Garden Share Collective - Preserve

This month I am back into blogging and back into the Garden Share Collective.  I look forward to continuing to be involved with this network of likeminded gardeners and sharing in their experiences each month.  This month's topic is Preserve.

Coming to the end of summer Preserve seems logical as fruits and vegetables are running rampant in the garden and it is time to fill the cupboards for winter.  Apart from bottling fruit and making jam this year I have added a dehydrator to my arsenal.  When we had mushrooms appearing daily in the paddocks I took the opportunity to store some away for hearty stews and risottos.  Likewise my sulphite free dried apricots will be great in homemade muesli bars.  As the apple tree heaves with Peasgood Nonsuch beauties I will be turning to the dehydrator again to make some apple chips and if I can beat the birds to the pears I will try some of them too.

One of my favourite ways to preserve fruits is in liqueurs.  Fill a preserving jar with fruit, add sugar and vodka/gin.  Shake daily for a week, then leave for 6 months.  Strain and enjoy.  I have done some Damson Gin and Vodka this week and have plenty more fruit to do a couple more jars.  Give it a couple of months and I will be doing the same with the Medlar.  I have also made apricot and raspberry jam although I still have Damson jam left over from last year, as well as bottling apricots, plums and peaches.

I had always dreamed of a pantry full of colourful preserves.

Gardening with animals and children can be a challenge at times and preserving my sanity is something I am continuing to work on.  I have finally grown tomatoes so successfully I have more than we are eating!  I made some pasta sauce, and since I was so inspired I made some homemade farfalle pasta to go with it.  Some sauce did make it into a jar as well though!  I have grown a number of Heirloom varieties of tomatoes this year including Black Krim, Green Zebra and Brandywine Pink.  Once the fruiting is over I am planning to save some seeds as well to use next summer.

The glasshouse grown Brandywine dwarfs the outside grown Black Krim.

My forest garden project is coming along nicely with the purchase of a dozen herb plants yesterday.  I am embracing chop and drop mulching, and reading anything and everything I can find related to this.  Watch this space....

The dream is still alive.

I can't believe it is nearly two years since I last posted.  I guess it is running around after a toddler that is keeping me busy.

A quick update on what has happened since I was last here.

• We are still on our little farm with sheep, goats, chickens and now a cow!  We have been hatching our own eggs and raising the roosters for meat.
• I have completed a couple of gardening courses learning about Permaculture and am working on applying the principles to our block.
• I am in the process of designing a forest garden within my existing orchard.  As this progresses I will share more information on how this is going.
• I have been dabbling with more preserving techniques such as dehydrating, fruit liqueurs, jams, and chutneys.

Goals for this year

• Continue to learn about and apply permaculture principles, including establishing forest gardens.
• Make cheese, butter and yogurt with our raw milk.
• More homegrown meals.

I am looking forward to charting my progress and reading some good books when time allows.  I have Creating a Forest Garden by Martin Crawford requested from the local library and can't wait to get stuck into that.

Let me know if you have any other recommendations. 

Garden Share Collective August

This year is whizzing by and already it is time for the August update for the Garden Share Collective.

Just when things seemed to be drying up we got another 20 mm of rain and everything turned to mush again.  The goats were marooned for a day and ducks reappeared in the 'pond' in the paddock.  We had been having lovely days, frosts in the morning and sun, and even a couple of Nor'wester winds to dry things up.   Some days have felt almost spring like and I had to shed a layer of clothing.  It certainly is hard to know what to put on in the morning!

I have had a go at making some apple cider, using apples from a tree on the roadside outside our gate.  It is a simple recipe so fingers and toes are crossed it is successful. 






I froze 1.5kg of apples for a couple of days.  Semi thawed them, chopped them in food processor, and put into 10L bucket with 5.7 litres of cooled, boiled water.  Leave for a week, stirring morning and night.  After a week, add juice and zest of 3 lemons and 1kg of sugar and bottle.

We have been having lots of apple crumbles too, and the windfall apples have been getting fed to the sheep, much to their delight!

 

 

I have been busy pruning the fruit trees and sorting out the berry garden, and purchased a Hybridberry and Boysenberry on sale to add to the collection.  The Hybridberry is a Boysenberry cross so it will be interesting to see how it goes.

