good’ay.

the zygo cactus is out today.
the sunflowers have pushed through the earth
but the spuds and globe artichokes are dying off and the last harvests near.
and i saw two big bearded dragons in the one day.

Yes, we should move on a month. I have avoided cleaning the oven. But I did clean the glass on the woodheater, and now I have lit a fire. It’s about 11 degrees outside so Mr buffy will be sure to complain about it being cold in the house later when he comes home from teaching First Aid. I wouldn’t bother if it was just me, I’m happy to wear more clothes.

Now, I’m going back to my patchwork, which is annoying me, so I’ll finish it off and be done with it.

some flowers to start the month –
a zygocactus (i think?) has been budding for a week but bloomed today
- and 2 shots on an indoor bromeliad – i’m pretty sure its a brom – more i do not know

And the moral of that story is……don’t think you will be smart and use up some rayon material scraps in patchwork. It has no idea of straight. The measure says the thing is straight….my eye says otherwise. It’s only a cover for the front of a set of shelves, but I reckon once I hang it I’m going to need to re-hem or it will annoy me. Or I could just put the armchair in front of it and hide the bottom…the top section looks fine.

:)

So itis’ Nov. Well another busy month coming up. I best get the rest of my tomatoes in eh.

buffy said:

Now, I’m going back to my patchwork, which is annoying me, so I’ll finish it off and be done with it.

Photo?

Now that I’ve managed to sit for more than 5 minutes and take a photo..the quilted nappy bag pics :)

Happy Potter said:

Now that I’ve managed to sit for more than 5 minutes and take a photo..the quilted nappy bag pics :)

Oh it has three big compartments and four large pockets. I’m going to put a little pink heart applique on one side and a ribbon applique on the other. I remember turning my kids nappy bag over and around to find the side I put something in.

Happy Potter said:

Now that I’ve managed to sit for more than 5 minutes and take a photo..the quilted nappy bag pics :)

a lot of work in that. Well done thumbs up

Oh, mine is nowhere near as phenomenal as that bag. It is simply to cover over the front of some shelves. There is a piece to go on one shelf, with things on top, and a ‘curtain’ type part to cover up the lower shelves. I’ll see if I can set it up to show you.

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Now that I’ve managed to sit for more than 5 minutes and take a photo..the quilted nappy bag pics :)

a lot of work in that. Well done thumbs up

Thanks BG :) It was hard, basically 2 quilted bags joined then add pockets, and the bias… I should have made the binding a contrasting colour. Well the next one will be a lot easier! It’s just plain calico and printed calico with tiny red chickens for the pockets, but with a red binding.

buffy said:

Oh, mine is nowhere near as phenomenal as that bag. It is simply to cover over the front of some shelves. There is a piece to go on one shelf, with things on top, and a ‘curtain’ type part to cover up the lower shelves. I’ll see if I can set it up to show you.

:)

OK, here it is. And don’t look too closely. It’s not as symmetrical as I wanted it to be and I cannot quite work out why. But it will serve its purpose and isn’t too bad.

Whoops!

buffy said:

Whoops!

Love the colours! I can’t quite picture it on a shelf.. or is there a shelf behind it?

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Now that I’ve managed to sit for more than 5 minutes and take a photo..the quilted nappy bag pics :)

a lot of work in that. Well done thumbs up

Thank you :)

Oh wow I’m too tired to think straight after only a couple hours sleep..time for bed. Shopping all done and people and animals fed. Tomorrow I have 9 am haircut appt. I’m feeling game so I’m going to say to my hairdresser, who always want’s to try a different style on my hair, go for it, do whatever ya like, lol.

The top bit with the brocade insert sits on the shelf (it’s a wide shelf) and the stripey bit hangs down covering the lower shelves. It’s not really as hot pink as that, more a berry red really. I’m not sure why the colours don’t look true.

Good morning Gardeners. We are overcast, cool and vaguely breezy. I intend to do some more gardening today. A few bits and pieces.

buffy said:

Good morning Gardeners. We are overcast, cool and vaguely breezy. I intend to do some more gardening today. A few bits and pieces.

sunny with a cool breeze. Need to attack some weeds and grasses with the whipper snipper.

Move the armchair in front of it,lol! love the colours… or you could hang it “upside down” and show off the brocade-y bit

Better get back in Nov..
I’ve tilled and raked the tomato beds, 2 of, and am going out after a cuppa to fence it off temporarily to keep chooks off until they establish.
It’s cool and perfect weather to garden.

I’ve just come inside. Been around to our car crash friend’s place and put in a couple of Chinese broccoli plants and some bush bean seeds. The lettuces I put there about 10 days ago have survived, but our friend was here last weekend and watered them himself. He is probably not going to get back home properly until after Christmas, so the town friends are still keeping his garden and house tidy. I asked for permission to get just a few veggies going for him. He was our town gardener (we actually have some gardens called Botanic Gardens here in Penshurst) before someone tried to kill him with their car. I don’t know if he will be able to go back to full gardening, he was pretty smashed up. The accident was in February and he is still rehabilitating. But it means I like to make sure it is OK to plant things before doing it for him because he’s got quite a good knowledge level!! I hope he doesn’t mind hotchpotch rather than nice straight lines……‘cause that’s what he gets with me.

:)

Oh, and I have done some of my own gardening, and shot some arrows. We are participating in the South West Games tomorrow morning, so I thought I should do at least some peremptory practice.

I’m all done in but got lots done with the Whipper Snipper. Peter Pan didn’t like that noisy beast but it meant he kept out of the way.

bluegreen said:

I’m all done in but got lots done with the Whipper Snipper. Peter Pan didn’t like that noisy beast but it meant he kept out of the way.

There are times.. but mostly I’m glad I never got a whipper snipper. I can see the usefulness of a chainsaw for the noise factor ratio.. but whipper snippers and leaf blowers?

I’d prefer a bushfire.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

I’m all done in but got lots done with the Whipper Snipper. Peter Pan didn’t like that noisy beast but it meant he kept out of the way.

There are times.. but mostly I’m glad I never got a whipper snipper. I can see the usefulness of a chainsaw for the noise factor ratio.. but whipper snippers and leaf blowers?

I’d prefer a bushfire.

it has its uses, particularly as I don’t have a mower, but I never could see the reasoning behind a leaf blower. what’s wrong with a rake or broom? And some people actually throw away the leaves!!

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

I’m all done in but got lots done with the Whipper Snipper. Peter Pan didn’t like that noisy beast but it meant he kept out of the way.

There are times.. but mostly I’m glad I never got a whipper snipper. I can see the usefulness of a chainsaw for the noise factor ratio.. but whipper snippers and leaf blowers?

I’d prefer a bushfire.

it has its uses, particularly as I don’t have a mower, but I never could see the reasoning behind a leaf blower. what’s wrong with a rake or broom? And some people actually throw away the leaves!!

Yes. Sorry about my outburst.. I need to walk away from computer often.. Well without a mower I can see a whipper being useful.
I don’t mind doing edges by hand.. I have acute hearing problems which are exacerbated by loud noises.

Happy Potter said:

Oh wow I’m too tired to think straight after only a couple hours sleep..time for bed. Shopping all done and people and animals fed. Tomorrow I have 9 am haircut appt. I’m feeling game so I’m going to say to my hairdresser, who always want’s to try a different style on my hair, go for it, do whatever ya like, lol.

Sooooo, how did the hairdresser’s visit go? Shall you be scarfed for several weeks or will you be “out there”?

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Oh wow I’m too tired to think straight after only a couple hours sleep..time for bed. Shopping all done and people and animals fed. Tomorrow I have 9 am haircut appt. I’m feeling game so I’m going to say to my hairdresser, who always want’s to try a different style on my hair, go for it, do whatever ya like, lol.

Sooooo, how did the hairdresser’s visit go? Shall you be scarfed for several weeks or will you be “out there”?

I have a fringe! haven’t had a fringe since I was a kid. Looks great and got the thumbs up from the man and girls :D

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Sooooo, how did the hairdresser’s visit go? Shall you be scarfed for several weeks or will you be “out there”?

I have a fringe! haven’t had a fringe since I was a kid. Looks great and got the thumbs up from the man and girls :D

Must look alright then: can’t imagine you with a fringe tho’… no woild colours?

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Sooooo, how did the hairdresser’s visit go? Shall you be scarfed for several weeks or will you be “out there”?

I have a fringe! haven’t had a fringe since I was a kid. Looks great and got the thumbs up from the man and girls :D

Must look alright then: can’t imagine you with a fringe tho’… no woild colours?

Not yet, lol. I’m almost all grey but what is left is auburn. That’s really strange, although my father was a redhead. I haven’y dyed my hair in a couple years, at least.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Oh wow I’m too tired to think straight after only a couple hours sleep..time for bed. Shopping all done and people and animals fed. Tomorrow I have 9 am haircut appt. I’m feeling game so I’m going to say to my hairdresser, who always want’s to try a different style on my hair, go for it, do whatever ya like, lol.

Sooooo, how did the hairdresser’s visit go? Shall you be scarfed for several weeks or will you be “out there”?

I have a fringe! haven’t had a fringe since I was a kid. Looks great and got the thumbs up from the man and girls :D

You what? You got a fringe? Photos please?

Grandaughter is home for the weekend and the bluddy hot water stopped working.

roughbarked said:

Grandaughter is home for the weekend and the bluddy hot water stopped working.

At her age she won’t know that you boiled her bath water on the stove…

Gas or electric?

Dinetta said:

roughbarked said:

Grandaughter is home for the weekend and the bluddy hot water stopped working.

At her age she won’t know that you boiled her bath water on the stove…

Gas or electric?

it is OK today as the temp is cool so far . I have the slow combustion stove going but by Monday it is reputed to reach 36˚C so I think running a hot stove may be out of the question by Monday. We’ll see. Don’t want to be paying big money for an electrician to fix the off peak on the weekend.

roughbarked said:

Dinetta said:

roughbarked said:

Grandaughter is home for the weekend and the bluddy hot water stopped working.

At her age she won’t know that you boiled her bath water on the stove…

Gas or electric?

it is OK today as the temp is cool so far . I have the slow combustion stove going but by Monday it is reputed to reach 36˚C so I think running a hot stove may be out of the question by Monday. We’ll see. Don’t want to be paying big money for an electrician to fix the off peak on the weekend.

a sponge bath doesn’t use much water.

He could always hook up a camp shower under the trees, lol! (We did this when the kidlets were little, for a novelty)… the old galvanised bucket with an on-off rose on the bottom…

Dinetta said:

He could always hook up a camp shower under the trees, lol! (We did this when the kidlets were little, for a novelty)… the old galvanised bucket with an on-off rose on the bottom…

Yes, we could do that but as long as the weather is amenable the slow combustion stove will keep the water hot.

Has Pom gone walkabout?

bubba louie said:

Has Pom gone walkabout?

Think that is what was said.. yes.

roughbarked said:

bubba louie said:

Has Pom gone walkabout?

Think that is what was said.. yes.

From: pomolo
ID: 211539
Subject: re: Oct 12 chat

Packing is done. Yard is tidy. Sheds are locked. Outdoor furniture stacked. Nothing to do now but jump in the car and take off.

Be good. Be kind and be happy.

Back in 10 days.

roughbarked said:

cute:)
radishes?

Yep. I knew she was coming home this weekend and the fastest germinating stuff I had in the seed box was radishes so that’s what were used.

roughbarked said:

Lovely!

Got heaps planted out..capsicums, tomatoes, red spring onions, piled compost on saffron bed, flowers out the front and 4 butternut pumpkins out front too , they will sprawl between rhododendrons, four o clocks, conifers and daisys lol!

Am I supposed to be looking after the saffron bulbs? They just look like dead grass in their pot now. Should I be topping up the soil with yummies?

I wish that GA would advise people of the weed potential of the plants they show.

Sophie planted a Koelreuteria paniculata and said what a beautiful tree it is. Now people are going to go looking for one without knowing how very bad it can be.

bubba louie said:

I wish that GA would advise people of the weed potential of the plants they show.

Sophie planted a Koelreuteria paniculata and said what a beautiful tree it is. Now people are going to go looking for one without knowing how very bad it can be.

never knew them to be a weed in SA.

painmaster said:

bubba louie said:

I wish that GA would advise people of the weed potential of the plants they show.

Sophie planted a Koelreuteria paniculata and said what a beautiful tree it is. Now people are going to go looking for one without knowing how very bad it can be.

never knew them to be a weed in SA.

Maybe not but it’s not the only state watching the show.

bubba louie said:

painmaster said:

bubba louie said:

I wish that GA would advise people of the weed potential of the plants they show.

Sophie planted a Koelreuteria paniculata and said what a beautiful tree it is. Now people are going to go looking for one without knowing how very bad it can be.

never knew them to be a weed in SA.

Maybe not but it’s not the only state watching the show.

Ai this is true, but I would hazard a guess that many of the viewers know that the presenters are fairly parochial to their home states. Besides, my real question is Koelreuteria a weed in Qbilly country?

painmaster said:

bubba louie said:

painmaster said:

never knew them to be a weed in SA.

Maybe not but it’s not the only state watching the show.

Ai this is true, but I would hazard a guess that many of the viewers know that the presenters are fairly parochial to their home states. Besides, my real question is Koelreuteria a weed in Qbilly country?

I see Koelreuteria elegans is Ranked 170th of the top 200 most invasive Naturalised plants in SE Qld… no K. paniculata. According to the DPI that is…

painmaster said:

bubba louie said:

painmaster said:

never knew them to be a weed in SA.

Maybe not but it’s not the only state watching the show.

Ai this is true, but I would hazard a guess that many of the viewers know that the presenters are fairly parochial to their home states. Besides, my real question is Koelreuteria a weed in Qbilly country?

Not officially but it should be. It self seeds like nobody’s business.

painmaster said:

painmaster said:

bubba louie said:

Maybe not but it’s not the only state watching the show.

Ai this is true, but I would hazard a guess that many of the viewers know that the presenters are fairly parochial to their home states. Besides, my real question is Koelreuteria a weed in Qbilly country?

I see Koelreuteria elegans is Ranked 170th of the top 200 most invasive Naturalised plants in SE Qld… no K. paniculata. According to the DPI that is…

Mum grew one that self seeded all over the neighbourhood.

bubba louie said:

painmaster said:

painmaster said:

Ai this is true, but I would hazard a guess that many of the viewers know that the presenters are fairly parochial to their home states. Besides, my real question is Koelreuteria a weed in Qbilly country?

I see Koelreuteria elegans is Ranked 170th of the top 200 most invasive Naturalised plants in SE Qld… no K. paniculata. According to the DPI that is…

Mum grew one that self seeded all over the neighbourhood.

