CHICKENS & VEGE GARDEN

Who doesn't love chickens???? Our chicken run is now right behind the vege garden, this makes it so easy to get rid of unwanted veges and waste. The chook pen used to be at the other end of the garden, so it makes more sense here.

As you can see above the vege garden opens into the chook pen and then out to this large paddock that they have free access to daily, lots of insects and worms out here. Having them here also keeps insects down in the vege garden.

This pic is from the hilltop where the goats milking shed is, from here you can see the green house and chook pen surrounding it. We have 23 chickens and one rooster. 10 are ones we hatched and raised ourselves and should be starting to lay soon....

We have had a sprinkle of rain in the last 24hrs which makes everything nice and green, also makes it a good day to be working in the vege garden. At the moment we are harvesting cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, capsicum, chilli, zucchini and asparagus....Lots of salad food perfect for the weather we are having.

Today I planted out the garlic bed, now I already have some shallots planted in here but they will be havested soon and more garlic will go in. The potatoes are down the other end of the vege garden as I will be planting onions in the next bed and they shouldn't be planted close together. I have planted my own garlic that I saved from last year,I also got some from Diggers club called Italian Late and New Zealand Red... Not sure what mine are as I just saved them and forgot to mark them so I called them Mandy's Mix hahahaha....

Soon to go in beetroot, carrots, cabbages and lots of brassicas, also broad beans..... Such a wonderful time to be in the garden as it starts to get cooler.... Have a great week all, we are heading to Brisbane on the weekend to watch our grandson Mason Swim....Really looking forward to seeing them all... Blessings Mandy

Winter time.....

Well it's that time of the year when the stove is lit and keeping us warm....

Something about Winter makes me all homely and content to stay indoors baking.

I have my sour dough up and going and baking bread every day is a job I love....

So do my hips!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heading out to visit my girls after work today and will be taking my sour dough with me...

Really can't trust the boys to feed it.

This photo is all about love.

Cousin love 

Friend love

and Grandma loves it..

 Every morning I enjoy a cuppa with the crazies on the farm....

These 2 aren't sure what the are.

Human

Dog

Cat

duck

but surely not chooks, so we won't tell them.

They roost at the top of the orange tree every night, chickens are rain forest animals.

So apparently trees are where they feel safe. I can not keep these two in the hen house so the yard is there domain.

I hope you are enjoying the slower rhythm of winter, and enjoying the

cold nights by the fire.

Food Forest...

I woke up to the sound of rain last night.

Not a lot but still better than none. It is so dry here that there isn't even any green pick for my chickens. Each morning I go out and weed and take them down so that they are getting there greens. We get 10 eggs a day from our 14 girls so I need to keep them happy.

We sell 3 cartons a week which pays for the grain so our eggs are free.

I am thinking we have to fence of the food forest and let them go in there where it is still green.

Well greener..

This area is slowly coming along and the trees getting some height on them.

We have at last count I think 36 different fruit trees/vines...The passion fruit has fruit on it and the citrus trees are loaded.

This is our 1 lonely pumpkin from a self set vine....we have already had 2 frosts so the vine isn't in good shape.

This mandarin tree has never done well, this year the fruit is dying on the tree..

Any suggestions at all? I think we may have to cut it down..

I can't wait till the day when we won't have to buy any fruit at all....The fruit I do buy I get from our farmers market each Thursday when I'm there....At the moment we can't get enough of the Stanthorpe apples. Plus our bananas, which are the best of coarse....

Well I better be going and packing for the markets.....

Blessings

Mandy

Lazy Days.....

School is back on and our 2 weeks of Lazy days are over.

Spending time with William in the garden and just slowing down has been nice.

I love the light of Autumn and how it shines in through the door and warms the now cool mornings. I do love Autumn, I start to feel the need to sew and crochet and just make....

I am going to do some more sewing for the grand babies, Charlie has his first birthday coming up and the theme for his party is Indians so I am going to make him a out fit...

Also a dress for Sieanna and some little pants for Henry to start with..

