Space Pods

Recently, my little home town of Beerwah underwent a facelift organised by Council.  Underground power was installed in the main street, new footpaths, gardens with exotic native plantings, a complete revamp all round really.  Including "Street Art" -  because in todays world Councils believe no works are complete without spending dollars (and lots of them) on Artwork.   Here is a look at ours.............

Yes - that was my first thought too!!!!  Something from outer space.  And what pray tell does that have to do with the sleepy country town of Beerwah?????

The sculpture/art constists of one large "Mother Ship", for want of a better word, and several smaller "Space Pods" dotted along the footpath.  Little, knee high, ones these are - just waiting for the unsuspecting person to stub their toe and go arse over the top.

The sculptures are created from patinaed steel, bronze and copper.  They have an integrated, sensor driven lighting system that turns on when movement is detected and turns off when the street is quiet.  Supposedly, artist Russell Anderson used a fictitious story to help inspire his design.  The story goes something like this........

At one time Beerwah was home to hundreds of pineapple farms.  The competition was fierce with growers constantly looking for ways to create bigger, sweeter less spiky fruit than their neighbours.  Another important edge was to be “first-to-market” thereby attracting the best price early in the season.

In this regard, the years between 1931 and 1951 were dominated by one farmer – ‘Speedy’ Joseph King.  He worked solo on his patch and never hired pickers.  One day the field would be full of pineapples, and the next it would be empty.  No-one ever saw the pineapples leave his farm but they were always there at the market, ahead of everyone else.

Many gossiped about his seemingly mystical gift but it wasn’t until the late 1970’s when his property was auctioned by Public Trustee that Joe’s secret came to light……..

The equipment sheds on Joe’s farm were overflowing with mechanical equipment and bizarre machinery as had never been seen before.  Information from his journals makes us believe that the most advanced of these pieces of equipment appeared to be a “Matter Transporter” complete with isolation pods – designed to allow the safe transportation of his fruit quickly to market. 

  

Definitely a talking point amongst the locals.   Is the story true?    Are they necessary?    How much did they actually cost? 

But foremost on everyones mind..........watch where you are walking or the little ones give you a very close encounter of the footpath kind.

 

Growing in December

The first day of Summer calls for a wander in the garden don't you think.........  

Wandering amongst the plants always makes me remember reading a lovely nostalgic saying from Audrey Hepburn -

"To plant a garden

is to believe in tomorrow"

I have lived here now for just over 6 years and no truer words could be spoken when I look around at the abundant gardens we have established.

Each year during Winter I cut back the "Vibernums" at my back door to let in more light.   Here they are shooting again so they can provide shade to my kitchen window from the western sun as Summer arrives.  Another couple of weeks and they will be as tall as the guttering.

 

Some of the new pineapples forming.    I planted 12 pineapple tops a couple of years ago and now have a crop that continues producing for me without any cost ....... Pick a pineapple - plant the top back in the soil for the next year.  

 

Down in the orchard, the Tamarillo (tree tomatoes) are just ripening.  Tamarillos add such a sweet, fruity zing to a fresh salad and can make the most divine drink for a hot day.

Tamarillo Coolers

• 4 tamarillos
• 2 teaspoons stevia powder
• sparkling mineral water or soda water

Halve tamarillos and scoop out as much flesh as possible. Puree in a blender or food processor or pass through a sieve. Mix with sugar to taste. Fill three or 4 glasses with ice, pour over some puree and top up with chilled soda or mineral water.

 

And this year is dawning to be the best ever year for our grapes.  Only 1 grape vine but it stretches for nearly 15 metres along the support fence at the rear of the orchard.  It is literally covered with fruit.  I am on the hunt now for the best way to preserve most of it.  I have never made grape juice/wine but I am sure my friends over at the Down to Earth forum will steer me in the right direction.