Mums are good for that…

Good morning Gardeners. I went for a bit longer bike ride this morning and remembered to take the binoculars. And the brolgas were where I saw them last week. I counted at least 21 of them, but then they gave their warning call and they flew off. I was well away from where they were, I don’t think it was me and my binoculars that caused the problem. I got a blurry photo……my camera doesn’t have a lot of zoom on it:

They are the grey spodges…..

bubba louie said:

I wish that GA would advise people of the weed potential of the plants they show.

Sophie planted a Koelreuteria paniculata and said what a beautiful tree it is. Now people are going to go looking for one without knowing how very bad it can be.

Oh not those bluddy awful things. Their seeds come up where mulch is thickest.. in my garden! I am forever pulling seedlings of this out, and the places it gets into is unreal like cracks in paving and in the rock wall. I pulled a few out between leek seedlings and out of a tangled spot that has bulbs dying off for summer and lavendar emerging from the base, and right in deep where theres no light at all, these seedlings come up. Hate it.

And after that I did some weeding. The weeds today were fumitory, cleavers, briar rose seedlings, shiny leaf bush, ivy seedlings, cleavers, ivy seedlings, privet, plum seedlings, cleavers, ivy seedlings, ivy seedlings.

Did mention ivy seedlings?!

buffy said:

Good morning Gardeners. I went for a bit longer bike ride this morning and remembered to take the binoculars. And the brolgas were where I saw them last week. I counted at least 21 of them, but then they gave their warning call and they flew off. I was well away from where they were, I don’t think it was me and my binoculars that caused the problem. I got a blurry photo……my camera doesn’t have a lot of zoom on it:

They are the grey spodges…..

awesome :)

been out on my motorbike. thought I was going to the Violet Town Seed Savers meeting but it turned out I was a week early (blushing smiley here)

But in my defense it is usually on the first Sunday of the month.

Nice ride though :)

buffy said:

Good morning Gardeners. I went for a bit longer bike ride this morning and remembered to take the binoculars. And the brolgas were where I saw them last week. I counted at least 21 of them, but then they gave their warning call and they flew off. I was well away from where they were, I don’t think it was me and my binoculars that caused the problem. I got a blurry photo……my camera doesn’t have a lot of zoom on it:

They are the grey spodges…..

awesome icons – don’t they fly in from Japan?

really hot in the sun now.

the roosters aren’t crowing, the hens are down low in their dust baths
willy wagtail and the blue wren are still flitting about, but mostly in the shadows.
the rest of the wildlife is still and most movements i see are the breeze.

i lost all my sunflowers two nights ago.
forty or fifty two-leaved seedlings gone in one night
i put out the bad blue snail pellets and found forty or fifty dead millipedes this morning.

the black ants are really mobile this year and are a bit too numerous for comfort – especially seeing they are raiding the compost heap for summin.
i gave them a water bowl to see if that makes them less adventurous.
in this weather my collection of five water bowls are all well used
and mostly empty by tomorrow

>>awesome icons – don’t they fly in from Japan?<<

I think you might be thinking of the something or other (Sarus?) cranes in the Top End. They are similar/related to these. These are in Southern Australia. I don’t think they are migratory, except within the district. There has been a lot of fuss about diminishing numbers, but now the drought has broken, things look normal again.

Some information on brolgas, for those interested:

http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Grus-rubicunda

Some of my farmer patients have told me stories of them following the plough for food, sometimes following the sower and eating the seed too. Many years ago, they were considered a pest in some farming communities.

buffy said:

Good morning Gardeners. I went for a bit longer bike ride this morning and remembered to take the binoculars. And the brolgas were where I saw them last week. I counted at least 21 of them, but then they gave their warning call and they flew off. I was well away from where they were, I don’t think it was me and my binoculars that caused the problem. I got a blurry photo……my camera doesn’t have a lot of zoom on it:

They are the grey spodges…..

Love Brolgas and the honking noise they make!

buffy said:

>>awesome icons – don’t they fly in from Japan?<<

I think you might be thinking of the something or other (Sarus?) cranes in the Top End. They are similar/related to these. These are in Southern Australia. I don’t think they are migratory, except within the district. There has been a lot of fuss about diminishing numbers, but now the drought has broken, things look normal again.

cranes eh? – ok – might have got my cranes mixed up.
it is lovely to see them in those marshes of the australia felix – i’ve never seen them around mt gambier tho’.

I think they should be over that way. jj in Scribbly Gum used to live in that area, and she mentioned having them in that district.

I’m trying to watch Mr Attenborough. I’ve bucketed a dozen or so buckets of water out to the veggie patch I want to pick from and work on in the morning. I thought it might be more tillable with some moisture in it. It’s lovely soil here, being flood silt, but once it dries it tends to harden up a bit.

buffy said:

I think they should be over that way. jj in Scribbly Gum used to live in that area, and she mentioned having them in that district.

I’m trying to watch Mr Attenborough. I’ve bucketed a dozen or so buckets of water out to the veggie patch I want to pick from and work on in the morning. I thought it might be more tillable with some moisture in it. It’s lovely soil here, being flood silt, but once it dries it tends to harden up a bit.

i’ve just watched the kew gardens too – v.good.
i’ve a bucket in the shower and that water keeps several trees supplied.
gardeners here are already tired of watering – come on rain.

cyas

Good morning Gardeners. Everyone must be gardening. I got out there by 6.30am and I’ve just come in. I feel a bit stuffed. But I have weeded a large area and dug out the running grass roots and planted corn, peas, potatoes, tomato seed and carrot seed. And I’m experimenting to see if I can get ginger to grow here in Casterton. I’ve not been successful at home in Penshurst, but it is another 90km or something inland here and consistently hotter. Might work. Might not.

I’ve also harvested an embarrassment of nice little oranges and lifted the skirts on the tree. Also a nice lot of peas, a few asparagus spears, and some lovely feral potatoes. I like it when I dig over a fallow patch and find that it produced a couple of feeds of potatoes while I wasn’t looking. They look like Nicola potatoes. And that is mostly what I have been growing, so that would be right.

Heading home now for lunch and an afternoon snooze, I think.

Wow, no-one about at all today!

I’m home, unpacked my goodies. Need to make the bed (sheet changing day) and then I might get to have a snooze. Or not. I also want to go and visit the neighbours sometime this afternoon.

I’ve been planting out more seedlings, watering everything, and chook wheeling and dealing. 2 more point of lay silkies sold.
Pumpkin seedlings coming along well, out the front. They won’t look too out of place between the shrubs, there’s rhubarb, passionfruit and asparagus out front too.

bluegreen said:

been out on my motorbike. thought I was going to the Violet Town Seed Savers meeting but it turned out I was a week early (blushing smiley here)

But in my defense it is usually on the first Sunday of the month.

Nice ride though :)

Hehe, yes the ride would have been great.

Are you going to VoiletTown this sat again? I still don’t know for sure that I can come up as it’s between pay weeks, but looking good so far.

buffy said:

Wow, no-one about at all today!

I’m home, unpacked my goodies. Need to make the bed (sheet changing day) and then I might get to have a snooze. Or not. I also want to go and visit the neighbours sometime this afternoon.

I’ve been popping in and out reading your posts but not had anything to say! Haven’t done much today to speak of, a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

been out on my motorbike. thought I was going to the Violet Town Seed Savers meeting but it turned out I was a week early (blushing smiley here)

But in my defense it is usually on the first Sunday of the month.

Nice ride though :)

Hehe, yes the ride would have been great.

Are you going to VoiletTown this sat again? I still don’t know for sure that I can come up as it’s between pay weeks, but looking good so far.

I could, if I know you are going to be there :) I’ve got no money to spend either :D

There is also a local garden that is going to be open to the public for the first time so would be a good day for a visit.

The two White Leghorn bantams look like being a boy and a girl.

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

been out on my motorbike. thought I was going to the Violet Town Seed Savers meeting but it turned out I was a week early (blushing smiley here)

But in my defense it is usually on the first Sunday of the month.

Nice ride though :)

Hehe, yes the ride would have been great.

Are you going to VoiletTown this sat again? I still don’t know for sure that I can come up as it’s between pay weeks, but looking good so far.

I could, if I know you are going to be there :) I’ve got no money to spend either :D

There is also a local garden that is going to be open to the public for the first time so would be a good day for a visit.

The two White Leghorn bantams look like being a boy and a girl.

Oh ok, well that’s good because I know someone who wants a leghorn roo. It’s that big egg factor. So far my LH roo is doing his job. If I did meet you at Voilet Town, would you be able to bring the chicks with you? .. I can just see them with little motorbike helmuts on LOL.
but if not, Swanpool is just the next town along :)

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Hehe, yes the ride would have been great.

Are you going to VoiletTown this sat again? I still don’t know for sure that I can come up as it’s between pay weeks, but looking good so far.

I could, if I know you are going to be there :) I’ve got no money to spend either :D

There is also a local garden that is going to be open to the public for the first time so would be a good day for a visit.

The two White Leghorn bantams look like being a boy and a girl.

Oh ok, well that’s good because I know someone who wants a leghorn roo. It’s that big egg factor. So far my LH roo is doing his job. If I did meet you at Voilet Town, would you be able to bring the chicks with you? .. I can just see them with little motorbike helmuts on LOL.
but if not, Swanpool is just the next town along :)

The eggs were the same size as the others – so what size eggs are you expecting? I have no idea how big silkie eggs are but I imagine they are smaller. My girls lay 50g eggs, although the ones that I bought for hatching were a bit smaller.

I could bring the chicks and meet you at the markets if you don’t want to come all the way up.

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

I could, if I know you are going to be there :) I’ve got no money to spend either :D

There is also a local garden that is going to be open to the public for the first time so would be a good day for a visit.

The two White Leghorn bantams look like being a boy and a girl.

Oh ok, well that’s good because I know someone who wants a leghorn roo. It’s that big egg factor. So far my LH roo is doing his job. If I did meet you at Voilet Town, would you be able to bring the chicks with you? .. I can just see them with little motorbike helmuts on LOL.
but if not, Swanpool is just the next town along :)

The eggs were the same size as the others – so what size eggs are you expecting? I have no idea how big silkie eggs are but I imagine they are smaller. My girls lay 50g eggs, although the ones that I bought for hatching were a bit smaller.

I could bring the chicks and meet you at the markets if you don’t want to come all the way up.

or there are clean sheets on the spare bed if you wanted to make it an overnighter :)

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

I could, if I know you are going to be there :) I’ve got no money to spend either :D

There is also a local garden that is going to be open to the public for the first time so would be a good day for a visit.

The two White Leghorn bantams look like being a boy and a girl.

Oh ok, well that’s good because I know someone who wants a leghorn roo. It’s that big egg factor. So far my LH roo is doing his job. If I did meet you at Voilet Town, would you be able to bring the chicks with you? .. I can just see them with little motorbike helmuts on LOL.
but if not, Swanpool is just the next town along :)

The eggs were the same size as the others – so what size eggs are you expecting? I have no idea how big silkie eggs are but I imagine they are smaller. My girls lay 50g eggs, although the ones that I bought for hatching were a bit smaller.

I could bring the chicks and meet you at the markets if you don’t want to come all the way up.

That would be great..but it must be a day trip as I’ve too many things to care for that the kids just don’t understand, lol. I was thinking I’d leave at 9 am.

My white leghorn bantams lay huge eggs, 80-90 grams per day and 100 gr eggs are common. I average 2 a day. My 3 new brown leghorn bantams are a bit smaller and lay 60 gram eggs. I was discussing the big eggs with a LH breeder and it was suggested that mine might be a cross between a large breed with a bantam. I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case. However, they eat a small amount and no more than the browns do. I add shell grit direct to their layer pellet mash every 2nd day and they get meat a couple times a week.

Happy Potter said:

My white leghorn bantams lay huge eggs, 80-90 grams per day and 100 gr eggs are common. I average 2 a day. My 3 new brown leghorn bantams are a bit smaller and lay 60 gram eggs. I was discussing the big eggs with a LH breeder and it was suggested that mine might be a cross between a large breed with a bantam. I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case. However, they eat a small amount and no more than the browns do. I add shell grit direct to their layer pellet mash every 2nd day and they get meat a couple times a week.

I think they might be crossed too. Those are big eggs even for a full sized chicken! As I said, these came from eggs that would have been under 50g so I doubt you would get those sort of sizes from them.

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

My white leghorn bantams lay huge eggs, 80-90 grams per day and 100 gr eggs are common. I average 2 a day. My 3 new brown leghorn bantams are a bit smaller and lay 60 gram eggs. I was discussing the big eggs with a LH breeder and it was suggested that mine might be a cross between a large breed with a bantam. I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case. However, they eat a small amount and no more than the browns do. I add shell grit direct to their layer pellet mash every 2nd day and they get meat a couple times a week.

I think they might be crossed too. Those are big eggs even for a full sized chicken! As I said, these came from eggs that would have been under 50g so I doubt you would get those sort of sizes from them.

That’s fine. When she’s grown I intend to put my LH roo over her.. he’s only stated mating recently and usually only with his favourite hen, but is more consistant across all 6 hens now.
I can’t wait to see what colour chicks a white roo and brown hen produce.
Oh, and I also pick and chop comfrey and stinging nettle to add to their mash..nettle helps fatten them. Chook utopia here :)

Good morning Gardeners. We have had some nice gentle rain showers…..after I spent half an hour with the hose last night on dusk. Still not complaining though, things grow better with rain.

I’m back at work today.

No good rain to speak of, a few drops that didn’t reach the ground, just made it more humid. I’m down to half a pondy tub that I’ve noticed is riddled with mozzie larvae, so I’ve popped a couple godfish in it.

Silkie eggs pipping in the incubator as well as ones under Cinnamon, broody. I might pop the inside ones under her and let her finish the work. Unlike my adorable granddaughter, I’m not a morning person. I can’t remember what else I was to do today lol.

Crashing and bashing just north of me and gusty hot winds but as yet only enough rain to make me multiple handle the babys clothes on and off the line yesterday.

Went crazy yesteday wiping out a patch of seeding rainbow chard and garlic chives because I discovered a secret and growing cache of french snails. Haven’t had a problem with them for about 20 years.

it’s raining :)

bluegreen said:

it’s raining :)

If it could be called rain.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

it’s raining :)

If it could be called rain.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

it’s raining :)

If it could be called rain.

http://www.essentialenergy.com.au/content/stormtracker

So far we have had 0.2 mm.
Biggest fall ob the 256 km map so far is at Eildon with 6.0 mm

roughbarked said:

So far we have had 0.2 mm.
Biggest fall ob the 256 km map so far is at Eildon with 6.0 mm

I’ve had 6mm so far too.

We had 2mm…..but that was yesterday…..

