Clever cows, some bull

Cows in utes.



And Cows with guns!!!

The Bean report! or Bean there done that!

I've bean going batty for beans this growing season.

Starting at the Toowoomba Community Organic Gardens I have planted yin yang beans, red kidney beans, butter beans, purple king bush beans and navy (that's the baked bean kinda beans) beans. At home I also have a small area of borlotti beans and more yin yang beans.

The yin yang beans I planted in September and are now flowering and setting beans. I also planted a row of yin yangs here at home last Monday and they are nearly all up as of today. I'll let these guys go straight through to seed so I can use them as a dried bean.


Red kidney beans (anyone up for chilli con carne?). I planted 5 x 10 mtr rows Wednesday week ago and apart from a bit of cut worm here and there I'd have had a 100% strike. They seem to be doing well in the heat though we have heaps of water to pour on them to keep them going.

Butter beans, I planted a two meter row 4/5 weeks ago and they are about to flower and set beans, so I'll have to plant a follow up row this Wednesday so I can be sure of a continuous supply of butter beans.

Purple king beans are nearly a ditto of the butter beans but about two weeks behind.



The Borlotti beans I planted here at home a week ago seem a bit hit and miss. Probably a low as a 50% strike, but it's been dreadfully hot so I would not be surprised if some of the seeds cooked in the ground. I was hoping for more from this planting of borlotti beans but I guess I'll just harvest what I can and plant again next year. The red kidney beans look like more than making up for any short fall in production though.

Well it's bean a long hot day here again so I'm off to the pub to relax and unwind before I start a new working week tomorrow.

Cheers and happy bean growing

Stewart.

Hot, Hot, Hot.

What else can I say!!!

Tired of watering, tired of watering, tired of watering.!!!

Please let it rain, please let it rain, please let it rain!!!

Cheers

Stewart 'Feeling hot, hot, hot'.

All those years ago!

What got you going in the garden? For me it was mint!

I was out in the veggie garden on Monday evening collecting a few herbs (parsley, chives, mint, etc) for dinner. Then it happened as it has for the past 38 or so years. I grabbed the mint and as soon as the aroma of the bruised leaves hit the old nose I was immediately transported back to where, as a 10 year old boy, some, 38 years ago to and small, old farm we lived on where there was a wild strand of mint growing on the shady moist southern side of the house.

It got me thinking though how much that mint has influenced my life because without it I don’t think I would have embarked on my plant and veggie gardening adventure which has been with me ever since.

Now mint may have been the catalyst but aromatic plants in general have been the cause of my adventure continuing. Moving from mint onto the sweet smell of mass planted sweet alyssum here (Toowoomba) at carnival of flowers time. From there to discovering the lemon scented leaves of our native species of trees and shrubs with the majestic lemon scented gum being amongst my all time favourite plants. And how can I go past garlic and onions and the king of the veggie patch the Tomato bush. I swear if it didn’t destroy the bush I’d just roll around in a Tomato patch all day.

I’ve probably forgotten more smelly plants than I can remember but the few I have mentioned are the ones that put that little extra life into my gardening day. How about you? What got you started in gardening?

Cheers

Stewart.

Weather report.

32c, fine, hot and dry, dry, dry! Thanks to the people who did all the necessary work to get the largest water tank they could for the Toowoomba Community Organic Gardens or else I'd have next to nothing growing.

Far out Brussels Sprout!

Brussels Sprouts
In addition to containing a rich concentration of vitamins, minerals, and health-promoting sulfur compounds, Brussels sprouts also provide the powerful phytonutrient antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin. Members of the carotenoid family, these two phytonutrients help defend your cells from the damaging effects of free radicals and have been shown to protect your eyes from developing age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

All about Brussels Sprouts (This bloke sure does his homework)

History

While the origins of Brussels sprouts are unknown, the first mention of them can be traced to the late 16th century. They are thought to be native to Belgium, specifically to a region near its capital, Brussels, after which they are named. They remained a local crop in this area until their use spread across Europe during World War I. Brussels sprouts are now cultivated throughout Europe and the United States. In the U.S., almost all Brussels sprouts are grown in California.