Peach Harvest

Today I ventured to the orchard to check the progress of all the trees after our bizzare Spring weather.   We have had a little more than 2 inches of rain over the last two evenings but this has at least moved the temperature to a more bearable 28 degrees.  Earlier this month the temperature was soaring into the high 30's and up to 42 degrees for several days.  

My peach tree (a tropical peach) is fruiting at present and is covered with netting.  This is to stop fruit fly and also keeps the birds away from the ripening fruit.

 

Not having checked the tree for several weeks, after removing the covering, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of fruit clinging to the branches.  Several had fallen to the ground and were gladly being eaten by some ants but all in all the fruit looked very healthy and well on its way to ripening. 

 

I harvested a full basket load.   

There is nothing better on a hot day than a juicy, cold peach straight out of the fridge - biting into the flesh and having the juice run down your chin...........bliss.

I am sure this first basketfull will be eaten quite quickly by the family, but with nearly another 100 fruits ready soon I will have to pull out the recipe books I think.  Stewed in a pie?? Made into jam ??

Granny Square Throw

Earlier in the month saw me doing the yearly "de-clutter"  slash "clean out" of the craft cupboard.  I was truly amazed at how many partly used and odd balls of 8ply yarn I found hanging about in there from long forgotten projects and bargain finds at the op shop.

A sure fire, quick way of using up these odds and ends to make something worthwhile and useful for yourself, or for giving as a gift, is the humble granny square throw.

Three weeks later,  here is a pic of my completed blanket which measures a nice size of 1.4m x 1.4m.  This is a great size for throwing over yourself whilst cuddled up watching the TV or for giving to a friend to do the same.   

As all the leftover yarn together makes the throw a bit too colourful for my decor inside the house - I have decided to keep it on the back seat of the car.  This way it can come in handy whilst travelling or provide some extra comfort when hanging out in one of those budget hotel rooms I seem destined to constantly pick to stay in when we decide to go away for the weekend.
 

Below is an up-close detail of what a standard, humble "Granny Square" is made up of.  Full instructions for completing a granny from start to finish can be found HERE. 

 

August in the Garden

August is the month of starting to be able to "reap what you sow".   Always in the garden I am able to pick some herbs, a lettuce, tomatoes or some spring onions - these are always in my garden year round.  August, on the other hand, is when all the cold loving vegies start to mature.

Cauliflower and broccoli are being harvested and all the cabbages are hearting well.  I usually just pick cabbage as the need arises - it lasts longer in the garden than in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.  I am so happy with the brassicas this year I have just planted another dozen of each to see how they go.  Knowing my luck, Spring will jump in really quick this year and the whole lot will be a waste of time. 

Tonight we are having grilled chicken breast and steamed vegetables with a satay sauce for dinner.  The broccoli, yellow cauliflower and rainbow chard I have just picked will go beautifully with some carrots and potato.

 

The Kale plants, at present, are just enormous - I keep cutting them back and feeding it to the chooks.  Kale is a very acquired taste and as yet I have not been able to get my family to eat it just as a steamed vegetable or added to a salad.  Juicing it doesn't turn me on either, so after a quick search on Pinterest I found a recipe for "KALE CHIPS".    On further inspection I then found you can flavour them to your hearts content.  Salt and vinegar, Soy and Sesame and French Onion just to name a few ..........They sound quick, yummy, and easy to do so I'm off to have a go.

Laundry Liquid

Today I made another batch of laundry liquid and thought it prudent for me to take some photos of the process and do a tutorial for you to follow.

I have been using this homemade laundry liquid for over 2 years now and find it very easy to do, extremely economical, and it has a remarkable cleaning ability - even on Roger's work clothes.  The following recipe makes 20 litres of washing liquid and I use 1 cup (250ml) in my top loading washing machine or reduce it to 1/2 cup (125ml) in a front loader.

