Garden update.

The summer garden has been a little disappointing but really, when you attempt to grow non-native food plants in a clearing of tall eucalyptus, wrong orientation etc.; what do you expect? Add, the deviations from the known weather patterns -hello summer! might be nice to see you- and what you had assumed about food growing possibilities and what you think you know…… I always have such high expectations. Hmmmm.

Not to be deterred, however, I will not stop gardening because even the small amounts of food/flowers, this land gives me are wonderful to taste and my problem is that, I’m just greedy for more. Gardening, cooking and eating…it’s a fortunate life and next year…….heat loving plants like tomatoes will go into pots to see if that helps.  Carrots, parsnips, potatoes, some lettuces, chard, rhubarb, zucchini have been in small but constant supply…..really, what am I whinging about. A lot more gratitude is called for…really!

 

Birds in the trees

Crimson Rosellas Platycercus elegans

Evidence of some sun and these two were frolicking about. With all the rain, my front garden especially the lower section near the mailbox, is very sodden- actually I’d call it swamp. So I decided to plant some ferns, Blechnum nudum, to soak up the water, stop the advance of invasive grasses/ weeds, stop the soil from washing onto the road and water run off, in general. If there’s going to be this much rain, it should do some good like replenishing the soil, ground water and underground aquifers; that much I can try to ensure. Admittedly, it was good to plant something that loves the wet and the birds flying around, enjoying a break in the weather, were an added bonus.

 

Will I see any tomatoes in my garden this year?

That is the question! They went in late, due to the soggy spring we had and summer, so far, has been on the cooler side…..so progress is slow. I’m wondering if you can call yourself a bona-fide home gardener and experience a tomato-less summer garden?

 

On seed saving

Bidgee Widgee (Aceana novae-zealandiae) going to seed with Poa grass seed heads. (From the front garden)

Red Mustard seed pods.

My mother is a seed saver. She has always done it because that’s how it has always been done. She would have seen her parents do it. My mother is of the opinion that, if you don’t have to, you don’t buy the seeds. Granted this limits what you grow but she’s loosening up a bit and will buy seeds for things she likes to eat and will sow seeds that I give her. But she will always save seed from things she grows!

She also has a great network of friends who share seeds. Their range of seeds has expanded as they exchange seeds with their co-workers and neighbours who are migrants from different parts of the world. How else can you explain Croatians in the Western Suburbs of Sydney growing Asian snake beans when none are/were available from the seed companies?

El at Fast Grows the Weeds has just written about the limited choice offered by US seed companies. Take a look. The situation is not that different here, perhaps even slightly worse. Seed saving is an essential thing to do particularly if you want to preserve variety and diversity of food beyond what the corporate sphere offers you.

Now with the example of my mama before me, why did it take Seed Savers for me to finally get it? Probably a mother - daughter thing or just stupidity on my part. I am a seed saving novice with much to learn but have successfully saved seeds, grown and harvested the fruits and set about letting things go to seed again. It’s a nice closed loop. I love that.

The local Seedsavers group meets once a month and they are such great people. Generous, knowledgeable and welcoming. They make me feel hopeful about the world and the transformative power of gardening.

The other thing about seed saving, is that by letting plants flower and go to seed you get these beautiful forms in the garden.

Leek about to flower and set seed.

 

Festive

Happy celebrations.  Much joy and best wishes to all. 

 

Walking

I love walking. It is a fact. I will walk, in preference to any other mode of transport. I have been walking since I was nine months old, much to the surprise of my parents and in spite of the declarations of my uncle who stated with confidence, “That little bumbar (croatian equivalent of oompah loompah/chubster etc) won’t be up on her feet and walking before she’s 18 months old.” He was wrong! My mother says that I started walking and talking ( I love doing that too) at the same time and well…. here we are.

So I give you some photos from one of our rambles into the National Park; a section that is not more than a few kilometres from the house but is a much drier, heath like terrain. (We are in a section of cool climate rainforest/swamp/stream community.) In amongst the incessant doing and making and living, we don’t walk out in the bush as much as would be good for us. Sometimes it’s good to get out there to walk, listen and be quiet!

Purple Flax Lily (Dianella) seed head - I think

* Correction Haemodorum planifolium (Strap-leaf Bloodroot) or Haemodorum.corymbosum (Rush-leaf Bloodroot).  Thank you to ClareSnow for the classification!

Young Eucalyptus leaves with new red shoots and soft grey-green leaves.

We sat here to eat our local cherries and not so local mango.

Drumsticks (Isopogon anemonifolis)

Close up of the ironstone cliff face.

 

Fog

 

Fog at 10 am (it stayed like this most of the day)

When we first moved here, I was shocked by the summer fog.  I had equated fog with winter not summer but then again the Blue Mountains gets most of it’s rain during the warmer months (usually).  At night, I could not make out the roads to get home….the highway and village shops were fine but as you drove further out there were less and less street lights.  Also, our town has a large number of part-time residents so very few house lights were on  to guide you.

So how did I get home, one particular night?

The hideous flashing Xmas light displays on houses.  Enough houses along one particular route had Xmas lights and my neighbours at the time had a modest display.  I was so grateful but still not sympathetic to the light displays.  Over time I (and my eyes)  have adjusted to it and when the fog is so thick, you can’t see your back garden, it’s simple - don’t drive!

Black wattle (Callicoma serratifolia ) in fog.

 

Red

These lillium bulbs were a freebie with a plant order placed earlier in the year.  Called Fangio, I thought they would be a rather unattractive shade of red, was galled by the popular name and thought “Hmm, definitely something they couldn’t move”  but I planted them anyway (as you do - they were free) I can’t tell you how wrong I was.  My derision and skepticism were misplaced. The colour is strong and dramatic - a perfect foil for the thunderstorms, heavy rain, mist and grey skies we have had of late.

Other reds doing well are rhubarb and I’m trying hard not to focus on that other summer red, the tomato.  They don’t like wet summers. Sigh!  I finally planted most of them out  into the garden so fingers crossed.

 

Woohoo!

A change of government….the conservatives who formed the federal government for 11.5 years are gone….gone…and the former PM may yet lose his seat in Parliament.  The Labor Party romped it home with a lot of help from the Greens.

Also Australia’s first woman as Deputy PM….yay… Julia Gillard. It’s taken a while.

I’m more hopeful albeit nursing a hangover.

 

Garden highlights

Warm days and late afternoon storms; some with small hail and heavy rain, thunder and lightning, disruptions to our electricity supply and then as it cools down, fog.  Things are growing and we are increasing our harvest slowly ; peas, broad beans, salad greens, but oh….. we are vexed by snails/slugs, some kind of rodent that keeps burrowing into old compost, a fox visit or two ( our chicken plans were moving along nicely after Charles and I decided (it took 2 years) on what the moveable ark thing should look like, how it should work and where it would go), possums and some animal (identity unknown) with a penchant for eating rhubarb leaves.  Go figure!
Cauliflower planted in autumn….slowly it may form a head if it doesn’t  succumb to hail, snails and the dreaded bolt.

The essential garlic.   Nice harvest this year.
    Blue pioneer iris. First time it has flowered.

Sages.

Roses….they smell and look lovely.  I’m going to try making some rose petal jam.  Expand the preserve repertoire.