No such thing as a simple life on my one acre in Tasmania with my two dogs.I try to grow food, wrangle chickens and the native and non native wildlife share the land I call home. Life with CPTSD and ADHD not been easy so I share about it all. Low income, a bit frugal, real life My Life.
So electric blanket on and for once I am in bed really early. Its 9dC/48.2dF, it only got to 12dC/ 53.6 dF now this is late January in the Southern Hemisphere. It is not right and not the first time that this has happened this month! Then two days later we had temperatures of 36dC/96.8, last week we had similar but by 10 am the day after the cold day it was 35dC/95dF at 10am we ended up at 38dC/100.4dF mid afternoon.
Is it any wonder my vegetable garden is not doing well. I know I am not alone, even my wonderful neighbours stunning vegetable garden is struggling. We have also had unseasonal rain and heavy wind gale force on several days.
yellow zucchini
pumpkin
capsicum/sweet pepper
black chilli
sea holly
Peter Cundal Pumpkin
Variety of Tomatoes
Red currant bush
asparagus bed, and sad calendula.
pumpkin/zucchini bed
Eggplant/ Aubergine flower
eggplant/aubergine flower
walking onion
rhubarb
bay tree with healthy new growth
chilli and capsicum/sweet pepper bed with spinach that is seeding up
fig tree looking OK for autumn figs
second tomato bed a trial in a more shaded area.
another trial sweet potato.
looking over towards empty bed with silver beet seeding, shade tomato bed, and left of screen pumpkin suchinni bed
pumkin bed fig apple and part of peach tree
red currants left silver beet seeds and asparagus bed right side gone to seed.
The vegetable garden is so behind this year, My hope is that it will be better in February. My neighbour up the road has put in a huge green house but it is so hot that the tomatoes are cooking inside it almost.
Ahh the joy of gardening 41dsouth.
My first picking from the veggie garden this morning, the tomatoes are not really ripe, and they are tiny. Compared to the small hens egg. The zucchini/courgette is great. Already 100% improvement on my crop last year.
I am thankful for my eggs, for my hens, and rooster. I am thankful that my tanks are pretty full mid summertime very unusual.
Uncertainty is not a great thing in my life, it does tend to impact my CPTSD. I have not been in my beloved garden a huge amount in the last few weeks, and even so what I had put into it in Springtime is bobbing along slowly this year yet productively without me quite well. So I feel happy about that.
My tomatoes are very late in developing,
Lots of flowers on the first plant. quite a few on the next with some tomatoes forming on both and one tomato and a few fruits on the third. In this bed I have two eggplant/aubergines I have one flower on one plant.
My peppers and capsicums are varied, the old pepper from last year is doing well, the capsicums are getting flowers and the peppers are I guess settling in.
I have more tomatoes vines in another bed, that does get 8 hours of sunshine but less than the first bed and these are really delayed. I thought they would be, and was just wanting to see if they would grow here.
Photo taken at 16:00 daylight saving time.
Miss Treacle and Busby enjoy being outside too.
Now for some reason I have planted pumpkins and zucchinis, along with the possibility of a cucumber or two in two beds. I lost all bar one label, and I had labelled the seedlings. I only know one variety of pumpkin that is Peter Cundall’s . Peter was a long time presenter on the Australian Broadcasting (ABC TV) Gardening Australia a weekly. If you are interested in knowing more about Australian Gardens and all sorts of things to do with gardening and veggie growing well worth checking out show (which still is running Gardening Australia now hosted by Costa). https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/ Peter hosted the show from 1989-2008 and as a fellow Tasmanian is an incredible gardener, who even now at 82 is enjoying his gardening and good health. He only gave up his weekly radio show a few years ago. His pumpkin variety is great faviourite in the taste test so I am told. Fingers crossed these plants will be much better producers than last years. Oh the memories not a zucchini and one tiny butternut.
Asparagus spears still shoot every so often, and I enjoy picking them and eating them right away. My jostaberries and red currants did well. I harvested very few, between the birds, wallabies possums and my chooks it was their year this year. I was also not up to canning or freezing any of them and realised that I am not a huge fan of the jostaberries. They really are only good stewed, made into a crumble or perhaps a sponge pudding and of course jam.
My blueberries are also being grabbed by by all the critters and again I feel blase about it. I still have a fair few in the freezer. I always have such plans of all I will do with them. I usually harvest them and then often end up not eating them even when frozen. So instead of pushing myself when I have not been firing on all cylinders, I have just accepted for many years of my life I had never tasted a blue berry, a jostaberry or a red currant. If I am being really honest the only one I feel I would plant again are the blue berries.
My peach tree is amazing now that is something I have been enjoying the last couple of days.
As you can see they are a good size this year and once ripe juicy and even a bit green so sweet Love the feeling of the juice running down my chin. I did eat a few cherries off my trees. It has been a late beginning to the cherry season with the local orchards only opening full time this week.
My red crab apple does not have a lot of fruit on it sadly this year. I do recall there were not a lot of blossoms on it. Added to this the chooks had been dust bathing about its roots. (A job still in process excluding them from my doing this). I have managed to stop them from the espaliered apple by putting bike wheels about the root area.
