A welcome visitor

It's going to be a pleasant 35 degrees today in Melbourne, so I thought I'd give my growing veggies a good soak this morning. After a job well done, I sat on my deck admiring all of the new growth, contemplating where else I can grow food in Murphy's ever shrinking yard, when something moved over near the cucumbers.

My backyard is a melting pot of all the pests you don't want to see, even mice. Since the floods occurred in Victoria last year, we've had the most atrocious mouse problems. With all of the farming land around me, and perfect weather conditions, the little nuisance rodents have been the bane of my home. I have seen them, running back and forth along the cucumbers, and just presumed it was another little mousey come to taunt. Imagine my surprise with my brain thinking mouse, and my eyes seeing scales, my mind suddenly shouted SNAKE!! Fortunately for the snake it had legs, and a pretty blue tongue! I couldn't believe my luck, and I'm sure when he stumbled into my backyard, neither could he with the smorgasbord that awaited him! 

He's a good size too, I think the mice, snails and bugs will have met their match. I am so glad I am not using poisons in my yard, and I hope this blue tongue lizard is a ferocious predator, with an enormous appetite. I'm also hoping he brings some friends and intends to stay, and having said that, I am off to research what my backyard might need to make him feel a lot more welcome.

Bek.

How is my garden growing?

Manic Monday's are almost my least favourite day, Wednesday takes first place though, I just need to be more organised, less chaos, or at at the very least I'll settle for some organised chaos. That is one of my goals this year, along with de-cluttering, and using less resources. It's rubbish day tomorrow, and all of my bins are full with more waiting to go in, so my immediate goal, is to use less, or more importantly, waste less. Buy less packaging, start composting and make sure no food is wasted. I am giving myself 1 month to have this much in place, and putting it up here might help me stick to it. I have already started by not buying dog food, I am making 3 days worth of Murphy food at a time, and he and I are both much happier, no tins for recycling, and yummy food my dog can't wait to eat, it smells better too, at both ends. *grin*

I promised garden updates, so here they are. 

I planted these capsicums and lavender on Saturday, after attacking this clay filled garden bed and working through some organic compost and well composted cow manure, finishing off with organic sugar cane mulch. These are store bought seedlings, I had tried to grow capsicums from seeds, and feeling I'd failed bought these ones. Then I read a blog, (I can't remember which one, sorry,) that said, don't stop watering, Capsicum seeds can take a really long time to wake up, So I kept at it, watering the depressingly blank soil, and last week after 6 weeks I have a result! 

Only three of the eight made it, but I'll still take that as a win, 1 of them has only just broken the surface, maybe next week I'll have more? 

The pumpkins and some sort of melon are growing like crazy, the pumpkins were planted just after Christmas, but as of yet no flowers. I had thought I saw buds, but it was just new shoots, keeping my fingers and toes crossed, and limiting the watering, I've read that this might help.

A tiny melon and cucumber, in the absence of bees I have tried my hand at pollinating, but am also planting some bee attracting flowers and herbs, in hope of bringing them in. Every summer I have had bees all over my wattle tree, I've rarely seen one this year, their absence is troubling when I read about colony collapse disorder, which is why even though I have a white fly problem, I am avoiding any pesticide. I did see two yesterday, maybe the lavender is already doing it's job, but they seemed more interested in my clothesline. I recently dyed my bright blue hair to black as I'm allergic to bees and when I was near them, they'd buzz around my head in a threatening kind of worship. 

I didn't have any soil deep enough and completely free of stones for carrots, and am fast running out of garden beds, this 42 litre container seemed like a good solution, the carrots seeds are in the middle with herbs I've grown from seed around the outside. I have three more containers to set up, one for Parsnips, one for swedes, and the other will be brussel sprouts. My spawn love brussel sprouts, my youngest spawnlet begs loudly in the supermarket for them as if they're candy, while surrounding shoppers look at us like we've grown another head or come from another planet.

Zucchini is doing well.

I really did plant all of these too close, in this 4x4 bed I have 9 tomatoes, 8 celery, 8 broccoli, 6 green Mignette lettuces, 8 iceberg lettuce seedlings, and a few mixed lettuce seedlings. Everything seems to be happy, so I'll see how it all grows there may be some sacrifices in the near future, next time I will space things out a lot more. 

A tiny little leek, and my first bean! 

There has been a little bit of seed sowing craziness, well, maybe a little more than a little, and just about every container I can find has a hopeful seed or 20 with the original goal in mind. Using less packaging, good stuff for the compost bin I still have to get/build, and no wasting food. The benefits will be a healthier family, with hopefully a little more money saved, no running out of room in the bins before rubbish day, and less impact on our planet. 

