Horse Poo, Lawn Mowers and Carrots
Mulberry surrounded by horse poo, zuchinni seeds planted in the poo by me and little on this week. Newspaper and poo laid over grass = instant new garden bed! Hope the manure is not filled with too many grass seeds
Mr Bowerbird is non stop mowing lately. Everythinge is so lush and green. This is our cordless electiric enviromower. I LOVE it - it's light, you just push a button to start it, and it sounds like a hair dryer. Just put battery back on charge when you're done then away you go. It doesn't like mega long grass so does require you to keep on top of things. Did you know lawn mowers generate enormous emissions?
Lawn mower and outboards new targets in emissions war | The Australian
Outdoor garden equipment - Comparative assessment of the environmental performance of small engines:
That grassy time of year has me turning to these, they work quite well (have converted a number of friends and family) but it has been a particularly bad year and some days they just haven't cut the mustard. Would be great to hear any other good hayfever tips you have.
Lots of beautiful gardening days this week. I am very proud of these perfect carrots, 7 years trying and finally some success. Fussy little blighters they are - no fresh manure, no clay, not too rocky, no competition, planted at just the right time, thinned correctly....They are worth all the trouble, delicious. Kids quickly devour this much each day!
I have heaps of carrots as well...and onions!! I am especially chuffed as they were grown from seed.
ReplyDeleteI find that my carrots go soft quite quickly. I think because they are not gassed.
I got a wheelbarrow full of produce the other day...and I am currently ignoring the garden! Love this time of the year!
One of my children has in the past taken up to three different prescription drugs to try and combat his chronic hayfever. Scary stuff. We are really trying to avoid that this year. He didn't have much success on the Brauer's. I heard that if you eat a lot of raw local honey it helps build up a resistance to hayfever as the pollen in the honey gets you used to it. We are giving that a go. I am also switching to fragrance free washing powder in case that is contributing to an already overwhelmed little nose. Also, drink lots of water, apparently lots of fluid helps to dilute the body's histamine response. Again, don't know it it works but an easy enough thing to try.
ReplyDeleteThose are some good looking carrots!
Good job with the carrots, I've been meaning to post about our baby carrots.......hilariously shaped lil things.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it a great feeling when you are finally successful in growing a particular crop, and the children enjoy eating them,YES!!
ReplyDeleteAnother poo blog! Still the carrots looked great. Lolo would love them
ReplyDeleteOnions here too Nick. I'm leaving the carrots in until we're ready to eat them, I think they keep better in the ground.
ReplyDeleteMichelle that sound full on. I have a friend who is using honey to good effect. We do eat a bit but my source of cheap local honey has gone so I'm on the hunt for a new supplier. Not sure it had a dramatic effect but it's hard to know what's working. Have given pineapple juice a go too. The Brauer stuff seems to work best for me if I use it first thing in the morning and consistently through the day - I like the under the tongue one better. Hadn't heard of drinking more water so will add that to the list - I'm not always the best with that.
Journey to Bliss you should check out Uri Westaphal's mutatoes.
Seriously proud of those carrots Andrea - now I can't remember what variety they were they were planted so long ago.
Hello, Kirsty. =) May I ask you a question about plants, seeing as you're clearly an expert on gardening?
ReplyDeleteIs every hermaphroditic flower capable of pollinising itself or do some of them still need other members of the same species to reproduce?
Thanks in advance!
/ Rain
Definitely not an expert Rain but not all hermaphroditic plants can pollinate themselves - this is why when you plant fruit trees you are often told to plant two varieties to help with cross pollination. I have an elderberry that will put out a little fruit but fruits much better if there are more nearby, they say the same of blueberries. Plants that cannot fertilise themselves with their own pollen are called self sterile. A good example of this is the Tomatillo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatillo
ReplyDeleteThanks a ton for your answer, Kirsty. I was wondering about one flowering plant in particular, lilium bulbiferum, about which I can't find any information concerning the possibility of self-pollinating (other than that it is hermaphroditic). Your comment was very helpful, though, and, being a lover of mexican cuisine and salsa verde, I found it cool that you mentioned tomatillo. =)
ReplyDelete/ Rain
I imagine with a lily that the bulbs would multiply regardless of pollination. I've had single lily plants multiply in this way. I read it also has bulbils so you won't get regular seed but tiny little bulbs that will drop and eventually form new plants. Very pretty.
ReplyDeleteAh, that's excellent news. Thank you!
ReplyDelete/ Rain