Soil testing

When we fist moved here 4 years ago I turned the grass out the front inot a bvegie garden, 2 large beds. I had much success the first 2 years but the second year I also had many plants stolen, I grew from seed I had collected from the first year, raised my tomato plants up to a good size just for osmeone to come over night 2 times and dig them all out! It was disheartening.

Then last year I was going to just grow things peopel might beless likely to steal (lettuce/zuchini/herbs etc) but NOTHING would grow!
My father in law had brought in a ute full of soil and added it at the start of the season. I was suss about it as had no idea where it was from etc.

well ever since added that soil NOTHING Has ever grown out the front. the grass wont even grow back. even weeds struggle on the soil!

So this year I turned the soil added loads of compost and organic matter, then planted in piles of compost on top of all that turned soil. At first things grew well.

then they have now turned to this


Yellowed stunted unhealthy looking plants!

So I finally did what I should have done ages ago... I bought a soil test.
The girls had been using soil tests at their school as they are about to plant a vegie garden at school. So I handed the test to them and let them test for me.


This reading of 6 is from the compost on top that I planted directly in.
dig just a tiny bit deeper and the soil is VERY acidic. a reading of 4and 1/2 no good!

well this does explain what I kind of already knew. I thinnk it might be a failed garden this year. I will attempt to improve the soil but have a feeling it really is going to need to have the top 10-20cms of soil removed and to start afresh. we'll see... any ideas?

vegie garden and thinking of going vegetarian.

Many years ago I used to be vegetarian. I made sure I ate a balance of foods to try to make sure I got the vitamins needed. I obviously lacked in something though as I was comepeting in competitive sport and a few times I passed out after competing! Not good. I also found I craved steak, yes bad, but its always been a food i really love. I could live without all other meat happily if i could eat steak occasionally.

So anyway. Lately we have been making more and more vegetarian meals. Joey and I eat out for lunch once or twice a week and we almost always choose vegetarian options now. We found a fab little cafe in upper ferntree gully called Tastee Az that has the most yummy vegetarian meals (they serve meals with meat also) and we now go once a week to make our way through there very tastee menu! I highly recommend anyone in the area to go and eat there you won't be disappointed, plus the food is reasonably priced.

So in all this I have been thinking about taking the step back to being vegetarian once again. For me it would be primarily for health reasons, secondly for the environment and thirdly for the animals. Is it unethical if I chose to eat meat on the rare occasion? like when at visitors who just find it too hard? at social events when there is no other option? and once in a while to curb my steak cravings? Give me your thoughts :)

Now on to a yummy recipe.
I made a vegie quiche this week which was soooo yummy!

Here is the easy easy recipe I did this time.

I used a square baking tin.
Put down a sheet of puff pastry.
then layered in the cut up vegies
Tomato
mushroom
silverbeet
red onion
red capsicum

then some crumbled marinated fetta

then relayered the vegies again
then topped with more marinated fetta and some asparagus and grated cheese.

then mixed 4 eggs with a little milk and cracked black pepper and poured over the top.
bake in the oven til risen and firm and brown.

then eat!!!

It was really yummy!

This is it with just the vegies layered in. I got busy and forgot to photograph the rest!


the garden is booming along out the back. I need to retie the tomatoes and transplant a few of them.
I posted apic just after planting about 2 motnhs ago, they sure are doing well here!


Int he pic above you can see the main tomato bed at the front which also has some basil, chilli and parsley in it. All growing well.
Behind that is a bed with more chilli, spring onions, cucumbers, beans and some lettuce. also tomatoes that have sprouted from previous years seed in the soil that I need to transplant this weekend.

to the left of the picture not in the built up beds I have zuchini growing and pumpkin and parsley and mint. to the right I have strawberries and another pumpkin (the pumpkin is a smaller variety that wont take over the garden hopefully! Its already flowering too.)

the back bed is the main lettuce bed which also has carrot and parsnip growing now and more silverbeet and radishes.

I'm really disappointed about the front beds, everythign is still not growing and just dying off :( I figure I am just going ot kep adding to the soil and keep trying. I probably should buy and do a ph test to see what is up with it.

Oh I picked and ate a snow pea yesterday. I was lamely excited by it :) pity the plant is out the front and joining the others in dying off so not sure if I will get much more thsan the one pea off it!

echo echo echo.......

Yes yes I'm here :)

Thanks for the messages asking after me :)

The biggest reason for my absence in posting is that this time of year is the busiest for me business wise. I am behind business wise also which isn't at all good. Everyone wants photos in time for xmas, every year I say I will organise it better and havent managed yet again. I will rectify it though and I will get on top. Plus I am shutting up shop for 6-8 weeks over december/Jan to be ready to start afresh all organised in the new year.

