Mr. Potato Stack!

I have been wanting to do this for ages and finally ordered my seed potatoes in from Green Harvest and they arrived the other day. I ordered some good old Desiree and Toolangi Delights (the purple skinned kind). I have actually eaten potatos that are purple on the inside as well which were delicious many years ago and would love to get my hands on them but lets just have a go at one lot first. I did get two of the potato bags also, and I will get them going also. I will start each crop at least 3 weeks apart to try and prolong my harvest time, but I was really keen to get the spud tower going.

Seed potatoes with shoots up...  Black dog supervising.

I was intrigued at this way of growing potatoes ever since one of my fellow participants in my PDC told me about doing it with tyres though I am still not sure about growing food in tyres due to leaching. But I spent up big on seeds and books the other day and found this lovely book - The Little Veggie Patch Co. and they had a 'recipe' for a potato stack so I thought I would give this one a go. I formed some chicken wire into a circular enclosure which is about 50cm in diameter. Places a heap of straw at the bottom and up the sides (10cm roughly each way) and filled the centre with compost (another 10cm) placed my seed potatoes on top and then another rim of straw around the sides and filled the centre (on top of the spuds) with compost again. Then I put the straw over the top of the compost to stop it drying out. Fingers crossed.

Hay packed up around the sides - ready for next layer of compost.

The lupins were getting ready to go to seed so it was time to pull them out and lay them down to provide a layer rich in nitrogen for the tomato beds. So they were all pulled out and the no-dig goes on top.

The lupins lay down fo rthe tomatoes.

Also really excited to have ordered some calendular pot marigolds after watching a great story on Gardening Australia about making your own skin ointments. Some various types of sunflowers so I can decorate the hall for an upcoming function in November and some great books on growing food in small spaces. Purchased sweet corn seedlings from the markets as well as eggplant, a capsicum plant and some red sorrell. But they will have to be sorted in the next couple of days.

Experimenting with Trust & Cherries!

Firstly, the seedlings that were planted today were:

• Rocket (Seeds from Jaspers in Port macquarie)
• Zuchinni
• Eggplant
• Radish

Bok-choi & English Spinach: 1 month old, straight 
from the greenhouse & ready for planting.

A couple of days ago I prepared a new bed in the South Western corner of the backyard so it won't get as much sun as the other beds. It has half rotted compost as one of the layers with a healthy dose of manure and mollassus mixed in as well. Today I planted oout Bok-choi, English spinach, spring onions, carrots (that are very weak looking) and lettuce in there. Bit of an experiment really. In more ways than one as it is also outside of the enclosure... the (7yr old) puppy doesn't dig as much but enjoys laying on the plants, so we will see. I had a chat to her and she seems to understand, so this becomes an experiment in trust! A few of the last seedlings were planted in some of the spaces in between in the main beds. 

New bed: Bok-choi, english spinach (back row and left), 
spring onions & carrots and lettuce.

I have also been reading Jackie French's book "The Wilderness Garden" and she says that most fruits will grow from seed and produce a tree very similar to the parent most of the time. So due to my flatmate going nuts experimenting with preserving, I grabbed a couple of cherries and planted the seeds. They are only from Leisure Coast Fruit market so they are no fancy type of cherry but they were delicious, so fingers crossed. I have planted them in good quality potting mix but I didn't dry the seeds out first, which I will do with another lot. I have placed two outside and one inside the greenhouse (just as an experiment). Not sure if it will be cold enough for them to sprout but we'll see.

Experimenting with growing cherries from seed. Fingers crossed!

I also prepared a new bed which will be for the zuchinni and eggplant, planted out some parsley into a pot as well as some wormwood. 

... and last but not least the Marigolds have sprouted!

Marigold sprout about 5 weeks old. 
Born and bread in the greenhouse.

Buying up big on Herbs!

I bought quite a number of herbs for cooking and teas today from the guy at the markets. Well some of them will be good for teas, others have edible flowers and medicinal uses but the aim is to fill the spaces in the garden with useful plants to stop the soil (well dirt more accurately at the moment) from drying out and to self-mulch and keep the soil healthy. I thought that before i lose all the tags of information I might add them in here so I can use it for a base for when I am ready to start using them as a lead for further information. These are all Renaissance herbs (the brand)

Bergamot (Monarda didyma)

Low growing, spreading perennial with long lasting pink flowers in spring and summer. Prefers a constantly moist position in the garden. It will tolerate low to high light conditions. Plant as a border plant in a shady herb or veggie garden. Prune hard after flowing & give regular applications of Seasol and Powerfeed in Spring and Summer. (Wet)

Part to full sun. 30cm high x 90 cm wide.

Uses:

• Classic marjoram flavour with a twist of orange that blends well with many traditional herbs and adds a tangy flacour to stuffing, sauce and marinades.
• Use at the start of the cooking cycles.
• Makes a nice herbal tea. Steep in cup of hot water with leaves of lemon grass and garden mint for about 5 minutes.
• A cleansing herb that helps with relation and as a skin tonic. 
• Attractive edible flowers make a nice garnish.

