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I spent ages winnowing out my coriander seed to the point where...I can live with a few thin stalks in the mix. Cleared weeds from one bed and planted out the fattest of my puny shallots, about 40 of them, then weeds out another part bed and planted out the hull-less barley that actually...

I think I found out why my shalots did very badly last year. I had mulched them with quite a heavy layer of leaves. After reading one of my daughters books, I learned that this can make the soil too sour for them and that I was better off sprinkling some aged fireplace ash over the bed. So...

The ones I bought are 'named varieties' Pounamu grows 3m/h x4m/w and WikiTu @ 2m/h x3m/w. I'm not to sure how old mine are, maybe 5 years. I meant to plant them both in the same spot and treat them as one tree but forgot....they are pollinators for each other. Now, I am thinking of chopping the...

Yep, but they are all going in the paths or around the tangelo tree...oh, were you talking to me about this or somebody else? I didnt check. Oh well, moving on. The new lot of Saffron bulbs all came up and alot faster than the older ones that I already had. The new ones have been flowering like...

I didnt bother to peel them, just gave them a jolly good scrubby and then steamed. oh, 3 capsicums left after tonights dinner...yet more 'fingerlings' in mayonnaise along with a sort of cooked salsa made up of my onion, tomatoes and capsicums. That went onto a nice juice steak that actually...

I used to go to Yoga classes but just got too busy with work commitments and havent been back for a while. those pics brought back good memories. Its mid autumn/fall now and I still havent had enough of summer. Normally by this time, I am just hanging out for a bit of cold. I have small hill...

Thanks, I'll have to check out what that is. There are so many even after taking a whole heap up to my daughter for her to figure out what to do with them.

I'm sharing out my Feijoas and apples. There is just way too much for me to munch through. The last lot of pickled ginger has been a huge hit. This time no soy or fish sauce, just rice vinegar, sugar and salt..and they went pink, beautiful and crunchy. I did say that I wouldnt be sharing these...

I keep my root ginger in the freezer. (from the supermarket) I do have a root ginger plant but our climate doesnt seem to be right for it to get that nice spicey flavor. so that particular plant has been left to its own devices til I get around to sorting out how to help it do better. One day...

Yesterday, I noticed that the Myoga ginger was flowering again. I'm supposed to be harvesting these just before they flower, but its the flowers that remind me that its time. This year I used a slightly different recipe from the same book, 'Japanese pickled vegetables', by Machiko Tateno. Last...

Today, once again, its hammering with rain. During a lull, I shot outside and planted out my Pukekohe Long keeper onions. Just in case those dratted blackbirds decided to dig them up like they did with alot of the Italian long keepers, I put a piece of re-inforcing mesh over the bed with a few...

I had to completely empty out a big terracotta pot of everything due to some purple flowering oxalis taking over. I did manage to find some bulbs that most definitely were not the pest and save them. Some got planted elsewhere. So, the pot got filled up with fresh potting mix, the lily went in...

I still have capsicums coming along. They went in too late so arent red but still have lovely thick walls and very tasty. The San Marzano tomatoes have given me lots of beautiful pasta sauce/passata and still there's more ripening. What do you do with green tomatillos? I have heaps but my...

Today was Chainsaw day!! My new chainsaw worked a treat and started first pop. The last bits of the cabbage tree and mulberry tree got taken out. Then it was to the front yard to cut down the two trunks off the Xmas plum tree.....then over to the other side of the front yard to take out three...

Thank you, I'm really happy with how these are working. This is actually the mowing strip that will eventually go right around the edges of my back lawn. Both the timber framing and mowing strip, I hope will be doing double duty to also help keep noxious weeds like couch and convovulus from...

Today was another busy day. The rain stopped and it was time to sow the broad beans-the whole packet...I should have bought another one, but ne' mind. The Cardiff leeks were ready to go in-36 plants put in where the rock melons used to be. I did plant them closer together than recommended cos I...

I was thinking that maybe, I should 'can' the jars I have as well...especially seeing as there are another 8lbs to process right now and still more going to be ready soon. I had to put the pulp in the freezer from what I have done so far.

I got the mowing strip in front of the Greengage bed mortared in place. Then the rain came and hasnt stopped. Seems like as soon as its officially Fall, the weather changes, not that thats a bad thing cos its been so hot and dry til now. I weeded the bed where I had planted the rows of...

Yesterdays lunch was sweet corn from the self sown lot-ate it fresh in the garden. Surprisingly, all the cobs were fully filled out. I'm rethinking my planting strategy now after seeing how well they grew! Only one plant was under developed out of the 7. To top lunch off....rock melon.... and an...

I've been so lax at posting, didnt notice how long its been. Last week was a busy one, picking up the peaches and making jam, harvesting the cannellini beans and yellow 'Whero' peas and drying them in the courtyard. Did another lot of sundried tomatoes, but had to do another lot yesterday cos...