Well. The results could have been better. I had my medlars bletting in a basket in my closet; about half of them went soft, the other half remained rock-like. Our friendly household ants (who don't seem to want to take the hint that we don't particularly want them inside) found the basket and swarmed it.... Continue Reading →
Meddling with medlars!
The chooks are still free-ranging about the yard and have made it abundantly clear that I will not be able to press on with any garden plans until I have acquired some fencing to keep them out of my best laid plans. They are merciless in scratching out tender young plants. So, to keep myself... Continue Reading →
Bunny poo: a soil saviour?
As I have mentioned before, the soil at our new house is in trouble. It's dry, sandy and devoid of life. I'm impressed that anything grows out of it at all! The existing plant life consists of small trees and shrubs that evidently got established before it became something of a desert wasteland. If I... Continue Reading →
Will it water tank?
We have a water tank. We have a pump. We have irrigation pipes. But will it all work once we get it all connected? I hacked my way through tangled jasmine and ivy vines to find the pump... ...with my trusty kitchen scissors, since my secateurs disappeared long ago The plug looks a little sad... Continue Reading →
New house, new garden, big new plans!
The Wildes have done what we do best (or at least, do regularly): moved house! And while it was a bit sad leaving some of the plants that were just starting to fruit at the old house, I'm excited about the new opportunities this house brings. At the old house we were dealing with a... Continue Reading →
New Chookies and a Secure Home
When last I wrote about our poultry situation, we had two ISA brown chickens and a Muscovy duck, which we paired up with a second Muscovy pal. Sadly, our girls attracted some very unwanted attention: the fox came and picked them off, first the two chooks, then my sweet Ducko. We took the new duck... Continue Reading →
The Results of Broadcasting
So my last post was about the “broadcasting” method of seed planting - that is, simply chucking the seeds on the ground. The results were underwhelming. In fact, nothing grew. So what did I learn from this experience? It took a bit of ‘observation’ (one of the key permaculture principles - “observe and interact”) to... Continue Reading →
Scattering Seeds – Trying the Broadcasting Method
Gardening is, generally, speaking, a lot of hard work. It's especially hard when you're struggling to find the time and energy to devote to the endeavour. One thing I've always found particularly laborious and off-putting is the whole process of getting new seeds started: planting them carefully into punnets to start, prepping the veggie patch... Continue Reading →
Autumn Garden Activities
Out with the old, in with the new! I'm late to the game {for reasons} but I figure it's better late than never. So, without further ado, here's what I'm getting up to in the garden. The Tomato Patch Last year I discovered the pre-existing veggie garden at the top of the yard doesn't get... Continue Reading →
Making Magic
It might look a little "witchy woo", but experience has put any scepticism I may have held to rest. Dried plantain, self-heal and calendula begin the infusion process in a jar of sweet almond oil, in preparation for making an eczema and general skin care salve. When I first learned that weeds can be helpful,... Continue Reading →
Where The Wilde Things Grow 