It's been a busy week at the Farm

 It's been a busy week at the farm.  The coffee bushes have been planted in large pots because they have to be taken in out of the frost during winter.  For the rest of the time they will do duty in helping to screen the luscious-to-chooks but unsightly-to-humans chook pen.

coffee bushes

 Behind the coffee bushes and in front of the chook fence you can see little blobs of straw.  The straw covers some rosella seeds which Jane planted last week and which are already poking little leaves through.  Rosellas make great tea when the red petals are dried.  They're also very attractive bushes (related to hisbiscus) and will also screen the chook pen.

The corrugated iron is to stop foxes digging under the fence

The chicks have done a lot of growing too - much bigger and stronger this week

The pawpaws have been in pots over winter and have grown quite healthy and strong.  During the week John dug rows for the pawpaws and on Saturday Shane helped plant them.  Definitely my favourite fruit.  There are more coming on in pots too.  The next challenge will be fruit bats and possums.  Watch this space!

Pawpaws

Well rotted cow manure to help them grow.

 These are the new compost bins built recently by Joe and John.  They've been ready for a while but this week John had the time to pile dirt and weeds and dirt on top.  Then lino to mulch it all.  What you see below is fresh weeds added from this weeks weeding. Phew!

The weather has been absolutely brilliant over the last few weeks.  Lots of rain, lots of warmth and lots of sunshine - adds up to good growing weather.  Anita and Janet are taking advantage of it to plant pumpkins, sweet potatoes and watermelon.

This is where the green manure was growing until recently.

 

These sunflowers are self sown.  I couldn't resist including them here though.

 On our Projects, Prizes and Presents page (see the pink writing at the top of this page) you will find a list of things which have recently been sponsored by well wishers.  Amongst these were two mango trees.  One has been planted in the chook pen to give shade during the hot summer.  It also means the chooks can eat any fallen fruit.

Can you see it in the pen?  With its own little fence around it to stop the chooks scratching it up.  The shade cloth you see on the right hand side is the chick's pen.  The shade cloth provides shade and also keeps the crows away (they like to eat little chicks).

Young mango tree in the chook pen

Young mango tree just outside the duck pen.

Umbrella to shade the vegies

 As you can see, many things are happening all at once at the Farm.  We have some new helpers too which is very welcome.  At this time of year things can really get out of hand and everything needs to be done at once - harvesting, weeding, planting, digging, hoeing, mowing.

As well as hands we also need more tools, particularly good quality gardening forks.  If you'd like to help out by sponsoring a fork, a tree, a rose please have a look at our Projects, Presents and Prizes page.  Above you can see that wonderful big umbrella donated by Michael and Deborah.  As well as making it look kind of country marketish, it provides much needed shade.  Thank you both.

On that page, you'll also see some art work and a present for you.  In the next couple weeks you'll also see news of a prize you could win!

cheers for now
Norid