All posts by aussiebarons

Dec 1

First of December. Put up the wreath outside, beside the door, made gingersnap dough x 2, one for the house which this year might be a roo, the other for the small cookies, painted the vanity for the second time. It has the same colour as the walls in the bathroom – light yellow. Then of course the usual: dishes, emptying the compost bin and emptying the composting toilet. Missing sticks for hanging some of the yule-deco´s but found two in one of the wood piles so to do is also sanding them and maybe lacquering them to keep the red nice colour.

The drain to be The vanity

Tuesday : project fix the dunny

Gonna try to write a bit more often here. A bit of diary.

We have a lot of projects going on or listed. Before winter we started on setting up bathroom. We ended up going to the toilet all winter outside anyway. We set up a temporary shower just outside the verandah. It all worked out fine. Then one day after winter was over we got hold of vinyl flooring and glued half of it down. Put the toilet in there and voilá at least we are inside. But still no door. Windows will only be netting so the shower steam will go out easily. Anyway the sink is almost done and now we have started to work on the bathroom again. But we have to move a big pile of wood that lay under the verandah/bathroom so we started doing that before we can get under and figure out to position the drainage between the floor beams.

We have been sawing for two days and sorting and stuffing and pulling nails. There is still some under the floors and another pile that we might as well move while we´re at it. But we crawled under the floor and one on top to measure out where we shall fit the drain. And then it got too hot so we stopped and went to the creek instead.

Then we made ice cream. Just an experiment. The second Ice cream trial. It turned out yummy but need a bit of tweaking.

Our Magpies are still two but it seems to be two girls now. Or the mom and a baby who is either going to be a girl or is a not grown boy. Interresting. Magnus himself is gone but we call them all Magnus now. We have two kookas again and one has a sort of halfass laugh.

The wild fires are out except one and it is over in Taylors Arms upper. Right now we have thunder and a bit of lightning. We hope and hope it does not set fire to the bush. If it does we are in trouble with all the dry bush and grass around. Please give us rain!!!!!

Blooming and ripening 8 Nov

The garden is full of birds flying here and there eating from the nectar giving flowers.

Plants that have flowers right now:

Aloe
Aloe
The survivor of the three trees we relocated last spring
The survivor of the three trees we relocated last spring
Hibiscus-heterophyllus-subsp.-heterophyllus-Native-RosellaNative-Hibiscus.
Hibiscus-heterophyllus-subsp.-heterophyllus-Native-RosellaNative-Hibiscus.
Blooming for the first time
Blooming for the first time
Bottlebrush
Bottlebrush
Dill
Dill
Lomandra
Lomandra
Our first strawberries
Our first strawberries
Silky Oak
Silky Oak
Do not know these
Do not know these
White Clover
White Clover

No more Loquats. Now we will put the net over the grapes. We did a pretty hefty pruning on the grapes. We will see if we get more grapes than last year. Odd with grapes that fruit in the summer though.

Grapes ripening
Grapes ripening

They are working on the big road. Wonder how it will look when it is finished. Flat as Holland hopefully but first rain and a lorry and it will be back to 4-wheeling.

They are working on the big road. Wonder how it will look when it is finished. Flat as Holland hopefully but first rain and a lorry and it will be back to 4-wheeling.

The grass is mowed, the patches are weeded, the trees are pruned, the avocados are planted and most is coming to flowers or fruit so we only have to wait now and keep an eye on things. We can start working on other projects. Back to the bathroom for example and do some work on the new spot for the water tank. I want to get a patch for the wild raspberries (Rubus rosifolius,) and some blackberries that already grows there in order too. A new projects that we are doing is transforming the temporary shower cabin to a garden tool shed. Ohh there is never a moment without womething to do and figure out the best way of doing it.

Woah, just seeing two Rainbow Lorikeets in the Silky Oak! Nice having them around. They can get quite friendly. We are keeping an eye on our patches too. We might have to put netting over 3 and 4 by and by.

 

We are also keeping an eye on the bush fire that is slowly growing but allegedly under control. Luckily the wind is next to nothing otherwise it would probably not be under control.

