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Spring is Coming but WAIT..
I was going to say spring is coming and don’t be too hasty to go sowing seed mad…Then a few nights ago we had THE worst storm in our 5 year history here on our piece of paradise. THAT alone has put paid to ANY of my thoughts of seed sowing, for now at least!
Take some Garden Wisdom Advice!
Seriously though, take a leaf out of the ‘old timer’s’ garden wisdom book…the ‘old boy’s’ of the ‘English allotment society’ would drop their trousers and SIT on the ground bare cheeked to check if the soil was warm enough for sowing seed. If they could sit comfortably then it was time, if they squirmed with discomfort the seeds stayed where they were!! after all seeds cost money and money was very hard to come by then, somethings never change:)
However, if you are not brave enough to bare your all in the name of garden wisdom, then there is a simpler way:) Wander around your vegetable patch early in the morning, especailly after a cold night and if you see spiders webs then it’s still too early to sow your seed. The science behind this piece of wisdom is simple: the conditions that let us see this magnificent creations are the high moisture levels associated with frosty mornings and in general weather too cold for sowing seed.
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Eating a Rainbow…Which Colours do You Eat?
You may know that I adore my heirloom vegetables because they are not only flavorful but they give me such an array of colours, my plate is like an artists palette!!
So, I thought I would back up my claims that ‘Heirloom Vegetables’ are THE best and give you some evidence!!!
New Zealand’s Secret Weapon!
Here in New Zealand we have a secret, it’s called Manuka honey and it can heal our bodies both externally and internally, but thats not all, some honey when tested in the lab has been found to contain a second unique healing factor which enhances the uniqueness of this wonderful natural healing nectar.
Manuka honey is a ‘mono-floral’ honey, meaning it’s made predominately from one flower, in this case it’s made from the delicate small flowers of the Manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium) or Tea tree as some call it . Native to the shores of New Zealand, its a pretty low growing tree which has an abundance of tiny white or pink flowers in summer, and it’s wood is highly prized for its aroma and is used in wood fired pizza ovens or in the smoking of many food items, but it’s the nectar we are interested in today.
Warm your Inner Being with Ginger
Ginger is an ‘odd’ looking root to say the least, with its bumps, contortions and beige coat, but what lies beneath it all is a veritable treasure chest of goodness.
Ginger is known as a spice rather than a herb and comes from the only edible part of the plant called a ‘rhizome’ which is the continuous underground stem which forms on the plant Zingiber officinale a member of the Zingiberaceae family which includes my other favorite spices, turmeric and cardamom.
So MUCH To Do!!
I am SO excited about the changes I am making to our piece of paradise, now all I need is for the rain to stop long enough for me to really get down to work and make them!
The changes I am making:
- A new Kitchen Garden in the middle paddock well away for neighbour’s spray drift
- New cold frames for all the vegetable seedlings and native plants
- A new nursery area for the larger seedlings
- A poly tunnel for tropical and tender plants and fruits
- Building three new chicken tractors
All this will be photographed and/or video taped so you can see just how I implement these basic changes so you can follow the steps and do the same!
Broad Bean Risotto
To be successful at risotto, you need patience and watchful eye. slowly does it so the rice gets throughly cooked but still be firm and not chalky in the center or heaven forbid mushy, correctly cooked arborio rice is what the Italians call ‘all’onda’
A risotto should have the minimum amount of liquid, not be like a soup, and definitely not be a gruel or porridge. It has to fall off the spoon is a continuous flowing motion and be light and fluffy, perfection when cooked correctly.
Perfect risotto requires a short grain rice like arborio of carnaroli which absorb enough water to give the correct consistency and flow. Take things slowly, be patient and concentrate on the cooking and not on a hundred other things… I know hard to do 
I was looking but NOT seeing!
Since the spray drift incident in the spring I have not been SEEING the great recovery in the Kitchen Garden or APPRECIATING just how magnificent Mother Nature really is.
Instead I had been focusing and fussing upon what DIDN’T grow and being kinda angry that the hormone growth inhibitors used may have irreparable damaged my soil and how could I possibly repair that damage, and is all the hard work really worth it and come next spring it’s all going to happen again, is it time to give it all up?
