ha ha Gillian..Gemsquash it is! LOL! I have always loved gems.....and had some last year for the first time in 9 + years! Bought it at the international delli.....well i am determined to try grow it here next year...i believe there is a SAFFA growing a crop of them up in Queensland and selling them to some supermarkets.....
Gosh you have had a fantastic life...a sail boat nog al! :) My dad was a keen fisherman and always out on the boats and down at the sea,,,,so I have sea water running through my veins! So love the sea and beach ...sigh!!! Yeah i heard about the fires danger down in South Australia and I guess that makes us rather vulnreable....I live near the Dandenongs and there is a huge fire danger there this year...so summer is going to be a nightmare season for us all...I live more in an open suburban area but last year we had fires there too!
Hi Gillian,
The brown drip hose is just from the local mitre ten store.
We have not had to replace any.
It is under mulch and the shade cloth is up for summer.
You can view it at number 5 photo on my page.
Have a great day
Maggie
Hi Gillian
I always enjoy reading what you write on KGI. Maybe I will get back to commenting when the days are a bit cooler. It is great to see Kathryn online again and Glen comments are great.
Well I best go do something else
Cheers
Maggie
At 11:43pm on November 16, 2009, Mary Riekert said…
Hi Gillian
I am a North Coast girl who arrived in Melbourne in 1987, from JHB. I envy you the tropical fruit. We can buy most things down south but they never taste as good as they should and the though of pawpaw, mangoes and passionfruit produced real envy! I know you have to put up with the humidity and the disease it brings but I'd give anything for a steamy Natal/KZ day. We're in the middle of an unexpectedly hot, dry spring (32 deg tomorrow and 36 on Thursday) and the gardens which were magnificent thatnks to october rain have just wilted.
Cheers
Mary
Hi Gillian, Wow you have been here a long long time. We got here in Jan 1999....so love it in Australia...we went straight to Melbourne and have remained there despite the awful weather! YUCK! But i must say i am so gettin used to it, and loving the season changes. We have just bought the land and will start building in the new year. We expect to move in anytime between April and beginning of June.... I have always loved gardening but didnt go into veggies etc. My parents and grandparents were always big on kitchen gardens and my mom's parents were farmers in Senekal area....so its in the blood. My children are all grown up now , but two girls still living at home and i love it...its company and fun! Will love to catch up for chats with you about life in Oz and gardening news etc...cheers Steph
Yes, I've heard that we can grow papayas/pawpaws indoors from the seeds of supermarket fruit, and that the plant will fruit in the first year. I'm not a big fan of them, but my daughter is. I actually like the flavor of the seeds better than the fruit. Good project for us to do together, in any case, a Jack Sprat kind of thing...
On the bananas, the Lady Finger was the only fruiting dwarf plant available to us, although there was a superdwarf cavendish, which at 1m tall was too dwarfish for our purposes. If they're too sweet for eating out of hand, we can always use them in milkshakes or something (if our lady actually produces fingers in the space we have eked out for her in the warmest, sunniest corner of the house). Anyhow, it's all an experiment, so we'll just sit back and see what happens.
Peace,
Maya
In South America I was always told that you shouldn't eat passionfruit before the skin is all wrinkly, and I've always had it that way. There are yellowish ones like yours and purplish ones. Do you let the fruit age before you use the pulp?
I'm trying to add fruit-producing tropicals to our houseplants, not to feed the family, but as treats and a visual reminder that plants produce food, as we only get to see that in summer. So far we have a calamondin orange, and I've ordered a dwarf Lady Finger banana (my son wanted it to shade his freshwater fish tank from the low-angle winter light that streams directly in his bedroom window) and a Petite Negra fig. Passion fruit and limes are on my Christmas list. Keeping humidity high enough is a trickier proposition for us than temperature and light, as wood heat really dries out the air.
Sounds like you have some very interesting stories to tell. The kookaburras sound lovely. İ am Australian and have lived from Tasmania to Queensland. İ love Qld the most and that is where most of my family are. Been here for 5 years and it is very interesting and very different.
Hi Gillian
You will have to post a picture of one of your passionfruit when ripe, so we can see the colour.
I think what we are growing are passionflowers that will tolerate lower temperatures, but just happen to go on and produce a fruit. They are not really edible.
