Oh, I am a silly sausge!

Great Walks Magazine.
Silly me picked up a second copy of the latest 'Great Walks' Mag thinking it was the 'Great Walks Annual' edition with out checking first (I blame the medication I'm on). So unless I make my eyes totally unfocused and try to read both at once, don't try this it really hurts, I going to offer it up to you.

For a free copy just pop you name in the comments and in a couple of days (like, when I get a round to it) I'll put all your names into a hat and draw out the lucky winner. Easy as falling off a log, even I could do it.

Cheers and good luck

Stewart

Here's something you might want to try.

 The accumulator.
In the latest edition of 'Organic Gardener' (OG) there is an excellent article espousing the virtues of comfrey. One of those virtues is the high level of potash and good levels of nitrogen and phosphate contained within their leaves.


They, OG,  also suggested to use the leaves in layers about 5 cm thick as a mulch so that while the leaves are wilting and breaking down, which happens quickly, the nutrients are leached into the soil and become available to the plant you have mulched.

Here is my tomato with the comfrey stuffed around it. I'm using it on my tomato because it needs a good regular supply of potash for fruit setting and with all our rain lately they have become a bit etiolated.




I went one step further than OG suggested and covered my comfrey with compost and then mulched with some aging straw.


I also mulched and composted right up to the stem of my tomato. I did this because tomatoes don't get collar rot because they have a very active advantageous root system which allows them to produce new roots from their stems and thereby increasing their ability to access available nutrients from the soil

Cheers and happy tomato cropping

Stewart

Rain

 About time I put something up on the old bloggie thing. Though there's not much to write about lately except for rain. A facebook friend in San Antonio, Texas has even heard about our rain on their news and asked me how I was getting on.

I'm just going to get the machete and see if I can cut a swath through the back yard to the rain gauge to see how much we've had here. I'll be back in 30 minutes or so but just in case you don't hear from me again, then, it's been fun........

......I made it back, I have returned triumphant from my travels to the rain gauge and as I suspected my 120ml rain gauge doth overflowerth. Just too much rain for my little gauge to handle.

338, that's our official total of ml's for the 28 days of December so far, at the airport. And although we are only 6 or 7 k's away from the airport we do receive more rain here than there.

It's amazing to me that only 12 months ago I was disillusioned with the veggie garden due to the ongoing drought and having to lug around watering can after watering can of water to keep the garden alive, and now I'm disillusioned because I can't get out and work on the garden due to the incredible amount of rain we are getting. Maybe with a little luck things will balance out after these extremes and I can settle into some productive veggie gardening.

While I've been talking about rain we haven't received any to-day and it's supposed to be fine tomorrow, and though I am working all day that doesn't matter because it will still be too wet to work in the veggie garden anyway. But if we can get all the planets to line up then on Thursday I should be able to get a few hours outside, so here's hoping for Thursday.

Cheers and beers

Stewart.

Merry Christmas 2010

Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating Christmas today. Wishing all your hopes and dreams come true for you. And if your driving anywhere then please do it with safety in mind.

And those of you who don't, have a great day anyhow.




Cheers and beers

Stewart.

Time for action

Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action. ~Benjamin Disraeli

I'm back

 I'm back, hope you missed me just a little.. You see my dear old computer just refused to start up for me about two weeks ago and it had to go into the PC Hospital. It seems after four years I'd managed to fill it with all sorts of junk that made it noncooperational.

Besides all that I managed to hurt my back which is fine again now, not that it really mattered because it has rained nearly every day for the last two and a half weeks (I lost count at 210mls and it's still raining) and on top of all that it's the silly season for taxi drivers and my boss has gone away and I've picked up extra hours in the cab as well. So all this means that there has been next to no veggie gardening or walking for that matter but I've only got Christmas eve and New Years Eve left off the silly season and a few quite days here and there so with a little luck and a bit of fine weather I might get some veggie gardening done and maybe a short walk or two. I still want to go to Highfields Falls but it is very wet underfoot.

Cheers and Merry Christmas to you,

Stewart.

Oh! Christmas tree!

Eggstra Eggstra, read all about it.

And the winner is, after much deliberation from, me, myself and I, drum roll please, Susan who said,

'Why, I'd be simply eggstatic to receive one of those eggceptionally well knitted egg beanies Stewart :)'.
Anyone who can stroke my ego, mention knitting and slip in a few eggy words gets the gong from me.

Susan, you can choose two of whatever you like or one of each. Just let me know.

I also mentioned two consulation egg warmers and they go to, drum roll again please,

Olive who said...Stewart, you've become an eggspert knitter in such a short time. Beaut little bum nut warmers, I would be eggcited to win one. 

and...
seed whisperer said...
I'm only eggcentric.. may I have my ball warmers now? It's winter here and the boyfriend's complaining.
We just can't have a complaining boyfriend now can we..

I'll need postal addresses now so I can send you your egg warmers. Just send it to me via email ssjdmb@hotmail.com

Was there favoritism considered in my vote? Yes, it was an influence but that was the only I could choose the consultation eggy warmers cos they were all so good.

I'd send you all one but I've got other things to knit like a warm sleeveless pullover. And there is still the matter of a veggie garden to maintain, if it ever stops raining.

Cheers and happy warm eggs,

Stewart