The last two days has changed all that and I am amazed at the recovery and the sheer dogged determination of the seedlings that are now poking their tiny heads above the surface of the soil in gleeful HEALTHY abundance…Thank You, Mother Nature, I am more than grateful.
I was blind to the healing process that was going on under the surface of my soil, which I have to tell you, is looking and feeling SO beautiful and humus rich that I nearly cried yesterday when I was clearing some beds getting them ready for winter feeding and mulching. I am thankful for the lesson I have learnt.
I am able to SEE and BELIEVE that I can bring healing aspects from The Universe onto MY land and for that I am grateful and so happy in the knowledge my Earth healing work is working and I now I can see a way to stay here on my piece of paradise and finish what I started.
I believe my principles of organic gardening harnessed with the most important factors of Mother Nature’s ability to regenerate her beloved Earth and my personal habit of praising the soil, seedlings and plants for being healthy and sending the positive intention to them so that they can recover is what has turned the whole potential disaster around.
Please see the photos if you think my soil has always been this rich and wonderful…
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What to Grow for a Cover crop or Green Manure Crop (Part Two)
Cover crops and green manure crops are a vital part of any good soil management programme, they are a fantastic way to get your soil in tip top condition while resting it and by not leaving it bare or letting it go to weed, the micro life of the soil remains intact and the essential work under the surface continues.
The simple difference between a green manure and a cover crop, is cover crops are grown over a longer period than green manure crops and so take longer to decompose as they will produce ‘woodier’ stems.
- So, what do you grow and when?
- What crops fix nitrogen and which don’t?
- How long do different crops take to ‘mature’ before slashing?
- Which crops do I sow in the summer and which in the winter?
The following is a list of different crops, when to sow, how long to grow them before slashing and if they will fix nitrogen or not…
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What is a ‘Cover’ Crop? (Part One)
Mother Nature never intended the Earth to be bare, believe it or not, that’s why she created weeds!! Bear soil gets blown and washed away, both of which destroys the top soil and in turn wrecking the micro life which lives precariously in it.
For centuries, organic gardeners have relied on the ‘old’ ways of protecting their soil and cover crop and green manure crops were an integral part of that sol management. ‘Green’ manure or ‘cover’ crops, these two names can be intertwined as they basically mean the same thing: a short term crop which is grown to improve and protect the soil.
This is essential when you have a shortage of compost or are just starting out and need to maximize the nutrients in your soil, they really come into their own during the times when a vegetable bed is left to ‘rest’ or be ‘fallow’ usually during the winter months.
Cover crop or Green Manure are usually grown the knee high and then cut down and left on top of the soil to compost down, some people think this is a ‘waste of money’ but I can tell you they are worth their weight in gold and are well worth the effort and what they add to the soil far out weighs the money they cost to grow:
- They protect the soil
- They encourage micro life
- They keep the surface of the soil moist, conserving precious moisture
- They inhibit invasive weeds
- They add nutrients to the soil
- They add valuable organic matter, provided they are grown in organic conditions of course:)
This explains everything…Mercury is Retrograde…I should have known:)
For about 10 days I have been struggling with a feeling of lethargy, a bit like walking through molasses while trying to climb an invisible Mount Everest, insomnia, computer troubles – nothing seeming to want to work:
Why my new autoresponder is not working (working frantically behind the scenes to fix this glitch)
Why the new 2 Women store is proving a challenge (need to change the whole aspect of the lay out)
Why my auctions on Trade Me are selling for the wrong prices!! (cannot do anything about this one)
And why I am not wanting to engage in social events, in fact those of you who know me, would say someone else was impersonating me, living in my human shell …but no, I am still me and when I was told this morning that Mercury is retrograde the penny finally dropped and I stopped thinking I was getting old!!! LOL!!!
So why is the revelation that Mercury is retrograde the answer to my dilemmas??
Armed with the awareness of this new phenomenon, one which I had no idea of until this morning, I went looking for the answer and learnt something new. Read more »
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