TWIG - 18

Ohhh in all the excitement over the RAIN I clear forgot to post anything else last week!

 

raspberry - yum

I sent all my rainy piccies off to foxtel/austar weather channel – and the whole of oz got to see my dear Sams Creek (and to hear my excited rain recitation) - this week the weather channel crew sent me this lovely gift in the mail – its great that I have used it already

Anyway with all the excitement - this is more of a 'this fortnight in the garden' rather than 'week'....

.... and what a wonderful 2 weeks it has been – with the rain at the end of last week (340mm all together – extraordinary!) As I'm writing this we are getting the absolutely essential 'follow-up' rain. This is what we call rainfall that comes after the initial drought-breaking rain. It's important that follow-up rain arrives not too soon and not too late after the initial fall – this is arriving a week after the huge downpour – just perfect timing. The follow-up rain consolidates the big fall – this is the stuff that really gets the grass and garden going. The big downfall filled the rivers and creeks and dams because most of the rain just ran off the very dry ground. This is the stuff that soaks into the now softened ground. And the timing couldn't be better – late summer is just perfect - the days can still be potentially very warm, but the hottest parts of summer are behind us and the cold is yet to set in – so it will be a most glorious autumn and winter! The best in more than a decade I'm tipping.

Yesterday and today was the annual Cobargo Show – only it's been a little bit damp for most show activities – but no one is really complaining. Sass and EJ sent in some very lovely paintings and drawings, they both cooked a cake for the packet cake section, Sass submitted a crocheted string man and EJ entered a collection of flowers -all very adorable. (show update – the kiddies collected a bunch of prizes –much to their delight!)

Here's EJ's rather wonderful abstract painting
(she painted it to go in her room....I just love it!)

and Sassy's collage of favourite things...
bikes feature heavily - oh joy! 
(also to grace his room once it returns from the show)

 

red yarrow

To do

after all the rain I am rethinking our autumn plans – at long last I can plant some of the trees and garden beds that I've been holding off on – but more of this will emerge in the coming weeks/months

plant new seedlings: santolina,  celeriac, stevia

milk spray the cucurbits (powdery mildew is rapidly setting in on my pumpkins squash and friends)

spread organic fertiliser – on all beds – everywhere

trim westringea hedge plants

pick/preserve more cucumbers (if anyone is coming past Sams Creek – please drop in and collect your FREE cucumbers – seriously – please – save us! we have an avalanche of cucumbers at the moment)

 

armenian cucumber (I think....)
I feel a bit like the old woman who lived in a shoe
- she had so many cucumbers she didn't know what to do!

Completed

most of the last week I've spent rushing from dam to dam marvelling at the glorious overflowing bodies of water! And its been too wet to do some of the things that really need attending to – ah well, you're not going to hear me complaining

seedlings planted: morrocan mint, lemon balm, common mint, artichokes & comfrey (in the sunken garden), chinese wombok cabbage, great lakes lettuce, pak choy (vege beds)

endive seedlings thinned

another batch of mustard pickles bottled

Picking/ eating

green oak leaf lettuce, raspberries, rondo de nice zucchini, yellow crook-neck zucchini, green patty-pan squash, spring onions, ivory eggplant, pontiac potatoes, early wonder cucumbers, armenian cucumbers, passionfruit, cherokee wax beans, climbing princess beans, sweet basil, roma tomatoes (yipee – tomatoes at last!!!!) but our stone fruit are all finished for the season (phew...I was nearly out of bottles...).

 

climbing princess beans - small but delicious!