Saturday, August 30, 2008

Making a worm place

Worms are good for your garden because they eat decaying material and they help break up soil and are good for fertility. Here is an easy way to make a worm farm.

You can make it out of old tyres or crates. Here's what you do.

Get a piece of old perspex or corrugated iron and lay where you want it. Raise one end with something. I used an old phone book.and bits of old paving stones.

Next you soak some newspaper and cardboard in some water. Enough to stuff around the inside part of the tyre. This is where the worms will lay eggs and it serves also as food for fungi and bacteria that break down food for the worms.

Then you get some lawn clippings,, more wet shredded paper, compost and soil. Just enough to make like a 3cm layer on the bottom. Then you get some food scraps and put on top. This is food for the worms. The next part is the hard part. Finding worms. You can buy them, but I just went on a worm hunt around the garden. Next place another tyre on top and when the compost is ready you remove the lower tyre and the put it back on top again. Feed the worms with veges and food scraps and wet shredded paper. Add water if paper dries out and once a month dust with garden lime. Lastly cover the tyres with plastic weighed down with something to keep it in place. I used a couple of bits of wood and a pot plant

I didn't find too many worms so I'll look again tomorrow.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Ladybug/ladybird babies and teenagers

Recently I was geeking out over the ladybug nymphs and pupae on my sunflower. Some of the neighbors came over to see what I was so excited about. Not all of my neighbors knew what ladybug nymphs and pupae look like and I thought it was important to show them lest they accidentally mistake them for pests and kill them!

On the left is a ladybug nymph. Some people think they're ugly little alligator-looking thingies but I think they're kinda cute! They're also very important in the garden, I can't remember the exact numbers but ladybug nymphs eat far more aphids than the adults!

On the upper right hand side of the top photo are two ladybug pupae. Obviously, they can't eat while they're pupating but it's still important not to harm them because soon they will emerge as adults and eat more aphids for us! And if we're very lucky they'll stick around to lay more eggs. This is actually the second generation of ladybugs on my sunflowers. Ain't nature grand? It's so grand that I didn't even plant this sunflower that I'm enjoying so much! I suspect that the birdies planted it for me, wasn't that nice of them?

Below is another photo of a different nymph, so you can see a little bit better what they look like.

 

As a general rule, when you see a pest in your garden you should wait two weeks before spraying anything, because even "organic" sprays can kill beneficial insects such as these ladybugs. If after two weeks you don't see any beneficials then spray if you must but with the least toxic spray possible. For many insects a good hard spray of water is enough.

I would also add that if you see an insect in your garden and you don't know what it is then don't automatically assume it's naughty and start spraying. It's very possible that your unidentified insect is nice, or even simply neutral. If it is naughty then it will attract nice insects, and while you're waiting your two weeks insects you can do research to find out what your insect is.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Back to the Future

Growing food

 

When I was a kid every back yard in our street had a vegetable patch and the traditions of growing vegetables were passed on simply by the fact that the whole family were involved in the chore of tending to the garden. The affluence following the 50’s and 60’s in many, many ways saw the traditions of growing your own and backyard varieties of  fruit and vegetables simply fade away due to the era of convenience and commerce and even more disturbing was  the dependence on fertilizers, pesticides and such which changed the methods of back yard gardeners.

This is my grandfather in the 1920's

- must be in the blood.     

Back in the late 70’s I felt a need to learn to grow food using techniques not involving manufactured fertilizers or pesticides as I saw that in the future there would be perhaps a need to grow food to survive and even more importantly that in a depression we could not afford the manufactured products to have success in growing vegetables. I am far from an alarmist but the ability to grow food, without any modern aids and using what is available within the environment, is something I believe is vital to our survival in the future. I learned about soil and how to improve it naturally, I read books on permaculture and natural organics plus sourced tips on how to do everything from making fertilisers to how to keep white butterflies from laying their eggs on your cabbages. I learned to use materials from the local environment to build retaining walls or simple stakes to hold up say tomato bushes, not using shop bought seeds etc etc…


Old house stumps used to make a retaining wall.


