Have been planting heaps in the vege garden this week. Have planted six broccoli, 2 cucumber, 2 zucchini and 6 celery (not that I even like celery but the rest of the family eats it). I planted the broccoli first and within a few hours the dog had dug most of them up. I replanted them and hopefully have managed to save them all. Luckily he hasn't touched any of the others, so hopefully he has learnt his lesson.
There are lots and lots of potatoes growing in the garden. Some have even just opened flowers on them - hopefully they'll be ready for Christmas dinner. I guess these have all grown from the potatoes I failed to harvest last year.
We also still have lots and lots of potatoes left over in the cupboard from last years harvest. Most of these are growing eyes and ears and noses, roots and shoots. I took a couple of dozen and planted them in the garden as well. No idea if they'll actually grow properly but I can't see why they wouldn't. Are these what you call seed potatoes?
So the grand total in the garden now is:
Potatoes: Heaps
Strawberry: Heaps
Tomatoes: 5 (1 got killed)
Lettuce: 0 (all eaten by rabbits)
Broccoli: 6
Cucumber: 2
Zucchini: 2
Celery: 6
Before I could do the planting I had to do a bit of weeding. At least the weeding is nothing near as bad as it was last summer when it had all gotten away on us. There are a lot of buttercups and dandelions and other common weeds I'm not sure of their names. At first I pulled out the weeds by hand. Then I discovered the hoe. It makes life so much easier, and is so much quicker. I can just pull it along and cut out all those weeds in one go. (Or if you want the rude version: "I used to just do the old hand job, until I discovered how good hoeing is, now it just takes one stroke and it's done"!!! LOL).
-M
24 November 2009
17 November 2009
Week 49 - The Birds
We have birds back again. Lots of chirping coming from the wall/ceiling between the kitchen and living room. Lots of evidence of birds in the guttering above the deck (bird poop, loose grass flying around, etc). Birds waking us every morning between 5 and 7.
I rescued three sparrows from the fireplace in one day last week. Must be a record.
Peter got up into the ceiling cavity and removed at least one nest, and blocked up a couple of entrances.
One of the cats got into the ceiling cavity on another occasion (no, she didn't climb the ladder - there is a small hatch from our bedroom wall into the roof cavity behind it) and had so much fun she didn't want to come back out again. But I don't know if she caught anything.
Speaking of cats, the other one managed to catch a rabbit for himself. And bring it up to the house to show off.
Have had some fine weather lately. Even the ground in the lower paddocks is starting to dry out. Have mowed the lawn and attempted some weedeating. It's still growing too quickly and feels futile.
Have eaten the first 8 strawberries from our garden. They were in ok condition but the birds had put some holes into a couple of them. The chicken wire over top of the strawberry patch continues to be flattened. I think it must be the wind rather than any animals. Shouldn't be too hard to find something to prop it up. Just gotta get around to it.
-M
I rescued three sparrows from the fireplace in one day last week. Must be a record.
Peter got up into the ceiling cavity and removed at least one nest, and blocked up a couple of entrances.
One of the cats got into the ceiling cavity on another occasion (no, she didn't climb the ladder - there is a small hatch from our bedroom wall into the roof cavity behind it) and had so much fun she didn't want to come back out again. But I don't know if she caught anything.
Speaking of cats, the other one managed to catch a rabbit for himself. And bring it up to the house to show off.
Have had some fine weather lately. Even the ground in the lower paddocks is starting to dry out. Have mowed the lawn and attempted some weedeating. It's still growing too quickly and feels futile.
Have eaten the first 8 strawberries from our garden. They were in ok condition but the birds had put some holes into a couple of them. The chicken wire over top of the strawberry patch continues to be flattened. I think it must be the wind rather than any animals. Shouldn't be too hard to find something to prop it up. Just gotta get around to it.
-M
10 November 2009
Week 48
Last week I went away on holiday to Norfolk Island. Had an absolutely marvellous time. Therefore didn't get much done around the place.
Came home to find only two of the six lettuces I planted still there. I suspect the bunnies got them. Pleased to see that we still have five of the six tomatoes. The strawberries are growing too. The chicken wire that sat over top of them had been flattened. Don't know if it was the dog or what, but there are still several strawberries growing and ripening so don't think the birds got any of them.
I think we have birds nesting in the guttering above the deck again.
-M
Came home to find only two of the six lettuces I planted still there. I suspect the bunnies got them. Pleased to see that we still have five of the six tomatoes. The strawberries are growing too. The chicken wire that sat over top of them had been flattened. Don't know if it was the dog or what, but there are still several strawberries growing and ripening so don't think the birds got any of them.
I think we have birds nesting in the guttering above the deck again.
-M
Week 47
Labour Weekend is traditionally the time for planting tomatoes. I was too busy making the most of the good weather by cutting grass and going to the beach.
