Three Things - In My Garden

1. Propagating Jacaranda trees - have no idea what I'm going to do with that many trees.  Does anyone want one or six?
2. My new friend 'The Pot Man' - he smiles at me through the kitchen window every morning.
3. A bright happy windmill - spinning in the breeze.  

I've had a few garden failures this year but these three things make me very happy and want to keep on gardening!!

love Love LOVE

I have just been away for a week with the boys in the Hunter Valley in NSW.  We had a great time and I have so many things to share with you.  But first I HAVE to tell you about a surprise that was waiting for me when I got home.

If you've know me for more than a few minutes you'll most likely know that I have a thing for windmills.  Not pretend, toys windmills but real ones.  When I was growing up there was one here on the farm, it didn't function anymore and had been long replaced by a (more reliable) diesel engine.  So when the old windmill fell down there was no real need to fix it up again.  However, since returning to live on the farm, life on a farm without a windmill just hasn't felt right.  So there has been a longing for a windmill outside my front fence.  Not to function but to simply create atmosphere.  

We recently went to a clearing sale (read op shop for farmers) as there was a windmill advertised.  Apparently working windmills are extremely sort after and it sold for ten times my budget.  Really it is just for looks!!! I had decided that my love and desire for a windmill would just have to wait for 10 or more years until we had less other expenses (and I was trying hard to be ok with that...but it wasn't really working).  It turns out all that farmer chit-chat at these clearing sales is well worth it.  One of Scott's farmer friends rang and told him that they had an old one we could buy - for our exact budget!!!!  The wonderful man my husband is, kept it a surprise and I came home to this. 

Oh how I love that man (& my windmill).

3 Things Thursday ... Herb Love

• The healthiest herb garden I've ever had (amazing what happens when I remember to water it!)
• Gathering herbs for dinner in my beautiful thrifted 'garden produce' basket
• Adding freshly picked mint to our breakfast - love any reason to be outside early in the morning (and to grab few minutes on my own before the day starts)

Mothers Day Flowers

I'm not a huge believer in buying cut flowers.  I do appreciate them from time to time but I struggle with the cost of something that just doesn't last for very long.  SO... here are my mother's day flowers.

Hopefully these will that they last for many years to come, if they get enough love and water (they are right outside my kitchen window so surely I'll remember to water them).

Someone's watching!!

Things have been a little slow here lately.  Our house has been filled with sickness of all different types for the last month, so only the essential things have been happening - like cooking and washing clothes.  Any other things have been a bonus.

Saying that, I still have at least one well boy to work with while the rest of us feel like resting and sleeping so there is always something happening.  To try and maintain some level of normal, I try to keep certain things in our day.  One of those is something we started just before we got sick - its called Before Five in a Row.  We read the same book 5 days in a row and then do activities together related to the book.  (I'll hopefully show more of what we do another day). The first book we did was called Runaway Bunny.  One of the pictures in the book has a veggie garden with a scarecrow.  We talked about this and why he was there and then if we needed one for our garden.  It was decided that we did.  BUT then we got sick and the scarecrow didn't happen.

Finally on the weekend, we were all starting to feel better so I brought my sewing machine out to the dining room table and we started the scarecrow.  After sewing him together we headed outside to the hay bale ready to stuff him.  When we got there, Isaiah was greeted by a rather large brown snake sitting on the hay.  The scarecrow was quickly abandoned and we went back inside, with a promise of doing it another day.

Yesterday was THE day.  Meet our scarecrow.

We are still trying to come up with a good name for him so any suggestions would be appreciated.  He is also in need of a little back bone so he stands up better.  But for now he sits in the corner of our garden keeping watch and making us smile.

How does the garden grow??

Here are some photos (most taken by Isaiah) of our garden on the weekend.  It is growing so well at the moment. Also interesting to see what he likes to take photos of.

Our Weekend

We had a super busy, family filled weekend.  On Saturday we planted 199 trees along our little patch of creek.  Yes, not 200 but 199, don't ask me why, it's just how it worked out.  All the family was there plus a few extras helping out.  The kids did a great job, helping, playing together and generally enjoying being out in the sun as a big family.

I love warm spring weather and fun family projects. What a great combination.

Summer Garden Lessons

• Snake beans are really hardy and produce well- we will be planting them again next year.
• Floods slow down/stop growth - my egg plants are really really late - may not get anything from them
• Pumpkins take up too much space - plant them in the paddock next year
• I need to plant more corn, more regularly - the little bit we had was so yummy
• Rosellas are patient plants - that is I need patience because you don't see any sign of fruit for about 6 months
• It helps to have play things for the kids to do - when they get sick of helping in the garden they can go off to the mud kitchen and I can still get gardening done
• Don't plant too many tomatoes - I can never keep up and end up with lots on the ground

Weekend Gardening

For the first time in a very long time we had a weekend without rain - it seems weird to be excited about this because this time last year we were in drought and now we are looking for a few days without rain. Anyway we made the most of this fine sunny weekend with some much needed gardening/pruning. Now I need to tell you something about our understanding of the word pruning. Pruning means we need to go and get the chainsaw and the backhoe from the shed. So look out trees!!

We had a lovely time all helping together.

I guess we will need to get another pair of these before too long.

Garden Update

We did some gardening this past weekend.
Isaiah loves to help, he is 'ploughing' the weeds.

Beans are looking happy

This lemon tree grows lemons that taste terrible so it is going!

Here is the replacement
A birth present for Eli from his Aunty and Uncle, very special.