So over the years I have leaned much – and have practiced the things I have leaned in the many gardens, I created, in different parts of the world. Travel created good experience having had gardens in diverse places from the tropics of Australia to the colder northern reaches of Holland and places in between. So I thought why not make a series of blogs on different techniques to encourage you to grow  your own, save money and perhaps encourage some of you to share your tips and experiences. Here where I live there are no gardening books with growing information peculiar to this region so the thought has been with me to perhaps write a small vegetable gardening book for this area and what a better place to practice the art of producing such, and use you all as my guinea pigs.

 

close-ups




Broccoli

Broccoli is pretty easy to grow and its very good for you. (Do I sound like my mother or what!!) It is a good anti cancer food and is a good source of Vitamin A and calcium. Broccoli likes full sun, but keep watered. If you're a companion planter Broccoli likes to be near beets, carrots, cerlery, cucumbers, pototoes, onions, and spinach and it hates to be near beans, strawberries and tomatoes. If you plant sage and rosemary near by it helps to ward off some pests.

 

Here is a recipe for Broccoli which is yummy and I don't like to cook, so easy is good and this is easy.

Cut the broccoli in to small floretss and put in pot with salted (or no salt but I like salt)  water and blanch the broccoli. I'm not giving amounts because I never measure things, LOL. Save this water to cook some pasta in. In a frying pan add some olive oil and chuck in some garlic cloves and and saute the broccoli in this for a few mins. Put the cooked and drained pasta in with the broccoli. You can add more salt and some pepper if you want. Stir around and once it's done you can add a sprinkle of grated cheese on top.  An alternative to cheese, (poor mans cheese) is breadcrumbs sauted in a pan with Olive oil, garlic and salt until it becomes golden.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Hello and Welcome to the Group. Topic for discussion: Monstera Deliciosa.

Keith thanks for making this group happen and I hope it is not an imposition to start off with a discussion here?

Last week I ventured to the side of the house where in previous years the well shaded area was home to the shade loving plants and more fussy of my over grown house plants. I go out there from time to time and because I had camera in hand I thought I would snap a few photos of my Monstera Deliciosa which is quite mature and also now a very large plant. It produces fruit and I managed to snap a few photos of the healthy looking crop of fruit, sometimes referred to as, fruit salad plant fruit. It has never been sprayed and it lives a very primitive life but thrives and it has made it through a few droughts lately which makes me think it gets water from very deep down. I have a little bit of information here about the plant, courtesy of Wikipedia :

 

Monstera deliciosa (also called Ceriman, Swiss Cheese Plant, Fruit Salad Plant, Monster fruit, Monsterio Delicio, Monstereo, Mexican Breadfruit, Monstera, split-leaf philodendron, Locust and Wild Honey, Windowleaf

Click here for more information.

MONSTERA, Monstera deliciosa 

Click here too.

Fruit Salad PlantOften called the Fruit Salad plant or the Swiss Cheese Plant as the ripened fruit has a pineapple-banana odour and fruit salad taste. The mature fruit has a yellow-green, violet-spotted rind of hexagonal plates covering a creamy-white, soft pulp. Highly ornamental, an excellent choice for heavily shaded positions.

More info here too from this Australian site.

Now my question for this group is.

Has anyone ever eaten the fruit of this plant?

I have never tried it and just leave the fruit on the plant and forget about it. I have read that it can be a bit tricky as far as eating the fruit goes because it must be fully ripe and I read that the fruits can take a year to ripen fully. So if you have any information and wish to share please do so. Most people who grow these plants start out with them as pot plants because of their lovely shiny green heart shaped leaves and for one of these plants to even think of fruiting, it takes at least four years and conditions must be fully met for that to happen.

Regards from Milli.

Garden Gurus.




I have made the little fellow into something more suitable for an avatar. Tell me your thoughts are guys?

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Wild Almond Trees in Blossom.

Img_1554-1.jpg picture by millimum






Img_1555-1.jpg picture by millimum




There is never such a finer scene
Than when the almond trees send forth their pretty blossoms.
Whilst other fruiting trees are still sleeping soundly.
 