So later in the week I went to the garden centre and bought six lettuces and six tomatoes (two ordinary, two Roma and two cherry). I planted them in the vege garden - the first plants I've planted in there (but it is already full of potatoes).
The following day one tomato was already destroyed. Not sure if it was the dog or the bunnies. In fact I don't fancy the chances of the lettuces surviving at all, due to the two or three bunnies living in the bushes nearby.
-M
So later in the week I went to the garden centre and bought six lettuces and six tomatoes (two ordinary, two Roma and two cherry). I planted them in the vege garden - the first plants I've planted in there (but it is already full of potatoes).
The following day one tomato was already destroyed. Not sure if it was the dog or the bunnies. In fact I don't fancy the chances of the lettuces surviving at all, due to the two or three bunnies living in the bushes nearby.
-M
Week 46
The weekend just gone was Labour Weekend here. We actually had fine weather all weekend which was really great. I managed to get out of the house and get some things done. Sprayed the weeds up and down the driveway.
Mowed the grass in the lavender field. It was so long that in places it was as tall as the lavender. It was so long that at times I couldn't even see the lavender. The lavender has started growing again but doesn't have any flowers yet so is just green and blends into the grass very well. Just to make sure I got all the grass, I went over it all twice.
Monday the weather was still fine so we ventured out to Foxton Beach for a picnic. What a nice spot.
-M
Mowed the grass in the lavender field. It was so long that in places it was as tall as the lavender. It was so long that at times I couldn't even see the lavender. The lavender has started growing again but doesn't have any flowers yet so is just green and blends into the grass very well. Just to make sure I got all the grass, I went over it all twice.
Monday the weather was still fine so we ventured out to Foxton Beach for a picnic. What a nice spot.
-M
Week 45
This weekend I went to a cheesemaking demonstration with the Farmers Unlimited group we belong to. One of the members has been making her own cheese for about six months and gave us a demonstration of what she does. It was by no means a course or tutorial. However I learnt a lot.
She showed us the steps in making a cheddar style cheese. Between steps we sampled some of her other cheeses (all sorts of types) and had a look around their property.
It was relatively simple, but time consuming. Not that you had to stand over it constantly but you did have to get the timings and the temperatures right. You couldn't just go off and start the laundry, get distracted by children and not get back to it for an hour. If you heat it too rapidly, or cool it too slowly, or leave it too long, it gets crumbly or some other problem.
Although it looks achievable, I don't think I'll start making my own cheese any time soon. Partly because of the time involved but mostly because of the cost. It takes 10 litres of milk to make 1 kilo of cheese. She gets her milk direct from the farmers, paying up to $1 a litre. Making her cheese a max of $10 a kilo. I don't know any dairy farmers. If I were to buy it from the supermarket it would be $1.50 a litre, or $15 a kilo. And given I can buy a kg of cheddar from the supermarket for around $10 I don't think it is particularly cost effective. If I were to make the fancier cheeses it would be worth it as they seem to be about $50 a kg in the supermarket. But since I'm not really a big cheese connesieur and we only buy the fancy cheeses for a special occasion, I don't think it would be worthwhile.
Meanwhile, back on the farm, we had One Fine Day this week. It has been raining a lot lately. Good for the water tank. But the grass has been getting very, very long. Yesterday was actually fine so while V had a nap I went outside and mowed 3/4 of our lawn. Today was forecast to rain and it held off long enough for me to finish off the rest of the lawn.
-M
She showed us the steps in making a cheddar style cheese. Between steps we sampled some of her other cheeses (all sorts of types) and had a look around their property.
It was relatively simple, but time consuming. Not that you had to stand over it constantly but you did have to get the timings and the temperatures right. You couldn't just go off and start the laundry, get distracted by children and not get back to it for an hour. If you heat it too rapidly, or cool it too slowly, or leave it too long, it gets crumbly or some other problem.
Although it looks achievable, I don't think I'll start making my own cheese any time soon. Partly because of the time involved but mostly because of the cost. It takes 10 litres of milk to make 1 kilo of cheese. She gets her milk direct from the farmers, paying up to $1 a litre. Making her cheese a max of $10 a kilo. I don't know any dairy farmers. If I were to buy it from the supermarket it would be $1.50 a litre, or $15 a kilo. And given I can buy a kg of cheddar from the supermarket for around $10 I don't think it is particularly cost effective. If I were to make the fancier cheeses it would be worth it as they seem to be about $50 a kg in the supermarket. But since I'm not really a big cheese connesieur and we only buy the fancy cheeses for a special occasion, I don't think it would be worthwhile.
Meanwhile, back on the farm, we had One Fine Day this week. It has been raining a lot lately. Good for the water tank. But the grass has been getting very, very long. Yesterday was actually fine so while V had a nap I went outside and mowed 3/4 of our lawn. Today was forecast to rain and it held off long enough for me to finish off the rest of the lawn.
-M
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