Brackendell Urban Farm

17/01/2024

I’m digging this crop of summer green manure.
No I actually really mean it, I’m digging it back into the ground!
It’s a mix of Persian Clover, arrow leaf clover, Belarusian Clover, Crimson Clover (hang on wasn’t that a hit by Joan Jett back in the 80’s?), Hairy Vetch, wooly Pod Vetch, safflower, radish, Phacelia, Oats, Black Mustard and Yellow Mustard!
Great for the soil, and great for the insects including beneficial predators and pollinators.
I’m preparing this, one of my sunniest beds, for winter crops, but there’s still time next for a quick crop of peas.

10/10/2023

What’s on my mind? I’ll tell you.

A 222 year old constitution that doesn’t recognise a 60,000 year old culture.

A parliament where lobbyists for big business and corporate greed get full access, while those in our most marginalised communities have no way to speak of their need.

You know what I’m talking about.

Support the proposal to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the constitution and give them Voice over matters that effect them.

Let’s straighten this out.. in our generation.

18/04/2023

Giving these beetroot seedlings a powerball.. worm castings pressed into a ball and placed under each seedling with some compost on the surface to give the little fellers something to nibble on.
In the background you can see the drip line and old palings I use between each row for access, and to cut down on weeds and moisture loss.

27/08/2022

Some friends from next door popped in for a snack.
We ended up having a party woohoo!

12/10/2020

The garden has been getting some TLC with mountains of recycled green waste mulch from the Anglesea tip. Locking in all that great soil moisture ready for the summer heat.
Thanks Scott for the loan of the trailer!

16/04/2020

11/04/2020

It’s been very busy here at Chez Brackendell during the lockdown, specially in the kitchen as we ramp up our Preserving the Harvest program!

14/02/2020

Looking forward to hosting a very special night of music memories and Marcia L. Howard magic... tonight!
Tickets still available!

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/marcia-howards-house-of-song-tickets-57953943806

26/12/2019

It’s finally tomato planting time!
Yes they could have gone in a bit earlier given the soil temperature has been warm enough for a while, but these girls have been growing on in the hothouse for quite a while and are pretty advanced.
Thankfully we have also missed the 43 degree scorcher that cooked our entire plum crop.
Also feeling that it may be a late planting season.. the Christmas Lilys are usually flowering on the day but are just coming out now.
Our technique for planting tomatoes is to dig the very deep into the soil so they have access to the cool and most importantly consistently moist soil deep down. This avoids risk of blossom end rot disease that can be a problem for larger tomato varieties in our sandy soil.
This photo shows how deep they are and the nice big watering bowl it leaves.

11/11/2019

Goodbye to Mahe and Charles-Efflam visiting us here at Brackendell for 3 weeks from France.. thanks for all your help, the birthday parties, the quiche, the trenches and the table tennis! Bon Voyage!

11/11/2019

Charles and Mahe

10/11/2019

A typical day down here on the coast... big bikes, big waves, and big spills!

Big thanks to Martin Grandoli (Hocus Focus) for the videography.

29/08/2019

Look who we found growing in the garden.. no its not the Flowerpot Men, its Cindy and Florian, our latest WorkAway guests from France!. just what is IN that daffodil fertiliser?

21/07/2019

The Lily Pad –Vintage van in private bush serenity - Campers/RVs for Rent in Torquay, Victoria, Australia

The Lilypad was launched (finally!) on July 1 and we already have 4 bookings and our first 5-star review!
Thankyou everyone who has made it happen!
Leanne Rosie Talia Ella Eddie Martin Laura Sarah Ellie Chris Mick Billie Clemont and the Anglesea Tip Shop (for materials!)
So to all our friends and acquaintances come on down for a very relaxing break.

Entire home/apt in Torquay, Australia. The Lily Pad is a beautiful fully renovated vintage caravan surrounded by trees and with a large sunny timber deck and charming semi-detached bath...

18/07/2019

Picking up another load of pulp and veggie scraps from today ready for a big load of compost and some sheet mulching in the orchard! Woohoo! Thanks !

21/03/2019

Morning meditation and yoga session overlooking the garden.
Peace
Calm
And
Love
Prevail

02/02/2019

Hooray to Elli from Germany, who stayed with us for a couple of weeks! Here she is with her masterwerk, the wallpapering of the bnb 'bush bathroom'.
With home-made flour glue, the walls are covered in newspapers just the same as the pioneers used to in days of yore.. great job Elli and bon voyage!

01/02/2019

Pick them Apricots! Quick!

"The tree's sweet summer cheeks -
a nimbus on their skin
like that on Marilyn Munroe's"
(from 'Apricots' by Kate Llewellyn).

Perry and Martin harvest the golden drops of sweetness..

02/01/2019

Pickled Beetroot

Simmer them for 1.5 hr
In a separate pot combine:
1 cup brown vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Bay leaf
Couple of cloves
4 peppercorns
Bring to boil and simmer 5min
The beetroot skin slides off easily under tap, slice and pack into a sterilised jar, top up with the hot brine. Seal.
Keeps for a few weeks

23/12/2018

4 minutes with Martin Grandoli, workaway first-timer in Australia.

21/12/2018

Follow the cycle of food preparation, composting, growing and back to eating.

17/12/2018

The garlic harvest is in. Really good crop, despite late planting early/mid winter. Got the bulbs for planting from Mr Garlic at the Torquay Farmers Market, a bag of leftovers for $20 and they’ve been great.
I’m convinced that garlic needs to grow in reasonably heavy soil, even quite a clayey soil, as I’ve tried it in no-dig beds (very open and light) with poor results.
Thanks for the photos Martin!

24/10/2018

Martin getting aquainted with the hard workers of the garden - the worms!

01/07/2018

We love winter! We love the cold clear days, the foggy mornings, the frost on the grass and the cosy fires.
And the excuse to acknowledge the shortest day of the year with a bonfire, mulled wine and music with our friends!
I will long remember singing Hava Nagila (“Lets rejoice!”) as we paraded through the house!

26/06/2018

Nettle soup tonight. We’re eatin weeds-the best way to get rid of weeds is to reframe them as something useful!
High in iron and vitamin C and tiny stingy hairs (just let them wilt and they’re no problem.

13/06/2018

Colours of Autumn at Brackendell

28/05/2018

Folks don’t ever throw out your green tomatoes at the end of the season. Bring them inside and let them ripen.
These were rescued from the tomato plants when the beds were cleared last week now it’s getting cooler, and they have extended our season by a month or more!
Of course there is the Green Tomato Chutney option, the famous Fried Green Tomatoes (whether or not you’re at the Whistle Stop Cafe),or many other uses.. just like regular tomatoes!

17/04/2018

Pumpkins! It’s been a good year, and this is the first of the harvest, there are another three patches almost ready.
Although we have already picked a few (and they’re excellent roasted, with the skin on of course!) we try to leave them until the leaves have died back, then cut them off with secauteurs. A clean cut and leaving a handle at the top prevents rotting.
We will now clean these - a workaway friend Diego who is an agricultural scientist observed that because the leaves had powdery mildew the fruit should be washed to help it to keep longer.
Thanks Ricardo for the help harvesting- but wait until they’re cooked before you eat them!