Borage (Borago officinalis)

An attractive blue flowering annual with cucumber flavoured flowers and folliage. Colourful annual that is attractive in the garden as well as the kitchen. Will grow in most soil types in part to ful sun and flowers all year.

Part to full sun. 1m heigh x 75cm wide.

Uses:

• Blue borage and orange, cream and deep red nasturtium flowers contrast well in a green salad. 
• Cucumber flavour of the borage foliage and flowers enhance the overall salad flavour. 
• Remove the hair sepals and stems from the flowers prior to usage. Finely chop the leaves for use in the salads. 

Clove Pinks White (Dianthus caryophyllus)

Dry hardy perennial herb that thrives in dry exposed sunny spots in very well drained limey soil. Needs little fertilising. Reliable ground cover for open sunny spots. Profuse flowers display in late Winter and Spring and intermittently thereafter.

15cm high x 25cm wide. 

Uses:

• Delicate white petals with a heady uplifting clove fragrance - add to salads, sandwhiches, corials, jellies.
• Combines well with the clove fragrance of sweet basil.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officianalis)

Herbacious perennial, dies off in a cold winter, attractive white summer flowers and lemon scented foliage. Plant in almost any spot in the garden and does well in poor dry soils. Spreads by rhizomes so may run away in good conditions. Cut back in autumn to keep in check. Requires regular applications of Seasol and Powerfeed. Water during summer months when dry. (Dry)

Part to full sun. 40cm wide x 40cm tall.

Uses:

• Leaves can be added to salads and used to make marinades and sauces for eggs, pork & fish. 
• Antibacterial, said to relieve insect stings and bites
• A strong cup of lemon balm tea with a few leaves of Stevia and some fresh peppermint makes  arefreshing and claming afternoon tea. (Serve chilled for a nice summer drink).
• Chop leaves and mix with chopped fresh sage ad melted butter then use as a toss for freshly made pasta.

Mint Chocolate (Mentha X Piperita), Oasis brand
Spreading perennial that is easy to grow, featuring a beautiful fragrance and small leaves. Petite lilac flowers appear in summer. Requires a moist position with good drainage. Prune regularly to promote new growth. Best grown in pots to limit spread.

Part shade. 30-60cm in height x 60cm in width.

Uses:

• Add leaves to meat, pork and fish dishes and to summer drinks.
• Add dried folliage to potpourri.
• Mints are said to repel aphids, moths, ants and mice.
• Attracts pollinating bees

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium)

A very tough, spreading ground cover for constantly moist soil, in shady positions. 

Part sun. 40cm high x 1m wide

Uses:

• Popular herb in the middle ages but is not widely used now due to its strong flavour and negative side affects with many people. 
• Excellent insecticide and companion plant for the home and garden, controlling a wide range crawling, flying and suckling insects.
• Combine half a cup of Pennyroyal with one cup of vegetable oil, bottle and store for a day in a warm spot. Spray on ant trails to clear away ants or apply in and arround the dog kennel or on the collar to repel fleas. Do not consume.

Pineapple Sage (Salvia Elegans)

Upright shrub with attractive carmine red flowers and a sweet pineapple flavour. Unlike other Salvia this pant likes regular moisture, especially during the summer months and will grow in low light to full sun. Flowers ocur from mid-Spring to late Autumn and the bush should be given a hard prune after flowering. 

Part to full sun. 80 cm high x 70 cm wide.

Uses:

• Delicate flavour which means it can be added late in the cooking or used as an edible garnish.
• As a tea it should be brewed for 3-4 minutes. 
• Like most sage based herbal teas this will aid relaxation and give a lift in the afternoon. 
• Mix with lemon balm, verbena lime, chocolate mint and scented geraniums for teas, sauces or salads.

Wormwood Roman (Artemisia pontica)

Shrub with feathery silver backed foliage looks dazzling when blowing in the wind. Adds height to a herb garden and makes an attractive hedge. Thrives in dry exposed, sunny spots in very well drained limey soil. Needs little fertilising.

2m high x 1m wide.

Uses:

• When used in apertif wines such as vermouth the pleasent bitter flavour stimilates appetite and promotes digestion. 
• Steep a sprig in wine to make your own digestive.

First official harvest... Fish & Chips!

First official harvest: A yummy selection of greens!

When I asked my 2 year old neice what she wanted for dinner she decided fish and chips was in order. I know that she meant she wanted it from the shop but that would have been a little too much of the wierd yellow colour food group for me so I decided to do home made. Thinking about how I could make it much healthier than the store bought kind I decided I should be able to forage enough greens from the garden to throw together a salad. I was able to fill a good sized strainer with enough salad greens to feed three adults and a child hungry for greens with the following:

• Assortment of lettuce leaves
• English spinach (baby leaves)
• Mint leaves
• Baby beetroot leaves
• Rainbow chard
• Red Japanese spinach leaves (Komatsuna)

I sourced Monk Fish thinking it was a sustainable choice (as I asked the lady at the shop if she could recommend  a sustainable fish. I have just however checked in with Good Fish Bad Fish and it turns out its on the red list!!! At least I tried, i will definitely let them know when I go back that she was mistaken. It was yummy though prepared as a light salt & pepper flour batter.

