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Life on two acres of arid dirt, on the edge of the Australian outback.

Monday, January 1, 2018

today...

Look what we have hiding here under the jasmine bush.  I think the same hen is up to no good again...I definitely do not need any more baby chickens!

Out back looking north along the ridge...

I planted a Sturt Desert Pea about a month ago and so far it is doing okay.  I cover with shade on the really hot days, and there have been a few.

And here is that sneaky hen poking around somewhere else!

I have figs coming along...

 Oranges.

Mandarins.

Granny apples.

Grapes.


Grapefruit.

There are not so many nectarines this year as the tree had a good prune earlier on.

Ironbark pumpkin growing nicely...

I have planted yarrow all among the beds, it has such a pretty flower.

Zucchinis.

A whole crop of purslane came up in a vacant bed after recent rains.



Potatoes in the pot and bag nearby. The garbage bin holds some lovely smelling green manure...yuck!

 
Tomatoes.


Rhubarb.

Flowering tomato.


This butternut pumpkin came up all by itself.

Herbs...

 Pretty in pink.


Oregano in flower and so is the thyme.

The sage smells divine.

Lemon balm.

Its a bit messy out in the veggie patch, the winds have played havoc with the shade-cloth!

Capsicums.

Silver-beet...

Self sown pumpkin (I think), and cucumbers in there somewhere...

 Capsicums and apple cucumber.


The celery has gone to seed, I will collect this once it starts to dry and use in cooking and preserves.

Does anyone know how to treat the grub/larvae that is infesting my eggplant and tomatoes? I fear that if I do not treat it soon I will pick very few of these veggies.  I would prefer an organic method if anyone has one please?

I am not having the best of luck in my veggie patch this year, not sure whether it is the weather as it has been quite mild, or the fact that I changed the soil around in the beds and some of the plants are not happy about this.

Quite a few months ago I dug up a piece of fig tree that was growing in my sons yard, and finally after all this time we have some new growth!

We found we weren't using our swimming pool any more, so when the liner got a hole in it, rather than pay out more money for a new one and water to refill, we decided to fill it in and make use of this area for something else. Hubby is filling this in himself, one wheel barrow of dirt at a time!
 

Kombucha ready to bottle...

And done, just need to add fruit pieces. 
 
Preparing for the year ahead, my goal is to be more organised!

My attempt to make a pretty cover for this plain diary...



What did you do on this first day of 2018?

See you soon,

xTania

30 comments:

  1. The diary cover is beautiful! And everything you've got growing looks so good, although I know the larvae in the toms and eggplants is annoying. Love the photo of the chicken. They can be so tricksy! Our ducks are bad about hiding their eggs, but we don't need 52 more ducks! Happy New Year!

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    1. So great to hear from you again Leigh. I am glad I am not the only one with sneaky livestock. This particular hen gives me the run around, she is very clever actually because she fools me every time!

      xTania

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  2. So nice to see garden plants growing as it won't get up to freezing here today. I don't have those things eating my tomatoes but lost the whole crop to wet weather diseases back in August. It looked like frost had killed them as they all died at once.

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    1. SBF, It sounds like it may have been frost if the plants all died at once. It is frustrating when this type of thing happens after all the hard work to get them growing. I think I am going to make a strong garlic spray and see if I can move those pests away!

      Thanks for visiting,

      xTania

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  3. -4F here this morning and snow on the ground for days now. Yout photos are a welcome relief! I hope 2018 is a good year for you and yours.

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    1. Brrr -4F is just a bit chilly. I will try to remember you when we are suffering through our hot 115F on Saturday.

      Wishing you and yours a great year too Gorges. Thank you for being a regular visitor to my blog. I appreciate your comments.

      xTania

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  4. Oh Tania, I am intrigued by your journals, I would love some insight into how you use them to get organised.
    Is one especially for garden management?
    My head is constantly full of the "I must remember too's" and if I don't write it down I promptly forget about it, until next time it pop's into my head! Trouble is I usually scrawl it down on a scrap of paper and promptly lose it! I've been thinking I need a couple of journals for jotting things down. I'd love to know your thought's and ideas on this.

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    1. I am a bit the same Cheryl with trying to remember things. This journal thing (in books) is pretty new to me although I have kept folders for years to keep track of things. Maybe I could show you my garden one of those. I have folders for many aspects of my life like household management, bill paying, recipes, blogging etc. I will see what I can do. You tube can be a great help with learning how to keep a journal :)

      xTania

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  5. Wow you have heaps of veggies growing I've been so slack this year and am only growing weeds. 2018 I need to get focused and get my three little veggie patches filled with food.

