Open Day Beach Organics

Barry buys Diana's seedlings, grows them on and sells the produce from them and lots of other lovely things at the Willunga Farmers' Market.

He has his property open to the public on Sunday the 11th of Nov. as part of the Southern Fleurieu Spring Garden Festival.

Open times are from 10 - 4pm. Entry is by gold coin donation and all money goes to the Southern Fleurieu Cancer Support Group

If you go, be sure to say hello to Barry and tell him you are from the seedsavers group.

Location: Old Telegraph Rd, Middleton. Follow the Beach Organics sign on the main road connecting Pt. Elliot to Middleton.

Check out Barry's website

http://www.beachorganics.com.au/

Happy Diwali

Diwali

Water Tube self watering plant guard

I purchased this plant guard from Diggers Club. You put 3 stakes in around your plant then slide the tube over the stakes. Then you fill the lining with water. It gradually drips out over a few weeks through a hole pierced near the bottom with a plastic coil spring. When it's empty, you re-fill the lining again. They're a bit expensive at about $10 each.

They say its better to give a deep watering less often rather than continuous drip watering but this would be a good way to get new plants established. I've planted a globe artichoke in this one and it's growing really well so far. It even survived my 2 holidays when I was away for a couple of weeks each time.

Broccoli surprise

Some time ago, I planted some broccoli seedlings. I didn't water them very well and thought I had lost them. However, a couple survived and even produced a flower head. One near my back door looked particularly sickly. It was so grey I thought I must have mixed it up with cauliflower. After a bit of attention (and water), it turned green and looked edible. Last night I noticed it had started to go to seed and thought I'd better eat it while I had the chance. I chopped it off and took it into the kitchen. When I cut it open, a plethora of earwigs who had made their home in the middle ran out all over my kitchen. They scurried to hide in my kitchen drawers, over the floor and amongst the other veggies I had ready for dinner on the bench. It took me by surprise since there was no sign of them from the outside. I was completely urked and didn't want to finish cutting up the rest of the veggies. I describe the horrible feeling I got as "piks et ood". (Does that sound Latin or French perhaps? It's the un-doing of the "skip te doo" feeling!) The chooks got the broccoli and the earwigs we could catch and some earwigs got washed from the other veggies down the sink but I'm sure there are still some hiding in my kitchen that we missed.

I'm hoping the earwigs invaded this broccoli because it was weak and that my other veggies in that patch will be OK. I'm also hoping the chooks will keep them in check over the rest of the garden. (They can't get into the veggie patch though). Am I being too hopeful? Should I have done something with nematodes? If yes, what should I have done / do now? Is it because I haven't done enough crop rotation in that spot?

Made for each other

Several years ago I came across an article about hypertuta – a type of pot made from a mix of cement, sand and peat moss. These pots were used by collectors of alpine and rock plants.
Being a sucker for a new project and keen to make some pots of my own, I made a few including a bird bath. I also experimented using small shells I brought back from Smokey Bay instead of peat. I even covered an old bath to make a pond. OH what fun I had .
They have developed with age and they have been useful as pots, housing various plants
But at Herb Day I found an alpine plant, the plant that symbolizes the Alpine regions of Europe- Edelweiss.
So it has a new home in one of my hypertuta pots.

Today I managed to photograph my favorite small bird a Scarlet Robin

Seedsaving in Ecuador

Peoples of the world unite against GM seeds.

Check out this site in Ecuador and watch us ordinary folk talk about seedsaving and how to feed the world. View Progressio's (changing minds, changing lives) seedsaver videos which explain why it is so important to conserve local seeds. Progressio's web site

Be a seedsaver and so no to terminator seeds.

Mexican Morning

I have been busy planting the 8 chilli plants I bought at the Herb Fair last Sunday. I am so pleased to get some mild varieties as I still have a lot of hot varieties in the freezer from previous years.
I shall describe my little collection another time as its such a lovely day I want to be outside.
I thought I would share a few blog sites with you, I found these blogs when I was looking up info on chillies.
Gardener in Chacala Mexico
My Life in Chacala
Enjoy your walk around Chacala with Andee.