Foxy Lady: I am picking tomatoes, capsicum and as much herbs as you wish LOL

yesterday had the biggest feed of MUSCAT grapes...this is the best crop I have ever had...have zucchini with heaps of flowers on just hope the bees do their job and fertilize them. Have bananas just about ready to pick and my paw paw trees are bearing a small amount of fruit and hopefully that will change.

is here LOLOL and everything is growing perfectly HAHAHAHA.....

got tomatoes - 4 types...capsicums - 2 types zucchini, sweetpotatoes, herbs coming out my ears LOL, am planting silver beet, cukes and have bananas and muscat grapes coming on nicely :)

rednaz23: LIME.....that is the secret ingredient here.....the proliferate in great numbers after being "zapped" with lime :)

never heard of powdered milk tho ?????

☼ajtgirl☼: thank you so much....thats about all I could find on it as well....I have it growing outside in my pergola, which is semi shaded amongst the furns and palms around the spa....thanks for that :)

http://www.anthuriums-exotics.com/Exotics.htm

does anybody know anything about the "Bat [plant"
pictured above.

I was given one for my birthday and cant find too much on how to grow them....they appear to be relatively hard to get, and I would appreciate anything you can find for me :)

Oceans Apart: mid 30's here C not F....has been a bit cooler but tomatoes are really coming along and my herbs are a picture.....you can smell the basil all over the yard :)

has zucchini and cukes nearly ready to plant out and in the next week or so will have to pick the rosellas again and make jam :)

Foxy Lady: HAHAHA....it looks so funny...

Foxy Lady: hahaha have you been having a wee tipple HAHAHAHA

☼ajtgirl☼: here is something I found.....
Notes: The genus Oxalis includes over 800 species of annual or perennial, stemmed or stemless, herbs and shrubs, often with underground bulbs or tubers. A few are aquatic species. Of the thirty species of Oxalis in Australia, twenty are naturalised and many are existing or potential serious pests in various parts of the country. Twenty two species of Oxalis were listed in Victorian nursery catalogues between 1855 and 1889. Eleven species are described in Gardening Australia's Flora (2003) with acknowledgement that 'some of the world's worst weeds belong in Oxalis,…'

One species of concern in Victoria is Soursob, Oxalis pes-caprae which invades coastal heath vegetation, grassland, woodland and dry forest. It also occurs along roadsides, and in gardens, crops and pastures. It is distinguished by the three heart-shaped leaflets with or without stalks which fold in dull days or at night. Flowers are bright yellow in colour and open in sunlight and close at night. There are masses of underground bulbs which are spread by water, birds, in dumped garden waste and during cultivation.

☼ajtgirl☼: OXALIS????
If I remember correctly oxalis is a noxious weed in New Zealand...maybe skip could verify that as I havent lived there since '78.

Foxy Lady:me here and fine :)

Thanks for your concern, but on the 1st March my you beaut, super fast, faster than the speed of sound, INTERNET provider.....went broke . So now Im back on dial up until the whole horrible mess can be sorted. it is so slow that Ive only been coming on here to play games etc and havent been posting as such.

Again thanks for the concern tho ,

there is a massive shortage of water in Queensland (actually all of australia) but south of me in Brisbane they are on level 5 water restrictions.
no hoses, no sprinklers, only able to water from 4am to 8am and then only by bucket. No washing cars, houses . 140litres per person per day only. If you are caught flouting the laws you will be heavely fined.
For your information 1 gallon = 3.7 litres, so you can imagine how short showers will be.

things are really bad.

thank god we arent that desperate yet because of the big wet we got this year, but if the local authorities dont clamp down we will be looking at the same thing in the future....

water is such a precious commodity and with australia being the driest continent on earth we are having massive problems.

thought you might be interested in this useless piece of information hahaha

Actually the nurseries are talking of suing the local govt. because a...there plants are dying and b...they are losing lots of business because people wont buy because they cant water. it is having a dominoe effect.

