Two at school

Yesterday was a big day in the wild backyard: the X-man started 'big school'. He's been keen to go to school five days a week ever since he started preschool (two days a week) last year, and now the time has finally arrived.



I suspect he'll be a little tired by the end of the week, but he has a lovely teacher & had a great first day :) He has lots of preschool friends in his class, and a big sister to see at lunchtime, so there were no first-day tears or nerves - just lots of excitement!

We've had a run of hot days, although not to the extreme experienced in some areas further south. Two of the capsicums got sunburnt - the plants are fine in the Earthbox, but the fruit not shaded by foliage has been badly damaged. I'm planning to include shade for the new wicking beds to avoid this sort of thing:



I've started reading up on composting worms, and how to look after them, as they'll be an integral part of the wicking beds. I came across a recommendation to start with 1000 worms per household member (so 4000 for us, divided between the two beds). For those with knowledge in this area - does that sound about right?

Still on the wicking beds, the husband came home with a container of Diggers Eco In-Ground Timber Protecta last week. According to the website:

Diggers Eco In-Ground Timber Protecta is the eco-friendly answer for consumers seeking a safer alternative to creosote and common timber treatments.

Diggers ‘Eco’ provides improved protection against moisture and deterioration on timber and masonry surfaces by providing a tough bitumen coating. This coating increases the life of building materials in outdoor, below ground applications by sealing toxins in and keeping moisture out.

Eco’s unique formulation is not classified as hazardous according to the criteria of the Australian Safety & Compensation Council. In December 2008, it was registered as a certified product for use on organic farms by the Biological Farmers Association (BFA). The BFA is the regulatory body for conformance with all leading organic standards around the world. The standard is viewed as one of the most respected and rigorous standards for organic production internationally.

The revised plan is to paint the inside of the timber around the wicking beds with this stuff, above the 'pool' (which is already lined), to seal in the CCA, rather than plastic-lining the whole thing.

Lee the gardener is back tomorrow morning, so there'll be another wicking bed update in the next few days.

And one last thing - I don't think I've introduced you to my Christmas present ...

Earthbox capsicums & wicking bed progress

Earthbox update

The three capsicum plants are all doing well - and they're all fruiting:



The plant on the left is producing two fairly large, standard-looking capsicums:



The centre plant has one fruit at the moment, and although it's a bit longer & thinner, it still looks pretty much like a standard capsicum:



The plant on the right - the tallest of the three - is producing something quite different:



And, of course, being the methodical gardener that I am (shut up - stop laughing!) I have no idea where the label from the punnet has gone. I think they were all supposed to be the same variety, but clearly they're not. Lucky I like surprises :)

Wicking beds

After much research & thinking & talking, the wicking beds are finally a happening thing.

Today we went from timber* & couch grass-infested dirt:



We laid weedmat (can't pull out all the grass, can't nuke it, so we're going to try smothering it - or at least excluding it from the growing media), and started building (the husband & Lee the Gardener - who provided most of the labour - with the X-man as apprentice looking on). We've used coachbolts to hold it all together, and a decent drill & rattle gun made the process reasonably fast and painless.



Once the bottom sleeper course was together, the 200um plastic liner went in, followed by the ag pipe & coarse sand:



We found the end cap & the 90 degree joining piece for the pipe didn't fit properly, so we'll need to do a little digging in the sand to put the proper ones in before the soil goes on top (the kids are already convinced it's a sand pit!), but in the meantime we put together the rest of the bed walls:



And we made a start on the second bed:



I'm pretty happy with how it's all coming together.

* Yes, it's CCA (copper chromium arsenate)-treated pine. While it wasn't top of my list of materials, due to a lack of conclusive studies about arsenic leaching, we decided to use it because of durability, ease of use, availability & cost factors. The 'pool' section at the bottom is completely lined, and we're going to also staple heavy-guage plastic around the inside of the rest of the box, and drill drainage holes just above the top of the 'pool', inclined down towards the outside, so any overflow will run straight out. This fact sheet has more information, and the results of a chemical review by the Australian Pesticides & Veterinary Medicines Authority is here. The plastic lining is recommended in both documents, and there's also evidence that any arsenic leaching is restricted to about 150mm immediately next to the timber. Root vegetables within this distance were found to have slightly raised arsenic levels, most of which was within the skin & was removed with peeling. Above ground vegetables showed no increased level (and that's without any barrier lining).

Summer holidays

Forgive me, gentle readers, for abandoning you for this past month. Since we last spoke, our family has been visiting the past (the fabulous dinosaur exhibit at the Australian Museum in Sydney), the future (the Star Wars exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum), and the extended families in Sydney and Grafton & surrounds.

