keeping busy

Hello again,

I am doing extra posting this week as I want to keep track of what I have been up to.

On Sunday I planted out some mixed lettuce. These grow well in pots and I have them just outside my kitchen, very handy to go and pick for salads.

I pulled up a few beetroot to give to my mum. She has trouble growing beetroot where she lives, but I am lucky to be able to grow it all year round.

I am spending more time reading with my morning cuppa. 

I have collected Earth Garden and Grass Roots magazines over the years and never really got around to reading the old copies that I have found in my travels.  So instead of social media checking, I am enjoying spending more time learning the old fashioned way. I used to do a lot of reading in the past, but since the intrusion of face-book etc into my life,  reading books and magazines have taken the back seat.

There was rain in Horrock's Pass when I travelled home from my parents place on Sunday. Not a drop here though...

A little time spent in the op shop and I came home with more books. Was ever so happy to come across such useful books. I paid $10.00 for all of these and they are in great condition.

In the garden, I have blueberries...

Yesterday was spent doing a bit of weeding...

Jackie French gave good advice for weeds in one of the magazines I am reading.

I believe weeds have a purpose, just like everything else in nature. In fact most of them are herbs and can be used in many ways. I like to pull them out before they go to seed and use for mulch or compost or even green manure. Unfortunately I didn't get to them in time this year because of being away and now they have gone to seed, so I will just tidy them up a bit. 

I leave these plants/weeds here for a live cover mulch, they creep and keep the roots cool for the trees.  The flowers also attract a lot of bees.

Look what I discovered hiding in some of the growth around the mulberry tree.  Now I know why those girls where acting suspicious.

 Time to empty the wheelbarrow.

My list has gotten longer, but I am getting quite a few things crossed off.

I moved bricks yesterday and placed them around the fruit trees. Hopefully I will add more mulch today.

Making a little pathway.

I would love to create a herb spiral, but not sure how it will go throughout Summer with the heat. I think the poor plants will perish, although I have positioned this "sample" to get the afternoon shade.

Sophie Thomson was on the radio on Sunday morning and she mentioned that if you prune passion-fruit vines, they will produce for more years than usual. So yesterday I set to and trimmed the passion-fruit plants and nearby bougainvillea.  I was very pleased to see flowers forming on the passion-fruit this year.

The worms are doing well although I did discover a couple of ants in the box this morning so I have sat the bottom in water. 

I cleaned the chook pen out and put fresh hay for them to sort through for me so I can use it for mulch around the fruit trees. The old hay I removed was placed under the grape vine. They don't take long to kick it to pieces...

I hope to get some more of my job list done today. The weather is pleasant at the moment, not too cold and not too hot. There is not much housework getting done while this nice weather is around, I am making hay while the sun shines J

See you soon,

xTania