Teralbah's Reports: It RAINED today!

Yah!

It has been a while since we got a nice soaking.

This morning I was working in the Fruit Grove and I was amazed to see hundreds of bees, hundreds of ladybirds and, unfortunately too many cabbage white butterflies everywhere, along with hoverflies, several unidentified insects there! It is awesome to stand in middle, with all the insects buzzing around you, non stop and think they're so happy...

I am seriously contemplating asking a bee keeper to put in a hive - imagine someone's getting free honey elsewhere from my hard working green manure! heh. I am still working on getting fruit trees staked where needed, mulched and such. I think there's about 2/3 of the whole area to go! Sighs...

Find the fruit trees inside this yellow flowered area! They're there...

See how tall are those green manure plants compared to my lil boy! I am not sure what plant those yellow flowered ones are - however I am gonna plant them again next year! They grow so well and fast, kept the soil so well and cool down there, etc and most above all, the insects love them!

Even this cursed Cabbage White butterfly!

Here are the evidence the Fruit Grove's thriving...

Plum: Only 5 fruits can be seen from 2 trees! It is only first year, so we'll see how next year bring...

Apple Cider "Yarlington Mill": There's 4 and perhaps other 4 growing on this tree alone. Not bad...

Nectarine: It's fruiting so well out here, I think there's 3 trees and there are numerous fruits on them, and there's the old nectarine tree at the back with hundreds on it. (Got the bird netting over it today so fingers crossed we'd get some this summer!)

Peach: I've got heaps of peaches growing as well. All are about golf ball sized at the moment, but will needed to be netted asap anyway. Interestingly enough, all are in different colours, such as rosy blush, peachy blush, greenish blush, etc. The trees are at about a metre tall.

At the Pear Strip, this Elderberry is flowering slowly. Am looking forward to see what it looks like when its fully flowered with its fruits.

Now to other important stuff...

Here's the Chickbox that my DH with our older son made for me when I was away for the weekend to accomodate the chicks.

Inside the Chickbox, there's 5 chicks, including those two black chicks. Pippa and Rosie loves to get their cuddles with me!

Remember Shay the questionable Silkie. Her feathers are still so yellowish grey so it is most likely that she is a cross bred. A bit shy though - shame.

And one of the Light Sussex twins, a suspected cockerel...

And his twin sister.

When I was in Ballarat during the October Long Weekend, I went to visit an ALS friend who is also a great chook expert. I got her to teach me how to tell which is boy or girl with the chicks and we had fun! Thanks Roogz! So this is why I am abit more confident that I've got 4 female chicks and a male chick. In few more weeks, I will know if I am right anyway.

Right next to the Chickbox, I've got heaps of potatoes growing like crazy! Most are in the vegie beds like this...

But I also got lots in the bags as part of experiement. They actually thrives in bags too, so I will have plenty of areas to plant potatoes for the years to come. As we are not to plant the potatoes in the same area for a couple of years once grown there.