Also we are trying to dry dill to store in jars instead of freezing.

Drying dill

Dill drying in a net

Avocado with barbed fencing Here is one of the avocados we have planted. It has a natural barbed wire so the wallabies will not eat the leaves until it has grown a bit. The barbed wire are wild lime trees.

Avocado with barbed fencing

 

This we have no idea but this year we have some flowers and seeds fruit whatever
This we have no idea but this year we have some flowers and seeds fruit whatever
This is our Macadamias beginning
This is our Macadamias beginning
Creek Sand paper fig is ripening
Creek Sand paper fig is ripening They are edible but pretty tasteless and tiny.

 

 

Fight for the meat

We threw two bones with some meat on it in the paddock for Magnus and Maggie who are nesting. They got competition straight away. Bruce the goanna finally even dragged the bones to it´s nest in an old tree.

But meanwhile Willie Wagtail, a raven, the magpies and the goanna fought over it. It is fun to see the little wagtail nipping at the big goanna and birds to chase them away. To no avail of course. dsc00982Magpie in the tree wondering what to do.

dsc00981Goanna is eating my food!

Crow gets some feedNow raven is also eating my food!

Maggie is helpingI need help! Maggie comes to help.

Where is he going?Bruce the Goanna wins!

dsc00971Brings all the bones to his nest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lazy Willie Wagtail

Haha lazy Willie Wagtail is stealing insects from the spiders web! Or is there a nest up there??

The garden is full of birds flying here and there eating from the nectar giving flowers.

Hard to take pics because they are up there in the tree tops against the sun.

Woah, just seeing two Rainbow Lorikeets in the Silky Oak! Nice having them around. They can get quite friendly. We are keeping an eye on our patches too. We might have to put netting over 3 and 4 by and by.

 

 

 

 

 

Vårsådden bara / Spring garden,

English after.

20161014 fredag. Nu är vi klara med vårsådden och vårplanteringen …. nej vi har avokadosarna kvar att plantera någonstans.

Så i grönsaksland nr 1 växer kvar från i höstas Sötpotatis, oregano, rabarber, vitlök, en dum lök som jag kastade ut, koriander och några rödsallat som är självsådda. Vi har nu på våren sått rukola, basilika, rosmarin, dragon och isbergssallad. Potatisen vi satte i höstas verkade ha dött så vi beslutade att denna rad var tom. Sen grävde vi lite och hittade några små nypotatisar. Några var lite ätna av. Vi har lagt undan dem att grodda.

I grönsaksland nr 2 har vi kvar från vintern och fortfarande skördar från Cos sallat, citrongräs, blomkål, persilja och några kinesiska kål. Vi har planterat jordgubbar som vi köpt på Bunnings, sötpotatis varav 5 är köpta och en grävde vi upp och en som dök upp och växte av sig själv. Sen sådde vi en isbergtyp-sallad, broccoli, paprika, kål, gurka, zucchini, salladslök och aubergine. Vi flyttade en massa tomter som hade självsått sig sen hösten och sådde några nya stora tomater, Grosse Lisse.

I nr 3 har vi fortfarande från vintern och fortfarande skördar från kålrötter, rödbetor, dill och några ärter. Vi har sått rädisor, purjolök, palsternacka, rotselleri, bladselleri, ärtor, mer sallad, röd chili, pak choi, lök, rock melon, vattenmelon, pumpa, morötter, mer rödbetor, ett gäng olika bönor och satt potatis. Rädisorna är uppe redan och vi skördar dem. Bönorna har dykt upp och ser bra ut.

I en 4: e ruta har vi planterat 24 majs och satt ett högre staket runt för att hålla borta hopparna. Senare kommer vi antagligen att täcka det med nät för att undvika fåglar också. Uppe vid vattentanken vi har planterat en del kronärtskockor på prov och nere i hagen en bit från veranda vi har sått några solrosor så att vi kan se hur de vänder och vrider sig efter solen. Fröhuset var en besvikelse i år. Det vi trodde var en trevlig blandning av jord och sand visade sig som cement i vissa fall. Endast sallat och kronärtskockorna klarade av det och kunde planteras.

