Rhubarb and Tomatoes

I don't know about any of you, but I love rhubarb.  It's that tangy sweetness that gets me every time.  Problem is, I now don't get to eat it very often.  I have bought some from my local supermarket on the odd occasion, but the rest of the house doesn't like it (more for me then). 

When I was still unmarried and living at home Dad had quite an extensive vege and fruit patch in the back yard.  We had apple, apricot, nectarine, peach, quince, loquat, pear trees as well as a multi grafted plum tree.  That tree used to get so much fruit on it Dad would have to prop up the branches so they didn't break off under the weight of the fruit.  So stewed fruit and home made jam was always available.  There was even a couple of rhubarb crowns.  Dad also grew tomatoes, lettuce, silver beet.  One year he grew pumpkin - we had so many in storage they covered the bench in the garage!

In my attempt to grow some of my own produce today I purchased 2 rhubarb crowns from my local hardware/garden store.  Yesterday the rhubarb seeds I bought turned up too.  So in a couple of days the crowns will go in and I will pot up the seeds into some seedling mix to get them started.

This may seems like a lot of rhubarb to planting - and you may be right - but did I mention I love the stuff??  And who knows what is going to survive and how much of it is going to die - specially over summer when we go on holidays.  Note to self - must remember to set up automatic watering system whist we are away.  One that the child staying home doesn't have to worry about.

I also got myself a plastic bucket that I am going to have a go at growing a tomato bush in upside down.  This sounds crazy, but I have seen it done with success. 


Like this.

The variety I will use is Tommy Toe - a 3cm variety of fruit.  Grew this last year with some success.








Will keep you updated on that one.



I have also thought of how to grow veges down the side of the house.  This area gets lots of sun all year and has a raised garden bed - actually the top of the bed is level with next door's ground level (we had to dig our house into our block of land a bit).  The bed is narrow - around 40cm wide - and the soil is terrible.  Compacted and little or no organic matter.  Last year I added some straw as a mulch and tried to grow melons in it.  Birds dug up all the straw and ate the seeds.  There is no way I can raise the height of the bed wall myself - I'm not that capable and the back side is wood fence (my neighbour would not be impressed to learn I have compost and dirt up against it).

So I think the best way to utilise this area is with a plastic rectangular tubs that have had the bottoms of them removed and fill them in a no-dig manner.  Kind of like gardening in pots, but a slightly larger scale.  Now to find some cheap tubs.  (I think I know where I can get 1 or 2 - local dance club has some with no lids that I may be able to steal, um have).

If I can also get 2 more of the bed frames I started with last year I will be happy.  That will give me 6 mini plots in our front yard and will not interfere with car parking.  Need to start them back up again.  One is full of grass, the others have very little grass/weeds in them.  The poppies have survived over winter and look nice and healthy.  I pulled out the broccoli the other day.  That will get chopped up, pushed down and covered over with straw and manure to rot down over summer.  All food for the next crops.  I also need to think of something to put around the beds to get rid of the grass.  Loath to spray with glyphosate - it might leach into the vege beds and then we could be eating it!

On another garden type note - I would love to able to organise a neighbourhood vege co-op.  One where neighbours grow veges and fruit in their own yards and then swap/trade with others in the
co-op as the produce matures.  Can see the benefits - getting to know the neighbours, not having to grow as much variety but still getting it, etc.  Can also see the down side - people not co-operating properly, someone not getting any produce but yet giving out their growings, etc.  Much to ponder......

Look at the dirt

on the trailer....

This is after 2 days of driving in dusty conditions on dirt roads.  It was fine dust and got into everything; thru the zips on the tent cover, inside the trailer....

Inside the silver box in front of the tyre.....



Everything was covered in it....

Once we reached civilisation again we hosed the trailer down and found that the paint had actaully been dust blates off the metal!!  The silver box was even dented across the front from all the stones we flicked up.

Hubby has had to repaint the whole trailer - inside and out and underneath. 

But getting to see places like this makes it all worthwhile.

Back from our trip up North

and I would rather be still on the road staying in places likes this.....

We certainly had more than our fair share of car problems - blown head gasket, auxillery battery had to be replaced, smashed a rear window, replaced a fan pump, got dust in the brake drums/cylinders, and have a cracked front windscreen. 

Saw some lovely spots for fishing.....

Met some brilliant birds.....

Saw some gorgeous coast......

We did not quite make it to the very top but are happy with how far we did get, all things considered.

Met this guy at a roadhouse camping spot....

He had 2 brothers.  Never having been this close to a peacock before I was surprised by how large a bird they are.  Very inquisitive too.  There was also an Emu at the same place.  It would not move whilst we set up camp and came to inspect everything too.