RECIPE

 300gms pure soap flakes

300gms washing soda

100gms "Vanish" oxypowder

20 litres water

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

20 litre bucket with lid/cover

 stir stick (long enough for your bucket)

measuring cup

saucepan and wooden spoon (can be just one out of the kitchen)

My large 20 litre bucket I purchased from "Bunnings".  It came with a lid but was very hard to put on and off so Roger made me a wooden MDF cover with a handle which works well.  (it doesn't need to be airtight you just need to keep the dust out)

 NOW HERE WE GO....

Place the soap flakes in the saucepan with about 1 litre of cold water.  Gently heat on the stove, stirring constantly, until the flakes have dissolved completely.

 

Make sure you stir continuously otherwise the soap will stick but don't stir too vigorously or you will end up with a pot full of bubbles.  Remove from the heat when all the soap flakes

have dissolved.

Pour the dissolved soap flakes into the 20 litre bucket and half fill it with hot water.  Stir in the washing soda and oxywash powder.  Now gently fill the bucket with more hot water.  Give it a stir and you are finished until tomorrow morning.  The brew just needs to be left overnight to cool and thicken.

Leave the lid off overnight.

In the morning your cold liquid will be a lot thicker.  Give it a good stir and decant some into smaller containers to store in the laundry.  (I keep my 20 litre bucket in the garage)

The washing liquid does tend to separate in the container when left for any period of time.  Don't worry....just give it a good shake before you use it.

Getting Ready to Plant Seeds

Propagating seedlings from seed is a very rewarding practice.  I still get very excited on the mornings I walk out to the potting shed and discover little green shoots pushing their heads through the soil.  Knowing, with some love and attention, that these new, fragile seedlings will one day grow into nutritious vegetables for my family dinner table.

I purchase my seeds from :

•   GREEN HARVEST 
•   EDEN SEEDS
•   DIGGERS

All of these suppliers offer organic, open-pollinated, heirloom seeds at a very reasonable price, posted straight to my door.  The majority of my seeds I get from Green Harvest.  They are located in the South East Queensland hinterland as is my property.  The seeds from them, are of course then,  fully acclimatised to my area - making them stronger and more suited to my environmental conditions.

A good quality "seed raising mix" is essential for good germination and although there are many recipes out there to make your own I still purchase SEARLES  in larger quantity bags which I find extremely economical.

Seeds can be planted in any containers that you have on hand.  Egg cartons, old butter or yoghurt containers, the bottom of cardboard milk cartons, anything really that you can puncture some drain holes in the bottom of and that will hold the seed raising mix.   A "Yates" propagating tray and lid is another piece of equipment that I use all the time as well.  The lid reduces airflow and allows the soil to retain moisture until the seeds germinate.  Many other recycled objects, such as softdrink bottles and other plastic containers, can be used for this purpose but if you are going to be germinating a lot of seeds, investing in a proper set up is well worth the money. 

 

I do, however, use an old softdrink bottle as my watering device.  I have used a very small drill bit and drilled holes in the lid.  This allows a very fine shower of water to moisten the potting soil very gently without disturbing the newly planted seed.  

Once you have gathered all the necessary equipment you are now ready to start planting. 

Basil

We are lucky here in Queensland to be able to grow basil nearly all year round.  It grows best in warm to hot climates as it is very sensitive to cold and frost.  However, in the height of Summer it is best grown in some shade as the leaves can burn in the extreme sun.

 

The warm weather sees basil plants literally flourish.  Regular water and the occasional feed with liquid fertiliser helps with this.  Keeping the centres pinched out will also inhibit flowering and promote a bushier plant.  Basil is a popular companion plant in the garden as well - planting it next to tomatoes and capsicum will improve their growth and helps repel some fruit fly and other pests.

Fresh leaves can be picked at any time and are great added to salads and dips.  They can also be cooked with vegetables, especially tomatoes, to make sauces, curries, as well as pizza and pasta dishes.  The leaves can also be used to flavour herb vinegars and oils.

