Sunday, September 4, 2011

Rhubarb and Rabbits







I thought I would post an update on a previous post from this year on the Rhubarb. I moved from a pot where it was doing badly and really not growing at all. I transplanted it and it had no leaves at all on it was just starting to sprout really and now only 6 weeks later it is huge!! One exciting thing is that it's literally 2 feet from where the chickens sleep at night and I wonder if perhaps the manure is playing a part of the health of it. I like to think so, fortunately the wire is small and the chooks will never be able to get their beaks through to peck at it!

We also transplanted a huge Elderberry which snapped at the base in the process and I wondered firstly whether it would even transplant at all and secondly how well it would grow once broken. Well both parts planted in different parts of the garden are growing well and now Spring is here the are both shooting lots of leaves, very excited about that!

I other news, we have new kits all pretty much sold the lovely Chocolates and Lilac colours go quickly have included a picture though as they are gorgeous, kits always means loads of readily available manure for the garden so that is super especially when so much is about to flower and the fruit trees are about the get leaves. In very surprising news after a good 6 weeks we found our beloved Pepa the free ranging rabbit! After advertising over the radio and at the Milk bar he was found only 2 doors up the road where the owners had caged him as they are right into self sustainability too however they were going to eat him! We brought him home after quibling with he owner that he was actually mine and now unfortunetly he will have to remain caged, he did live inside again for a bit and slept in my room and totally demolished my fairy light cord he is now outside again! Tomorrow we will buy a couple of really large new cages from Melbourne and he will be housed out the front where I can get to him easily and bring him in at night for cuddles and he can go out once we go to bed.

Our Backyard Blitz!








Over this Fathers day weekend we decided that too much dust was coming onto the veranda and completely coating everything and mostly responsible for this was the dogs running around in area large made up of dirt. They had their kennels in this area which is partially undercover but considering they mostly sleep on their hessian stand beds which are undercover I wasn't too worried about shifting the location of their beds and turning the whole area into a herb and garden patch. We had previously fenced on an area near the chooks so I knew I was able to build a good enough fence to keep the dogs out.

In the area I planted Boronia, Geraldton Wax Flowers, Lemon Balm, Paper daisy's, Bay Tree, Comfrey, Feverfew, Coriander, and Marjoram. Some things I just transplanted from other parts of the garden, also brought a water plant for the pond pot and will get some goldfish too accompany it tomorrow. I am really pleased with the result, it was my sons idea to add a table and chairs from an overgrown and unused part of the garden and with some solar lights and a few ornaments from the garden it looks professionally landscaped, so easy to do and so much fun! Please enjoy the before and after pictures!