skipinnz: really....OMG they are the best tasting I actually did a search (google) aussie and you can buy the plants....there are none in stock at the moment but have left a message to contact me when they have some....love them narnie pasho's LOLOL

skipinnz: never even heard of chutney, but do adore the jam....gosh I miss feijoa's, and banana passionfruit...would kill for a banana passionfruit......would love someone to send me some seeds but I worry about the customs lOLOL

skipinnz: Feijoas.....now that is a yummy LOLOL....actually I found a small nursery here that propogates and growns foreighn tropical fruit....I bought a Feijoa tree last year and am waiting for it to do something special LOL....cost me nearly $40 for a tree/plant about 12 inches high, but if it works here it will be a bonus :)

Foxy Lady: yes about 6-8 months.....rest is to hot/wet

Foxy Lady: i will start late march early april....and can plant everything then....we dont have a winter, well not what you would call winter....we dont get much below about 60degF, so it is mild all year until about November till March when it is our wet season and very hot.

Foxy Lady:only in the wet season and this is the first one for about 5 years :(

the humidity is what kills us....98% isnt uncommon at all and the perspiration just runs down your arms/legs/back etc...it is really uncomfortable and AirCons are going day and night....can be expensive, but probably the same as paying for heating all the time :(

we have had so much rain it has made it just terribly unpleasant....I havent been able to get into the spa because the rain made it overflo and of course the chlorine washed away and the water started to go cloudy....so had to empty it half way and refill with extra chlorine... living in the tropics certainly has its downfalls, but it would be better than being snowed in I reckon, but still......

skipinnz: I should be able to start getting my garden ready for vegies etc late March/early April...living in the tropics really spoils for growing vegies, so we plant our lettuce/summer vegies and also small amount of winter vegies all at the same time...I have had sweet potatoes in since last July....havent got a darn thing off them....just been far too hot

The grand old Hotel has gone? OMgoodness...really? did they build another in its place?...havent been to Hamilton in over 25-30 years :)

NOT a floosie: well as Foxy says....it is chat when there isnt any weather to help with growing....

i worked in Hamilton about/more than 40 years ago LOLOL....worked at the Hamilton Hotel which was THE BEST back then and I actually met Vera Lynn and her husband? when they stayed there...

where abouts in NZ Skip.....I was born on the Nth Shore - Auckland....place called Takapuna LOL
Lived in Wellington - Lower Hutt and Christchurch - Addington :)

38degC here and too hot to grow anything
do have a few apple cucumbers coming up but dont expect them to live for long it is just too hot....have 2very small bunches of grapes on but dont expect them to survive either, they will cook on the vine....other than that,,,wayyyyyyyyy too hot LOLOL

Foxy Lady:yes on higher ground and ....no shopping....thank god I have a large freezer which is always plentifully supplied :)
Since I posted about the 7 1/2 inches we have had a further 5 inches....doncha just love everything being damp LOL
even my dog wont go outside...I have to make him LOL

well 7 1/2 inches rain last night for me and all roads in and out of my suburb are closed with the main road in and out of the city also closed to traffic...there are cars etc everywhere who cant get throught the raging waters...I went to the end of my street and it looks as though Im living on a lake edge LOLOL...they are predicting this will go on till early next week...will be interesting

Foxy Lady: The pics didnt really show all that much and it didnt look as bad as it awas so didnt bother downloading them....but if you look here http://www.geocities.com/damudda2000/desertrose.html you will see a beautiful flower on my front porch :)

Foxy Lady: hey there NEW Momma :) how is the bubby...dear wee soul.

And we nearly do need a boat...I have a couple pics of some of my yard...will post them and show you when I get around to it

I have had 2 1/2 inches of rain in the last 36 hours...it is just great...1st wet season for a million years (well nearly) hahaha
dont know yet if I can get out the bottom of the street, but will find out later on LOLOL

Foxy Lady: it is only 35degC here today and the humidity is about 80%...just a cold one....NOT

skipinnz: as I said they are only young plants, but they are fruiting well :)

To make the jam you have to take all the "red" leaves off the outside and save the seeds...you wrap the seeds in muslin, boil cup for cup sugar/fruit with the juice of a lemon, and the seeds...boil for 45 minutes. The seed help with the pectin as the setting agent...it really is a nice jam.

