Harvest time inspires potato and broccoli soup

This afternoon I weeded my vegetable patch. After months of dry weather and needing to water every week, we've had rain, rain, rain.

I harvested potatoes, peas galore, garlic, onions, leeks, broccoli and flat leaf parsley.

I was very excited to make use of my new potting shed to wash and trim my harvest.  Instead of carrying all that dirt upstairs into the kitchen and traipsing back downstairs to the compost with all the trimmings, I used a bucket of hot water on my potting bench to clean up the lot. The chickens got lots of greens out of it too. I love the surprise of digging around in the garden to see what is ready to eat!  I had no idea what I was going to eat for dinner but now I have soup planned - one that will use a bit of everything in my basket except the peas and blue borage flowers.

Er, seconds?

Recipe for potato and broccoli soup

Ingredients
2 large potatoes
1 large head broccoli
butter
garlic
leek
flat leaf parsley
milk
parmesan

Instructions
Wash, peel and chop 2 large potatoes.
Wash and chop large head of broccoli.

Place in a large soup pot with just enough water to cover the vegetables.  Boil until tender. Drain vegetables, then puree in a blender.

Add dollop of butter to saucepan, add peeled and chopped garlic, leek and parsley. Saute until just cooked. Add pureed vegetables with milk to correct consistency. Heat. Just before ready to serve, stir in a handful of grated parmesan.

Enjoy!  I did.

New home for our chickens: a great garden compound

Howard and I are holidays for a week. Applause please!

We are spending a week at home working in the garden. 

Despite rain we are going well on our to do list.

One of our top priorities was to move the chicken coop from the back garden into a spot 

along the side of the house.

The near side fence and gate has been here all along. Today Howard added a second gate higher up the path.  This little corner has just been wasted space up until now.  We put up mesh under the house and voila the chickens have a new compound.  Benny is checking it out.

We gave the coop a huge spring clean, emptied, scrubbed, sprayed with eucalyptus oil and moved it to its new home.  They have clean shredded paper in the egg box, sawdust in the straw yard, a sparkling clean water bottle.  And so many green weeds to eat and scratch out. 

We could take bets on how quickly they get rid of it all!  First job done.

Another job that has waited years was pruning this monster waratah. It has gotten taller and taller over the years until, as you can see it towers over the house.  We had two but the other collapsed one wet, windy weekend. This one was at risk of the same fate. It has finished flowering and is yet to produce buds so now was the time. Howard sawed this down by hand!  The biggest job is still to come as we chop up and mulch the smaller bits tomorrow. The bigger bits will become firewood one day.

Here's the new view from our verandah: Kate and Scully enjoying their new home and the shorter waratah that will quickly thicken up and give us beautiful blooms to enjoy.

Good day's work!

Exeter open gardens

Today we went to the four open gardens at Exeter, here in the Southern Highlands, completing the trifecta of gardens at Robertson and Bundanoon.

Sadly they were mostly disappointing.  The last however made up for the others and I am glad we did experience it last, to end the trek on  high note.

A large garden called Allways was truly delightful.  And the volunteers on the gate were friendly and kind and offered to mind Benny so he didn't have to stay in the car.  My photos do not do it justice.

A homespun day working in the vegetable garden

I have had a very homespun day at home today.  I am exhausted but satisfied with what I have achieved.

My vegetable garden is all weeded and mulched at last. I used a hoe to pull up all the weeds, laid newspaper and lucerne to suppress any new ones from appearing. This area will be planted out with tomatoes and corn before long.

The garden is starting to fill out as plants grow. Today I added borage to enhance my companion planting of flowers, herbs and vegetables all mixed in together. And I am beginning to harvest: today I came in with onions, herbs, a few peas and arm fulls of silverbeet and mustard greens.

The greens have self seeded all over the garden. I dug most of them up, transplanted some in other areas of the garden. The rest I have planted in pots, to give away and to nurture the smaller ones for staggered plantings later on.  There are still a few in between the paving stones of the path that I need to get to. I made a new batch of seed raising mix: all my planting this weekend used up the last of my store.

