Garden Update - Part Two

 

Brian and I are having a wager on the outcome of these cherries. The tree has been in the ground for two years and is loaded with fruit this year. 

BUT, three weeks ago our state experienced a serious hail storm, causing widespread damage to fruit trees across parts of South Australia. The big growers are counting their losses, and the availability of cherries, apples and stone fruits looks like being low for the coming season.

While I was away on holidays, and taking to Brian on the phone, he explained the storm and prepared me for the damage [to our trees] that I'd find when returning home. Listening to the news on the car radio, I felt so sorry for the orchardists who rely on the fruit harvest for their income. Our small crops here have value only for us, so if we suffer a hit every few years, that's not the end of the world, and we need to accept it and move on towards the next season, but the large growers will be suffering. They still have costs and wages to pay, but will receive little income this year.

Brian sent me this photo of  hail lying on the ground while he was at the Post Office in our local town of Angaston.

The shade cloth covering the vegetable gardens was weighed down heavily with hail stones, but our fruit trees weren't protected.

I can see some spots on the apricots, but overall they don't look too bad and this tree is still heavy with fruit.

A few pictures of the wider garden areas. I made two new garden beds over winter. Edged them with logs from the wood heap, and filled the space with straw. This photo is taken standing with my back to an established Golden Delicious apple tree. We keep planting more fruit trees, and the little peach tree shown was a new addition this winter, so instead of having random fruit trees scattered about, I have enclosed a couple of trees into each garden. The spaces in between can be utilized to grow companion plants and vegetables.
I'm waiting for my pumpkins to germinate in these black plastic rounds that we use to deter the earwigs from nibbling the new growth.

Plenty of unscathed fruit on the old Jonathon apple tree.

It's been almost ten years since we grew strawberries here. Our big patch was becoming over run by millipedes and nothing I did could eradicate them. We're don't use chemicals or any poisons, so the only answer was to pull them out and grow a different type of berry. We're aware of the difficulty in growing strawberries without using toxic chemicals, so neither of us has eaten a commercially grown strawberry for many years. It doesn't matter how cheap those punnets of strawberries become in the stores, there is no way we would eat them.
A lovely friend occasionally treats us with her home grown strawberries that she grows in containers, so when I spotted these old water feeders in a rubbish pile, I thought of strawberries.
Now we have larger predators of the two legged, feathered variety, so the cages are to keep out the chickens who get to run in this part of the garden as part of their yard rotation.

Oregano grows like a weed with the drips of water from the tap. Self sustaining and useful, so it's allowed to stay.

The lemon tree is heavily mulched with large rocks around its base, to prevent the escapee chickens from scratching and disturbing the shallow roots. Containers of water are placed all over the gardens for the birds and lizards.


A still and cloudy evening is the best time for spraying out atmospheric fertilizers.
Nettle ferment tea is our favorite; helping the plant's sap to flow, and build stronger resistance to pests, mildew, diseases and hot weather.  This is a weekly event from the middle of spring until the end of summer, using our home made liquid manures and fertilisers.

When is a weed a weed?
A weed is simply any plant growing in the wrong place. For that matter, a beautiful rose could be a weed if it's growing in the wrong spot.
This humble Cape-weed (sometimes referred to as dandelion)  would be a weed if it was growing in the lucerne crop, or if it was taking over the asparagus patch, but here in one of the garden paths it's doing no harm. It's keeping the soil together as everything starts to dry out and the bees are finding pollen from the flowers. In turn, the bees that it attracts are pollinating the vegetable flowers.
Every plant has a use in the system of things, so think twice about removing "weeds"unless it really is a weed.
Caltrop or Bindii and nasty prickly weeds are another matter, but before you pick up the "Roundup" think about the damage that toxic chemical is doing around the world.
I'm off to the side paddock now, with my hand trowel and plastic bag, to dig up any tiny Caltrop plants before they set seeds and multiply.  Thankfully this is the only area on our property that Caltrop is growing, and over the years, through slow and steady digging and placing the weeds in a plastic bag in the sun to kill the seeds, we're getting on top of it.
Good and happy gardening to you my friends.