Now lets see, other than work.

Queensland:
It was really great! I worked but most of my jobs finished by 10am so I had the days to explore. I drove all along the coast (from Brisbane down the gold coast) and also drove inland and through the part of the hinterlands and Mt Tambourine. I loved tamborine it was gogeous!
I sipped wine with new friends often and ate fabulous often too and I made the most of my child free time but just enjoying the peace.
Poor Husband at home ended up haivng to deal with 2 sick kids with gastro! Oh well, he definitely had a new appreciation for me once I got home!

The Garden:
Out the back is growing great! My Tomatoes are thriving, I also have them self sprouting everywhere form lasts years crops so have transplanted some and given some away.
One chilli plant died but the other 2 are going really well. zuchini, pumpkin, cucumbers, beans, lettuces are all going great. some of the capsicums are thriving too.
Out the front is a different story.
I think the soil sucks! I used mostly a heap of dirt we got from someone who mulched a tree. The father in law brought it home and I didnt really want it at the time but hoped it would be OK. I added manure and compost and blood and bone to it but nothing wants to grow in it.
Everythign is turning yellow and dying and just stunted in growth. I am now adding lots of the animal litter to itin the hope it improves in time. i am going to transplant heaps of the self seeded tomatoes to it and just see what happens. I focused more out the back this year anyway.
Oh my potatoes out the back are booming too as is my passionfruit. I have recently planted a heap of seed too - radishes, silverbeet, spring onion, parsnip, carots and some lettuce out the back beds too and they have all sprouted now.
My lemon tree seems to have coped so far wiht the heavy prune I gave it and is starting to show alot of new growth. I pile most of the animal hay and litter under it all the time too so maybe thats helped.
I reconnected the hose fomr the washing machine this week too as the grass is already starting to really brown and die, earlier this year!

The house:
is CHAOS!!!!!!
Because I am snowed under wiht work the house has been sorely nelgected!!!! I just aim for the bare basics each day and am happy if that gets done. I think I might to get osme paid help in to get back on top :(

The Kids:
are all great!

The animals:
are all growing! Stella the rabbit is gorgeous. she free roams out the back now as well as the house. she eats form the vegie garden but doesnt demolish it, probably because there is plenty there. The guinea pigs are all gettign bigger and healthier.
The dog is the same old same old. actually we realised she is getting old! she is about 13 or so now!

The worm farm:
takes care of itself mostly :) I just add every few days and they are multiplying well now!

Op shopping:
I still go most weeks, if not more than once a week. Its my release! I've picked up loads of great books and stuff for the kids. When i have more tiem I'll start reposting my bargains!

Oh I am still knitting, still basically, nothign fancy but i am building a collection of dish cloths now and I find it really relaxing!

NEWS!
After much discussion we are seriously considering selling in a year or so and moving into the Dandenongs! very exciting!

I am sure there is heaps I have forgotten but will try to get back to more photos and updates :)

Just so you have at least one photo here is my Bunny Stella, taken this morning in one of the vegie gardens.
isnt she pretty :)

Knitting, gardening and more new pets!

I haven't been a very good blogger recently!
I've been a bit flat emotionally, need to see the doc to discuss my meds. But then again it is also that time of the month so maybe thats all it is.

I have been busy again though and have lots to update on!

The wrom farm is coming along well. I havent set up the second one yet but will soon. I give the worms food every few days to once a week and they are getting it though most of it now. You can see a mouldy apple in there the kids add to it sometimes too!


I planted tomato plants and some basil and chilli and a mini capsicum in the front bed of the new beds. Yes they are bought seedlings, I am going to grow more by seed though too, we just eat loads of tomatoes in the summer season and I magaed to grab quite a few different varieties including some heirloom toms and some diggers toms as seedlings.
My parsely self seeds each year and i always have an abundance with our new animal friends enjying it I have made sure i am transplanting the constantly emerging seedlings as they grow so we have an even more plentiful supply.
The radished are coming up more each day!
The snow peas are coming along very very nicely.
This is the potato bed and I also planted parsnip seed at the far end.
Last weekend the girls and I went to the market shopping for new pencils and a visual diary for them to make into their 'nature diary'
Each of them decorated their books and are journelling some of the things we are gorwing, writing about our pets and writing about any projects we do.
This week are growing carrot tops!



and here is my beautiful bunny Stella again. She has settled so well into our lives. we love her dearly :) She is a indoor house bunny mostly though she has a run outside she goes int for some sunshine and grass munching.
nibbling parsely leaves, one of her fav snacks!
and yes I am a sucker! We have 2 more new additions ot the house!
Meet 'Puss'
and 'Boots'

our darling new guinea pigs. Puss is just 5 weeks old and Boots is 12 weeks old.
The kids adore them and they are much more kid friendly than the rabbit so Stella is happier too :)
Plus I have so much more animal manure and hay for the compost and garden beds now.
I found a good cheaper produce store yesterday too and I will be growing a lot of their food for them.

