The Garden Share Collective { December }

A monthly (and my second), post for the Garden Share Collective. Started by the lovely Liz from The Strayed Table to encourage more people to grow their own organic food at home. A blogging community, who share a garden update about their own vegetable patches, big or small. What is growing, what has been harvested and what has made it onto the do-list. 

While not unexpected in this part of the country, I can't help but mention that we have been experiencing some hot weather lately. Everyday is around 40 degrees. A cool day for us now is in the low 30's. It seems I have started to acclimatise to this weather, as a 30 degree day, now sees me feeling cold and wanting to wear trousers and a long sleeve top. Despite all this, our vegetable garden has continued to thrive in the heat, even if we are slowly wilting beside it. And most importantly, our daughters are enjoying helping us look after the vegetable garden. This is as much a garden for children, as it for us to be able to grow a small amount of vegetables for us to eat.

This month, we planted a few additional vegetables. Some spring onions, zucchini, and even though it was a little late to be planting them, some carrots. We had the room, and I thought it would be worth the try. Maybe I might regret it! The corn is looking very tall indeed, the Sunflowers (of which I've decided we planted too many) are looking very sunny and happy, the Lebanese cucumber plants have been gently thinned out and are also growing nicely. Alongside that, are some chilli plants, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, purple runner beans, coriander (which sadly seems to have gone to seed) and some parsley.

We have continued to harvest yellow and red cherry tomatoes, and also lettuce. A slow, but steady amount for a garden that is 3 months old. Though I can't help but wish, that we had made a larger vegetable bed for ourselves.

The to do list continues to grow. But mostly concerning restructuring of the garden and what we have planted, to make the most use of the space that we do have. We have too many sunflowers and chilli plants. And I'm considering removing the coriander and parsley, and planting it in pots, beneath the lemon and orange plants. This will leave me with a lot more space to grow vegetables. From there, it will be choosing plants that will be best to grow in this dry heat, keeping in mind it will only continue to get hotter for the next three months.

Thank you to this monthly share collective, which gives me the initiative to go out and weed the vegetable garden in readiness for its photos! Enjoying sharing in other's journeys with their vegetable gardens also.

A Return to Civilisation

Our first trip out of the red dirt of the North, and back to the big city lights. Our first in almost six months. My husband will be on a work course for the whole of next week, and we're tagging along. Leaving myself and the girls, free to roam and explore. By that I mean shop. Catch up with old friends that I've missed dearly. Enjoy the sites of green luscious parks. Playgrounds on the riverside. Good cafes. Sushi. My favourite pattiserie. The David Jones foodhall. The Christmas trees and lights in all the department stores. Bookshops. I could go on.

Packing for the non red dirt world, heralds quite a few things. It means, the bringing out of all your white clothes, your good clothes, your cooler climate clothes and your non-pilbarised shoes. For me, that means leaving the one pair of thongs that I have been willing and able to bring myself to sacrifice to the elements up here. And I'll leave them behind gladly. I'm sick of wearing them on a day to day basis. There are a couple of other pairs of sandals that I have worn up here at times. But only when the occasion has involved nothing more than a fast dash from airconditioned house to airconditioned car, into airconditioned  house or shopping venue (of which there are few).

While my shoes aren't necessarily expensive, or that fancy, they are all shoes that I really like. A collection I've added to slowly over time, as I'm just not a big shoe shopper. I don't want the red dust staining them in the hot months, or the red mud staining them in the cool months. So, it looks like I need to go shopping for shoes while I'm in Perth. One's I'm willing to let get a little dirty, and that are a little more stylish than my ugly shoes.

Yes, we will be leaving these grubby dirt stained shoes behind at home. If they look a little red here, sitting on red stained concrete, then they certainly will once we arrive back on city soil.

Best get packing!

The Winner of our Handmade Christmas Stockings

Well the winner is.......Indeah Taylor. Congratulations!!!

Please contact me by email at cfdacosta9@gmail.com, or through my facebook, to let me know the two names that you'd like personalised on the stockings, as well as your postal address.

Thankyou to everyone for entering. And remember, if you are still interested in owning one of these stockings, that they can be purchased by contacting Love Roy and requesting a custom order.

 

 

Here are your stockings Indeah, waiting for their personalised cuff to be stitched on.

Hope you enjoy and love them, as much as we do ours x

Snake Season

 

 

The spade. Now a permanent fixture in our backyard. And not for digging. If you're of a Buddhist persuasion, you should maybe stop reading now.

Our backyard, has turned into a bit of worry war zone for me. The increasing heat, has also brought with it, the higher risk of Snakes and seemingly other insects. Within the week, we have had two baby snakes slither around our yard and then exit under our fence, one of which was "caught" by our next door neighbour. Several red back spiders have been squashed, and two gigantic wasps that like to sit around our backdoor have continued to attempt to enter the house everytime we open the door.

