Ruth Stout is my SUPERHERO

I have an old (1981) gardening book - it is called "Indolent Kitchen Gardening" by Libby Smith. It is all about continual deep mulching. I especially love it because it was written right here for the ONC. How cool is that? 

If you ever see this book in a second hand book shop - BUY IT. And if you are somehow connected to the Australian University Press, then get off your asses and do a reprint. I am just saying.

Anyway, I have a new gardening super hero role model guru goddess. Her name is Ruth Stout. She was born in 1884 I think. She is actually credited in the Indolent Kitchen Gardening book.  I love both of them, but Ruth more, because she was first, and the best, and the most righteous, and because they both managed to get the word "Indolent" into their book titles. I want to be just like Ruth Stout when I am still gardening at 98.

The book of Ruth's I have is called "Gardening Without Work - for the Aging, the Busy and the Indolent". Because I am all three, I believe this book was written just for me. But perhaps it has been written for you too.

Anyway, last week I took possession of 10 bales of lucerne hay and went crazy.  I am going to devote myself to her method down at the community garden for ever more. Amen.

There is a little documentary about Ruth - in two parts. 

Things are happening!

 Firstly, WELCOME Angel Peach flowers. Welcome.

And it is not just the Angel peach - everyone is getting into the act. Here we have the Duck Central orchard - well, part of it anyway. Like I always say, if you want a food forest, you don't need a lot of space, just a lot of trees! Just out of shot is a nectarine, three pears, then two flat peaches, then a peachcot, then another Angel peach, then an apricot, and then Mr Bacon.

  

So how IS Mr Bacon going? Well, lets just say that -8 frost was a little traumatic for him, but he is going to be OK! 

And look - we have wolf peach lift off. Ever since I found out that lycopersicum meant "wolf peach", I love them even more. Actually those front trays are eggplants....but anyway, this year I am growing:

Indeterminate:

• Marzano
• Black Russian
• Black Krim
• Wapsipicon Peach

Determinant:

•  Siberian
• Roma

Plus a few others from the Burkes Backyard winter tomato packet.

On the eggplant scence we have prosperosa and lunga - both from the Italian Gardener.
And in the capsicum department we have little topepo and  cherry time. These are both small, red, sweet ones that only get to about 5 cm.....which might work better in our short summer.

Down at the community garden I have something special - this is an elephant garlic that was given to me by my gardening buddy Anthony. It came from his nanna - Elizabeth Tibbet. She bought it with her when she moved to Australia from England many decades ago, and it has been divided every year and grown continuously since then. And now it is mine too!

Here is the rest of the garlic - this is all Glenlarge.

I like spring.

None of us is as stupid as all of us.

One just can't help oneself........ Rather than feel hopeless and despairing, one must take refuge in humor.Even if it is old humor.

sheesh. old but still painfully relevant.
 

Carbon Price - lets just get the $^@* on with it.

I'm a Climate Scientist

Current events necessitate the re-posting of this little beauty.

A few things

 I don't have much to add to the world today. Leunig as usual knows exactly what to say.

We return once again to the question of why are there humans.

Anyhoo, in other exciting news, folks everywhere it seems are chatting about establishing a city farm / sustainability hub / lets grow more of our food right here in the ONC and looky the nice people at COGS are holding a forum to bring it all together. Bless you. $@^#ing bless you. 

And in less happy news, my beloved Mr Kiwi got wet feed, mostly because I left the washing machine hose on him for too long during winter....and I think he has a terrible disease and I think he might be dying. He is OOZING ectoplasm like something from the ghostbusters. And I think one of the Mrs Kiwi's might have the same thing, but not so bad. I feel GUTTED. My lovely gorgeous coddled 8 year old kiwis that shade our house, keep us cool and shower us with buckets and buckets of kiwis every year.

I think I need a moment.

I am grateful for my lovely neighborhood. My girlie friends. Today was lets order from the Eden seed cattle dog day. So I went next door for Sue to add her things to the list. Then pedaled up to Eileen's while she added things to the list. Then pedaled home with 2 glasses of shiraz in me (well, I AM grieving about the kiwis) and them made the order. I like that.

Can I just say, to those stupid truck drivers, that you don't speak for me. Just to  be clear. And just to be SUPER clear, I want you to consider, just briefly, that if most young folks think that 1) climate change is probably probable enough that it might be prudent to shift our economic trajectory away from coal and towards renewables, and 2) a carbon tax - while perhaps clunky - is one way to do this and 3) lets just have a cup of harden the #@%&^ up and get on with it, and finally, why/how can you put your selfish individualistic, short term, greedy, blinkered, moronic scarcity consciousness nastiness above the needs of the rest of the planet, your children, your children's children and the planet they will inherit FROM YOU and the planet you will leave them.

I am just saying.

Daphne

Actually, this is my latest beanie. Beanie #6478920. Alpaca thank you - the yarn of duck herding choice. I am liking that ribbing so much I have started another one that is all alternating front and back post treble thingies. And it is looking pretty good. Super thick, variegated and squidgy.  I decided a clever way to do the increases was to do two front post trebles around one post, and then on the next row, when you get to those two front post trebles, add a back post treble into the second one before you add a front post treble into the same one....which gets you back into a front back front back alternating pattern.....if that makes sence.....hmmm, better wait untill there is a picky.

anyhoo. The DAPHNE is flowering like crazy and the house is full vases oozing that gorgeous kinda froot loop smell which I love so much and which is like a special special gift of colour and scent in the dead of winter. Yay for Daphne.