Jembella Garden Update... Part One

Outside the kitchen door is where we spend most of our down time when the weather permits. In summer most of our meals are cooked out here in either the gas Weber Q or on the barbeque.

Among the flowering plants and under the concrete steps lives a colony of small Skink lizards. We don't see them at all during the cold months, but they start moving about as soon as the Spring days warm up. In fact, we need to watch where we step as we go about our business as they move quite slowly some days, and one misplaced foot could be disastrous.
Just in case you're straining your eyes to find the elusive lizard, there isn't one in this photo, I'm showing the water container. I haven't been fast enough to capture a lizard drinking as yet.
"Flat out like a lizard drinking." Perhaps only the Australian readers will know this bit of Aussie lingo which we might say if we're describing how busy we are!  ;)

 This little one is growing a new tail. They are tiny, less than the size of an Ikea pencil,  and they love to eat flies which are half as big as the lizard's head. I swat flies and leave them laying on the step where the lizards gobble them up.

The pineapples are still taking up one side of the glasshouse, all grown from discarded tops, and now into their third or fourth year in this spot. Every few months one is ready to pick.

 They're deliciously sweet.

No, we don't live in the tropics where pineapples grow, but the conditions in our little glasshouse are perfect for them and as long as they continue to produce, we'll keep them there.
Zero food miles!

A few Mizuna lettuces in the glasshouse.

More lettuces are in this crazy overgrown area,  plus rocket, rhubarb, mustard, coriander, cabbages, potatoes and self sown calendulas and poppies. 

It's my self seeding garden, where plants are allowed freedom of expression, and Bearded Dragon lizards find sanctuary behind the dog proof fence.
I'm waiting for the seeds to dry, for saving, and am slowly clearing some of the greens for the chickens each day.

And now, a walk around Brian's vege patch.

Chard, young capsicum seedlings, turmeric, horse radish and parsnips in the planter pot.

He harvested the garlic yesterday.

Garlic tied in small bunches and hung up to dry before storing under cover in the shed.

Snow peas at this end of the trellis..

Broad beans at the other end of the same trellis.

Cabbages!!

We're eating cabbage in many ways; 

coleslaw; fried in home made butter; fermented as sauerkraut.

He has planted a row of Jostaberry plants.  Jostaberries are new to us, so I'll keep you posted on how they go. They are pronounced Yostaberry.

Three raspberry trellises, freshly mulched with straw.

 We were a bit late getting the tomato plants in, and have also cut back on the number of plants this year. Our cellar is still groaning with tomato produce from last couple of years.

Tomato chutneys,  Tomato sauces, Preserved tomatoes, Pasta Sauce and Tomato Paste. So instead of our usual fifty plants, we have been very restrained. However, I shall be taking cuttings from these when they are ready for their pruning, and will plant them in another location so we will have late tomatoes to extend our picking season.

The two Blueberry bushes are in pots because they like an acidic soil. Almost ripe!!

This garden is covered in 50% shade cloth during summer and is watered by drip irrigation pumped from our rainwater tanks.
That's enough of the garden for now, I'll show you the fruit trees and other food gardens next time.
How's your garden looking and what are you growing at this time of year in your location?
Cheers and thanks for dropping in.
Sally XX

A Willy Wag Tale

 

(Image of Willy Wagtail bird from Google)

In mid October we discovered this nest made from spider webs on the front verandah.  Mr and Mrs Willy Wag-tail took turns at sitting on the eggs, but as they chose to build above the busiest traffic area on our entire property, they seemed to be spending more time watching their nest from the trees nearby and scolding us with their cranky twitchy grumbles every time we or the dogs walked below.
I really doubted the success of this season's hatching, but within a few weeks little black heads started to appear above the rim of the nest.

I'm always concerned that they build their nest too small for the capacity of family they raise. The original inventors of the 'Tiny House' movement.
In years past their nests in the apple tree, have provided good reason for my concern, with a baby bird plummeting to the ground long before it was ready to fly.

So I was prepared for premature tumbles this year, but yesterday all three, one by one, fluttered out into the world beyond.

