Monthly Archives: June 2013

And then there were none

Posted on June 29, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Our little Chatswood apiary was incredibly productive and we adored our bees. Those girls worked their hearts out and really flourished. But, with the move to the farm and the 50 or so hives based there, we decided we’d all … Continue reading →

Posted in bees | Tagged | 12 Comments

I’m a Farmer

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Well, it’s happened. I have become a farmer. Or at least in my own mind. It’s not about land, it’s not about crops, it’s not about animals, it’s all about the toys. On the farm we have a cherry picker, … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden | Tagged , | 16 Comments

Parrot (not Possum) Box

Posted on June 22, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

In November, Possums moved into our parrot box. It didn’t really matter that it was possums rather than parrots, I was happy as long as some local fauna was making use of all that hard (okay, easy) work. The possums were … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature | Tagged , , , | 22 Comments

Patterson’s Curse

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Until recently I knew 2 things about Patterson’s Curse (Echium plantagineum): 1) It is a noxious, introduced weed that is overrunning the grazing lands of Australia and is poisonous to some livestock. 2) It produces beautiful, small, purple flowers in … Continue reading →

Posted in bees, Garden, Nature | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Peanut Plants are Fascinating

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

I bought some peanut plants on a total whim. I half expected them to die within days of transplanting but they were on sale so…. I stuck them in the ground and watched them flower – pretty little pea-like, yellow … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Pecan Pie Recipe

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

I’ve never been a huge fan of pecan pies – I’m more a berry pie kinda gal – but with acres of trees literally dropping pecans by the bucketful, I thought I’d give pecan pie another try. After all, it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden, Recipe | Tagged , , , , , | 20 Comments

Strawberry Fields

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Back in September of 2011, Frank and I bought some strawberry plants. They spread and filled their tiny bed but didn’t produce a lot of fruit, probably because they didn’t get enough sun.  So, almost exactly one year ago, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden, Sustainability | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Banana, pecan and chocolate chip muffin recipe

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

This is a fusion dish – a fusion of our soon-to-be-vacated suburban house produce and our soon-to-be-inhabited farm produce. Bananas from the back yard and pecans from the orchard combine to create quite the taste sensation. Obviously the chocolate chips … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden, Recipe | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

The 80-20 Rule of Gardening

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

I am a devout proponent of the 80-20 rule in all things. Life has taught me that it is really true that you can achieve 80% of the results with 20% of the effort. Life has also taught me that … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Foraging for Dinner

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Out on the farm we are half-camping with minimal supplies to keep us going. There’s a nice flat on the property but we don’t want to move too much in because we’ll just have to move it out when the … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden, Nature, Recipe | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments