Garden Update - May 2014

What a difference a few weeks can make! Since we had the rain at the very end of March (about 100 mm) and then a top up of 30 mm in mid-April, suddenly everything is BRIGHT GREEN again and growing vigorously. Its not going to last long though, the nights are getting cool and the grass will die off as soon as we have the first frost, along with the frost-sensitive veges like tomatoes, potatoes and curcubits.

harvest basket in May 2014

In April I continued to harvest chillies, kale, tromboncino, various asian greens and herbs. And a few rosellas. I'm hoping I can harvest some more before they die off over winter. With the rain and cooler temperatures, lots of seedlings sprouted up around the garden, so I sprinkled out a few more seeds. I also planted carrots, turnips and radishes. The radishes should be ready to harvest soon.

A massive patch of parsley (which I have had to start thinning out!)
and behind that is self-seeded onions that I have been spreading out in this garden bed

I moved the herbs out of the shade and back into the middle of the garden
so they could get some sun

here's all the seedlings sprouting and the tromboncino taking over the garden

I planted some peas too, not sure how they will tolerate the frost though

There are lots of tiny chokos on the vine, here's a double choko!

Another rosella flower, they are so pretty!

And some rosellas nearly ready to pick

Last month I was asked a couple of questions:
What do I do with tromboncinos? They are like zuchinnis and I used them in everything when we are picking so many. I have recently read that they can also be allowed to mature and used a bit like pumpkin, so I am leaving some on the vine. I would like to save seed, but last year none of the seeds had developed enough. I wrote more about trombos here.

What are rosellas? The rosella plant (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is a species of Hibiscus native to the west Africa, I wrote more about rosella's here. The part of the plant most commonly used is the calyx (the bits around the flower), which I dry and use for tea, but can also be made into jam. The leaves are also edible. I'll write more about them in my herb series in a few months.

The eternal tug of war game...

This month I am going to see what happens with the weather. As it gets colder I need to move some of the pots of fruit trees seedlings up out of the frost (onto my seed-raising table under the car port), and pull out the garden plants that die off. I'll keep planting seeds and thinning out my seedlings. I have some more mulch out in the paddock, so I'll pick that up and spread it around a few bare patches. Winter is also a good time to pick up cow manure for the compost as the dung beetles are less active in the cold (and don't get to all the poo before I do!).

How is your garden growing? What are you planning for May?

From the Farm Blog Hop
Simple Saturdays Blog Hop
Clever Chicks Blog Hop
Homestead Barn Hop
Homeacre Hop

Farm update - August 2017

Its been cold this month, and very nice to have the fire going every night. Here's a photo of my boy in his cape, great for late night woofing at things. Most of July we were either preparing for the butcher to come or putting meat away. Its always a big job, but its only once a year, and its all done now. My lovely neighbour came over to help, so it was fun to have the company and work together. Taz was a champion once again as she helped us to move cattle in the yards ready to load for the market. Gus is not at that level yet and had to stay home (he cries when he gets left behind, but he just gets in the way and scatters the cattle). We have had a few sprinkles of rain here and there, but also plenty of cold nights, so the grass is mostly dead and dry, waiting for the warmer weather to revive our summer-active pasture. Gus in his cape Taz after she helped to move cattle Food and cooking It was all about beef in July and we are v...

Cooking and eating beans

When I was growing up, my family never ate many dried beans, they just weren't something that was used much in NZ cuisine. If I did eat beans, it was always from a can (and most likely baked beans). And until recently I was still using beans from a can, but it can be difficult to get organic beans, and to find cans not lined with BPA. Then I had an opportunity to buy some organic dry goods in bulk, so I bought 5kg of kidney beans, 5kg of adzuki beans and 5kg of chickpea (garbanzo beans). I know, that is a lot of beans. And then I didn't really know what to do with them! Not just what dishes to put them in, but how to prepare them, I just didn't know what method to use. So I decided it was time to learn how to use all these beans that I bought, here's what I found out. I started with an excellent ebook called The Everything Beans Book , from Katie at Kitchen Stewardship, which has lots of bean recipes, but more importantly, an explanation of h...

Guest post: Is there a place for power tools in the garden?

One of my regular readers and commenters offered to write a guest post about a horticulture course, its quite a funny read, with some serious insights into our technology obsession. If you'd like to submit a guest post, email me at eight.acres.liz {at} gmail.com. While I am always happy to share links back to your blog or website, this contributor preferred to remain anonymous. I hope you enjoy their story.... -**- -**- -**- -**- -**- -**- -**- -**- -**- -**- -**- -**- -**- -**- Just a few days ago our daily horticulture classes were interrupted by an invitation to review some new gardening gadgets. The idea was to open half a dozen of electric hand trimmers , test them and fill in some review about their goods and bads. As nothing is more dear to a student – even a “hort “ one - to escape routine and mess around till lunchtime, we opened the boxes and got down to business. What did we...

Eight Acres

Search This Blog