A fly over of Boyce Gardens in Toowoomba.

After years of drought and low rainfall, we've had about 100mm of rain and you wouldn't know it was the same place. A friend hadn't been to Boyce gardens so I went with her and took my drone to see if I might get some flight time while she took photos, and thankfully I did. While I'm far from an accomplished pilot I still like what I did manage to capture.

About Boyce Gardens:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyce_Gardens

Repotting my Cymbidium Orchids. Easy Peasy.

I was thinking my two cymbidium orchids would benefit from being potted up into the next size pot so here's how I did that. Strike Back for Orchids

It's Rained.

It's rained and by rained I mean goodly amount.

The only thing that remains is weather we'll get some follow up rain in a week or two.

17-01-2020

We had 6mm of rain. Not enough to end the drought but enough to give me the morning off from watering the garden as I have for weeks on end now.

I took my normal watering time to plant some Cress.

I've had the packet of Cress seeds for weeks now but have been waiting for a change in the weather.

Also added some GoGo Juice (see below) by Neutrog to my lemon and lime trees hoping a shower or storm would wash it into the soil (still waiting).

Came home from work and was going to do a little bit of this and that in the garden but we'd had a shower of rain (2mm) and the afternoon was cool and everything was damp so I gave it a miss.

Cheers


From the Neutrog website.

"GOGO Juice is the result of some six years extensive research and development, stretching from a consulting scientist in the USA to our own microbiologist here in Australia. The very first trial batch was ‘brewed’ in anaerobic conditions (with no air added), utilising a 20 litre home brewing beer kit!! Today GOGO Juice is commercially manufactured aerobically (with air added) in huge stainless steel vats over an 8-12 week brewing period.

GOGO Juice is teeming with microbiology and is essentially a pro-biotic for your soil and plants. These microbes activate the natural processes that occur in the soil, speeding up the decomposition of the residual organic and mineral compounds, ultimately increasing the nutrient availability and stimulating growth.

GOGO Juice combines the ‘catalystic’ power of the billions of beneficial bacteria along with the well-documented benefits of applying kelp, seaweed, fish, humic acid and manure. Hence, you are not only feeding your plants with all the goodness of a wide range of organic nutrients, but you are also providing your soil with the “workers” (beneficial bacteria) that assist in breaking down the organic matter, maximising the nutrients available to
your plants.

The carefully selected microbes have been proliferated utilising complex carbohydrates and sugars through a unique aerobic brewing system in which the kelp, seaweed, humic acid and manure have been digested by the beneficial bacteria. The resultant product provides a huge boost of the living microbiology necessary for your soil and plants to perform at their optimum level, increasing their ability to resist pest and disease and to withstand heat and frost stress.

The microbiology in GOGO Juice promotes plant growth as well as stimulating and improving root growth and development."

16-01-2020

Just a light sprinkling of rain about so I put in three small rows of Rocket.

No fancy soil preparation. I did add a few decent scoops of Searls 5 in 1 and worked it gently into the top few inches of soil though.

Watered them in with some super soil wetter because of the soil and the 5 in 1 being on the dry side of things.

Hopefully, the rain does the rest.

This morning I had five minutes up my sleeve before I had to leave for work so I ran around and grabbed a handful of weeds and threw them into the compost.

Always satisfying when I can do that.

Brussels Sprouts, Parsnip and more.

My 'Green Harvest' winter seed order arrived which included some 'Long Island Improved' brussels sprouts.

Today I open the parcel and talk about some of the seeds inside.

Riveting stuff, I assure you.

Three Minute Monday. S.2. Ep.01. Radish micro-greens.

Apologies in advance, sorry I'm a day late but I felt really ordinary yesterday and couldn't muster up the enthusiasm to make this video then. But here it is today for all your viewing enjoyment. Want something quick and pretty easy to spice up your salads a little. Then growing some Micro-Green Radish should the trick and it so easy anyone should have a go.

Green Harvest Micro-Greens seeds https://greenharvest.com.au/SproutingAndMicrogreens/OrganicSproutingSeeds.html

Growing Rosella, Hibiscus sabdariffa,

I've been wanting to try growing Rosella, Hibiscus sabdariffa, so I can have a go at making some Rosella Jam. I have tried and failed once before but I wasn't very committed to the cause at the time. I'm about halfway through the growing season and from here on they should start flowering and begin to set "fruit." A native of tropical West Africa, it prefers warm climates.

Rosella is an attractive annual shrub to 1.5 m high with large, lobed reddish leaves and attractive yellow hibiscus-like flowers.

Rosellas are easy to grow, with few pest problems, hardy and productive.

Most soil types are suitable, provided they are rich and well-drained.

Plenty of water is needed to maintain growth, flowering and fruit development, mulching is beneficial.

Three to four plants is all that is needed to produce a good crop.

Plants normally begin to crop when about 3 months old and cropping may continue for 9 months or until the first frost.

The fruit is ready to pick about 3 weeks after flowering when they'll be 2 - 3 cm across at their widest part. #growingrosella #rosellajam #myveggiegarden

Happy New Year everyone.

Happy New Year everyone.

Wishing you all the absolute best possible year ever.

Wishing you all rain if you need, health, fame and fortune, you never know it might be just around the corner.

I'm wishing for some more self-discipline. What can I say, I'm a work in progress.

Anyways, this is a short video showing progress on my Micro-green radish.

It is so dry here I feel this is about all I can manage right now.

Low 30's temperatures for the foreseeable future and not a hint of rain forecast (this is the beginning of our "wet season"). I'm barely able to keep what I've got planted alive so nothing new is going into the ground.