Couch...Oh How I Loathe You!

 

My wave of brilliance has given me blisters, the need for a good back rub and soil in places it just shouldn’t be. 

I have decided where I am going to make the new garden but I thought it would be a good idea to start with a path that connects the courtyard to the car pad because the garden will be in between them. I found a good size length of wood to line the sides and I will use the builders mix for the path with some flat river stones as a feature. The water table here is quite high so I am going to use an area that is raised above the lawn so I get good drainage. 

 

 This afternoon I grabbed my spade and fork, worked out where I wanted the path to be and set to digging. The lawn is happily occupied by couch grass (otherwise known as Twitch grass), a hardy asset if you have a team of rampant rugby players tearing across it but for me, the one who wants to evict it, it has been a nightmare! 

Four CDs and three coffees later I have made a reasonable dent but still have a few hours of work left to get it all pulled out and every little bit has to come out. Couch grass has all these runners and it weaves itself into a mat which grips onto the soil for dear life. You can dig, tug and pull until you are breathless and beetroot red and it will STILL not release its deathly grip!

I must have looked quite a sight, boobs down, bum up, huffing and puffing as I groped handfuls of rope like runners that refused to budge even an inch. I lost count how many times I ended up on my butt, all I can hope is that the neighbours haven’t posted my antics on you tube. All the while Diesel is dropping his hotdog squeaky toy at my feet, completely oblivious to my predicament and Mr just sat on top of the car sunning himself while quietly supervising the project. Even the chooks ignored the commotion and found themselves a nice nook to snuggle down and have a dust bath.

Cayenne Roasted Pumpkin Seeds...

The rain has arrived and any plans of continuing the new garden today has been put on the burner. Yesterday I moved the piles of composting foliage that had come from the clean up around the outdoor bath and it is looking much nicer. I have finally sprayed that nasty climber before it smothers all the native flora nearby so here’s hoping it knocks it back somewhat. While I prefer using natural or organic methods where I can, I also think there is a place for an ass kicking weed killer in certain situations and this is one of them!

So this morning after giving everyone breakfast I looked at the two Queensland Blue pumpkins I grew and brought from the old house. They have stored extremely well and are as sturdy as the day I picked them so I will absolutely grow these again. I decided to give the girls a treat seeing as they aren’t keen to leave the run today, I cut around the top of the pumpkin, scooped out most of the seeds and then went and gave them the pumpkin “bowl” to have a nibble on. They seem to be enjoying it so I won’t be worried about growing too many pumpkins this year. 

I spread the seeds across a baking sheet lined with baking paper (the baking paper helps if you don’t want to use oils) and then I sprinkled them with a cayenne/salt mixture. Some people say to wash the seeds first, dry them, soak or boil them and I guess everyone has their own preference but to be honest, I just took all the pulp and stringy bits off and laid them single layer on the sheet and baked them. My gas oven was on 150oc and it took about 25 mins? You can put them on a higher heat for shorter time but I prefer a lower, longer time to ensure I don’t burn them. The key is to keep an eye on them and shuffle them around so they roast evenly, temperature and time will depend on your oven. They shouldn’t be dark brown, mine have a little more colour because of the cayenne and type of seed may make a difference but browning them is burning them and the inside actually cooks faster than the outer shell. This was my first attempt at making these and I had to grab my camera and take a pic before I got stuck into them because they truly are delicious.

Summer Gardens...

My carrot, kiwano, caper and peach tomato seeds arrived today and I am already bursting with enthusiasm at the thought of summer gardens. I am going to put my big table in the shed by the window so I have something sturdy to pot up on and I can also use it to begin all the summer seedlings so they get a good head start. The only problem is that my existing vegetable garden is going to be far too small for all my planned summer goodies which means I have to get digging and make another one. I know in the last entry I said I had started some crazy paving, but then a wave of brilliance came over me as I pondered the possibility of another garden. Maybe I should use the concrete as the edging for another garden? I could still use the builders mix for the paths, it’s simply a matter of deciding where I want to put the garden...do I want to join it up to the original one or start a new one in another part of the yard? At least I have a bit of time to think about it and in the meantime I can find the perfect spot for my concrete tub that we went and picked up yesterday. Thank goodness for a strapping brother to lend a hand, it’s going to be a great addition to my potted garden and I can’t wait to plant the asparagus in it.

Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard...

The last of the jelly and chutney has been given away and all that is left is a lone jar of jelly that is hiding at the top of the pantry. I now have a lemon tree I can raid when I need to and maybe a grapefruit tree too so there could be some marmalade and lemon honey in the cupboard soon. I have been making lots of scones, cinnamon and date, ginger date and lemon, cheese and cayenne...always good for unexpected visitors, a quick lunch or with homemade soup for tea. Roasted vegetable salads with pasta and sauce, apple crumbles with oat, coconut and spice combinations for a warming dessert.  With the vegetable garden doing so well, hopefully I will have some cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower to make into pickles soon. I can already see some broccoli heads budding and I found some baby beetroot this afternoon, if I stopped giving it all away I might have quite a bounty in my store but anyone that knows me will know that it will never happen. Good food always tastes better when shared anyway!

