Tatties, matos and pumerkins.

Random fit of gardening.
I went against the advice in my pamphlet on growing potatoes. I didn't wait for the plants to flower. They weren't going to. Something GOT THEM. Despite coffee & eggshells, and then resorting to slug slam, something still ate them. I never found anything on the plants themselves. very sneaky. Anyway. The Swift's suffered the worst. I think it was more the wind that got the Cliff's Kidney's. They might have survived and proliferated, but once I'd dug up the swift's I just couldn't stop.

I don't think I'll grow Swift's again!
I haven't dug up the Ilam Hardy's yet. The plants still look pretty healthy. With the other 2 it seems I need not have added the extra tyre to the stack, all the potatoes were down in the first tyre and below. But I'll wait until I dig up the Ilam Hardy's to make a final judgement.

The soil in the tyres was so lovely, I decided to plant my little tomatoes from Bron in there! Beam's Yellow Pear and Riesdfjoeuru (no that's not how it's spelt, it's German and I can't remember).

On the right is the Ilam Hardy's, still in action. I saw no reason to go 2 tyres high for tomatoes.

In previous years I have had no luck growing pumpkins on purpose. I can grow them by accident just fine! Or rather, the compost bin can. But this time I planted the seeds in little seed trays (I know you are supposed to plant them in the ground) and they ACTUALLY sprouted! Not only that, I have transfered 6 plants to 3 mounds down the back, (near the compost bins). I'm watching them like an eagle, an EAGLE. They are Butternuts though, which might be trickier than our compost pumpkins.


In other news, I've entered a handmade Christmas Ornament Swap! I have no actual plans for what I will make as yet. Paper Mache??? Hmmm... at least I will soon have something crafty to blog about!

Halloween & paper mache

Halloween is THE season of paper mach I reckon. I think I'll plan to make something each year from now on!
Skully was my first attempt at paper mache in about 25 years. I always thought I wouldn't have the patience for it. But it turns out that glue is addictive. And a skull is a relatively easy shape. I am half was through making a pinata, which I think is going to be a duck, eventually.




I also tried to make a haunted house for halloween, out of the box my laptop came in. More like a slightly haunted facade. But it was a fun way to while away an afternoon! Reminds me more of the NZ movie "The Locals" than any real classic horrors. It's lit with christmas lights. Why is it that I always need Christmas lights in the middle of the year when they are either awefully expensive or nowhere to be found?


I wish I'd had the time to make lots of little skulls to form a necklace for my voodoo priest outfit, but I had to make do with bird bones tied to my hat, and a voodoo stick made out of a plastic bone. I'd forgotten how much fun face painting could be!