As we’ve started one of these in the Holiday Forum, I’ll take the hint and start one here too.

I’ve been weeding, stringing up pea plants and pottering around. As well as moving several barrowloads of redgum (E. camaldulensis) firewood and stacking it. Oh, and I moved the black raspberry plant to its own place, away from the other raspberries. It’s promising to be a bit rampant. Only three very nice long whippy canes so far. Which I had lightly plaited and strung up and then had to unplait to set things up properly for the next season. The reason I usually only grow heritage raspberries is (a) the prickles and (b) having to sort out protocanes etc. But I think I’ll be fine with this one. Tomorrow I’ll do the thornless loganberry canes. I think I can now see which ones to cut out – they are brittle and dead! And I’ll tie up the fresh ones for the coming season.

I have a Romanesco broccoli ready to pick tomorrow. Like this one from a couple of years ago:

Today I thinned some of the carrots and we ate The Carrot Thinnings Which Are Really Annoying to Prepare but Excellent to Eat for tea. I’ve got a lot of purple ones this batch. Tomorrow I must get some more broccoli seed into seed raising mix for some more broccoli before the cabbage whites return. And because the broccoli I’m picking is just about finished now.

I’ve had a trap out the last couple of nights, and I caught him last night! A BIG fat feral tomcat. I’m assuming it is a tom from the bad smell hanging around the house lately, but what first tipped me off was the marking droppings on my trail out to the gate to the chook pens. NOT going to get close to those teeth and claws to check out for sure but pretty sure it is a tom, and by the looks of him the father of the feral kittens I have trapped the last couple of years. Caught the mum, a small black skinny feline, with her black and grey kittens last year, and this fellow is the same grey. He is pretty cranky. How do I know he is feral? Well from my somewhat limited experience in trapping cats the domestic ones look at you plaintifuly and meow to get let out, the feral ones hiss and go berserk and try to bite and claw their way out. He is doing the latter. Probably going to have to wait until tomorrow to get the council to collect it though. Doing my bit for the environment.

Your ranger should probably have an after hours number to call. I’d do it. Tell them the cat is wild and you are unable to feed it and they will have to come and get it. We made them come out after hours to collect a wandering dog that we found ( for the gazillionth time) in our back yard.

And here is tonight’s fractal food for tea:

I quite like the Romanesco. Even if they don’t come out with two looking the same! My previous one a couple of years ago was purple.

buffy said:

Your ranger should probably have an after hours number to call. I’d do it. Tell them the cat is wild and you are unable to feed it and they will have to come and get it. We made them come out after hours to collect a wandering dog that we found ( for the gazillionth time) in our back yard.

I did call the council and they only collect if it is one of their traps which it isn’t. They will be out first thing in the morning though.

bluegreen said:

buffy said:

Your ranger should probably have an after hours number to call. I’d do it. Tell them the cat is wild and you are unable to feed it and they will have to come and get it. We made them come out after hours to collect a wandering dog that we found ( for the gazillionth time) in our back yard.

I did call the council and they only collect if it is one of their traps which it isn’t. They will be out first thing in the morning though.

Which is all about why I despatch them beforehand.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

buffy said:

Your ranger should probably have an after hours number to call. I’d do it. Tell them the cat is wild and you are unable to feed it and they will have to come and get it. We made them come out after hours to collect a wandering dog that we found ( for the gazillionth time) in our back yard.

I did call the council and they only collect if it is one of their traps which it isn’t. They will be out first thing in the morning though.

Which is all about why I despatch them beforehand.

I don’t have the means to do that so I do the next best thing. The cat was collected this morning.

Thanks for kind words. I’m off early for day surgery re sinus. Looking forward to relief from headaches and regaining my sense of smell, and taste!