I have also been experimenting with soap...

Below is Himalayan salt soap. Great for exfoliating your skin and help with healing blemishes.

Experimenting with soap making is so much fun and you are only limited by your imagination.

I am still doing 2 markets a month and enjoying them, but that is going to change soon as I start doing a weekly market.

Last Thursday I went with my friend to help her at the weekly Farmers market here in Toowoomba.

Bronwyn sells eggs and chickens all pasture raised. Well she got talking to the lady that is running the markets about my soap, and I was invited to have a stall. Very exciting.....We will share a stall for now  and I will see how things go..

One advantage of your best friend owning a chicken farm is I have stopped doing my own chickens and just get them straight from Bronwym....Having a brother move in that is also a poultry butcher helps in the piecing of the birds as well...

I still do something though.......the cooking,

 nothing like a nice chicken pie for dinner...

Today I am looking after this little princess for a couple of hours which has been lovely.

 I hope you all enjoy your week and in Australia the long week end coming up.

Blessings 

Mandy

A walk through The Rainforest (Dad's Garden)

Hello and welcome.

Two weeks ago I showed you my front garden, today we will go and have a look 

down at the Rain forest garden....Other wise known as Dad's garden...

My garden is rather large over 1 acre.

So each area is named, mostly so when I say I'm going out to the garden the kids know where I am.

There is

 The Front Garden,

Dad's Garden,

Back Garden

Vege Garden

The Old Dairy Garden

Food forest

Yep that about covers it.

Did I mention I have a large garden.

Below is looking back at the house and front garden.

I have been forbidden to turn this bit of yard into a garden as this is where 

all the football, cricket etc is played.

Behind the hedge is the pool.

Now that I have totally confused you come in and have a look

through the rain forest.

The palm trees were planted 19 years ago, and I am still planting

plants under neath, they are so tall now and under neath looks a bit bare

in some areas.

I love my old wagon here though really adds some interest.

This is the pond and that is the back shed and fence in the background' the pond catches all the run off water that goes through here. We have so many goldfish they just keep breading down here.

You can see how tall the palms are, and areas that need replanting.

Lets head down this path to the very back fence and the 

red gate at the end. Mind your head on the mulberry tree here.

The bananas are doing well down here and we have 3 bunches growing.

I also have flowers on my coffee bush for the first time.

 The red gate leads into the chook pen, the girls thought they were getting

feed again. We have 18 chooks at the moment.

This is looking back to the wagon and pond.

I love this garden and the grandchildren are at the age now were they 

run through the forest as they call it and play.

These steps lead up to The Old Dairy, but we will leave this garden for another time.

This is the other side of the steps and heading back up to the house.

You can see there is plenty under cover planting here.

Lot of ferns and birds nests in this area,

 Well we are out of the rain forest and at the pool house.

Ahead is the back garden, we will do that another day I think.

Lucky I love gardening....

I must admit this garden looks after itself with the great micro climate down here.

I hope you enjoyed your walk.

Have a great week.

Mandy

A Sunny Day....

The coolness of winter is slowly passing, and Spring is in the air.

See the sun coming in and it is only 7:15, through Winter it is well past 8 before the sun comes inside.
This morning is glorious after the rain last night..
Lets put our boots on and go for a walk...

Every thing looks so fresh, we are in real need of rain as the dams are empty and the tanks are low.
Having the rain and warmth has put me in good mood...lol

The girls are waiting at the gate to be feed and they too are scratching around after the rain.

We rescued some chooks from being killed on the week end...These chickens only crime- There eggs are too big and Woolies doesn't want them....
Sad but true, so they are enjoying scratching about and learning to be birds...

They are slightly looked down upon by the Heritage chooks but I am sure they will all start to get on soon....

The pond is nice and full and doing its job of catching the water.

The Jasmine is all out in full bloom so it is even staring to smell like Spring...

Enjoy your week and I hope for those of you that have had a colder winter are starting to get a little Spring in the air..

Thank you for your lovely comments ladies last blog and not forgetting me.....

Blessings

Mandy