Triumphant Again

 
You may rest assured that your loyal duck herder continues to be associated with the ONCs BEST PERFORMING COMMUNITY GARDEN EVER IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE AND BEYOND. 

Yesiree. Once again we CLEANED UP at the Canberra Royal Horticultural Society thingy show.

Completely kicked arse. CLEANED THE TABLE with our arch nemesis Cook Community Garden's buts. 

First Prize - Best Vegetable Exibit
First Prize - Best Fruit Exhibit
First Prize - Best Flower Exhibit.
Second Prize - Overall Display. (Congratulations Kaleen Garden on this one! Your veggies were spectacular)

And yes, that is my pumpkin on the floor!

Tomato Mahal 2011

Well, tomatoes, eggplants and capsicums are IN and have survived two nights and a very cold below 4 degree night last night. Behold the Tomato Mahal 2011.  Yes I know, every year there is a new structure. But as we also know, tomatoes are VERY SERIOUS BUSINESS around here. So why the tunnel? Well, the community garden is just on the edge of a frost hollow. So, night time temperatures are always a couple of degrees cooler and that my friends means there is always a risk of frost.......AND, since the bush fires, the garden is exposed to the PARCHING ONCian westerly / north westerly winds. So the tunnels protect  my little babies from the frost and the wind.

I am particularly happy with the seedlings this year. The earlier ones look a bit longer (taller?) than one might like, but that is OK with marties because you can plant them very deep and they will shoot roots from the sides. I think there was a light issue while they were upstairs in the mezzanine level. I have been experimenting with a biological product from VRM the company I do some work for. I LOVE these guys. I LOVE learning about soil biology. It does my head in but I LOVE it. Anyway the product I have been using is called XLR8 Ca (link will download brochure) and it is especially designed to help make calcium available to plants. Which means they are tougher and hardier and stronger and less sappy and less irresistible to the 44578902987 insects pests and diseases that like to pounce on weak seedlings.

And lets face it, pretty much anything bad that happens to tomatoes (blossom end rot, fungus, wilt etc) happens because of problems with calcium deficiency or uptake issues. Well, Calcium and other micro-nutrient issues like Boron. Oh, and except for the strange affliction that suddenly comes upon one's tomato, pumpkin and eggplant seedlings especially when they are outside in the sun "hardening up" for which I think the technical term is "duckus proximinatus". Yep, that is BAD. But only seems to affect the plants on the edge of the benches.......

Now they are all in, I will start using VRMs  XLR8 P for phosphorous uptake, and possibly the nitrogen one as well, to help boost flowering and fruiting.

This poppy thought you might like to admire her........Poppies self sew down at the community garden. We have the most amazing colours. They pop up in the weirdest places but they are lovely. You just have to remember not to weed them all out when they are little.

And here are some vista bella apples. These are a very early variety.

Triumphantalism

I don't mean to boast. Well, OK. I guess that is a lie.

HFS & JFC the Holder Community Garden cleaned up at the Royal Horticultural Society of Canberra Autumn Flower Show. Yup, we done won best veggie display everything.

Naturally we were MOST PLEASED to beat our arch rivals from the Cook Community Garden.

Awesome. Awesome smug awesomeness, in a humble non competitive zen budhist kind of way. Kinda.

Those are my capsicums and garlic and some of my eggplants btw.

Community Garden

How beautiful and warm and sunny it was today. Folks at the community garden are already talking tomato seedlings, eggplants and peppers. I picked leeks, parsnips, parsley and nettles to add to a chicken soup and parsley, sage and rosemary for a herbal tea.

Here is the news in pictures from my community garden plot.

Compost piles. These were 54 - 56 degrees today!

Field peas and broad beans.

Espaliered apples and green manure.

Garlic.

that is all.

Garden Update

Things are going well considering the amount of neglect the garden is getting.
Its pretty wild and woolly in there. We are harvesting onions, Italian zucs, some weird squashy pumpkin thingy, cabbages, swedes (or are they turnips) and lettuces. Cucs are on their way, as are some sweet pepper thingies. Watermelon and corn is flowering. I have let the parsnips, English spinach and winter lettuces go to seed.


The marties in the martie house are going splendiferously. These are black russians and black krims. They are not far behind the early marties - the siberians and swifts and such. It wont be long folks - which is good because we are down to our last bottle of tomato relish.



Things we are missing this year are parsley and basil. I think I might crack and get some seedlings rather than starting again from seed........


Buy my how those tomatos look lovely.