GS still in hosp’ only just beginning to settle.. allowed short periods out in the common area, mixing with others, playing badminton, has his guitar and allowed some limited time on a laptop. I’ve been sending foods via his girlfriend and he’s gaining a fan club after his home cooked treats, blackberry pies and muffins, cordial and baked meals. Staff too. They have him on two separate anti psychotic meds and an array of other things to keep him sedated that only make me cringle with more fear.
But finally we can see a light at the end of the tunnel and he is getting the help he needs and we can step off that infuriating merry go round, of not getting any help.
I’ve had a million phone calls and many follow up appointments. We’d declined offers to attend a parent run support group as we generally stick to our own for support. We find such groups can cause more problems. Many could not relate. But this mother of an adult daughter who has similar probs rang me anyway. I’m so glad she did, we ended up chatting for over two hours and laughed heaps. I felt like I’d known her forever. ‘Don’t lose your laugher, just don’t lose the ability to laugh, ever, you will need it’.
Lovely lady.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

I did call the council and they only collect if it is one of their traps which it isn’t. They will be out first thing in the morning though.

Which is all about why I despatch them beforehand.

I don’t have the means to do that so I do the next best thing. The cat was collected this morning.

At least your council does that. Ours still only collects dogs.

Happy Potter said:

Thanks for kind words. I’m off early for day surgery re sinus. Looking forward to relief from headaches and regaining my sense of smell, and taste!

GS still in hosp’ only just beginning to settle.. allowed short periods out in the common area, mixing with others, playing badminton, has his guitar and allowed some limited time on a laptop. I’ve been sending foods via his girlfriend and he’s gaining a fan club after his home cooked treats, blackberry pies and muffins, cordial and baked meals. Staff too. They have him on two separate anti psychotic meds and an array of other things to keep him sedated that only make me cringle with more fear.
But finally we can see a light at the end of the tunnel and he is getting the help he needs and we can step off that infuriating merry go round, of not getting any help.
I’ve had a million phone calls and many follow up appointments. We’d declined offers to attend a parent run support group as we generally stick to our own for support. We find such groups can cause more problems. Many could not relate. But this mother of an adult daughter who has similar probs rang me anyway. I’m so glad she did, we ended up chatting for over two hours and laughed heaps. I felt like I’d known her forever. ‘Don’t lose your laugher, just don’t lose the ability to laugh, ever, you will need it’.
Lovely lady.

Hope all goes well for you with the op, no complications. Yep, keep laughing. I reckon you tell any of them a few lessons on coping but nice to hear that you have found someone on the same bandwidth as you.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

Which is all about why I despatch them beforehand.

I don’t have the means to do that so I do the next best thing. The cat was collected this morning.

At least your council does that. Ours still only collects dogs.

Yes. The fellow is a nice bloke and his wife works at the same place I do.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

Which is all about why I despatch them beforehand.

I don’t have the means to do that so I do the next best thing. The cat was collected this morning.

At least your council does that. Ours still only collects dogs.

Really? Doesn’t the NSW legislation cover cats? Don’t your cats have to be registered, the same as dogs?

buffy said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

I don’t have the means to do that so I do the next best thing. The cat was collected this morning.

At least your council does that. Ours still only collects dogs.

Really? Doesn’t the NSW legislation cover cats? Don’t your cats have to be registered, the same as dogs?

To tell the truth, I’m unaware.

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

roughbarked said:

At least your council does that. Ours still only collects dogs.

Really? Doesn’t the NSW legislation cover cats? Don’t your cats have to be registered, the same as dogs?

To tell the truth, I’m unaware.

I’m not aware that the dog pound has altered to allow for cats. One can hire cat traps from the Shire but they are called possum traps.

I trapped a cat too a few weeks back , but it was tame, although I didn’t try to feed it, took it straight to the pound after it’d been stalking the hens. It got a new silkie’s head in it’s mouth and tore it’s comb..Max to the rescue and the hen is ok.
The pound wasn’t going to accept the cat as the cage was an unapproved style, but I hadn’t known. Turns out it was micro chipped neutered male and the owner got it back. The owner promised to build a cat cage and was very sorry it’s harmed my hen. I didn’t want a payment from the owner, I used centrigen spray on the hen that I have on hand, so no real costs incurred. They must have done the cage, not spotted the cat since.

