Thursday, November 20, 2014

made to measure

November, the month of new toys. 
I 'ordered' the shade house to fit the little spot outside the tunnel house and fit it does. 
It reduces the tunnel-house-transition-to-garden to literally one step, out the door.  
The wood is recycled pallet hardwood, Pacific Teak, delivered to site by our neighbour who brings us a steady supply of pallets through the year. 
I can't imagine what a better neighbour would look like. Except his wife of course. She looks better. 



 Chortles when I mention my new water butt that graces the little supply station here. 
I'm looking up 'butt' in the dictionary to justify the word. Oh yes o.k., slang for buttocks, but here is my working definition 'a cask especially as a measure of wine or ale'. 
I consider it fits. I'm facing disbelief that it's a proper word. 
The hoses are at the other end of the garden and it is for all those moments when I need a bit of water at this end. There is liquid manure in the white bucket so I can distribute a little tonic more easily now, which makes it more likely to happen. 
Who doesn't do better for a little tonic now and then. 



Hard to see what I took this photo for. Except of course, I know and I can see clearly.  
I picked up some 'kale' plants from vege club, grown from saved seed; saved, cross-fertilised seed it would seem, sending out broccolli-esque shoots and odd, large leaves. 
The shoots are delicious, the leaves aren't bad, I'm just snapping them off and steaming them, all good to me but they're not going to have any longevity which is more what I was after with Kale. Something to quietly grow and hold-in there through the seasons. 
Now you can juice the ribs, nothing needs to be wasted; it's up there  with jerusalem artichoke juice: virtuous. May not get any repeat takers on it. Alright, won't get any repeat takers then. 



The brag shot,  Italian zuchinni, only brag because it is mid-November in Dunedin, and a cold wet one at that. I never buy zuchinni, so this is a treat; not quite as good as your first strawberries or new potatoes of the season but still something to fully appreciate. 


I just threw the  wood box in on the theme of
humble pallet construction. Super recycling here, when it breaks we burn it for firewood. 
The ashes are the only part that's thrown away. Very neat.        

2 comments:

  1. I wouldn't call that wood bin "humble", that's fantastic! The juiced stalks would be more in the "humble" line. Either that or "punishment"!

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  2. Well that's true. In fact, as with everything else, if it breaks, 'we' would fix it, the royal we, not me. I'm still keen on the juiced stalks. I don't see too much difference between that and barley grass which is so good for you, and neither tastes great. It's all talk at the minute...

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