Monday, August 4, 2008

Where to fit it all?



The vegetables that is.

My onion seedlings have germinated well and now I am left with the small issue of where to plant them (not yet but at some point in the medium term). In the shower yesterday I decided that they could go in the bed earmarked for the potatoes and the potatoes could go in buckets and perhaps in a few marginal spots around and about. I problem solve well in the shower in my opinion. Once upon a time I used to plan my work day in the shower. Now work doesn't get a look in beside the garden.

The new hot fashion item on the vegetable scene seems to be ullocas or earth gems. I have almost definitely spelt ullocas incorrectly but have no text in the house to check it against. They are like colourful potatoes and are from South America. I want to grow them of course but there really is no room. One day there will be but until then I can only create so much new garden each year.

I got out Companion Planting in New Zealand from the library for the fifth or so time today. Which is where I discovered that garlic and strawberries and brocolli all hate each other. No prizes for guessing what I've got hanging out together in one of my garden patches. Perhaps I should purchase the book for consistent reference.

Today I ordered three brown shaver point of lay hens for delivery to our small town on 22 August. 2008 that is. Words are inadequate for my pleasure at this. Now we have to finish the poultry palace before the 22nd, but that is quite do-able.

I've been pulling entire swiss chard plants out instead of harvesting leaf by leaf lately in a bid to free up room for the brocolli.

It's the dog eared end of winter and we're out of wood. Out of beech and oregon anyway. We still have some kiln dried pine offcuts from the mill but they burn too fast, certainly for overnight warmth. Great kindling though. So we're burning coal, like bad citizens and like many if not most people in our small town. It is a lot cheaper and it also has a deadline. After 2010, Solid Energy will not be supplying coal for residential use. Better we send it to China of course than retain the ability to keep New Zealanders warm. Apparently they are different kinds/grades of coal but I remain unconvinced. Then I think of the Green Party's opposition to coal mining and my issues with that in terms of local employment and then my head spins too too fast. It is true that low income households in our town, many of whom live in poorly insulated rental accomodation, would not be able to afford to buy wood for the whole winter. Oil prices are of course impacting on wood and coal prices.

I've been blogging for a year now. It was the school gala on Saturday and I remember that last year's gala was about third post. I've stuck at it for an entire year! Not completely surprising given my penchant for waffle - blogging is another outlet for my endless stream of babble.

1 comment:

Sharonnz said...

Happy Blogiversary;-) Yay to the chickens! Boo to the wood...watching our pile dwindling too rapidly. Those Earth Gems are scrummy...even great in stews.