Lots of yummy "chips" made with potatos, pumpkin and carrotts with fresh thyme from the garden. Definitely much healthier and tastier than the store bought kind!

Quick plant out onions, carrots & sugarsnap peas.

• Planted out a number of the onion seedlings amongst many of the greens. 
• Planted out carrot seedlings that were planted a few weeks ago though they don't look too healthy or that they have had too good a start. 
• Sugarsnap pea seedlings planted into the pot that has had tomatoes and radishes in it forever - to prepare it for more tomatos when the olds return.

I have been away and had nobody to water the seedlings in the greenhouse and many of the seedling trays dried out unfortunately. The beetroot I planted a couple of weeks ago hasn't come up though the nasturtions and the marigolds have survived. 

Prepared a new no-dig garden bed in the South Western corner of the back yard that gets the morning sun. I am thinking it will be a good bed for greens as the weather starts to warm up and they will handle the hours of morning sun... I hope that will be enough. They should get a good 4-5 hours. 

The compost was getting a little out of control moist and smelly so I have layered it through the no-dig bed so I din't have to salvage it. 

Plans for tea...

The plan is to start making my own herbal teas and i found a great blog with some great tea recipes. The blog is called Straight from the Farm, it's a gorgeous blog with great photos, lots of yummy recipes and some really different and creative tea mixtures. So I am now on the hunt for the following herbs for teas

• Chamomile
• Anise Hyssop
• Chocolate mint (check)
• A clove tree
• Yarrow 
• Bergamot
• Rosemary
• Marjoram
• Sweet Woodruff
• Rose hips 
• Sage
• Lemon Verbeena 

First I needed some cheap pots and a trip to Dapto markets saw me come home with about 15 great big pots for $20. All in great condition but still second hand - awesome. 

I had a bush basil and Rose Geranium plant that I had taken cuttings of about two months and they have been sitting in seedling mix in the green house until about a week ago - the roots have developed and they have now beed transplanted into the pots. Prepared in a no-dig kind of way to fill them up with lots of nutrients. The bush basil is a native and its sharing a long container pot with the rosemary, so hopefully they can be friends. Continental parsley and dill together so both combinations I am not sure about their companionability but we'll see. Mint & Roma Berry tomatoes planted into pots (no-dig style with lots of leaves and sticks at teh bottom for drainage, then lucerne, manure pellets, watered in with molassus. Topped with compost and dried grass clippings as mulch. 

Las Padres have two big pots that have basil growing (great guns but not as deep green as it should be) as well as a pot that has had tomatoes and radish growing alternatively in it since time begun with I am sure no additions to the soil. Half rotted compost (about 4 months old) added to both and now the radishes have all been harvested the sugarsnap peas will go in next and then by the time they return they can put their tomatoes back in, with some Marigolds to surround. 

Seasol over everything yesterday after the big potting out. 

Recent purchases: Curry tree, pennywort & chocolate mint and a native Rose Myrtle (Archirhodomyrtus beckleri) which has really pretty flowers and an edible fruit - it's supposed to be quite sour though good for making jam. Just have to figure out where to put it!

Jumbo update & the Enclosure

Hanging baskets: A bit of an experiment to see how much "produce" I can reasonably fit into a hanging basket. Made like a small no-dig garden bed then with potting mix or compost on top and topped with mulch. (Found a new source the fields near me have big piles of mown grass left out to dry and be collected - AWESOME). The Bokchoi was planted straight into the basket on the 22nd May (So exactly 2 months ago) though spent its first 3 weeks with almost no sun (Sydney). The Lettuce was planted on the 12th June and has been planted in various places around the graden as well as the hanging basket on the clothes line.

Bok-choi - 8 weeks 

Lettuce - about 5 weeks but started off in the green house.

Strawberries were purchased already raised as seedlings and planted into a no-dig bed underneath a tree and so far the dog has decided she likes it as a very comfy bed but manages to sit  around the strawberries - she's learning.

The first garden bed has a row of spring onions, a row of carrot, fennel & kale. All was planted on the 15th May so 11 weeks - though all of this lot of seedlings got off to a very slow start being started without the greenhouse and not much sun. The Kale in this bed was planted on the 12th June - about 5 weeks ago and took over the lot of kale that was planted in May.

Spring onions, carrots & fennel friends according to the companion planting method.

The second bed has the sugarsnap peas and a range of greens. Sugarsnaps planted on the 15th May, the last lot of beetroot that survived the dig from the dog (15/5) and some lettuce and kale, mostly planted on the 12th June but some survivors from May and the original planting.

Second bed - a mixed bag, Sugarsnap climbers and greens.

The third bed has some brassicas, kale and lettuce. Then there is a whole Brassica bed containing cauliflower and cabbage bought as seedlings (about 8 weeks I assume) and planted two weeks ago.

3rd bed - brassica and kale

Brassica bed

Last weekend the Nasturtians and the Marigolds were planted and due to illness they were left out in the elements to get the rain and not dry out in the green house while I couldn't get outside but are watered and back in the green house. Pluse Beetroot planted, silverbeet and bok-choi.

Also an enclosure has been placed around all the beds to keep out the four-paws!