Wild Hope Homestead

After a turbulent relationship and many attempts to fix it, by both The Husband and I, our old lawnmower finally called it quits. I had just managed to fix up three different parts and got it going after The Husband said it was stuffed, so I was feeling quite the handyman. I got a bit of lawn mowed and then ‘Wham!’ the lawnmower stopped as the air filter popped off, smouldering around the edges as it had burnt itself clean off the side of the mower. Not to mention the bolts that kept rattling out. I guess I’m lucky the whole thing didn’t implode. Goodbye, turbulent beast.

The Old Beast. It was like a game of Count The Problems or What’s Going to Come Off Next?

The Husband’s pull cord solution was one of it’s special features.

We were considering our second-hand lawnmower options, because that’s how we roll, when we were unexpectedly surprised with a present for The Husband’s birthday. Never has there been a more perfectly-timed present! We are now the shocked and grateful owners of a beautiful new lawn-mowing beast. It is shiny, green and powerful. It doesn’t have broken bits and it doesn’t throw tantrums. It even has a mulcher, which is the icing on the cake since we had to return the borrowed mulcher to its actual owner, without having finished our mulching. There’s something about trying to make the most of what we have, doing the hard yards, that makes us so much more grateful when we receive something really nice. Never before has my jaw dropped when I’ve looked upon a lawnmower. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful new relationship. Except that The Husband has already broken the mulcher blade. The mower is having some therapy and will hopefully return to us ready to start afresh.

Meanwhile, the warmer weather has seen the vegetable crops surge into spring growth. We were all excited to see The Little Fulla’s first purple broccoli growing a lovely purple head. It was the first vegetable in his garden that we ate. It didn’t get very big because it bolted somewhat with the warm weather. Or the warm-cold-warm-cold-hot-cold weather. But the others ought to be more impressive as they are taking their time.

In the main Vege Garden, the brassicas are coming along nicely now, some of the broccoli already having passed across our plates, and the overwintered parsnips, carrots, beetroot and silverbeet kicked into gear. I sowed some carrots, orange and purple, and some parsnips. I pulled out most of the parsley plants since they’re now going to seed and did a full weed and trim of the Herb Garden. Trimmings of rosemary, thyme and lemon thyme were dried in the house.

I am much better at eating broccoli than I used to be.

The overwintered parsnips are growing strongly now.

I like the colour that red-stemmed silverbeet brings to the Vege Garden.

The tomato seedlings have been pricked out of their seed trays and potted up in 5cm pots. The capsicums and chillies are awaiting their turn. I have lettuce seedling forests and those of an oriental mesclun mix.

Tomato seedlings.

Capsicum (pepper) seedlings.

Tiny lettuces.

Pretty little oriental mesclun mix seedlings.

There is lots of life, which is lovely, but it is a slower spring, due to illness. Crops have been delayed and some of my grand plans will have to be postponed, but that’s ok. I am now clearing the two soon-to-be potato beds so the seed potatoes can get planted. Slowly but surely we’ll get there. I’m learning to make time for rest. The Little Sister’s family have just moved down to our area so we are really excited about that and look forward to more good times spent together.