PS: I gave my eldest son a jar of the tomato jam and he was really enthusiastic. He,s been putting it on salami sandwiches, for work.
I've not given it a proper trial yet. Maybe for tomorrows lunch as i have some nice feta cheese.
Hi!Gillian, yes ours is a very hot area as desert of THURR starts only after two hundered kilometers . We have good sun through out the year except an occasional frost in late December and early January.
Hi Gillian
I think there are two ways of making comfrey fertilizer. You can make the diluted stuff by putting leaves in a large bucket of water and leaving them to decompose. [ Similar to nettle tea.] Or you can make the concentrated stuff by by packing the leaves into a container [on their own] with a hole in the bottom. When the leaves decompose the concentrate drips through the hole into another container beneath.
Good luck. I certainly think its a good way of getting something for nothing.
Hi Gillian, I felt "I was reading your mail" this morning, there is often not much happening online when most of the members are sleeping so I often just look to see what people are discussing.
We are going to have a good look at Glen's photos tonight.
I guess he makes his comfrey tea on his allotment plot.
We are just starting to plant our summer seedlings.
I shall put some photos on soon.
The yard looks lovely, green grass, bees and flowers, things going to seed.
I just went to an organic shop near me and bought 2 lovely cabbages I am going to make some sauerkraut.
I need dome big jars though!!!
Hi Gillian,
I found Glens comfry recipe while I was looking for info on sauerkraut!!! It is under his photo of his comfry pot.
Wow he has a great garden.
Your garden is looking lovely too.
Hi Gillian
I,m really impressed by your ability to fast for so long. Well done!
Its something i,m sure i could never do.
With regard to the the tomato jam, i have not tried it yet so i wouldn,t say it was a failure. I did zap it with the mixing stick to disintegrate up some of the skins. It certainly smelled nice.
If the skins turn out to be a problem for me but it tastes nice, all i will do is put it in the liguidiser and turn it into tomato sauce.
Hi Gillian
How was your 40 hour fast. Did you manage to go the distance?
I had a go at making your tomato & chilli jam tonight. I wonder if there was something missing from the instructions, Were the tomatoes supposed to be skinned before putting in the pan.
I seem to have a lot of skins in the jar. Tomato skin jam just does not have the same ring to it.
Hello Sumitra, Thankyou for sharing your pictures. Your students are beautiful. I thought
of you the other day as I watched a documentary about Nepal on the television.
Hi Sumitra,
It is great to see your photos and bee hives.
Like you I long for equality for all people on this planet.
If all people could grow their own vegetables it would be a great thing.
It is very hard to know that lots of people do not have ...
My father-in-law Fred Pond died ten years ago. He loved his garden and I still miss him a lot
especially at this time of year when the seed catalogues start arriving. The Pond family lived
on a seven acre homestead of sorts in Westford Massachuset...
I think this might need it's own category, don't you? Tomatoes are one of the most popular things to grow and we've been placing them in all kinds of groups, but the fact is we almost all grow them, and they have specific needs.
The cooking shows are entertaining, but that's all. Some of my favorite recipes started with notes handed down from family. They're still as good as ever. James Beard, Joy of cooking, and Professional Chefs Manural are good references. I have over...
Several people have experienced difficulty putting working links into comments and blogs etc and I know it is clumsy.... so here is how you do it.....
First type the text you want to appear.... ie IAN'S PAGE
Then go back and highlight the link text.
Then hit the hyperlink button...a pictogram of a chain link.
Your browser may intervene and request permission to allow temporary scripting or some similar message. Allow it and go back and highlight the text again
Hi, I'm starting to put together a few guidlines on using the discussion forum on here.
I would be happy to hear any comments you may have. This is very much a work in progress so plese feel free to ask me to add anything you think is needed.
I don't want to make our community hide bound by rules and regulations but I think that, as the community has grown, some explanation of what is expected is needed.
Hi Everyone, I've started to collect together recipes from various posts on the site and put them all together here.
If you have a recipe you want to add on here, just post it on the site and leave a comment on my page telling me where it is and I'll go and fetch it back here.
They are organised in Contributor Order but I'm open to better suggestions!
