Marvellous Monday...

What a great Monday morning!
A drop of rain overnight, and a rather pesky wind out there, but its going to be nice later, so I can get back out and finish what I started yesterday.
I have a few new plants, so Im looking to get out there and plant them.
I have dug around and  found a pot large enough to put my nectarine tree in. It hasnt set fruit (yet), I dont know if it will this year, but thats ok. Its six foot tall, and Im sure its dying to get into the ground and get some growing done! I keep recalling the taste of  sweet juicy nectarines. I hope it does have fruit this year :)
Ive found that the chick peas are growing. Of all place, under the overhang of the potatoes leaves. About six or eight plants, which sounds good! Ive just read up on them, and I dont know if they will come to fruition given we are in the South, but they do prefer cooler temperatures, so who knows. I will try and see. It would be a real boon to be able to have chick peas on the menu, especially later in the Summer.

The first big opium poppy flower popped open on Saturday. It is always fascinating watching the bees, you can hear them too, buzzing inside the flowers, its really cute. The flowers never last long, but there is always another one or two in progress to follow along.

We are waiting for some compost to arrive, and then we can get sorted over at the school. The garden is in need of a  good weed, and  some companions planted alongside the plants. I see someone has donated some tomatoes, which is fantastic. They have a good system in place, that means all the children get a chance to help if they want to. Strangely, they all offer to help pick or plant. Not so keen to weed :-)
Have been reading about a community garden in Northland that has just planted a massive potato garden. What an awesome idea to support the families in the area. Ive been thinking on this, the idea is awesome, and can be expanded upon given more space... Love the idea that we can help each other feed our families!!

Well best get back into it,
The compost truck is here!

Have a happy Monday,
Love 'n' Shovels!

EB
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Sunday again... Witches, Fireworks and Other Stuff!

Its that busy time of year again.
The weeks are slipping by very quickly. This year, Mr 12 is counting down. Miss 6 is going to be gutted when she realises she has lots of *non-learning* days. She loves her routine.
I have noticed the calendar has started to have scratchings of busy times ahead added to it... Im not sure why, but Im busier than ever this year, the children are getting more involved as they get older, I guess.
Theres Halloween,  Guy Fawkes, The Santa Parade, Christmas in the Park, and Christmas, New Year... all these events just keep ticking over the weeks...

The latest catch - 4lb Trout 

Mr 16 has been at it again. Catching Stuff. He makes life very interesting, this lad. Hes an all-rounder, generally good at most things. Dont tell him I said that :-) But its true. Hes a great kid. He is working when he isnt at school, or fishing. His greatest love is Fishin' an' Huntin'!! He wouldve made a great cowboy too,  weve discovered this year that hes great with cattle. We are really fortunate to have had two trout to eat this term, and a salmon. I love trout, but the salmon was *delish*... We just bake them with lemon. Its simple and so tasty. We are all mad-keen on fishing, and the yellow-eyed Herrings that come up the Avon river from the sea dont stand a chance when my little family are present with rods in the water. Great skills G!

 We got through Halloween.
Do you celebrate at Your House?
Not here, we dont celebrate it, but there are plenty around here who do. Many little local drifts of witches, ghosts, and vampires. We got passed by. I think the notice on the gate that said We Dont Celebrate Halloween helped. Bad Mummy? Callous Neighbour... meh. My choice. I certainly dont condone targetted sugar collections. Kids get enough sugar these days!
I feel a bit like the Halloween Grinch :-)
Then we head into Guy Fawkes territory. We have a few crackers usually and a bbq if the weather allows. The past two years havent been overly pleasant - usually windy at this time of year here. We do enjoy watching others Firework displays. If youre up at Victoria Park, the view is great.  It is right at the top of the Port Hills -you can see right over the entire city... Awesome!
The view from the sand dunes in North Brighton is awesome too, you can see the council firework display on the pier. Again, its usually pretty chilly, wind mostly, but theres always plenty of people present.

I think I have my own displays erupting in the Garden too. Theres Iris, some nigella, alyssum, soldier poppies, chive flowers, some big displays from the calendula too this year. The french lavender is bursting too, I love the scent when the tips are picked!

