Bender's Backyard

earthbound · **Posted:** Mon Jun 20, 2011 7:45 pm

Our artichokes are just starting to take off in the AP here, hopefully we'll get something off them, only their first year though from a small herb pot..

Bender · **Posted:** Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:30 pm

Quote:

Search youtube for how to prepare artichokes, boil then once prepared and then pull the bits out that you eat and dip them in satay sauce - yum yum.

Yeah I love globe artichokes. They are great boiled with a simple vinegrette dipping sauce. We only had a couple from these plants last spring. I'm looking forward to getting plenty more this season as the plants are now two years old.

Bender · **Posted:** Mon Jan 02, 2012 11:18 pm

Well we have finally moved into our own place and I had a chance to start on the garden today. Ripped out some ornamental shrubs and planted some tomatoes, capsicums and chillies I had grown in pots. Also thinned out the banana plants that were growing in this bed which had suckered and been left to grow wild. I shredded up a heap of palm fronds and put that down as mulch.

Bender · **Posted:** Mon Jan 02, 2012 11:21 pm

Plenty of space for vegetable beds but need to remove a heap of other shrubs first.

Bender · **Posted:** Mon Jan 02, 2012 11:25 pm

More pics plus the space for aquaponics system

gnash · **Posted:** Tue Jan 03, 2012 9:26 am

Loads of room for veggies :thumb:

...the aquaponics space looks good also :thumb:

Bender · **Posted:** Mon May 28, 2012 8:56 pm

Its been a while since I updated progress. You may notice a few changes. :thumb:

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File comment: Herb bed + bananas

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This is the herb bed. So far we have rosemary, garlic chives, chives, mint, marjoram, laxa, asparagus, oregano, rhubarb, basil and parsley. The bananas were there when we moved in.

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File comment: Garlic + bananas

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This is our garlic bed. We love garlic. Should be enough here to last a whole year. Plus more bananas and some capsicums.

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File comment: Lettuce, mizuna, roquette, carrots, parsnips, coriander, silverbeet & beetroot

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Lots of things growing here including lettuce, mizuna, roquette, carrots, coriander, parsnips, ruby chard, beetroot and a passionfruit.

Bender · **Posted:** Mon May 28, 2012 9:03 pm

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File comment: Onion, bok choy, broad beans and potatoes. Plus grape vines

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File comment: Broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts

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File comment: Dwarf apples - Early McIntosh, Cripps Pink, Cox's Orange Pippin

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Hopefully these dwarf apples will provide us apples from January until May

Simo · **Posted:** Thu May 31, 2012 12:02 pm

Bender wrote:

Its been a while since I updated progress. You may notice a few changes.

Yep, now I see it, the dog sat down :crazy:

Seriously though nice progress :thumb:

Peasants · **Posted:** Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:29 am

Transformed!! It will be a much more productive place :thumb:

Bender · **Posted:** Sun Aug 05, 2012 2:17 pm

Well we have some new additions to the family.

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Was donated the coop by the in laws. Its good enough for what we wanted and fits 3 chickens nicely. The best thing about it is it was free! I will be making a few modifications like putting in new nesting boxes accessible from the out side and replacing the floor. I have to build a run as well so they can free roam during the day without causing widespread destruction in the garden. They are destructive little creatures and love eating brocoli, cabbage, ruby chard and digging up just about everything. And thats just in the first week we've had them...

The chickens were also free. Put the question out there on the local buy and sell page on facebook if anyone knew any good local suppliers. Someone else responded and said we could have their 7 isa browns because they were working away and couldnt look after them. We couldnt fit all 7 in our little coop so dontated 4 to someone else and we kept 3. They havent started laying as yet but they are still settling in and it has been quite cool. Anyway its just nice to have chooks again because they are such ammusing little creatures to have around (even if they destroy the vege patch :bat:

).

Faye · **Posted:** Mon Aug 06, 2012 8:30 pm

Love the photo of your new additions, love your little boy- that is a very precious pic, make sure you get lots cause they grow up to quick and are great little models when they are co-operative.

Bender · **Posted:** Sat Aug 11, 2012 11:49 pm

Had a productive afternoon building a fence to keep the chooks under control during the day. Just need to finish it off with a new gate :rock:

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File comment: New chook pen

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I was getting sick of chasing chooks out of the vegy patch because they kept doing this -

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and this -

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File comment: munched ruby chard

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oh well at least I know what their favourite foods are now. Will have to plant more ruby chard so I can give some to the chooks :thunbs:

Bender · **Posted:** Sat Aug 11, 2012 11:51 pm

Faye wrote:

Love the photo of your new additions, love your little boy- that is a very precious pic, make sure you get lots cause they grow up to quick and are great little models when they are co-operative.

They sure do grow up quick Faye. I can't believe the eldest is almost 2. We have a 5 week old as well. Keeps us on our toes :run:

Bender · **Posted:** Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:27 pm

Made a few modifications to the chicken coop over the weekend. The old design was impossible to clean as the chickens liked to perch on top of the nesting box and crap all over it :bash:

. So I ripped it out and replaced it with a drawer type design which I can access from the outside. Will make it heaps easier to collect eggs and to clean out the coop :rock:

.

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Funny though I just went outside to check on the chooks and they were all sleeping on the floor of the coop instead of on the perch. They must be confused since I ripped out their old sleeping spot

Either that or they dont like the perch. It's a length of 20 by 40mm pine with the edges rounded to make it more comfortable. Anyone have any tips on the best type of perch for chooks?

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