Middle spawn cut her foot checking an aqueduct for Gerome on Saturday, last night we were in emergency as it was a tad worse than first thought. A tetanus shot and some vigorous cleaning were needed and she's fine, but no school today, I'm off to hire some crutches for the rest of this week. 

The vigorous cleaning was more like a vicious tickle, middle spawn couldn't stop laughing.

'til next time,

Bek. 

The adventurous black lab, and other stuff...

It has mostly been an interesting week here, and today I find myself childless. The two younger spawn are with Justin for a bit of child labour, there is some work to do on one of his building sites, the spawn are quite happy for some exercise and pocket money, and I'm happy to have a break from the peace keeping, maybe I should look to work for the United Nations? My middle spawn is off to the zoo with her boyfriend and his family, now there is just my mumma and I relaxing on a Sunday afternoon, and she's getting ready to go to the movies.

My partner and I don't generally celebrate valentines day, there was one year I woke to find a poetically heart melting card and a rock with a red ribbon tied around it, thinking what a deeply symbolic present a rock makes, only to tell him so later and have him laugh at me. When I took off the ribbon, as he finally told me to do, it fell in two, the inside revealed a shiny crystal encrusted hollow, and a pair of stunning amethyst earrings, I am so spoiled sometimes. This year I was sure we weren't acknowledging V-day, but my Justin surprised me with a beautifully inspiring message. He is far too good to me sometimes, I am so in love with my dark poet. 

My spawn have kept me on my toes, peace keeping, playing taxi, late night teenage angst, and general mummy stuff. This week was just an extra busy one for this mumma, and then yesterday my sisters dog went for a long unsupervised walk. I dropped garden tools, grabbed the spawn, and went scouring the suburb in which she lived for her deaf, almost blind, arthritic and living with advanced cancer and dementia, 13yo Black Lab. It turns out he still has a bit of go in him, and when we'd all but given up hope, she rang the lost dogs home and someone fitting Gerome's description had just been brought in. A quick scan of his microchip confirmed it, and we're hoping that the lovely couple who found and brought him in, have some amazingly good karma coming their way! They have renewed my faith in humanity, stopping on a busy highway to grab him, and going out of their way to drop him off where he could be found. 

This is the very pleased with himself pooch after his big adventure, courtesy of my sister.

Somehow, I've managed to find some time for the garden too, but I'll blog about that later, this girl is going to blare some Rob Zombie and do some catch-up housework, and maybe squeeze some Xbox time in there.

Bek.

A Grand night out, Becky and Justin style!

Am re-posting this, I accidentally deleted it with my iPad whilst editing my newest post... originally posted Monday the 13th of February. 

Last week was largely spent feeling unwell, the plus side, I had a great excuse to read, and promptly devoured 5 novels in 3 days. My partner surprised me with tickets to see Voltaire (NYC), and as miserable as I felt, I dragged on my Corset, smudged on my blackest eyeliner, (well, second blackest, as my favourite one was missing. *casts eyes in oldest daughters direction*) and braved the Melbourne nightlife. It had been an excruciatingly long time since Justin and I were just us, and I am glad we did it.

First we were treated to Rouge Fonce, a band that seems to bring a mixture of dark carnivalesque blues and jazz, sultry humour, Burlesque, and songs of sexy murder to a sexy rockish tune, definitely a band I will see again. While listening we were treated to burlesque dancer KerryX, who after a slow seductive striptease, took off her furry conical brazier and surprised us with plasma balls. Yes, plasma balls. They were very strategically placed and I must say, I don't think one has lived until you've touched the electric balls of a burlesque dancers breasts, watching the lightning dance under your finger tips, I am putting it on my bucket list. After the titillating grind of rouge Fonce, we were blessed with another tease, this time with a steampunk theme. I'm not sure of which I was more envious, the outfit, the practiced sway of her hips, or most of all, the confident ease with which she seduced us. 

Finally, there was nothing left to delay the man we've come to see, (were this a feast instead of a gig I'd be full to bursting at this point, wondering where I was going to fit dessert!) Voltaire, the man who puts the fun in goth, and so much more than a musician. Creator of Deady the evil teddy, various stop motion animation, Chi-Chian, etc... There is no end to this mans evil creative genius, you may think you've never heard of him, but if your kids have seen The Grim adventures of Billy and Mandy, or play adventure quest, then he's already invaded your home. 

