About our patch

Our patch has recently changed. When I started this blog back in January 2012, we were happily living and gardening in the inner west of Sydney.

Now, things have changed and dramatically! We are now on 800 acres in the South-west slopes, or the Lower Snowy Mountains of NSW. "Gosh, that's a lot of land" I often say to myself -  I expect you are saying much the same!

Highfield, as the property is known locally, is special. It has a conservation covenant over 2/3rds of the property protecting critically endangered box forest and grassland. The rest of the land we can use as we wish - some obviously for our vegetable and fruit and nut ambitions.

This kind of habitat is now very rare and we are fortunate or daunted - not sure yet - to be the custodians of this special place. As well as the box trees (red and white box), we also have some lovely stringy barks and the majestic Blakely's Red Gums. We also have distinctive kurrajongs and callitris pines dotted over the country. Over time I will update this page with more details on the property and its flora and fauna under protection so pop back occasionally.

Right now (late November), there are some beautiful wildflowers. These yellow paper daisies ( I will need to look their scientific name up soon but my guess is that they are  one of the Xerochrysum?),

and this graceful Wahlenbergia.

There is also a beautiful blue pincushion plant -  Brunonia I think -  on the dry ridges that I have never seen before, a lovely Thysanotis and a delicate yellow lily down on the creek flats -  must go back and take photos of them before they fade. During our winter visits there was beautiful orchids growing on the top ridges -  greenhoods and others. Over time I will post their portraits here too.

A beautiful rocky creek boarders the patch in part, with swimming holes and a sandy beach.

Unfortunately the trout have fled and European carp now cruise the stream. I am contemplating carp-based fish emulsion recipes and placing a freshly caught carp under each fruit tree! That'll deal with some of them!

All along the creek line are wombat holes and at night a barking owl does its thing.

There is, as Clancy knows, views of  "the sunlit plains extended and at night the wondrous glory of the everlasting stars". (Thanks Banjo!).

We have weeds to knock out, seeds to collect and re-vegetation to do. Its an exciting, living, environmental project.

This blog will cover my veggie growing, the wildlife that we share our patch with and our efforts at protecting this little rare bit of bushland and possibly our amateurishness at 'farming'.

Take a look at these places too to see more about our patch:
Wildlife  which includes a list of bird sightings
Wordless Wednesday - Bush flowers
Bathing Beauties
Wildlife watching
Year of the snake, day of the snake
Spring Wildflowers