Wednesday, September 14, 2011

so....it's been a while

Well, it's been a while. But I've quit my job again. hehehe

How FREAKEN reckless is quitting without something else lined up? Frankly, I'm pretty excited. Wouldn't you be? I'm all for people resigning...One thing I've learnt, I'm not a very tolerant person anymore, but whatever, freedom here I come oh how I've missed you!!!

So what will I be doing now I'm a man of leisure?

Eating savoury muffins from Green Refectory (at least once a week, it'd be a crime not to, and I don't want to be criminal)
Eating pistachio torsades from Brunswick East Project (again, crime not to)
Having lunch at Pope Joan (again, crime not to)
Going to CERES to buy fresh produce
Going to Fitzroy to buy overpriced stuff but loving the quality and exotic-ness and whilst I'm there eat damn good roast beef paninis from the Brunswick St Alimentari... (crime not to)
Having breakfast(late brunch) at Babkas (crime not to)
Start cooking from my 4 dozen or so cookbooks...
Try and do chocolate classes because I think having a chocolate factory is my destiny awaiting.
Plant a shit load of vegetables and figure out why the hell my tomato seedlings don't seem to be doing very well - can you believe all that effort gone to waste? GONE TO WASTE.
Maybe take my dog for a walk...(just guilt)
Fly interstate for a day...or maybe...fly to Kangaroo Island...my dear friend Southern Ocean Lodge, oh how I've missed you. (almost crime not to, but borderline)
Drink amazing coffee in the spring sunshine with a pair of brand new wayfarers that I haven't got

Exercise like my life depended on it.

Oh yeah, and maybe look for a job if I run out of money.....but I figure I'm going to win the lottery any day now so I'll just wait for that.

So I hope you're super jealous....What else do you think I should do?

-Dave

Saturday, September 3, 2011

My urban garden...Early Spring update.

Well, lets just say there has been drama in the garden. My tall peas collapsed because I ran out of trellis - who would've thought they got that tall? I mean, seriously. It is disappointing has the flowers have been prolific but collapsed peas don't do very well at all.

The broadbeans in the shaded garden didn't do as well as I had hoped, so I cut my losses and just dig them in - if they won't flower, they can be green manure.


The romanescos that I was so excited about started off well, but for some reason they seem to bolt - like all the other cabbages. I'm thinking it has to do with the sandy soil and/or lack of sun?? But frankly, I don't know. All I know is to not repeat what I did this year - so next year, in goes the brassicas in heavier soil, with the sunniest spot I can find.



Where there are failures, there is optimism. I figured I can grow carrots where there is a little bit of space. They don't need much horizontal space...just deep soft soil. So here, is my one success. Yes that's all you get.



Well, for the official start of spring, I've ripped out all the brassicas, cleared a space in amongst the nasty rose bushes (I have battle scars), bought a few wine barrels and got a damn lot of cow shit delivered. I am determined to get summer plantings right this year.


I've started a lot of plants in my little propagator which I bought online. Eggplants, tomatillos, tomatoes, peppers, some herbs, and a lot of alpine strawberries have been systematically started since mid July.


I am ambitious this year, the list of varieties of plants and vegetables is incredible. I don't have space for many plants, but I'm determined to try one or two of each...how else will I ever know what works and what doesn't?

To be continued....