Garlic 2011

had enough to plant out in June 2011 about 40 extra bulbs.. and have checked on them.. all coming up!

happiness!

My kitchen views.. giving thanks to what we have here... home and hearth, just gets more beautiful

Our homemade BBQ

Claude and Gunner build BBQ out of recycled steel and welds a perfect size outdoor cookout!!  We have had fabulous evening meals... grilling veggies from the garden...

The first firings of our new/old BBQ seasoning the steel for the first of many cookouts, using  Manuka felled trees from the bush

HOME 2011

January sunset.. sitting in the fields glimpsing the light casting colours over home.

one side of our bush 

A simple walk along the mowed pathway offers such a welcome pause in my day... often done during my studio hours... with coffee or wine in hand I welcome the shift to the outdoors. 

By letting our paddock go wild with grasses and weeds; adds such variety in texture and beauty... and how marvelous in capturing the sunlight!!

2011 Lazy Days

SO much to do.. have spend only one, entire,  day working to clear garden beds, according the moon garden cycle.. yet days have passed since i have been in to resume work.. too lazy.  Just last night.. went out to dinner with new group of friends.... one commented on visiting my garden... and how it reminded them of Findhorn!! That was a compliment!!  and enough to get me off my lazy seat and do more work!

decided to let these lily out crops to remain in the garden pathways.. they add a lovely colour!! and pause as i walk by

Elemental Light at Dusk

Been trying to get to the garden all day...with the rains returning on and off all day,  I decided to set aside the several attempts and just get to work in the studio.. prepping smaller works for holidays coming to the island.  It wasn't until 5:30 evening time.. I grabbed my camera.. and took photos..

The light quality in the garden, amazing.  The tints and tones so alive... the moisture help bring out more colour as the sun behind thick clouds.. and angling downward, finishing a beautiful day!!

My first shoot was this color, soon to be a painting. looking at shades of light violet, against deep burned browns,  surrounded by silvery greens.. what a combo!

A few remaining artichokes, left for the bees to feast on!

Here is a shallot in bloom.. and found it's skin peeled and barely attached to it's bloom... 

Cycles and Presence

The Shallot bed in among the comfrey and lettuces 

Have spent the week.. clearing and redressing the pathways with wood chips.. and dressing the beds with peastraw.. cast carrots, mesclun salad mix.. and beetroot seedlings.  Planted pale nicotina in pot, harvested two huge heads of Cauliflower.. Red onions,  Cavalo Nero, Silverbeet.

home and home

ROSES ROSES

Cast a handful of carrot seeds last week.  In another bed.... a handful of Mesclun Salad Mix already in three days the seedlings are appearing.  I guess they were very ready and in alignment with the moon cycle. 

Deciding to plant more in schedule with moon cycles.

Here the two Dublin Bay Roses gracing the outer courtyard, blooming since early October!

 Sheep pellets and early watering... makes them very happy

Here are Claude's Birthday roses... the whole area is a-lift with the wafting fragrances of this wild climbing white rose,  we planted in the back of the garage, never paid much attention to them.  With so little soil, we thought they would never survive.. but look at these now!

Well.. my to do list... resolved to be staying home.... choosing to really focus on the joys of my garden.. tending to this sanctuary ... as it nourishes me on so many levels.. many of my ideas for future paintings are seeded here.. my studio practice deeply anchored in the garden.  We have created such a special place here.. I often forget or get side tracked in not acknowledging: that HERE is enough... !!  There is joy and grace to be felt within this land and sea!!

Great Blog to share ON HARVESTS

http://growharvestcook.com.au/


Here are my first harvests since my return, from Honey to artichokes & broad beans!  November 2010

So many tasks to catch up on having been gone for most of our winter months.. taken me three weeks just to get the garden back from overgrown pathways and weeding of the veggie beds.. So little rain in our Spring time..I was reluctant to plant out any more late Spring early summer veggies...   but to look at these images ,... it's time to get right back in to gardening and planning out the next quarter of seasonal foods.