I’ve just watered the garden. Some of my tomatoes are coming along nicely. I think one has carked it. I think it was a Mortgage Lifter. Not sure I’ve got any more seedlings of that one, might have to pop a seed in the spot and hope it can catch up.

buffy said:

We had 2mm…..but that was yesterday…..

I’ve just watered the garden. Some of my tomatoes are coming along nicely. I think one has carked it. I think it was a Mortgage Lifter. Not sure I’ve got any more seedlings of that one, might have to pop a seed in the spot and hope it can catch up.

Some of mine are fruiting. I lost lettuces trying to keep the water up to other things on hot days.. ;( We have just reached 1.2 mm so maybe it may still be raining tomorrow.

Wake up everyone!

I’m off to Casterton for consulting any minute now. Just waiting for my receptionist lady to arrive.

um, that rain arrived. Have had 25 mm so far and it looks like coming for a couple of days.

roughbarked said:

um, that rain arrived. Have had 25 mm so far and it looks like coming for a couple of days.

well you have passed me at 11mm but it is still raining and looks like it will most of today, with showers for the next couple of days. That’s the garden watered :)

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

um, that rain arrived. Have had 25 mm so far and it looks like coming for a couple of days.

well you have passed me at 11mm but it is still raining and looks like it will most of today, with showers for the next couple of days. That’s the garden watered :)

um.. alter that estimate.. when I went to bed last.. er at 2 am .. there waas 6 mm in the guage. When I woke at 6:45 it was pouring so I went back to sleep. then when I posted a few minutes ago I was only copying off what my local BOM said. When I looked out the door I thought OK I’d better check the guages. 46 mm and still raining.

That’s good RB. Not a drop here.

Busy doing stuff.. and other stuff.. a friend is ordering some vanilla beans in bulk, one kg, from sunshine vanilla fair trade beans from PNG. It’ll be divvied out between a few friends and we’ll have a vanilla paste and extract making day here. Yay.
Off to quilting shortly. My daughter gave the quilted nappy bag test run the thumbs up. No alterations needed she said :)

Oh and I picked up some driveway ‘grass pavers’ from a lady on freecycle. They’re concrete and I intend to section off part of the leghorns run and grow some clucker tucker seeds in/under them. Then when the greens have grown through the chooks will have their own fresh salad bar, without scratching the roots out. Good idea I thought.

Mrs RB seems to have chucked out my raincoats! I need to go out and drain the yard. The house is right on the ground but rain is usually so scarce here and the drainage is good, so I maintain the yard a bit like a lake. I need to go break the neighbours driveway to drain it.

Happy Potter said:

Oh and I picked up some driveway ‘grass pavers’ from a lady on freecycle. They’re concrete and I intend to section off part of the leghorns run and grow some clucker tucker seeds in/under them. Then when the greens have grown through the chooks will have their own fresh salad bar, without scratching the roots out. Good idea I thought.

like it :)

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Oh and I picked up some driveway ‘grass pavers’ from a lady on freecycle. They’re concrete and I intend to section off part of the leghorns run and grow some clucker tucker seeds in/under them. Then when the greens have grown through the chooks will have their own fresh salad bar, without scratching the roots out. Good idea I thought.

like it :)

clever thinking.. also gives them a place to keep dry feet.

roughbarked said:

Mrs RB seems to have chucked out my raincoats! I need to go out and drain the yard. The house is right on the ground but rain is usually so scarce here and the drainage is good, so I maintain the yard a bit like a lake. I need to go break the neighbours driveway to drain it.

oh! I presume you fix the neighbour’s driveway again? (I know you do.) I can understand how you would want to capture what rain you do get but I can see that it can be a problem if you get a little too much at once! My driveway becomes a shallow lake in wet weather but sometimes I have to go clear the runnel down the side of it of debris so it can run off again. The house is on concrete stumps so no problem there.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

Mrs RB seems to have chucked out my raincoats! I need to go out and drain the yard. The house is right on the ground but rain is usually so scarce here and the drainage is good, so I maintain the yard a bit like a lake. I need to go break the neighbours driveway to drain it.

oh! I presume you fix the neighbour’s driveway again? (I know you do.) I can understand how you would want to capture what rain you do get but I can see that it can be a problem if you get a little too much at once! My driveway becomes a shallow lake in wet weather but sometimes I have to go clear the runnel down the side of it of debris so it can run off again. The house is on concrete stumps so no problem there.

This water currently covers my ankles and thankfully drains excess surface water away from my back door.. Otherwise it would run through my house. I should add that this is just off a hilltop of approx one acre.

I hope it is running to where it can do some good.

It’s stopped here for now.

bluegreen said:

I hope it is running to where it can do some good.

It’s stopped here for now.

it runs into a leaky irrigation main branch canal.. so the farmers love me.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

I hope it is running to where it can do some good.

It’s stopped here for now.

it runs into a leaky irrigation main branch canal.. so the farmers love me.

:D

1. 2:00 PM.. 110 mm

roughbarked said:

1. 2:00 PM.. 110 mm
   

and you were saying “What rain!” lol!

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

1. 2:00 PM.. 110 mm
   

and you were saying “What rain!” lol!

well, at that time I only had the facts that were at hand.
from 9:00 AM today.. according to BOM// 66 mm. That is on top of their 28 mm to 9 AM.
Which would = 94 mm. So just a couple of clicks away from their meters.. I got more.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

1. 2:00 PM.. 110 mm
   

and you were saying “What rain!” lol!

well, at that time I only had the facts that were at hand.
from 9:00 AM today.. according to BOM// 66 mm. That is on top of their 28 mm to 9 AM.
Which would = 94 mm. So just a couple of clicks away from their meters.. I got more.

lovely drop!

painmaster said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

and you were saying “What rain!” lol!

well, at that time I only had the facts that were at hand.
from 9:00 AM today.. according to BOM// 66 mm. That is on top of their 28 mm to 9 AM.
Which would = 94 mm. So just a couple of clicks away from their meters.. I got more.

lovely drop!

The problem is.. I haven’t got enough land to run it into a dam.. nor enough land to put big enough rainwater tanks.. my best bet is to try and retain it onsite long enough for the humus sponge to pick some up.

roughbarked said:

painmaster said:

roughbarked said:

well, at that time I only had the facts that were at hand.
from 9:00 AM today.. according to BOM// 66 mm. That is on top of their 28 mm to 9 AM.
Which would = 94 mm. So just a couple of clicks away from their meters.. I got more.

lovely drop!

The problem is.. I haven’t got enough land to run it into a dam.. nor enough land to put big enough rainwater tanks.. my best bet is to try and retain it onsite long enough for the humus sponge to pick some up.

from reading the abc news and phone calls to various local farmers.. it would appear that I scored the highest recorded rainfall in NSW today.. unless there is someone else out there who hasn’t made it public.

Back, kinda…the chookens all knew me which made me happy as I’m soooo strung out from all the tripping and working and cr*ppy diet…

I’m feeling pretty happy with the look of the appleyard section of the backyard at the moment:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n245/lizza_06/Penshurst%20garden/AppleYard18Nov12.jpg

Sorry, warning of biggish download there…..

A couple more biggish ones, of how it was when we came here in 2001:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n245/lizza_06/Penshurst%20garden/AppleYard12001-2.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n245/lizza_06/Penshurst%20garden/Appleyard22001.jpg

And while I’m at it, here is my Romanesco coming along quite nicely. Although why the camera chose to focus on the leaves rather than the broccoli I don’t know. Another biggie:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n245/lizza_06/Penshurst%20garden/Romanesco8Nov12.jpg

buffy said:

I’m feeling pretty happy with the look of the appleyard section of the backyard at the moment:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n245/lizza_06/Penshurst%20garden/AppleYard18Nov12.jpg

That’s a deep green for a lawn…

Good photos Buffy…not sure what the broccoli-looking thing is but that is a nice shot of the leaves…you’ve brought your apple-yard along from next to nothing, by the looks of it…

It’s a Romanesco broccoli that is obviously camera shy! I usually grow Chinese baby broccoli, but I have grown Romanesco years and years ago. It’s pretty, but you only get the one head off it. I am watching it carefully. I think I will have to cut it’s head off quite soon.

:)

The grass is couch, by the way. So not entirely lovely.

buffy said:

A couple more biggish ones, of how it was when we came here in 2001:

quite a difference :)

Good morning Gardeners. Sunny at the moment, but cool. Still getting showers at the moment. Really, a combination of a few showery days and some warmer ones is rather good for the veggie garden. The corn seed has germinated in about 10 days. Beans are being a tad slower.

been bashing in star pickets for a fence around the veges. Sledge hammers are heavy…

bluegreen said:

been bashing in star pickets for a fence around the veges. Sledge hammers are heavy…

You are dong well to get a sledge hammer above your head and shoulders once, let alone a lot of times. Use a dumpy hammer.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

been bashing in star pickets for a fence around the veges. Sledge hammers are heavy…

You are dong well to get a sledge hammer above your head and shoulders once, let alone a lot of times. Use a dumpy hammer.

I don’t have a dumpy hammer. What I have been doing is starting it off with a regular hammer as far as I can, then using the sledge hammer in shorts drops to finish it off. If I tried to do a full swing I am bound to miss the post and break my leg!!!

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

been bashing in star pickets for a fence around the veges. Sledge hammers are heavy…

You are dong well to get a sledge hammer above your head and shoulders once, let alone a lot of times. Use a dumpy hammer.

I don’t have a dumpy hammer. What I have been doing is starting it off with a regular hammer as far as I can, then using the sledge hammer in shorts drops to finish it off. If I tried to do a full swing I am bound to miss the post and break my leg!!!

Takes even greater strength to control a sledge hammer.

actually, it is called a lump hammer..

If you had a mate in the real estate industry, you could borrow one of those things, it’s a galvanised iron pipe with a handle either side, welded top and bottom to the pipe…you just lift it and let it slam onto the star picket…or you can slam it down if you want…don’t need to lift over your head except to place onto and take off, the star picket…

Dinetta said:

If you had a mate in the real estate industry, you could borrow one of those things, it’s a galvanised iron pipe with a handle either side, welded top and bottom to the pipe…you just lift it and let it slam onto the star picket…or you can slam it down if you want…don’t need to lift over your head except to place onto and take off, the star picket…

It doesn’t have to be the real estate industry, it doesn’t have to be galvanised.. anyone with a welder can make a star picket dropper.

It isnt technically a pipe.. as one end is closed off.

Get your nomenclature correct.. it is a driver, not a dropper as though it is used by dropping, it is a driver. A dropper in fencing is a picket that doesn’t need to be in the ground.
two important safety tools when using star pickets are the driver and the extracror.

Dinetta said:

If you had a mate in the real estate industry, you could borrow one of those things, it’s a galvanised iron pipe with a handle either side, welded top and bottom to the pipe…you just lift it and let it slam onto the star picket…or you can slam it down if you want…don’t need to lift over your head except to place onto and take off, the star picket…

I’ve seen those. I’m nearly done anyway :)

roughbarked said:

It doesn’t have to be the real estate industry, it doesn’t have to be galvanised.. anyone with a welder can make a star picket dropper.

It isnt technically a pipe.. as one end is closed off.

Yes, one end is closed off but it’s made from something that looked like a pipe to start with…and dropper is the correct term, thank you…the only droppers I have seen are galvanised steel …

roughbarked said:

Get your nomenclature correct.. it is a driver, not a dropper as though it is used by dropping, it is a driver. A dropper in fencing is a picket that doesn’t need to be in the ground.
two important safety tools when using star pickets are the driver and the extracror.

Yes you are right…to me it’s “that thing you drive the star pickets in with”… so all I have to say is “driver”

:)

Never seen an extractor before…

Dinetta said:

roughbarked said:

It doesn’t have to be the real estate industry, it doesn’t have to be galvanised.. anyone with a welder can make a star picket dropper.

It isnt technically a pipe.. as one end is closed off.

Yes, one end is closed off but it’s made from something that looked like a pipe to start with…and dropper is the correct term, thank you…the only droppers I have seen are galvanised steel …

Yes, it was a pipe before one end was closed off by welding a plate across it. Gal ones are just for the swanky people who want to be seen using a silver spade.

roughbarked said:

Gal ones are just for the swanky people who want to be seen using a silver spade.

lol!

my new wizz bang rough ‘n’ ready vege patch fence.

bluegreen said:

my new wizz bang rough ‘n’ ready vege patch fence.

Should do the job, a credit to you BlueGreen…

roughbarked said:

Yes, it was a pipe before one end was closed off by welding a plate across it. Gal ones are just for the swanky people who want to be seen using a silver spade.

We paint ours…better than swanky, we are…

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

my new wizz bang rough ‘n’ ready vege patch fence.

Should do the job, a credit to you BlueGreen…

I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself :D

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

my new wizz bang rough ‘n’ ready vege patch fence.

It will be good until a mob of cows bump into it.

Should do the job, a credit to you BlueGreen…

I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself :D

roughbarked said:

It will be good until a mob of cows bump into it.

Should do the job, a credit to you BlueGreen…

at the moment they only have to contend with some bantam chooks, ducks and one lamb. I have hammered pegs around the bottom to prevent noses pushing through underneath and there is plenty of other stuff for the lamb to eat atm. I only consider it as a temporary solution until resources are such that I can put in something more permanent but as it is it is easily expandable as I still have at least half a roll of the webbing left over.

bluegreen said:

my new wizz bang rough ‘n’ ready vege patch fence.

Well done :)
I used this method for my vege beds but using wire mesh. It can all be taken away or re-arranged to suit, very handy like that. Once my mini orchard #2 is established I can take the fence away and let the chooks in to clear weeds and bugs.

Good morning Gardeners. We have a light frost here this morning in Casterton (SW Victoria). I’m about to put the gloves on and go out digging and weeding. I might be some time, as I like working in the cool.

Sorry I couldn’t do the trip to Violet Town to meet up with BG and visit the market. I have booked it in for sure for the Dec market on the 8th.

I set about doing housework instead. I mopped the floors and then tipped the bucket of soapy water into the loo. It was clean already but hey it’s a loo..
Then the water wouldn’t go down and backed up, very strange, but was going down slowly so I left that to start doing some laundry loads.
Well to cut a long story short, next thing the 2 loos water were rising and bubbling, house outside drains were noisy and the basins were blowing raspberrys at me. There was water flowing out of outside drains and flooding paths. Groan.
Ring a plumber..oh goody he’s available now and can come out in 30 mins. He wants to look into the main sewer. Oh no, I have a spud tower sitting on that thing… that bloody cover is the bane of my life and they said it might have to come off so they can have a look. Hubby duly swivveled the spud tower off to one side. They ended up not taking the cover off because I intervened and wouldn’t let them.. I know for a fact now that anyone who does want to go down into the main sewer has to have a special licence and be specially suited up with a BA. They ackowledged that and said they wouldn’t have actually gone down inside it but merely to look into it. Instead they used this humongus plunger pipe thingy, bit like a giant syringe, on the fernery drain and the blockage cleared. 5 minutes and $180 later, I was back in bizz cleaning.

