A list of progress, completed projects and to-do's...
* Seedlings continuing to grow well and have been put outside under shelter on my porch and will put up another set of seeds in a few weeks.
* The two chickens are now laying an egg each every day - woohoo!!
* I've finally found a correspondence herbal course to do through Susun Weed. Can't wait to start.
* Need to shop for my passionfruit and grape vines in the next few weeks.
* Yikes, need to think about seed potatoes too!
* Reassessed the emergency food bin again today (can see this needs to be done every 3mths to be on top of it) and circulated food into the house and have some food to purchase in the next lot of groceries. It's all food that we consume on a week-to-week basis so nothing weird to try and use up. Tins will need to all come out at the end of the year as they will be 2yrs old and really need consuming.
* Have spotted *heaps* of calendula seedlings that have popped up from last years plants.
* Put some more flower bulbs in the ground (still can't recall what they are).
* Have reintroduced quinoa and rice back into our diets so have been having fun cooking some different meals again.
August 17, 2009
August 14, 2009
Watching plants grow...
Oh yes, the triffids are taking over my bedroom. I was just checking out these 11 day old bean seedlings this morning and for some reason sat down and just gazed at them for a while. It was then that I realised that every minute or two they were shuddering as the leaves moved and grew. Freaky.
August 13, 2009
As we were eating our lunch today on the deck, I was admiring the view we have out over our backyard and beyond.
It's funny, I think the kids think I made paths for them to drive their dumptrucks around like a racetrack lol. I wonder how long it will last before the mulch ends up *in* the garden. Oh well, no matter either way, and it keeps the kids entertained and the garden likes mulch lol.
It's funny, I think the kids think I made paths for them to drive their dumptrucks around like a racetrack lol. I wonder how long it will last before the mulch ends up *in* the garden. Oh well, no matter either way, and it keeps the kids entertained and the garden likes mulch lol.
The no 'poo update
That's No Shampoo for those new to the term.
It's coming up 3 years since I first heard of no-pooing and just dove in and gave it a go.
After the initial settling in period (around 6 wks) I haven't looked back nor thought twice about my hair routine. After breaking free from the daily shampoo cycle (even using SLS free natural shampoos) I now wash my hair twice a week and the only thing going near it is baking soda to clean it and ACV (apple cider vinegar) as the rinse to smooth the hair.
I was curious recently when I visited the hairdresser for the first time in 18 mths (I'm growing my hair) as to how she found the condition of it. I started raving on about the BS/ACV routine but pulled myself up in case she thought it was in terrible condition lol.
Anyway, she couldn't get over the fact that I don't use a condition and just how soft and lovely my hair is. So there you go.
And where did all this curl come from??? Seriously, I always had lank straightish hair with a few weird waves that I have always hated and spent my life trying to straighten out. It wasn't till I realised without the weight of shampoos and conditioners that my hair is quite different and providing I don't brush it I can avoid a fuzzy look lol.
It's coming up 3 years since I first heard of no-pooing and just dove in and gave it a go.
After the initial settling in period (around 6 wks) I haven't looked back nor thought twice about my hair routine. After breaking free from the daily shampoo cycle (even using SLS free natural shampoos) I now wash my hair twice a week and the only thing going near it is baking soda to clean it and ACV (apple cider vinegar) as the rinse to smooth the hair.
I was curious recently when I visited the hairdresser for the first time in 18 mths (I'm growing my hair) as to how she found the condition of it. I started raving on about the BS/ACV routine but pulled myself up in case she thought it was in terrible condition lol.
Anyway, she couldn't get over the fact that I don't use a condition and just how soft and lovely my hair is. So there you go.
And where did all this curl come from??? Seriously, I always had lank straightish hair with a few weird waves that I have always hated and spent my life trying to straighten out. It wasn't till I realised without the weight of shampoos and conditioners that my hair is quite different and providing I don't brush it I can avoid a fuzzy look lol.
August 12, 2009
The Planting Plan
This evening I've been working on how I will plant out the garden this year. I like to rotate the plants around and also companion plant (for beneficial as well as avoiding antagonists) as much as possible. I don't have a set rotation plan that I work off but kind of play it by ear yet taking into account what was where over the past 2 years (just as well for blogging...).
This year I am not doing corn - have had disappointing and mixed results over the past 2 years and I have other things I'd rather concentrate my time on I think.
I will be dotting 10 pumpkin and squash plants amongst the garden (including two in the back on an old compost heap).
I will be dotting sunflower plants everywhere - apparently good companions to pumpkins and squash (and they'll look good ;)). But need to keep them away from potatoes.
I will put my peas up the teepee with the beans.
I have created a wide bed on the right hand side of the garden this year that will have tomatoes up along the fence line and in front will be intercropped with beneficial plants (onions, carrots, spring onions, leeks, lettuces and celery).
Other plants will be plonked into beds with companions (that sounds dodgy).
Although my garlics are already on the go, I will put some beetroots amongst them and see how they go - apparently good for each other and since I don't seem to have much luck with beetroot, this will be a good experiment.
This year I am not doing corn - have had disappointing and mixed results over the past 2 years and I have other things I'd rather concentrate my time on I think.
I will be dotting 10 pumpkin and squash plants amongst the garden (including two in the back on an old compost heap).
I will be dotting sunflower plants everywhere - apparently good companions to pumpkins and squash (and they'll look good ;)). But need to keep them away from potatoes.