The chooks had been laying really well and I was very happy to share with my neighbours. Sadly at the moment I am only averaging two eggs a day. I have not located a hidden nest anywhere as yet. I realised I may have been failing them in providing enough food for them. Though when I do provide seed they very rarely eat it all and usually pick the tastiest seeds out first. Grass is a bit in short supply so I have began to supplement their diet with pureed green vegies. They are on a free range 16%seed mix and have access to grubs and all sorts of things as they free range. I will be keeping an eye on them and fingers crossed the girls will be all laying again. Though the two -3 eggs I get are enough for just us. I did have hope to water glass enough for winter.
Marshmallow
Roopert
Henny and Penny nesting together
Kahol
The chook run slashed.
The Chook run has been slashed finally and the spiky native grass has been cut down. I am not sure the chooks appreciated that and so as their is not a lot of shade in their run at present they are free ranging and love hanging out under the jostaberries and my blackwoods. If they stayed there we would be living in harmony. I can only dream.
My thoughts are with those of you in areas where Covid continues to impact your lives, especially those of you overseas. I am so incredibly fortunate to have been born here in Australia and to live on the island state. where we have had no active cases of this illness for a few weeks now. My thoughts for those of you impacted by the bush fires in Western Australia.
I am thankful that I am coming out of a period of feeling out of control, I am thankful that I am again able to see the beauty of my home, and garden and how very fortunate I am. I am thankful for the clean water, clean air and abundance I have in my life. I am so very thankful for my dogs.
I find that growing vegetables can be for me somewhat hit and miss. Last years crops well some were terrific, majority not so. I see it as always learning. Part of living I believe is to always learn new things.
The quality of my photos is not great so apologies.
The weather has been warm to hot here in Southern Tasmania. Not as hot as mainland Australia thankfully. Where many parts of the eastern seaboard had days over the weekend hitting 40dC /104dF. In my gorgeous valley we were fortunate hitting 30dC/86dF. Apparently the temperature average for November 2020, was higher than the average temperature for December 2019. No wonder everything is suddenly taking off.
I am not sure if it was a wallaby or a hen that flattened my garlic. The leaves as you will see are not great. I know there is garlic under there and at least one is a resonable size. I will have to buy garlic this year for the first time in almost 20 years. Very sad. At least I can get locally grown from organic garlic cloves. I will also have to buy enough to save cloves to plant in Autumn. My walking onions in the wheel barrow continue to grow with no real care apart from watering from me. Great greens and the tiny onions are lovely added to soups whole and stews. I even use them in toasted sandwiches. My Aspargus bed has given me enough nibbles over the last few months. I have left a lot just go to seed and to develop in the understanding the roots will grow and strengthen.
Walking onions foreground red currant to the right distance aspaargus gone to seed left, and marigolds right.
My poor garlic.
I planted out tomatoes, capsicums,eggplants/aubergines and chillis.
Tomatoes and Eggplant/Aubergine bed.
I purchased one Eggplant seedling which you can see in the photo on the bed. I had sown seeds for a long thin eggplant but no seed seemed to be germinating, when I purchased the large seedling. So I was pleasantly surprised that they have know germinated. They are tiny. There is room for them to grow. I put the eggplants in this bed protected. It is a corrugated bed quite deep. My only success with eggplants was growing them in the bed where my corriander is currently. It was stuck in the corner closest to where the sun hit the corrugated side for the highest number of hours. I have hopes for them this year.
I was amazed to have two chillis that survived hidden among the broad beans crop which I have harvested and obviously removed the stems. I have chopped and dropped them in the area and will add them to beds to compost down in place.
Chilli and Capsicum/Pepper bed, with the Sea Holly (flowering )plant, a perennial (foreground).
I was able to get some sweet potato slips from a nursery. I had no luck with growing my own off sweet potatoes purchased in the fruit and vegetable shop. I believe it is most likely they are treated by Tasmania’s Quarantine Services rendering them sterile. I love watching Youtube videos on growing sweet potatoes in a cooler climate. Of course I get sucked down into the wormhole of Youtube. Bringing myself back from the Youtube wormhole. I made sure my soil had what they like. The plot is in direct sunlight. I mounded them up and watered them in well. The slips had been growing well in their pots. They look good the next morning even though I had found one of my hens had got into the vegie garden. Fortunately doing no damage to any of my newly planted seedlings.
Sweet Potatoes
I am continuing to use my cheaper version of Ollas for helping to keep the soil moist. They worked well last year. They are really simple I was able to purchase terracotta pots and with no holes, the saucer is large enough to cover the top as the lid. See above photo . I have dug in one as the sweet potatoes 4 are on mounds I have to put the second one into the ground yet. I place them so the lip is just above the level the woodchips as a cover to help keep the moisture in the soil.