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    1. Thank you for dropping by today Kathy. Don't think you are alone with weed growing, I have plenty of those growing too. Most weeds are herbs, so technically you are growing a garden lol! :)

      xTania

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  6. Your garden is doing really well. Considering the weather lately
    Love the cover. So pretty

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    1. Hi Angela,

      The garden is doing quite well although I have neglected it quite a bit lately over the month of December. Luckily it looks after itself most of the time. It really needs a good tidy up.

      xTania

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  7. I'd love to share more today, but I'm a bit on the run. So just wanted to pop in, say happy blogging anniversary, and a happy new year. I look forward to following your blog adventures in 2018. As for the problems in your garden, with grubs, I suspect I have a possible solution. Research, blossom end rot. I found I get this, once the temps turn up, and transpiration, becomes a problem. The soft bottom of a fruit, is an invitation for pests.

    My capsicums and tomatoes got hit this year, and rather than run through the litany of possible causes, I'll give you a link instead: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/tomato-blossom-rot.htm

    This should give you some issues to troubleshoot. :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for that information Chris. I will check that link out :)

      Happy New Year to you and yours too!

      xTania

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  8. Your garden is beautiful. I love the way you used old bath tubs.

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    1. Thank you. Old baths make great veggie beds :)

      xTania

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  9. happy new year!
    your gardens look awesome & so lush!
    i still don't have anything growing here, way too hot & humid for most, (the silverbeet just lays there begging to be cooled down lol) must admit though, most of my herbs seem to enjoy it.
    thanx for sharing

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    1. Hi Selina,

      Happy New Year to you and your family too!

      We have had a bit of humidity here this year, so maybe that is what is contributing to my garden problems...who knows?

      xTania

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  10. Happy new year, Tania! I love the woven ribbon cover of your diary. I organise myself each day with an old exercise book (of my son's) that lives on my kitchen bench. You have so much growing at your place, I recently added some yarrow to my patch and I love it's little white flowers too. Meg:)

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    1. Hi Meg,

      Your organisation skills are what I like...nice and simple.

      Yarrow appears to be a very tough plant, as well as being pretty :)

      xTania

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  11. Hi Tania,

    Your garden looks wonderful, especially as I can see you are in a pretty arid area.

    Is your pest problem fruit fly? I had this problem last year and searched for an organic solution. I can't find the link now, but one of the remedies was to dissolve vegemite in water, place the mix in an old plastic soft drink bottle with holes poked in the neck then hang near the tomato plants (it seemed to work). I also found this link http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s3084879.htm to a similar solution. HTH.

    Love your journal,
    Janine

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    1. Welcome Janine,

      Thank you for your advice, but South Australia is a fruit fly free state so one would presume the answer to be no (hope so anyway). Thank you also for the link, I will check it out shortly :)

      xTania

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    2. Hello again Janine,

      I went searching and I think the pest may be this one. The picture of the tomato is the same as some of mine look. Here is a link for you to look at if you are interested https://www.organicgardener.com.au/blogs/how-control-tomato-caterpillar

      xTania

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    3. Thank you Tania, I'll check out the link.

      I'd forgotten SA is free of fruit fly (I remember the days of the inspection gates and having to stop and have the car checked). That is such a bonus.

      Best wishes,
      Janine

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  12. My goodness me Tania ... you seriously need to write an eBook about food gardening on the edge of the outback. You are prolific!

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    1. I wouldn't know the first thing about writing an ebook Phil lol! Thank you for the lovely compliment.

      xTania

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  13. Your garden is looking lovely, despite the grubs! I still can't believe all you can grow there with the intense heat you can get. I give your husband credit for filling in the swimming pool one wheelbarrow at a time. That is a lot of work!

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  14. My goodness Tania, I was going to say your garden looks very prolific, but you feel it's not up to scratch. I was surprised at the amount and variety of vegies you had growing, which is great to see. Can't help you with your pest problem I'm afraid. Well done to your hubby, filling in the pool hole, that's quite a job .......First day of 2018, I was planning to spend in my sewing room, but a couple of good friends invited us out to lunch at a nearby winery. I declined initially, but she twisted my arm and it was lovely....there's always another day to sew....hopefully. Wishing you and your family a wonderful 2018 Xx

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  15. I can't get over all the veggies and fruits you have growing, I'm sure it keeps you busy, but oh, all that fresh goodness! Funny about filling in your pool. I always say a pool is a hole in the ground that you pour money into... the water, daily vacuuming and scrubbing the sides, the chemicals to make the water the perfect shade, the cost of a cover in the winter, the electricity to run the pump...

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Your comments really make my day. Thank you for taking the time and for being so kind.