Happy Potter said:

They ended up not taking the cover off because I intervened and wouldn’t let them.. I know for a fact now that anyone who does want to go down into the main sewer has to have a special licence and be specially suited up with a BA. They ackowledged that and said they wouldn’t have actually gone down inside it but merely to look into it.

I once knew a plumber that fell into a septic tank. They rushed him off to hospital and gave him so many needles for so many diseases that he wished they would leave him alone to die in peace!

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

They ended up not taking the cover off because I intervened and wouldn’t let them.. I know for a fact now that anyone who does want to go down into the main sewer has to have a special licence and be specially suited up with a BA. They ackowledged that and said they wouldn’t have actually gone down inside it but merely to look into it.

I once knew a plumber that fell into a septic tank. They rushed him off to hospital and gave him so many needles for so many diseases that he wished they would leave him alone to die in peace!

Poor fellow!
Generally the deadly fumes get them.

Happy Potter said:

Sorry I couldn’t do the trip to Violet Town to meet up with BG and visit the market. I have booked it in for sure for the Dec market on the 8th.

I set about doing housework instead. I mopped the floors and then tipped the bucket of soapy water into the loo. It was clean already but hey it’s a loo..
Then the water wouldn’t go down and backed up, very strange, but was going down slowly so I left that to start doing some laundry loads.
Well to cut a long story short, next thing the 2 loos water were rising and bubbling, house outside drains were noisy and the basins were blowing raspberrys at me. There was water flowing out of outside drains and flooding paths. Groan.
Ring a plumber..oh goody he’s available now and can come out in 30 mins. He wants to look into the main sewer. Oh no, I have a spud tower sitting on that thing… that bloody cover is the bane of my life and they said it might have to come off so they can have a look. Hubby duly swivveled the spud tower off to one side. They ended up not taking the cover off because I intervened and wouldn’t let them.. I know for a fact now that anyone who does want to go down into the main sewer has to have a special licence and be specially suited up with a BA. They ackowledged that and said they wouldn’t have actually gone down inside it but merely to look into it. Instead they used this humongus plunger pipe thingy, bit like a giant syringe, on the fernery drain and the blockage cleared. 5 minutes and $180 later, I was back in bizz cleaning.

A Bachelor of Arts to clean the sewer? You got well edumacated plumbers down mexico way….

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

They ended up not taking the cover off because I intervened and wouldn’t let them.. I know for a fact now that anyone who does want to go down into the main sewer has to have a special licence and be specially suited up with a BA. They ackowledged that and said they wouldn’t have actually gone down inside it but merely to look into it.

I once knew a plumber that fell into a septic tank. They rushed him off to hospital and gave him so many needles for so many diseases that he wished they would leave him alone to die in peace!

Poor fellow!
Generally the deadly fumes get them.

fart joke anyone?

painmaster said:

Happy Potter said:

Sorry I couldn’t do the trip to Violet Town to meet up with BG and visit the market. I have booked it in for sure for the Dec market on the 8th.

I set about doing housework instead. I mopped the floors and then tipped the bucket of soapy water into the loo. It was clean already but hey it’s a loo..
Then the water wouldn’t go down and backed up, very strange, but was going down slowly so I left that to start doing some laundry loads.
Well to cut a long story short, next thing the 2 loos water were rising and bubbling, house outside drains were noisy and the basins were blowing raspberrys at me. There was water flowing out of outside drains and flooding paths. Groan.
Ring a plumber..oh goody he’s available now and can come out in 30 mins. He wants to look into the main sewer. Oh no, I have a spud tower sitting on that thing… that bloody cover is the bane of my life and they said it might have to come off so they can have a look. Hubby duly swivveled the spud tower off to one side. They ended up not taking the cover off because I intervened and wouldn’t let them.. I know for a fact now that anyone who does want to go down into the main sewer has to have a special licence and be specially suited up with a BA. They ackowledged that and said they wouldn’t have actually gone down inside it but merely to look into it. Instead they used this humongus plunger pipe thingy, bit like a giant syringe, on the fernery drain and the blockage cleared. 5 minutes and $180 later, I was back in bizz cleaning.

A Bachelor of Arts to clean the sewer? You got well edumacated plumbers down mexico way….

lol.. breathing apparatus..

buffy said:

Good morning Gardeners. We have a light frost here this morning in Casterton (SW Victoria). I’m about to put the gloves on and go out digging and weeding. I might be some time, as I like working in the cool.

frost in november
thats one to remember i can see why you haven’t planted basil yet.

justin said:

buffy said:

Good morning Gardeners. We have a light frost here this morning in Casterton (SW Victoria). I’m about to put the gloves on and go out digging and weeding. I might be some time, as I like working in the cool.

frost in november
thats one to remember i can see why you haven’t planted basil yet.

Ive seen frost here on the 30th Nov 1991. I’ve seen people huddled around the heater on Christmas day, as well as sitting under a sprinkler in the carport other years.

bluegreen said:

my new wizz bang rough ‘n’ ready vege patch fence.

you’ve been out in the mild weather i see – good going

buffy said:

I’m feeling pretty happy with the look of the appleyard section of the backyard at the moment:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n245/lizza_06/Penshurst%20garden/AppleYard18Nov12.jpg

too neat – altho’ i like the way the sleepers are slowly creeping out into lawn space – wait a minute – there’s an archery target!
ok – your lawn is functional – and you’re too dangerous to argue with so keep your lawn LOL.

roughbarked said:

justin said:

buffy said:

Good morning Gardeners. We have a light frost here this morning in Casterton (SW Victoria). I’m about to put the gloves on and go out digging and weeding. I might be some time, as I like working in the cool.

frost in november
thats one to remember i can see why you haven’t planted basil yet.

Ive seen frost here on the 30th Nov 1991. I’ve seen people huddled around the heater on Christmas day, as well as sitting under a sprinkler in the carport other years.

i saw frost in december in my old hills property – but once in 30 years!
i used to plant my whole summer garden on October the 30th. – that was the optimum day after frost and before it was too late to get a summer haarvest.

>>altho’ i like the way the sleepers are slowly creeping out into lawn space <<

That’s a dog’s grave. She is growing me a peach, a pomegranate, lemon verbena, heritage sweet peas, rosemary. She has been there over 6 years now. The grass is (expletive deleted) couch. But I have to admit it’s a good grass for looking velvety, dogs running around and for the archery range. It doesn’t always look so green though, and I am celebrating after the drought actually having green grass. I know it won’t last!

Now, I’ve dug over the rest of the veggie patch, planted some seeds (capsicum/chilli, zucchini, parsnip, spring onions, silver beet, beetroot) and I will mow around the house/practice now and then the orchard. Still coolish, but getting warmer. Once I’ve finished that, I think the gods might have to be petitioned for some rain to water the seeds…….this garden has to do its own thing!

justin said:

buffy said:

I’m feeling pretty happy with the look of the appleyard section of the backyard at the moment:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n245/lizza_06/Penshurst%20garden/AppleYard18Nov12.jpg

too neat – altho’ i like the way the sleepers are slowly creeping out into lawn space – wait a minute – there’s an archery target!
ok – your lawn is functional – and you’re too dangerous to argue with so keep your lawn LOL.

lol!

bluegreen said:

justin said:

buffy said:

I’m feeling pretty happy with the look of the appleyard section of the backyard at the moment:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n245/lizza_06/Penshurst%20garden/AppleYard18Nov12.jpg

too neat – altho’ i like the way the sleepers are slowly creeping out into lawn space – wait a minute – there’s an archery target!
ok – your lawn is functional – and you’re too dangerous to argue with so keep your lawn LOL.

lol!

I’m not big on lawn and try to keep it to a bare minimum.. At least I have room for backyard cricket if a chip to slips is 6 and out. A range to practice shang-eye accuracy and true in the sights on the air rifle(just joshing)

Everyone can ignore this message except Mr buffy who is not answering the phone, so must be on the ride-on mower.

I’m about to head home from Casterton. It’s just on 2 o’clock

Happy Potter said:

painmaster said:

Happy Potter said:

Sorry I couldn’t do the trip to Violet Town to meet up with BG and visit the market. I have booked it in for sure for the Dec market on the 8th.

I set about doing housework instead. I mopped the floors and then tipped the bucket of soapy water into the loo. It was clean already but hey it’s a loo..
Then the water wouldn’t go down and backed up, very strange, but was going down slowly so I left that to start doing some laundry loads.
Well to cut a long story short, next thing the 2 loos water were rising and bubbling, house outside drains were noisy and the basins were blowing raspberrys at me. There was water flowing out of outside drains and flooding paths. Groan.
Ring a plumber..oh goody he’s available now and can come out in 30 mins. He wants to look into the main sewer. Oh no, I have a spud tower sitting on that thing… that bloody cover is the bane of my life and they said it might have to come off so they can have a look. Hubby duly swivveled the spud tower off to one side. They ended up not taking the cover off because I intervened and wouldn’t let them.. I know for a fact now that anyone who does want to go down into the main sewer has to have a special licence and be specially suited up with a BA. They ackowledged that and said they wouldn’t have actually gone down inside it but merely to look into it. Instead they used this humongus plunger pipe thingy, bit like a giant syringe, on the fernery drain and the blockage cleared. 5 minutes and $180 later, I was back in bizz cleaning.

A Bachelor of Arts to clean the sewer? You got well edumacated plumbers down mexico way….

lol.. breathing apparatus..

ok. ooops.

buffy said:

Everyone can ignore this message except Mr buffy who is not answering the phone, so must be on the ride-on mower.

I’m about to head home from Casterton. It’s just on 2 o’clock

:D

And he read it when I got home!

buffy said:

And he read it when I got home!

lol!

So, after I had mulch mowed the orchard, I took some photos for my ongoing records:

And the veggie garden that has been tormenting my muscles while I have been reducing the levels of weed (bentgrass) roots in the soil. Yes, that is a group of bearded irises in the middle. They have to go, but I shoved them in there for want of somewhere else to put them. And the fluffy stuff near the poles is feverfew about to burst into flower, and silver beet running up to seed. I pull a couple of silver beet plants each time I go there and bring them home for the chooks. I put new seed in today for the next lot.

buffy said:

So, after I had mulch mowed the orchard, I took some photos for my ongoing records:

And the veggie garden that has been tormenting my muscles while I have been reducing the levels of weed (bentgrass) roots in the soil. Yes, that is a group of bearded irises in the middle. They have to go, but I shoved them in there for want of somewhere else to put them. And the fluffy stuff near the poles is feverfew about to burst into flower, and silver beet running up to seed. I pull a couple of silver beet plants each time I go there and bring them home for the chooks. I put new seed in today for the next lot.

you must love mowing, is all I can say.

looks like a nice garden Buffy :)

painmaster said:

looks like a nice garden Buffy :)

Everything looks like it works for Buffy, including the lawn.

34 years ago in January it was released and taken off the market, released again on 24th Oct 1988.

http://www.polymernotes.com/australia10.html

I wonder whether I can sell them for more than $10 each?

buffy said:

>>altho’ i like the way the sleepers are slowly creeping out into lawn space <<

That’s a dog’s grave. She is growing me a peach, a pomegranate, lemon verbena, heritage sweet peas, rosemary. She has been there over 6 years now. The grass is (expletive deleted) couch. But I have to admit it’s a good grass for looking velvety, dogs running around and for the archery range. It doesn’t always look so green though, and I am celebrating after the drought actually having green grass. I know it won’t last!

Now, I’ve dug over the rest of the veggie patch, planted some seeds (capsicum/chilli, zucchini, parsnip, spring onions, silver beet, beetroot) and I will mow around the house/practice now and then the orchard. Still coolish, but getting warmer. Once I’ve finished that, I think the gods might have to be petitioned for some rain to water the seeds…….this garden has to do its own thing!

your garden has a story – graveyard and archery practice aside it has a low water ethic and a weather oracle aspect.

the couch in my paddock is the only real green left here outside the irrigation areas. i drove to the city yesterday and the one grass (perrenial rye maybe?) has responded to the last rains by going to seed and shooting up to waist height. many city parks have this apparent wild look but the stuff is very sparse when you walk thru’ it and only looks like a fire hazard from a distance.

And the veggie garden that has been tormenting my muscles while I have been reducing the levels of weed (bentgrass) roots in the soil. Yes, that is a group of bearded irises in the middle. They have to go, but I shoved them in there for want of somewhere else to put them. And the fluffy stuff near the poles is feverfew about to burst into flower, and silver beet running up to seed. I pull a couple of silver beet plants each time I go there and bring them home for the chooks. I put new seed in today for the next lot.

———————

how come you and the buffman don’t run a thread ? – i’ve chastised roiughy – so might as well hassle youse LOL.

the garden looks great and its just coming into prime season too – well done.

speaking of gardens with a story. My garden is shortly going to have a re-burial ceremony. A smoking ceremony and all that, of a bone from the thigh of a 100 year dead indigenous person.

roughbarked said:

speaking of gardens with a story. My garden is shortly going to have a re-burial ceremony. A smoking ceremony and all that, of a bone from the thigh of a 100 year dead indigenous person.

I don’t often say this, but: Awesome!

Dinetta said:

roughbarked said:

speaking of gardens with a story. My garden is shortly going to have a re-burial ceremony. A smoking ceremony and all that, of a bone from the thigh of a 100 year dead indigenous person.

I don’t often say this, but: Awesome!

Well, for me it is an awesome thing yes. For my other half it is both an inconvenience and something she wants to be here to see. At first she said why in the garden? I said well that’s where it was found and in absence of the rest of the body it may as well lie in its place. I did say we could plant it outside the fence on dead crown land that I have re-forested.

I’m not sure that future purchasers of this property would respect the right of a bit of bone if they wanted to change the native garden to rose beds and kikuyu. I’ll probably be too dead to notice. I have no idea whether asking them to respect it would affect the saleability of the land if we eventually move to somewhere with less work to do, which is a reality as we age.

I may choose to bury it on the crown land in the faint hope that it helps the bushland I’ve recreated .. be protected.

Hello Gardeners. Warming up quite a lot here today. I decided to water the veggies this morning, and I’m glad I did. Then we went out for morning tea to a local place with some other people from town. A group of us go, usually on the first Sunday of the month (this one had to be changed). It’s a little group of the people who used to be always at Madigan’s, our tearooms/coffee shop which was tragically closed last year when our lovely Kelly decided suicide was necessary. We really miss having that place to gather and gossip. There is to be a new place opening very shortly, so I hope the cohesive feel can be got back together. It won’t be the same, and it shouldn’t even try to be the same. But it can still be good.