I had not been keeping an eye on the weather forecast. The last two days have been wild here with gale force wind, temps down to 10dC/50dF over night 16dC / and so far my seedlings including sweet potatoes are hanging in there literally! Unfortunately the cooler weather with rain is forecast for the next week or so. Of course it is. I am not complaining about the rain. My water tanks (of which I am totally reliant for all my water needs) have plenty of room for it. Who knows what the seedlings will do. This is the nature of vegetable growing outside in the roaring forties and living in the region of Australia I do. I am wondering how bad it may get around the Summer Solstice as normally the wind is worse either side of that. You have to just go with the flow as they say.
Hazelnuts in background
Red Currants
Jostaberries cross of gooseberry and blackcurrant.
Peach White
Apricot new this season with cosmos
Plum tree in corrugated bed, cosmos chooks have dug in.
Lupin and foxglove leaves
Crab Apple Pink inside
Corriander in flower
Blueberries in foreground, plum trees left and hazelnut right
Blue berries visible here and hazelnuts in chook run
red currants in veggie area
Silverbeet seeding up , marigolds going strong
As you can see in the above photos fruit and nuts are doing well. In my chicken run I have had white centred cherries on my tree for the first time ever and it has been years. It only had about seven and I managed to beat the birds to three of them one left today bright red and sweet.
My mood has lifted and I have also been walking with my dog/s in the morning. My big dog Busby has been bitten on one of his front paws toe, by a Jack Jumper ant and is suffering in pain. As I tried to see what was causing his pain for the first time ever in 5 years he growled at me. That is how much pain he is in. Having been bitten myself I totally understand and the pain
I have a sweet cherry and a morello cherry (this one is in a pot on the deck), Several more apples and plums in the paddock, the fig is growing but has no fruit for summer. I feel it is not getting enough sun where it is now the peach is so big. Plans to move it in winter remove it from its wine barrel. I have two passionfruit seedlings to plant out yet. They are not keen on the wind so I am really happy I waited. There a couple of other fruit trees in the chook run that I had really thought had given up. I do not recall any of the fruit. None will bear this year. Even though I have had a huge area of black berries removed; they are considered a weed in Australia and grow wild. I have a heap that grow on the easement that the council own on my boundary. They gave me wonderful berries last year.
So much more still to put into the vegetable garden this summer.
I am so thankful for being so fortunate to have so much potential bounty. I am also thankful for living in an area that is full of wonderfully local fresh fruit berries, meat, fish in the river..I may buy a rod soon as I love flathead and it is in the river.
I am so thankful that I am moving forward again in my managing my CPTSD and overcoming the reactions to triggers. Thank you for all the kind words. They mean so much to me.
As an Australian I have never ever said G’day mate in my general life. Perhaps for a tourist or mucking about. G’day a form of hello in vernacular Australia. G’day, good day! G’day, gardening day…so as an Australian living in Tasmania in the southern most council region of Australia. I feel it fits my post today. A lot has been happening about my little acre. Last summer I was getting frustrated with blackberries wildly growing along one of my boundary fence lines. My plum trees seen in foreground of first photo below were becoming surrounded by shade and the black berries were heading towards them. A wonderful neighbour and his business partner gave me a quote which seemed huge originally and I needed to think about it. I ended up thinking about how my hazel nuts were impacted last summer too. It was a necessity for harvesting and survival of them. So I agreed. I am so incredibly happy with the result. Light streaming in, and whilst the plum trees are not going to give me plums this year I have hopes for next year. The hazelnuts are incredibly happy! Growing everyday.
The last two photgraphs from my vegetable garden shows the increasre in light and water that can be seen now. It may be an issue that wind will become a big issue now that the blackberries have gone. It will be interesting to see. For hazelnuts to pollinate it is done by the wind so for my trees this will enhance pollination.
The vegetable garden is looking different this year I have put in two new beds. Corrugated iron. I have been making soil for them over Autumn and winter. I have to plant a lot of vegetable seedlings this weekend. Tomatoes, chilies, capsicums(sweet peppers), zucchini, eggplant(aubergine), beans, pumpkins and a heap of others I can not recall at present ..oh cucumbers. My hope is that I will reap more than I did last year. lol. First row of photographs below.
Photos second row above are broad beans that are producing huge amounts and are delicous. The wind has been playing havoc with them as we have had very unusual spring wind coming from a southerly direction..I had not set the beans up for that direction. The last photo is of some of my garlic. I have not planted enough of them I realise, there is always next year. I am sure there will be a lot of local garlic available. In the background of the last photo is one of several foxgloves that self seed each year. This one in the last photo stands over 180cm/6ft.
The marigolds have flowered all year which has been terrific. The fruit trees are fruiting up beautiful peach, cherries sweet and morello, (my newly planted in a pot this winter) plums, apples. The jostaberries, red currants are loaded. Blue currants in the pots loaded, not as many on the two I planted into the ground.
I thought the double grafted (two variety) apple I had planted and am trying to espalier has one side that is loaded with leaves and a few apples. I thought that the other side had died. I was surprised and very happy to see leaves coming out this week. Other apples are doing well.
A busy weekend of planting seedlings and making structures to ensure things will have supports as required.
I am so hopeful for a good year of growing home grown vegetables, fruit and hazel nuts. I have been picking some asparagus, and lettuce, green onions, miners lettuce, I have been able to pick a couple of small cauliflowers. It is a learning curve always.
