Two New Kids on the Block!

Today was a cold day, with light showers in the afternoon. I brought Samuel to a large nursery in the afternoon when the sun came out and rain went away. Bought two coveted citrus : comquat calamondin on the right (calamondins C madurensis or calamansi)) and kaffir lime on the left. Comquat calamondin limes can be used for flavoring chilli pastes, giving them extra punch. I love its juice in belacan chilli pastes and that goes well with many types of seafood especially squids and cockles. Yum! After migrating here, I have learned to cook more Cambodian and Thai dishes, since their ingredients such as thai basil, vietnamese mints and kaffir lime leaves are so accessible. It is a good idea to invest in a kaffir lime shrub - its leaves are so aromatic when rubbed with fingers. They are wonderful in Tom Yam soups and work well with lemon grass.

The first capsicum has popped from the first flower. Really wonder how big it can grow to but I am faithful in feeding it with seasol. Perhaps I should mulch with cow manure as well.

The cayenne pepper is having many flowers like I have said in my last entry. I had to prune it so that existing fruits can develop to maturity. Look at the several chillies at this low level. They are growing from shoots that grew from the main stem.

I am a little puzzled as to why so many of the white flowers are dropping off before shrivelling. Perhaps the recent cold weather has caused this. Anyway, I have lots chillies coming so I do not mind losing these. Hopefully it is not some nutrient lack.

The two vietnamese mints are growing ferociously, greener than ever. I will harvest soon for our ladies fellowship where we will be making vietnamese rolls!

My Mighty Red is nearing its end. Some parts have shrivelled up but there are some new shoots though. Weather is getting too cold for it and soon it will be good bye. The one tomato which I have left on the bush to ripen and collect seeds had been eaten up by naughty Smokey, who jumped onto the patch.

Work On a Cloudy Day

After a wonderful day of rain yesterday, the land is refreshed. It looked gloomy today but it only drizzled a little in the morning. However, there was a downpour soon after I had finished my work in the backyard. I managed much work after coming back from a wonderful time at church.

The spicy Nellie Kelly chilli blooming and producing more chillies.

Lavendar after harvesting the flower heads. Thyme doing well after aquasol feed. Vietnamese mint thriving and putting new shoots. I expect it to outgrow this pot really soon. Capsicum in the pot putting on several flowers but not opening yet. See the beautiful leaves of the nasturtiums! The three aloe vera cuttings planted in this shallow planter box. The rooted rosemary cutting in this milk container. The curry plant after harvesting seven 5cm stems. One of the mint cuttings which I have planted today. This one has a little powdery mildew. I removed some leaves and covered it with a plastic bag before placing pot in mini green house. Two of the pots of mint cuttings which are doing very well, putting new growth and looking strong. Potted on lemon grass.

Here's what I have done today :

1. Pruned my cayenne pepper. It is shooting so much that I have to sacrifice some flowers and new baby chillies so that the growing can reach maturity. I really hope to get my hands on some chilli padi plants soon.

2. Wrapped plastic around more peaches which are maturing in size. The birds have really been feasting on them and they are horrible as in they eat a little on this peach and a little on another. Looks like the netting did not help fantastically. It cannot wrap fully and they can still enter and perch on the branches to eat. I used pegs to hold the net edges together. Hopefully that will work.

3. Took two bites out of the only pear left on the tree. It has grown to a normal size I find in supermarket and ripening. Gave the remainder to Marco who happily munch it off.

4. Fertilised the small orange tree as its fruits are growing to sizes of limes.

5. Harvested some sprigs of rosemary, curry plant and stalks of lavendar flowers.

6. Inspected my worm farm to see if worm castings are any ready to be collected. I am still very confused with this worm farm thingy. I had better seek help soon!

7. Filtered the dandelion tea. Stinking liquid but alright, not too bad.

8. Sown some thai basil seeds. Hope it works!

9. Applied seasol to all the plants that have not been given it since a month ago, based on my gardening records.

10. Repotted my aloe vera as it did not seem to be growing well at the tips (browning and shrivelling). Perhaps my potting mix was too rich (as I have added some composted cow manure). Hope it works this round with premium potting mix + coarse sand + small pebbles (for drainage).

