"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Tuesday, 6 September 2011

Hey buds below...


Hey buds below ... up is where to grow
Up with which below can't compare with.
Hurry - it's lovely up here ...
Life down a hole takes an awful toll,
What with not a soul there to share with
Hurry - it’s lovely up here!
Wake up, bestir yourself, it's time that you disinter yourself
You’ve got a spot to fill - a pot to fill 
And what a gift package of showers, sun and love 
You’ll be met above everywhere with,
Fondled and sniffed by millions who drift by,
Life here is rosy - if you’re a posy
Hurry it's lovely here!
Lyrics from the song "Hey buds below" from the 1970 movie "On A Clear Day"
featuring Barbra Streisand and Yves Montand



One of the penalties of having a house that faces a view is the fact that the view is to the south, which means inside the house is generally freezing when compared to outside.  For instance, today we have a temperature of 18oC inside and outside it is 24oC. 
Perfect weather for all those little plants to pop their heads above ground, or burst out of their winter hibernation.  The grape vine has produced new growth on a branch which, to all intents and purposes, looked dead.
Our grape vine - bursting
out of itself
My strawberry plants are popping out flowers...
...and the baby strawberry plants I captured from last season are coming along nicely.
Even my pomegranate tree is producing buds - it's now entering it's fourth year - perhaps this year I'll be able to harvest some fruit from it?
Pomegranate bud
I know that the reward of tending and taking care of all the plants in my vegetable patch is yummy, fresh, chemical free and "prop full of goodness" meals on our table.  Such as one of our favourites...
Home grown spinach - picked just minutes
before cooking
...creamed spinach for dinner.  This is one of the few vegetarian meals that RMan will eat...
Creamed spinach and egg with a fresh roll - yummy!

... he's such a silly man - he doesn't know what he is missing the rest of the time.  But I'm working on him...
Posted by Dani at 10:47:00
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10 comments:

  1. Unknown6 September 2011 at 13:06

    Pomegranate tree...how lucky are you? :)

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  2. Jane @ Hard Work Homestead6 September 2011 at 14:26

    Thats why I never prune the grape vine, I have NO idea what is good and what needs to go. My luck I would cut all the live parts. The spinach dish looks good.

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  3. Denese6 September 2011 at 16:25

    What lovely plants. I miss my pomegranate tree. I hope to plant one here. We are going to look for wild persimmons and get a root stock or two for grafting. They are very hardy. I just sowed some new looseleaf lettuce yesterday since the weather has cooled. Getting fresh veggies here is a very expensive proposition and the variety is depressingly small.

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  4. pelenaka6 September 2011 at 18:34

    I had to look up what Celsius temps, and you are right that is chilly.

    Never thought of having creamed spinach with an egg before. I've got spinach in a cold frame perhaps for breakfast tomorrow.

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  5. Dani6 September 2011 at 18:48

    Tanya - We're planning on having a minimum of 100 on the farm LOL

    Jane - I'm useless at pruning LOL. Dinner was excellent :)

    Denese - Thank you. Persimmons grow near our farm - so they're obviously drought hardy LOL You'll be blown away once your home grown veggies start appearing. Also, suggest you try growing broccoli, beetroot, turnips and spinach / chard / kale in your colder season. The latter especially.

    Pelenka - Welcome. Dinner, light lunch or breakfast - creamed spinach and eggs is brilliant :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Diana Studer6 September 2011 at 20:52

    (and the next house will have northfacing large windows to warm up in winter, with an overhang to shade them in summer) We used to have volunteer spinach. Wonder where it is lurking?

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  7. Leigh7 September 2011 at 03:51

    Creamed spinach sounds yummy! Care to share your recipe?

    Interesting to realize that your southern exposure is cold in winter like our northern exposure. Lovely to see things starting to grow.

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  8. Anonymous7 September 2011 at 04:02

    A lovely meal. Emily

    ReplyDelete
  9. MsBelinda7 September 2011 at 09:36

    Creamed spinach and egg sounds delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dani7 September 2011 at 10:46

    Elephant's Eye - How did you know that the farmhouse faces north LOL

    Leigh - I'll post the recipe later in the week :)

    Emily - Yum - it was :)

    Ms Belinda - Welcome :) Yes, it is so simple and such a satisfying meal! And brilliant on the budget :)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to comment - it makes my day and removes the "loneliness' of sitting at my screen blogging supposedly to myself ;) I try and reply as quickly as possible so please forgive me if sometimes my response is delayed.

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