AK - Alaska AL - Alabama AR - Arkansas AZ - Arizona CA - California CO - Colorado
CT - Connecticut DC - Dist of Columbia * DE - Delaware
FL - Florida GA - Georgia GU
Recently there was an excellent discussion about composting. I’ve pulled together all the various comments here. You can also watch KGI's video on composting here.
KATE’S ADVICE
I used to have a tumbler that we made from a wine-barrel but
Gillian's Comments
Comment Wall (62 comments)
You need to be a member of Kitchen Gardeners to add comments!
Join this Ning Network
Gosh you have had a fantastic life...a sail boat nog al! :) My dad was a keen fisherman and always out on the boats and down at the sea,,,,so I have sea water running through my veins! So love the sea and beach ...sigh!!! Yeah i heard about the fires danger down in South Australia and I guess that makes us rather vulnreable....I live near the Dandenongs and there is a huge fire danger there this year...so summer is going to be a nightmare season for us all...I live more in an open suburban area but last year we had fires there too!
The brown drip hose is just from the local mitre ten store.
We have not had to replace any.
It is under mulch and the shade cloth is up for summer.
You can view it at number 5 photo on my page.
Have a great day
Maggie
I always enjoy reading what you write on KGI. Maybe I will get back to commenting when the days are a bit cooler. It is great to see Kathryn online again and Glen comments are great.
Well I best go do something else
Cheers
Maggie
I am a North Coast girl who arrived in Melbourne in 1987, from JHB. I envy you the tropical fruit. We can buy most things down south but they never taste as good as they should and the though of pawpaw, mangoes and passionfruit produced real envy! I know you have to put up with the humidity and the disease it brings but I'd give anything for a steamy Natal/KZ day. We're in the middle of an unexpectedly hot, dry spring (32 deg tomorrow and 36 on Thursday) and the gardens which were magnificent thatnks to october rain have just wilted.
Cheers
Mary
On the bananas, the Lady Finger was the only fruiting dwarf plant available to us, although there was a superdwarf cavendish, which at 1m tall was too dwarfish for our purposes. If they're too sweet for eating out of hand, we can always use them in milkshakes or something (if our lady actually produces fingers in the space we have eked out for her in the warmest, sunniest corner of the house). Anyhow, it's all an experiment, so we'll just sit back and see what happens.
Peace,
Maya
I'm trying to add fruit-producing tropicals to our houseplants, not to feed the family, but as treats and a visual reminder that plants produce food, as we only get to see that in summer. So far we have a calamondin orange, and I've ordered a dwarf Lady Finger banana (my son wanted it to shade his freshwater fish tank from the low-angle winter light that streams directly in his bedroom window) and a Petite Negra fig. Passion fruit and limes are on my Christmas list. Keeping humidity high enough is a trickier proposition for us than temperature and light, as wood heat really dries out the air.
You will have to post a picture of one of your passionfruit when ripe, so we can see the colour.
I think what we are growing are passionflowers that will tolerate lower temperatures, but just happen to go on and produce a fruit. They are not really edible.
PS: I gave my eldest son a jar of the tomato jam and he was really enthusiastic. He,s been putting it on salami sandwiches, for work.
I've not given it a proper trial yet. Maybe for tomorrows lunch as i have some nice feta cheese.
you utilized a corner for a garden.
I think there are two ways of making comfrey fertilizer. You can make the diluted stuff by putting leaves in a large bucket of water and leaving them to decompose. [ Similar to nettle tea.] Or you can make the concentrated stuff by by packing the leaves into a container [on their own] with a hole in the bottom. When the leaves decompose the concentrate drips through the hole into another container beneath.
Good luck. I certainly think its a good way of getting something for nothing.
We are going to have a good look at Glen's photos tonight.
I guess he makes his comfrey tea on his allotment plot.
We are just starting to plant our summer seedlings.
I shall put some photos on soon.
The yard looks lovely, green grass, bees and flowers, things going to seed.
I just went to an organic shop near me and bought 2 lovely cabbages I am going to make some sauerkraut.
I need dome big jars though!!!
I found Glens comfry recipe while I was looking for info on sauerkraut!!! It is under his photo of his comfry pot.
Wow he has a great garden.
Your garden is looking lovely too.
I,m really impressed by your ability to fast for so long. Well done!
Its something i,m sure i could never do.