Well, that is all. Welcome to 2010 folks! May it be full of rain

One of my resolutions is to take the pressure of being self sufficient in the veggie department and to just have fun and enjoy and not stress if a particular crop or batch fails. I reckon its back to just enjoying the growing of delicious food, not stressing about it or seeing it as a failure if we need to buy veggies. Well. that's it!

winter gardening

Long week this week. Spent three days in Condobolin for work. It is a LONG drive. Condo is like a different planet this winter - GREEN and lush and soggy. Clover and grass and fat cows. Red dust is replaced with red mud. Going for a run along the river bank my shoes fill up with mud until they are heavy and clumpy. This winter (only) I am seduced by the hidden fertility of the central west. I know it will evaporate in a puff of hot dust by the end of the year. That beautiful red soil. All you need is water. Just add water. Pity there is no water.

Anyhoo, I was late getting off to Condo on Tuesday because my FRUIT TREES arrived from Woodbridge. Yay! Regular viewers will remember I ordered a Coe's Golden Drop to be friends with the Greengage plum. This was promptly planted in the waiting hole out the front.

And joy joy joy, welcome little Beurre D'Anjou, Beurre Hardy and Beurre Bosc pears. These are in a trio planting.

I must admit, pre-preparing fruit tree holes makes planting a BREEZE! These holes have been waiting since autumn when they were dug and filled with compost, manure and all sorts of other nice things.

In other news, here is a peak at the onion seedlings jostling for space with the salad seedlings in the glass house. I have more to squeeze in very soon - there are all sorts of things ready to move from the heatpad inside to the glass house. If I get organised soon, I will have a sheltered space down at the community garden to start shifting onions into........if I get organised that is.

OH, and here is photographic evidence that Mr Bacon has survived well into July! Crumpled, a bit ragged but DEFINITELY alive.

That is all.

naughty people

*sigh*

The community garden was vandalised again on Wednesday night. This morning we spent a few hours digging up all the t-sections where the taps join the irrigation system. The fence was cut again, the shed broken into, plots and row covers generally pushed about and a few other silly things. Worst of all, in mindless wonderment our little vandals had fun pushing the taps too and fro. If this is done with enough enthusiasm, it breaks or cracks the join where the metal post on which the taps are placed screw into the t-joints in the irrigation pipes. The only way to assess the damage is to dig down and have a look. There are about 16 taps in the garden- so that's lots of digging.

Rather than angry I feel sad that these folks are so empty on the inside that it feels good to trash our meek little garden. Luckily the fruit trees were left alone. And obviously whoever it was didn't know the real value of fresh winter veggies......poor things.

In other news, I put another cost of gum turps/linseed oil on the bee box bits. Still a few more costs to go methinks.

And here are some shots from around the backyard.

Italian Parsley loving the cool weather.

Brave little China Flat Peach. This is a low chill variety - which didn't actually loose its leaves this year, and it about to flower already. It may be that it is just too cold here for this little one. This is however its first winter here in the ONC, so it may just need a year or two to adjust.

Chickens in the orchard. You can clearly see where the fences are around the tree trunks! The pitchfork is sitting the the compost filled hole awaiting the arrival of my three pear trees. Most of my plantings along this north facing fence line are duo or trio plantings (two or three varieties in the one hole). Notice the hessian avocado shanty. That little avocado is valiantly persevering with the cold weather.

The orchard from a slightly different view, plus ducks and duck pond (which needs cleaning!) The pink tree guard is guarding a goldmine peach.

And finally, there is no picture, but I am going to share with you my recipe for the quickest, yummiest, healthiest winter soup in the world:

SUPER GREEN SOUP

Ingredients:

• About a half to one cup of green frozen peas
• A medium to large bunch of fresh English spinach (say three whole smallish plants)
• A desert spoon of miso or soy sauce.

Destructions:

• Bring peas to simmer/boil in saucepan with small about of water.
• When hot, add roughly chopped spinach
• Replace lid and leave for a few minutes for spinach to wilt.
• When wilted, add a dollop of miso or soy.
• Blend or wizz to make a smooth amazingly green soup.
• To serve, a drizzle of olive oil on top. Slivers of roasted peeled capsicums look great too.

Yum yum.

Everything is NEW

Technically the first of our autumn veggies ready to start eating. That OK, I was sick of eggplants, capsicums, zucs and tomatos anyway!



So beautiful! I really only put these seedlings in a few weeks ago and already the beetroots are big enough to start picking.



Newly planted English Spinach seedlings. Note the toilet roll seed raising tubes. They work so well.

Newly separated and planted leek seedlings - bit droopy. I grow my leeks by sowing very densely in one small place. Then, when they are between 2 - 15mm wide, I dig them up with a fork, separate them and plant them deeply. Leeks are so forgiving and generous and with a little bit of planning, easy to have available all year round.

More newly planted English Spinach and lettuce sheltering this side of the corn.

