Spring sum up

It has become a habit of mine to do an end of season sum up.  This is really so that I can work out what the successes were so I can plan for the next season. Also to note things I have learnt. Here is my spring sum up.

Pickings
The early spring pickings were:

• cauliflower
• broccoli
• cabbage
• snowpeas
• celery

These were really my late winter crops maturing in early spring. All these were second or third plantings. The caulis were smaller than earlier in the year and also a little yellowish. The broccoli heads, with the warmer weather I guess, matured faster that the earlier planting, meaning that if you didn't keep an eye on them, they quickly developed past my preferred stage - tight flowers. The cabbage were wonderful and arguably more flavoursome that the earlier season ones? And the snow peas - well they were fabulous and trouble free - but I always find them that way.  I realised I planted far more celery than I needed and as a consequence many went on to seed before I really got to them.

In later spring these crops were coming on:

• radish 
• beetroot 
• fennel

I love the look of all these vegetables - the fat red-purple of beetroot, the bright red orbs of a baby radish and thick green-white bulbs of fennel.

Pests

• stink bugs -  I got onto these quite early , while they were still at their green and orange stage and thus they caused limited damage only
• aphids - these were a bit of a problem on the late broccoli
• snails - hiding in between pots they had regular might feats on my lettuce

What I learnt

• attack your stink bugs early and you will win
• attack them well protected
• fennel, if  harvested by cutting off at the roots, re-sprouts and yields multiple heads of the one root mass
• your brassicas that you plant early and the ones you plant later really do perform quite differently
• transporting plants in the back tray of a ute is not a great idea
• what wind burn looks like
• eggplants aren't as tough as they look
• zucchinis are tougher than they look
• Currawongs are very amusing birds

Special pleasures

• Currawongs - everything they do, even their tanties
• Holbrook poppies
• bright new radish
• blueberries

Big changes
This spring was the last season in my Sydney patch. This small patch has provided such joy. It has been my solace, my quiet time, my distraction and excuse, my place to get dirty, my refuge after a long day at work and the first place I went to after being away from home. A place of secrets, a ritual of forgetting and the occasional tear. Thank you my Sydney garden.

Late this spring we moved to our new patch in the bush.  It will bring so many new challenges - tackling new vegetables, fruit beyond citrus and nuts. There will be things to learn about the land and the very special plants in our protected box grassland. Exciting and daunting at the same time.

Currawong art

I have obviously spent too much time recently looking at Chinese ink art.

Following  my return from China yesterday, it occurred to me that the currawong's blueberry ash stained droppings were art. See what you think - I think this is beautiful.

Of course it is possible that I am overly fond of my currawong friends. Admiring their droppings is probably some sort of evidence of over fondness, perhaps some sort of pathology?

Blueberry ash, which makes the blue stains, is an Australian native plant - we have one in our yard.  They are lovely trees - Eleocarpus reticularis, producing pretty pink fringed flowers and blue berries amongst dark green classic leaves. The cuurawongs love the berries  tossing them back with a flick of their heads.  

Caged blueberries

The time is nearly here, the wait is nearly over. Very soon I will have my first pick of blueberries.

Aren't they a pretty colour before they turn blue? A lovely purple rosy colour.

But I am a little worried that they may be sampled by my feathered friends -  Half-tail the currawong and his/her jaunty partner Snappy, or Laurie and Keats the lorikeets. A blueberry protection device is in order.

A bit of left over wire, two stakes and a bit if red nylon rope and  the device has been constructed. Ugly but hopefully functional?

• Do lorikeets steal your berries?
• What about your currawongs?
• How do you keep the birdies off your fruit?
• And, does anyone out there have advice on pruning blueberries?

I believe that you cut them back 1/3rd after they finish fruiting.

• Has anyone tried to strike new plants from their blueberry prunings?  
• Do you use hard or soft wood?

Currawong tanty?

Is this evidence of a currawong tanty? Or is it garden art?

We went away for the weekend and I guess the currawongs decided that they'd look for food themselves.

In the past they have tried out the little 'worms' that come out of the top of the tea lights... humans would call these wicks.

I think the placement of the tea lights demonstrates an artistic bent, don't you?  Dadaist perhaps? A critique of  middle-class house decoration?  A demonstration of the uselessness of tea lights outside?  Or the currawong's improvement of my home decorating? Perhaps it's just  plain vandalism?

What do you think these pieces of art mean? Or is it just a tanty!

But what I am really confused about is this - where is the third  tea light?

I have found where two have been placed, but the third one?  Perhaps it decorates a currawong nest somewhere?

You can read about my currawong friends here and here.

Gifts from Half-tail

A while ago I blogged about Half-tail the Currawong.

Currawongs are bigger than magpies and smaller than ravens and are B&W Australian birds that are omnivores. (This is a rather odd photo of Half-tail -  s/he is inspecting me rather closely while sunning his/her back and thus in a strange pose!)

Half-tail visits our garden for all sorts of things. A bath in the bird bath usually each day - a very tidy currawong.

Other activities include collecting sticks for nesting, searching for worms in the vegetable patch and very gently taking the occasional mince ball from my hand.

Half-tail sometimes leaves curious 'gifts' as thanks?  This is the latest offering -  a small collection of blueberry ash berries  hardly digested and deposited on the verandah table.

These are usually offered via regurgitation from their crop just as they do for their babies. Nice, thanks Half-tail...

Blueberry ash (Elaeocarpus reticulartus)  is an Australian native plant of the wetter parts of Sydney's forests.  We planted one in our backyard and it is a magnet for the currawongs who hop about finding the little blue balls.

They hold the small berries so delicately in their big heavy black beaks before tossing them back with a flick of their head. The little blue balls result in very dark purple currawong pooh.


Strange, isn't it, why did Half-tail deliver these to us?

The table on the verandah is where we eat most meals, is this an accident or a contribution? Thanks for the mince balls perhaps? They seem so intelligent these birds that it is hard to imagine that this is just accident without some purpose.

It would be good to speak currawong so we could have a chat about the meaning of blue balls, the offering of mince, mutual curious stares and the taste of worms.

Half-tail the currawong

Half-tail the currawong is in the habit of visiting most days.

This is a recent habit of his/hers. It all started one day when Half-tail just turned up one morning on the verandah.  I perhaps foolishly offered a round ball of beef mince and the rest is history.

I suspect that Half-tail is not new to the yard. Last year a pair of currawongs nested in a street tree nearby and our backyard of local natives became a play pen for the baby.

I wonder if Half-tail is the baby, or one of the adults? It might also be that it is Half-tail that comes to bathe each morning in the bird bath under the gum.

Today, Half-tail decided to come closer -  perhaps too close.  The bird ventured onto the table on the back verandah and started exploring.

Half-tail seemed very interested in the aerial of my small digital radio, bent it over and started pecking the aerial top. What kind of exotic worm is this? I decided that was enough and suggested that the bird might like to give me back my radio.

There after the bird and I engaged in a long period of mutual admiration. 

It sat close by on the verandah  rail, spreading its wings slightly seemingly enjoying the sun on its back.  While I took photos, the bird cocked its head and seems to be watching me in relaxed interest.  

There seems to be such intelligence behind those eyes.


Why is this bird named Half-tail?  Half its tail feathers are shorter than the other half.