We've had lunch on the banks of the Macleay River, and dinner on an island, overlooking sugar cane fields and the South Arm of the Clarence. We've sweltered at the Big Banana, laid flowers on a grave at Beresfield near Newcastle, and been disappointed to find a milk factory shop remembered from childhood supplanted by yet another Hungry Jacks. We've had major gearbox problems, and had people go out of their way to help us get back on the road (big thanks to Cullen Autos of Taree & NRMA Premium Care!).

And now we're back.

It's still school holidays, but I'm back at work and in the thick of it already. So just a few quick updates, and hopefully I'll post a little more regularly from now.

Earthboxes



Three weeks on their own, with no attention, some very hot weather, and a little rain, and they survived! Mostly. The snowpeas and capsicums did well, but the peas and spinach succumbed to less than ideal conditions. The kids stripped the snowpeas and ate them before they got anywhere near the kitchen, but there are more coming on. With a little TLC, I think they would produce a pretty good crop.



The second box has three very healthy looking capsicum plants, plenty of flowers, and a couple of baby capsicums.



The apple and pear trees are loaded with small fruit, but despite good intentions we didn't get around to spraying them (or treating them in any other way) so we'll lose a lot to codling moth. This winter we're planning to prune them back hard and treat them properly, and hopefully go a long way to dealing with the problem. At least the birds are having a good time in the trees!

Updates (was going to be quick, but got carried away with the food)

Earthboxes - plants are alive, although I've had some casualties (mostly spinach). It's been bizarre weather, and the snails are rampant, so I will reassess & report again when things settle down.

Meal planning - Week one went fairly well. I stuck with it until Saturday, when it unravelled somewhat (a late brunch, followed by a 4pm 'lunch' of hot chips, and popcorn in front of a DVD at 7.45pm Hmmm ... can I blame the weather?). On the upside, this means I now have tomorrow night's dinner still up my sleeve - the Dutch-style baked beans - which is very handy as I could delay shopping (I have been cocooned all weekend) and it's going to be a busy day tomorrow, so I will make it in the slow cooker.

Despite their input to the planning, the kids kicked up a bit of a fuss over some of the meals, but the husband was pretty keen on the recipes from this book, so we'll use it again.

The verdict on each meal [recipes at the end]:

Simple salad cups & fish - I need fish-cooking lessons :P But despite the fact that it fell apart, it was very nice, and the salad was good too (although Miss Tizz had a little trouble coping with apple in a salad) and I probably could have picked a better dressing.

Sheena's fettuccini with prawns & snowpeas - we were a bit heavy with the parmesan, and it was a really sharp cheese - more than normal parmesan - so it was a bit overpowering and the kids weren't keen. So I got several lunches out of it as well. Not the recipe's fault at all - I will make it again and follow it exactly next time.

Lentil curry & rice - this was very simple and very good. And the husband willingly ate vegetarian food! I had to tone down the heat for the kids (used some of the cream left over from the night before), so would use less curry paste next time, or look for a very mild one.

Chinese noodle salad - loved it! The kids, as usual, complained about & picked out the shallots & capsicum, and baulked at the green stuff (coriander). Wouldn't change a thing though - this was fabulous.

Warm chicken & mint salad - probably the hit of the week. Raw onion isn't too popular around here, so I left it out, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. This one will definitely be repeated, despite the "Ewww! What's that green stuff?!" (it was mint this time).

Sweet & sour meatballs with sweet & sour sauce & rice - we didn't end up serving with rice - there was plenty of food without it, although next time I would do it & probably get another full meal out of it. Managed to use up all the eggs yesterday, so the meatballs were a bit fragile, but otherwise pretty good. I would happily have just the sauce - it's full of veges, & would work as a meal on its own with rice. I haven't typed up the recipe (it's late & I'm tired), but if you want it, let me know.

I only ended up making the Strawberry ricotta cups this week, but there was enough to have this dessert for two nights. Kids were very keen on this recipe, although the husband wasn't thrilled by the slight grittiness of the ricotta.

The verdict on this book: A keeper. The kids will adapt!


The recipes

Simple Salad Cups
1 large carrot, diced
1 large potato, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 red apple, peeled, cored & chopped (I didn't peel it)
1/2 cup pecan nuts, chopped
1/4 cup low-joule salad dressing (no idea if it was low-joule - I picked a wild lime & something bottle off the shelf, because I'm not normally into salad dressings. It was creamy, and fairly strong, so I toned it down with mayo. Still not sure about it ...)
4 lettuce leaves

Steam or microwave carrot, potato & peas until just tender. While still warm, toss through apple, pecans & dressing. Spoon into lettuce leaves. Chill before serving.