NEW DRAKE.


Meet Esmond. "handsome protector". He is AGGRESSIVE! He hisses at me if I get too close. Shows character I think. (hope) I have him separated atm. Amelia isn't much interested in him just yet. Mind you, she yelled a LOT less today knowing he was in the yard.

And just one more new experience - I had my first bee sting yesterday. RIGHT ON THE CHEEK! Am happy to report I am not allergic to bees. Poor little thing - we were having one last look in the hive and for some reason she came up out of the hive and flew up SPLAT into my face. I don't think she was attacking me - and no one else got upset. I think I was just too close and standing too far over the hive.

Anyhoo, I scraped the stinger out and when we had finished, wandered across the road and picked some plantain leaves to squish and put in it. Have done this a few times again today, and am happy to report my little sting just looks like a little pimple (phew!). Really, I swell up more from mosquito bites which is happy news indeed if I am to continue being a herder of the bees.

And the GREAT news is that Queen Atalia and her daughters fill SIX FRAMES which is officially enough to get her colony through the winter. I will have to feed them though - they don't have a great deal of capped honey - some but not heaps. It is not my preference - hopefully if they survive then next year I will make sure they have a full super of honey going into winter. I feel very happy they she has done so well and that there are so many now.

ALL HAIL QUEEN ATALIA

Sunday

The girls have been very busy these last two days. I have been very impressed with how MANY foragers there are now. I think they need to invest in some air traffic controllers - things were getting a little congested in the airspace there yesterday. Fingers crossed they have the numbers and the stores to make it through this first winter. If it is nice next weekend, Eric and I will open them just once more to see how they are going, and if necessary, perhaps I can cadge a couple more frames of honey from Eric's bees to see them through. I would be very sad if they died over winter.

We had a plot holders meeting at the Community Garden today. There are lots of housing and road developments happening around us, and we are loosing one end of the garden but are gaining more land and a new entrance at the other end to make way for a bike path and road realignment. In the end it will be good I think - more opportunity for communal meeting spaces and picnic areas, and another couple of rows of fruit trees. I made Cheryl's Banana Cake to take down - yum yum.

We had our first KIWI fruit this week. So now I guess we can start picking them in little batches. Kiwis don't ripen on the tree - but they store there OK. Apparently they are even better once the frost has got to them, so we will just start working our was through them slowly.

There is one more batch of apples and tomatoes in the Vacola. I am about to make a batch of Ratatouille. Lesley from the garden gave me some lovely eggplants to supplement the last of mine. The colours look lovely with the little pumpkins and zucs.

And then I reckon that's it for today. If I was good I would do some re-potting, but I am not so I wont.

Duck Herding Sunday

Ma Duck Herder had a birthday this week (twenty two again....) So these photos are for Bellie the missing sister! We went to our FAVOURITE cafe - the Outsider Cafe at Captains Flat.

Who is this good lookin' rooster? He looks like he could run VERY FAST. Fast enough to win me a wollomi pine me thinks!

And could this be a duck herder with her dad?

And could this be Ma Duck Herder with her dear friend Cathy?

And what ever happened to that nice bottle of bolli we were saving for a special occasion?

And was this the Duck Herder's community garden plot this morning in great need of weeding and tending and digging up of the taties?

And is this more of her neglected but still generously productive garden?

And is this proof that the raising of seeds in toilet rolls works most excellently?

Well, thats all for Sunday.

And hello new people! Hello Cheryl and Em. Welcome to my little blog. I love your blogs! I look forward to reading about your lives.

Duckie.

Bringing in the Harvest

Where has the duck herder been? Off to the south coast for a whole week of meditation and yoga and swimming in the ocean. Can you imagine? What bliss and what a lovely way to start the year.

Mr Duck Herder did a "highly commended" job looking after the garden while I was away. You know, I think he is getting better at being a tenderer of the fruits and vines and fields and feathered ones. Many thanks my darling.

My neighbour and I have been busy bottling plums (from the biggest hippy) and rhubarb and making jam. I have rows and rows of burgundy and green bottles lining the pantry.

We are eating nashis (hmmmmm crunch) and nectarines (aaaaah slurp). Look at THESE little beauties.

Have you ever seen such beautiful colours? I think this is a goldmine or something similar - yellow, fragrant cling stone.

And my pride and joy - All this fruit from my little two years in the ground seedling. This one is a white fleshed free stone. Some folks don't think nectarines make very pretty trees but I disagree. I love their long elegant leaves.

And here are the tomatoes. Lots of green. Not a lot of red yet! And a lovely view across to Mt Stromlo.

And here is another view of my plot at the community garden.

Started digging up the taties today.

Do you know what I love? I love my garden.