Then I checked on the veggies I have put in for our friend who had the car accident. I’ll need to pop back to his backyard in the evening and water, but the few bits and pieces are surviving OK.

Purple flowered weed ID needed, please. Not mine but a womans and she said it can grow rapidly and spread fast and to nearly a meter high.

Happy Potter said:

Purple flowered weed ID needed, please. Not mine but a womans and she said it can grow rapidly and spread fast and to nearly a meter high.

Geelong, Vic this is.

It’s a vine thing……I just need to dredge up the name for you…..

Periwinkle. Vinca major. I reckon.

buffy said:

It’s a vine thing……I just need to dredge up the name for you…..

Thank you, that would be great. I have spent ages going through images and lists of weeds and can’t find anything like it.

buffy said:

Periwinkle. Vinca major. I reckon.

Ok, I shall search it.

Happy Potter said:

buffy said:

Periwinkle. Vinca major. I reckon.

Ok, I shall search it.

It is a bluddy’orrid thing I always rip it up while calling it names I wouldn’t use here.

buffy said:

Periwinkle. Vinca major. I reckon.

Periwinkle vinca minor it is. Thank you for putting me on the right path :)

roughbarked said:

speaking of gardens with a story. My garden is shortly going to have a re-burial ceremony. A smoking ceremony and all that, of a bone from the thigh of a 100 year dead indigenous person.

Wow. Impressive.

roughbarked said:

speaking of gardens with a story. My garden is shortly going to have a re-burial ceremony. A smoking ceremony and all that, of a bone from the thigh of a 100 year dead indigenous person.

cool :)

Happy Potter said:

Purple flowered weed ID needed, please. Not mine but a womans and she said it can grow rapidly and spread fast and to nearly a meter high.

looks like Vinca Major or Blue Periwinkle

had it at the old place. very hard to get rid of. introduced as a hardy ground cover and it is that!

sssh don’t tell Mr Cooper but I’ve developed a liking for approx four or five lemon juice ice blocks with a stubby of Coopers sparkling ale poured over them.

Actually Mr Cooper probably won’t mind because it makes me drink a stubby faster.

roughbarked said:

sssh don’t tell Mr Cooper but I’ve developed a liking for approx four or five lemon juice ice blocks with a stubby of Coopers sparkling ale poured over them.

Actually Mr Cooper probably won’t mind because it makes me drink a stubby faster.

I promise I won’t tell him.

Good morning Gardeners. We have about 19 degrees, it was overcast but the cloud has burnt off. Not supposed to get hot today, but now the sun is out it is feeling Quite Warm. I’ve watered the friend’s veggies, I’d better get out there and do mine too! I have peas and asparagus and broad beans to harvest first though…..why am i sitting at the computer eating potato salad for breakfast?!

:)

buffy said:

Good morning Gardeners. We have about 19 degrees, it was overcast but the cloud has burnt off. Not supposed to get hot today, but now the sun is out it is feeling Quite Warm. I’ve watered the friend’s veggies, I’d better get out there and do mine too! I have peas and asparagus and broad beans to harvest first though…..why am i sitting at the computer eating potato salad for breakfast?!

:)

because you can? ;)

Wind is blowing a lot here. Hate windy days.

buffy said:

…..why am i sitting at the computer eating potato salad for breakfast?!

:)

Because it “yoo-hoo”-d to you when you opened the fridge door? And looked enticing?

(pardon my grammar)

Delicious harvest you’ve got coming up…

I’m getting a bit concerned about Pom. She should be back by now.

She should have been back a couple of weeks I think…I was just wondering about her (to myself) yesterday…

:(

Dinetta said:

She should have been back a couple of weeks I think…I was just wondering about her (to myself) yesterday…

:(

She said 10 days.

I’m trying to pick exactly when to harvest my Romanesco broccoli…..does anyone here have experience of growing it? I grew it many, many years ago, and I can’t recall how to tell when to pick. I don’t suppose it would really matter if we ate it young, though.

buffy said:

I’m trying to pick exactly when to harvest my Romanesco broccoli…..does anyone here have experience of growing it? I grew it many, many years ago, and I can’t recall how to tell when to pick. I don’t suppose it would really matter if we ate it young, though.

If it is anything like regular broccoli you would want to pick it while the head is still nice and tight. Younger is generally sweeter too.

I think I am a fidgety gardener. I went out to hang out the dog rugs after washing. We have two long prop lines, not a rotary. So I’m idly looking around while hanging out…..next thing I’m fixing the espalier that is getting away! There is not end to it, is there!

Good morning Gardeners. I’m back at work for the rest of the week, so not much other than a little watering in the evening will be happening in the garden…….until I notice some weeds that need pulling while I’m doing that, I guess.

good morning from me as well…17.5C on the kitchen scales, almost winter…some plants that need warm night time temps (e.g. caladiums) will be struggling if this keeps up… but I’m happy with the cool nights for myself…

11˚ here

Morning, cool here too. I’ve an emporer mandarine to dig out. It’s being carefully done and will be transported to a new garden not far away. It’s in the way of where I need to put a water tank. I better get a couple in before the water price skyrockets and turns my lush garden into a bare desert. We’re thinking and looking and mesauring for at least two around 3-5 thou litres, one square and one flat, to be hooked up to bathrooms and laundry. I can’t believe I’d be using lovely rainwater to flush loos. I’d rather use townwater for that and keep the rainwater for laundry and showers.
Catching up..

buffy said:

I think I am a fidgety gardener. I went out to hang out the dog rugs after washing. We have two long prop lines, not a rotary. So I’m idly looking around while hanging out…..next thing I’m fixing the espalier that is getting away! There is not end to it, is there!

No, there isn’t, lol.
I went out in the morning to feed my chickens and water seedlings and came back inside at 4 o clock, lol!
Lot’s of weeds out, seedlings staked, spud towers topped up with the next level and watered, sage pruned, ect.

Sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry. I bet you all heard me swearing just then. I discovered the blackbirds have scratched out my most advanced tomato seedlings. OK, they were only a couple of inches high, but they were peeking out of their toilet rolls at the big wide world.

I’ve replanted and replaced – I still have some babies in the nursery bed. And today I bought more Angry Bees (remember them, see picture below). Which was rather fortuitous, because I have now deployed them amongst the seedlings. Don’t know if it will help or not, really.

Sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry. I bet you all heard me swearing just then. I discovered the blackbirds have scratched out my most advanced tomato seedlings. OK, they were only a couple of inches high, but they were peeking out of their toilet rolls at the big wide world.

I’ve replanted and replaced – I still have some babies in the nursery bed. And today I bought more Angry Bees (remember them, see picture below). Which was rather fortuitous, because I have now deployed them amongst the seedlings. Don’t know if it will help or not, really.

—————————————————————————-

blu..y blackbirds – sorry for nearly swearing but its the birds wat dunnit.
bird netting does cure them – not sure how good your angry bees are…

I haven’t gone to bed yet. I doubt the bees help anything except my temper. I’m thinking I’ll do some haytwine crisscrossing in the morning before I go to work. I’ve only got to get the things up to a foot or so and they will be fine. And I’ve got the stakes in place anyway. Or there are lots of sticks on the ground from the gumtrees, I might just make a forest of them around the plants to deter the birds. My great aunt who was an excellent gardener used to have what we called a Stick Garden. I think I am beginning to understand what Auntie Mollie was doing.

Now I’m going to bed. The books got the better of me, I’m too tired to do them properly.

I thought you loved blackbirds?

Good morning. I have made a stick forest around the seedlings.

I have no idea why anyone in Australia would love feral blackbirds and I certainly don’t. I’d much prefer the local birds, of which we have a lot.

buffy said:

Good morning. I have made a stick forest around the seedlings.

I have no idea why anyone in Australia would love feral blackbirds and I certainly don’t. I’d much prefer the local birds, of which we have a lot.

OK

I just recall people opposing me for shooting them because they sang so sweetly.. etc.

Well, that was a first. The local council man turned up for his appointment on the council tractor, with mower, and left it running out the front while I did his eye check. I asked why…..need the airconditioner going. It is sunny, and yes, it would get a hot cabin. He’s been out mowing roadsides since around 6.00am.

I love country practice sometimes.

:)

buffy said:

Well, that was a first. The local council man turned up for his appointment on the council tractor, with mower, and left it running out the front while I did his eye check. I asked why…..need the airconditioner going. It is sunny, and yes, it would get a hot cabin. He’s been out mowing roadsides since around 6.00am.

I love country practice sometimes.

:)

There’s a movie here.. I can envisage it.

Gorgeous day outside and I’ve some watering to do, otherwise I’m having a cook up for GS’ 21 st birthday tomorrow. I’m surprised he’s made it to that age! I’m surprised we did too, and are still sane, lol.
His favourites, roast marinated chicken, cauli au gratin, roast spuds peas carrots and silverbeet, and toffee tapioca with mango for dessert, and a humongus choc mud cake :)

I’ve been scattered all over the place the last couple of days.. D has fractured her pelvis and that sort of buggered things up a bit.

but we are still attempting to swim to the bank..

There must be a lot of gardening going on today. Everyone is having a real life instead of a forum life.

I’ve managed to pop in and out a few times between patients, which is rare. Today’s lot have been a lot easier to handle than yesterday’s ones. Although one of yesterday’s emergencies might well be waiting for me when I get back to Hamilton tonight for me to check again. The specialist is in Melbourne, and the patient is trained in a paramedical discipline, so when things go wrong I do the measuring and the patient and the specialist work out what to do with the medications over the phone.

buffy said:

There must be a lot of gardening going on today. Everyone is having a real life instead of a forum life.

I’ve managed to pop in and out a few times between patients, which is rare. Today’s lot have been a lot easier to handle than yesterday’s ones. Although one of yesterday’s emergencies might well be waiting for me when I get back to Hamilton tonight for me to check again. The specialist is in Melbourne, and the patient is trained in a paramedical discipline, so when things go wrong I do the measuring and the patient and the specialist work out what to do with the medications over the phone.

no gardening.. I’m busy with my hippy bitch.. excuse the French but she has a broken posterior and it is something to bitch about.

buffy said:

There must be a lot of gardening going on today. Everyone is having a real life instead of a forum life.

yep, i must admit that previously i made heaps of time for a forum, that was ok then, but these days i find less and less time for computers in general, at least i mean sitting in front of them for prolonged periods. Much more exciting out there in the real world, but it is very nice to catch up here from time to time :)

trichome said:

buffy said:

There must be a lot of gardening going on today. Everyone is having a real life instead of a forum life.

yep, i must admit that previously i made heaps of time for a forum, that was ok then, but these days i find less and less time for computers in general, at least i mean sitting in front of them for prolonged periods. Much more exciting out there in the real world, but it is very nice to catch up here from time to time :)

It is a good point, well made.

I often think .. I’d love to have that person’s phone number or maybe their email or instant messenger.. but sitting around waiting for us both to meet on the same point of issue in a forum, is rather like not wanting that ever renewable resource that cannot be wasted for a second.

Happy Potter said:

Gorgeous day outside and I’ve some watering to do, otherwise I’m having a cook up for GS’ 21 st birthday tomorrow. I’m surprised he’s made it to that age! I’m surprised we did too, and are still sane, lol.
His favourites, roast marinated chicken, cauli au gratin, roast spuds peas carrots and silverbeet, and toffee tapioca with mango for dessert, and a humongus choc mud cake :)

Happy birthday GS. It only seems like last year he turned 18!

roughbarked said:

I’ve been scattered all over the place the last couple of days.. D has fractured her pelvis and that sort of buggered things up a bit.

but we are still attempting to swim to the bank..

Is D your other half? That is not good at all :(

buffy said:

There must be a lot of gardening going on today. Everyone is having a real life instead of a forum life.

a double banger at CWA today. Normal meeting in the morning, shared lunch, then AGM in the afternoon. As I am Secretary that’s a lot of work to do in one day.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

I’ve been scattered all over the place the last couple of days.. D has fractured her pelvis and that sort of buggered things up a bit.

but we are still attempting to swim to the bank..

Is D your other half? That is not good at all :(

not good – my best wishes to her.
my other half has an operation soon – a bread and butter surgery – we are all getting older.

Happy Potter said:

Gorgeous day outside and I’ve some watering to do, otherwise I’m having a cook up for GS’ 21 st birthday tomorrow. I’m surprised he’s made it to that age! I’m surprised we did too, and are still sane, lol.
His favourites, roast marinated chicken, cauli au gratin, roast spuds peas carrots and silverbeet, and toffee tapioca with mango for dessert, and a humongus choc mud cake :)

go mumcook – sounds like a magnificent meal – throw in a spinach omelet and i’ll be right over LOL.

i got 9 eggs yesterday – not bad from 9 hens but some were from yesterday.

justin said:

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

I’ve been scattered all over the place the last couple of days.. D has fractured her pelvis and that sort of buggered things up a bit.

but we are still attempting to swim to the bank..

Is D your other half? That is not good at all :(

not good – my best wishes to her.
my other half has an operation soon – a bread and butter surgery – we are all getting older.

The good part is that she is at least, walking wounded, if with crutches.

justin said:

Happy Potter said:

Gorgeous day outside and I’ve some watering to do, otherwise I’m having a cook up for GS’ 21 st birthday tomorrow. I’m surprised he’s made it to that age! I’m surprised we did too, and are still sane, lol.
His favourites, roast marinated chicken, cauli au gratin, roast spuds peas carrots and silverbeet, and toffee tapioca with mango for dessert, and a humongus choc mud cake :)

go mumcook – sounds like a magnificent meal – throw in a spinach omelet and i’ll be right over LOL.

i got 9 eggs yesterday – not bad from 9 hens but some were from yesterday.

Hens don’t lay every day but they do a good job trying. when we were first married we had six hens. five rejects from the chookabotoirs and one walk in rhode island red. We were ne vegetarian wannabes at the time and though we lived on omelets etc., the egg bowl was always overflowing.. Interesting thing is when we had children the rodents pushed us out and we moved to this place, leaving the chooks behind. Pretty much eggless, we raised our children thus.

roughbarked said:

justin said:

Happy Potter said:

Gorgeous day outside and I’ve some watering to do, otherwise I’m having a cook up for GS’ 21 st birthday tomorrow. I’m surprised he’s made it to that age! I’m surprised we did too, and are still sane, lol.
His favourites, roast marinated chicken, cauli au gratin, roast spuds peas carrots and silverbeet, and toffee tapioca with mango for dessert, and a humongus choc mud cake :)

go mumcook – sounds like a magnificent meal – throw in a spinach omelet and i’ll be right over LOL.

i got 9 eggs yesterday – not bad from 9 hens but some were from yesterday.

