One small change makes a huge difference

Now that you have eased into 2011, time to think about making a small change that can result in a really huge - and positive - difference to you, your family and community.
Here's a few ideas:

• Subscribe to the email newsletter from the Ethical Consumer Group, it's fascinating reading and is chock-full of good information
• Sow some bean seeds, step back before they shoot up and enjoy the harvest
• Get your bicycle serviced, check your stack-hat and get peddling! I read somewhere that most car use is for travel of less than 5km, so unless you are taking a mob of kids to their evening judo class or picking up a 20kg bag of spuds, get peddling! You'll get fitter, reduce your carbon footprint and enjoy the ride
• Declutter your house - have a garage sale or take it down to the local opshop
• Join your local library and check out all the wonderful books on permaculture
• Keep a couple of chooks - you'll become enchanted with the gals, their eggs are so delicious and their poo makes great compost
• Join your local community garden and meet like-minded souls, swap growing tips and yummy produce
• Smile! It's easy, free and will boost your spirits.

And in between all the work and family stuff, take time out to smell the roses, leeks and garlic!

Floods mean get growing!

The recent floods across Victoria, Queensland and parts of New South Wales manes that fresh fruit and vegetable prices will be soaring over the next couple of years if not longer as key producers count the cost of the deluge.

Now is the time to think about increasing your food growing space. Dig up that water guzzling lawn and put in potatoes! No more mowing, think of the yummy spuds you and your family and friends can enjoy.

Members of the Warracknabeal Fire Brigade take a quick break from preapring sandbags to help prtect their town. Their gardens will not need to be watered for a while now.

Beat the heat

NYE 2010 was hot and windy end to 2010, taking its toll on some of the pumpkin and zucchini plants.

Not to mention the gardener!

Despite a long sleeved shirt, hat, sunblock and loads of water, the compost chick correspondent felt the heat as much as any vegetable.

Despite a deep watering that morning and loads of straw, we all took a bit of battering with the hot, whippy northerlies.

The chooks were keen to get out and about but I kept them in their run as it was windy enough to give them all the left they needed. I had visions of them flying off over the fence and chasing after agitated poultry was not on my agenda. The girls have a surprisingly quick turn of speed. Not to mention that some of our neighbours have dogs (well behaved I am sure but why put temptation of a plump little chicken in their path?)

Today looks like another shocker ahead. So deep watering, extra straw and mulch is in my arsenal to beat the heat. I’m sure I’ll lose one or two plants but they may have already been suffering heat-stress, so I can live with this.

One positive it that this weather also kills off some snails!

My garden shows the result of NYE hot winds.