Working and Growing!

Winner of the Biggest Plant with Biggest Flower competition has to be this beast of a plant (shown above) growing at the end of our drive. This is how it looked a couple of weeks ago when we noticed a giant asparagus-like flower-spike emerging from amongst the huge leaves.

And this is how it looked this morning - the flower-spike must be about 30 foot tall now, and rising! Something tells me this is not an Aussie native. If anyone can tell us what this plant is, we'd love to know. How tall will it grow? Watch this space! And, just to shatter any illusions you may have about Aussie weather, please note that Tam is wearing a long sleeved top and rain hat!

Hurrah! Tam has started her new job at Gondwana, a wholesale nursery specialising in growing and supplying native plants throughout Australia. Aside from working in a stunning location, being paid to learn all about the propogation and care of Aussie plants, Tam reports that they have a proper coffee machine. My wife is a happy woman, with breaks enhanced by the divine smell, taste and welcome effects of good espresso, whilst relaxing on a huge verandah overlooking wild Aussie countryside. Meanwhile, I'm knocking up gluten free lasagnes, rice balls, quiches and salads in the hot kitchen at Nimbin Organics a couple of days a week - where, sadly, there is no coffee machine....

Back at the ranch, we've treated ourselves to a new push-mower, to reach all the rough bits that the Duchess can't get to. This is MY mower (as opposed to the ride-on Duchess, which is undoubtedly Tam's) and it's definitely paying dividends - my tummy muscles are getting a regular and much needed work-out. Of course mowing is limited to dry days and whilst the Southern regions of Australia are suffering an apocalyptic heatwave (officially due to Climate Change) we are experiencing irregular heavy rainfall or drizzle with occasional hot spells inbetween. So everything, including grass, is growing at an alarming rate, leaving little opportunity to mow.....

Check out these Strong Gels: having successfully loaded the trailer with wardrobe, scaffolding and lots of other cast-offs from sister in Brisbane, Felicity and Tam were suitably pleased with themselves! We plan to construct a shed or car port using the scaffolding - any design ideas very welcome.

And of course, a blog entry cannot pass without a brief update on the welfare of our three remaining chooks. They are roosting in their chook house again, but are still laying randomly around the exterior of the house, rather than in the nest box where their sister perished. Here they are, brushing themselves off after a recent downpour and entertaining us with their comic antics: