Chapter 34:Tick. Tick. Tick....KA-BLOOOM!!!

Garden Make-over

Recently we had two large trees cut down from our front yard. Whilst it is always sad to see a tree go, it has let in a lot more light, which is always a gardening bonus. It's taken some time to get used to not having the trees there anymore. It has been funny watching our neighbours stroll by then looking around in earnest trying to work out whats different. It's like when a friend has waxed their own eyebrows (somewhat frivolously)...you can't quite put your finger on it..."have you had a hair cut? you look different...what is about you today?...ohhh...did you do your own eyebrows?...(awkward silence) they look greeeat."

But unlike spent eyebrows, we put both our trees to good use. We chopped one for firewood and the other was chipped and used for mulch in the garden and community orchard.With loads more sunlight on our frontyard, we expanded the veggie patch. Instead of raised beds, this year we are growing straight into the ground. In preparing the new bed we began by laying down a carpet of old newspapers, then barrowed in a layer of woodchips. Bags of $1 horse manure was spread on the woodchips and then we splurged on some topsoil and sugar cane mulch to finish it off...The patch is now 2mtrs wide by 8 mtrs long, and is set for planting as soon as our seedlings have grown.

Our new extended patch

 Slow Seedlings

 Eons ago, in the depressing dead of winter, we ordered some seems from Diggers, in the anticipation of Spring...we were getting in early...a head start, or so we thought.

Our local Thai is ready in 15 mins, hats off, very impressive. You can order a case of wine online and have it delivered within 3 days...if you cared to you could fly to 'Puke' in Albania in under 24hours...or canoe to New Zealand in...I don't know...2 weeks...or 4 weeks with one paddle....or even six weeks with your bare hands. Receiving our seeds from Diggers....wait for it...took 7 flippin weeks, or for you winos out there 16.3 cases of wine later our seeds had FINALLY arrived. You can imagine our dismay when we realised we had forgotten to order the crookneck zucchinis we desperately wanted. Suuurely there was another option... we purchased our crookneck zucchinis from Eden seeds instead and they arrived 3 days later. Diggers have a great variety but they are notoriously slow. Eden seeds in Brisbane also supply a good range of heirloom and non-hybrid seeds and are speedy with their deliveries.

Found this little hot house in a local council throw out. Score!

Toilet roll seedlings - super easy

 With all our seeds finally ready to go we chopped our toilet rolls, packed them with damp seedling mix and planted a range of heirloom tomatoes including Black Russian, Tommy Toe, Tigerella, Black Cherry, Lemon Drop, Green Zebra, Black Crim, Pink Brandy Wine and Orange Jaune Flamme...they will be a hit at the 'Crop and Swap'. We also planted Golden Midget Watermelon, Queensland Blue Pumpkins, Lebanese cucumbers, beetroot, silverbeet, Purple Dragon carrots and Lantern chillies. We have also planted German Chamomile, Peppermint, Giant Sunflowers, Basil, Coriander, Thyme, Rocket, Fat Bastard asparagus, sweet purple asparagus, sweet potato, kipfler potatoes, royal blues, Desiree's, dutch cream and other varieties. But it doesn't end there, we have planted chokos, passionfruit, kiwi-fruit (which has bloomed), a Cab. Sav. and a Merlot grape vine and three strawberry guavas.



fancy meeting you here

G and her magic home grown asparagus wand

Jane and the Gooseberries

Lately we’ve been spreading the word about the ‘Crop & Swap’, our local fruit and veggie swap starting in Nov has generated a load of local interest. We were chuffed to receive our first piece of mail from a lovely neighbour in our street who also grows her own fruit and veg and is embarking upon an aquaponics venture in the next few weeks. Jane’s lovely letter explained that as a local grower and resident of many years, she has been dying to be part of something like the ‘Crop & Swap’ simply, to be more involved with the community and like-minded gardeners. We visited Jane and her husband, they are delightful and have now invited us to visit their garden and make use of whatever they grow including kiwi-fruit, cape gooseberries (which we have since planted ourselves), calendula, oregano, paw paw, beetroot and parsley. We were equally as excited to find people as enthusiastic about growing food as we are and are thrilled about the possibilities of learning from Jane and her husband in the weeks, months and years to come. So what about the gooseberries...well we tricked you, they’re not gooseberries at all, they are best known as Cape Gooseberries, or Chinese Lantern. They are a distant relative of the tomato and belong to the Nightshade family (potatoes and tomatoes). The fruit grows inside a papery, lantern-like pod (much like a Chinese lantern). Other than the berries, all other parts of the plant are poisonous...whilst we are talking about poison, the red berries on asparagus plants are also poisonous fyi. But back to the gooseberries, they fruit in late winter and apparently are fantastic in fruit salads, adding to jams, dried for meat dishes or just popped into the mouth fresh...we are excited.

a cheeky cockatoo staking out the patch

Community Orchard Part 2:

Speaking of our wonderful local community and neighbours, another 7 trees have been added to our community orchard. Thanks to our wonderful neighbours on Chaseling we planted an apricot, the most exquisite nectarine and a very cool peacharine. We have also planted a Maqui Berry tree, 2 Fig and a Pomegranite tree. The community orchard is now well and truly full. It is great to see neighbours walking through it and checking out the plants. It has become quite the local thoroughfare.

Next post we will tell you more about the adventures of the 'Crop & Swap', hitting the Glenbrook markets, giving away free seeds and heirloom seedlings, planting our seedlings and some of our latest renos.

our nectarine tree in bloom

Chapter 31: Community Orchard Takes Root

The Community Orchard Begins

If you've ever watched "The Castle", (" Dale dug a hole. Tell 'em Dale". "I dug a hole".) you too can appreciate the simple satisfaction that can be gained from digging a hole. But there is an even greater satisfaction in digging a hole with a neighbour, and then planting a fruit tree in it.

It was like looking through a glass of cold apple cider, a crisp, sparkling, sunny Autumn morning. The sun shone through the morning haze and lazy plumes of chimney smoke from neighbours chimney's. It was the perfect morning to start pegging the perimeters of our community orchard in the lane way beside our house.  

The previous weekend we did a letterbox drop with the kids, calling all neighbours to bring a shovel, a bag of manure or a fruit tree.

Whilst Joe and the kids measured distances and staked out the orchard, the first of our neighbours, Sharon, Grant and Jackie rolled up the avenue with compost, shovels, pitchforks, a citrus tree and a barrow full of enthusiasm. The digging began.

Super helpers to the rescue

neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours...

Neil from next door soon arrived with hessian coffee bags (to use as weed mats) and tools, followed by Graham and Margaret with her garden trolley that would have shamed Edward Scissorhands. By 10 am, Barry, Gaye, Kate, Mim, Ben and their kids made light work of planting the 9 fruit trees and taming the burly bramble of Buddleia that had otherwise taken over our nature strip.

After the digging was done, we had planted two blueberry bushes, a orange, lime, lemonade, kaffir lime, and avocado tree. A few days later, we were pleasantly surprised to find that another of our neighbours had stealthily planted a small apple tree also! The community orchard had become just that, and the idea was taking root.

We estimate she will be 5 before eating from this tree

 We plan to have a second planting session in a few months, hoping to add a pomegranate, mandarin and lemon as well as some apple and stone fruit trees, as well as a little wrought iron seat with a plaque to commemorate the 'alderton lane community orchard', will be placed nearby the fruit trees where anyone can stop, pick an orange and ponder the world.

Our Avocado

If you've ever considered doing something similar, go for it; It is actually very easy. The council were quite supportive of the idea and in fact you are well within your rights to plant anything on your own nature strip without council approval. There are some basic restrictions which may vary between different municipalities for example we had to allow 1.5 metres for pedestrian access and as a distance from the road. We had to plant 9 metres away from the corner and 3 metres from the powerpole. We also contacted Dial Before you Dig, a service that contacts water, electrical and phone companies on your behalf requesting info on the location. They then emailed us with reports of anything lurking under the surface, fortunately we had the all clear.

On A Roll

Speaking of things lurking under the surface, its time to take a look in your loo... for toilet rolls, that is. We have been collecting ours now for some months, chopping them in half, and stock piling them. Why? because they make fantastic containers for seedlings!

Rolls of honour

Growing your vegetables as seedlings has its benefits. It makes it easier to space your crop properly, choose the healthiest plants, and give them a head start before the grubs, slugs or snails can get their grubby slimy hands on them. Seedling trays are ok, I guess, but they can be flimsy and difficult to remove the seedlings one by one. We have been using our toilet roles instead. they are free, biodegradable and therefore can be put straight into the ground without disturbing the seedlings. You would be amazed how many toilet rolls you can accumulate without even trying.

Simply cut the rolls in half, and pack with a good seedling mix soil. Pop in your seeds and water them. We place ours on trays and keep them in the green house for a kick start.



ready for planting



 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  With Autumn coming to a close, there is still plenty to plant in  the patch. Onions, Garlic, Silverbeet, cabbage, shallots, lettuce, broad beans, turnips, pak and bok choy, and carrots can all go in, and plenty more.
 
Rain clouds through the looking glass 
  For any parent, the rumble of storm clouds and the pitter patter of rain can raise anxiety levels dramatically. What to do with the kids? Fear not. take one digital camera, one magnifying glass and one or more children. Combine and enjoy a lot of laughs. I suspect the possibilities of this combination are far reaching, and deserve further investigation.

 

Next time, lemons glorious lemons.

chapter 30: Incy Quincy's and Autumn Opportunities

Hello everyone! we are back on the blog, and ready to get busy again in the garden. In the months ahead, we aim to get a community orchard up and running, investigate aquaponics, and begin a local fruit and vegetable trading co-op at our local markets. We are very excited.


Autumn Opportunities

With Summer well and truly over, the garden is looking a little hagged, and the temperature is becoming more and more crisp and chilly every day. Unpacking our winter wardrobe, Jo and I agreed it was time for a new look. Something to rival the Autumn collection of the Paris catwalks, something that would turn heads, and set the trend for 2011. It was time to go op-shopping!

If the thought of op-shopping is still a little taboo for you, fear not, this is a natural knee jerk reaction prompted by years of hyper-consumer conditioning. Be brave, put on a pair of dark sunglasses and a wide brimmed fedora, and when no one is watching, slip inside your nearest op-shop. Once your in there, work through every item of clothing. this takes discipline and patience, but amidst the plethora of polarised size 8's and 22+ items, hide fashionable and well tailored gems.

Joe and I went on a Vinnie's trawl this week, and boy did we clean up! defying all op-shopping odds, I found a pair of jeans that fitted perfectly... that is, because finding a pair of jeans that fit in Vinnie's is a near impossible. Joe, on the other hand, after a 10 year holy grail search finally found a size 32 pair of brown chords, that were so in during the 90's. he was overjoyed! but alas, his waist line is no longer living in the 90's, and that chiseled size 32 now lies dormant beneath a healthy pair of love handles.  Blinded by denial, he purchased them anyway.


Going Nuts in the Garden
Despite the drop in temperature during April and the garden looking like its still recovering from its summer hangover, one sure fire April delight is finding fallen macadamia nuts each morning before heading off to work. The kids have a competition to see who can find the most and we have gradually filled a basket of them over the past month. This year the nuts are the biggest that we have ever seen them and we are looking forward to adding them into our recipes over the year ahead.