It really feels like a jungle out there.

I'm left feeling a little bit out of my depth. And reluctant to go outside. It's just not a relaxing place anymore. Instead I feel on guard all the time. Glancing over every nook and possible cranny where a snake or spider could have found a place, before I let the girls go near there. It's just not fun. I keep the spade nearby me as wander I through the yard. There are just as many venomous as non-venomous snakes in this part. All quite similar looking. Any snake, to cross our path, and not move away from us very quickly, will be treated as venomous. And the foam cricket bat. Well that is kept next to the back door for the wasps, which have currently still evaded my heavy handed swipes at them (I've tried spraying them, but nothing seems to kill these two).

Over the weekend, we did another backyard clean up. Removed any food source or crumb that could attract. Or water source. A clean up and tidy of all spots where something could be hiding. Though still no discovery of the elusive wasps nest.

I realise, that worrying over such things is practically futile. There are going to be snakes and insects everywhere, closer than I will ever probably realise, or want to realise in these parts, and that most hopefully won't bother us. But it's the possibility of all that could go wrong, that continues to unsettle me. Especially since the idea of being so close to and having to possibly kill something like a snake (and be close enough to do so), leaves me feeling a little nervous.

Have you seen or killed a snake yourself?
Used a spade to do it?!!

Imaginary Play

There is nothing more delightful, than listening to your child talk and play out their imagination. And there has been a lot of that this week, as it's just too hot to go outside. Quiet natterings and conversations to farm animals, little dolls, big dolls and Peppa pigs.

Dolls have been read stories to, and then tucked into bed. They've said their goodbyes as they drove off in Grandpa Pig's miniature locomotive to the shops and the café. Mummy animals have been reunited with their baby animals, and copious cups of tea have been served to all. Sounds almost like my life really. Minus the miniature locomotive.

Listening to my eldest talk, and reenact our daily life through her play, has really made me aware of just how much the girls take in, of everything we say and do. Soon she'll be counting to 3 in a firm, last ditch effort type voice, after having asked her dolls a few too many times, to please go to the toilet and then put on your shoes so we can leave NOW.

 

 

 

 

Happy Sunny Sunflower Sunday

There is something about this sunny flower. They have lit up the small corner of our backyard, that previously, we hadn't even noticed. And brought with it, a new first word for Miss J, "flower". While I am starting to wilt in the daily 40 degree temperatures, our sunflowers, and vegetable garden in general, are continuing to grow and thrive in this environment.

So, before Miss J removes as many petals as she can reach, with her little, inquisitive fingers, some photos, to appreciate them by, in all their sunny glory.

A Handmade Christmas Giveaway { Closed }

It's funny how the older you get, the more appealing handmade things become to you. I remember childhoods of asking Mum to buy us tomato sauce, biscuits, bread and cakes from the supermarket. All the packet foods were way more appealing than all of our homemade stuff. And nobody ever wanted to swap recess with me at school. But, looking back, I realise how lucky I was, in so many ways, to have that diet while growing up.

Now, I love all the homemade things. Food, jams, sauces, craft. Watch out church markets and the old ladies in the back selling all their best recipes. I will make a beeline for your stall and buy up big. But now that I have my own children, I truly appreciate the value and importance of homemade things. Especially, for family occasions such as Christmas.

Growing up, both my Mum and Nanna sewed, cross-stitched, quilted. And in the process, created many special items throughout our childhood, that are still just as special, and still used today. Our Christmas stockings being one of them. All handmade, and hung by the fire every year. Whether we're at home for Christmas or not. First filled with lollies, small toys and gold chocolate coins when we were younger. Then as we were that bit older, filled with a small envelope containing a little bit of money. 

Nowadays, with the big department stores selling items for $4 and other ridiculously low prices, it's easy to go overboard with all things Christmas. You could have a different stocking or Santa bag every year if you wanted. And you might just need to, as low prices tend to come hand in hand with poor quality. But I can't help but wonder, where's the family tradition and sentimentality in that. While my stocking might be a little daggy in comparison to some of the new styles selling now, it is more special to me, then anything I could replace it with.

This year, my daughters, were lucky enough to be gifted a beautiful Christmas stocking each. From a lovely friend of mine at Love Roy. Handmade and personalised, just for them. To celebrate the start of all things Christmas, she has kindly made me two more to offer as a giveaway today.

Made with the same material as the stockings above, but personalised with your own choice of names. Each stocking is worth $40.

To enter, you can either 

1 } comment here on my blog, or,

2 } like my page on Facebook and also comment below the image, so that I know you have entered.
3 } Or do both, and double your chances at winning.
The winner to be drawn on the evening of Wednesday 27th November.

If you live outside of Australia, I'm more than happy to still post to you. And if you are unlucky enough not to win, but are still interested in owning one, than you can ask very nicely here. The stockings are made to order at this stage only, due to the time, effort and material involved.

Good luck!