Autumn color at Vizsla Lak

Viszla Lak is a riot of autumn color at the moment. To see the contrast here's what it looked like in summer.

A gardener's view of worms

"The plow is one of the most ancient and most valuable of man's inventions; but long before he existed the land was in fact regularly plowed and still continues to be thus plowed by earthworms.  It may be doubted whether there are other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures".     

Charles Darwin

In my garden when I turn a over a rock, lift a brick or a pot plant, especially in summer, I'll find a worm.  They like cool, moist, dark places.  So you'll find them in soil that is rich and damp and covered with leaf litter or mulch.

In cold weather, if you search in the soil you will find mature and young earthworms as well as eggs. They become active when the soil starts to warm in the spring.  By late spring, most worms are mature.  As temperatures rise and the ground becomes dry, activity slows and they move deeper below the ground.  Many lay eggs and then die, so by midsummer those worms remaining are very young or  protected by egg capsules.  As the weather cools, young worms emerge.  With the onset of wet weather, they grow active, making burrows and eating extra food, resulting in more worm castings.  Egg laying occurs again.  Activity continues as long as the soil is damp.

From a gardener's perspective, the earthworm's life task is to break down organic matter and add it back as nutrient-rich pH neutral worm castings (that's poo, a soil conditioner called vermicast).  An earthworm produces its weight in castings daily.

Leading with its pointy head, and using its bristle-like hairs, called 'setae', it pushes through the soft earth, swallows soil or organic matter, grinds this in its gizzard and excretes tiny castings to line the burrow or deposit at the entrance hole.  Deep-burrowing worms aerate the soil and condition it by digging deep, long tunnels, bringing oxygen to roots of plants.  Composting worms are surface dwellers who live under leaf litter.

The application of chemical fertilizers, sprays and dusts can be disastrous for worms.  Nitrogenous fertilizers tend to create acidic conditions, which are fatal for worms.  In Australia, changes in farming practices such as the application of super phosphate to pastures had a devastating effect on the Giant Gippsland earthworm, which is now a protected species.

After rain, earthworms often appear above the ground.  They haven't drowned, as fresh water doesn't disturb them.  However, stagnant or contaminated water will force them from their burrows. Earthworms can survive in soil that freezes gradually.

So to encourage worms, keep the soil moist, with plenty of leaf matter and avoid artificial fertilizers.
Adding compost to the soil is an excellent way of attracting worms, as well as increasing moisture.

Gael Shannon

This afternoon it is pouring

Huge rain drops - too heavy to go out and check the rain gauge. And what a contrast to the past few weeks when there's been no rain at all.

Here's our local weatherman's report for November and December 2012:

The rainfall in November was only 28mm, which is well below the monthly average of 61mm. 

The rainfall in December was 20mm, which was only 40% of the monthly average of 50mm.  Rainfall for the August-December period this year (187mm) has been less than half of the average (382mm) for this five month period - the rainfall during this period has been lower only twice in the past 25 years (1994 and 2006).

The total rainfall for the year is 644mm, with is 27% below the long term average of 885mm. Flow in the Loddon is now not much more than a trickle.

So - this gives you an idea of what the gardeners of Glenlyon have to work with (or against).

Harvesting the compost

Compost or rubbish?

Concealed behind the tool shed, our huge compost heap accumulates large barrow loads of what I call 'compost' and JC calls 'rubbish'.  In the rush to get things done, I hurl large mounds of weeds and prunings on to the pile month after month.  In the end it is an enormous mass of rotting organic matter.

Before composting, prunings and other vegetation should be cut into smallish, manageable pieces prior to throwing on the pile.  The compost heap should also be regularly turned, improved with manure and watered occasionally.  At 'Greenlion' this rarely happens, as other interesting or more pressing garden tasks take priority.  However, as a result of this neglect, from time to time the compost bursts into bloom-calendulas, comfrey, aquilegias and more.

In preparation for the Gardens of Glenlyon, Nick and I attacked the huge pile of detritus, hurling large clumps of half rotted material to one side.  Our first surprise was the sound of much squeaking and the scurrying of tiny feet as baby antechinuses ran blindly for their lives.  We carefully popped them back under the pile and left their nest undisturbed.  Next, we uncovered the most beautiful humus-sweet, fine and brown.  In this layer of the compost we harvested large, healthy potatoes, a couple of ripe garlics, a tea strainer and a potato peeler.  Not a bad haul for a neglected pile of rubbish!  so impressed was the doubting JC, that he has built two new bays to encourage a more systematic approach to the ancient art of making compost.

Jill Teschendorff, 'Greenlion'.

A lovely email from a New Yorker

Mary, I'm sure you are now either sleeping or partying after being on duty at Mrs Gooch's wonderful homestead all weekend...but wanted you to know how very special our weekend in the Victorian midlands was !

Firstly, we might never have discovered your peaceful part of the world, and definitely would not have enjoyed it as much.......for Jim, time spent with you in your magical place was the highlight.......followed closely by our dinner at Annie's.......a delectable, delicious experience......followed by having a good chat at the window with Annie herself ...so good in fact that I am coming back out this Tuesday morning (if I can battle Melbourne morning traffic to get out to Malmsbury by 10) to take Annie's Xmas master class which she graciously invited me to join...even though it's already full.

Our stay at the Corinella Country House on the Kyneton Metcalfe Road was very pleasant as were the hosts, Sue and Steve Wright, a farming couple who have been mantling (that's as opposed to DISmantling) a family farm by adding pieces to their little spread and have turned one of the lovely farm houses into an accommodation.......

Following our morning hike up Black Hil, actually Jim hiked and I painted an iconic scene, we stopped into Jill Teschendorff's garden and had a delightful time and some good laughs with her and John.

The only thing we missed out on during the weekend was a late lunch/early dinner at Du Fermier..........The website said that Dan was open until 5......so when we arrived at 4:05 we thought we had plenty of time......only trouble is the website was in error...he closes at 4....again, we were invited in.......treated to a take-home brownie and donut.....and several good laughs before he sent us off back to Kyenton for a good dinner at Pizza Verde....where the chef, David, turned out to be from Brooklyn.......very close to where we live!.......so ended out midlands' outing.

Well, enough, just wanted you know how well it all turned out and that I might run into you on Tuesday if you're out and about.

Best and many thanks from,

Jim and Marsha

New York

A little of Mrs Gooch's Garden last weekend

Pics taken by Jen Tickle.  It's amazing how lush the garden appears, after we had such terrible hot and windy weather.

Bit like an arab oasis?

A shed on a body in front of another shed.

A touch of class here!

Bees in a bin

This did not happen in Glenlyon but it's such an amazing sight we thought everyone should have the opportunity to see it.

These bees have set up home in a compost bin - a bin it would seem not used all that much for compost!

Aren't the combs the most beautiful shape?