The youngest woke up saying, is it Friday? She squealed with delight knowing vegie group was at our house. I spent the week preparing. 10 bags of horse poo jammed into my boot in 2 loads. A giant pile of mulch and sawdust delivered (actually one of these has been going since Christmas). Papers picked up from the news-agency (they keep some out the back if anyone ever needs them). Someone commented that we looked like a nursery supply yard. We even have the free sleepers we picked up from the railway line. Seedlings of cauliflower, bok choy, violas, brown and white onions purchased. Diggers garlic and lots of forgotten garlic bulbs to transplant.
Because I am a dag and I like lists, here is one on our blackboard. It is really great not having to repeat yourself and people can pick whatever suits them. I am also very forgetful, and need some cues amongst the chaos.
The biggest daughter helped with preparations and made a zesty citrus slice - one pack of Morning Coffee biscuits (or Marie), lots of rind, a tin of condensed milk, 1 cup of coconut. Mix and flatten into a tin. Ice with lemon icing. It's tastier than it sounds.
I did a little house cleaning - gathered up all the junk on the kitchen bench and put it in a laundry basket - tossed it downstairs to deal with later. Ironically, I then had everyone come downstairs to choose parrot prints to take home with them ( they are
painted by Jacques Barraband for François Le Vaillant's Histoire Naturelle des Perroquets for anyone who is interested - also if you missed vegie group I have more). I don't think anyone would really be too surprised at my mess these days but I definitely need the kitchen space for a visit from vegie group.
Gathering up the summer harvest - picking tomatoes and the last of the zuchinnis.
The nursery supply yard
I had a seriously cute helper who whipped himself into a potato digging frenzy, helping me to fill a huge crate full of potatoes. This is my
Peter Cundall potato bed that has already been bandicooted many times yet keeps on giving. I'm definately sold on this technique.
There were potatoes where the cauliflowers are but I'd moved them on to make some space for these cauliflowers - the fastest growing cauliflowers I've ever had. I think they liked all that manure.
My favourite, the purple congo. the vegie patch provides us with so much laughter. Apparently these have the same good stuff in them that blueberries do.
I love it that vegie group is a place we share things - stories, worries, food, love. Tash very kindly lent me this so I can do some dried and bottled apples more easily - awesome. We've been snacking on dried apples today, they're sooo good.
The pile of pulled out summer produce.
Freshly manured and planted beds
The winter patch all filled
The last of the summer harvest
An experiment, strawberries (that were pulled out from our paths) planted into potting mix and horse poo. The tree roots were always a problem in this spot so it will be interesting to see how the clam shells go - they have holes drilled in them.
The footprints of a dozen lovely ladies, freshly sawdusted paths.
And a new barrier between the raspberries and the garlic.
Thanks everyone, it all has had a good water in over the weekend and looks wonderful.
