Hot... hot... hot.... Need rain!

I know I should not complain...

However it's too hot!

The land's already starting to dry up, dam's level lowering slowly only after some rains last week!

Glad I've mulched the most of gardens, just need to finish it off and save all the plants before the worst of Summer hits.

It will be interesting summer for us. More plants and animals to look after during summer...

It seems that I might get 2 (two) apricots soon, along with several peaches and numerous nectarines.

I need to get rid of those pesky Stinky bugs off the citrus trees soon so I can fix the irrigation system and add more feed and mulch on them for the summer.

I've been getting up at 6am most mornings to do gardening works before kids get up and back in house to organise kids by 8am. I love this time of morning because it's all quiet and many are just waking up - air's cool and bit damp from dew.

Not much to show really because it's all just planting, mulching and watching...

Cheers till later!

Spring's here...

And it has done so much for us here!

Summer's definitely around the corner and I am not ready for it...

I took lots of photos this morning for your viewing.

On the news of chooks, we only got 2 lil chicks, hatched from 25 eggs under 2 broodies - looks like their diet may not be so good that the hatchability is low. Something to look at over the next month I think. Photo coming when they've stopped being shy!

Now to the gardens:

Found this gorgeous lil green frog hiding on a leaf of Trevatt Apricot tree.


I've been eyeing on this lovely Gulfbeauty Plum tree for last few weeks, watching the plums formed and grow into red plums. This morning they're ready to be picked! Will give the verdict on the taste later.


Turned into red from green and feels abit soft. It comes off so easily when I pulled. Glad the birds haven't got to them before me! Only 3 plums - which is abit too much for this newly planted fruit tree but I wanna see how it goes with growing out here. A success then - more plum trees coming next year, me thinks! heh...

Three plums waiting to be tasted by family tonite. I know my girl will want to try, so does my lil fruitboy so it may be a hard decision on who else gonna taste it, apart from me, of course!

Anyway, here's the portable greenhouse with a number of pots awaiting for the seeds to sprout. So far the flower seeds sprouted first (in the foreground). The rest are: Cape Gooseberry, Rockmelon, watermelon and one more I cannot remember!

This self-seeded parsley plant flowered and got heaps of ladybirds on it. Yesterday I counted 12! This morning I could only find 8... We have heaps of ladybirds everywhere here lately - which is quite good.

I bought 4 grapes in pots from a local nursery because I want to test which will grow well here. So far one grapevine got fruits growing in the pot! They will go in the trellis area when we've removed the Jasmine plants from it. That spot will be a lovely and cool once the trellis is covered with all the fruiting climbers - cannot wait as I've got a hammock ready to be hooked up there! heh... (of course I will always make time to sway in the hammock relaxing and dreaming what to do next once I've kicked the kids off it!).

I've decided to try an experiment called group planting with a rough lemon tree and it seems it is so successful! I've never seen this tree looked so healthy and full of fruits. The plant in orange circle is a large parsley plant and the grapevine in yellow circle. There is also several flowers and vegies growing next to them, so probably with extra waterings helped alot too.

Strolled down the front garden, I noted there's so many small brown mushrooms sprouted everywhere (due to rains of course), all interesting. No idea what they are.

In the fruit grove, I planted a couple of watermelon seedlings, and only one survived. It would provide a lovely ground cover for some of the area.

Here's another plum growing on another plum tree. Only one plum though, this is called Gulfruby. So looks like we'll wait a few more weeks before we'd get to taste this one.

I noticed there's two clusters of flowers growing on the cider apple tree "Yarlington Mill" but only 3 did fruited. I will need to check when is the harvesting time for this apple. They're only a bit bigger than a golf ball.

Comfrey flowers so gorgeous! They're also growing like mad out here too. Will subdivide to grow more next winter I think. They're great for stopping grass from coming close and provide high potassium, much more than the chook poo!

I saw this beautiful pink rose and could not resist taking a photo of it!

Back in the trellis area at the back, I've got two zucchini seedlings growing well. Both are flowering - love how it opens at morning and close in the evening!