Today they are all flying about the garden with both parents attending to their demands.

Now I can relax until it all happens again next year, and I wonder which location they might choose.

A Solo Road Trip and Granny Time

Those of my friends who I see on Instagram and Facebook will be familiar with all of my Granny Spam that I posted while I was in Victoria with my daughter and little girls.
My road trip took me to Victoria via Coleraine, where I spent my first night out on my own in the Avan. The people in the only two caravans in the small caravan park would have been entertained with side splitting humor as they watched me reverse my little van into a spot not three times, but six times, before I eventually got it right.
Well, actually it wasn't all my fault!! Of course it was Brian's fault for not putting the extension electricity cord into the tool box! I could have parked anywhere, even part way up the street, if I had that extension, so I learned to reverse and get lined up in one tough, but necessary lesson.
However, I had previously practiced opening up the magic box, that is the Avan, and I pulled that off with panache. Surely the onlookers would have gasped in awe at my skill.

 Feeling empowered with my newly acquired skills, the next day of traveling took me to my sister's property out of Winchelsea.  After enjoying an evening in their company and an excellent meal with them, I unhitched the Avan, waved goodbye and ventured forth with just the car across the Queenscliff to Sorrento ferry to my family on the Mornington Peninsula; stopping off for a lunchtime visit to my brother, near Geelong, on the way.
Taking the Avan across on the ferry didn't make economical sense, as both places I was visiting have comfortable guest rooms, but their yards were too small to park the van.

Being Granny to these two is the most wonderful thing, and oh my goodness, they keep me on the move. There is no TV in their home and they see no screens at all, except for the very occasional DVD as a very special treat maybe once a week or month.
Their imaginative games, and the ability they have to entertain themselves, is a joy to be a part of and I applaud their parents for the way they are raising these girls.  Spending lots of time outside, they are certainly getting a good amount of Vitamin D.

 And the best news, soon there will be three.!!

I left them for a couple of days to drive further east to visit another sister at Drouin, in Gippsland. Obviously we were so busy, or so relaxed, that I forgot to take photos! As we age, we siblings seem to become closer, and each opportunity we get to spend together is so very special.
After another few days back with the grand daughters I set off back across the ferry for another couple of days with my sister and to reunite with the Avan.
No holiday would be complete if I didn't visit every op-shop in my path, and I made some very good purchases along the way.
My grand daughters were amused to see me rummaging in the hard rubbish while out walking with them to the playgrounds in their area. What treasures I found for the kitchen; beautiful bowls, casserole dishes and another jug. I have plenty of all these things but still couldn't resist.

Brian and I had fleetingly visited Daylesford six years ago, and I've been keen to return ever since, so after just a couple of hour's driving, I was backing the van into this tight little space unaided, ahem!!
Jubilee Lake Caravan Park made quite an impression on me last time, so I headed straight there again and chose a very quiet spot away from all the other vans.
Each to their own I guess, but I don't enjoy being squeezed in among other caravans, where I can hear my neighbor snoring (or worse).

Not a very good angle, but I was very pleased to have the camera in my hand when this parrot flew in to check me out and eat the crumbs from my biscuit. There's another reward for choosing a quiet spot.

I couldn't believe how fast each day sped past. There were walks to be had, and new places to explore. Far from the crowds.
The joys of traveling solo became apparent to me once again, and allowed me to be completely selfish with my time.

All around the area of Daylesford, Hepburn Springs, Trentham and beyond there are mineral springs, with signs pointing to them from the main roads.....

....with pumps for bringing the water up from the ground below to fill our containers.
Some springs were better tasting than others. This one was bubbly and delicious, with good keeping qualities, so if you're in the area, I can recommend the Lyonville Spring which can be reached by following the small sign on the road between Daylesford and Trentham.

Incidentally, "The Salvos" in Daylesford is the best op-shop I have ever been into (trust me, I'm the connoisseur of op-shops).
Stylishly merchandised with tasteful displays, funky music, polished timber floors, young volunteer attendants, subtle pleasantly fragrant boutique style space; my first thought on entering was "This will be pricey," but it certainly was not pricey at all and I bought a plain red t-shirt for $2.

