When Michelle & I headed up to Callawadda to weed our garlic crop yesterday I really had no idea what we were in for. Last years weeding at this time was fairly simple and took me a few hours on my own. I hadn't accounted for the massive rainfall the area has had this season, Terry's tanks are full for the first time in 11 years! So when we pulled up and saw this...
...a healthy crop of barley where once there was was mulch...we quietly freaked out!
But there was no time to waste so we quickly got stuck into it.
Simon worked the pitchfork, lifting the mulch and some weed away from the garlic while Michelle & I came behind pulling out the rest of the weed/barley. The sun kept us warm and it was a beautiful day to be outside. Great clouds of white cockatoos flew above and the boys, Ben & William made mud balls & played hide & seek in the gum trees.
Slowly the garlic emerged. And it looked fantastic! See above the lovely hardneck variety, Purple Monaro. We are also growing Silverskin, Oriental Purple & Italian Red (my favourite).
In the small area that we didn't mulch the garlic was going great guns. It seems to be a pretty hardy plant but I guess this is only our second crop so we still have a lot to learn.
I really love growing garlic. Even though it was a drag having to weed and remove all the mulch yesterday it's still a small price to pay for the benefits. It's great being outside in the dirt doing something I really believe in. And doing it with lovely people makes it even better. I can't wait to see our crop harvested this year and to start sharing the benefits of beautiful Australian organic garlic. Hopefully we will have enough this season to start selling.
As the sun started to go down it was time to pack up for the day. Michelle & Simon stayed over to finish the beds in the morning. Driving home I was pretty stuffed but feeling great and satisfied with a good days work. An amazing huge, yellow moon guided me home to a house full of sleepy, cuddly children, a sweet & kind Mark & a vase full of my favourite tulips. Life doesn't get much better than that! xox
10 comments:
I love your blog. It is getting me excited about my small town move planned for October.
Such beautiful photos. The light seems so much more beautiful in the country.
Looks like hard work but so worth while. There is nothing like organic garlic. Yours must be growing North of here as it is bigger and more advanced than ours. Thanks for pointing out that moon. It must have been magic to drive home with.
Oh well done you! It must have been such a daunting sight at first, but you have real tenacity. A friend of mine has given me some of her garden garlic (I have to let it dry before I use it) and it makes me think of you!
Hello!
Thanks for your lovely comment on my blog, that was very nice of you!
I look foward to having read of yours.
How are you pulling up today Mrs? Hope the body isn't creaking at the merest sight of a weed. And I'm taking my hat off to you. What a bloody brilliant thing to be doing!
Oh how beautiful. Wow the garlic crop is so exciting. I love your world and the photo's of your life.
Oh and thank you for all of your beautiful and sincere words on my space. You always make me smile from ear to ear...thank you
Wish I could have been there helping you! I love garlic & it is indeed great to dig into the earth and see everything grow. Hope you have a good harvest!
So beautiful photos! Really lovely post :)
*eek* what a job! But boy how satisfying and look how great the garlic is going! Sounds like a beautiful end to a hardworking day.
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