Happy Potter said:

I trapped a cat too a few weeks back , but it was tame, although I didn’t try to feed it, took it straight to the pound after it’d been stalking the hens. It got a new silkie’s head in it’s mouth and tore it’s comb..Max to the rescue and the hen is ok.
The pound wasn’t going to accept the cat as the cage was an unapproved style, but I hadn’t known. Turns out it was micro chipped neutered male and the owner got it back. The owner promised to build a cat cage and was very sorry it’s harmed my hen. I didn’t want a payment from the owner, I used centrigen spray on the hen that I have on hand, so no real costs incurred. They must have done the cage, not spotted the cat since.

A good outcome from a spotty beginning.

I got back from sinus and nose op 7 pm last night, o my goodness, much pain. I was up almost hourly to sip water to relieve dry lips and tongue. No packing but a nose full of dissolvable stiches.
Just resting. I’ll be good as gold soon :)

Happy Potter said:

I got back from sinus and nose op 7 pm last night, o my goodness, much pain. I was up almost hourly to sip water to relieve dry lips and tongue. No packing but a nose full of dissolvable stiches.
Just resting. I’ll be good as gold soon :)

My sympathies.

My dentist is drilling nerve roots out.

roughbarked said:

Happy Potter said:

I got back from sinus and nose op 7 pm last night, o my goodness, much pain. I was up almost hourly to sip water to relieve dry lips and tongue. No packing but a nose full of dissolvable stiches.
Just resting. I’ll be good as gold soon :)

My sympathies.

My dentist is drilling nerve roots out.

Root canal? If so, I had one a year or so, but never again. In fact it is going to come out as soon as I can afford it.

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

Happy Potter said:

I got back from sinus and nose op 7 pm last night, o my goodness, much pain. I was up almost hourly to sip water to relieve dry lips and tongue. No packing but a nose full of dissolvable stiches.
Just resting. I’ll be good as gold soon :)

My sympathies.

My dentist is drilling nerve roots out.

Root canal? If so, I had one a year or so, but never again. In fact it is going to come out as soon as I can afford it.

She offered me that choice but ‘m running low on teeth.

Good morning Gardeners. We have around 5 degrees and there has been a little rain.

I had a root canal job done around 10 to 15 years ago. I had to go to a specialist endodontist in Melbourne for a couple of sittings of about an hour (at $750 each, which did hurt) and then my own dentist fitted the gold cap (another $1000). I remember some pain after the drilling, but the pain killers worked and it was only very short term. I’d certainly do it again rather than lose a tooth.

buffy said:

Good morning Gardeners. We have around 5 degrees and there has been a little rain.

I had a root canal job done around 10 to 15 years ago. I had to go to a specialist endodontist in Melbourne for a couple of sittings of about an hour (at $750 each, which did hurt) and then my own dentist fitted the gold cap (another $1000). I remember some pain after the drilling, but the pain killers worked and it was only very short term. I’d certainly do it again rather than lose a tooth.

Well I have two to do. One that was started the first session on Tues. The other was done in around 1988 and fell out on Monday. Apart from falling out, the previous years I had no trouble with it at all.

Can someone please tell the Rain Gods that I’d like a day of sunshine tomorrow please. I haven’t finished pruning the apples and the apricot. And the roses in Casterton.

Time I put some gloves on and did a bit of weeding. I’m not going to Casterton today, I’ll do that tomorrow. Things are too sodden today.

Pfft, on Gardening Australia they are talking about some NSW garden as somewhat unusual in being set up in the 1960s with native plants. I used to frequent Maranoa Gardens as a child, in Melbourne. It predates that NSW one by 60 years:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maranoa_Gardens

buffy said:

Pfft, on Gardening Australia they are talking about some NSW garden as somewhat unusual in being set up in the 1960s with native plants. I used to frequent Maranoa Gardens as a child, in Melbourne. It predates that NSW one by 60 years:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maranoa_Gardens

They are wankers. Haven’t had a decent announcer since the original.