I am happy that I've got a female AND a male kiwifruits growing! I've also got two small ones planted recently growing slowly, but the two established ones, I was not sure. Those flowers tell me which is which. Another thing I've learnt about kiwifruits is that we should not have cut off the branches that are a year old as fruits grows from the second year branches!! So this crop will yield less than I expect but next one will be much more - I hope so!

This is the male kiwifruit flower...

And this is the female kiwifruit flower. Gorgeous, aren't they?

That's all, folks!

I will do more next week when I get a chance. Enjoy the weather, everyone!

Cheers till later!

More chicks!!

Yep, now you can laugh at me!

We've got two broody chooks sitting for a few weeks (by my estimation, 4 weeks but looks like not so?) and today we saw first natural hatched chick!

The broodies have over 20 eggs between them and what so strange about it is that they're sharing the same nesting box! Thats right, they're sleeping, sitting and breathing into each other for 3+ weeks - I'd be raving mad after a week!

So now I am in a difficult situation where I have to make some tough calls regarding how to manage this. They're in the chook house with the rest of flock, so I have to decide to leave them as they are or separate them. If separating them, then I'd have to find a spot and some shetler for them... I've always thought it is fine to leave as they are, but apparently from some quick research it is not recommended! Some stated that other chooks will try and kill the chicks, and even worse - the rooster might lose his feather and boot out his descendants into nothing!

So I will have to sleep on this and survey the situation tomorrow when the weather dries up and make decisions and take photos whereas possible.

Anyhow, during my quick online research I've found several great sites about the broodiness and take care of chicks, etc.

• "Working with Broody Hens" - http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html
• "Setting Hens" - http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/4175/hens.html
• "Raising Chickens" - http://www.fishpondinfo.com/birds/chickbreed2.htm
• "Raising Chicks with a Mother Hen" - http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chicks.html
• "Brooding" - http://www.chicken-yard.net/keeping/brooding.html
• "Brooding Chicks: Two Options" - http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Brooding+Chicks.html

Will post here again in few days time. So come back for some more laughs! ;)

And yes we're getting more soaked today - it's so nice to see puddles everywhere and everything much more green and 'lushy' now.

Cheers till later!

It RAINED today!

Yah!

It has been a while since we got a nice soaking.

This morning I was working in the Fruit Grove and I was amazed to see hundreds of bees, hundreds of ladybirds and, unfortunately too many cabbage white butterflies everywhere, along with hoverflies, several unidentified insects there! It is awesome to stand in middle, with all the insects buzzing around you, non stop and think they're so happy...

I am seriously contemplating asking a bee keeper to put in a hive - imagine someone's getting free honey elsewhere from my hard working green manure! heh. I am still working on getting fruit trees staked where needed, mulched and such. I think there's about 2/3 of the whole area to go! Sighs...

Find the fruit trees inside this yellow flowered area! They're there...




See how tall are those green manure plants compared to my lil boy! I am not sure what plant those yellow flowered ones are - however I am gonna plant them again next year! They grow so well and fast, kept the soil so well and cool down there, etc and most above all, the insects love them!


Even this cursed Cabbage White butterfly!


Here are the evidence the Fruit Grove's thriving...

Plum: Only 5 fruits can be seen from 2 trees! It is only first year, so we'll see how next year bring...

Apple Cider "Yarlington Mill": There's 4 and perhaps other 4 growing on this tree alone. Not bad...

Nectarine: It's fruiting so well out here, I think there's 3 trees and there are numerous fruits on them, and there's the old nectarine tree at the back with hundreds on it. (Got the bird netting over it today so fingers crossed we'd get some this summer!)

Peach: I've got heaps of peaches growing as well. All are about golf ball sized at the moment, but will needed to be netted asap anyway. Interestingly enough, all are in different colours, such as rosy blush, peachy blush, greenish blush, etc. The trees are at about a metre tall.

At the Pear Strip, this Elderberry is flowering slowly. Am looking forward to see what it looks like when its fully flowered with its fruits.