With such a prolific growth rate it is also beneficial to harvest and store some of the leaves, for use at a later date, before the plant flowers and dies off.  The leaves can be preserved in olive oil in the freezer or dried in the dehydrator and then stored in an airtight container.

My favourite storage method is to make BASIL PESTO - its so easy to do and very, very tasty.

 

Pesto has many uses - It can be :

• Used as a pasta sauce
• Spread over toasted Turkish bread
• As a dip, on its own, for crackers or chips
• Used as a sauce for steamed vegetables 
• Added to soups and stews

These are just a few ideas and the fresh pesto can be stored for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Remaining batches of pesto can be then frozen.  A convenient method is to freeze in ice cube trays overnight and then place the cubes in a freezer bag for storage when frozen.  The appropriate number of cubes can then be defrosted for use.

Another recipe which uses basil, fresh or frozen is TOMATO BASIL SOUP from "The Prudent Homemaker Blog".  This has quickly become a family favourite in my house - great for cold nights in Winter with some warm, freshly baked sourdough bread ........Yum

July in the Garden

July is such a pleasingly, productive time in my garden.  With very cool, crisp mornings warming up to sunny 19 to 21 degree days means perfect weather for vege growing.  Everything looks lush and green and the "False Nutmeg" bush has burst into flower making the front garden a spectacular sight.

The cabbages have all started to heart and the broccoli and cauliflower have all produced a head that grows larger each day.  The potatoes and beans are thriving as is the kale and snow peas.  For some reason this year I am not having a problem with white cabbage moth.  Occasionally, I notice them flitting around the garden but as yet only 1 cabbage has been attacked.  Still spraying with "Dipel" once a week - just in case.

I am still harvesting quite a bit of silverbeet, chinese cabbage, kale, lettuce and shallots.  In the first week of the month I planted a second run of snow pea, silverbeet and beetroot, hopefully this will extend the season a little longer.  A couple of nasturtiums were added too for a jump start on some Spring colour. 

The basi plants have flowered and are just about spent so I will cut the remainder and make some pesto for the freezer.  It's such a great time of the year as well for full size tomatoes.  Not a fruit fly in sight - so the Roma tomatoes are looking good and hopefully will start to show some colour soon.

 

 The test planting of carrots this season also seems to be progressing well.  The mixture of river sand with potting mix, in raised tubs, seems to be the answer to the soil issues we have had in the past.  I am hoping for an abundant crop .......maybe.

All the herbs are doing tremendously well and I will, over the next couple of weeks, start to preserve them.  As well as using the dehydrator I aim to try freezing some in olive oil iceblocks and making herb butters.  Denice passed on her recipes for oil and vinegar infusions so I will hunt out some fancy bottles and have a go at them too.

Wool Dryer Balls

None of us like the thought of having to turn on the clothes dryer - they are such a huge drain on the household electricity usage.  However, after about the third day of rain, when you are running low on clean knickers and the laundry basket is starting to overflow there sometimes is no other option.  When you have to...using felted wool balls in the clothes dryer can save you some money.

Dryer balls are simply felted balls that bounce around in your dryer.  You just throw 3 to 6 balls in with the load and here is what they do.......

• absorb moisture from the clothes, cutting the drying time by 25 to 50%
• help reduce static cling
• soften the clothes
• can lightly scent clothing by adding essential oils (optional)

 

A full tutorial on how to make a felted wool dryer ball can be found at

 "One Good Thing By Jillee"

Once you have a set of six balls made all you need to do is sprinkle a bit of essential oil, lavender is my favourite, on the balls and throw them in with your load of wet clothes.

SIMPLE BUT VERY EFFECTIVE.....GIVE THEM A SPIN!!

Crochet Edge Blanket

This is a very quick, easy, inexpensive gift idea for someone special.  I bought a polar fleece throw (1.4 metres x 1.6 metres) for $7.00 in the Mother's Day sales.  It was a "dream" find as the blanket stitch around the edge had already been completed and it had rounded corners.   Blanket stitching and corner shaping is usually the most time consuming part of a project such as this.  With all that having been done I was ready to go .....