I don’t mind Costa. I didn’t watch it before because I couldn’t stand the old man. But they do some odd segments at times. I’m not disputing that it’s interesting to know about the garden they were visiting, but to get all excited about its longevity without mentioning others is a bit silly. I should check the age of the Points Arboretum in Coleraine. It may well be pre 1960s also, I expect.

Ah, Points is of about the same age as the one featured on the program. I thought it was older than that.

http://www.thepoints.org.au/history.html

Some of the trees must have really liked the area, they are quite big.

buffy said:

I don’t mind Costa. I didn’t watch it before because I couldn’t stand the old man. But they do some odd segments at times. I’m not disputing that it’s interesting to know about the garden they were visiting, but to get all excited about its longevity without mentioning others is a bit silly. I should check the age of the Points Arboretum in Coleraine. It may well be pre 1960s also, I expect.

Yes. Costa is a fun bloke. Infectious and hands on. I agree that the program often has me muttering about silliness.

Good morning Gardeners. There are more daffodils out now.

Here too, love the bright yellow daffs among the green and damp. Hyacinths too, oh the perfume! Only thing is I never planted hyacinths, so I don’t know how they got there.
My face and nose is healing, I can smell the jonquils up close :)

buffy said:

Good morning Gardeners. There are more daffodils out now.

I’m finding more jonquil flowers lying on the ground after being nipped off their stalks by cockatoos.

Happy Potter said:

Here too, love the bright yellow daffs among the green and damp. Hyacinths too, oh the perfume! Only thing is I never planted hyacinths, so I don’t know how they got there.
My face and nose is healing, I can smell the jonquils up close :)

Grape hyacinths are the bane of my yard. The better half pulled some up with every weed that was pulled and tossed the weeds up the back yard and now there are patches of the bloody things all over the place. I kill so many every year but they are still everywhere.

bluegreen said:

buffy said:

Good morning Gardeners. There are more daffodils out now.

I’m finding more jonquil flowers lying on the ground after being nipped off their stalks by cockatoos.

In my garden there’s more Eremophila flowers being eaten off.

My peas are starting to pick up after the frosts.

I like grape hyacinths, and they too have a pleasant smell. I’m really enjoying the white daphne smelling out most of the backyard.

Oh, and the Lachanalias are out also and have been for a few weeks. Roses are bursting leaves. They may regret that. I don’t think the frosts have finished, although the season is on the change.

buffy said:

Oh, and the Lachanalias are out also and have been for a few weeks. Roses are bursting leaves. They may regret that. I don’t think the frosts have finished, although the season is on the change.

We should get at least one frost about mid next week. There could and should be the odd one more in later weeks.

I’m wondering what results I’d get from making grapefruit and mandarin marmalade?

roughbarked said:

I’m wondering what results I’d get from making grapefruit and mandarin marmalade?

I don’t like marmalade so I don’t think I’d like it…

painmaster said:

roughbarked said:

I’m wondering what results I’d get from making grapefruit and mandarin marmalade?

I don’t like marmalade so I don’t think I’d like it…

I’m not big on it either and mandarins are atypical in marmalade. The other alternative is to juice and freeze them all. Glace fruit is too expensive and uses a lot of sugar.

I’ve started to graft the grapefruit over to lime and blood orange. I’ve several varieties of mandarin but most only fruit smaller amounts. The little thorny mandarin makes huge crops every second year.

Just been to my work capacity assessment interview at Centrelink. It went well. The interviewer was very sympathetic but she doesn’t get to make the decision, just reports the results of the interview. She couldn’t say if I will be successful or not but what she has done is made sure that even if I don’t get the DSP I will have 12 months where I can just present a doctor’s certificate and it will be accepted. She said if I am not better in 12 months then reapply. Sometimes it takes 2 or 3 goes before they approved you apparently and they take into consideration that you have not improved since the last time.

Evening :)
Bluegreen at least nowadays if you aren’t approved for the dsp they can match you to jobs that you are capable of.