The first tall Red Opium poppies are bursting out this week. Theyre so lovely and with them opening, the bees come.




The borage has had a head start this year and its gorgeous blue flowers smother the plants. I have at least 100 strawberry flowers for the bees to get into - I dont think my broad beans were a success. They are smothered in flowers but nothing is *beaning up* Its the first year Ive grown them, will try something different next year once I figure out what went wrong this year...? It may bee (get it? LOL) pollination related.

The cats are enjoying lazing all through the rising warm piles of composting materials. Especially the straw and the grass. Lazy brats...

Have several plants about to give seed.
The carrots - Paris ball and St Valery, swede, black kale (cavolo nero), silver beet (fordhook), yellow chard, golden beetroot, celery, leeks (Caretan), calendula (Orange & yellow), lettuce (3 varieties) parsley (*Afro*), sweet cicely, figwort, purple onions (Purplette), and some sprouting broccoli... though Im not sure, I think the aphids have got to the swede tips. Im almost ok with that, to sacrifice the swede so other things dont get munched.

Still brewing my own comfrey tea.
 Had my eldest over this week to get plants and fixings for his new garden. He is so funny, he absolutely hates the smell of the comfrey tea. Incidentally, it stinks like nothing else, so I dont blame him. I think Gardeners get over the smell when they realize just how good it will be for their plants maybe? Not Dee. He was truly disgusted by the smell. I sent him off with some rubber gloves and a couple of 3 litre containers of it though. Cheap when its free eh?!!  I dont think I will see him with his own tub of comfrey, but he does have a comfrey plant!  We sorted him with some plants, some worms and some tea.


Have been applying the contents of my barrel to the garden over at the school too. The children are excited, as their strawberries are getting bigger by the day. And their potato pile is going great guns! Lots! I just hope it doesnt go the same way as our rhubarb plants. I mean to say, who actually STEALS from a community garden for gods sake. I only hope their need was greater than that of the children at school. We had plans for rhubarb and custard :( Still, the garlic for their garlic bread is well under way, and there are other plans for some wonderful plantings...

Well after the past couple of grey days, its back to beautiful again. Loving the blue sky and fluffy clouds...
I hope youre all doing ok where you are... Our World has certainly had some definitive disruptions of late. My heart goes out to the people of New York. Flooding, Storms... from one disaster to another, it doesnt matter what it is, we all must help where we can, if we can.
You never know when it will be your turn to offer help or accept aid.
On that note, Im still refreshing my water bottles every three months.
Enuff Said.

Love to You
From my Garden to Yours.
E BUTTERFLY
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Scone Boy Strikes again!

Its been a good day, here at the Lazy A. The baker - or Scone Boy, as we refer to him, was up (not early) baking to his wee hearts content!
Ok he tells me he has a big heart... about the size of his biggest scone~!

Gordon *Scone-boy*

We ate bacon, cheese and onion scones mid morning, I felt like a blackbird who had gorged herself on fat worms, they were GORGEOUS - dripping with butter and big and light... yum! I cant make scones like that, so I leave it to my second-born. Hes good like that, and he will make someone a very good husband... (He mentioned hes single, but seriously, hes just 14, plenty of time for that!)

We have had a good relaxing holiday day - about an hour ago, the children found a parcel on the front door. Being home all day, we didnt hear a thing and there it was!

We are totally stoked and thrilled -- very grateful for the parcel of goodies we were given...
THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I gather, talking to neighbours, that most of our street received a parcel, - Bless the Salvation Army & Westpac for thinking of us, and the tireless work they do around our Community at the moment!

We will be making sure that we give back, or paying it forward, how ever we can  - we have our clothing bag ready for the Cancer society on Thursday, but Ive been thinking for a while of how I can be of service to my community.


So... Some ideas please - if youre reading this - What do YOU do for your community?
I wish my teens were more service minded, but I gather that goes against the grain - do you take your teens with you, or do they work, do things for others off their own bat?

Well, I just popped in to share our good fortune, Im going to enjoy the things we wouldnt neccessarily purchase for ourselves - bath foam & dark chocolate and Latte mix!!
 It is really nice to know that there is support, when things seem tough...

Love and Blessings
EButterfly & The 'Pillars