Nu har vi 4 avokadoplantor att försöka räkna ut var vi ska plantera så att de kommer att vara säkra från frost. Ahh, vi har också sått en quandong i i en burk och det kommer att bli spännande att se om de tar sig.

Loquaten har frukt och vi äter av den. Den smakar plommon fast med lite beskt skal. Det måste vara ett ganska ungt träd eftersom det inte har särskilt mycket frukt ännu. Mullbären är börjar också mogna. En av de gula guavaträden har fått något som äter bladen men vi kan absolut inte se vad det är. Alla citrus blommar eller har blommat klart. Några kumquatar är fortfarande kvar på ett av träden och bör skördas snart. Macadamianötterna samt pecannötterna har blommat och vi väntar nu på att se om den blir några nötter av det hela. Förra året fick vi inte så många som året innan.

Så trädgården går fint just nu.

Grannen sålde aldrig sin tomt och det var hans kor som strövade på vår mark igen men han sålde korna och allt är tillbaka till det normala. Vi har haft ett par dopp i bäcken men vädret är lite svalare än förra året så vi är lite mesiga fortfarande.

20161014 Friday. So now we are done with the spring sowing and planting…. oh no, we have the avocados left to plant somewhere.

In patch one we have growing: Sweet potato, oregano, rhubarb, garlic, one silly onion that I threw out, coriander and some red lettuces that seeded itself. We have sown rocket, basil, rosemary, tarragon and iceberg lettuce. The potatoes we put down seemed to have died so we decided that that row was empty. Then we dug a little and found some small new potatoes. Some were a bit eaten. We have put them away to grow eyes.

In patch 2 we have left from winter and still harvesting Cos lettuce, Lemon Grass, cauliflower, parsley and some Chinese cabbage. We have planted strawberries that we bought at Bunnings, sweet potatoes some that are bought and one we dug up and one that popped up by itself. Then we sowed Iceberg type lettuce, broccoli, capsicum, cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini, shallots and eggplant. We relocated a bunch of tomatoes that had self seeded since autumn and sowed some new big ones: Grosse Lisse.

In no 3 we still have from winter and still are harvesting from Swedes, beet roots, dill and some peas. We sowed radishes, leek, parsnip, celeriac, celery, potatoes, peas, more lettuce, red chilli, pak choi, onion, rock melon, watermelon, pumpkin, carrots, more beet roots, and a bunch of different beans. The radishes are up and we are harvesting. The beans have popped up and look well.

In a 4th patch we have planted 24 corn and put a higher fence around to keep the jumpers away. Later we will probably have to cover the corn with netting to avoid birds.

Up by the water tank we have planted some Globe artichokes on trial and down in the paddock a bit from the verandah we have sown some Sunflowers.

The seed house was a let down this year. What we thought was a nice mixture of soil and sand turned out like cement in some cases. Only some lettuce and artichokes made it through and got planted.

Now we have 4 avocados to figure out where to plant so they will be safe from the frost. Ahh we have also sown a Quandong in a pot and that will be exciting.

The Loquat we already have is fruiting well and we are eating. It must be quite a young tree because it does not have very many fruit yet. The Mulberries are also coming along nicely. One of the yellow Guavas have caught something that is eating the leaves but we can absolutely not see what it is. All the citruses are blossoming or done blossoming. Some Kumquats are still on one of the trees and should be harvested soon. The Macadamias have bloomed and Pecans are blossoming right now so we are waiting to see if any nuts will come out of it. The garden is coming along fine at the moment.

The neighbour did not sell his plot and it was his cows that roamed but he sold the cows and all is back to normal. We have had a couple of dips in the creek but the weather is a bit cooler than last year so we are still a bit wimpish.

Add on to last blog

Here is the only dill plant that made it but we have harvested so much dill from it it is uncanny!      Version 2

Below is the Macadamia blooming and there are lots and lots of insects flying around fertilising it.Macadamia flowers On the other hand the Guava is faring miserably. Something that we cannot see is eating all the leaves.