The wood chips I have been using in the vegetable garden are certainly holding moisture. Which is fantastic for summer. We have just had a 32dC/90dF already this week yet ten days ago the fire was lit. This is part of the reason I have yet to plant seedlings out. Old timers always say do not put tomatoes out until after show day, which is normally about the 17th November. A bit early but they need to go in.
The weather is fluctuating as is normal here in the southern most council region of Australia. Huon Valley Tasmania, on the Island state of Australia, situated in the Roaring Forties. Tasmania’s location between the 40th and 50th southern parallels place it directly in the pathway of the “Roaring Forties”, which are strong westerly winds in the Southern Hemisphere.
It tends to be especially windy around the solstice, and equinoxes here in Tasmania. Which can be really hard on gardens. I had tied my broad beans the wind has been harsh, though it I am really delighted to see beans are forming.
Above, Rocket and coriander going to seed, broad beans knocked about by the wind show beans, looking towards the hen house, vegetable garden broad beans, garlic marigolds, peach tree and fig i(n barrel), with daffodils.
Above, Jostaberries, recently transplanted gooseberry bush, veggie garden, red current and veggie garden, fig, violets, pansy, mixed barrel of greens, daffodils, brassicas and broad beans on deck.
above: I love my red wattle flowering tree. The nettles will soon be flowering. Hellebore flower and the last of my snow drop. My bay tree is being attacked by something. It is on my to do list.
Hens two white, three black and two brown hens.
My hens are settling in really well. They come running to me I believe its more about the seeds I bring for them. They are running a bit amok, as the fencing in the chickens area is too low. I am working on that. The black bantam is still sleeping in the tree. I have no idea how she managed to hold on during the gale wind and storms we had the last few nights.
I love having them. The dynamics of the hen house are really fascinating to observe. I love listening to their chatter. I continue to get about six eggs a week currently. As the hens (which were an incredibly generous gift) are different ages, and very mixed breeding. So I feel that I have two hens laying and five who are maturing to be layers.
My seedlings are mostly doing well though I have had some failures. It may be I over watered them, or they grew to rapidly. I have time to resow the seeds, and get them underway.
I feel so thankful to have my hens, eggs, my potential veggies grown in my garden. There are wonderful blossoms forming on my peach and two plums (I have a couple more that are just budding up).
More rain and wind is forecast, the days are lengthing and temperatures increasing.
A couple of visitors in my garden yesterday. (Sorry images not crisp). A Silver eye (first photo) native bird. European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)introduced here and mainland Australia 1880s
Photos above: top row. Seeds on damp paper towel. After a few days in the freezer bags roots and leaves out. Seeds began on 26/07/2020 First check 02/08/2020. I watched a gardener who grew here seeds this way. I begin only a few seeds and seem to have had great success rates so far. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SfmRmNMKmA Gary and Robbie Gardening made easy. I am trying carrots seeds this way as I find keeping the small seed moist difficult or keeping them from getting too wet sigh. So willing to attempt this way. ( I did forget the cardboard.) So far I am really happy with them.
It also makes it easier for me to keep growing as much as I will need over a period of time. (that is the plan.) It will be interesting to see how it and how I go!
Salvia in flower, some sprouting broccoli flowering and going to seed, Wattle is coming into flower all about this area love the scent and the bees adore it. Last photo is a bit sad..if you look you can see my red Kale has been well decimated. I went out to pick some for an omelette last Saturday morning and the storm we had overnight had knocked a bit of a gap in a fence on the deck. Just enough to let some hungry critters get to the box. Ahh well, thankful they did not it all, or pull it out. I am thankful that is growing again.
From top to bottom Photos. Nettles beginning to flower. The little love these plants I am hoping they have not been eating the butterfly eggs/caterpillars. The rhubarb gave me a feast of deliciousness. Strange as it seems some critter has eaten the flower head and some of the leaves of the plant. It will be okay as this happens each year.
I have been attempting to get the grass away from the stone wall. Yeah right this is going to stop it infiltrating the beds. An ongoing process. The wall flower looks wonderful and the bees love it.
Next two are hazelnuts I have four and this might be the first year that all seem to be throwing there catkins at the same time. So I may get my best harvest of hazelnuts this year. (as any gardener knows you do not count it a done deal).
Next photo, is a plum tree that had two graft on it. Only one graft survived and it was a nice plum so I did not want to remove the tree. I chatted with an older gardener who suggested I plant another plum close to it. This might help the other tree firstly not only to produce better and more fruit. It might also help make the first tree look more balanced. Well it is worth a shot.
I had been hoping to get more of the preparation about the fruit trees as I have with this tree completed. As yet that has not happened. I do like how the tree has plenty of grass free area, the bulbs will be blooming soon lovely yellow daffodils, and the trees will be in blossom fingers crossed.
The photo next to this is my Gooseberry. I transplanted it as it was really in the road where I had put it originally. The blue twine is helping to spread the branches out to allow more sunlight into the bush. I have put two new plants near it. I love Gooseberries. I only ate my first fresh one last year. I never knew that they could be eaten fresh. I always thought they were only great in pies and jam. Now I Know…I will be cherishing some and keeping the birds off them.