Birds Of A Feather...

Sunday morning and I am relaxing on my bed with the door open to the balcony letting the breeze and sunshine bathe the bedroom while I fluff on the computer. I heard some scuffling outside but didn’t take much notice because there is alot of birdlife here anyways, until I heard a slight kafuffle...I found that with a sudden burst of confidence the girls have now realised they can walk right around the house where there is an endless supply of goodies to nibble on, places to have a good scratch around and a sunny nook among the ferns and cabbage leaves to snuggle up and sunbathe. Mr has one particular spot he favours, lying against a rustic old sleeper which sits under a punga fern that provides a comfortable and sheltered spot for an afternoon snooze. He didn’t budge an inch when they invaded his little garden paradise but I did hear him having the odd thing to say to them, it seems he actually enjoys their company and they don’t mind one bit. I am now expecting to hear a knock at the door once they discover they can easily get up the stairs.

While they have their protein pellets and grains every day, I do like to try them on different things that have been recommended to me for treats. So far their favourites are finely grated carrot (which they almost inhale), bread and air popped popcorn (few tablespoons in a brown paper bag in the microwave, so easy), cold porridge, kiwifruit and a few other things. They have discovered that in the water channel there is watercress and seem to enjoy a nibble on that as well. Petunia has started to moult so looks like she has been scalped at the moment, all her pretty head and neck feathers are gone. The others are losing lots of feathers but not showing any visible signs of moulting as yet. Still no eggs but I expected that...I still look into the nest boxes every morning in the hope that someone has left me a surprise, unfortunately the only thing I find are huge piles of poo which is no surprise. I don’t know how they manage to sleep at all with the amount of pooping they do but the vegetable garden and compost seems to be appreciating it. The patches they have been weeding along the fence lines and in the native garden look great, now if only I could get them to work their way all around the border of the property I would never need to weed again!

Brrrrr...Time To Pull Out The Woollies!

Tonight for a special treat I ran myself a nice hot bubble bath, lit some candles and put on one of my favourite albums by David Gray before jumping in for a well deserved soak. I lay back in a mountain of herbal bubbles, closed my eyes and let his husky voice serenade me into a soothing daze. After drying off I put on my gorgeous retro nightie  (you know the ones, when they were lacy and girlie and not practical at all) that I had been saving for a special evening...and what better time than when treating myself to some well deserved me time! I was careful not to sozzle my long hair on the candles though, experience has taught me that. While sharing a bath with a former boyfriend years ago he had a little accident...he leaned back to read by candlelight and the next thing I heard was a fizzing sound, I looked over and there was his hair (or what was left of it) burning on top of his head like a candle on a cake. Of course the only thing I could do as he sat there looking like a stunned mullet was to grab a handful of bath water and plop it on his head. Just for the record, setting yourself on fire does nothing for romance.

Despite the chilly weather we have been having I have been outside tackling some of the jobs on my revolving list of tasks. The other day I repotted all my plants, gosh some of them have grown really well since moving here and they needed a nice fresh pot to stretch their feet in. I sat on the deck surrounded in pots, manure, plants and potting mix and set to work. Luckily I have a large selection of pots so the job is much easier being able to shuffle them around. While it did threaten to rain a couple of times, by the end of the afternoon I had everyone newly potted, a haircut if they needed it and the deck cleared and hosed down. 

I couldn’t believe how much the Cranberry bush has grown, that had to go into a bucket just to give it enough space. The Lemon tree is doing well and also got a much larger pot. The Rhubarb that has been stalled for a long while has finally blossomed into a beauty, must have been the good feed of manure I gave it weeks ago that has given it a spurt of growth. I keep eyeing it up, just waiting for the moment I can give it the chop and make a scrummy rhubarb crumble...that time may not be too far away. 

Guess who I found curled up on the hay bale in the chook run yesterday? Mr. Surprisingly it didn’t seem to bother the girls so I left him to it thinking that it could only be a good deterrent for any creatures that shouldn’t be there.  Even Diesel doesn’t seem to bother them too much now, it’s nice to know that we can all live together in harmony. I am so proud of my boys! I have now put a large wood stump in front of the hut so it is easier for them to hop up but it also gives them a little more protection from the wind when they are resting under the hut in the sand which is a favourite spot. Lola and Alfie plopped themselves down on it today like a couple of bookends...I guess I am safe to assume they approve of it. They are also very content in the new nesting boxes I built, which is great because the other girls won’t budge from the top ones. 

I cleaned out the nesting boxes today and spread the hay around the vegetable garden hoping it will work as a light mulch and protection for the seedlings coming up. I planted some seeds a couple of months ago but for the life of me I cannot remember what the heck I planted but they are coming up so it will be a surprise, teehee. I also started the crazy paving today and I think it will do the job ok, tis going to take a fair bit more work but I will get there. The beets and other vegetables are growing well and now I can harvest bits and pieces for Lipstick which she loves. Well, enough for one night...I am off to make a cuppa, hotty and snuggle down. I know there are things I have forgotten to tell you but the bath is kicking in and the eyes are getting droopy. Peace, love and mung beans...