In shades varying from softest pale pink, to full blush pink.
Also some varieties have papery pure white petals.
 
Grown in Almond Groves as we refer to them here
 The beauty of the blossoms on the tree is so pretty.

Whilst still looking magnificent as their petals
Fall to the ground or scatter on the wind
Leaving a beautiful cover across the Winter Earth.
 
Spring surely follows after the Almond blossoms have displayed their perfect colours.
 
Please enjoy My Almond Blossom Photos.
 
Milli 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Saturday, July 19, 2008

What Tree Did You Fall From?

Photo above taken by myself locally and yes at an angle. Falling trees?

Now let us see what tree you fell from?

 

 

What Tree Did You Fall From?



 

Find your birthday and then find your tree. This is really cool and somewhat accurate, so they say. 

Dec 23 to Jan 01 Apple Tree
Jan 01 to Jan 11 Fir Tree
Jan 12 to Jan 24 Elm Tree
Jan 25 to Feb 03 Cypress Tree
Feb 04 to Feb 08 Poplar Tree
Feb 09 to Feb 18 Cedar Tree
Feb 19 to Feb 28 Pine Tree
Mar 01 to Mar 10 Weeping Willow Tree
Mar 11 to Mar 20 Lime Tree
Mar 21 (only) Oak Tree
Mar 22 to Mar 31 Hazelnut Tree
Apr 01 to Apr 10 Rowan Tree
Apr 11 to Apr 20 Maple Tree
Apr 21 to Apr 30 Walnut Tree
May 01 to May 14 Poplar Tree
May 15 to May 24 Chestnut Tree
May 25 to Jun 03 Ash Tree
Jun 04 to Jun 13 Hornbeam Tree
Jun 14 to Jun 23 Fig Tree
Jun 24 (only) Birch Tree
Jun 25 to Jul 04 Apple Tree
Jul 05 to Jul 14 Fir Tree
Jul 15 to Jul 25 Elm Tree
Jul 26 to Aug 04 Cypress Tree
Aug 05 to Aug 13 Poplar Tree
Aug 14 to Aug 23 Cedar Tree
Aug 24 to Sep 02 Pine Tree
Sep 03 to Sep 12 Weeping Willow Tree
Sep 13 to Sep 22 Lime Tree
Sep 23 (only) Olive Tree
Sep 24 to Oct 03 Hazelnut Tree
Oct 04 to Oct 13 Rowan Tree
Oct 14 to Oct 23 Maple Tree
Oct 24 to Nov 11 Walnut Tree
Nov 12 to Nov 21 Chestnut Tree
Nov 22 to Dec 01 Ash Tree
Dec 02 to Dec 11 Hornbeam Tree
Dec 12 to Dec 21 Fig Tree
Dec 22 (only) Beech Tree

YOUR TREE (in alphabetical order)

Apple Tree (Love) -- quiet and shy at times, lots of charm, appeal, and attraction, pleasant attitude, flirtatious smile, adventurous, sensitive, loyal in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender partner, very generous, many talents, loves children, needs affectionate partner.

Ash Tree (Ambition) -- extremely attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with fate, can be very egotistic, reliable, restless lover, sometimes money rules over the heart, demands attention, needs love and much emotional support.

Beech Tree (Creative) -- has good taste, concerned about its looks, materialistic, good organization of life and career, economical, good leader, takes no unnecessary risks, reasonable, splendid lifetime companion, keen on keeping fit (diets, sports, etc.).

Birch Tree (Inspiration) -- vivacious, attractive, elegant, friendly, unpretentious, modest, does not like anything in excess, abhors the vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere.

Cedar Tree (Confidence) -- of rare strength, knows how to adapt, likes unexpected presents, of good health, not in the least shy, tends to look down on others, self-confident, a great speaker, determined, often impatient, likes to impress others, has many talents, industrious, healthy optimism, waits for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.

