Yes, another kilo of cherry tomatoes! I have even taken to freezing them now as well as making relishes, jams and sauces. The squash was a big surprise as I did not even check the vine last week. I have just let them run their course as most of the plant have died off now due to the heat. I may even have another smaller one coming along.
I went out to pollinate the pumpkins and, you can only just see the dark shape of a bee in the flower. Good to see they are out there doing their job for once :)
There were alot of them hanging around these grass flowers, so it's good to see something is attracting them as I do not have any flowers in this part of the garden.
The surprise squash.
I picked up this secondhand sprouts kit the other day for $10. I had eyed this off at Mitre 10 for Christmas but was not prepared to pay $40 so, considering it still came with four packs of seeds, it was a bargain!
I filled each tray with snow pea and alfalfa seeds.
I then stacked them on top of each other, and put a cup of water in the top. The water then filters down through each layer, moistening the seeds. You do this 2-3 times a day until they sprout. Sounds easy, will keep you posted.
I had a clean-up of my recycling shelves and brought the rest of my glass jars in to remove labels and clean, ready for preserving. I soak them in soapy water and then use a nylon scourer to get rid of the glue. Some jars even needed a bit of eucalyptus oil to get rid of it all - especially the indian curry jars!
My preserving drawer is now full of jars again :)
I gave the verandah a makeover and created a nice place to sit and enjoy the view.
I finally hung my brahmi. Easy to reach and use for my green smoothies.
I also hung my Aztec Sweet Herb which I am not sure how to use yet.
I finally got organised and planted my seedlings. I put some seed raising mix into a bucket and found an old scoop.
I cut some labels form an old yoghurt container.
And filled up my newly washed seedling trays with soil and seeds. I have capsicum, savoy and sugarloaf cabbages, silverbeet, red and mignonette lettuce, bok choi and sweet corn. Not a bad start, but still have more seeds to buy this week. It will be interesting to see if the bok choi and capsicum grow because I harvested these seeds myself.
I fashioned a watering bottle with holes cut into the lid, and watered the seedlings in with epsom salts dissolved into the water. This tip was from Rhonda at Down to Earth and helps promote germination.
Oh, and I also managed to bake a little this week. These are banana weetbix muffins from The Organised Housewife and the kids loved them in their lunchboxes.
My simple living weekend is cut short by Army cadets tomorrow, but the boys and I are very excited about starting so it will be a fun adventure for us all.
Hope you have had a lovely weekend! Any suggestions for great cherry tomato recipes? I could use a few more :)
