The Autumn Harvest

 The front vegie patch in all its oversized grandness. I am loving our sawdust paths.

 These Giant Russian Sunflowers are on steroids - around 7 foot and still growing.

The fence patch is close to trees, less rich, and drier and will take more improving before it does well.  The choko has died, and the spaghetti squash are only few in number.  The loofah looks happy but hasn't flowered yet so I imagine it will remain loofah less.  The scarlet runner beans re-emerged from last years crop and have been giving but not abundant.

The zuchinnis didn't like all the rain (at least 150mm in the last week).  They have become mouldy and slowed in production.  This is a blessing as I believe we may have turned a shade of green and gold (just in time for the Olympic Games) if we continued to eat them at the same rate. Such a small area for so much food. This many plants easily overfeeds a family of 5, and all their extended family, and non zuchinni growing friends. There is a very happy mulberry tree in the middle that like all the food and water it received over summer, a great way to establish a new fruit tree.

Just made a big batch of zuchinni pickles, more fritters, and gave away a bagful to the family yet still they linger, bulging out of their bowls.

 The potato patch keeps giving. Passionfruit planted at the start of summer and winding their way upwards.

Smaller sunflowers grow a 1/3 of the size in a shadier part of the garden. These ones came up from last years crop.

The corn and sunflowers stand seeking golden rays but the cooler weather and cloudy days persist.  I've never know Autumn to strike so quickly. My heart goes out to all those suffering from floods right now.

Mondays harvest, a beautiful rainbow of vegie delights.

The carrot patch keeps on giving.

Sweet delicious corn should keep us in food during March.

Crunchy stringless Bush beans, wish I'd written down what they were, such pretty pink seeds and my favourite bush bean to date.

 My cockatoo friends have struck again. This sunflower had barely unfurled its petals before receving a chomp. It's still beautiful with all it's imperfections.  The head is too large to sit up and bends forward forlornly, perhaps hiding its bounty from maraudering birds.

No pears for us this year, the Rosellas took a particular fancy to these. 

At least we had plenty of white nectarines, I am eating them stewed for breakfast, they quickly go mouldy unless you use them within a few days of picking.

So happy with the vegie patch this year, it has never been so productive.

Free Sunflower seeds found, cool Bananas!

We had 2 packs of sunflower seeds left from the sow give grow exercise we did on the holidays and finally found a home for them on a return trip to the footy on Saturday.  This time dad and daughter went to Etihad Stadium.  They found a giant baked bean tin to stick them on.

and a spot at the train station

The true delight came the following day when someone found the seeds and posted a really sweet message to Sow Give Grow (see trans-plant 29). They even said cool bananas, which of course it is.  I love the thought of our sunflowers bursting forth their sunny yellow joy in someone else's garden.  Was great to let the kids know that their efforts were appreciated.

Sow. Give. Grow. Guerrilla Sunflowers

We have sow give grown! 

We were going to wait until spring as the seed we have in bulk supply are best sown then, but when I showed the kids the envelopes and a fellow blogger's pictures, they were keen to start straight away.  This is a great wet day school holiday activity. To get around the non-seasonal issue we just added "sow in spring" to our envelopes.

Last year I grew beautiful Giant Russian Sunflowers that we loved, some were almost 8 foot tall and the flowers bigger than dinner plates.  The Sulphur Crested Cockies were also very keen on them but we managed to rescue quite a lot and save their seed - we saved a lot of seed, even after the children and birds had had their share.

As we have more seed than we could ever use we thought we'd get on the Sow Give Grow bandwagon and share it - guerrilla style.  Follow the link to find out more about this great way of encouraging people to grow food.   

Designing

 printed the website great envelope (warning these can leak), then coloured, decorated and cut out.

 2 year old added an artistic flourish to the inside of a seed packet

 Feeling

 Plunging hand into the seeds, a sensory delight (this is a mere fraction of the seeds we have saved).  We tried to give the seeds a little squeeze to check they were fertile and had a kernel inside, hopefully we haven't sent forth any duds but we tried to give a generous amount just in case, the seeds come from quite a few flowers.

Eating

 Sunflowers are not what you might first think of as food but they are really tasty and nutritious - it's also a great challenge getting them out of their hard husks, but even the two year old can do it.  The kids devoured about 50 seeds during the project.  

Delivering

The seed packs sat around for a while waiting for an outing to go forth and find new owners....... 

Here comes the funny bit,  that is a picture of Etihad Stadium in Melbourne.  If you look closely you can see a tiny square next to the small boy - that's a pack of seeds.  First outing suitable for seed delivery was a father and son trip to the football - Kangaroos verses the Bulldogs - they also met up with grandpa. I thought dad would say no thanks, but he took the packs and promised to take some photos.  Armed with seed and blue tack they found this picture in the stadium for a delivery.

 Was a great way to keep the 6 year old entertained at the football.

 Vending machine deposit.  I love this one, vending machines are such an unhealthy rip off so free seeds makes a great contrast to money making rubbish. They also went on the train and left a package there - 6 seed packs left during the football outing. Not sure if the football crowd are your typical sunflower growers, but a great time had by the blokes acting in a very unblokey way.  Son is looking very proud and pretty amused. 

 They came home with a few packs so I have put some out this week in Woodend, Victoria.  Outside a disused shop.

 In  a shopping trolley (not trying to steal your thunder Slow Living Essentials)

On the mailbox

The funny thing is that I only labelled the seed "sunflowers', they may grow a little bigger than expected, like Jack and the Beanstalk.

I don't mind if the seeds don't find a happy home, this was really fun for all involved and I think we'll do  it again - maybe next school holidays. Have plenty of beans to share!