Picking and drying lavender to make my lavender balls !

Today I picked some lavender to dry so I'm always ready to make my lovely lavender balls.

My lavender plants are looking gorgeous in full bloom..

The bees are loving the lavender too..yes its that time of the year again..nearly spring ..how lovely ..to be honest I have been counting the days till spring ..only 11 days to go ..On our bush block all the wild flowers are coming into bloom  it looks just gorgeous..So I picked a big bowl of lavender and have it drying on a piece of brown paper in my sewing room ..it smells amazing ..I love lavender...If you haven't been lucky enough to see my lavender balls and a really easy tutorial ..here is the link .. Here

They make lovely gifts for any occasion..So  I like to be prepared with a bag of dried lavender..You just never know when you may need to make a gift or two or three..

Make A Mosquito Trap !

Make a cheap easy mosquito trap !
All you need is a plastic cool drink bottle and a few other ingredients from your kitchen. A great way to help keep them under control around your house. When Jack had his friend Ralph over for a sleep over during the last school holidays we made these. Another great way to recycle some plastic bottles and if you don't have any ask a family member or friends to save a few for you ..All you need to do is remove lid and cut off the top of the bottle where there is usually a ridge a few inches down from the lid. Then you place that part upside down into the bottle and place some tap to secure it in place. Make a handle so it can be hung up, I used some black strapping that I had saved from a package I purchased. I stapled it at each side of the plastic bottle to secure it well . Then you make up a mixture using 1 cup of warm water 1/4 cup sugar & 1 gram of yeast and pour it in to your bottle. Then all you need to do is hang it up some where around your house and the mosquitoes will come a buzzing...Apparently mosquitoes are attracted to the colour black so good idea to use black tape, so I left the label on the bottle being that it also has a lot of black on it...I'm going to make a few more of these and hang them all around the house.



The yeast creates carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitoes...They recommend to change the solution every 2 weeks for continuous control...







Can you see in the bottom of the bottle lots of ..
mosquitoes and midges...So it really does work..

Our First Fully Enclosed Vegetable Garden Completed !

This is our first fully enclosed vegetable garden which is made from recycling our old rainwater tank that was hit by lightning in 2010..which you can see here if interested here. As we live on a semi rural property we have not been able to grow any food as every time we try all the native animals eat it before we get a chance to ...So this one is fully enclosed so no native animals should be able to get in and eat our gorgeous organically grown food ...This has taken a long time to complete because I have been and still are sick with Lyme and we have been trying to work out the most environmental and cost effect way to complete it...As we have lots of peppermint trees growing on our property we decided to use them, they are free and no toxic chemicals can leach into our garden..So as you can see peppermint trunks are around the edges and across the top, sort of like spokes which they will be great to hang all my strawberry bags I plan on making to really maximize the whole space...Then it is fully enclosed with bird wire..cost so far has been $135 for a 50 metre roll of wire(plus a little extra we need to complete the roof and a piece found on the kerbside that we used for the door)... ...we were considering getting soil in but decided we would just use the virgin soil already there and slowly build it up with worm juice and compost and then chicken manure when we get our chickens... So far I have planted bok choy and pak choy, parsley, broccoli, english spinach, lettuce and carrots.. I will post another photo when things are all growing well...I cannot wait...

wow this was 3 years ago ...hard to believe..

we have 4 big rings that Kev cut from our big rainwater tank...one will be the chook pen...

This is a photo of Jack in the tank...hard to believe again ...he is 10 now...

August Junk Challenge ! Old Tyre Rim & Hub Cap !

Tyre Rim Makes A Great Hose Reel!
Two years ago I did a post about using a tyre rim to store your hose reel when not in use and it looks tidy and out of the way. To read that post please click here tyre rim post Well last year when I was walking around our bush block I found a hub cap and thought that would be good as a cover for the tyre rim hose reel. It was a perfect fit and really handy to store the hose nozzle and it looks so much nicer then seeing the rusty inside.What do you think !

August Junk Challenge! Using poly pipe to grow herbs & vegetables !

Another recycled project made from old poly pipe or you could buy some new poly pipe and make some great hanging gardens to grow your herbs and some vegetables. This would also be great if you are short on space or live in a unit with a balcony, a very clever idea !

What To Do With An Old Trampoline Frame!

What to do with an old trampoline frame !
We picked this up a few weeks ago from another property in our street as it was left after the curb side rubbish pick up. Kev said it was probably to big to take, so they just left it there. After driving past it a few times I had another great idea,( brain working over time as usual) and (as I love any recycling project). I said to Kev that would be great if we covered it in chicken wire to grow vegetables under it, which he agreed. If you don't know already we have trouble with all the wildlife eating everything we grow, as we live in the bush, so we have plenty of possums, kangaroos, rabbits,rodents and lots of birds that eat everything. It can be very frustrating. A few months back our strawberries were looking good and I thought another day and I'll pick them, well something beat me to them even though they are fully enclosed with chicken wire. Any way back to our project, just turn the frame upside down and cover with chicken wire, how easy is that, it didn't take us that long. I will find a place in the garden and plant some vegetables under it, it hasn't happened yet, maybe this weekend. As it sits there I've been thinking it could be great to house chickens, It could be moved all around the yard with ease like those ones you can buy that have wheels on them. So when my vegetables are growing well underneath I will post another photo on my blog to show you all.

Make Mini Green Houses To Germinate Your Seeds!

