Hello friends,
Since my parents have moved closer, we get to visit regularly with them. I feel so privileged to still have them in my life.
So this afternoon we went over there. When I say over, I mean they live over the other side of the hills from us. These hills are the beautiful Flinder's Ranges. It is about a thirty minute drive from here.
While we are there, they like to show us how their garden is progressing. My mum and dad have green fingers for sure.
Dad mixes all types of manures together with the soil and this is the resulting veggies!
Tomatoes galore! Mum will be making relish this coming week J
Here is a new strawberry patch. A couple of years ago I gave mum all the strawberry plants from my garden, as I was renewing the bed. At the time they hadn't really set up their gardening area so she just plonked them in the soil, and from those first plants they now have another patch. The first year the millipedes ate most of the strawberries, but this year they have beaten the pests and have had heaps of feeds of yummy strawberries. The plants are starting to send out runners now and soon I will be bringing some back home to grow.
This is the old patch now. It all started with just a few strawberry plants! The strawberries have slowed down at the moment but will be back soon, there is still the odd few growing.
Silver beet patch.
Huge zucchini plants growing in the ground. We have been eating so many zucchinis! My own, and mum and dads.
On the other side is another area that is like a jungle. There are rock melons (cantaloupes).
Tiny tomatoes.
Cucumber vines winding their way through the tomato plants. Look at all those flowers!
The jungle!
Another one.
There are also apple cucumbers.
More zucchini bushes.
Dad trying to find some apple cucumbers for us to take home.
Out the front of their log cabin there used to be lawn. They hate lawn! So they smothered it with a huge piece of tarp and left it there for ages. Once spring arrived, the tarp was removed and dad dug up the soil and added manures. Now there are pumpkins where lawn used to be.
They have been set back a little with the hot weather we are having.
Climbing up the railing of the decking are seven year beans. Mum has always grown these no matter where they live.
Looking down across the paddock to where there are some fruit trees planted. Dad had to cover them completely to keep birds out!
Some pickings today.
Dad has offered up his land to the neighbour to run his sheep. Because of the drought they are short on feed. Dad had stubble leftover from reaping his poor crop, so to lesson the fire danger risk, he has sheep to mow it down.
Such a great sight to look out the kitchen window and see sheep!
What we brought home.
What I made with some of them. My favourite salad,
to have with these zucchini boats.
Yummo!
Next time I am up there I will take some photos of their goats and chooks.
My dad is 83 and mum 79. They have ten acres to keep them busy and they are loving it! My dad has never retired and has no intentions of doing so, this life has given them both purpose J
See you all soon,
xTania
Oh,Tania, that's wonderful! I will try mixing the manures. I have chickens, but my neighbor will trade me goat and horse manure for homemade soap. I loved reading about the sheep! They look so peaceful. I can see where you get your green thumb.
ReplyDeleteMy dad uses horse, goat and chicken manure Stephenie.
DeleteDad is a volunteer in the community and helped clean up the rodeo grounds last year. In the yards where the horses are kept was a heap of aged horse manure, it had built up from many years of sitting there. In among the "poo" was straw from the hay they were fed and that added an extra boost to the manure. He loaded his trailer and took it all home. He rakes the straw and manure from the goats pens as well as the chicken pens. Dad used his rotary hoe to dig it all in, and it appears to be just perfect for growing plants. Even their non vegetable plants are booming.
It was a real delight to see the sheep grazing out the window.
My thumb is still a bit brown in some respects, but I am learning more each time I visit my parents as I ask lots of questions :)
I can see where you get your love of gardening from! I am convinced growing vegetables and eating them equals longevity!
ReplyDeleteOh yes I definitely agree with you Cheryl. My parents have always grown their own food including eggs and meat. They very rarely eat junk! We could all take a leaf out of their book, eating healthy and organic and keeping fit in the process.
DeleteGood morning Tania,
ReplyDeleteWhat an inspiring post. Great that your parents are close to you... you are so right ....it is a privilege to have them in your life. Your mum and dad are amazing and their garden is so productive. You all have the "green fingers" gene. Gardening is such a wonderful thing....I do not know how people cope without a garden. (I couldn't!) Love the sheep out the window... reminds me of where I grew up. Cheers, Jo
Thank-you for sharing, Cheers, Jo
Hi Jo,
DeleteI think dad loves having the sheep around, it reminds him of our farm life on the Far West Woast of South Australia. We had a 7,500 acre wheat and livestock farm, and I know he misses that life, as do I. This little property is just what he needed after being cooped up living in a town for twenty years. It is wonderful to see my parents so very happy in their twilight years.
I am still earning my "green finger" badge. I think if I lived in a better area, I would be more successful with my gardening. It is such a struggle to keep things alive here. xTania
What a lovely post. I bet you have lots of fun talking gardening together.
ReplyDeleteWe do have fun talking gardening, and I learn something new every time I visit.
DeleteGreat to see older people still gardening as it's so good for their mental and physical health and not to mention the benefits of the home grown produce. What do you put on your favourite salad? vinegar?
ReplyDeleteApple cider vinegar, salt and pepper on my salad Kathy :)
DeleteYour parents' garden is so beautiful Tania. How nice it is that you live closer to them and can visit them often.
ReplyDeleteIt is really lovely to have my parents close again, for many years we only saw them once or twice a year, now I see them almost every weekend :)
DeleteI have never heard of zucchini boats. That is another recipe to look up and add to the haul. Mum and Dad's place looks great. I hate lawn and would love to do what your folks have done but that would lead to divorce. Bluey loves his lawn.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you get to keep your lawn Jane lol!
DeleteI will post my recipe for the zucchini boats very soon. They are vegan, but I am sure there are other recipes out there for meat eaters, or you can adapt and change things like I do :)
Yes please also keen for your zucchini boat recipe
DeleteThe will put the zucchini recipe up in the next day or two :)
DeleteWhat a heart warming story. My husband and I want to be taken off our land, in a coffin, lol. Although I'm not so sure on our slopes sometimes. Your folks on the other hand, have lovely flat land. Do they rely on machinery more with their old age, to keep up with the 10 acres. Things like using a tractor? That would be handy.
ReplyDeleteHi there Chris,
DeleteMy dad being an ex farmer has all the equipment he needs. He loves to restore old machinery and this is what he uses to plant crops and reap etc. I will take photos of what he has next time so you can see. He is a very clever man. A very good bush mechanic and jack of all trades :)
xTania
Tania, first I must say I really love your hair style and colour. It really suits you. Gosh your parents are inspiring elders to have, thanks for introducing them to us. I agree, a pumpkin patch is far better use for land than a lawn.
ReplyDeleteHi Sally, thank for the compliment on my hair, I really appreciate that.
DeleteI am glad to still have both my parents in my life. They don't know what retirement means lol! Always busy!
xTania
I was already longing for spring and gardening season. Now I really have a problem! ;)
ReplyDeleteI guess you may be experiencing some of the freezing conditions in your area. I cant imagine being that cold! We have had temperatures on the other end of the scale. 121F and needless to say the veggie garden didn't fair so well. You could say it got baked!
DeletexTania