 

 

Things are fairly quiet in the vege garden so I have been taking the time to prune my roses.  18 done yesterday was a good start and it's sunny again today so I should get stuck in and do some more. 

 

The jonquils, crocuses and snow drops are flowering, the days are lengthening and the mud is drying.  I'll enjoy it before the forecasted wintery blast on Thursday!

 

 



 



Garden Share Collective

The shortest day has been and gone.  Traditionally this has been the date when garlic should be planted and then harvested by the longest day.  It has been so wet here I have held off getting the garlic in the ground too soon but with a fine week things have dried out a lot.  I will be using some of the garlic that I grew last year, which has without doubt been the best garlic I have ever used.  It is crispy, juicy and extra tasty.  Can't see me ever going back to shop bought garlic.

I have been tackling the pruning of the fruit trees.  I have to admit that some of them haven't been pruned in the two years we have been here, and are a bit overgrown.  I have given an Apricot tree a stern talking to as it has yet to flower and it is well and truly established so it might need to go and make way for something else!

The currants have all been cut right back, cuttings put in pots with fingers crossed, and when I clean out the chook house, the manured hay will be put around the currants for mulch.

The hens are still laying and I have been regularly getting 4-5 eggs a day from 8 hens.  As they are all 2+ years old I am more than happy with that at this time of the year.  We have been getting some good frosts, so the girls are pleased to see me in the morning with their warm rolled oats breakfast. 

I have collected some hazelnuts and almonds and am looking forward to eating them super fresh. 

The hazelnuts have their catkins on for winter.  They are fascinating to watch as they emerge and open out.  Such a nice contrast to the naked branches.

In the next month I intend to have the rest of the fruit trees pruned, the vege garden cleared out  a bit and some compost spread about in preparation for spring planting.  Then again, it is cold so I may just stay indoors and read some other blogs from the Garden Share Collective.

Garden Share Collective

Another month down and another update due for the Garden Share Collective.  May saw me picking Medlars.

 Medlars are an unusual looking fruit grown on a small compact tree which has a lovely white blossom in spring.  I covered them this year and managed to harvest a lot more than in the last couple of years. I am looking forward to Christmas this year and the chance to indulge in a little Medlar Liqueur.  By then I will probably not still be breastfeeding, and if I am it will be maybe one to two feeds a day so a wee snifter at night should be ok.  The liqueur has a light fruity taste a bit like apple or pear.

Medlar Liqueur
500g ripe (bletted) medlars
500ml vodka
375g sugar
Place the medlars in a large sterilised jar.

Warm the vodka just enough to dissolve the sugar, then pour the mixture over the medlars and seal the jar.

Shake the jar each day for a week, then leave in a cool dark place for 6 months before straining and bottling.

As I make mine in large Agee preserving jars I had to make some modifications.
490g medlar (the jar full)
400ml vodka
320g sugar

The garden is heading for hibernation and so am I.  This past week we have had a really cold snap, with the first snow of the year on the hills.  We have had 4 hard frosts this week and a lot of sad looking plants round the garden.  The last of the tomatoes are ripening in the glass house so I will probably pick them green and let them ripen indoors.

The rest of the garden is quiet.  The broad beans I planted in April have come up, the brussel sprouts and kale are lethargic at best and the ground is water logged and cold.

In an attempt to produce some more greens my daughter and I are trying our hand at microgreens.  We were sent some Cabbage Rubies free with the Go Gardening Magazine.  We sowed half in a pot and waited.  The packet said they would take 4-6 days to germinate and by the fourth day they were up.  They are meant to be ready to cut at 2-3 weeks.  Ours at one week are looking pretty healthy so it is time to sow the other half of the packet.

 

 

 

Time to put the fire on and read gardening magazines and seed catalogues and start dreaming about spring.

Autumn antics

Another month down and another monthly report for the Garden Share Collective .  Autumn is definitely upon us with the trees turning beautiful oranges, browns and red.  All this mean the rake is about to get a workout as will I.  We have a lot of deciduous trees in our garden but it is all great mulch and adds essential carbon to the compost heap.  My Father-in-law has also been busy raking and we now have a large area of the flower garden heavily mulched with these leaves.

