My goodness, it’s the second week in January 2024 – already!!!
Christmas spent with the family, daughter Christmas Eve/morning, Christmas Day/Boxing Day at my son’s. Even with the rain interfering with the Summer sunshine it was a wonderful time. I am so blessed with my family 🙂
My daughter and I, Nicola, had a great day Wednesday before Christmas, going north to Paihia, (a New Zealand Summer holiday spot) for the day with my daughter and had a lovely time. I also had another committment on that evening so after leaving home at 8.15am, I finally arrived back at 9.45pm. Slept like a top that night and evn overslept until 5.50am Thursday. Brilliant. Then spent time Thursday on the Lions Christmas Cake table here, which went well with us selling most of the cakes we had in our cache. Almost Christmas and things were already going crazy in the garden.
I have decided to let half of the Coriander, which is shooting up to almost three feet tall, to go to seed, then I’ll be able to pick seeds from the garden instead of the supermarket. Checked this morning to find baby flower buds on the top of the tallest shoots. Also I hung a couple of branches from my Thyme plant and they have dried beautifully so I’ll crumble them and add them to one of my spice jars. (I just hung them on the handle of one of my high cupboard doors).
More updates from this morning, the baby buds on my Capsicum are sprouting into mini flowers, Chives are giving me enough to feed the whole family. Had to move a couple of my baby Beetroot as they need more space I think. My Lebanese Cucumber is spreading beautifully and the Bok Choy is nearly as big as a cabbage. Will harvest one today to go with my mince dish. With my Secret Santa gift, The Courgette, Rock Melon, and Aubergine (Egg Plant) are having a wonderful time in their raised beds, the Rock Melon has a real branch of yellow flowers. Truth to tell, I don’t know if I would be able to eat all of them if they mature, so will probably go next door with my extras or, take them to church on the Sunday after harvest. My daughter gave me a few Sunflower seeds, I will pop these in between the plants in my new raised beds, meaning I think that my beds will be fully occupied until harvest. Also that later in Autumn I think, I will be able to harvest sunflower seeds as well. At least, what the birds don’t eat of course Just did a bit of a search and am really looking forward to watching our local native birds snacking on these this year. I am fortunate that I can watch through the window, but as I feed stray cats on my deck, I will have to make sure the seeds and containers are high (and slender) enough for the birds, but NOT the cats.
Well that’s me for this week, I am certainly looking forward to my coming season. Nothing for my Hydroponics as yet, as I will have to buy the equipment before I can do any more on that project. However, I have a Voucher from my son and daughter in law to spend. YAY! which I’m planning to do next week. As he works at a large garden Warehouse, I should be able to get some of what I need there. He found a Hydroponic company online, so I will go there first, see what I will be needing for that project, then off to my son’s company to use my voucher.
Whatever I learn from them, I will pass on in my next article. I have an idea for a health article for my site hilaryagreen.com, which I will get finished and posted next week. My first health post in too long, which I have started and am very much looking forward to finishing tomorrow. Am thinking however, that I will do some research and may open another page here and use that for my health articles. We’ll see.
I would love to hear from you. Please contact me on gosportgal@gmail.com If anything in today’s post has given you an idea or if you would like to know more about something. if you have any questions, comments or hints, I will very much appreciate your input.