GS is still in hosp’ but can go home this thurs. The magic medication mix was finally found and we have our giggly cuddly teddy bear back :) This time the supports have been increased and he will have a worker visit him every 2nd day, and this person will take him to all his follow up appointments and fortnightly to a clinic for an injection. That should keep him on the straight and narrow.

I’m coming good after a little setback and one further day in the local hospital. All good now, again. Initially though I copped the doctor from hell who was insisting I take strong pain medication that I am pretty sure I cannot have, plus I wasn’t in that much pain anyway. I felt like a child saying I don’t need that and I am not going to take it. Then a nurse puts a cannula into my arm, misses the vein and saline was going into subcutaneous tissue, as I dozed my arm went hard, white and very cold from pooling fluids. Now that was painful! I woke and put the clamp on the line myself and buzzed them. Oh they were so, so sorry.

In the garden..I’ve planted out five asparagus crowns that I’d raised from seed, 3 sweet purples and 2 fat bas(@%$s. They’d been in pots for nearly 3 years. My original asp’ is sending up heaps of spears at the moment. I eat them as I harvest.
I pulled out the poorest looking peas that didn’t fruit at all. Possums had nibbled the tops and they didn’t pick up. In their place I’ve planted 15 lazy housewife bean seeds. I know I can grow them! I hope to have a presto canner by next month and I reckon by years end I’ll have jars of asparagus, and beans, lol.
My tiny caulis didn’t pick up so they got pulled up and fed to chooks. Broccoli too as it was going to seed.

Happy Potter said:

Evening :)
Bluegreen at least nowadays if you aren’t approved for the dsp they can match you to jobs that you are capable of.

In theory, only THEIR idea of what I am capable of usually exceeds my ACTUAL capability. At least this lady got it and has put me on zero capability for a year if I am unsuccessful.

Happy Potter said:

GS is still in hosp’ but can go home this thurs. The magic medication mix was finally found and we have our giggly cuddly teddy bear back :) This time the supports have been increased and he will have a worker visit him every 2nd day, and this person will take him to all his follow up appointments and fortnightly to a clinic for an injection. That should keep him on the straight and narrow.

I’m coming good after a little setback and one further day in the local hospital. All good now, again. Initially though I copped the doctor from hell who was insisting I take strong pain medication that I am pretty sure I cannot have, plus I wasn’t in that much pain anyway. I felt like a child saying I don’t need that and I am not going to take it. Then a nurse puts a cannula into my arm, misses the vein and saline was going into subcutaneous tissue, as I dozed my arm went hard, white and very cold from pooling fluids. Now that was painful! I woke and put the clamp on the line myself and buzzed them. Oh they were so, so sorry.

Happy Potter said:

Good news about GS but gosh, I don’t want to end out in your hospital! Is this the same one that forgot to give you your meds when you had the back operation? Seems they can’t get it right! I expect the staff are overworked due to them being understaffed due to not enough money.

Happy Potter said:

In the garden..I’ve planted out five asparagus crowns that I’d raised from seed, 3 sweet purples and 2 fat bas(@%$s. They’d been in pots for nearly 3 years. My original asp’ is sending up heaps of spears at the moment. I eat them as I harvest.
I pulled out the poorest looking peas that didn’t fruit at all. Possums had nibbled the tops and they didn’t pick up. In their place I’ve planted 15 lazy housewife bean seeds. I know I can grow them! I hope to have a presto canner by next month and I reckon by years end I’ll have jars of asparagus, and beans, lol.
My tiny caulis didn’t pick up so they got pulled up and fed to chooks. Broccoli too as it was going to seed.

I love fresh picked asparagus, but I can’t keep the beds weed free so I gave up a long time ago. All I have going is what can look after themselves – perennial leeks, chinese celery and one little kale plant that is yet to get going. I did have two but one got fungal rot before I could get it into the garden bed. Otherwise it is kikuyu grass and the corn stalks from last season that I don’t have energy to pull out.