http://www.geocities.com/damudda2000/rosella.html
try this Skip....just taken this pic for you :)

skipinnz: im going outside to see if there are any flowers on the plants....they have only been in the ground about 4-5 months so are young plants, but I have already had about a kilo of fruit from 4 small plants....I have propogated another dozen plants so hopefully will have plenty of this delicious fruit shortly>

skipinnz: HAHAHA....not the birds....Rosella are a fruit.....looky here
http://www.benjaminchristie.com/recipe/100/rosella-jam

that "red" thing is a rosella ROFL

Im in the middle of making Rosella Jam...out of my garden...I love this Jam it is so versatile....yummmmmmmmmm

Foxy Lady: hehehe....it is a dogs life with long hair but now ive been trimmed and lookin gooooooood (woof) I dont mind the heat .

The thing Im happy about is the longest day has passed and we are heading into winter again in about 5 months HAHAHAHA....lotsa vegies to plant before then tho....cant grow a darn thing now....just too hot :(....only have capsicums at the moment and am getting sick of them as well LOLOL

Mousetrap: hehehe probably but I look so sexy with my long hair.....actually I got it cut on Thursday afternoon, but only to what we call a "number 2" so it isnt really short HAHAHHA....or woof woof woof....

Lisa D: it is only 90degF here today.....quite cool really for us ROFL

Foxy Lady: please send snow.....never in my lifetime would I see snow here :(

Foxy Lady: Well, just out of the spa....about 33degC here today but the humidity is atrocious.

Even Bear (dog) is reluctant to go outside in the heat, but have arranged for the Groomers to come in tomorrow and give him a SSSS&SS...about $40....but he will feel better getting rid of the long (about 2 inches only) hair.

1st day of summer today and my god isnt it hot....34degC at midday :(...we will have a horrible Xmas in the heat this year.....we havent had rain for nearly 12 months....Im talking real rain...not the useless drizzles that dry up before they hit the ground :(

Foxy Lady: I did that but it is obvious that search engines are different in Aus than they are in the USA....google dint gimme nuffin

thanks anyway Hun :)

Foxy Lady: awwwwww :( i cant get into that page :(

thanks anyway

Tuesday: yep it sure is beginning spring....I came into possession of 2 pomello?? or pomelo today....they are as big as a dinner plate and I want to know if anyone has a recipe for Jam/marmarlade etc they would share with me....
I have searched and searched as to what to do with them.....sorry this isnt exactly gardening but.... :)

Tuesday:HAHAHA....curiosity killed the cat LOL

He is a good friend and is filling in his time doing around my yard and home etc. it fills his time and im now working 3-5 days per week, so I dont really do all that much.

Today we finished painting the bathroom and the kitchen is next... then the main bedroom. I might add that the painting in the bathroom, kitchen and main bedroom havent been done since 1992, so are in desperate need.

Vern and I did the spare room and the lounge in 1994 when he was still in fairly reasonable health.

well ----- after counting the Mondo grass and the Moses in the cradle on the edgings----we estimate there to be about 500 new plantings in the back garden...nothing over $20 and nothing under $5...except the ones I have propagated...which would be about 100....so your looking at a fair amount of gardening/money LOL


Today we have started to strip the bathroom...paint was on special yesterday at $19.80 for 4 litres....usually about $56.00...

the next after this is the main bedroom...Vern and I having done the lounge and the spare roome a couple years ago....

it is all go here lOLOL.....any offers of help????

hahahaha.....no it isnt cold here but the water in the spa is LOLOL....it is under shade all day so dont get a chance to heat thru....hence the solar mats, which we will only use occaisionally.

Where are you? in the sth island? I used to live in CH.CH...that was either too hot with the westerly winds or too darn cold due to the snow on the hills :)
I was born in Takapuna on the Nth Shore of auckland.

it is a bit cold at the moment for the spa...we have solar heating mats to be installed for the spa when we have time to do it...but in the meantime we are just dangling legs LOL

a few pics for you to view :)

note the new spa...

http://www.geocities.com/tropicalparadisio/yard.html

will keep more pics posted as the garden grows...Im going to count the plant one of these days....there has to be hundreds of them LOL

BerniceC: oops.......