Title: Comment: Crikey!* It has been a while. Over the autumn and winter I found stable gainful employment which was a welcome change. While this blog may have been a little neglected I'm happy to report that the garden hasn't! A lot has gone on although now things are running almost in slow-motion thanks to winter. It's a necessary downtime I can appreciate, but now I'm ready for action.  The most significant crop that followed my last posts was an ill fated two beds of sweet corn. I planted them too late (winter had pretty much kicked in) and while they were growing well, by the time they would have been ready to fruit it would have been in the depths of winter! They came out and were replaced with peas... more on those later..  Digging around (the computer) I found a video that I didnt have time to link after things got hectic at work. It's a collection of pictures from autumn / just before everything went to sleep for winter. Why not post it! <center>  <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="/http://www.youtube.com/v/Vw5Bt4e0WAQ&hl=en_US&fs=1" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Vw5Bt4e0WAQ&hl=en_US&fs=1" wmode="transparent" quality="high" menu="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="385"></embed></object> </center> Submit > < Back

Title: Comment: <p>I host a lot of my images on my own server, so when something happens to my personal website it affects my posts here! I made a very silly mistake recently and deleted some things I shouldn't have... I'm in the process of recovering everything but until I get it all done, all my blog posts will contain broken images! :(</p><p> Hopefully i'll have time over the weekend to get it sorted out. If you haven't worked it out already, I've been pretty busy! This kind of thing leads to a neglected blog but I'm happy to report this isn't the case for the garden. There's plenty going on (good and bad) but at a slower pace thanks to winter. I've recently picked up a Silvanberry plant, for example. Photos to follow.. but I just have to make sure they work before I post them :p</p><p> Been spending a lot of time in the kitchen (warmer), so plenty of new experiences there. Will potentially attempt a cookery video at some stage soon... stay tuned! </p> Submit > < Back

Title: Comment: A works-well-every-time recipe for Hot Cross buns! Submit > < Back

Title: Comment: <p>So from the latest issue of the River Cottage newsletter I thought I was about to receive instruction on how to make something that would rival a grasshead! Turns out it was just an error in grammar.</p><p style="text-align: center"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4b4b; line-height: normal"><img alt="Grow your own!" height="594" src="http://www.buzzmoo.com/rivercottage/growyourown.jpg" width="500" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px"> </span></span></p> Submit > < Back

Title: Comment: <p>With winter on the way over in the northern hemisphere, spring is kicking in Down under. The garden (and the weeds) are starting to grow big. I've put together a slideshow of the progress - the chives are exploding, the plums are coming along (and being eaten by parrots) as are my tomatoes, beans, carrots and onions.. with some new surface area opening up in the garden thanks to the removal of a tree, there's a high chance of more to come.. </p><p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="/http://www.youtube.com/v/NbYWyr1f9gw&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NbYWyr1f9gw&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" wmode="transparent" quality="high" menu="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </p> Submit > < Back

Title: Comment: <p>A brief tour of my back garden, via my video phone. This is the area where I've planted most of my things and written most of my blog posts about. Batteries ran out, so it's a truncated tour!</p><p style="text-align: center"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="/http://www.youtube.com/v/YXO4eamD3jo&hl=en&fs=1&" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YXO4eamD3jo&hl=en&fs=1&" wmode="transparent" quality="high" menu="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </p> Submit > < Back

Title: Comment: <p>I've just started watching Oz and James Drink to Britain. A few weeks ago I watched their "Big Wine Adventure"  filmed in the US. I've never watched a television show that's made me want to drink more than theirs, I avoid putting an episode on if there's something important to do!</p><p> I noticed their approach to Fosters beer and I'm aware that Fosters represents "Australian Beer" overseas. I don't know when or how this happened because as the drunken duo point out, it's terrible. I'm lead to believe that Fosters, being licensed and brewed overseas, tastes nothing like Fosters made in Australia. Either way it's got unpleasant undertones; an uncle of mine - a great guy - drank so much of it it was eventually the end of him. You've got to be careful.</p><p>I can't remember the last time I saw Fosters on tap here in Australia and I'd be surprised if I saw one pop up. The point is if you're from somewhere else and think that getting a pint of Fosters will give you a good Australian experience, think again! I have no idea if they're overseas, but if you see Coopers or Boags, go for that. Quality stuff. I use Coopers Lager goo for my home brew. In fact, i'd better check on it..</p> Submit > < Back

Title: Comment: <p>Well the quality of this video was so low I almost didn't run with it. Turns out the camera on my phone is not really all that good for video (not that I know too much about video. No doubt it doesn't hold a flame to Georgee's fancy-pants solution. But i'm posting it anyway, and promise higher production value out of the next one! Hope you don't get motion sickness.</p><p> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4b4b; line-height: normal"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="/http://www.youtube.com/v/hV7z9SwmYl8&hl=en&fs=1&" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hV7z9SwmYl8&hl=en&fs=1&" wmode="transparent" quality="high" menu="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></p> Submit > < Back

Comment: G'day Web Team! I've added my own forum signature to my profile which includes a hyperlink to my website. Clicking on it in the forums returns an SQL error though! "SELECT author_id FROM mtr_gdiscussions WHERE group_id = You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '' at line 1" is there any way I can form a link to avoid this? or is it on the bug list? thanks for your time! -BM Submit > < Back

Title: Comment: <p>Maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself. Then again, maybe not. I'm keen to bring on a crop that produces a substantial amount of foodstuff and tomatoes are surely a good bet. It's early spring here and there's still the snap cold thing happening (and dirt rain?) but I've braved it and bought eight tomato plants. four 'Apollo', two "Gross Lisse" and two "Cherry Ripe". A stack of compost and manure was worked into the bed of my failed beetroots and then the planting began.</p><p> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4b4b; line-height: normal"><img alt="Tomatoes and beans" height="399" src="http://www.buzzmoo.com/rivercottage/tnb1.jpg" width="300" /></span></p><p>The nursery had only just started putting the plants out on the floor. Early bird gets the tomato, I always say!</p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4b4b; line-height: normal"><img alt="Tomatoes and beans" height="263" src="http://www.buzzmoo.com/rivercottage/tnb2.jpg" width="350" /></span> </p><p>There was room along the front not enough for another row of tomatoes, but space enough for dwarf bean seeds. </p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4b4b; line-height: normal"><img alt="Tomatoes and beans" height="400" src="http://www.buzzmoo.com/rivercottage/tnb3.jpg" width="300" /></span> </p><p>The obligatory mulching and watering in to follow. I'll just have to make sure to pay attention to the forecast. Frost is the biggest enemy now. </p> Submit > < Back