My kale is coming on and I have been picking leaves for my green smoothies.  My sprouting broccoli has been flowering so I think I am going to have to pick it quite small to avoid this.  The brussel sprouts are growing well although they have a way to go before they will be producing anything.

We are getting lots of Cherry tomatoes but I have to say the other tomatoes are doing very little.

The apple tree on the roadside is looking good and the birds are starting to take an interest so it must be time to pick some.

I sowed a couple of rows of Broad Beans the week before Easter.  My Mum always said they have to be in before Anzac Day so I am to achieve that.  I will probably put some more in as Miss 6 likes them and they freeze well too if we end up with too many.

As to my jobs from last month

• Clear more tussock grasses for compost area and berry/currant garden.  All tussocks from this area are gone.

Preserve Blackboy peaches - All done until next year.

Wage war on weeds in the vege beds - A work in progress.

I also want to get some mulch down on the flower beds to reduce weeds in the spring.  Thanks to my F-I-L a good chunk of the garden is mulched.

To do list for May

• Weed and mulch vege beds
• Sow some peas and more broad beans
• Harvest medlar and leave them to blet

Things are cooling down here with night temperatures approaching 0 degrees.  It doesn't encourage me to go and work in the garden when the soil is so cold. It's getting close to hibernation time.

It's raining, it's pouring...

 

Another month has flown by and it is time for an update for the Garden Share Collective.  Well the weather man was right. It is raining and is expected to last over the next few days. It has been a lovely sunny autumnal week and I am not complaining about the rain.  It saves me watering, although I had hoped to pick some Black boy peaches and do some preserving so I guess I will have to brave the weather to collect them.

 

 

 

 

In other happenings my coffee grinds do seem to be keeping slugs and snails at bay so my kale, brussel sprouts and broccoli might stand a chance.  The strange cold/hot/cold/hot weather has caused one of my broccoli plants to go straight to seed with the first shoot it produced.  It is a sprouting variety so hopefully I still get some from it.

The tomatoes are ripening well now on the Sweet 100's, and I have managed to salvage a few Peasgood Nonsuch apples that the birds did not eat!!

There is a good crop again on the Medlar tree and this year I have been more organised and covered the tree to keep the birds away and hopefully increase the amount of fruit I will pick in late May/June.  Medlar is an ancient fruit that has a lovely blossom and unusual looking fruit.  The other odd thing about it is that it needs to "blet", a process that basically sees the fruit start to rot, before you use it.  This year I will be making another bottle or two of Medlar liqueur (medlars steeped in vodka for 6 months), and also some cordial.  You can also make Medlar Jelly, in a similar way to Quince jelly.  I have made the liqueur before and it is delicious, like a fruity cordial but with punch.  It definitely has an apple/pear sort of flavour and is really yummy.  I'm looking forward to indulging in an alcoholic beverage over the summer as I'll probably be finished feeding bubs by the time the liqueur is ready.

My Mum has been keeping us in Courgettes after the slugs ate my plants.  My husband is not a big fan but I have discovered he doesn't mind when it is in a chocolate cake.  We have been eating lots, and I have also used the same recipe to make muffins which I have put in the freezer so the glut is not wasted.

I have been digging the potatoes as I need them.  Last year I cleared an area in the vegetable garden, spaced out some sprouting potatoes and covered them with pea straw.  I left them alone until now and we are enjoying some nice tasty potatoes.  It is the ultimate in lazy gardening but worked well as I was 8 months pregnant when I was planting them so I wasn't looking for anything too labour intensive!

In the next month I plan to continue work on berries and currants area.  I have been clearing tussock grasses in an area of the garden to set up my compost bins and also plant some raspberries and more currant cuttings.  I have been feeding the tussocks to the goats, much to their delight. 

I have a buck turning up on Monday to hang out with my 3 does for a while, so fingers crossed we will have kids in September.  We are borrowing a ram from my sister as well so we will be lambing about the same time as kidding.

My to do list for April

• Clear more tussock grasses for compost area and berry/currant garden.  This is an ongoing project as there are some Silver Birches to be removed before it will be completely finished but at the moment I am getting the compost sorted and taking some cuttings of my existing bushes.
• Preserve Blackboy peaches - fruit in syrup, stewed, jam, fresh in my tummy.....
• Wage war on weeds in the vege beds
• I also want to get some mulch down on the flower beds to reduce weeds in the spring.