Sheena's fettuccini with prawns & snowpeas
500g shelled green prawns
1 cup dry white wine
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp olive oil
500g fettuccine (the recipe specifies mixed tomato, spinach & plain, but we just had plain)
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
200 ml cream
10 snowpeas, topped & tailed & cut into thick strips
ground pepper to taste

Simmer prawns in wine for 3-5 mins. Drain (keep the wine!)
Saute onion in olive oil, add prawns & wine, then remove from heat.
Cook fettuccine in boiling water, drain, then return to saucepan.
Stir parmesan through cooked pasta - keep hot.
Pour cream over prawns & onion - and heat gently - do not boil.
Add cream mixture & snowpeas to pasta. Season to taste.
Serve immediately with a green salad & crusty bread (I managed to make bread rolls, but didn't get to the salad before having to eat & run out the door to a meeting - would have been better with the salad to counter the creaminess)

Lentil curry
3 tblsp curry paste
1 onion, finely chopped
425g can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
2.5 cups boiling water

In a medium saucepan, heat curry paste until aromatic, about 2 mins. Saute onion in curry paste until soft, then add tomatoes.
Place lentils in another pan with boiling water. Bring back to the boil, reduce heat & simmer gently for 20-25 mins, or until lentils are soft. Stir regularly to stop them sticking.
Add cooked lentils to onion mixture & stir well.
Reheat until curry boils & thickens.
Serve with rice, plain yoghurt & salad.

Chinese noodle salad
375g Hokkein noodles
1/4 bunch shallots, sliced diagonally
1/4 packet bean sprouts
1/2 cucumber, finely sliced
1/2 red capsicum, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely sliced
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (did them in the microwave)
3 tbsp slivered almonds, toasted (did them in the microwave)

Dressing
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 bunch fresh coriander, chopped

In a large bowl, pour boiling water over noodles to cover. Stand for 5 mins. Drain, then rinse in cld water.
Combine noodles, shallots, bean sprouts, cucumber, red capsicum, carrot, sesame seeds & almonds in a serving bowl.
Combine all dressing ingredients in a small jar & shake well.
Pour dressing over noodles & toss well.

Warm chicken & mint salad
1 tsp canola oil
400g skinless chicken breast or thigh fillets, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 small red onion, thinly sliced (left it out)
1/2 green capsicum, thinly sliced
1 cup lettuce leaves, roughly torn
1/2 cup mint leaves

Dressing
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add chicken & stirfry until cooked Remove chicken to a large bowl. Toss with onion, capsicum, lettuce & mint.
Put all dressing ingredients in a small jar & shake well. Pour over salad, toss lightly & serve with crusty bread.

Strawberry ricotta cups
2 punnets strawberries, sliced
2 tsp vanilla essence (I use vanilla extract)
6 sachets Equal (no no no! I won't use artificial sweeteners, esp. with the kids. Used castor sugar instead)
500g ricotta cheese
400g natural low-fat yoghurt (we had vanilla, so I used that)
6 whole strawberries & mint sprigs to decorate

Sprinkle strawberries with vanilla & half the sweetener/sugar, then refrigerate for 30 mins.
Beat or blend ricotta until smooth, then stir in yoghurt & remaining sweetener/sugar (didn't use the extra sugar because we had vanilla yoghurt)
Spoon a layer of strawberries into individual serving dishes, top with ricotta mixture, then decorate with strawberries & mint (I gave the mint a miss - not worth more fuss from the kids!)

All recipes from The Diabetes Cookbook for the Whole Family by Melissa Armstrong, Jill Gosper & Eileen Burr, and all the staff of the Diabetes Centre, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney.

Fete prep

Our school's annual fete is next Saturday, and I'm using it to full advantage. There are now two large boxes of toys and a box of children's books in the car, ready for delivery to the school hall tomorrow. There is another box of toys which are missing parts, and this week's mission is to find the parts and move them on out the door. I have also started on a second box of books.

The kids' rooms look like bombsites (i.e. pretty much the same as yesterday), but bombsites with slightly less debris. Tomorrow and Tuesday the short people are at school & preschool, and while i generally try to make those days serious-get-down-to-work-days, I have a feeling that a large proportion may well be spent on disappearing a few more items.*

We've had an ongoing issue with the mess in the children's rooms, and I'm convinced that it's as much a matter of them having too much stuff as anything else. I'm sure they've inherited my lack of OCD tendencies, and probably a good helping of their father's hoarding instincts, but it was a very telling moment when Miss Tizz told me that it was too hard, and that if I would clean up her room I could throw out anything I liked.