My mini greenhouse is full of seedlings: tomato seedlings donated by a colleague now all planted out into individual pots; Rouge d'hiver and Amish deer lettuce; mixed heirloom beetroots, Paris market carrots small enough to grow in pots; zucchini; Australian butter pumpkin; Asian vitamin green, wormwood, mustard greens and I can't remember what else.

I have made yoghurt, and dinner for tonight and the next two nights.  All the laundry is done. Now it time to head back into the working week.

Delightful photos from the Bundanoon Garden Ramble 2013

This weekend we went to the Bundanoon Garden Ramble.  Bundanoon turns on an event so well - they had a plant market, a scarecrow competition and a courtesy bus driving between each garden. Town was packed with people.  Some intrepid types cycled between each garden.

Here are some highlights from one of the most astonishing cottage gardens I have ever seen.

Need help interpreting clouds

Can anyone tell me what this cloud type signifies?

I'm hoping for rain. What are my chances?

It's hot, dry, there are bush fires raging here in the Highlands as well as the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. As far away as we are, the air is thick with smoke.

Am I going to get my wish or will I keep hoping some more?

Cheeky chicken now calls our verandah home

Stunning spinebill in Robertson garden

Robertson open gardens Spring 2013 - the vegetable garden highlights

We enjoyed the wonderful Sping sunshine viewing open gardens in Robertson this weekend. The gardens varied from huge estates to small but well designed suburban spaces.

 

I have chosen highlights from some spectacular vegetable gardens and orchards. Ah, so delightful to see the humble vegie patch be turned into works of art.

Sunday again already

Another stunning day - it sounds so monotonous doesn't it? Only its not, its divine. Warm, bright and sunny, soft breeze. My perfect idea of spring. The daffies are blooming, along with lemon and yellow pansies, dark cerise rhododendruns, blue marguerites and lavender. A blue and yellow palette with shots of pink.

The chickens are out scratching - probably digging up my vegies, Kate likes to do that.  Their coop is clean with fresh with lavender and herbs to pick out. Today's selection is lemon balm, Vietnamese mint, rosemary and thyme.

The washing is all done and swaying on the line. The gardens are all watered. The dogs and cats have taken themselves off for naps. There's no one around but me and the birds.

I need to mop and vacuum but its far too nice outside for that. Those chores can wait for the waning sun.

Lovely visit to Kiama markets on a sunny Sunday

A Sunday drive, visit to markets, a picnic and happy Harry hound.

late Spring day in Robertson

We went for a walk with friends yesterday on a clear late Spring day. These photos show just how beautiful my street is.

Taken by RachaelB.

Back home and into the garden

I am back home and happy to be back blogging. Thank you to Very-Marie for her guest post. I commuted for years and it is really hard. I love that Very-Marie is sharing how she makes it work. Keep at it.

My parents house sat while I was away so the garden is in very good shape. I'm very fortunate.
We are currently alternating between sunshine and rain however so it is growing fast.  And I am tripping over myself to keep up.

Here are some pics to share the highlights.

The new lawn is seeding and a delightful shade of green. It is still a little patchy but coming along nicely.

Our first roses are breaking out.

Everything is green in the vegie garden.  The celery and silverbeet are trying to bolt to seed so I have to keep pruning. 

The cauliflowers should produce buds soon.

There are spuds everywhere, not just in the beds where I planted them.

Snow peas and sugar snap peas are climbng the fence behind the chicken coop.

I hung up dandelion and milk thistles for the chickens today. 

And have a bucket full of greenpick ready to give the chickens throughout the week. This is mostly celery, kale and silverbeet. This will keep them healthy and amused over my work days when I don't let them out. Daylight saving means that I can let them out each evening for a hour or so when I get home which they love.

Today's harvest included rhubarb, greens, celery, beets, potatoes, and peas. I cooked up my usual Sunday storm to make the week go smoothly. Today I cooked the rhubarb with some corella pears, roast a big plate of mixed vegies, eggplant and sweet potato lasagne, fennel and granola for breakfast. That is a couple of dinners and a few lunches ready to go.

How have you prepared for the week ahead? And what's happening in your garden this November?
I'd love it if you let me know.

Cheers, have a great week!