How did I do for March?
I started digging the potatoes as we need them.
Hazelnut suckers removed and some hazelnuts appearing on the tree.
Cuttings taken and some more to be taken for berry/currant garden.

All in all not bad considering the month flew by and my bouncing baby boy is now 18 weeks old.

Green Urban Living 12 Week Challenge

I'm taking part in a 12 week challenge set up by Janet over at Green Urban Living.  From 1st March to 24th May there are a variety of weekly challenges from going chemical free, to carless days, going foraging and recycling. Participants are encouraged to take part in as many of the challenges as you like, and interact on the websites forum and/or Facebook page.  There are a number of judges including Wendyl Nissen from Wendyl's Green Goddess , Lynda Hallinan from NZ Gardener, NZ Eco Chick, and Malcolm Rands from Ecostore, who will give out prizes to some of the lucky participants.

Week One was to Ditch the Chemicals.  I already use Baking Soda and White Vinegar for a lot of things - cleaning the toilet, Vinegar as Rinse aid in Dishwasher, Fabric softener in washing machine etc.
I cleaned the dishwasher with some vinegar in the top rack and some Baking Soda sprinkled in the bottom.  Seems to have come up a treat and I think the dishes are getting cleaner too.

I have also made some Dishwasher powder too using Citric Acid, Washing soda and Baking Soda.  I'm yet to try that as finishing the previous "green" one I bought.

A couple of years ago I invested in a second hand steam mop and love the result on the kitchen lino.  The ultimate no chemical clean using just water.

We are using cloth wipes with bubs and after using up my bottle of Wendyl Nissen's wipe solution, I filled the bottle with water and added a few drops of both tea tree and lavender essential oil. It has worked really well, with no ill effects and it has saved me trying to track down affordable rosewater and witch hazel extracts that were in Wendyl's mix.

Week 2 of the Challenge was to shop local and source as many locally produced foods as you could.  I have been using some of my own vegetables and fruit, and was also given some apples from my Mother-in-law.  Buying local is one of those hard ones as everyone's idea of local will differ.  For one Canadian couple the magic distance was 100 miles.

A few years ago, when Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon learned that the average food in a North American meal travels 1,500 miles from the farm to the plate, they decided to launch an experiment to reconnect with the people and places that produced what they ate.  The 100 Mile Diet was born and they documented their journey in a really easy to read book.  They discovered the story that went with the production of the food, and the disturbing trend of  food that has travelled half way round the world.  I enjoyed reading this book, and know that the connection with the growers and producers  one of the reasons why local farmers markets have become so popular in recent years.

Next weeks challenge is to go foraging.  I know there are quite a few roadside fruit trees in the neighbourhood so might have to take bubs for a walk in the buggy and load it up!  I'm always a little wary of trying some foraged things so I am looking forward to other peoples ideas of food that is safe to collect in the wild.

What foods do you like to collect in the wild?  I've always like paddock mushrooms and I loved picking wild blackberries when I was holidaying in the UK.  There is something ultra satisfying collecting food that nature has provided for you without you having direct input.

Garden Share Collective - March

This is my first post as part of the Garden Share Collective, an initiative where like-minded bloggers join together and share the happenings in their gardens.  It's a great way to share ideas, get motivation and encouragement as we endeavour to provide produce for our families.  If you are interested in joining contact Lizzie from Strayed from the Table.  Her blog is well worth a look, and also has links to the other members blogs too.

February brought with it 58mm of very welcome rain, and the promise of a bumper crop of Black Boy peaches. They have swelled noticeably since the first rain earlier in the month. The Golden Queen Peach is bare, and the Peasgood Nonsuch Apple and the pear have been attacked by some very hungry birds.  I have hung some old Cd's in the trees in the hope that will scare the birds....

Oops seem to be a bit lopsided!

I have spent more time in the vege patch in February, taming the wild jungle that had taken over in the months prior to the birth of our son in November. 

Currently growing in the garden are silverbeet, kale, brussel sprouts, broccoli, pumpkin, carrots, and beetroot.  In the glasshouse I have tomatoes, and a cucumber.

