June already!! I couldn't believe it when I logged in and found 103 followers! Wow, thanks everyone for showing an interest. If you've just joined recently, please have a read of the tabs/pages about cattle, chickens etc, if you want to catch up on what we've been doing for the past couple of years.
Anyway, I finally decided to set up a Facebook page, even though I've been putting it off and thinking that I don't need another gadget to look at! I do find the occasional link or video that I'd like to share with everyone, but doesn't warrant an entire post, so I'll just be popping interesting things on the Facebook page when I find them, as well as each blog post as its published. It was easier than I expected actually, and I'll keep working on it to get the most out of it. If you'd like to have a look at the page its:
http://www.facebook.com/EightAcresTheBlog. Or you can just "like" the page via the widget on the top right of my blog page. This will mean that anything that I post on the Eight Acres Facebook page will appear on your Facebook homepage so you can keep up with the blog. The entire blog is also networked to the Facebook page, so you can click back through blog post from the Facebook page. Let me know what you think!
So back to the update......We've only had one frost, on May 15th and it was very mild, so everything is still growing ok. We've had a bit of rain on the last couple of weekends of the month, about 10-20 mL, just enough to make the grass a little greener. I'm looking forward to harvesting some root veges, I already pulled out a few mini carrots when I was thinning them (again!) and they look very promising.
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| root veges |
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| thinned purple carrots |
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the brasiccas are still going crazy, and I have been harvesting bok choi etc
by just taking a few leaves at a time from each plant, which seems to work |
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the self-seeded parsley patch in the front, worm farm move to garden
for better shade and enormous capsicum bush behind that |
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| broad beans so far, I've heard that they're slow, I hope that's all that's wrong! |
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| leeks, also taking forever to grow! |
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| the first lime on my container lime tree |
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the garden "archway" - could not have achieved this effect if I tried, it is
a combo of poor mans bean plant and cherry tomatoes |
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| can you see the tomato plant popping out the top, wonderful relationship! |
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| paw paws are feeling the cold I think |
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| garden from other side |
We have so many chickens, it is quite ridiculous, especially when we only get 1-2 eggs per day from 9 hens, all at various stages of moulting. We built another chicken tractor, post coming soon, to house all the growing chicks, should have lots of roosters to eat and lovely laying hens come spring.
Bella is dried up now, it was easier than we expected, but I miss the milk already, will explain more in coming post. Now does she look pregnant? She should have the calf in mid September. Hard to tell if she is just fat.
The kelpies were scratching constantly with fleas (ch ch ch), so I finally gave in and bathed both of them, even though Pat Coleby reckons that its natural to leave them unbathed (I wonder if its also natural for them to have fleas too, but they seem irritated with all the scratching). I was most gratified to see dead fleas floating in the bath water (as well as all that dirt) and were lovely and shiny and clean for about 10 minutes until they found something to roll in! Anyway, a drop of eucalyptus oil on each dog and lots of diatomaceous earth on their outside beds and here's hoping that regular baths will keep the fleas away, because I'm determined
not to use chemicals. More on natural flea control
here.
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| doggy bath water - never clean the bathroom before bathing the dogs! |
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| blissfully unaware that bath-time is to be a regular occurrence again |
Finally, we picked some lemons from one of our new neighbour's trees. I would never normally climb through fences, but this tree is on its own in the middle of a paddock next to our new place, and its about 100 years old (the original house stumps are nearby - house burnt down long ago), never pruned or fertilised (apart from cattle using it for shelter and pooing all around it), ungrafted, and it is COVERED in the most beautiful lemons. We took a shirt-full and when I squeezed them they are bright yellow, and sweet enough to drink half a lemon in water. I now need to find that neighbour's house and go and ask if I can take some more, they are so delicious!
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| how's that for lemon juice? |
Wow, your garden looks very productive. We have also been busy reclaiming our garden, the weather is just perfect for it.
ReplyDeleteWe use lime around the dog beds for fleas. The book you mentioned is well worth the money, a must have!
I was been told by the breeder we bought Missy from that lavender oil repels fleas. Don't know if it works or not, but the thought of two tough kelpies smelling like lavender would be a bit of a giggle.
ReplyDeleteLiz, this is all looking amazing. You have certainly been extremely busy.
ReplyDeleteI would love to have seen the dogs get a bath.
I was just reading about diatomaceous earth this week for keeping flies away now we have the chickens.
I am looking forward to reading more of your garden and animal updates.
I'm not surprised by all your followers. There's always plenty happening on your blog! I wish I lived closer because I would love to go for a wander around your garden. It looks great!
ReplyDeletethanks everyone. The kelpies have had ANOTHER bath and still fleas, urgh! Farmer Pete has promised one more chance before we have to use flea chemicals, so back in the bath. Have tried lavender Missy, they aren't so tough :) and also tried lime and DE around the dog's beds. Also tried same on chickens and some now have lice, these insects are impossible!!!
ReplyDelete