The yarn I used was some leftover 8 ply from a previous project and a number 4.00 crochet hook.

EASY CROCHET EDGE

Row 1  -  1 sc in the top of each blanket stitch (except for the 10 stitches as you go around the corner - place 2 sc in the top of each of these 10 stitches) in all four corners.

Row 2  -  Ch5 skip next stch, sc in next stch, ch5 skip next stch, sc in next stch.........continue around and join with a ss to complete row.

Row 3  -  ss in first 2 chains of first chain loop.  From this 3rd chain (the middle) continue as follows.  Ch5, sc in 3rd chain of next loop, Ch5, sc in 3rd chain of next loop.......continue around and join with a ss to complete row.

**Repeat row 3 until border is desired width

A really quick and easy pattern but once I had finished it looked a bit plain so I decided to dress it up a bit with a few embellishments. 

The flower pattern can be found here and the pattern for the leaf here (make sure to scroll right to the bottom of the page for the leaf tutorial).  Both are really simple and when I finished I just slip stitched them in to place with some quilting thread.  A few buttons of course sewn on for the flower centres.

All in all I am quite pleased with the result and I have another gift ready for when it is needed.

My Nana

Lily  Isabel  Glassenbury

31st August, 1912     to     22nd June, 2014

102 years strong

LOVE YOU NANA GG

AFTERGLOW
I'd like the memory of me
to be a happy one,
I'd like to leave an afterglow
of smiles when life is done.
I'd like to leave an echo
whispering softly down the ways,
of happy times and laughing times
and bright and sunny days.
I'd like the tears of those who grieve
to dry before the sun
of happy memories that I leave
when my life is done.

 

Keith Urban

I just love country music!!!!

Remember I said - "country" - any type, style, new, old, it doesn't matter just as long as its country - not "western".   Trouble is I don't often get the chance to sit down and listen to any as I spend a lot of time out in the garden (don't want to get my i-phone dirty) and when I am inside, the airspace in my home seems always to be monopolized by my son listening to his vast collection of cd's.  

I make up for it when I am out in the car though - all my favourite cd's are lined up in the glovebox ready for my "alone time".  They just need to be fed into the dashboard cd slot and......away I go.   Singing along with gay abandon, oblivious to the stares of other road users as I pass them on my way.

Isn't it funny how when you are alone in the car you think you know all the words to all the songs and just sing along at the top of your lungs, not caring what you look like to those outside the car, peering at you, thinking......weirdo.

 

The other time you seem to let go of your bashfulness is at a live concert.  I think this is because there are always thousands of other people there with you that think they are sensational singers too.   Really, everyone just blends into the crowd, all of us just being yet another noisy "fan" having a good time. 

This week I was lucky enough to be able to go to the Keith Urban - Light the Fuse concert at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.   A W E S O M E ! ! ! !  Can't get much better than Keith, in his denims, on stage, belting out a tune on his guitar.

Don't believe me!!  Just check out this youtube - I know you will be all dreamy-eyed like me soon enough. 

To Skein or Not to Skein

Several months ago I purchased some skeins of cotton from ECOYARNS.   They are Australian suppliers of 100% organic, fair trade cotton which is plant dyed by hand using Traditional Methods.

After seeing the wonderful array of colours available and the 100% organic cotton label - I was hooked.  Seeing the yarn in a skein (which I had never used before) also spoke to me of being that much more organic, simple and more of a "starting from scratch" kind of project.   I just needed to.......... "get me some of that" as soon as possible.

I dashed to the mail box everyday for a week waiting anxiously for my parcel to arrive.  Finally, there it was...my yarn had arrived.