I sang and laughed, and though I usually don't, consumed three very alcoholic cocktails while forgetting I hadn't really eaten, and felt the best I'd felt in a little while. It ended far too soon, for an encore performance, we all sang the universally known Science fiction/double feature, to which I have now picked up a few extra lines not included in the song, which are far too crass to be repeated here *Cheeky wink*. 

All in all a great time,

Bek. 

A day at home

Finally a day that I can spend at home alone, as a stay at home mum, it is surprising how little time I have at home with nowhere to be, though my youngest spawn is ten.  Maybe I'll spend some of my day catching up on laundry, tidying, and dusting, but there will be blissful uninterrupted reading. Yesterday I arrived home in the afternoon to Kalayna Price's Grave Witch in the mailbox, I bought it on an amazon recommendation, a bit like genius on iTunes. I think it serendipitous, this book arrives just in time for my first day off in almost forever, a perfect break from hectic reality.

Because I have the time, I thought I would take some photos of what's growing in my garden, firstly, because I'm proud of my first attempt at growing our food. And secondly, because it's great to have a comparison for later on.

These are my dwarf butter beans just over two weeks ago, and today.  

Zucchini, These little babies are going to make me very happy! 

My tangled tomatoes, I mistakenly planted 9 of them very close together, and next to the broccoli which is apparently not a good thing. Underneath them is my basil, I have read that not only do they taste great together, but growing them together is beneficial as well.

This is the melon of some sort, found the day I started to plan out my veggie patch, and the day before I was to plant my pumpkins. 

This is what it looked like, and I, thinking I was an expert on such things, was so sure that this surprise plant, growing from nothing I'd ever planted, was in fact a pumpkin. I'm glad I didn't rely on that, knowing now it is a melon, or I wouldn't have bought and planted the pumpkins in time. I moved it from where it was and planted it in the newly turned, weeded, manured, and mulched bed, and brought three new pumpkin plants to plant with it. 

the day after I moved it, I was sure I'd killed it...

A few weeks later it looked like this and now, it's probably the happiest plant in my yard... I am happy to hear any theories on what melon this may be, Any! The curiosity is killing me. My son Micheal is hoping for rockmelon, and has already staked his claim on the fruit, I'm thinking honey dew.

The celery, It seems to be the slowest growing thing in my backyard, I keep looking impatiently at those perfect little stalks with a predatory eye. 

Our green mignonette lettuce, these have been adding some green to the spawns sandwiches and rolls. 

Lastly, my cabbage seedlings. 

The white butterflies have been busy on these tiny leaves too, I'd better start picking those eggs off.

This is not the whole of what's growing in the garden, and the other things will have their turn too, but I think this post is past long enough, I can ramble on forever about my veg, so I'll stop for now. Plus I hear the rubbish truck, and am desperate to take out the school holiday build up of recycling. 

'til next post,

Bek.

Garden updates

Wow, what busy couple of weeks. As of today all three of my still at home kids are back at school, one started on Thursday, one on Friday, and the last today. As usual we aren't completely ready with all of the required school books and such. Last week my son Brendan turned 20, and the week before that was my partner Justin's birthday, and the week before that, My daughter Kiana-Rose turned 15. On top of the usual things It's been a Hectic time. Cleaning up on school holidays seems to be an exercise in futility, it's the garden where I have been most productive.

My pumpkins and melon of some sort are thriving.

I finally picked a ripe juicy strawberry and ate it, the kids have been running out to the garden for lettuce to put on their rolls and we harvested a handful of basil for a Minestrone Kiana-Rose and I made. I am hoping by next month I'll be eating a lot more food that we've grown. 

I have always loved watching those little white butterfly's flitting around our garden, now, I really wish they'd go frolic elsewhere. Last week I noticed bright green caterpillar like things eating my broccoli and nasturtiums, after a little research I discovered that they were the larvae of the harmlessly cute looking white butterfly. I am happy to share some of my food with the insect world, but seriously? The way these little inchworms were chomping at my food supply, there was going to be nothing left for me come harvest time. I shoved my guilt way into the nether regions of my mind, the bits that emptied out after having children, and bought some dipel. Although Dipel is organically okay, there is  a feeling of having cheated, or failed in someway. I am sure when it comes time to eat our homegrown broccoli, guilt will be the last thing on my mind, yum!

In other parts of the garden this week I've planted spring onion seeds, a blueberry bush, and a raspberry cane in the garden, and sowed salad greens in trays. if the blueberries and raspberries survive my black thumb, I'll buy a few more of each, but maybe different types. I am off to enjoy my last hour of peace before the kids come home. 

Happy Monday! 

Bek.