Chestnut Tree (Honesty) -- of unusual stature, impressive, well-developed sense of justice, fun to be around, a planner, born diplomat, can be irritated easily, sensitive of others feelings, hard worker, sometimes acts superior, feels not understood at times, fiercely family oriented, very loyal in love, physically fit.

Cypress Tree (Faithfulness) -- strong, muscular, adaptable, takes what life has to give but doesn't necessarily like it, strives to be content, optimistic, wants to be financially independent, wants love and affection, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful, quick-tempered at times, can be unruly and careless, loves to gain knowledge, needs to be needed.

Elm Tree (Noble-mindedness) -- pleasant shape, tasteful clothes, modest demands, tends not to forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead but not to obey, honest and faithful partner, likes making decisions for others, noble-minded, generous, good sense of humor, practical.

Fig Tree (Sensibility) -- very strong minded, a bit self-willed, honest, loyal, independent, hates contradiction or arguments, hard worker when wants to be, loves life and friends, enjoys children and animals, few sexual relationships, great sense of humor, has artistic talent and great intelligence.

Fir Tree (Mysterious) -- extraordinary taste, handles stress well, loves anything beautiful, stubborn, tends to care for those close to them, hard to trust others, yet a social butterfly, likes idleness and laziness after long demanding hours at work, rather modest, talented, unselfish, many friends, very reliable.

Hazelnut Tree (Extraordinary) -- charming, sense of humor, very demanding but can also be very understanding, knows how to make a lasting impression, active fighter for social causes and politics, popular, quite moody, sexually oriented, honest, a perfectionist, has a precise sense of judgment and expects complete fairness.

Hornbeam Tree (Good Taste) -- of cool beauty, cares for its looks and condition, good taste, is not egoistic, makes life as comfortable as possible, leads a reasonable and disciplined life, looks for kindness and acknowledgment in an emotional partner, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom happy with its feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its decisions, very conscientious.

Lime Tree (Doubt) - intelligent, hard working, accepts what life dishes out, but not before trying to change bad circumstances into good ones, hates fighting and stress, enjoys getaway vacations, may appear tough, but is actually soft and relenting, always willing to make sacrifices for family and friends, has many talents but not always enough time to use them, can become a complainer, great leadership qualities, is jealous at times but extremely loyal.

Maple Tree (Independence of Mind) -- no ordinary person, full of imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self-confident, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many complexities, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress.

Oak Tree (Brave) -- robust nature, courageous, strong, unrelenting, independent, sensible, does not like change, keeps its feet on the ground, person of action.

Olive Tree (Wisdom) -- loves sun, warmth and kind feelings, reasonable, balanced, avoids aggression and violence, tolerant, cheerful, calm, well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathetic, free of jealousy, loves to read and the company of sophisticated people.

Pine Tree (Peacemaker) -- loves agreeable company, craves peace and harmony, loves to help others, active imagination, likes to write poetry, not fashion conscious, great compassion, friendly to all, falls strongly in love but will leave if betrayed or lied to, emotionally soft, low self esteem, needs affection and reassurance.

Poplar Tree (Uncertainty) -- looks very decorative, talented, not very self-confident, extremely courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, great artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership seriously.

Rowan Tree (Sensitivity) -- full of charm, cheerful, gifted without egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest, and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.

Walnut Tree (Passion) -- unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egotistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromise.

Weeping Willow (Melancholy) - likes to be stress free, loves family life, full of hopes and dreams, attractive, very empathetic, loves anything beautiful, musically inclined, loves to travel to exotic places, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with when pressured, sometimes demanding, good intuition, suffers in love until they find that one loyal, steadfast partner; loves to make others laugh.


The photo is one of my own and the content is shared from an email sent to me recently.

I hope that you enjoy this post and tell me if it does ring true for you?

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Twisted.Snail Vine, Vigna caracalla



I used my Ricoh Digital Camera RDC6000 for this photo taken in the  Beautiful Garden where my son and daughter in law were married in 2007. The vine was a twisted mass of the most beautiful corkscrew type flowers.