Winter work

The fruit and herb bed before weeding. 

The rabbits after I'd weeded. 

Our rhubarb is flowering! 

The new compost bay. 

A few useful bits and pieces. 

Autumn fruits

I bought tomato seedlings at Ag Day in October and planted them about a month later. They didn't grow. But amazingly one of them didn't die. 

Instead it stayed the same size until the rain started up again. And then it grew and fruited. This is the meagre crop to date. I don't mind at all though, given the fight that the plant put up through a long hot summer. Fried green tomatoes, anyone? 

In contrast, my kale is still producing well, over a year since I cut the first leaves. This week I made kale chips (which were surprisingly delicious) and kale pesto (which was also a great success). I do hope the plant keeps going for a while longer yet! 

Autumn colours

A week of work

I've taken a week off this week to get the raised beds back into production. 

The first job was putting into effect the third or fourth attempt at securing the windproof fabric which acts as bird/chicken proofing for the garden. 

I haven't managed to finish it because our local hardware store only stocked about a quarter of the shackles that I need. The shackles are already a second choice behind snap hooks which are too expensive. I've got cable ties as a stop gap (literally) and will try horticultural wire next. 

It's been lovely to spend the days outdoors. There aren't so many birds around as it's still a bit hot but the insects are plentiful. 

Our more permanent bed, home to herbs and fruit, had sprouted lots of mushrooms. I'm not sure what brought them in but it must have been something.

I'll be planting asparagus in this bed today.  

I planted up half of the vegetable bed with celery, spring onions, sugar snap peas and broad beans - all past success stories. I have lettuce now too for the other end of the bed. 

And then the nervous wait begins to see what survives our never ending summer. 

The rabbits got some kale and silverbeet that I pulled up. I let them mingle too in an effort to bond them. They spent time exploring each other's territory and all was going well until Annie found Henry in her hutch and the fur flew! I'll try again today. Wish me luck! 

Sunday Stroll

We spotted a tractor parked up by the gate today and went out to have a look. The local contractor left it so that he can mow the paddock this week. The sheep will be pleased. 

Going to seed

Cow parsley, swan plant and chives. 

Spot the skink!

I found a skink in my watering can today. It wouldn't come out even when I tipped the can over. But it let me scoop it out before it scurried for cover. 

I was less pleased to find this nest of paper wasps on the rabbit hutch but it was still interesting to watch them laying their eggs.