Life, with my dogs, living on one acre in Tasmania. Living on a low income, and with Complex PTSD. I write about all sorts of things. I called my Blog Echidna Home because I have echidnas that live here
All photos below have been taken by me and are the property of Echidna Home.
Rocket Flowers are so beautiful, and the bee pollinating it wonderful
Apple flower this is a crab apple. The apples have red flesh.
Comfrey
I think these are Spanish bluebells not the English ones
Daisy bush in flower
Lilac
Iris.
Grevillia
Bumble bees are huge this year.
dark purple iris
sweet pea
native climber
Pineapple Slavia
my faviourite flower white daisy with yellow centre.
blessings to You, Tazzie
Saturday we were up early to a very chilly morning, the fire is going, as I head out to let the chooks out. They are a bit traumatised yesterday my big dog chased them (my fault I had forgotten I had left them out). He grabbed one fortunately she escaped and I was able to get Busby inside, then go and find the hen, who minus a few tail feathers and been so shocked she had laid an egg poor hen. I had been very concerned about them all.
I was very relieved they were all ready to get out and all were happy to hang out and stay in their run.
After an early run the dogs and I headed into Cygnet. I was meeting a friend for breakfast and then go to a new market the Cygnet Garden Market. It was being held in the rear of the cafe we were having breakfast at.
I have probably shared that Huon Valley is a very dog friendly community. Most cafes with out door areas are happy to have well behaved dogs on lead come with their owner/s.
As me and my two headed in we were greeted by a gorgeous Bernese Mountain dog. Boris who apparently is a Saturday morning regular who was a little put out due to the fact his normal area on the grass out the back was not available due to the market. However he was a big 74kg/154lbs teddy bear.
Breaky (was disappointing and expensive). Ah when you are someone who lives frugally normal prices can seem expensive, if it was good food I would not have minded.
At least I got to meet lots of dogs. My friend did not make it which was fine. I went for a walk with the dogs popped them in back into the car and headed for the market. I was so fortunate the sky was blue sun was out here and there. As I headed home the rain began.
Worm wee was being sold, compost, tools, organic bags of soil, local sheep manure, and alpaca poo. Alpaca wool. Apple cider vinegar made locally, grape vine seedlings, so many plants and seedlings, wonderful. I did buy some strawberry plants and a lemon balm cutting.
The local seed saving community group were there and were giving seeds to you gor a gold coin donation. There is a renowned garden who was loved when he was the presenter of Gardening Australia on the Australia Broadcasting Corporation TV. (Our national TV and Radio network public) Peter Cundall and I was fortunate enough to get some of his Pumpkin seeds yeah. I also liked that there were only four in the packet. I seem to end up with so many seeds left over. Which is why I love saving my own seeds.
So for the inaugural market, it was successful. I was in and out fairly quickly as they were doing the covid distancing requirements. The regular Cygnet Market has also recommenced. We are so fortunate for the people who organise all the wonderful community activities we have in our valley
blessing to you, Tazzie.
For those of you who follow me know I find managing my CPTSD involves keeping a very simple routine. I now have an added component in my daily routine. With the introduction of my lovely hens and Le Coq Arrogant, who are settled into their lovely house every night. In the morning I and the dogs, get up and we go and let the chooks out.
In itself is a good thing, we then walk about the vegetable garden and garden ensuring the bird baths, and critter water containers are full.
A lot of photographs to share. I sit with the fire going snow down to 600 metres in some areas of Tasmania tonight.
I have just let the chooks out to roam freely about the paddock and scratch making a mess in my bark areas. They love my gooseberry area. As long as they leave my vegetable garden lone this can be a daily experience.
I love my garden and my acre. For me such a good thing to help with my CPSTD.
The way I have created my new very high metre garden bed was utilising some Huegle Kulture https://richsoil.com/hugelkultur/ concepts. I had a lot of dried fine branches that I broke up, and similarly with the the larger ones, I then added some very old chook manure and straw from the hen house clean out prior to my hens moving in. some green waste, then aged horse manure and more straw, pea straw. When I plant the bed I will add some good soil and plant into that. So utilising the no dig garden bed by Esther Deans book.
and lasagna https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-A-Lasagna-Bed/principals.
I hand water only using a hose. I am on tank water only and this also means I am looking at every plant in my garden and on my deck that I gain a real knowledge of my plants and when is best to water them. In summer time here I usually water once the sun has moved off the plants.
I feel so earthed and connected to Mother Earth in my garden, and with all the wildlife, insects reptiles, and birds that live in and love my garden. I ensure that I have water for all and plants to eat, protection, nectar, and safety.
blessings to You. Tazzie
I may be sitting in side, with my wood fire going. I may be wearing a pure wool hand knitted jumper as I drink and compose this post. It is almlost 3pm here and the clouds have rolled in along with a wind. Not a gale at this point, it has been nice ot have a fairly wind free day today. Gales and rain were the past few.
I wandered about the garden and was mesmerised by how Spring is rollicking in with abandon. Every fruit tree is in bud or bloom. This brings me a lot of joy as I care for the fruit trees as in water them for only the first year they are put in the garden. After this they need to fend for them selves. I do add pot ash or sulpher potash and for some a little blood and bone.
above, Daphanne, small maple, caterpillar damage on nettles, plum tree in flower, peach tree, marigolds and rocket flowering, red currants, asparagus, violet, and bay tree.
This years new apricot tree, Huon Valley crab apple, fig,, lilac, this shrub is about to bloom in lovely blueish flowers, so happy my new plumis blooming as is the older one, my three types of apple tree that the cockatoos destroyed last year, has some leaves forming, yellow gage and green gage plums, red currant, hazel nuts, then cherry and two other trees not sure of in the chook run /orchard. Blue berries, with Jostaberries and second red currant bush behind.
Gooseberries are all doing well even with the chickens digging under them. My old cherry is flowering, and the new morello cherry in the pot on the deck is budding.
The air is full of birds singing to attract mates. I observe wattle birds flying in a courtship ritual. I have a wee forlorn pardelotte whose beautiful call in search of a mate seems to not being answered.
Their are lambs and calves everywhere about my place. It may be cold today but you cant hold Mother Earth back!
blessings to You. Tazzie
Echidna Home 
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