Kale, Brussel Sprouts and Broccoli protected from the chooks.

The Damson Plums have finished and I managed to get a little over 5kg of fruit.  This was turned into Damson Plum jam, vodka liqueur, cordial and a bottle of Damson gin for my Mum.

This month will see me

1. Resting the bed that had the Broad beans.  I'm layering various compostable materials and will let that sit over winter.
2. Digging up potatoes.  These were planted in a 'no dig' fashion with seed potatoes put on bare soil, then covered with layers of pea straw.  I am planning to plant my broad beans in this area in April.
3. Harvesting Tomatoes that are starting to ripen .  We have Sweet 100, Money Maker, Black Krim and an unknown variety from my Mum's neighbour.
4. Starting a new compost heap.  I have got coffee grinds for this as well as for snail/slug protection as I mentioned in a previous post.
5. Pruning currants/raspberries/blackberry, and taking some cuttings for more plants.
6. Clear space for a new berry garden.
7. Sow some more carrots.
8. Remove suckers from Hazelnuts.

I am hoping that by writing down these it will motivate me to get things done.  It can be a challenge in between caring for bubs, taking Miss 6 here, there and everywhere, looking after the animals on our 7 acres, and everything else an "Undomestic Goddess" does!  I'll update my progress throughout the month.

 

10 ideas on how to stress less

I found this yesterday on Facebook from The Organised Housewife.  It has some good simple advice for us all in a busy world, especially my current chaos with a 6 year old firecracker, and her 11 week old brother.

10 ideas on how to stress less

I would sum it up by saying "Do things that nourish you".  For me that is a walk, yoga, listening to music, gardening, cooking, reading and play time with family to name a few.

With that in mind I'm enjoying a quiet afternoon inside as the rain has finally arrived.  Nice steady rain is a wonderful sound on the roof, especially when I spent an hour in the vege garden yesterday clearing weeds.  I took a before photo so you could see the wilderness I am working with!

This morning I made some Damson Plum jam with plums Miss 6 and I picked the other day.  I also made a jar of Damson Liqueur. My Mum has put in an order for Damson Gin for her birthday so when I pick the rest I'll make her some.

 

 

What have you done lately to nourish yourself? 

Attack of the killer snails

Over the summer I have had terrible trouble with snails and/or slugs eating all my vegetable seedlings.  I lost 3 courgette plants in one night!  Needless to say I felt the need to do something about them and starting seeking out options.

Of course there are commercial baits but I would prefer to be as chemical free as possible while still managing to salvage some vegetables.  I also have chooks that free range around the garden so I would prefer not to have pellets scattered round if I can avoid it.

Some ideas I have heard of:
- Cut an orange and leave in the garden.  Slugs love them and for whatever reason get stuck to them.  I tried this and got one slug.  Does this mean it doesn't work?  Well I'm not sure really.  It obviously got one but if I thought I was going to have loads of protein for my chooks I was mistaken.  I also seemed to create a fantastic home for ants.  On to plan B.

- Go out at night with a torch and a bucket of salty water to drown snails.  I haven't tried this because I have a 10 week old baby and if I am not feeding him at night I am in bed.

- Sprinkle coffee grounds around plants.  I like this idea as the coffee grounds will break down and condition the soil so it is a double whammy.  I'm collecting some coffee grounds from home but will also ask at my local café. 

I am going to try a comparison between commercial pellets and the coffee grounds and see if there is a marked difference.  This is sprouting broccoli on the left and Kale on the right with coffee sludge poured around the seedlings.  Lets see what happens.

What other solutions have you heard of and/or tried?  I would love to hear.

On a brighter note my tomatoes seem to be taking off and now starting to ripen.. Fantastic.  I have some Sweet 100 which are great for school lunches, and a tasty morsel on the way past the glasshouse, Money Maker and Black Krim.  Here's hoping for a good crop this year.

My new reality

It's the first day back at school for my daughter today after the summer break.  I have to admit while we butted heads at times over the holidays it is VERY quiet this morning.  I put the wee fulla back into his bed when I got back from drop off and he has gone back to sleep!

Soooooooo what to do.  Well most importantly have a coffee and something to eat in peace, listening only to the sound of the birds in the trees outside.  Mr Bellbird has gone AWOL this morning but there are plenty of others chirping on a lovely sunny day.