11. Planted three aloe vera pieces which I have harvested from the main plant.

12. Potted on the lemon grass into a 30cm pot.

13. Planted more rooted mint cuttings.

14. Planted another rooted rosemary cutting.

15. Sown oriental radish seeds at the prepared vegetable patch. 16. Squashing irritating caterpillars from my buk choy! Find new ones almost every day. I ought to get down doing the wire cage...I have so many things to do. :P

Rain Rain Glorious Rain!

We had a super downpour mid morning and followed by more sessions throughout the afternoon and evening. It was really super! The roads were flooded at several points when we were driving back from our new property. We had gone there to do more gardening work : feeding the pruned lavendar seasol, uprooting the roots of the three small natives which we cut down, fertlising vege patch no 2, harvesting parsley for a greek dish which we are preparing with our life group later.

One out of the three lots collected.

I came home and took out all the containers I could find, including emptying a few of my son's plastic toy boxes. I had a marvellous collection for the first time! I got cleverer this time and placed the containers by spotting various parts of the roof and shelther where the rain was coming down a lot. I think I have collected about 100 litres of rain.

The second lot.

The dandelion leaves (above) have rotted and the liquid is really smelly. Have to filter it soon and dilute it to water my plants. Yesterday, I bought a pot of lemon grass (above) from flower power. Planning to pot it on in groups in a large pot.

I worked part of the vege patch this morning for radishes by digging and adding composted cow manure.

This (above) is the soil from one of the vege patches at the new property separated in a bottle. Seems to have a reasonable amount of clay soil (base layer), sandy soil (middle layer) and humus (the floatees). I have the patch dug in composted cow manure, blood and bone and some vege scraps. All this work to prepare for planting when I move in.

A Few New Candidates and Update

Citronella geranium (mosquito plant) which I bought

The aloe vera (above) which I have bought and potted on.

A soak with aquasol helps with providing growing nutrients for this pot of thyme (above) which is turning rather woody.

The capsicum flower (above) has opened...the strongest one on the vege patch.

Another flower (above) of the purple king.

Wow! This purple bean pod (above) was only 2cm a few days back and I was expecting to see that yesterday but was pleasantly surprised by how long it has grown!

More flowers are going to open. For this year, I am contend just to collect some seeds for next spring. The heatwave has stolen at least a week's growing time from this purple king. It is a race against time now.

Peaches are growing fine except that birds are chewing off on some. Of course, those attacked cannot be eaten and I gave them to my dog.

The mixed basil (above) are doing fine. I have not used any for cooking. There is only one thai basil in this pot and not enough for cooking use. I wouldnt mind seeing flowers and collect seeds.

I am leaving this tomato to fully ripen and see if I can get any seeds for next spring.

n

Updates on Herbs and Spices

The curry plant seems to be a plant of composure. It does not seem to fuzz at being potted on. It just stays quiet somehow, unlike many others which seem to make their presence in the garden known very well by growing new shoots or fruits or flowers that are so obvious. I dont even know if it is growing. Maybe a recording of its heights helps! :)

My mint (cutting given by friend during Xmas) at the vege patch is growing pretty slow but really green and have stronger smell

This vietnamese mint planted at the vege patch is growing slowly but surly

The original two cuttings which I have potted on to this huge pot are doing so well that they are putting on new foliage. I am quite sure the overcrowding was the reason for their ill-health a little while back. Fewh! Good that I have potted them on.

The nasturtiums have emerged. I feel that these are really pretty flowers with pretty leaves.

The vietnamese mint which I salvaged is doing so well that their leaves are larger than any other vietnamese mints I have.

My hot chilli is fruiting more. Mulched with cow manure and given aquasol helps.

The oregano has been growing a lot and greener after feeding with Aquasol. Obviously, some nutrients were lacking to account for the yellowing leaves.