I eagerly tore open the parcel, untwisted the first skein and began to try and wind it into a ball.  Oh my gosh....what a mess - my lovely skein, after a few turns had turned into a tangled, knotted mess.  The more I twisted and turned the yarn trying to untangle it,  the more it knotted.  Low and behold the tears started to flow.  After two hours of trying to wind, then more detangling and cutting, I had produced 4 tiny balls and a huge pile of tangled yarn.  I picked it all up and threw it to the back of the cupboard and tried not to think about the money I had wasted on the other 3 skeins that I had purchased, with now,  no way of winding them into balls.  

Then a few days ago, I met Rhonda from "Down to Earth" who enlightened me to the wonders of her antique wool winder.  Yes...it looks like something from Star Trek but it is truly an awesome invention.

After a hands-on lesson at her kitchen table, over a cup of tea, I was flabbergasted at how simple the whole process of winding a ball of yarn could be.  Five minutes and you are done.   Thankyou, Rhonda for the lend of your wool winder.  I now have all my skeins neatly wound into balls ready to be knitted into a project. I am also on the lookout for my very own wool winder.  Scouring the internet and shops.

And I emphasize to all who read this.....YOU CAN NOT ROLL A SKEIN OF YARN INTO A BALL BY HAND.   Never, ever, ever attempt to try !!!!!!

June in the Garden

Ahhhh......the beginning of Winter  -  such a favourite time for me here in the garden  -  easily my most productive season throughout the whole year.  Milder temperatures, less hot sun, not as much torrential rain and a greatly depleted population of insect pests makes it a happy time for me - "THE GARDENER".

I have growing at the moment :

• BRASSICAS - Sugar Loaf Cabbage, Pak Choy, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Kale
• LEAFY GREENS - 3 types of Lettuce, Silverbeet, Spinach, and Rainbow Chard
• LEGUMES - Bush Bean, Climbing Bean, and Snow Pea
• SOME ROOT VEGETABLES - Carrot, Beetroot, Sweet Potato, Ginger, and Yacon
• TOMATOES - Full size (at this time of year) makes a change from the little cherry tomatoes
• POTATOES - Really healthy in their homemade planter towers
• PERENNIALS - Asparagus, Pineapples, Comfrey, Aloe Vera   

And of course as always

• HERBS - Oregano, Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary, Mint, Lemon Balm, Basil, Coriander, Chives and Spring Onions

Making sure my seedlings "get off to a good start", I have found that surrounding them with an old pot works a treat.  Simply cut the base out of a small pot and, after planting the seedling, place the pot over the top pushing it into the soil about 2 centimetres.

 

This method makes it extremely easy to water and feed the seedling in its early stages of growth and protects the young plant from slugs, snails and cut worm.

 

After the leaves start to protrude from the top of the pot, simply lift it off, wash thoroughly, and it's ready to be used again.   The seedling would now have established a thicker stem and a more intricate root system which will enable it to fend for itself better in the wilds of the vege patch. 

I find all my plants benefit from a regular feed with seaweed or a home made compost tea.  Regular being at least once a week.  The brassicas will also need a spray with "DIPEL" to deter the cabbage moth which is out and about in force this time of year, and I do keep the soil well mulched the keep in the moisture. 

I Quit Sugar...

It has now been six months since deciding to eliminate sugar from my diet.  And I must say I feel healthier, lighter, I am no longer bloated, and have so much more energy......

"QUITTING SUGAR IS A WAY OF LIVING WITHOUT PROCESSED FOOD" - Sarah Wilson

Quitting sugar for me is about eating what I think my grandmother would have eaten.  Eating wholesome foods that have not been mucked around with.  Also, as I don't think my grandma flew off to the gym twice a day, my exercise is balanced to all the incidental activity that occurs in my daily routine.

[STATISTIC : 100 years ago the average person ate 1kg sugar per year. 2014 now sees the average at 60 kg per year]

100 years ago people ate basically what was grown and available locally.  They ate eggs for breakfast, a salad sandwich for lunch, meat and simply prepared vegetables for dinner.  They drank whole milk and had the occasional piece of fruit as a treat.  They cooked their own food and made all their meals from scratch.    