Mini Green Houses!
Last week on Thursday 1st March I received my elephant garlic seeds from Narelle at "Just like my nan made". On her blog she says they can take about 4-5 weeks to germinate, what to put them in. Then I had a brain storm, don't you just love it when you have one of them, I do :) Well I quite often buy the snow pea sprouts in those plastic containers I know what you are thinking, well that's what I'm always thinking "more plastic". Well I have been saving them, knowing they would come in handy one day for some thing. Wow today was the big day, use them to make mini green houses, I put a little bit of soil in the bottom put my garlic seeds in sprinkled with a little more soil, watered them and placed another one on top and I used 2 elastic bands to secure them together.It works a treat...When they grown at least half way to the top I will transplant then in either a pot or garden bed.

This is a view of the top as you can see they don't need watering every day that's the idea of green houses.I will report back and let you know how they are going if they take 4-5 weeks, then that will be at least another month...I'm very excited at the prospect of growing amazing elephant garlic like Narelle, lets hope the wildlife doesn't like garlic, I don't think they do as I have grown a little bit of garlic before but only tiny ones that my grand father gave me some years ago. It still comes up most years and the animals haven't eaten it....So wish me luck :)

What To Do With Those Plastic Bottles ! Part 5

What To Do With Those Plastic Bottles !
The tops of the bottles are great for using to protect young plants, from grubs, strong winds and rain until they get a little more established. Or they can be used like a terrarium to grown plants inside, easy to do just pop it over a pot plant and water it by unscrewing the lid on top.
Another great use for the plastic bottles is to fill them up with water turn upside down push into the soil in your flower pots to slowly water them for a few days if going away.Does any one else have any other great ideas to share with us all. If so, please leave a comment .Rob from http://bitsouttheback.blogspot.com/  suggested making scoops for dry chicken or dog food by cutting the tops off  from plastic vinegar or cordial  bottles with a handle, that way you can scoop the contents using the handle to hold, what a great idea. We don't have chooks or dogs, but we plan to get chooks one day and I will make some then. thanks for sharing your great idea with us Rob :)

Mend Instead Of Replacing If You Can !

I mended my leaf rakers !
I'm not sure what they are called, I use them a lot when I rake up a big heap of leaves and kangaroo poo. I use them to scoop it all up off the lawn and put in to our compost hole. One of the handles broke some time back ,so I decided to mend them so they last at least another 10 years. I used some plastic coated wire that we have kept from when our son Jack has gotten Thomas the tank engine and friends.If any one has ever tried to take the engines from the box they will know how hard it can be with all the wire to hold them in place its a major exercise, I can tell you. Any way I got a piece of it, doubled it to save cutting it, threaded it through the holes then I used a used plastic straw so it wouldn't cut in to my hand when I used them,I then twisted the wire on the inside.I'm happy with the end result. I've just saved another item from going to landfill and my money,not needing to purchase another set. So a win win for me and the environment. What other things do people mend around the garden and back yard , any tips please post and share them with us all.

New Handle For Old Garden Spade !

New Handle For Old Garden Spade !
When our two little garden spade handles had broken beyond repair, Kev had some PVC conduct in the shed left over from another project he cut it to size and screwed it to the spade , they are still going strong and that was eight years ago so my advice is before throwing things away rethink ,can it be fixed or used for some thing else. we live in a real throw away society.  I'm really pleased when I can prolong the life of some thing or find another use for it . Stopping stuff going to landfill I say Yay !

A Tyre Rim Makes A Great Hose Holder !

A Tyre Rim Makes A Great Hose Holder !
Tyre rims they are great for storing your hoses neatly away ! All it cost was for two dyna bolts from the hardware to fix it to the wall of the house near the water tap. It is so easy to use when you need to use the hose you unwind it off and when finished with it you wind it back on the rim ! The rims where free I got them about 10 years ago I cannot remember where I got them I think I got them from where I purchased my car tyres. So if you would like to do this ask your tyre provider if he has any !May even find some on the kerb side rubbish pick up days !
We also have one out the front on the lawn which is attached to a wooden post next to the front tap !

Growing Mint In An Old Washing Machine Bowl !

Growing Mint In An Old Washing Machine Bowl !
I have to admit I love it when the shire have their kerb side rubbish pick ups. When we are usually driving past I always say to Kev go slow so I can see what they have ,I'm sure Kev speeds up because I don't get to see hardly anything , I'm sure he's thinking what rubbish does she want to pick up this time. I hate good things going to waste . So when I saw this washing bowl from and old washing machine I thought that will make a great pot plant for my mint , and which my mint is happily growing in ! So before you throw something out, think a little harder could it have any other uses !

Lemon Tree (Urine Best Fertiliser )

My Lemon Tree !
(Urine Best Fertiliser )
My dear friend Vicki brought me this lemon tree in 2001.
First I had it in a pot then I decided to plant it in the ground ,then when me moved house in 2002 we dug it up and planted it where it stands today.I didn't think it was going to survive it took a while to get going again , then a few years ago animals started eating the tree and the fruit it was either possums or kangaroos or probably both ! I find the best fertiliser for lemon trees is urine , having 3 sons and a partner I always used to say pee on the ground around the lemon tree it really works ! If you haven't tried it give it a go . Best fertiliser and its free ! I will often pee in a old plastic jug and water the tree. Why pee once in the loo and flush what a waste of water. When I was growing up in our household we only flushed the toilet when we did poo ! On our toilet wall I have a sign if its yellow let it mellow if its brown flush it down ! You will be surprised how much water you will save. We are on rainwater tank water here,so our water is even more precious. If every one followed this practice we would have plenty of water ! I challenge you all to give it a try ! At least a few pees before the toilet gets flushed.

Toilet Rolls For Growing Seedlings !

Toilet rolls For Growing Seedlings !

Use them like little jiffy pots. I cut them in half put them in a tray fill with soil, then plant seeds, water and when they are seedlings plant them in the garden. The cardborad will break down in the soil .

A great way to recycle loo rolls !
What do you do with your loo rolls !