Hens don’t lay every day but they do a good job trying. when we were first married we had six hens. five rejects from the chookabotoirs and one walk in rhode island red. We were ne vegetarian wannabes at the time and though we lived on omelets etc., the egg bowl was always overflowing.. Interesting thing is when we had children the rodents pushed us out and we moved to this place, leaving the chooks behind. Pretty much eggless, we raised our children thus.

i’m having 2 poached eggs for breakfast now. it’s bit addictive really.
omelet with spinach and cheese is more addictive and pikelets are only allowed on saturdays.

whole egg mayonaise and stinging nettle quiche are also good. what time is it?
better go and do some more work – 10 kilos to lose !

Good morning. Wake up everyone. You have to do the gardening today as I am consulting again………

Morning Buffy and those awake. Lovely cool day here. I’m amidst prepping a mandarine tree for removal tomorrow arvo. Vege swap day tomorrow too so gathering things to take.

Sorry to hear about the cockatiel hatchling BG. I know a woman not far from me who breeds them and exotic birds and parrots of all sorts, very well known lady who loves her birds and takes in rescue ones, if you ever need advice re your daughters birds. She and her hubby can’t have children and IVF never worked, so her birds are her life. She happily does 2 hourly overnight feeds.

We had a fabulous party last night for GS 21st. It turned into ‘photographer and model shoot’, everyone joined in and I have some hilarious photos the family will giggle at for years :D

Happy Potter said:

Morning Buffy and those awake. Lovely cool day here. I’m amidst prepping a mandarine tree for removal tomorrow arvo. Vege swap day tomorrow too so gathering things to take.

Sorry to hear about the cockatiel hatchling BG. I know a woman not far from me who breeds them and exotic birds and parrots of all sorts, very well known lady who loves her birds and takes in rescue ones, if you ever need advice re your daughters birds. She and her hubby can’t have children and IVF never worked, so her birds are her life. She happily does 2 hourly overnight feeds.

thanks HP. The biggest issue was not having a temperature controlled environment to keep it in. and if the parents had a proper nest box it may not have been an issue at all! My daughter says she will buy them a nest box so maybe next time they can raise some babies.

Happy Potter said:

We had a fabulous party last night for GS 21st. It turned into ‘photographer and model shoot’, everyone joined in and I have some hilarious photos the family will giggle at for years :D

sounds wonderful :)

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Morning Buffy and those awake. Lovely cool day here. I’m amidst prepping a mandarine tree for removal tomorrow arvo. Vege swap day tomorrow too so gathering things to take.

Sorry to hear about the cockatiel hatchling BG. I know a woman not far from me who breeds them and exotic birds and parrots of all sorts, very well known lady who loves her birds and takes in rescue ones, if you ever need advice re your daughters birds. She and her hubby can’t have children and IVF never worked, so her birds are her life. She happily does 2 hourly overnight feeds.

thanks HP. The biggest issue was not having a temperature controlled environment to keep it in. and if the parents had a proper nest box it may not have been an issue at all! My daughter says she will buy them a nest box so maybe next time they can raise some babies.

Yes definitely need a nest box.

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Morning Buffy and those awake. Lovely cool day here. I’m amidst prepping a mandarine tree for removal tomorrow arvo. Vege swap day tomorrow too so gathering things to take.

Sorry to hear about the cockatiel hatchling BG. I know a woman not far from me who breeds them and exotic birds and parrots of all sorts, very well known lady who loves her birds and takes in rescue ones, if you ever need advice re your daughters birds. She and her hubby can’t have children and IVF never worked, so her birds are her life. She happily does 2 hourly overnight feeds.

thanks HP. The biggest issue was not having a temperature controlled environment to keep it in. and if the parents had a proper nest box it may not have been an issue at all! My daughter says she will buy them a nest box so maybe next time they can raise some babies.

Cut a length of hollow Eucalyptus. Find one that has an entry hole small enough to be a close fit for the diameter of a quarrion. Attach a board at the big end. Note the big end should have a chamber size big enough for three or four quarrions. The board at the big end can be hinged for you to examine the nest chamber but it all should be well light trapped. I’ve been known to use muddy termite dirt to fill cracks to assist this.
The birds will prefer this to any man made alternative.

roughbarked said:

Cut a length of hollow Eucalyptus. Find one that has an entry hole small enough to be a close fit for the diameter of a quarrion. Attach a board at the big end. Note the big end should have a chamber size big enough for three or four quarrions. The board at the big end can be hinged for you to examine the nest chamber but it all should be well light trapped. I’ve been known to use muddy termite dirt to fill cracks to assist this.
The birds will prefer this to any man made alternative.

finding a nice bit of hollow Eucalyptus is the hard bit.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

Cut a length of hollow Eucalyptus. Find one that has an entry hole small enough to be a close fit for the diameter of a quarrion. Attach a board at the big end. Note the big end should have a chamber size big enough for three or four quarrions. The board at the big end can be hinged for you to examine the nest chamber but it all should be well light trapped. I’ve been known to use muddy termite dirt to fill cracks to assist this.
The birds will prefer this to any man made alternative.

finding a nice bit of hollow Eucalyptus is the hard bit.

Firewood heap at my place has heaps of them.

In many cases I used two lengths of firewood. One with a narrow hollow section and one hollow enough with a bit of trimming to be able to bang the smaller bit into the end of the bigger and seal it up. This gives entrance tunnel and nesting chamber.

roughbarked said:

In many cases I used two lengths of firewood. One with a narrow hollow section and one hollow enough with a bit of trimming to be able to bang the smaller bit into the end of the bigger and seal it up. This gives entrance tunnel and nesting chamber.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

In many cases I used two lengths of firewood. One with a narrow hollow section and one hollow enough with a bit of trimming to be able to bang the smaller bit into the end of the bigger and seal it up. This gives entrance tunnel and nesting chamber.

lovely :D

sweet cups

Happy Potter said:

Gorgeous day outside and I’ve some watering to do, otherwise I’m having a cook up for GS’ 21 st birthday tomorrow. I’m surprised he’s made it to that age! I’m surprised we did too, and are still sane, lol.
His favourites, roast marinated chicken, cauli au gratin, roast spuds peas carrots and silverbeet, and toffee tapioca with mango for dessert, and a humongus choc mud cake :)

How wonderful he has reached 21! It’s been quite a journey by the looks of things but his current situation is a credit to your endeavours.

And it’s good morning to you all…hands up those who miss Pomolo’s early-morning report? I know I do…

Dinetta said:

And it’s good morning to you all…hands up those who miss Pomolo’s early-morning report? I know I do…

yup.

Good morning Gardeners. Cool and overcast here in SouthWest Victoria. Dunkeld races today……last year was a Very Bad Year with a group of young folk killed in a car smash on the way to the races. We are definitely hoping things are better this year. We get busloads of people from Warrnambool and further afield coming through, and I have to say the behaviour is bad. We can expect people urinating on gardens, down our lanes etc etc today. Sometimes it is useful to be watering the garden at an appropriate time if you live along the main route…..wet race clothes…… Our pub is shut today, and I think the Dunkeld one is too. It costs too much to repair the damage. I’m afraid drunkenness is the order of the day.

Apart from that….I have been harvesting. Hang about and I’ll upload the photos. I decided the time was right for the Romanesco to come inside and participate in our culinary adventures.

:)

Dinetta said:

And it’s good morning to you all…hands up those who miss Pomolo’s early-morning report? I know I do…

And to you. Yes miss Poms wake up call..

So, remember my diatribe about blackbirds and my baby tomatoes? Well now they have to brave the forest of sticks to get to them. As well as the Angry Bees:

My Great Aunt Mollie used to have a stick garden…..and she was an excellent gardener. I think I am turning into a Gill.

And here is my Romanesco:

You’ve just got to love the fractal veggies!

And the harvest this morning is broad beans, peas, lettuce, Romanesco and a single bit of ordinary sprouting broccoli:

Morning to all too. Busy here gathering things to take to the vege swap. I’m happy and proud to say my vege and fruit growers swap has been given the beaut thumbs up from many good peoples in the community.

Reasons as told to me, lol.. I’m not a control freak and the swap still goes ahead if I can’t be there (3 other swaps get canceled if the woman is away or ill and doesn’t allow items to be placed on the table until the exact start time. Like a courtroom, ‘she’ addresses the garthering with a speech first then puts a stick down to start. wtf?)
I don’t argue with people. (I don’t argue period, whats the point?) Fisty cuffs nearly came out at another swap when a father was told he shouldn’t have brought his kids and he took offense. I would too, he is a wonderful dad and his and others kids are welcome always and everytime.
I insist the swap remains a swap and not a food share. IE: bring nothing and just take from the table. (swapping is fair and people must bring something even if it’s just a couple jars) Newies excepted. :)

buffy said:

And here is my Romanesco:

You’ve just got to love the fractal veggies!

Wow, big beaut and the colour :)
How did it taste?

Dinetta said:

And it’s good morning to you all…hands up those who miss Pomolo’s early-morning report? I know I do…

puts hand up

Proved ages back that the best way to keep blackbirds out of the seedlings is with rat traps.
There is only ever one family of blackbirds in any one spot. Though it is true that if you wipe them all out, another lot will move in the next day until the source of contamination dries up.

Eating some of it tonight. They are supposed to be ‘nutty’. So I’ll just lightly steam and use maybe a smidge of butter, because I really want to see what it tastes like without smothering it. It’s more cauli than broccoli really, so I suspect it will do well with Hollandaise. But first I want to find out its real taste.

All I can say is…it’s a bloody big family of blackbirds around here, and they must have every relative visiting at the time……

buffy said:

Eating some of it tonight. They are supposed to be ‘nutty’. So I’ll just lightly steam and use maybe a smidge of butter, because I really want to see what it tastes like without smothering it. It’s more cauli than broccoli really, so I suspect it will do well with Hollandaise. But first I want to find out its real taste.

That’s good thinking.

beaut harvest there buffy. That Romanesco looks just perfect for picking.

great feedback about the food swap HP. Your friendly and easy going nature has certainly set the vibe for the occasion.

buffy said:

All I can say is…it’s a bloody big family of blackbirds around here, and they must have every relative visiting at the time……

I used to have a hard time of it since I live next door to Citrus orchards. Thankfully there are only two citrus orchards and some sun burned country between them and the next ones.

I removed nine blackbirds in one day only to discover a new family moving in the next day but with constant diligence I now rarely hear blackbirds as the first callers of the day when it used to be that blackbirds were most of the early noises.

buffy said:

Good morning Gardeners. Cool and overcast here in SouthWest Victoria. Dunkeld races today……last year was a Very Bad Year with a group of young folk killed in a car smash on the way to the races. We are definitely hoping things are better this year. We get busloads of people from Warrnambool and further afield coming through, and I have to say the behaviour is bad.

:)

Our races used to be lovely family affairs, parrrrtay! until 2 am etc etc. Spoiled by a few young hooligans and now the races can’t happen unless the copper (usually the local) issuing the liquor licence is satisfied with security tighter than a gnat’s erse… when you consider there’s only generally 2 coppers (and one ambulance) per town, the nearest backup 20 mins to half an hour away, you can see where the copper is coming from. It’s very sad.

buffy said:

So, remember my diatribe about blackbirds and my baby tomatoes? Well now they have to brave the forest of sticks to get to them. As well as the Angry Bees:

My Great Aunt Mollie used to have a stick garden…..and she was an excellent gardener. I think I am turning into a Gill.

LOL hope the harvest is worth it…

buffy said:

And the harvest this morning is broad beans, peas, lettuce, Romanesco and a single bit of ordinary sprouting broccoli:

Gardener’s pornography…congratulations on the harvest…

Dinetta said:

buffy said:

So, remember my diatribe about blackbirds and my baby tomatoes? Well now they have to brave the forest of sticks to get to them. As well as the Angry Bees:

My Great Aunt Mollie used to have a stick garden…..and she was an excellent gardener. I think I am turning into a Gill.

LOL hope the harvest is worth it…

the sticks will support the tommies as they grow :)

Happy Potter said:

Morning to all too. Busy here gathering things to take to the vege swap. I’m happy and proud to say my vege and fruit growers swap has been given the beaut thumbs up from many good peoples in the community.

Reasons as told to me, lol.. I’m not a control freak and the swap still goes ahead if I can’t be there

Thumbs up!

buffy said:

All I can say is…it’s a bloody big family of blackbirds around here, and they must have every relative visiting at the time……

LOL!

Crow got an egg…going to have to work out a better system…at the moment I collect them as they’re laid and put them on the back patio until I go upstairs properly…drat…

just been out topping up the vege beds with locally sourced, broken down, horse manure. Spread half a bale of lucerne straw around too as mulch and watered.

Right, outside to cover over my trial compost trench and plant some bean seeds along the top. And dig the next trench. They are in a bed that needs a fair bit of ‘stuff’ added to it, so I’ll do it by degrees. And I’d better pull out some lovely ryegrass I saw just seeding up….I’m not a hayfevery type, but I do get a bit sneezy with rye grass pollen.

buffy said:

Right, outside to cover over my trial compost trench and plant some bean seeds along the top. And dig the next trench. They are in a bed that needs a fair bit of ‘stuff’ added to it, so I’ll do it by degrees. And I’d better pull out some lovely ryegrass I saw just seeding up….I’m not a hayfevery type, but I do get a bit sneezy with rye grass pollen.

If you are doing that forget worrying about the blackbirds and find something that slaughters slaters.

Dinetta said:

And it’s good morning to you all…hands up those who miss Pomolo’s early-morning report? I know I do…

pomolos breakfast reports are the best things on the forum – mind you she exaggerates a bit. LOL.

buffy said:

And the harvest this morning is broad beans, peas, lettuce, Romanesco and a single bit of ordinary sprouting broccoli:

knockout photo and produce – angry ants as well.
brilliant – and that broc appears to be perfect.

Reasons as told to me, lol.. I’m not a control freak and the swap still goes ahead if I can’t be there

————————————

congrats HP – real community spirit there.

roughbarked said:

I’m eating radish and cheese..

picked some warrigal greens for my dinner tonight. I have some volunteers from, I think, the compost.

roughbarked said:

nice shot :)

bluegreen said:

nice shot :)

thanks.

The parsley is all in flower now(except the ones I cut back for new shoots) and they are a smorgasbord for various beneficial insects.

bluegreen said:

nice shot :)

thanks.

The parsley is all in flower now(except the ones I cut back for new shoots) and they are a smorgasbord for various beneficial insects.