OBESITY, HEART DISEASE AND HIGH CHOLESTEROL WERE BASICALLY UNHEARD OF

There are many books available to read about eating, sugar free, but the ones that fit best with my beliefs and lifestyle are those written by SARAH WILSON and are available HERE.

Her first book - "I Quit Sugar" and then the follow up "I Quit Sugar...For Life".  

Both books are very easy to read, come with lots of suggestions and encouragement and contain hundreds of simple to follow recipes.

 I believe eating sugar free also helps me to tread more sustainably on the planet and live a more productive, simple life.

Olive Oil Soap

Today is the 8 week mark since trying out a new recipe for some Olive Oil soap.  It now means my soap should be dry enough for us to use.   Mmmm........it smells divine.

My first attempt at Olive Oil soap was a bit disappointing  -  it was very soft and went extremely "gluggy" in the soap dish.  I then discovered "SOAPCALC" , an on-line soap calculator.  After I ran through a few different ingredients it came up with the following recipe for me.

OLIVE OIL SOAP

• 532 mls water
• 198 gms lye (caustic soda)
• 1000 gms olive oil
• 400 gms coconut oil
• (and I added 5 mls lavender essential oil) optional

I mixed both oils and water/lye together at 50 degrees and although it took a while to come to trace, when it did, it poured into the moulds nicely.

After drying for the last couple of months the soap now seems extremely hard, is a lovely shade of vanilla in colour and has held the lavender scent quite well.

As they say "the proof is in the pudding" ....................so I'm off to the shower now to test it out. 

Growing Yacon

This year, I am trying my hand at growing another crop of Yacon (Polymnia Sonchifolia).  I purchased 4 small plants from Daley's Fruit Tree's and planted them out into one of my raised garden beds at the end of December last year.  The yacon plants grow to about 1 and a half metres in height with quite large leaves.

Clusters of lovely daisy-like yellow flowers came on the plants in early May and soon the tops of the plant will start to wither and die back over Winter.

Once the plant has died back to just some stalks it can be harvested by lifting up the "root ball" with a large fork. This must be done carefully to avoid damage to the tubers.  After washing away the soil from the root ball the rhizomes need to be separated from the tubers. Tubers last better if  they are left in the sun for two days to toughen up the skin before storing.

THE FOLLOWING VIDEO SHOWS THE LIFE OF YACON FROM PLANTING TO HARVEST

After harvesting the rhizomes store best in a cool dark place in a pot covered with sand or sawdust.  This will stop them drying out until they are ready to plant out again next Spring when the soil warms up again.

Here's hoping that my harvest will be a bountiful one........

Homemade Linen Spray

I recently came across a wonderful recipe for a homemade linen spray in a book that has been sitting quietly on my bookshelf for ages.  The book is called Green Clean and it contains some very quick and easy,  DIY, cleaning products for around the home.

The linen spray is simple to prepare and very easy to customize to your personal "scent" preference.  Spritz a bit onto your sheets and towels when folding them off the clothesline.  Spray onto clothes, teatowels and tablecloths before ironing.  Or, simply spray into the air and use it as a room spray.

INGREDIENTS :

• 2 tablespoons of 100% proof vodka (or isopropyl)
• Rainwater or distilled water
• Your choice of essential oil  -  jasmine, bergamot, lavender, lemon myrtle 
• 500 ml spray bottle

HOW TO :

•  Mix the 2 tablespoons of vodka with the oils of your choice.  Some suggestions are :   
•       1 teaspoon jasmine + 1/2 teaspoon bergamot 
•       1 teaspoon lavender + 1/2 teaspoon sandalwood    
•       2 teaspoons lemon mrytle

• Then add the rainwater until the spray bottle is almost full

• Screw on the cap and shake the bottle to disperse the oils evenly throughout

• Shake lightly before each use

See..... so quick and easy to do and it makes all your linen smell divine