One of the more surprising successes in the garden has been a red paw paw tree, which we inherited from Joe's Dad, who also inherited it from a neighbour in his street who grows all manner of things edible in his garden. Joe refers to him as the bare footed, googly eyed man, because... well...he is bare footed and googly eyed, but incredibly nice all the same. Amazingly this "tropical" plant has successfully established in our front yard.

We have placed it under out green house, and if it survives the winter, hopefully we will be enjoying paw paw by next summer. The red paw paw is self fertile, unlike other varieties of paw paw, which require a male and female plant. Despite being a tropical plant, Paw paws have been successfully grown in temperate climates. They also grow very rapidly in the right conditions, and apparently bear fruit within a year from planting. If you live in a frost free area, it may be worth considering as an addition to your garden. We will let you know how ours goes.


Incy Quincy's

Something else that has been unexpectedly dropping in our front yard are quinces. The front corner of our block is an overgrown jungle of jasmine, wisteria, rose bushes and other vines. It is an untamed and rarely ventured area of the garden that only N and G go to play hide and seek. Whilst pruning the overgrown rose bush, we discovered a thorny, caney shrub with leaves that looked very similar to an apple tree. Much to our surprise we started to find small apple-like fruit on the ground nearby. They appeared like a miniature gnarled cross between a pear and apple. Joe recalled earlier in Spring having seen deep pink blossoms on its branches. As it turns out we discovered it is a quince tree, growing in our front yard.



What's a quince I hear you say? After some Internet research we discovered that the quince tree (other than being a symbol of love and fidelity in Ancient Rome) was once a very common domestic fruit tree in yesteryear.

 Quinces very tart to eat raw, although, if eaten raw, they make for the most entertaining facial expressions. If you have a quince tree and nothing better to do, give one to a loved one (as a symbol of your love), tell them it tastes delicious, then observe from a safe distance. Otherwise, quinces make the most superb jellies, jams and pastes. The first time we'd heard of quinces was Maggie Beer's delicious cabernet quince paste...naturally being the domestic goddess that I am...Joe insisted that I make my own..even though at this stage we weren't 100% sure if that actually were quinces or some other variety of highly poisonous and over-sized native berry... but what the hell, you only live once.

Oddly enough making quince paste is not that dissimilar to making jam and as you might recall jam making is one of my most astute skills.

Quince Paste Recipe

 ingredients:

1 cup of quinces
1 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup of cognac (to sip whilst stirring...it takes bloody ages!)

Process:
Peel, core and chop quinces. Then bring them to boil in water. Once soften, mash into a pulp. Turn to a low heat. Add sugar and lemon juice and stir whilst painting nails and putting hair in curlers (as we all do all day long). Consume cognac whilst waiting for nails to dry...keep stirring. Eventually you will notice the colour turning darker and the mixture appears to be coagulating (thickened). Pour into ramekin and allow to set in the fridge.

The Taste:
The taste is closest to the zesty, sweet zing of a sherbet stick or possibly the best marmalade you've ever had in your life. Incidentally the word marmalade is derived from 'marmelo' which is the Portuguese word for quince.

Community Orchard
Speaking of fruit trees we are in the final stages of preparing the launch of our community orchard. After approval from our local council, ourselves and our neighbours will soon be planting between 9 and 12 fruit trees in our lane way. We are lucky to have a very wide nature strip on a quiet lane way. We are considering citrus, coffee, pomegranate and fig. If you have any other possum proof suggestions let us know. The planting day is yet to confirmed but we will be sure to fill you in on how it goes.


What we've planted this season:

St Patrick's day marked the sowing of all things beans. We planted all of our dried broad beans as well as some heirloom dragon's tongue (pink and white) beans which we found for sale in one of our local fruit shops. We've also planted garlic (after the equinox), beetroot, shallots, leeks, onions, orange carrots, lettuce and silverbeet. After the full moon we intend to plant some more purple carrots, beetroot and onions.


Next Blog, we are making our own marshmallows to roast by the fire, and begin phase one of the Community orchard. Nice to be back gang.