How do you do the little pictures to link from in a post?

buffy said:

How do you do the little pictures to link from in a post?

depends.. where from.. photobucket?

lovely Skipper shots.

The ones here have been from Photobucket.

buffy said:

How do you do the little pictures to link from in a post?

on flickr, I click on the magnifying glass to bring up a big view, then I click on the “view all sizes” and then I click on the “medium 500” and when the image appears, I right click, copy image location and then paste that link in between 2 ! exclamation marks and bingo, mid sized 500×380 photo appears here.

buffy said:

The ones here have been from Photobucket.

It has been a long time since I posted from p’bucket but I think it was??? ummm, nah can’t recall. Might go take a look see.

in photobucket you click the tick box on the photos you want to post, go to the bottom of the page where it says “choose action” and select “generate link codes for selected”. you will then get a number of options. Click on the first one which is clickable thumbnails in HTML and it will automatically copy. Paste in your post here and voila!

Hmm, I try this…. I resize my images to P’bucket already at around 640×480 pixels so that they look okay for you guys… so I just click on the image, right click “save image location” and then paste here. My P’bucket account is just for you guys…

OK, I’ve never played with any of those things before. See how this goes:

Ooh, look! That works!

Thanks. I would rather put up the thumbnails I think.

Now, remember my Romanesco broccoli I picked this morning?

Well, I steamed some of it for tea. Tastes good. And steams to a bright, bright green!

buffy said:

Now, remember my Romanesco broccoli I picked this morning?

Well, I steamed some of it for tea. Tastes good. And steams to a bright, bright green!

Yeah, what happens to the purple?

It’s like purple beans. But they turn a dull sort of green. This was bright, almost lumo green!

I suppose I should have taken a picture before eating it. I’ll try and remember next time.

Hello Gardeners. I see everyone is busy outside gardening. I hope the Brisbaners don’t have too big a mess to clean up. I’ve been pottering again. Pruning. Weeding. Digging out invasive pink violet plants. Planting out leeks and spring onions. Did a quick clean of 4 bricks to make a mini-plinth for a broken pot to sit up on. Planted it with a small succulant that should cascade. Noticed the first of the thornless loganberry berries is just starting to turn red…..so had to get out the netting and set that up.

I think I might eat some chocolate cake and cream and then lie down and read for a bit. I didn’t really mean to get up so early this morning.

buffy said:

I didn’t really mean to get up so early this morning.

Hard not to be when the sun is up at 4 am…or thereabouts…

roughbarked said:

butterflies are coming onto our buddlejas too now.
great shot RB.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

nice shot :)

thanks.

The parsley is all in flower now(except the ones I cut back for new shoots) and they are a smorgasbord for various beneficial insects.

those creatures being…? beaut shot again

bluegreen said:

in photobucket you click the tick box on the photos you want to post, go to the bottom of the page where it says “choose action” and select “generate link codes for selected”. you will then get a number of options. Click on the first one which is clickable thumbnails in HTML and it will automatically copy. Paste in your post here and voila!

clicking the thumbnails isn’t working here – a blank album comes up….

justin said:

roughbarked said:

butterflies are coming onto our buddlejas too now.
great shot RB.

ta. :) http://www.flickr.com/photos/99559986@N00/sets/72157624254486130/

justin said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

nice shot :)

thanks.

The parsley is all in flower now(except the ones I cut back for new shoots) and they are a smorgasbord for various beneficial insects.

top is a green dart

top of bottom is a lined ladybird, Aussie
bottom ladybird is (I think) an import from Asia which has proven beneficial. remember shiny ladybird good.. matt ladybird, squash on sight or you’ll get no squash or any other cucurbit for that matter.
those creatures being…? beaut shot again

justin said:

bluegreen said:

in photobucket you click the tick box on the photos you want to post, go to the bottom of the page where it says “choose action” and select “generate link codes for selected”. you will then get a number of options. Click on the first one which is clickable thumbnails in HTML and it will automatically copy. Paste in your post here and voila!

clicking the thumbnails isn’t working here – a blank album comes up….

you don’t click on the thumbnails.. you mouse-over them and the pop down will give you choices.. it is one of these choices .. that you click on.

roughbarked said:

justin said:

roughbarked said:

butterflies are coming onto our buddlejas too now.
great shot RB.

ta. :) http://www.flickr.com/photos/99559986@N00/sets/72157624254486130/

that’s an awesome album – you do what i would only think about.
i saw a gecko today – did i photograph it and put it into a well organised lizard album?

justin said:

roughbarked said:

butterflies are coming onto our buddlejas too now.
great shot RB.

Indeedy…

Biddy (little red hen) just walked in…Nerfertiti says it’s too hot to police house…must go feed chookens their afternoon scraps and grains…

justin said:

roughbarked said:

justin said:

butterflies are coming onto our buddlejas too now.
great shot RB.

ta. :) http://www.flickr.com/photos/99559986@N00/sets/72157624254486130/

that’s an awesome album – you do what i would only think about.
i saw a gecko today – did i photograph it and put it into a well organised lizard album?

I wouldn’t actually call it well organised. Flickr does most of that. What you see is really just a handful of photos chucked in a box where they all happened to land in a slot for viewing. Not in any particular order other than chronology of time of upload.
I probably should start organising them into collections which probably gives me a better chance of organisation. The way it is in sets.. If I haven’t thought up a name for a set then they are almost all lumped into the ‘my backyard’ set. Which is after all where most of them are shot. My backyard set has way too many photos in it. I’m reminded often of the line from the Jabberwocky movie. Where Tony Robinson is heard to say, “Richmond? That must be all of two miles.. reflective pause.. Gee I’d love to travel”.

Dinetta said:

buffy said:

I didn’t really mean to get up so early this morning.

Hard not to be when the sun is up at 4 am…or thereabouts…

DLS anyone?

Dinetta said:

Biddy (little red hen) just walked in…Nerfertiti says it’s too hot to police house…must go feed chookens their afternoon scraps and grains…

and now that I have had the privilege of meeting you, I can picture you in this scene. ;)

Good morning Gardeners. Off to Casterton shortly to mow grass before it gets too hot. “Too hot” for me is above about 16 degrees when I am pushing a mower…..

:)

painmaster said:

Dinetta said:

buffy said:

I didn’t really mean to get up so early this morning.

Hard not to be when the sun is up at 4 am…or thereabouts…

DLS anyone?

If I get going at 4:30 am, that’s a cracking start to the day, and beats a “5:30” start where you’ve lost that hour in the cool, only to find a super-heated 19:00 later that day…

No thanks I’ll pass on the DLS where I am…

buffy said:

Good morning Gardeners. Off to Casterton shortly to mow grass before it gets too hot. “Too hot” for me is above about 16 degrees when I am pushing a mower…..

:)

Going to be a sweltering 26C in Portland tomorrow or Wednesday, I think…

I slept in this morning until 7:30, not sure why, but it’s overcast so I’m taking a quick walk down town to pick up some goodies for morning tea at Mah Jong (only walk next door for that)…

We are back. Only did mowing today, no weeding or anything else. Except I bucketed some water onto the citrus and picked some asparagus. I was busy dripping sweat by 11.30am, which I see was when the temperature in Casterton (according to the BOM) reached a bit over 18 degrees.

Now I intend to lie down and read some ophthalmology and optometry journals, and then have a little snooze to get over the brain work. Lots of our own veggies for tea tonight. And the protein will be fish fingers!

pottered around a bit this morning and did some washing. Had a nap this afternoon, weird dreams. Ducklings morphed into lots of new born but fully developed and highly active rabbit kits that bit and kept escaping the cage. Looked in lots of sheds full of rubbish for a suitable cage for them, but one shed was infested with rats! Then I woke up. lol! Oh yeah, in my dream my laptop and mobile phone had some sort of virus that kept displaying stuff I didn’t want and wouldn’t turn off. Bit of a nightmare really. Woke up hot. Always have weird dreams when I am hot.

roughbarked said:

justin said:

roughbarked said:

ta. :) http://www.flickr.com/photos/99559986@N00/sets/72157624254486130/

that’s an awesome album – you do what i would only think about.
i saw a gecko today – did i photograph it and put it into a well organised lizard album?

I wouldn’t actually call it well organised. Flickr does most of that. What you see is really just a handful of photos chucked in a box where they all happened to land in a slot for viewing. Not in any particular order other than chronology of time of upload.
I probably should start organising them into collections which probably gives me a better chance of organisation. The way it is in sets.. If I haven’t thought up a name for a set then they are almost all lumped into the ‘my backyard’ set. Which is after all where most of them are shot. My backyard set has way too many photos in it. I’m reminded often of the line from the Jabberwocky movie. Where Tony Robinson is heard to say, “Richmond? That must be all of two miles.. reflective pause.. Gee I’d love to travel”.

chuckle – you are better organised than I

i saved all my old photos to memory sticks but none of the folders or the photos therein have tags (a few have but randomness is the norm).
actually they show up real well when i plug the stick into the new digital TV and have a nostalgic slideshow.
apart from that there is no filing system.

bluegreen said:

pottered around a bit this morning and did some washing. Had a nap this afternoon, weird dreams. Ducklings morphed into lots of new born but fully developed and highly active rabbit kits that bit and kept escaping the cage. Looked in lots of sheds full of rubbish for a suitable cage for them, but one shed was infested with rats! Then I woke up. lol! Oh yeah, in my dream my laptop and mobile phone had some sort of virus that kept displaying stuff I didn’t want and wouldn’t turn off. Bit of a nightmare really. Woke up hot. Always have weird dreams when I am hot.

righto – the meaning of all that is……mmm….????? ……. i’m not sure.

pulled an awesome crop of garlic this evening. my best ever yet :)

got them in early in the season so they had lots of time to get nice and fat.

too dark for a photo now, but look out for one tomorrow, eventually, because I am out all day tomorrow!

bluegreen said:

pulled an awesome crop of garlic this evening. my best ever yet :)

got them in early in the season so they had lots of time to get nice and fat.

too dark for a photo now, but look out for one tomorrow, eventually, because I am out all day tomorrow!

I got sick of mucking about with drying garlic.. I just leave it where it is and dig what I need occasionally.. maybe thin and spread occasionally.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

pulled an awesome crop of garlic this evening. my best ever yet :)

got them in early in the season so they had lots of time to get nice and fat.

too dark for a photo now, but look out for one tomorrow, eventually, because I am out all day tomorrow!

I got sick of mucking about with drying garlic.. I just leave it where it is and dig what I need occasionally.. maybe thin and spread occasionally.

I like that idea, but need the garden space for other veg for now. As time goes on and I create more beds I hope to have some dedicated ones like that.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

pulled an awesome crop of garlic this evening. my best ever yet :)

got them in early in the season so they had lots of time to get nice and fat.

too dark for a photo now, but look out for one tomorrow, eventually, because I am out all day tomorrow!

I got sick of mucking about with drying garlic.. I just leave it where it is and dig what I need occasionally.. maybe thin and spread occasionally.

I like that idea, but need the garden space for other veg for now. As time goes on and I create more beds I hope to have some dedicated ones like that.

You have more garden space than I do or such things.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

I got sick of mucking about with drying garlic.. I just leave it where it is and dig what I need occasionally.. maybe thin and spread occasionally.

I like that idea, but need the garden space for other veg for now. As time goes on and I create more beds I hope to have some dedicated ones like that.

You have more garden space than I do or such things.

I’ve been out the back hacking thick chard flowering stems into small pieces with a 45 mm razor blade.. tossing them on the ground as mulch and self sowing chard..

Ripping up potato plants and shifting them because they are popping up all over my new tomato patch.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

I got sick of mucking about with drying garlic.. I just leave it where it is and dig what I need occasionally.. maybe thin and spread occasionally.

I like that idea, but need the garden space for other veg for now. As time goes on and I create more beds I hope to have some dedicated ones like that.

You have more garden space than I do or such things.

indeed. lots of potential there, but the actualization takes time for me.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

I like that idea, but need the garden space for other veg for now. As time goes on and I create more beds I hope to have some dedicated ones like that.

You have more garden space than I do or such things.

If I find garlic.. I either eat it or replant it.

I’ve been out the back hacking thick chard flowering stems into small pieces with a 45 mm razor blade.. tossing them on the ground as mulch and self sowing chard..

Ripping up potato plants and shifting them because they are popping up all over my new tomato patch.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

I like that idea, but need the garden space for other veg for now. As time goes on and I create more beds I hope to have some dedicated ones like that.

You have more garden space than I do or such things.

indeed. lots of potential there, but the actualization takes time for me.

none of us are getting any younger and I’d dearly love old age not to have stricken my udder’alf the way it has.

roughbarked said:

none of us are getting any younger and I’d dearly love old age not to have stricken my udder’alf the way it has.

how is she going? I expect the healing will take time.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

none of us are getting any younger and I’d dearly love old age not to have stricken my udder’alf the way it has.

how is she going? I expect the healing will take time.

she’s a fighter but her priorities are to sit back and enjoy my gardening.. which is good in a way.. but if only she’d take instruction and be able to do labour.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

none of us are getting any younger and I’d dearly love old age not to have stricken my udder’alf the way it has.

how is she going? I expect the healing will take time.

she’s a fighter but her priorities are to sit back and enjoy my gardening.. which is good in a way.. but if only she’d take instruction and be able to do labour.

I think she is on the right track there. lol!

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

none of us are getting any younger and I’d dearly love old age not to have stricken my udder’alf the way it has.

how is she going? I expect the healing will take time.

she’s a fighter but her priorities are to sit back and enjoy my gardening.. which is good in a way.. but if only she’d take instruction and be able to do labour.

Healing wise it will be at least 8 weeks before she is back to full bone fitness. then there will be ongoing physio for the bits that pull the levers.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

how is she going? I expect the healing will take time.

she’s a fighter but her priorities are to sit back and enjoy my gardening.. which is good in a way.. but if only she’d take instruction and be able to do labour.

I think she is on the right track there. lol!

You insinuating that I’m a despotic tyrant ruler in my garden..? if so you are probably correct.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

she’s a fighter but her priorities are to sit back and enjoy my gardening.. which is good in a way.. but if only she’d take instruction and be able to do labour.

I think she is on the right track there. lol!

You insinuating that I’m a despotic tyrant ruler in my garden..? if so you are probably correct.

I wasn’t thinking that, but now that you mention it…. ;P

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

I think she is on the right track there. lol!

You insinuating that I’m a despotic tyrant ruler in my garden..? if so you are probably correct.

I wasn’t thinking that, but now that you mention it…. ;P

see.. ;)

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

You insinuating that I’m a despotic tyrant ruler in my garden..? if so you are probably correct.

