June plot

After weekends of waiting, where it felt like we did nothing except weed #$!@ loads of soursobs, the last of our Winter veggies went in. I had been dreaming of what yummy things we could plant and sow for weeks now, and with the cooler months upon us, we breathed a huge sigh of relief once they were all nestled into the soil. 

Without any further adieu here is a quick review the successes and crappo things we grew last season. See January Plot.

These grew VERY well from Jan-May and we WILL plant again ...

• spinach / rainbow chard (these 11 plants feed us, both our parents and my friends weekly - and they are still pumping!)
• basil, coriander, oregano and thyme
• dwarf sugar-snap beans
• Top Weight carrots (satisfying to pull out, yummy)
• beetroot
• bok choy (fast growing, but loved by insects)
• Sweet Bite cherry tomatoes (these 9 plants have given us over 100 deliciously sweet tomatoes - and they are still putting out flowers and fruiting)

These will NOT be grown again ...

• radishes (eeewe, need I say more?)
• rocket (too hot and peppery)
• golden beans (slightly tasteless)
• purple haze carrots (soil issues send their roots leggy and spidery)

The broccoli we planted in March survived a frustrating caterpillar massacre but have all developed beautiful compact emerald heads. We have been eating them for dinner steamed with butter, salt and pepper. They're so much tastier than store bought veggies! *Note: After being unsuccessful with organic pest methods of  removing and killing them by hand and an oil chilli and garlic mixture...we use Yates Vegetable Dust. We apply it fortnightly and the little green guys die within the day. It's good stuff!

Above: Our sweet Lucy enjoying the shade beneath our makeshift sun shelter (sheets and some old lattice) in Feb. She obviously thinks the veggie garden is all for her. Even during these cooler months we find her curled up among the leeks on a bed of pea straw.

Despite hating 99% of photos of myself  I just need to get over it! So here are a few which show my super enthusiastic feelings towards pulling out our first beet, hehe :)

Happy gardening

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things I am grateful for...

... chilly Autumn mornings,

gorgeous Autumn colours, 

warm crocheted blankets on our sofa,

All in all - our garden makes me happy these days. Read up on more gratefulnessess over at Maxabella Loves.

** A mighty thanks to those who have left sweet comments about my photos recently, and to those who are helping me to improve them. Every kind comment makes me smile. I am still in the early stages of learning how to use my Canon slr, and could never have imagined I would love taking photos this much. 

Happy leaf crunching underfoot everybody xxx

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How much does this look like Australia? Gum trees and all. Munnar.

Kalaripayattu traditional martial arts performers, Munnar. 

Floating petals.

Girls rolling incense, Mysore.

outdoor bulbs 2011

I heart Autumn. Actually while we were away on holiday I was patiently looking forward to coming home simply to remove my bulby babes from their Winter home (aka. the fridge veggie drawer) where they had spent 6 chilly weeks, and begin an epic planting!

Garden Express did a great job of providing me with just over 300 Spring blooming bulbs in good condition. Most of which were planted a few weekends ago in pots outdoors or in garden beds (bit scared about this one... I've never planted bulbs in our garden) however some are indoors - photos soon.

I have various Tulips in fancy dresses and in almost all colours of the rainbow, Daffodils, Jonquils, Blue Grape Muscari, Snowflakes and Freesias. Our garden beds should resemble a packet of Skittles in Spring with Ixias, Sparaxis, Anenome and Rannunculi dotted about among the naturalizing daffodils that came with the garden when we moved in.  I have never had any luck with Rannunculi but adore them... so fingers crossed we'll have a bloom or two this year :)

* Are you considering planting bulbs this Autumn? They say May is the final best month for Spring blooming bulbs to be planted throughout the cooler areas in Australia. So do get planting if you were thinking about it. It's worth it :D

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A masala chai wallah cleaning up used glasses, Madurai. 

We became utterly addicted to this drink, consuming it almost whenever we came across it
(for approx 20c a glass who wouldn't). It always came super hot in tiny glasses, and smelt perfectly spicy but sweet. We particularly loved watching the steaming tea being poured from one glass to another from crazy heights.

Oil lamps in Sri Manakshi Temple, Madurai.

Lovely oil bottles at an incense factory.

 

Tea pickers in the blissful hills around Munnar.

Tea popping from a picker's haul.

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Bananas anyone? I love this.

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Temple flowers and ornaments hanging from a wish tree (these are wishes for children - little beds), Madurai.

Indian's take serious pride in their transport - especially trucks!

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 Clay pots and flowers sold at entrance to a Hindu temple, Chennai.

Auto rickshaw.

One gorgeous bike.

Chennai

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After deciding not to accept a job in Cambodia towards the end of 2010, we started throwing ideas about of a yummy holiday instead. So last month we packed our bags (not to mention hand-sanitizer!), said goodbye to work and ventured out of Adelaide on our dream trip to Southern India and Sabah, Malaysia.

Let's just say that I was rather snap happy (especially in India), in fact my delicious new camera's shutter got a hardcore workout and took 2000 photos! I'll be sharing some of those that I hold particularly close to my heart. There is something so magnificent about India - the people, religions, land and traditions are just so different, vibrant and captivating. The way we feel towards this country is the most difficult to explain... we were sometimes utterly shocked, then amazed, next upset, then disgusted (mostly by smells!), only to be in awe the next minute and finally ended up falling in love with the place.

For me these are special moments frozen in time, shared with my wonderful travel buddy xx Love you Loon.

Bike on a Chennai roof-top.

Marina Beach market stall, Chennai.

Marina Beach, Chennai.

Brightly painted tower of Sri Meenakshi Temple, Madurai.

Cycle rickshaw in Old George Town, Chennai.