Fruitful plantings

THERE is nothing like picking your own apples, cherries, peaches or lemons.

Making food from fruit is a wonderful feeling.

Last week I enjoyed a marvellous time baking lemon butter cakes using eggs from the hens and lemons from my trees.

In Peter Cundall's latest Weekly Times article he talks about the benefits of growing your own fruit.

Fresh figs, warm from the sunshine and eaten in the garden

straight from the tree - this defines summer bliss.

Last summer I stood under my flourishing fig tree and ate its glorious fruit warm from the tree - bliss.

Now is the time to think about putting in fruit trees so you can enjoy the crop for years to come.

Winter often seems like nothing much is happening in the garden, but it's the prefect time of year to get your fruit trees sorted.

Don't delay - no-one ever regretted plating another fruit tree!

Citrus masterclass

A DEAR friend alerted me that Heronswood will hold a citrus masterclass on Saturday July 27 with South Australia's Ian Tolley - acclaimed citrus expert, author & nurseryman, and Diggers CEO - Horticulture and Operations - Tim Sansom, who will unlock the secrets of growing, pruning and designing with citrus in your garden.

This very special illustrated masterclass includes practical growing information and design tips, as well as the opportunity to ask all the questions that you have always wanted answered about growing citrus trees.

Lemons can be most fickle plants.

At the moment the lemon tree in the chook run is looking a bit scraggy, while the other one almost under the deck which receives less sunshine is going gangbusters.

Rain on me

OK, it's been raining long and hard and I'm ready for some serious sunshine now so I can get outside and weed, turn compost and chase chooks.

Tomatoes are still popping up and I'm pulling them out as fast as I can.

The tank is overflowing and the lemon trees are looking fantastic considering they are in such clay-like soil. This is probably due to all the composting I've dug in over the past few years, because they struggled when first planted ans spent a couple of years sulking.

Looks like there's a break in the rain so I'll pull on the wellingtons and do what i can before the next cloudburst.

Pancakes please

PANCAKES are the perfect autumn and winter weekend breakfast.

After a bracing surf or cycle down the Great Ocean Road - or even a sleepy stroll to get the newspapers - siting down to pancakes made with fresh eggs from the chooks is always a great meal to start the day.

Saturday's pancakes ready to enjoy.

Versatile too.

You can add blueberries to the mix or serve them on the side.

Instead of butter, lemons and sugar or maple syrup, I'm a sucker for no-fat Greek yogurt and a handful of berries. Or a splash of real-deal maple syrap.

Here's the recipe - if you like your flapjacks on the fluffy side then add 1/2 cup more flour or if you like them more crepe-like then add a splash more milk.

This recipe makes heaps - they freeze well but I usually give any leftovers to the hens.

2 fresh eggs
3 cups milk
3/4 cup wholemeal SR flour
3/4 cup plain flour

Get out the medium sized Sunbeam mixmaster
Beat the eggs, add milk
Gently add flours
Mix until resembles cream
Let it sit for a few minutes
Cook in a pan with a little oil or butter, flip when one side is all bubbly. (If cooking for a few friends, then I'll use two pans to keep things moving.)
Enjoy!