With regard to the the tomato jam, i have not tried it yet so i wouldn,t say it was a failure. I did zap it with the mixing stick to disintegrate up some of the skins. It certainly smelled nice.
If the skins turn out to be a problem for me but it tastes nice, all i will do is put it in the liguidiser and turn it into tomato sauce.
How was your 40 hour fast. Did you manage to go the distance?
I had a go at making your tomato & chilli jam tonight. I wonder if there was something missing from the instructions, Were the tomatoes supposed to be skinned before putting in the pan.
I seem to have a lot of skins in the jar. Tomato skin jam just does not have the same ring to it.
Welcome to
Kitchen Gardeners
Sign Up
or Sign In
KGI's book of the month
Latest Activity
From the KGI Main Site
More photos from KGI's first global gathering
Gardeners Have the Power!
Braised brussels sprouts with pine nuts
Garden Q & A: extending the salad season
New White House kitchen garden videos
KGI is going to the White House (and we want to take you with us)
Optimal timing for your garlic harvest
Garden Q & A: Harvesting tomatoloons
Roasted potatoes with basil vinaigrette
Garden Q & A: Organic pest controls
Notes
HOW TO - ADD A LINK
Several people have experienced difficulty putting working links into comments and blogs etc and I know it is clumsy.... so here is how you do it.....
First type the text you want to appear.... ie IAN'S PAGE
Then go back and highlight the link text.
Then hit the hyperlink button...a pictogram of a chain link.
Your browser may intervene and request permission to allow temporary scripting or some similar message. Allow it and go back and highlight the text again
… ContinueCreated by Ian Jun 7, 2009 at 7:28pm. Last updated by Ian Jun 8.
Forum Policy
Hi, I'm starting to put together a few guidlines on using the discussion forum on here.
I would be happy to hear any comments you may have. This is very much a work in progress so plese feel free to ask me to add anything you think is needed.
I don't want to make our community hide bound by rules and regulations but I think that, as the community has grown, some explanation of what is expected is needed.
Administration
You can refer any que
… ContinueCreated by Ian May 23, 2009 at 1:55am. Last updated by Ian May 25.
Climate maps
Hi following recent discussion I have put climate maps of the USA, Australia and Europe on here for reference..
Climate map of the USA
Climate map of Australia
Climate map of Europe
… ContinueCreated by Ian Sep 12, 2008 at 6:20pm. Last updated by Ian Apr 14.
Recipes, Recipes, Recipes
Hi Everyone, I've started to collect together recipes from various posts on the site and put them all together here.
If you have a recipe you want to add on here, just post it on the site and leave a comment on my page telling me where it is and I'll go and fetch it back here.
They are organised in Contributor Order but I'm open to better suggestions!
BEVA'S RECIPES
… ContinueCreated by Ian Jun 2, 2008 at 9:54am. Last updated by Ian Apr 13.
US STATES ABBREVIATIONS
US STATE ABBREVIATIONS
AK - Alaska AL - Alabama AR - Arkansas
… ContinueAZ - Arizona CA - California CO - Colorado
CT - Connecticut DC - Dist of Columbia * DE - Delaware
FL - Florida GA - Georgia GU
Created by Ian Jan 27, 2009 at 4:27pm. Last updated by Ian Jan 27.
HOW TO - MAKE COMPOST
Recently there was an excellent discussion about composting. I’ve pulled together all the various comments here. You can also watch KGI's video on composting here.
KATE’S ADVICE
I used to have a tumbler that we made from a wine-barrel but
1 you have to fill it up all at once
2. it seemed mostly
… ContinueCreated by Ian May 30, 2008 at 5:29am. Last updated by Roger Jan 15.
Notes Home
Welcome to Notes.
To view notes that are in the system hit the "all notes" button above.
ContinueCreated by Ian May 28, 2008 at 12:10pm. Last updated by Ian May. 30, 2008.
A Note about Notes
I have just written this note so that I can see what we can achieve by using this new feature.
If you read this and have any suggestions then please leave a comment on my page or email me.
Ian
ContinueCreated by Ian May 28, 2008 at 6:19pm. Last updated by Ian May. 28, 2008.
© 2009 Created by Kitchen Gardeners International
Badges | Report an Issue | Privacy | Terms of Service