Washing is already hung out.  Animals fed.  Lambs collected by Dad and taken to saleyards.

Today is going to be a day for me and only me.  Well, interspersed with feeds for Dylan, collecting Miss 6 from the bus, making tea etc. 
Coffee and morning tea finished and now updating blog.

Maybe a to do list of goals for the week.
1. Declutter and tidy pantry
2. Clear space in garden and plant out broccoli and kale seedlings
3. Read books/magazines/blogs
4. Go for some walks
5. Do some Yoga

Right that is enough I feel.  Of course that is in addition to my normal everyday activities like copious washing (cloth nappies and baby clothes as Master 10 weeks has explosive bowels!!!), feeding animals, retrieving goats from neighbours, fixing electric fence that was wrecked when goats escaped into neighbours, cooking meals, and if any time left housework, and gardening.

It just makes me feel tired looking at it.  Maybe I need to schedule in a nap this morning :)

Making Medlar Liqueur

Having discovered a medlar tree at our new place I did some research on how to use them.  There is only so much jelly you can have so I looked into drinks. 
I found an easy recipe for Medlar Cordial here.

I also found a recipe for Medlar liqueur .  It's a Sally Wise recipe and I've heard good things about her recipes so decided to have a crack.
We already had vodka and sugar so that was easy.  When I saw some birds raiding the tree the other day I figured it was time.  Unfortunately I was a bit slow and only managed to get 430g non bird pecked fruit.  Still I have managed to make one large Agee preserving jar full, so for the next week I shake the jar daily, then leave for 6 months.

Update
The liqueur is delicious and very easy to drink!  So easy to make and well worth it.  Tastes fruity and dangerously non alcoholic too.
The best thing is the medlars are ready in late autumn so the liqueur is ready in time for Christmas.

Into the Kindle wilderness

Life has been a bit hectic since I last posted so long ago.
We are slowly building towards our more self sufficient life.  Sheep, goats, and chickens are supplying us with meat, eggs, and in time milk from the goats.
The vegetable garden has suffered from poor fencing and inquisitive goats, and that is an ongoing battle.

We savoured our small amount of medlar liqueur I made last year, and I vowed to make more this year.  I did but unfortunately the birds yet again beat me to the majority of the fruit!

In other news I am 24 weeks pregnant.  I wasn't shouting this from the rooftop as we lost a baby last year, and it was an anxious few months to get to this point.  All going well with this pregnancy, and I am looking forward to finishing paid work in a few months, and having a baby in the house again.

I have finally bought a Kindle after thinking about it for ages.  I picked one up secondhand for NZ$80 including a cover and  not regretting it a bit.  As I am loathe to pay for anything I don't have to I am on the lookout for free ebooks wherever I can find them.
Ebook Daily emails you a selection of books based on subjects you have said you are interested in.  You can also earn points to redeem for Amazon vouchers.  I like the sound of that!
Simple Savings has a vast range of information on saving money, but also has a Free Kindle Books thread.  Definitely worth a look.
You can also search the Amazon website using terms such as Free Kindle books, 0.00, free, or save books to your wishlist and check that regularly to see if they are reduced in price.

I am definitely a convert to ereaders, and the best thing is I can have the app on the computer for Miss 5 and don't have to have all her books on my Kindle device.

Must get on with the day as heading to town today for groceries.

So much to say so little time....

We are on our lifestyle block!  Have been here about 8 weeks and that time has been a blur of packing boxes, garden trimming and bonfires.

A week after we shifted in one of our ewes had twins.  They are VERY early but that's what happens when ones father leaves the ram running with the ewes! 

3 weeks later another 2 lambs appeared.  Fortunately the weather has been kind to them and they are all doing well.

Thursday saw the arrival of two black Kunekune pigs.  Along with a friend we are raising them for the freezer.  I've nicknamed them Chops and Bacon.  They are helping to clean up the excess Blackboy peaches and figs that have been frosted.

The chooks are now free ranging in the orchard area, although their numbers are decreasing with another one falling off the perch tonight.  They were old hens, bought with the place, and most of them are past it to be honest.