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Evening :)
Bluegreen at least nowadays if you aren’t approved for the dsp they can match you to jobs that you are capable of.

In theory, only THEIR idea of what I am capable of usually exceeds my ACTUAL capability. At least this lady got it and has put me on zero capability for a year if I am unsuccessful.

Happy Potter said:

GS is still in hosp’ but can go home this thurs. The magic medication mix was finally found and we have our giggly cuddly teddy bear back :) This time the supports have been increased and he will have a worker visit him every 2nd day, and this person will take him to all his follow up appointments and fortnightly to a clinic for an injection. That should keep him on the straight and narrow.

I’m coming good after a little setback and one further day in the local hospital. All good now, again. Initially though I copped the doctor from hell who was insisting I take strong pain medication that I am pretty sure I cannot have, plus I wasn’t in that much pain anyway. I felt like a child saying I don’t need that and I am not going to take it. Then a nurse puts a cannula into my arm, misses the vein and saline was going into subcutaneous tissue, as I dozed my arm went hard, white and very cold from pooling fluids. Now that was painful! I woke and put the clamp on the line myself and buzzed them. Oh they were so, so sorry.

Happy Potter said:

Good news about GS but gosh, I don’t want to end out in your hospital! Is this the same one that forgot to give you your meds when you had the back operation? Seems they can’t get it right! I expect the staff are overworked due to them being understaffed due to not enough money.

Happy Potter said:

In the garden..I’ve planted out five asparagus crowns that I’d raised from seed, 3 sweet purples and 2 fat bas(@%$s. They’d been in pots for nearly 3 years. My original asp’ is sending up heaps of spears at the moment. I eat them as I harvest.
I pulled out the poorest looking peas that didn’t fruit at all. Possums had nibbled the tops and they didn’t pick up. In their place I’ve planted 15 lazy housewife bean seeds. I know I can grow them! I hope to have a presto canner by next month and I reckon by years end I’ll have jars of asparagus, and beans, lol.
My tiny caulis didn’t pick up so they got pulled up and fed to chooks. Broccoli too as it was going to seed.

I love fresh picked asparagus, but I can’t keep the beds weed free so I gave up a long time ago. All I have going is what can look after themselves – perennial leeks, chinese celery and one little kale plant that is yet to get going. I did have two but one got fungal rot before I could get it into the garden bed. Otherwise it is kikuyu grass and the corn stalks from last season that I don’t have energy to pull out.

No BG, different hospital. My back op was in the city, this was at my local w’bee hosp. I put in an incident report (as opposed to a complaint) They will follow up and get back to me.

Re the asparagus, if the bed becomes weedy, do the spears not come up? My A’ bed isn’t weedy, I keep it pretty well mulched with chook straw and manures. I only have the one productive plant but it’s a heavy producer.

GS is going home today, happy and as healthy mind wise as he probably ever has been. However, police have thrown a spanner in the works by deciding to do a risk assessment on both he and his girlfriend and have decided that the girlfriend may not live with him. I’ve had no prior warning of this, nor has the hospital. I implored them to delay the matter, their timing is way off. This action will only upset them both. The hosp have done a psychiatric assessment on the girlfriend as well. I told the police person I spoke to, to contact the doctors first, that my son has been through hell and back and we don’t want to upset him. I will attend the hearing. Hubs is asleep on nightshift atm.

ps, I had a pied cormorant visit my backyard yesterday, blowed if I know why it was here at this time of the year, especially as I no longer have a pond with fish in it, but it upset my chickens no end. A 4 month old hamburg cockerel went for it. That brave little chook actually flew at the bigger bird and chased it off! He was screaming his little head off. Now that’s a sound I haven’t heard before, obviously an extreme danger one. The cockerel went up and over a tall fence and I found him sitting with his heart beating so hard, panting and still screaming. Sounded like a ten ton continuous crow call. No injuries and he’s ok now after quieting him down. I had to put his head under my jacket arm to get him to stop the noise!