Now to other important stuff...

Here's the Chickbox that my DH with our older son made for me when I was away for the weekend to accomodate the chicks.

Inside the Chickbox, there's 5 chicks, including those two black chicks. Pippa and Rosie loves to get their cuddles with me!

Remember Shay the questionable Silkie. Her feathers are still so yellowish grey so it is most likely that she is a cross bred. A bit shy though - shame.

And one of the Light Sussex twins, a suspected cockerel...

And his twin sister.

When I was in Ballarat during the October Long Weekend, I went to visit an ALS friend who is also a great chook expert. I got her to teach me how to tell which is boy or girl with the chicks and we had fun! Thanks Roogz! So this is why I am abit more confident that I've got 4 female chicks and a male chick. In few more weeks, I will know if I am right anyway.

Right next to the Chickbox, I've got heaps of potatoes growing like crazy! Most are in the vegie beds like this...

But I also got lots in the bags as part of experiement. They actually thrives in bags too, so I will have plenty of areas to plant potatoes for the years to come. As we are not to plant the potatoes in the same area for a couple of years once grown there.

Well, there's more, but I cannot disappoint some without those lovely flower shots...

That's it, folks. More to come soon. Thanks for the comments.

Cheers till later!

Time to re-stock...

Hey, thanks to those who wrote back saying they've read the past postings - it make a difference to me cos it means someone really read it! ;) So I'd really appreciate it when you write back.

On re-stocking, I've had a quick stroll on the property and realised I am really way behind on the works! Sighs... I have thousands of excuses and none will be suffice anyway! So thought I'd write up a list of things I really need to get done here:

• Cut down the Jasmine climbers and correct the soil to be grapevine friendly as I have 4 gorgeous table grapevines to plant out! I have other 3 grapevines growing quite well, and would like to add several more grapevines, but not sure what type yet. Grapevines I have so far: Isabella, Pink Iona, Golden Muscat in ground, with White Muscat, Black Muscat, Sultana and one more I cannot remember at the moment are still in the pots.
  
• Stake up the young trees that are wobbly after those strong nasty winds we've got lately. I think I've lost 3 trees already out of 200 - not so bad I guess, but still it's sad...
  
• Put in water irrigation system in the citrus strip as I've only got half done a few weeks ago, just before the rains.
  
• Mulch everything! Vegie beds, Citrus, Pear and driveway strips, Fruit grove, banana circle, rose bed, trellis area...
  
• Put in the edgers at the west of the house for the agapathus and a tree - before the ground hardens again. I jarred my arms when I tried to dig up edge - so hard, even with mattock!
  
• Paint the cubby house and playground.
  
• Paint the Vegie Wash Stand and Shoe drawers stand... as well as the rest of the west side pergola.
  
• Put up the colorbond sheets for the westside pergola, as well as getting the sailcloth blinds installed.
  
• Dig up rims around the trees on the driveway strip - so water can fall in and soak into the ground, rather than run off to the next door's grass area.
  
• Get the windmill replaced ASAP! It wobbles badly after every wind - kids are not allowed inside the dam area at all now as kids love to check out the frog pond, but with the rusty windmill next to it, it is just too dangerous.
  
• Remove the agapathus and edgers from the back lawn and clear the area, in preparation for the Vegie beds to be built there (we are, once again, revising this! So stay tuned!) next year.
  
• Throw over the bird nettings on the Fig trees area in the chook run, some peach and plum trees in the fruit grove and perhaps in the trellis area if there are more food, esp. the grapes, growing in the next few months.
  
• Finish filling in the trellis area and expand the fenced area.
  
• Get the dog fence built in! Bilby was hospitalised for a week from a severe ticks attack.
  
• Weeding out the eastside strip - its choked with weeds which I can understand why - it is just pebbles there.
  
• Finish off planting out all the potted plants.
  
• Try and grow plants from seeds within a month time. Get a greenhouse built in before summer. We'll see anyway...

All those things above I must do before summer. Wish I could clone myself sometimes!

