Did you see our article in Essence Magazine?

Check out what they had to say about our house http://www.essencemagazine.co.nz/article/house-and-garden/sustainable-living/

Autumn must be coming, because here come our Pumpkins

This biggie is the first.  Isn't he a giant!

Pumpkins will keep for all winter in a cool place.  Wash the skins with a very diluted bleach mix (1litre H20 and 1t bleach) to kill any moulds or whatnot that may be parked on the outside.  Let dry, then put on a shelf in a cool place.  They do not deteriorate at all, and make wonderful eating during the winter months.

I haven't counted how many we have outside, but there must be more than a dozen, all looking gorgeous.

A Cowtastrophe

Oh Dear....Mark's beloved corn has been trashed.  He moved his cows into the field behind the vege garden and lo-and-behold, they got over the fence and into his corn, and ate the whole lot down to ragged stalks!

He was so proud of the corn, it was his pride and joy and he delighted in telling eveyone how his corn was so much better than mine because he planted his from seed, whereas I planted mine as seedlings.  In truth, his was way healthier, bigger and had more cobs on it.  I have to give him that.

But now, devastation....

Good news, the pumpkins are growing little pumpkins everywhere, including hanging from the fence.  Mark has learnt a wee lesson, and there is an electric fence around the pumpkin that has spread out into the fields beyond the garden.  - so the cows won't get in this time.

In other news the artichokes are going to seed, and everything is getting a bit overblown.  We have a new lot of potatoes in which Mark put in and they are now flowering.  I put more beans in with the hope of getting some before autumn.  And our strawberries are still producing great berries for school lunches.

Stuffed Pumpkin Flowers

I planted 5 pumpkins in our vegetable garden.  Now, you might think that it does not sound like very many, but holy heckamoley, what a lot of growth one pumpkin plant can produce.

They have grown all over one of the vege beds (luckily masking the fact that our cauliiflowers have been eaten to death by something unknown and will never flourish).  They grew through the fence where the cattle have nibbled on them, and up the fence and I see some pumpkins forming which will be supported by our wire fencing suspended in the air,which is a bit nifty.

Then there is the pumpkin which I didn't plant.  It audaciously appeared in the flower bed.  Obviously transported by some compost of some sort.  It has grown to gigantic proportions, I hope to post a picture soon.

All these produce an amazing amount of flowers.

Pick only male flowers (and then, not all of them, you need some for pollination).  The male flowers have only one stubby stamen inside.

Carefully take inside and shake out any vermin who might have made their homes inside them.

Stuff with: cream cheese, grated cheese, some spring onion or chives and salt and pepper.  Make a simple batter with water, 1 egg and whisk in some flour.  Spoon in some stuffing and twist the top of the flower.  Leave in the fridge for 15 mins or so to set a bit, then dunk in batter and shallow fry.

These were delicious, but why is there a bitter bit at the base? which spoiled the last bite!

A "Rain Dance"

I don't know what god has been listening to me, but it is raining!  solidly and steadily.  I can hear my garden gasping and drinking madly!

Now my plants can live long and prosper :-)