rain last week so I guess we're even! LOL :) It was -5 here this morning when I left to come and look after little Charlie (about 745 am)! Now that's pretty cold eh!?!<br />
<a href="http://thenewgoodlife.wordpress.com/">New Good Life</a> - fantastic post about food porn! I also had one of those "Of Course" moments when trawling through your blog - the used toilet roll as a seed starter - brilliant!<br />
<a href="http://eatatdixiebelles.blogspot.com/">Dixiebelle</a>, <a href="http://theduckherder.blogspot.com/">Duck Herder</a> and <a href="http://girlswearbluetoogarden.blogspot.com/">Tammy</a> - like minded souls in Canberra - fantastic!<br />
And <a href="http://smileymum.blogspot.com/">crafty, busy, well loved Mum</a> - fancy both having little angels called Charlie! I love following your adventures in living a simple life.<br />
So, I just want to give you all a big thanks for visiting. I will take loads of photos of the establishment of the front yard, and the development of the back, and keep on blogging! I will be visiting you all regularly - and please, keep sending in the comments - and if you haven't commented yet, please do - I LOVE hearing from you all.<br />
Bye for now - Greenie x<br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04739210771018691753noreply@blogger.com5