Winter In Full Swing

It's more than 2 weeks since the last entry, but the last fortnight has been a tricky time.

A few days in hospital waiting for a diagnosis for the severe stomach pains I felt, and then a trip to city to have the specialist blast the stone that was a major contributor, meant that there was no time for working in the garden.

I think the weeds must have known something. they have grown tall and thick. Especially the Stinging Nettles. I have never seen so many in such a small space, but at least the rain we have been having has kept the ground soft, which makes the nettles easy to pull. Some of the nettles will hopefully made into a soup for fertilising the garden.

Those weeds that I am not pulling by hand being cut down to ground level using a second-hand scythe that I found at Crystal Brook last weekend. I was not expecting to be able to find one so soon after deciding that it might be a suitable tool for the job. Good exercise and no fuel or fumes.

It has been raining most days for the past week so the makeshift water storage containers are overflowing. I really must get another rainwater tank. But it  has been great to sit inside on those rainy days, listening to the rain on the roof, especially when there is a loaf of bread being baked in the breadmaker.

Although it's winter, and sometimes the range of vegetables to harvest might be less, we have enjoyed the salads that we had for lunch in the last couple of days. Thanks to the Snow Peas, Lettuce, Italian Parsley and Rocket that have been established. Now is the time to get some more going, because they won't last forever. I also had the first of our Brocolli from the garden yesterday. It was only tiny but at least the caterpillars didn't get it!

How come the bugs in the garden only choose the vegetables to eat and leave all the weeds alone? And it's hard to catch the little critters, although the evidence of their presence is obvious.

As I'm writing this, the rain is falling again. I'm wondering if the amount of rain this winter is typical of the location.