Interestingly, I had a blitz on their rooms several months ago, and filled three large garbage bags with whatever I could grab before they did (there was a long lead up to this - it wasn't like they weren't warned!). The bags were tied up and have been stored in the office so there was no sly pilfering. As part of the purging today, I opened the bags, and they were happy for at least half of the items to go in the fete box. So I have now reclaimed three garbage bags' worth of space in the office, and it's not all back on their floors.

We still have a long way to go, but I like to think we're on the way to a saner, less-cluttered existence.

In other news: the Earthbox spinach withdrew beneath the cover, and I thought it was done for, but it's popped back up this weekend, so maybe, just maybe, it will survive. The capsicum, peas & snowpeas all seem to be doing ok, although I have noticed snails hanging around drooling.

* It's just occurred to me (being the organised person that I am) that this Thursday & Friday is Miss Tizz's school camp, and that although she's opted not to stay overnight it will give me another two days to work on her room :) So I now have a plan of action: concentrate on the X-man's room at the beginning of the week, and the girl-child's room at the end of the week. And I have no excuse not to tackle some of my own excess in between :)

Another box of dirt

Not being terribly interested in the horses*, I bought some more potting mix this afternoon and set up the second Earthbox. This one has capsicum (top row) and spinach:



Note how I artfully blurred the background so as not to subject you to too much wildness.

The husband is getting in on the garden potential - potential hydroponics. Can't you just see the tomatoes and strawberries?



Have I introduced you to this fellow before? Tonight he's standing guard over the Earthboxes.



* It's Melbourne Cup Day, and somehow Canberra managed to score a bonus public holiday out of it, even though we're not even in the same state as the Cup. It's called something like Family & Community Day, but they're not fooling anybody!

A new approach

You may remember where this blog started. Sadly, after a cold winter and a work-life balance that leaves a lot to be desired, it's pretty much reverted to its wild state.

We seem to have gone form winter to summer with not much time to adjust between them, and it's looking like a hot, dry one ahead. I am still very busy with work, and much as I might want to get outside in the dirt, it's not looking like I will have oodles of time to spend pulling out couch grass from the vege plots every week. I want to produce more food in the backyard, but it's been all too hard to get started again, so I've been casting about for a new approach.

I have heard recently (from several sources) about Earthboxes. They're like rectangular self-watering pots, so two BIG pluses right there - pots = no couch grass, and self-watering = less likely to kill through neglect. They're plastic, which is not ideal, but is pretty durable. They're imported, and they're not cheap (just under $AU70 each). BUT they're available through Bunnings, so available to start now.

After much thought, and late-night input from a wise Crone (and I know how hard it must have been for you to semi-approve of this L), I decided to buy a couple and see how they go. Of course, staff at the local Bunnings had no idea what I was talking about, but we eventually tracked them down at one a little further away. While there, I also noticed a large ceramic self-watering pot, so that might be an alternative at some stage ...

We came home with two Earthboxes, potting mix, and seedlings, and a couple of wall pots that the husband has plans for.





I discovered that I needed two large bags of potting mix for the two boxes, so at this stage only one is potted up (who knew potting mix came in bigger than 30L bags?).



The black tube on the lower right is the watering tube, which feeds into a reservoir at the bottom. The water wicks up into the soil and to the plant roots as needed - all I need to do is keep the reservoir topped up. I think I can manage that.

Once the potting mix was in, I mixed in dolomite, then formed a ridge of potting mix along the middle of the box lengthways, into a which I pressed a shallow trench into which the fertiliser is laid. And that's all the attention it gets at soil level for the whole growing season.



Then the plastic cover goes on (which acts like a mulch, keeping warmth and moisture in, and weeds out). Cut X's for the plants, as far away from the fertiliser strip as possible, and plant seedlings (or seeds) into the holes. Water them in (from the top just this once), and remember to keep the reservoir topped up, and that's basically it. I'll need to provide support for the peas (at the top of the photo), and snowpeas, but it's all pretty straightforward.



The indentation at the bottom of the pot is an overflow, so I can't overwater.

The second Earthbox will have capsicum, spinach and maybe a cucumber (although I need to check if they'll be happy together first).

The husband is motivated to set up his hydroponics again, and in charge of tomatoes and strawberries. And he bought a Queensland blue pumpkin to take over the rest of the yard!



During the week, the MIL brought round a pot of lettuces. She doesn't give up on me, despite the fact that I've neglected many of her gifts to death! They're all loose leaf lettuces, so I can pick leaves as required. The pot is sitting on the front step, and the kids empty their waterbottles onto it when they get home from school.