Oh and my sugar n spice yarn came in so am part way through knitting my first dishcloth!

ouch

My poor aching arms.
We had another working bee here today wiht the neighbours.
We weeded and dug the entire side of the house (see previous pictures from older post to see how weedy it was)
This is where the potatoes will be grown. (between the tank and fence)

Huge job here, dug and turned all of the soil, removed all the weeds and transplanted all the self seeded seedlings to the bed in the back.
Still more work to do but definitely getting there!
My sprouted snow peas out the fornt.

The transplanted lettuces from the part where we dug the 2 new beds.
The silverbeet will most likely go to seed now which is a good hting.
I am so so sore. and I still have a game of netball to go play!

Gall Wasp

My poor lemon tree was taken over by gall wasp! I noticed it a while ago but having no knowledge with fruit trees i wasn't sure what was wrong. The tree has been looking wrose for wear over the last 18 months so i think this is the second or thrird season with gall wasp.

Here is the tree before I heavily pruned off all of the galls.
see them? they were everywhere!
Whats left after a heavy prune. I gave it a really really good water with tank water when I finished also and will go buy sme citrus fertiliser this week for it to help it along.

busy busy.

I haven't posted an update all weekend!
I'll try to keep it brief.
Saturday:
was spent doing a lot of cleaning round the house, a bit of catching up. No work in the garden, just lots of sorting and tidying inside. Joey also took the kids to see the Simpsons movie and I got a few hours peace!
Sunday:
More cleaning was done (some days it feels like it is never ending!) then it was out into the garden!
The kids helped build one of the top vegie beds and turn the dirt.
I then emptied the compost and moved it and gave it a good turning as I refilled it. i also was able to get quite a few buckets of it to use on the garden beds. I then trimmed the lemon tree, it has some strange growth happening, bulbous bits? might have to look it up and see if its something bad or not!
Here are the girls hard at work.


Jaime loves helping in the garden and seeing what friends she can find.


My little man and his cheesy grin, gone are the days of natural images of him, you have to fast or you get the cheese!Monday:
Went op shopping with my sister. Got loads of great buys. Havent taken pictures but got loads of books, some parenting ones, some cooking, some gardening. Got some great outfits for the girls, skirts and dresses. I got myself a new handbag (will take a photo during the week and post it) I also went shopping for an outfit for jaime for book week parade.
I picked up some seed potato too for planting, 1 kilo of it. Now need to get that bed ready down the side of the house.

Today: The girls had a bookweek dress up day at school today. They had to choose a character form a book and dress like them.
My eldest Tiahna, dressed as a netballer as she is reading the 'netball diary' and jaime dressed as 'Holly Hobbie'
Jaime's book is actually my book form when i was a child, It was one of my favs. I still adore the illustrations in it.
with her teacher who was dressed as 'puss in boots'


I so want to learn how to sew. We had to buy a hat for Jaime as I can't sew so couldn't make her abonnet. The apron and dress we scored dirt cheap at the op shop though.

First planting!

Today we did our first planting!

Remember I mentoned the wood structure thing i picked up from the side of the road? well today I got round to fixing it up, covering it etc so that my seedlings have a safer. hopefully warmer home to start them off!

Here is the structure below hoked up to the wall so i can get in easily underneath.

Front on lifted up.
Inspired by Ali of Our Patch I cut up a used plastic milk bottle to make some plant labels. I used collected egg cartons for the punnets for the seeds and we made a seed mix from sand, potting mix and compost. I planted seeds for capsicums, cucumbers and silverbeet today. I also bought a seedling of a blck russian tomato. I have tried growing these the last 2 years wihtout success. The first year it was stolen form my yard and last year it met an early death by the whipper snipper.
The end product down in place. I have plenty of room int heir for seedlings and some plants too and its in a good spot to get sun. My original plan for it was to be a chook tractor but it can always be converted to one if this fails and we want to reuse it :)
My eldest is at Rye for the night wiht some cousins and her two grandpas. So it was just these two today. they were so good and helpful really. They spent loads of time outdoors today and even when the rain didnt bring them in!