Last two photos are of an Apricot tree Moorepark I have put in this year. It is perhaps the most protected area of my garden, it gets great morning sun and will have sun for a good period of time. Enough hours so I am led to believe to give me fruit in a couple of years.
The last photo is the Diosma in flower and this is loved by bees too. I have sprouting broccoli going to seed so the birds are enjoying them. I hope some seed may grow about the place.
Yes you get the feeling spring is coming but reality sank in this week with snow falling widely accross the state down to sea level in some locations sadly not at my place. Our main access roads between the Huon Valley and Hobart/rest of the state were cut, people coming home from work had a three hour+ drive in many instances and had to take the long coastal road home but it was bumper to bumper and heavy wind and rain. People were stranded in the midlands on the major highway between Hobart and the North of the State. All unusual and exciting for most of us even those who were late home. I certainly feel for you all that live where snow fall is regular.
We usually have snow on our mountains around here an Kunyani (Mt Wellington) the back drop to Hobart.
Its been lovely feeling capable of writing and sharing a bit of what is going on in my garden and seed growing.
If you are in lock down (as Melbourne stage 4 and other locations here in Australia are) due to Covid, keep in touch with friends, family. Laugh as much as you can, and be kind to everyone. Wear your masks, keep your safe distancing, and hand, cough hygiene. Stay at home and grow something.
Today has been a day of cooking, it was cold and wet. So perfect. I made ‘french’ style easy bread today. It is lovely bread however the amount of time for rising is several hours, with some small work on it periods.
Compared to my other bread which is kneaded twice and only requires about 1 1/2 half hours or so rising time. It can be extended longer as in overnight but you just leave it. You do not have to work it during that time.
I also decided to make nettle soup. The Nettles are from my own garden so I know they are safe. I cut off the tips of the nettles about 10cms in length. I did not wear gloves as I had a container that when I cut the tips they fell directly into the container.
My soup had vegetable stock which seemed to be quite salty. It had onion rice and nettles. I did also add a garlic clove. The recipe I chose, was for four people. I decided to make half of the recipe. I picked a cup plus of nettles well packed.
I pan fried onions in olive oil and than the nettles which removes the
You then add stock and rice. I then bought the soup to the boil for a few minutes, and then used the absorption method for cooking the rice. I used my hand blender to puree it.
I did not have enough nettles, in the ‘soup’ The recipe has 500gms of nettles. That is a lot of nettles, I did not weigh my nettles.
I also added too much rice. So my soup was more like a risotto.
I ate it with one of my bread rolls. It was really interesting and I did enjoy it. It has a rich flavour. I have read elsewhere that nettle soup tastes earthy. It certainly had a flavour reminiscent of mushrooms I know go figure! I was assuming it would be green tasting. How do I describe that. hmmm fresh and light perhaps.
Stinging nettles are considered as a weed today by so many. In the past stinging nettles have been used to make fibre, sail cloth, sacking and fishing nets. Fibres have also been used to make cloth similar in appearance and feel to silky linen. In the Second World War the Germans used it to make cotton like fabric. The British used stinging nettles for the dye it makes for camouflage. It has/is also used as a food colourant.
The 18th Centuary English poet, Thomas Campbell, complained of the little attention paid to the nettle in England. He says, “In Scotland, I have eaten nettles, I have slept in nettle sheets, and I have dined off a nettle tablecloth. The young and tender nettle is an excellent potherb. The stalks of the old nettle are as good as flax for making cloth. I have heard my mother say that she thought nettle cloth more durable than any other species of linen.” (Plants and People: Choices and Diversity through Time 6.2 Humble Plants p273 edited by Alexandre Chevalier, Elena Marinova, Leonor Pena-Chocarro)
I will make it again, it was quick and easy. Tasty and simple. I would add more nettles and less rice. I was looking forward to a thin soup but as I said mine was like a poor risotto (I am not a huge fan of risotto).
I enjoyed the rich and hearty flavour. I intend to try more recipes using my nettles.
Such a low cost tasty hearty meal. I could imagine a vegetable soup with nettles would be delicious too. A quick soup to make.
I did not sow the nettles in my garden, they have come up in a good size patch. I know many people will look at them and see weeds. Mother Earth has provided me with this wonderful plant and I will enjoy and use it. It dies off each year and in Autumn it grows again as the cooler weather begins.
Polyphenols: Kaempferol, quercetin, caffeic acid, coumarins and other flavonoids
Pigments: Beta-carotene, lutein, luteoxanthin and other carotenoids
What’s more, many of these nutrients act as antioxidants inside your body.
Antioxidants are molecules that help defend your cells against damage from free radicals. Damage caused by free radicals is linked to aging, as well as cancer and other harmful diseases (3Trusted Source).
Studies indicate that stinging nettle extract can raise blood antioxidant levels.
There is evidence based benefits that stinging nettles may be benificial in arthritis, and other inflammations within the body.
Stinging nettle may help reduce prostate size and treat symptoms of an enlarged prostate gland in men with BPH.
