Tulip Pot

I was lucky enough to be sent some lovely tulip bulbs through the post from a local bulb grower here in Tasmania called Van Diemen Quality Bulbs. I planted them out in a pot and put them out the front deck and more or less forgot about them. With all the wet weather   it has been hard to get outside to do much gardening but to my surprise I was backing out the drive the other day and looked up and saw this flower blooming on the front deck a thought ran through my mind oh how brilliant the colour was and what a brilliant display a whole paddock of these tulips would put on. Well here in Tasmania’s north west Wynyard has a tulip festival in October.

Blooming Tasmania Tulip Festival Do you have paddocks of Tulips like these?

Garden Beds

For those that remain here how do they survive with rising cost in power, water, rates etc., well I am taking steps to prepare in the event that I am put in the same predicament as these poor people have to face. I am putting my property on the market to reduce my mortgage, or hopefully eliminate it. Being an avid gardener like I am I have had a vegetable garden that produces most of the veggies for the house. Although the trees over the back fence in the neighbours yard does not help when it comes to my veggie beds getting their daily dose of sun. So hopefully if I manage to sell I will look for a property that gets ample sun for the veggie patch.

I am fortunate enough to have a glasshouse a poly house and some great raised beds, although thats not enough I have also extended the garden up the side of the house just to pack in enough veggies for those beds shaded under the trees.

When I was young all back yards had a vegetable garden, then things changed and vegetables were in abundance and so convenient in the supermarkets but I see things going back to what they used to be with households putting in backyard gardens again. Food for the future. Do you have a vegetable garden?

Quan Yin

What are your dreams in life?

My dream is one day to be able to produce enough fruit and veggies in my little suburban homestead garden so I can have a little veggie stand outside the front of my house and to be able to work part time in healing and helping people in my massage service who suffer from pain and trauma or just helping them to find ways to relax and let go.

Today I had a client who’s partner had suffered abuse in his last working environment to the point where he had no option but to leave. There is many forms of abuse and sometimes the people who are directing such abuse are not aware of the affect it has on the people they are directing it at. These people can loose confidence in themselves to the point that they may find it hard to ever gain employment again. Be mindful of your choice of words and actions they can be very harmful and these people have dreams also they don’t need them shattered.

Dreams give us a purpose to want to live, learn and grow so if you have any dreams in life don’t be afraid to give them a go and help others who are trying to make their dreams come true, some times it’s just words of encouragement they need to give them confidence to start dreaming their dreams.

In the glass houseMagic Tree'sPoly House

Bed No 1

Bed No 3

Bed No 5

Where the chickens are going.

Vegetables planted both sides of the garden path.

Tomato Plants in the sun room starting to flower

What a great day to potter in the garden today. Everything is starting to take off and I have been starting to reap the rewards of my labour. My suburban homestead is in Ulvertsone Tasmania.

Picked lunch from the garden

My Lunch from the garden

Spinach

Red Cabbage, Lettuce & Red Beets under the fruit trees

Carrots, Parsnips, Leeks and Garlic

Cabbage, Lettuce & Garlic

Green House & Poly House

Pineapple Sage

Cabbage & Cauliflower

The strawberry patch

Pineapple Sage Flower

Carrots, Onions,Lettuce & Beets

Covered raised beds

Goats Milk Soap

Goats Milk Soap Part 2

The Homestead

Inspired by a family The Urban Homestead far away across the other side of the world I decided to take a stand and grow my own produce. Living on an island that sends most of its best produce to other countries and imports food that we have no idea how it is grown and what is applied in the process I have decided I want to know about my food and the miles it has taken to get to my plate. So this is where I start my venture in becoming a healthier person and doing my bit for the environment, hope you follow me on this all exciting venture in my urban garden growing my own veggies and fruit.

Although the colder weather is coming I have most of my gardens planted so there is only minimal maintenance through this colder period.

Where I am growing some of the winter plants and start some of our seedlings.

The Glass House & Shade House

Still producing strawberries.

The Strawberry Patch

Planted out with an abundance of vegetables and some new blueberries.

The New Garden

Filling all the spaces up.

Under the Apple Tree's

Glass house.

 Shade House

Growing in the Shade House

    Growing my own transplants

Transplants in the shade House

Lettuce & Carrots

Garden Bed 5

         Garlic, Cabbage & Lettuce

Bed 2

Carrots, Parsnip, Radich & Garic

Bed 1

Starting to reap the benefits from the garden.

From the Garden to the Plate

The garden is a special place to spend time meditating and as The Urban Homestead say it is a path to freedom.

The clothes hanger

Holliview Way Massage and Complementary Therapies is on a get fit mission and looking at joining one of Devonport’s leading fitness gym’s Essential Personal Training. It was my new years resolution to get fit so I started my get fit mission by adding some extra walking whenever I get some free time. Sometimes it’s just on my walker which up until now has been used as a coat hanger and then I have been taking walks around the Ulverstone streets and admiring every bodies gardens. Did I mention I am not a sports person and I lack motivation, so lets see how long my new years resolution lasts. The Essential Personal Training instructor sure has a big job on their hands. SO FOLLOW MY PROGRESS.

The Shack