I wasn’t thinking that, but now that you mention it…. ;P

see.. ;)

In truth she would love to be a gardener but in preference she’d prefer to have a gardener. ;)

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

I wasn’t thinking that, but now that you mention it…. ;P

see.. ;)

In truth she would love to be a gardener but in preference she’d prefer to have a gardener. ;)

I fellow I once met referred to his wife as the “Pointing Gardener”. She would point and he would do.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

I wasn’t thinking that, but now that you mention it…. ;P

see.. ;)

In truth she would love to be a gardener but in preference she’d prefer to have a gardener. ;)

Tonight she said.. why are you hacking those broccoli and chard off.. I thought you were on about collecting our own seed.. Me.. look under the broccoli and chard..at the babies..

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

see.. ;)

In truth she would love to be a gardener but in preference she’d prefer to have a gardener. ;)

I fellow I once met referred to his wife as the “Pointing Gardener”. She would point and he would do.

Nah.. she who must be appreciated would never get away with that here.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

In truth she would love to be a gardener but in preference she’d prefer to have a gardener. ;)

I fellow I once met referred to his wife as the “Pointing Gardener”. She would point and he would do.

Nah.. she who must be appreciated would never get away with that here.

She does point and I do acknowledge. the pointing but ,, I do what I do within my own spheres of action.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

I fellow I once met referred to his wife as the “Pointing Gardener”. She would point and he would do.

Nah.. she who must be appreciated would never get away with that here.

She does point and I do acknowledge. the pointing but ,, I do what I do within my own spheres of action.

I listen more to my daughter, who asked do you still have the trike I used when I was little.. Why would she ask? Probably because she knew that if anyone would have kept it, it would be me.

bluegreen said:

I fellow I once met referred to his wife as the “Pointing Gardener”. She would point and he would do.

Now who was that, I do remember him from way back (not that I ever “met” him)…she Pointed well, too…

roughbarked said:

I listen more to my daughter, who asked do you still have the trike I used when I was little.. Why would she ask? Probably because she knew that if anyone would have kept it, it would be me.

Isn’t she getting ahead of herself? Future trike rider is not even 12 months, is she?

Dinetta said:

roughbarked said:

I listen more to my daughter, who asked do you still have the trike I used when I was little.. Why would she ask? Probably because she knew that if anyone would have kept it, it would be me.

Isn’t she getting ahead of herself? Future trike rider is not even 12 months, is she?

She knows how long it will take me.

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

I fellow I once met referred to his wife as the “Pointing Gardener”. She would point and he would do.

Now who was that, I do remember him from way back (not that I ever “met” him)…she Pointed well, too…

he was known as Rook.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

I fellow I once met referred to his wife as the “Pointing Gardener”. She would point and he would do.

Now who was that, I do remember him from way back (not that I ever “met” him)…she Pointed well, too…

he was known as Rook.

and didn’t he crow about it.. ;)

Dinetta said:

painmaster said:

Dinetta said:

Hard not to be when the sun is up at 4 am…or thereabouts…

DLS anyone?

If I get going at 4:30 am, that’s a cracking start to the day, and beats a “5:30” start where you’ve lost that hour in the cool, only to find a super-heated 19:00 later that day…

No thanks I’ll pass on the DLS where I am…

Ummmm, it doesn’t work that way. Above the tropic of Capricorn, the hottest part of the day is 99% between 1100 and 1400. The hottest part of the day is never 1900. ever.

painmaster said:

Dinetta said:

painmaster said:

DLS anyone?

If I get going at 4:30 am, that’s a cracking start to the day, and beats a “5:30” start where you’ve lost that hour in the cool, only to find a super-heated 19:00 later that day…

No thanks I’ll pass on the DLS where I am…

Ummmm, it doesn’t work that way. Above the tropic of Capricorn, the hottest part of the day is 99% between 1100 and 1400. The hottest part of the day is never 1900. ever.

f’korf // vertical sun person. ;)

roughbarked said:

painmaster said:

Dinetta said:

If I get going at 4:30 am, that’s a cracking start to the day, and beats a “5:30” start where you’ve lost that hour in the cool, only to find a super-heated 19:00 later that day…

No thanks I’ll pass on the DLS where I am…

Ummmm, it doesn’t work that way. Above the tropic of Capricorn, the hottest part of the day is 99% between 1100 and 1400. The hottest part of the day is never 1900. ever.

f’korf // vertical sun person. ;)

LOL!

I emerge from a couple days under the weather (eye ulcer flare up) and this is the first thing I read, lol.

roughbarked said:

Isn’t she getting ahead of herself? Future trike rider is not even 12 months, is she?

She knows how long it will take me.

…and how well it will come up if you do it…?

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

I fellow I once met referred to his wife as the “Pointing Gardener”. She would point and he would do.

Now who was that, I do remember him from way back (not that I ever “met” him)…she Pointed well, too…

he was known as Rook.

Oooh, yes, that one…Rook from Tullarook…

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

painmaster said:

Ummmm, it doesn’t work that way. Above the tropic of Capricorn, the hottest part of the day is 99% between 1100 and 1400. The hottest part of the day is never 1900. ever.

f’korf // vertical sun person. ;)

LOL!

I emerge from a couple days under the weather (eye ulcer flare up) and this is the first thing I read, lol.

;) hope he doesn’t get offended

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Now who was that, I do remember him from way back (not that I ever “met” him)…she Pointed well, too…

he was known as Rook.

Oooh, yes, that one…Rook from Tullarook…

thought they were all crook there.

painmaster said:

Dinetta said:

painmaster said:

DLS anyone?

If I get going at 4:30 am, that’s a cracking start to the day, and beats a “5:30” start where you’ve lost that hour in the cool, only to find a super-heated 19:00 later that day…

No thanks I’ll pass on the DLS where I am…

Ummmm, it doesn’t work that way. Above the tropic of Capricorn, the hottest part of the day is 99% between 1100 and 1400. The hottest part of the day is never 1900. ever.

I didn’t say 19:00 hours was the hottest part of the day, I just said it was super heated, as still in the 30s… I’ve known the temp to climb after 14:00 nods

roughbarked said:

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

he was known as Rook.

Oooh, yes, that one…Rook from Tullarook…

thought they were all crook there.

That was back in the day…

Dinetta said:

painmaster said:

Dinetta said:

If I get going at 4:30 am, that’s a cracking start to the day, and beats a “5:30” start where you’ve lost that hour in the cool, only to find a super-heated 19:00 later that day…

No thanks I’ll pass on the DLS where I am…

Ummmm, it doesn’t work that way. Above the tropic of Capricorn, the hottest part of the day is 99% between 1100 and 1400. The hottest part of the day is never 1900. ever.

I didn’t say 19:00 hours was the hottest part of the day, I just said it was super heated, as still in the 30s… I’ve known the temp to climb after 14:00 nods

actually the sun angle at noon is only one factor in the day’s heat. you have a time lag as the soil heats up.
4pm can be very hot and i’m often forced to have a coldie on my hammock at this time.

roughbarked said:

painmaster said:

Dinetta said:

If I get going at 4:30 am, that’s a cracking start to the day, and beats a “5:30” start where you’ve lost that hour in the cool, only to find a super-heated 19:00 later that day…

No thanks I’ll pass on the DLS where I am…

Ummmm, it doesn’t work that way. Above the tropic of Capricorn, the hottest part of the day is 99% between 1100 and 1400. The hottest part of the day is never 1900. ever.

f’korf // vertical sun person. ;)

PM should have ‘no shadow day’ on december 21st – is that right?

roughbarked said:

Dinetta said:

roughbarked said:

I listen more to my daughter, who asked do you still have the trike I used when I was little.. Why would she ask? Probably because she knew that if anyone would have kept it, it would be me.

Isn’t she getting ahead of herself? Future trike rider is not even 12 months, is she?

She knows how long it will take me.

i’ve got one of those in my shed – ‘blue dragon’ it’s called.

justin said:

roughbarked said:

Dinetta said:

Isn’t she getting ahead of herself? Future trike rider is not even 12 months, is she?

She knows how long it will take me.

i’ve got one of those in my shed – ‘blue dragon’ it’s called.

justin said:

actually the sun angle at noon is only one factor in the day’s heat. you have a time lag as the soil heats up.
4pm can be very hot and i’m often forced to have a coldie on my hammock at this time.

Oh the trials you bear…

Dinetta said:

justin said:

actually the sun angle at noon is only one factor in the day’s heat. you have a time lag as the soil heats up.
4pm can be very hot and i’m often forced to have a coldie on my hammock at this time.

Oh the trials you bear…

:)

Dinetta said:

justin said:

actually the sun angle at noon is only one factor in the day’s heat. you have a time lag as the soil heats up.
4pm can be very hot and i’m often forced to have a coldie on my hammock at this time.

Oh the trials you bear…

yes it’s true –
actually a rope tie broke whilst my light weight wife was reclining in the hammock – so now i must repair it, elevate and shorten the ties, reinforce them and wrap cloth around all the tree limbs to prevent ringbarking.
it might be easier to just slip into the sparkling pool.
btw – my wife is a pointer pool cleaner LOL.

Don’t you just love silky oaks?

Dinetta said:

justin said:

actually the sun angle at noon is only one factor in the day’s heat. you have a time lag as the soil heats up.
4pm can be very hot and i’m often forced to have a coldie on my hammock at this time.

Oh the trials you bear…

Such is life, you must do what you must do aye, lol.

justin said:

actually the sun angle at noon is only one factor in the day’s heat. you have a time lag as the soil heats up.
4pm can be very hot and i’m often forced to have a coldie on my hammock at this time.

“forced” eh?

roughbarked said:

Don’t you just love silky oaks?

it seems to me the problem is where you park your car :D

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

Don’t you just love silky oaks?

it seems to me the problem is where you park your car :D

Unfortunately I never built the carport big enough for two cars.

my garlic harvest

bluegreen said:

my garlic harvest

I have been known to give away beer cartons full of trimmed garlic and still have plenty for myself.

bluegreen said:

my garlic harvest

yeah good size – mine are a bit small this year.

roughbarked said:

Don’t you just love silky oaks?

From a distance or made into furniture, yes…

bluegreen said:

my garlic harvest

…and I bet they’ve got a wonderful odour as well…

bluegreen said:

my garlic harvest

Lovely!
Now I have some the same, nice sized bulbs, and after I picked them I got a verbal smack over the hand for picking them whilst still green. I should have, apparently, just picked off any emerging flower spikes and left them until the leaves were completely dried off.
I hung them over an outside chair and checked them earlier and about half were rotted at the top of the bulb. Bugga! I’ve cleaned the good ones of any loose leaf and hung them up higher in an airier spot. I have a pic somewhere.
I have another the same hanging from a wire light cover.

Happy Potter said:

and after I picked them I got a verbal smack over the hand for picking them whilst still green. I should have, apparently, just picked off any emerging flower spikes and left them until the leaves were completely dried off.

whoever told you that is wrong! You pick them as they are starting to brown off, but not completely died back. But you don’t cut the leaves off the bulb until they have completely dried out. So what you have done is fine. Sounds like the soil might have been a bit too wet if they were rotting though. You can leave the flower spikes on too, although it is thought it might reduce the size of your bulbs. Didn’t seem to affect mine though! You can also eat them as Scapes

7 Things To Do with Garlic Scapes

roughbarked said:

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

f’korf // vertical sun person. ;)

LOL!

I emerge from a couple days under the weather (eye ulcer flare up) and this is the first thing I read, lol.

;) hope he doesn’t get offended

can’t see too much in your statement that isn’t wrong, so no offence taken.

Dinetta said:

painmaster said:

Dinetta said:

If I get going at 4:30 am, that’s a cracking start to the day, and beats a “5:30” start where you’ve lost that hour in the cool, only to find a super-heated 19:00 later that day…

No thanks I’ll pass on the DLS where I am…

Ummmm, it doesn’t work that way. Above the tropic of Capricorn, the hottest part of the day is 99% between 1100 and 1400. The hottest part of the day is never 1900. ever.

I didn’t say 19:00 hours was the hottest part of the day, I just said it was super heated, as still in the 30s… I’ve known the temp to climb after 14:00 nods

So on those days that the temp is still 30+ at 19:00, it what is like 18-20º by 20:00??? I doubt it. The argument that moving the clocks one hour creates a better temperature range is futile.

I wake when the sun is up… and I dislike waking up at 4am. I enjoy a meal in daylight, so if I can have dinner at 7pm in daylight, then happy days. Qbillies are wasting millions of dollars of tourism money by this Joh Bjelke Legacy of faded curtains and grumpy cows. Stupid Qbillies. Oh and I am referring to those gutless politicians down in the North of New South Wales in that suburb of Sydney called Brisbane.

justin said:

Dinetta said:

painmaster said:

Ummmm, it doesn’t work that way. Above the tropic of Capricorn, the hottest part of the day is 99% between 1100 and 1400. The hottest part of the day is never 1900. ever.

I didn’t say 19:00 hours was the hottest part of the day, I just said it was super heated, as still in the 30s… I’ve known the temp to climb after 14:00 nods

actually the sun angle at noon is only one factor in the day’s heat. you have a time lag as the soil heats up.
4pm can be very hot and i’m often forced to have a coldie on my hammock at this time.

Yes in SA. But in Townsville, records will show that the 11am to 2pm time slot is home to 99% of the hottest temps except for that one occasion in 1976 that Dinetta said it was warming up after 2pm.

justin said:

roughbarked said:

painmaster said:

Ummmm, it doesn’t work that way. Above the tropic of Capricorn, the hottest part of the day is 99% between 1100 and 1400. The hottest part of the day is never 1900. ever.

f’korf // vertical sun person. ;)

PM should have ‘no shadow day’ on december 21st – is that right?

No. Our No shadow day(s) occur around the end of November and the middle of January. We are 19º from the equator.

roughbarked said:

Don’t you just love silky oaks?

make a similar mess when the Albizias are in blossom up here.

bluegreen said:

my garlic harvest

gorgeous!

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

and after I picked them I got a verbal smack over the hand for picking them whilst still green. I should have, apparently, just picked off any emerging flower spikes and left them until the leaves were completely dried off.

whoever told you that is wrong! You pick them as they are starting to brown off, but not completely died back. But you don’t cut the leaves off the bulb until they have completely dried out. So what you have done is fine. Sounds like the soil might have been a bit too wet if they were rotting though. You can leave the flower spikes on too, although it is thought it might reduce the size of your bulbs. Didn’t seem to affect mine though! You can also eat them as Scapes

Good!
They wern’t rotted when I forked them out but looks like I didn’t give them enough air circulation afterwards. I still have plenty of good ones.

I plait them into a rope and hang them to dry. I like the look.

And hello Gardeners. I have been outside lightly watering the garden in the hope of a thunderstorm later. The radar looks a little bit promising.

Oh….radar now says rain is fizzling….