Stinging nettle may reduce hay fever symptoms. Yet, some research indicates that it may not be much more effective than a placebo. More studies are needed on stinging nettle’s effects on hay fever.
Stinging nettle may help lower blood pressure by allowing your blood vessels to relax and reducing the force of your heart’s contractions. Yet, more human studies are needed to confirm these effects.
While stinging nettle may help lower blood sugar levels, more human studies are crucial before recommendations can be made.
There are some potential side effects
Consuming dried or cooked stinging nettle is generally safe. There are few, if any, side effects.
However, be careful when handling fresh stinging nettle leaves, as their hair-like barbs can harm your skin.
These barbs can inject an array of chemicals, such as (1, 2Trusted Source):
Acetylcholine
Histamine
Serotonin
Leukotrienes
Formic acid
These compounds can cause rashes, bumps, hives and itchiness.
In rare cases, people may have a severe allergic reaction, which can be life-threatening.
However, these chemicals diminish as the leaves are processed, meaning that you shouldn’t experience mouth or stomach irritation when eating dried or cooked stinging nettle (1).
Pregnant women should avoid consuming stinging nettle because it may trigger uterine contractions, which can raise the risk of a miscarriage (40).
Speak to your doctor before consuming stinging nettle if you’re taking one of the following:
Blood thinners
Blood pressure medication
Diuretics (water pills)
Diabetes medication
Lithium
Stinging nettle could interact with these medications. For instance, the plant’s potential diuretic effect may strengthen the impact of diuretics, which can raise your risk of dehydration.
The autumn colours of the blueberry bushes on my deck are so incredible. With the lobeilia blue and sweet assylum’s white flowers off set by their varied greenery it is a picture to look at. I love the smell of the sweet assylum and the way it cascades out over the pot bring a softness.
There are still the odd cornflowers blooming and I hope the seeds are spreading all about the garden. Sitting on the table their are strawberries in the brown rounded planter, to the left are some new seedlings of cabbages and cauliflower.
I walked about the garden and noted there was a fig ready to pick. My thought I will pick this after a coffee. I shake my head, I now better than thinking anything about eating something from the garden. I was gone no longer than an hour. Sucombing to Busby’s ability to make me so uncomfortable with his need for a walk. On our return I wallked about the side of the house to refill the bird bath and pick the fig, TOO LATE beaten to it by the birds. I have to laugh. My fig produced a lot of figs this year, Sadly I do not feel most will mature. The beauty of gardening is generally there will be next year.
There is a lettuce growing in the fore ground of this photo above. It is self seeded and I always thought it was druken woman however that does not seem right now. It is tasty regardless.
The photograph to the right is a hydrangea I am growing from a cutting, I feel it may need to be potted up though it does look as if it is lacking some nutrients. To the left is a spinach plant. I just shove things in and hope. I may go out and repot this hydrangea this afternoon to give the spinach more room.
Looking from the deck into the garden there are tiny seedlings growing I am hoping they are a flower. Self sown again. To the back of the photo (left) is a cape gooseberry plant which has a couple of fruit on it not ripe as yet.
Photo above; Some of the seedlings I planted out into pots. I may have to replant some. I have cabbages and cauliflower, along with mignonette lettuce varieties. I have put the brassicas in pots as If I need to replace any of the ones in the veggie beds I can do it easily. I am also being rather hopeful that some will grow OK in the pots. I am aware they have not got a lot of room.
Silver beet with a broad bean growing with it.
One of my biggest problems is trusting my memory to know what things I have in pots and the garden and why. Strange I would imagine my memory would be fine at this. Since I have memory issues from blocking things out. I have absolutely no idea what these two things in the pot above are. For some reason I have cut them off something and popped them in the pots. One as you can see is growing. Any one know?
My first strawberry well first one that I got to enjoy. Sweet and juicy. I am not super hopeful for any more. Mainly since I just shoved the plants in small pots until I could find somewhere better. That was in Spring. sigh.
This photograph below show more of the seedlings I have potted up not to mention all the ones that I have put in my veggie garden beds. It really does pay to be careful when ordering your seedlings. I have shared before that I thought I was ordering individual seedlings and ordered for the number I desired. In fact what I ordered were punnets, so ended up with between 8 and 10 times the number of seedlings I really wanted. Thankfully my neighbour was happy to have quite a few too.
Above photograph. One of my lettuces that was in a pot that I wanted. I knew it was about to go to seed and decided to pull it out and sit the roots in water, It has worked a treat as now the flowers are forming seeds and I am spreading them about. I am sure mother nature is spreading them too. Lovely they will come up all over and suprise me.
Photo above: Does anyone know what the tall leafed plant is in the fore ground I am puzzled by it. Miners lettuce is growing in here and a kale. Miners lettuce has been going and going for years on the deck. I planted a few I had been given and they went to seed and self seed everywhere. I do not mind, they are a lovely green in winter salads. They are also great ground cover, and look pretty when in flower. Also makes good compostable green crop.
Photo above. Broad bean, peas, kale (weeds) all in a small pottery pot. I may have planted the peas. there may be both sweet and green peas in there. Oh dear my pots are so interesting and it will be quite a interesting time watching them grow and see which is more successful .