I will put my peas up the teepee with the beans.
I have created a wide bed on the right hand side of the garden this year that will have tomatoes up along the fence line and in front will be intercropped with beneficial plants (onions, carrots, spring onions, leeks, lettuces and celery).
Other plants will be plonked into beds with companions (that sounds dodgy).
Although my garlics are already on the go, I will put some beetroots amongst them and see how they go - apparently good for each other and since I don't seem to have much luck with beetroot, this will be a good experiment.
August 11, 2009
Garden update
Well, the garden is looking great and ready for plantings in 6wks or so. I finished mulching the paths today and moved the chickens (with the bean teepee behind it). Simon finished digging the steps down into the garden last weekend. I planted a newly purchased lemon tree.
Here is the completed grapevine frame with strawberries in front. We found our wire strawberry bird cover under the house (this was made by my grandad many, many years ago. So pleased that I decided it was something that might come in handy one day.
A stack of wood from my parents house for next winter.
I have put more seeds in trays. Mostly ones where the germination rate hasn't been the best so have put up more to ensure we have enough. They're all looking good and some more are ready for a 2nd potting soon. I want them all about 15cm before transplanting. Currently I have seedlings on the go for: cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, spring onions, pumpkin/squash, cucumber, scarlett runner beans (for the kids teepee), tomatoes (including cherry), sugarsnap peas, zucchini and lettuces. It's been great having them in the house actually, I'm more inclined to keep an eye on them for watering and the kids get to see the dramatic growth happening.
The weather has been so nice I've spent time weeding out my front garden leading to the house and replanted the pansies that had been taken over over winter. I saw my daffodils finally too through the weeds! I cleared an area in a sheltered corner of the garden to store the kids bikes instead of on my front porch cluttering things up. Simon just needs to make a little roof to go over them.
Here is the completed grapevine frame with strawberries in front. We found our wire strawberry bird cover under the house (this was made by my grandad many, many years ago. So pleased that I decided it was something that might come in handy one day.
A stack of wood from my parents house for next winter.
I have put more seeds in trays. Mostly ones where the germination rate hasn't been the best so have put up more to ensure we have enough. They're all looking good and some more are ready for a 2nd potting soon. I want them all about 15cm before transplanting. Currently I have seedlings on the go for: cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, spring onions, pumpkin/squash, cucumber, scarlett runner beans (for the kids teepee), tomatoes (including cherry), sugarsnap peas, zucchini and lettuces. It's been great having them in the house actually, I'm more inclined to keep an eye on them for watering and the kids get to see the dramatic growth happening.
The weather has been so nice I've spent time weeding out my front garden leading to the house and replanted the pansies that had been taken over over winter. I saw my daffodils finally too through the weeds! I cleared an area in a sheltered corner of the garden to store the kids bikes instead of on my front porch cluttering things up. Simon just needs to make a little roof to go over them.
August 05, 2009
More seeds have been popped into the propagators.
The first lot of seedlings have now been transferred from the propagators into little pots to continue to grow inside the hothouse (aka my bedroom lol) for another 6wks or so until the soil warms up and frosts are all safely gone (have only had about 3 frosts this year so far).
We've continued on with creating mulch, digging up paths and laying the mulch down and digging the steps down into the lower garden (is looking great!).
The strawberries are coming along nicely. Do *you* leave the flowers the first year or pinch them out to give a stronger better producing plant the 2nd and 3rd year? Seems to be one of those growing 'rules' that goes either way (kinda like tomatoes and their laterals)!
The garlics look great - but not so great with an entire wheelbarrow full of soil and weeds fallen on them though after a horrendous downpour all yesterday (what's with the sun one day, storm the next and sun the next?. Fortunately they are nicely established but still flexible enough to not seem to have been snapped off.
The bean teepee has been constructed and ready to go. I used last year's saved beans to pop into pots for these.
I bought a lemon tree to pop down in the lower garden where the soil is rich. I tried one in the upper garden about 18mths ago but it did absolutely zilch. I suspect the sandy soil (our area is built on sand dunes) and lack of water in summer wasn't a good combo. The lower garden seems to have better humidity, much better soil and dries out less due to less wind because of the fences and trees surrounding it.
The first lot of seedlings have now been transferred from the propagators into little pots to continue to grow inside the hothouse (aka my bedroom lol) for another 6wks or so until the soil warms up and frosts are all safely gone (have only had about 3 frosts this year so far).
We've continued on with creating mulch, digging up paths and laying the mulch down and digging the steps down into the lower garden (is looking great!).
The strawberries are coming along nicely. Do *you* leave the flowers the first year or pinch them out to give a stronger better producing plant the 2nd and 3rd year? Seems to be one of those growing 'rules' that goes either way (kinda like tomatoes and their laterals)!
The garlics look great - but not so great with an entire wheelbarrow full of soil and weeds fallen on them though after a horrendous downpour all yesterday (what's with the sun one day, storm the next and sun the next?. Fortunately they are nicely established but still flexible enough to not seem to have been snapped off.
The bean teepee has been constructed and ready to go. I used last year's saved beans to pop into pots for these.
I bought a lemon tree to pop down in the lower garden where the soil is rich. I tried one in the upper garden about 18mths ago but it did absolutely zilch. I suspect the sandy soil (our area is built on sand dunes) and lack of water in summer wasn't a good combo. The lower garden seems to have better humidity, much better soil and dries out less due to less wind because of the fences and trees surrounding it.
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