Friday, November 21, 2008

Flood warnings


Flood warnings across Gippsland kept us home this week, but last weekend we almost cleared the final main areas of ragwort, built the outhouse, found several new rainforest fern valleys during our wanderings, entertained Esher, started strengthening the side walls across the new road dam with structural logs and small native trees using some of the several hundred small native trees kindly donated to us recently, entertained Escher some more, discovered a beaut horse stud nearby and (whew) used some ferns I brought from town to revegetate the first part of the creek valley we initially cleared of blackberry. The wet weather means we can continue to plant tough small natives without too much worry of them drying over summer. And it keeps the snakes from coming out, but by all accounts there are loads up in the Strezelecki's so its a serious issue we have been considering.

Weeding the stragglers




















Replanted creek bank - watch it grow!




Delicate ferns are regrowing along the creek now




The very proper outhouse




Thursday, November 6, 2008

Update + Gallery Two

Two weeks of contrasts, hard work and full bellies. Thanks for all the kind comments and encouragement, it's great to have people following this project with interest.

Week one was sunny and balmy, T-shirts at night, soil dry, very hot work weeding, but so many wonderful animals spotted on a clear warm starry night: A large black wombat, 4 small but very bouncy kangaroos, a small wombat who's bum reminded me of a womble and a big black wallaby hopping back into the pines. On another day bright red Rosella's squabble at sunset, Morepork Owl's hoot in the late evening high above us.

Week two gave us very very heavy rain, treacherous access, very cold nights but easy soft soil (thankfully) for weeding (lots of it and still more to go) and re-ferning, plants are starting to be transferred from city gardens to their new home. The kitchen is up and running with great style.
Expect recipes soon!! We pride ourselves on provincial and wholefood cooking and think that it is something worth sharing.

With all the spring flowers we hope to establish a beehive soon. We love fresh honey and there appears nothing more satisfying than helping bee's make their own from yummy native and non-native farm flowers like that seen below and all the sweet blackberry!

Meanwhile here are more photos taken on the property (except the fabulous neighbours Llama).


Views to next door property across tree'd boundary

Lovely gums of 'The Grove'

First Valley, now almost ragwort free, I love the amazing shades of green

Native spring flowers are everywhere

Moss is cool

Nice shot by Laurie

Laurie in the soon to be famous kitchen

Raja in heaven

Top of waterfall

Looking down waterfall valley to distant eucalypt state forest

Blackwood tree's are also cool