Poor kefir lime tree needed some love. Yet again it was infested with scale so I wiped it down with vinegar and wiped all the scale off, I noted it was lacking something. Light new growth leaves with green veins lacking iron. Iron chelate solution applied yesterday and leaves looking happier already. 24 hours later. I also gave the other citrus trees on the deck a solution of iron chelates.
Cape gooseberry flower
Cabbage on the right was full of aphids. I am very doubtful that this poor plant will produce anything. The caterpillars have decimated it and now with the heart of the cabbage a treat for aphids, I am thinking I should cut my losses, and compost it.
So a wee wonder about the deck on a warm if overcast Autumn day in the beautiful Huon Valley.
be safe, stay at home please! Blessings to You all Tazzie
It was a wee bit weird to be heading off to my small village, after being at home for 14 days. I had to get a script filled, and buy a few essential things.
I was really quite amazed at how busy it was in my small village. My local supermarket, IGA was stocked well with everything I certainly required. Yes some things I had to buy a different brand or variety, these things were a small price to pay to have what I needed. It was good that my Tasmania milk was available. There was toilet paper, flour, pasta, I did not need any of these. Dried fruit was a bit lacking. I was fortunate to get some sultanas. Just what I wanted. I have dried apricots I dried at home
I think I may have over dried them hard but delicious.
The plants in the photo below, are three I bought plus there are two lavenders on the right you can see the flowers. The three plants cost me $9AUS/$5.46USD/4.42 UK pounds a small prostrate rosemary, and two salvias, The two large lavender plants were selling for $24AUS/$14.56US/11.14UKpounds each, but they were in the unloved plants area and were $12AUS/$7.28USD/5.57 UK pounds each. I have some cuttings I had taken of some friends lavender plants but they would take several years to be as large as these plants. I know exactly where all of them will be going.
I also purchased some potting mix. I had a lot of seedlings of cabbage and cauliflowers to pot up. I accidentally ordered to many from my local seedling man Dave. I thought they were one seedling in each pot when I read his post on what he had available. So I ordered three of each of four cabbages, two red and two white, and four cauliflowers two different varieties. When the order was picked up they were punnets. So I have so many to plant. I am attempting to put them in pots and in the veggie garden.
If You look at the photograph above you an see seedlings basically in the middle of the photo these are some of the seedlings. I have to take out the tomatoes I have picked them all and wait for them to ripen.
New England Honey Eater
I love my garden this salvia is loved by these birds. This wee New Holland Honey Eater was happily getting nectar as I was potting up seedlings on my deck.
Above are the 3kgs/6,61Lbs for $12AUS/$7.28USD/5.89UK Pound of tomatoes I purchased from my friends who had a veggie store at the Cygnet Market,(which is closed due to the Covid-19 virus). They are selling their produce from their gate, you order and they book you to come one at a time to pick up. I wanted them for sauce. I had not told them this and they had picked me a lovely lot of varied ripeness tomatoes. I had to think fast. How could I ripen them all at once? I put them in my car, with the windows up. The next two days were gorgeous. Hot sunny and clear. This is how the box of tomatoes looked (photo above) when I took them out of the car/glass house. I have also used my car as a greenhouse for seedlings in the past.
I started the sauce yesterday (Tuesday). I had picked some rose hips in the morning to make some rose hip syrup. I put them on to cook, I just took the tails and heads of them, popped them in the saucepan whole put them on to come to a boil and left them to soften. I came back twice and mixed them to break the hips up and to release the juices. I then strained the seed and skins overnight catching all the juices. I then added some sugar. I do not add a huge amount as I do not like it too sweet.
The history of rosehip syrup
During the war, government scientists realised that, weight for weight, rosehips have over 20 times the vitamin C of oranges. So the Ministry of Food (UK) recommended rosehip syrup and a generation of children began receiving a daily dose.
During World War II, a national week for the collection of rosehips was established in late September. Scouts, guides and other groups would head out to harvest the nation’s hedgerows. In 1941 this produced a 200 ton haul of hips which made 600,000 bottles of commercially produced syrup!
With the growing popularity of foraging, the vitamin saviour of World War II has been making a welcome comeback.
As well as vitamin C, rosehips are a great source of vitamin A, D and E. They contain an anti-inflammatory and have been shown to help relieve the symptoms of arthritis.
In the photo above the tomato sauce is in the large jars on the left( with the seeds in them). The small jars in front with the red colour are my four jars of rosehip syrup for over autumn and winter. To the right of that t
Blackberry Thyme Oxymel
Based on a recipe from “Wild Drinks and Cocktails” by Emily Han
Ingredients
6 oz container of organic blackberries (approx. 1-1/4 cup)
½ cup roughly chopped thyme
1 ½ cups of raw apple cider vinegar
1 cup local raw honey
Directions
Place berries in a bowl and lightly crush.
Coarsely chop thyme and combine with blackberries in a glass mason jar.
Cover with vinegar, making sure thyme and blackberries are submerged with at least 1/4 inch of headspace.
Use a non-reactive lid and store in a cool, dark space for 2 to 4 weeks.