Sad to leave lovely Daylesford, I packed up and began the return journey towards home, but with a slightly out of the way detour through the historic town of Maldon (near Castlemaine)...

...where I spent a delightful morning wandering about and snapping photos, chatting to locals, and generally enjoying the peace on that quiet week day.

I had been there on a weekend approximately thirty years ago (!!!) and the town was very busy with tourists, so I enjoyed the calmer pace while discovering that the town has not changed at all.
As someone who appreciates history, and feels comfort in being among old things, I could easily live in this town, with its beautiful community of dedicated people who are conserving its beauty.
Bravo to Maldon and to all who live there!!

Another overnight stop in Kaniva, to break the long drive home. The quiet Council owned caravan park has drive-through sites for over-nighters not wanting to unhitch their van from the car. This suited me fine, although I must say I had all that tricky stuff pretty much mastered by then.
Along the way, I met some lovely people, helpful and generous with their time. Being an older 'lady' solo traveler, I felt very safe with the knowledge and belief that most people are inherently good and kind.
Some folks thought I was 'gutsy' to be traveling alone. Although I didn't see any other single older women on this trip, I'm occasionally inspired by other older women travelers, and I hope to continue my travels for many years to come.
Traveling to new places thrills me, it sharpens my thought processes and improves my self confidence like nothing else can.
It's difficult for both Brian and I to get away together for more than a couple of days, at this time in our farming lives, so I'm grateful that he is happy for me to take short trips away.
The Avan certainly makes it possible to travel in this way, all it needs is an average amount of strength to lift the roof and the setting up takes me less than five minutes in total.
Although I'm happy and content to be home again, with new zest and energy after a lovely break, in the back of my mind I'm thinking about the next place I'll venture to.
I know that some folks don't enjoy traveling... do you?  and where do you go when you can get away?
Cheers for now, and thanks for visiting.

Stepping Back to the Blog

Hello and welcome back to Jembella.
It's been awhile since I was here, and lots has happened, but it's the same old story...
"I'll write about today's doings after dinner tonight" she says, "it will be relaxing" she says.
However... the reality is, the late afternoon chores, dinner to prep, a glass of wine before dinner, the cleaning up afterwards, some more finishing off from the activity of the day (usually), customers calling in to pick up their orders, falling onto the sofa with a book or occasionally a particularly good TV program, shower, bed, sleep!
How to cover the past month? I think a pictorial journal will do the job, but it's going to be long, so I'll break it into two (or more) volumes.

The sheep were brought back to our home block for shearing, and I was reunited with my babies who are all now quite grown up and behaving like proper sheep. At the sound of my voice, each one wandered over to check me out, gave me a nudge, a sniff and enjoyed a chin scratch, but their attention spans were short and soon they wandered off to more important things, such as eating the fresh green grass and sniffing the bums of the sheep they hadn't seen for awhile.

The Barossa Pony Club celebrated its fiftieth year so, as one of the original members in 1967, I was invited to attend the luncheon celebrations. It was amazing to catch up with these folks again. One of them I would never have recognized, but the others are all still just the same, but fifty years older.

 The October bee-keeping workshop was well attended and much enjoyed, by us all.

The next generation of bee keepers, gives us great hope for the future of honey bees.

Ilona showed great skill at de-capping, one of the most difficult aspects of extracting honey from the frames.

We got away to the beach for two nights to celebrate my birthday. It was our first time away in our (new to us) second hand Avan... a 'shake down' trip to give me the skills to set off alone on a road trip to Victoria the following week.
Anyone with a farm will understand the level of planning and preparation that was necessary for us to both get away at the same time.

 Lavender's calf is due in mid December, so she needed to be dried off in October. A cow needs eight weeks to refresh her udder and give her body a break, in readiness for the next year of milk production.
I kept a close watch on her udder ad monitored her behavior, always fearful of the occurrence of mastitis, but it all went smoothly and she dried off with no problems.
OK that's enough for now because today my attention span is a bit like the lamb's!!
I haven't planted my pumpkins yet, so that is what calls me outside now.
Cheers and see you again soon.