MICKEY’S BLOG
In the days before Instagram, Mickey kept a regular blog of snippets from Glenmore House.
You may enjoy looking back through them!
Collecting, the future….
Late February - it's a high maintenance moment! Following my last post, I'm happy to tell you I spent all weekend 'pushing my own barrow', in both the ornamental and Kitchen Garden. The most important task of all was to cut back tomato overgrowth, in order to...
Clever chard….
Coloured chard....one of the few plants from which you can collect seed to sow and harvest fresh new leaves at the same time!
Companion posies….
These last weeks, a great deal of time and effort has gone into cutting back leggy summer growth. We almost do a full prune of the garden through Jan/Feb, which is pretty dramatic stuff - not for the faint-hearted; and I'm grateful to have Alex help do the vast...
Luscious melon….
It isn't every day I can show off a melon! And really, this is a rather pathetic attempt, (or so I thought before I sank my teeth into it!). I haven't had any success with rockmelons for about five years. I think they really dislike our often humid conditions....
Early apples…..
And we have apples!! Not very many, as you can see, but I'm delighted! While the birds took all the Granny Smiths, (despite my efforts which clearly were not good enough), we have some absolutely delicious, crisp & crunchy Cox's Orange Pippins. I think I...
Pumpkin patch….
The pumpkin patch, with it's winding path through the long grass, is coming into its own. Pumpkins need space, and every year I curse where I've planted them for taking over my paths and streaking out over the lawn. I know one should 'nip them in the bud', once...
Simplicity….
Simple, yet satisfactory. Some days there is an awful lot to harvest....on others, not much at all, which can be a relief! For just a few days last week I was on my own, and it's quite extraordinary how little one actually needs. The egg, of course, could have...
Fresh leaf degustation….
Er....did I say something a couple of days ago about heading for a Kitchen Garden detox??!! What pure joy to return to garden-to-plate food!
Sweet grapes….
I was delighted to arrive home to garlands of grapes hugging the courtyard verandah. We'd tied them into brown paper bags to keep them from the birds at Christmas time, so they've been swelling in secret (see last season's previous experiment!). But we could see...
Holiday’s end….
Our youngest daughter's adventure into post-school life saw us gallivanting last week...for just a very few days...what madness, but what fun! It's been quite awhile since my last opportunity to gad-about on the other side of the world, so we thought we'd make up...
Pretty petals….
While pumpkins and tomatoes romp away, the roses took a little break after their first showy, summer flush. Where some roses are always prolific and dependable, like Iceberg (still looks great underplanted with lavender in the right situation I think!); some are...
Pumpkins away….
And they're off! This is the very first, (Ihope of many). One can never be sure....it all depends on the weather, but isn't this exciting? They seem to appear almost overnight, as if by magic. I'll keep you...
Tomato time….
Do you remember a couple of weeks ago, when I alluded to the fact that we rarely eat a tomato at Glenmore before Christmas? Well here they are, right on cue! Costoluto Fiorentino, Black Russian, Purple Russian, Black & Red, Sugarlump, Yellow Pear & Black...
Summer days….
Although the beach is long and complete with rolling, foaming, frothy waves (and accompanying thunderous roar as they race up golden sands), this is far and away my absolute favourite view, at the beach. It wouldn't be the week at the beach without a small patch of...
Lotus New Year….
Why, oh why did it take me so long to plant one of these beauties????!!!! I've wanted one forever, but somehow just never got around to it, until the last Collectors' Plant Fair. Lotus man - thank goodness he was there! Every stage of the flowering process is...
Canny harvest-time….
It's hard to believe we're still enjoying almost daily thunderstorms, and I'm beginning to wonder what it will be like to revert to a normal weather pattern! It certainly takes the stress out of the daily watering programme, and growth is lush, wild and...
Society inc flea market….
Last Saturday saw me with a tiny stand at Sibella Court's annual flea market at her new Society Inc Warehouse. I hadn't been to Precinct 75, Mary Street, St. Peter's for years. What a different atmosphere to leafy green Paddo, but with prior warning to bring some...
Farewell spring….
We enjoyed her well. She began gently, unfurled slowly and built to a crescendo before the heatwave got to her a week or so ago, when she gasped for breath and entered a momentary state of ugliness! Now that these intoxicating days of heat followed by generous...
Cherry picking….
A few days ago, we picked the very first cherries....about a dozen in all, with just a handful more on the way! I have a real hit & miss relationship with fruit trees. Indeed, I sometimes wonder why I bother at all....between the birds, fruit fly, scorching...
Hot off the press…
It was delightful to see Sally Campbell at Glenmore during last Friday's fierce heat, carrying newly minted invitations to what is bound to be yet another fabulous pre-Christmas exhibition of her wonderful textiles at Shapiro Gallery in Queen Street Woollahra,...