Saturday

On Saturdays I usually work, its the nature of my job, weekend work. For those that don't know I am a photographer, I photograph pregnant women, newborns, children families etc. I specialise in black and white and used to be a darkroom junkie, but have now entered the digital age.
So because I photograph children and families I often work weekends. The great thing about working for myself and the type of job i have means I am not usually gone long when I do go to a shoot and I do only do 3 shoots on average a week so I can be around at home more and be there for the kids etc.

So yes when I have a complete weekend off it is special, so today i decided to NOT sit inside all day!

This morning we all went down and watched my daughter play netball, then afterwards we participated in some local tree planting!
They were planting at the reserve next to netball so we stayed and planted for an hour and grabbed some great info on the local environmental group and also on more plantings in the coming weeks that we will go along and help out on.

Then I dropped everyone off at home and I ducked over to pick up some match box cars that had been offered up on Freecycle. Freecycle is great. I wouldn't have bothered with these cars if they weren't in my same suburb , just round the corner and my son is car crazy so he was most impressed!





Once home I took the kids out the front and let the other half sleep as he is working night shift tonight, we got stuck right into shovelling all the dirt onto the main two front beds. (ignore the smaller ones, that was my 3 year olds help, they need completely reshaping and redoing, but hey he tried to help!) we then added some blood and bone and some organic fertiliser and mixed it all in. Have to get some manure to ad to it then mix that in then lay a nice thick bed of straw over the top then we can think about planting!!



My girls, such pretty little sweet things they are!

Day 1.

What a day!


Firstly I have a confession to make!

I quit smoking today. Hence the day 1 title.

I have never really been a full time smoker in my life but was leaning more that way in recent months. I'v always been a bit of a social smoker who will have one when out having drinks with friends. Then my mother died 3 years ago from lung cancer so i vowed to not smoke again. I had already not smoked for over a year due to being pregnant and then having a baby who was 4 months old when my mum passed.

Then 12 months after my mum passed my best friend was tragically killed in a car accidnet. that night I started smoking. I figured I had it under control, it was a stress thing for the few weeks after his death then it went back to being a social thing.

Again I quit a few months later to only take it up again when I seperated from my partner last year for 6 months. The stress form that was huge and for me smoking was one of my crutches i used to help me through.
I stopped at new years for 4 weeks then after a huge argument one day i started again.

So fast forward to now and the last few months my partner and I have gotten back together and things have been improving (except today but thats another story) I feel I have gotten a bit of 'me' back the last few months and I have not liked the fact I was smoking. Unfortuantly it isn't that easy to just stop.

But I am going to do it. I had my last one last night and will not have anymore. I was sititng outside last ngiht having it and was looking at my worm farm, thinking of the plans for the vegies, the chooks etc and thought how silly that I want all that yet I'm doing somethign so harmful to myself and i am sure has to be harmful to the environemnt also!

Now on a very positive note I had my working bee wiht my two female neighbour friends today! It was very productive!

We started out the front and laid newspaper over one of the larger no dig beds then shovelled a good pile of dirt form the big dirt pile that was out there.

We then headed out the back t do the chook run area.
we spent all afternoon on it and it is now ready to have the fence fixed and to start on the chook house!

This is just some of what we found under the grass/weeds
-about 40 besser blocks
-about 10-15 bricks
-about 20 heavy irons (used for hangis)
-one hangi basket
-some chicken wire
-some other wire
-corrugated tin
-2 large hoses
-some sort of pump?
-lots of wood
-2 large bread trays

and more!




We filled 3 red bins with weeds and scraps.
This is as much as we are weeding, the chooks will enjoy the rest.



I am absolutely aching, it was all very hard work but good in many ways!

Progress!

It's been a productive day!

My eldest child and youngest were out all day as was the other half so it was just me and jaime, my middle daughter who is 5yrs old and loves helping me!

So today I was going to sit and do computer editing work for work but once the sun shine came out we decided it was a good idea to get outdoors!

I found a use for all the bluestone we were given! They re going to edge our vegie beds out the front! The 2 larger beds will be no dig gardens and the smaller ones will be dug and will be for shallow rooted plants like lettuce etc. The rocks arent in their set places, just laid out to give me an idea of the shapes of the beds, we still have loads more bluestone if I want to change their size/shape etc.There is still obviously alot of work to do but it took ages to move all this stone!

I planted a pittosporum out the front too, I chose this as it should grow and fill that gap and hopefully deter vegie thiefs!


Meet jaime, my helper, pretending to drive daddy's ute.


After all the hard work of the fornt yard I wanted to do somethign abit more fun wiht Jaime, so we grabbed the paints I bougth this week and we decorated the worm farm. it looks much brighter now :)



We then went to the shops and got some bits and pieces and have cooking some yummy scalloped potatoes and we're having kangaroo tonight wiht them.

all in all a good day