On an interesting note, my baby's starting school next year, so that means I get more time... which I don't know if it is a good or bad thing! hehe...

Anyhow, time for me to sign off and fix up some photos then.

Cheers till later!

Cold October, what a lovely way to start Spring?!

We're now 1/3 way in October and its quite cold - I wore my jacket all day today. Brr!

And my poor clueless chicks have been standing in the rains for last few days! I've added 2 more chicks to my flock - 2 Light Sussex. All playing together nicely whenever I looked in. However they have no idea that they're not supposed to stand in rain but to seek shelter and to go in the enclosed area at evenings. So I do recommend getting a broody chook to do all that work for ya!

Tomorrow, if it clears up a bit, I will take a photo of all the chicks, and the chooks as well as the new Chook Box my hubby built for me last weekend. I also hope to take photos of the property as all have huge growth, thanks to the 'cold spring rains' we've had lately.

I've planted in many more vegie and flower seedlings today, weeded and cut down green manure in the fruit grove. Oh, on an exciting note, I've bought 5 grapevines today - 3 'white' and 2 'red' table grapes - so I need to find places for them to grow.

I still need to put mulch in around hundreds of trees! Anyone wanna help?

Bilby's fitting in so well that the ticks have had him hospitalised for a week! Grrr... He's ok now, but we're getting more fences done around here so the dogs will be more restricted with their wanderings.

Am going to make most of the cool October to do lots of work around the gardens as I've been laid off for a month due to the knee injuries from playing Netball.

Photos coming in very very soon! Remind me if I haven't done any for a week! heh.

Cheers till later!

Chicks!

Our second-hand incubator - big enough to fit 70 eggs!

Hatched on 7th Sept!


Unfortunately, only one hatched out of 12 originally, then culled the number, when I candled them, to 5. Other 4 has dark masses in them however something stopped them from developing any further as the yolks were runny. Who knows...

A day old inside the cage with lamp keeping it warm


Two days old on the lounge, posing for me. It recognised me as its mother and would hop on my hand when I call 'pippippa'...

Ah as chooks need company to feel good, so I had to do a mad dash around and obtained two extra chicks - Here they are on the floor for their 'outside cage exercise' while I clean their cage. The fence's not chick-proof as the two little ones kept escaping! lol...

This is Pippa, our hatched chick, with the large chick 'Rosie' (an Australorp chick) on left. Rosie have adopted the mothering role for me however it's only 5 to 6 wks old.

And 'Shay' the silkie. It's the smallest of all and will always be due to its breed. I am not sure what type of silkie as I was told it could be a cross bred. We'll see when they've feathered out fully anyway.

Inside their cage in the lounge - it is getting smelly lately so soon they'll have to go outside. I will have them moved outside within 2 weeks and hopefully the other chooks will take them in kindly.


I am hoping like mad they're all pullets! If they're cockerels, then they're in trouble. heh...

Things I've learnt with raising chicks are:

• They eat way so much!
  
• They make too much mess.
• They don't drink much water as I've led to believe. However the water get dirty regularly.
• They only need chick crumble from day old till they go outside.
• Treats including shredded lettuces and peeled apples (though chicks didn't really take apple as much as they did with lettuce).
• Cage needs to be cleared every day.
• I used newspapers however it is recommended that wired floor or wood shavings are better. Today I've thrown out newspaper and put in a mixture of wood shaving and straw. They absorb better than newspapers. Chicks shreds papers too easily when they scratch!
• Chicks like to be on the shoulders - view or closer to voice?
• Its harder to raise chicks on your own - get a broody hen to do it for ya!
• They make lots of noises.
• I constantly worried about the ceramic lamp - overheating or whatever.
  
• Chicks can jump and fly from 2 weeks old.
• Pippa likes to roost! So time to put in a dowel in for them to roost during day as it will be above the lamp. Gotta train them now anyway before they join the flock.
• Next time I'll just let a broody chook to do all the work for me!
• Wonderful experience for kids as well as for me.

Cheers till later!