Africanaussie

I have mentioned before that my path into blogging started with an organization called KGI .  It was really a series of forums, and I learned so much about building up the soil, growing organically, how important comfrey was, why to cut the lateral branches off tomatoes...  It was a whole new world of gardeners I had discovered.  There were hundreds of helpful gardeners that I could ask questions of and share my success and failures.  For the first time I was exposed to the world of blogging and cautiously started my own blog. Then............ Roger Dioron said things had to change - well!  was there ever an outcry!  "the old bunch" started up our own forums on the new site, but it was never really the same.  I got involved in my own blog, and my followers, and the blogs I was following, and occasionally would venture back to KGI, but it just did not have the same feel, and I couldn't ever connect back with my old friends.... I got the monthly newsl...

Growing up we always used to eat dinner sitting at the dining table.  Dinner was at 6.40pm and whoever was around was welcome to join us. We always said grace; taking turns, For what we are about to receive may the Lord make us truly grateful Amen. I can't say that as a child I was truly grateful for every meal, but I do look back with nostalgia at the family discussions, with no TV running, every evening, without fail. Lately I have been feeling truly blessed by the fact that I do have enough good wholesome food to eat, and have been making a point to silently give thanks before every meal.  A minute too, thinking about those less fortunate can make me more aware of different ways I can help the many hungry poor in this world. I have learnt some wonderful grace's over the years: God is great God is good, let us thank Him for our food. thank you for the world so sweet thank you for the food we eat thank you for the birds that sing thank you God for everything....

I have mentioned before how comfrey is a hugely important part of my little garden.  In some areas I understand that you cannot get rid of comfrey, but I ofen lose plants during the wet season, so always have some that I keep in a pot and then I can add plants in areas that have died off.  I like growing it against this fence behind the herb spiral. Because of its long root system it mines minerals from deep in the earth and stores all this goodness in its leaves.   I keep cutting the long side leaves off and add them to the compost, the inlet to my wicking bed and then also into my comfrey fertilizer factory.  I dont like to soak the comfrey leaves in water as they get very smelly and then my hubby and my neighbour give me strange looks and wont come near me for days. What I do is make a concentrate, and this can be diluted down and used as a (non smelly) foliar spray. I use the 2 litre empty milk bottles, but you could use whatever size you want.  You wil...

I read a blog post today that got me thinking:   littleecofootprints  started a very interesting discussion about enjoying what we have, living with less, and living simply.   I love the quote she started with, I cannot find absolute proof that Socrates wrote it, but whoever did write it has encapsulated the way I would like to live my life. "The secret of happiness, you see,  is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less." Socrates wrote this 2500 years ago. Wow!  how come we still have not got it? One of my neighbors made me this little chime/hanging made with scallop shells.  Its little tinkle is very calming, reminding me to stop and smell the roses - Oh wait! I don't have roses :). I know that this weekend with the grandkids, when I asked them on the way home what they had enjoyed the most, it was planting seeds.  We had talked about it for weeks.  There was a lot of anticipation, and I made a poin...

My six year old grandson is very keen on gardening, and luckily we had him and his little sister for the weekend.  We could plan, and concentrate and oh my gosh!  was it fun! :)  I have been so blessed to get these free packages from MrFothergills   They have an amazing range of kids gardening kits and supplies. I set up a table to work on and we first of all opened up the two packages inside where they could do their labels and  see what was on offer.  One kit was vegetables, and these were planted as suggested in a little patch directly into the garden.  I worte the labels and they added stickers to them,  I find the packets of compressed coir seed mix (you re-constitute into a bucket with water) are great for covering a thin layer over the planted seeds. Then the next kit was flowers for a butterlfy garden but they had to be started in pots, so those labels were made as well, and placed on thier little potting table at the back of th...