Happy Potter said:

ps, I had a pied cormorant visit my backyard yesterday, blowed if I know why it was here at this time of the year, especially as I no longer have a pond with fish in it, but it upset my chickens no end. A 4 month old hamburg cockerel went for it. That brave little chook actually flew at the bigger bird and chased it off! He was screaming his little head off. Now that’s a sound I haven’t heard before, obviously an extreme danger one. The cockerel went up and over a tall fence and I found him sitting with his heart beating so hard, panting and still screaming. Sounded like a ten ton continuous crow call. No injuries and he’s ok now after quieting him down. I had to put his head under my jacket arm to get him to stop the noise!

His mother told him that there was a good restaurant there and he came to order a meal only to find that it had closed down.

Happy Potter said:

Re the asparagus, if the bed becomes weedy, do the spears not come up? My A’ bed isn’t weedy, I keep it pretty well mulched with chook straw and manures. I only have the one productive plant but it’s a heavy producer.

GS is going home today, happy and as healthy mind wise as he probably ever has been. However, police have thrown a spanner in the works by deciding to do a risk assessment on both he and his girlfriend and have decided that the girlfriend may not live with him. I’ve had no prior warning of this, nor has the hospital. I implored them to delay the matter, their timing is way off. This action will only upset them both. The hosp have done a psychiatric assessment on the girlfriend as well. I told the police person I spoke to, to contact the doctors first, that my son has been through hell and back and we don’t want to upset him. I will attend the hearing. Hubs is asleep on nightshift atm.

I tried growing it at the house in Melbourne but the soil was riddled with couch grass runners. Yes the asparagus would come up but I didn’t have the energy to maintain it at a level that it didn’t eventually get lost in the couch.

Hope it gets sorted out for GS and his girlfriend. Did the police know he was being medially assessed, or is it just coincidence that they are doing it now? A bit a communication and cooperation wouldn’t have gone astray!

Happy Potter said:

ps, I had a pied cormorant visit my backyard yesterday, blowed if I know why it was here at this time of the year, especially as I no longer have a pond with fish in it, but it upset my chickens no end. A 4 month old hamburg cockerel went for it. That brave little chook actually flew at the bigger bird and chased it off! He was screaming his little head off. Now that’s a sound I haven’t heard before, obviously an extreme danger one. The cockerel went up and over a tall fence and I found him sitting with his heart beating so hard, panting and still screaming. Sounded like a ten ton continuous crow call. No injuries and he’s ok now after quieting him down. I had to put his head under my jacket arm to get him to stop the noise!

brave little fellow :)

Not a single asparagus poking up as of yet. Am still battling to juice all the citrus and freeze it before it all rots away. This year I had several out of season flowering events which only produce citrus fruit which that never matures. No sign of fruit fly yet but keeping the fruit cleaned up is always good policy.

Hello Gardeners. As I have just pulled the stove apart and cleaned it, now I might go outside and sort out the thornless loganberry canes. The plants haven’t produced so many canes this year, I’d better feed them up better.

And the nectarine blossom is out. I may have pruned a bit harshly……

:)

The blossoms are in full swing. The almond is finished the apricots are beautiful. The early peaches have fruit. Nectarines are full on too. I’m still juicing citrus. Hacked back the grapefruit because I’m the only one who eats it but I’already grafted a lime on. soon I’ll do a blood orange too.

Eating fresh picked peas.

roughbarked said:

Eating fresh picked peas.

Envious. I can’t seem to grow peas no matter what I try.

Goodness these Hamburghs are crazy minxes. I moved the chook tractor on my own and one escaped. She went straight back into the long run, fortunately. They are damn fast when you are trying to catch them! Now she is sitting on the nest with her wings over her head ‘not looking’ and pretending to be frightened. Nuts!

(Well, she hasn’t really got her wings over her head, but that is what she looks like she want to do…)

And now the old Speckled Sussex has got into the box with her and is cuddling her under her wing. Like she was a baby. She’s a fully egg laying girl!