Strain the mixture using cheesecloth, add honey and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.
The final jar the tall jar on the far right with all the chopped up things in it is my Fire Cider Vinegar. I followed the recipe from Danus Irish Herb Garden. on Youtube. It is not quite ready to be strained.
I feel happy to have these items to go in my pantry in any year. This year with all that is happening as we here in the Southern Hemisphere are heading into Winter and the normal cold and flu season. The added concern of Covid-19. Well I want to be as prepared to have things to assist me and my body as best I can.
My garden provides so much the rosehips, the black berries, the garlic. All for free, as I now grow garlic from my own previous years supply. Horseradish seems to have fallen out of favour with Wasabi seeming to be many peoples preferred heat these days. I am very content with Horseradish.
I am thankful that Mother Earth provides me with so much free food. I am also thankful that she has given me the ability to grow things for myself. I am thankful that I was able to go out and do what I needed to today. I am thankful to be home, in my safe, isolation with my two dogs. I am thankful for the lovely fresh produce that is grown around me in this beautiful valley.
Autumn in Southern Tasmania is a beautiful time of year. In life before the changes that have and are being implemented here in Australia and my island state Tasmania,( different states within Australia have taken extra caution over others) and around the world, I was really only leaving my home for appointments, grocery shopping and taking my dogs for a walk.
I know I am so fortunate because of where I live and how much space I have.
As we are heading into Winter down under down under, I am ensuring I spend time outside and we have been having the most wonderful days here in Southern Tasmania. Brilliant blue skies, warmth, sunshine, bees and birds, butterflies and numerous other insects all getting prepared for winter. I watch things that make me laugh, and am dancing like no one is watching because no one is. My dogs make me chuckle.
I hope many other people are also taking time to see beauty about their own homes, and if you have them gardens. Or when out walking or wallking your dog.
Of course walking around my garden is so joyful I can finally see yellow petals appearing out of one of the self-seeded sunflowers. I am feeling uplifted that I at least will have one flower if not seeds.
Sun flower saluting the sun.
This time last year I was picking eggplants/aubergines and a plethora of lovely ripe heirloom tomatoes. I do have flowers on the eggplants, I am not confident they will develop fruit. My tomatoes on the deck are looking so much better than they had been.
tomatoes on deck
Tomatoes slowly ripening
Egg plant/Aubergine
My butternut pumpkin has filled out more and is beginning to change colour to the pale orange/fawn colour. (photos below)
I also have one resonable sized pumpkin (sadly I have forgotten the variety) with two more that have begun to get a bit larger. Perhaps I will be able to harvest them too. (photos above)
My zucchini I really have to laugh. No one I know has ever had so few zucchinis I may get two more if I am lucky for a grand total of four. Neighbours are offering me theirs every time I see them from a social distance.
you can just see the zucchini behind the tomato on the left and he tiny two in the photogarph on the right
My broccolini is producing very small heads and I pick them regularly and eat them raw or cooked. I am a bit disappointed with them. I have let some go to seed to see if next year they may be more productive as they have acclimatised to my garden.
brassica bed first two photos, broccolini on deck gone to flower.
I have one capsicum/pepper plant that just keeps on surprising me, it has so many capsicums on it, four are such a good size. Several others are getting larger. I am very happy with this particular plant that came from a punnet of seedlings I purchased from my local hardware garden centre. The two other plants are in a different bed. The large capsicum is in my asparagus bed. Much happier plant.
top three photos show the two capsicums bottom two photos show the capsicums/peppers that are really growing well.
Seed saving will be happening from these I can tell you, Actually seed saving from all my successes is really important.
Seed saving from your own fruit and vegetables that you have successfully grown in your own garden, means that this seed is now acclimatised to your weather, hours of sun, exposure and soil. Though I know some of my seeds will not be true to the variety that they came from. As long as the result is edible and tasty I will not be complaining.
The above group of photographs show a self seeded bed with a couple of cabbage seedlings, rocket and coriander. In the next bed is cucumber I have one growing you can see this one last photo middle row. Broad beans some with flowers, along with self sown cabbage and an unknown brassica.
I am happy with the seedlings in the post on my deck which have carrots, beetroot, silver beet, and kate. I am finding that there are many self sown seedlings appearing in many other pots. Every time I look I see more funny combinations. I have know idea how many will grow and mature providing me with peas, and broad beans from these pots. No matter how I try I will always have miners lettuce throughout winter. I am not really complaining well yes I am it pops up in every pot. It is perhaps one of the easy winter greens to grow. It just comes back every Autumn and is really nice to eat, even children love it
The photos below are mostly of my plants in pots on the deck. The herbs sage, rosemary, thyme, mint and oregano. Lemons and limes. Lobelia, alyssum, strawberries, onions chives, garlic, chive, carrot seedlings, beetroot seedlings, silver beet and spinach. Amaranth, violas,
I am thankful for a roof over my head, I am thankful for all the hospital workers Nurses Doctors cleaners administration staff, pathologists, ambulance workers, police, supermarket staff, those landlords who are offering rent reductions, or free rent for a month or more without being made too.
Echidna Home 
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