I have a goat on the way but she is running with a buck at the moment so fingers crossed for kids in spring.  Hubby has been busy building the shelter for the goat and it was moved into the paddock today.

Plans for the next few weeks;
Clear area for workshop
Cut back more trees/shrubs in the garden
Get rid of more ivy.......
Tidy up vege garden and rest for winter
Finish and paint goat shelter
Tidy up herb garden

Jammin.... and Preservin

Summer fruit means dusting off the preserving jars and stocking up on sugar.
So far I have 9 jars of plums and 7 jars of apricots preserved and 6 jars of raspberry jam, and 3 of apricots done.
There are still more plums on the tree so I need to get out there but the rain has put a spanner in the works.  Hopefully they don't split now with the dampness.

The jam looks great and the fruit has all come up pretty well too.  Talk about having your hands full though with a pot of boiling water to sterilise jars, the oven on as a secondary sterilisation, syrup bubbling away, and the lids boiling.  It sure is hot and not a place for a young child!  The end result is worth it though and in the middle of winter some plums or apricots will be a lovely treat.

Considering the start to the year I am pleased with progress on the fill the pantry plan.

Big changes

I can't believe it has been so long since I have posted.  Here is a brief run down on what has happened with my family since September.
1.  We have sold our house.  Finally, after 15 months it sold.  Very easily in the end.  Initially we had to move out by the end of October, but fortunately that changed.  We are still renting the house of the new owner.
2. I got pregnant. It was planned but perhaps not the best timing.
3. My 3 hens were killed by a wandering dog.  Less said the better here, but it still annoys me some people with dogs can't be more responsible.
4. Christmas and New Year craziness
5. I lost the baby last week and so I am back looking for a little focus in my life.

The garden is looking good.  We had 50mls of rain in less than 24 hours over Thurs/Fri of last week which has set the garden and local farms up for the rest of summer.
We have been eating broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, peas, rhubarb and currants out of the garden.  The plum tree (which I will sadly miss when we finally move) is heaving with fruit and I have been sneaking down for the odd one.  Not fully ready but not far away.
I've stocked up on sugar and preserving lids ready for the onslaught.  Will be good to fill the preserving jars again.

Dublin Bay is in full glory as I look out the window.  Nature certainly heals you when you are low.

Taking deep breaths - what I breath out is what trees breath in; what I breath in is what trees breath out.

Spring has sprung.......!

No not really but we have had 3 lovely sunny days in a row.  Snow drops and snow flakes are flowering, and it just feels like we are on the downhill slide to summer!  I know I know there was snow in the garden last week!
My Dublin Bay rose is still flowering and as a result I have not cut it back for winter.  The beautiful red blooms were a picture with the snow.

On Sunday I dug over the vege garden and spread round some compost much to the delight of the chooks.  I'm sure I lost a few valuable worms in the ensuing carnage!  A good frost this morning will help break down the clods, and help the girls to get it ready for planting.

The Warehouse had 30% off seeds the other week so I stocked up on some baby carrots, savoy cabbage, nasturtiums, lettuce, and broccoli.  My plan is to sow some seeds over the next week and keep them inside.

Planning the vege garden

Over this year I have been completing a Certificate in Sustainable Growing with the Otago Polytechnic.  I have one module left to go on the Level 2 certificate.  I have learnt a lot, and am more determined than ever to embrace Organic growing methods.
The garden at the moment has been well cleared by the chooks, and I have been procrastinating about getting sorted for spring.
The house is still on the market, and in all honesty I don't want to go to a lot of effort in case we sell.  However, we are very lean on veges in the ground, limited to silverbeet, a few carrots, and some broccoli seedlings doing their best to grow.  At the moment they are under snow so that will slow things down a bit!

To do list:
Study gardening calendar, and books to decide on veges to grow in spring
Check seeds to see if I need to buy any
Sow seeds in trays if applicable
Dig over soil in garden and fence off from chooks
Sow seeds direct once snow cleared and ground warmed up a little

Thriving on neglect!

Yesterday I dug up some self sower potatoes.  Some of them were huge!  See photo, that's a 50 cent piece, and the other one is the biggest spud in my hand.

To put this into perspective this plant was between two corokia in a part of the garden that gets very little water.  They have thrived on no attention, and produced some very nice potatoes.