Saturday, 19 October 2013

Around here

Q
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We harvested our first zucchinis this week. And I tried out a slight variation on this recipe for ricotta-stuffed fried zucchini flowers.
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We also harvested our first onions. We're a month early, but we needed the space. The two garden beds seemed more than adequate when we started, but we're beginning to think that real estate in the beds is too valuable to be taken up for six months growing onions. Ma is hanging the onions in the garage and has tasked me with braiding them.
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I made pesto with our basil. Tonight we had pesto chicken with the fried zucchini flowers and butter beans from our kitchen garden.
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Voila my new recipe book. While I waited for Juliet to arrive, I photocopied recipes from my cookbooks and organised them in a folder. Yep, it sounds a little OCD, but it's made menu planning so much easier.

Tuesday, 8 October 2013

Wanted: a green thumb!



It is galling! Some things are growing wonderfully, other things are growing woefully. I mentioned the peas (honeypods) in my previous post. Still no solution that I know will work. I have changed the location of them (YEP, DUG 'EM UP) into a bed freshly composted and tilled. And freer from overcrowding. My beds will always be overcrowded, just the nature of this particular gardener. But the connundrum is that where they were, they were being crowded out by the beans. Yet peas and beans require similar conditions. So, some balance. The peas are a failure, but the beans are looking wonderful.
Some more learning required. Root vegetables are not my strong point. Twirly carrots, and probably twirly radish. The carrots taste okay, but look appalling. Another issue, of course, is that we are spoilt by 'perfection' at the greengrocer. I will plant some more carrot on Friday, not Thursday as it is predicted to be 40C. Need to till the soil to a deeper degree. More tilling and more compost. And no stones. If the precious root veggies hit a stone, they go around it. Hence, twirly.


The herbs and the tomatoes are healthy in the extreme. All the herbs are growing well, even the chives which had been limp and jaundiced, but are thriving with the added attention. I think, perhaps, I should have dedicated an entire garden bed to the tomatoes, their growth habit is virile! And the two smaller plants are awash with brackets of fruit. I just hope all the flowers are able to set fruit, Even the Grosse Lisse is setting fruit. Should be up to our armpits come Chrissie.

What to say about the zucchini? This one will be ready to eat come this weekend. And there are two more very similar. I want to read about fried zucchini flowers. Does it stunt the fruit if the flower is removed early?
think that one of the most galling things about gardening is that it is either feast or famine.

Thursday, 3 October 2013

Gingerbread Girl

We have news.

The Gingerbread House welcomed its newest member yesterday.

Juliet Paige Lynn arrived on Wednesday 2 October 2013 at 5.32pm. She weighed 3.4kg and measured 51cm.

Grand daughter to Ma, daughter to Mama and Dada, and baby sister to Alannah Jane. Mama and Juliet should be home on Saturday.




Monday, 30 September 2013

Is growing peas childs' play?

Bunnings has this 'pea package' directed at children which emphasises how simple it is to grow peas. If it is mere child's play, how come it is so hard?

I have two varieties planted: Snow Peas, and Honeypods. And I seem to be struggling with both. Admittedly, the Honeypods were a case of mistaken identity, as I really wanted Sugar Snaps. Both varieties are trellised up, but with wooden lattice rather than chicken mesh, which I might have to cover the lattice with as the tendrils on the peas are not particularly macho. I water them daily, and have used Dynamic Lifter AND Charlie Carp. I will read up about an enriched nitrogen fertiliser, too.

They require full sun, but the full sun seems to wilt them and brown them. I will persevere, and come the long weeknd, see if I can find some Sugarsnap seedlings to fuss about as well.

Monday, 23 September 2013

Around here

Untitled Untitled ^^ Alannah loves to run and dance around the front garden. We hang the pink cd boom box out the games room window.
Dada's birthday Dada's birthday ^^Alannah and I baked and decorated biscuits for Dada's birthday BBQ. I made meringues for the first time using this recipe.
Kitchen garden ^^ The front garden is a lovely spot to paint in the early morning.
Untitled ^^ The driveway is a canvas for drawings of Alannah's family and friends.

Sunday, 22 September 2013

Project completed

Kitchen garden

On Saturday morning, we finally completed the building of the kitchen garden.

Almost a tonne of river pebbles had been delivered on Friday. Dada and Alannah loaded them in the wheelbarrow and traipsed to and from the kitchen garden walkways; Ma raked the pebbles into place.

Kitchen garden

Kitchen garden

Kitchen garden

Kitchen garden

We also harvested our first leaves from the cos lettuce and ate peas straight from the vine.

Kitchen garden

Kitchen garden

Saturday, 7 September 2013

A potager by any other name

Our deadline (self imposed) was the end of August. We have not quite made it. Darren has another rock border to bed in around the citrus garden. Julie has to weed proof the walkways, and lay some river pebbles. There are four garden beds, and 16 pots, ranging in size. Our kitchen garden is 10.75 m2, plus pots, which must get it close to 13 m2.

And, I have decided not to continue with the dream of a chook pen in the backyard, and to make do with this little beauty instead.

However, we now have these herbs:
Basil
Mint
Chives
Parsley
Oregano
with Rosemary to come.

And these fruits:
Brown Turkey Fig (2)
Black Genoa Fig
Lemon
Mandarin
Lime
Blueberries (3)
Raspberries (2)
Kumquat
Strawberries (13)

And these vegetables:
Beetroot
Snowpeas
Sweet corn
Radish
Carrots
Tomatoes (3)
Butterbeans
French Beans
Shallots (second crop planted)
Garlic
Cos Lettuce
Iceblock Lettuce
Snap Peas
Celery
Brown Onions
Spinach
Cucumber (Lebanese)
Capsicum (Red)
Zucchini