The Garden

I heard from my daughter, Katrina, that, with her husband Tony and children Kaileb, Hannah and Olivia, they have started their first vegetable garden in their new house. I can appreciate why they have taken so long to start as they are very hard working people, but at least they are making a start to become somewhat self sufficient.
A couple of tips for anyone who is starting a garden in a newly developed area. The builders often leave rubble lying around and also some of their rubbish, which is usually buried and left to rot away. This alters the quality of your soil and sometimes can cause some of your plants to be malformed, stunted or not grow at all. I would recommend the purchase of a PH Meter, a few $'s from any hardware store. This will tell you how acid or alkaline your soil is in a particular area of your garden, and remember that not all parts of your garden will be the same PH. Also, you will need some blood and bone (a good all round ecofriendly fertiliser) and garden lime as most veges and flowers require a neutral PH around 5 on your meter. If your soil is too acid add lime, too alkaline add sulphate of ammonia (I use blood and bone which has sulphate of ammonia added).

Mother Nature is flexing her muscles again in the form of tropical cyclones. Cyclone Andy is already battering the North Queensland coast and the monster of all monster cyclones, Yasi, is on its way to add more devastation to much of the Queensland coastline and cities.
Just as our summer garden is starting to look a bit of alright we are now faced the probability of very strong winds which may damage the garden considerably, so I thought that while everything is in pretty good shape, I would share with you some of the beauties of out garden. Its not quite the Garden of Eden but it will do us!


 Passionfruit - Only been in the garden about 5 or 6 months and is already in flower. And such a striking looking flower it is!!! Can't wait for the fruit and than the Pavlovas, fruit salads and passionfruit icing iced cakes will abound!!!

 Chillies - The bed on the left are Thai chillies and are nice and hot but bearable, where the ones on the right are from Peru and rate 150,000 on the Scoville Scale, which is HOT HOT HOT!!!! and they are amongst the world's hottest chillies.
When you cook with them, only one equates to about 6 or 7 other chillies, so they are very economical??? They prefer cooler climates to grow in and we had heaps when we grew them in Tassie.


Bananas and Peanuts - I am not used to growing tropical plants, but these two seem to be doing OK. Maybe get some bananas next year and in about 2 months I will dig my first peanuts. I have already cropped one bed of corn growing with the peanuts and you will see No2 on its way.

Snake Beans and Herbs - Snake beans on the left grow to about 1 metre long and the herbs are thriving. But the snake beans aren't doing so well this year - all green and no bean!! You will notice a type of shade house near the snake beans. I like to call this my C.A.T.B - Camouflaged Anti-Terrorist Bunker, which is full of miniature Shock Troops - When you see how small they are, you get a shock. But I really use it as a shade house for some of the more sensitive plants. Fooled Ya!!!!!

Pumpkins and Petola - Pumpkins you know and love but Petola may be strange to you. It is an Asian vegetable something in the family of gourds (I think). It is also called LOOFAH or LUFFAH because, when it has been dried, you can use it as a bath sponge or in the kitchen for cleaning!!!

 As a green vegetable it is cooked and served with rice dishes or can be made as a soup or even stir fry it. Very versatile vege and very nice and refreshing to eat too. In Malaysia I saw it growing and consumers prefer straight ones like the one on the left, so the growers put little weights on the end of the fruit so it grows straight. This intrepid photographer crawled under the petola vines to take a pic of the one on the right which has a bit of a "hangup" and I will use it for seed for next year, or even as a bath sponge after I get the seeds out.


Kay and I are very happy in our little bit of paradise called the "back yard". It took a bit of getting where it is now as there was nothing here when we bought the place. The garden beds took a while to get going and because of my gammy leg, it took me 3 times as long as usual to dig it first up. But now the soil is pretty good and easy to manage. We grew 2 beds of potatoes but only cropped one before the rains and floods hit. Although we didn't get flooded, the rain and all that water rotted the spuds in the second bed. Better luck next year maybe.

The Great Taste Test - Part 3

The time has come the walrus said "To speak of many things"!!!! So, here we go - the last in the series about drinks (soft and slightly harder, beer).

Most beers are available in stubbies or cans, but some brands are now opting back to the larger bottle. I think this may be a marketing mistake on their behalf, but only time will tell. Each beer has its own distinctive taste and the taste can differ greatly between stubbies and cans. With each type of beer I have my own preference, but some people will say that they prefer the alternative. But that is all to the discerning palate of the drinker. I prefer cans for a good reason.  I was carrying home a carton of stubbies (in my single days) and tripped and fell, consequently breaking at least 14 of the 24 stubbies in the carton. So, I vowed then and there that I would buy cans where possible. BUT ... some beers are only drinkable in stubbies, not cans or on tap. Boags Classic Blonde is one of those beers and should only be drunk from the stubby. Cans also are available in 24 or 20 packs and are much lighter and easier to carry (especially if you have had a bit of a session with your mates).

The 4 beers I tested over the last couple of months are XXXX Bitter (Queensland). By the way, I was always told that Queensland beer was labeled XXXX because they couldn't spell beer!!!! Maybe it was southern states against Queensland at the time, this was in the '70's. The others were XXXX Gold Midstrength, XXXX Summer and Boags Classic Blonde.  You will notice in the stats "cost per unit". That is the individual stubby or can cost from a take home pack and that unit has also been broken down to cost per 100ml. So let's start with Queensland beer.

XXXX Bitter Cans: (stubbies not recommended): A very refreshing drink and full strength at 4.6% alcohol. Available in stubbies in 24 carton or cans in 24 or 30 cartons. The price is variable but usually around $50 for 30 375ml cans. Stubbies or also 375ml, so this is important when you are looking for value!! A stronger tasting beer but very refreshing to the palate and has the right amount of fizz. Have not found any adverse effects as I only have maybe 3 - 6 a day or so.
The stats are as follows: Cost: around $50.00 carton 30 cans. Product size 375ml. Cost per unit $1.67. Cost per 100ml $0.63. Alcohol 4.6% and carbohydrate total 2.70 units. All in all this is a very nice beer and is great as a thirst quencher after cutting the lawns or other "strenuous work". Recommended for relaxation.

XXXX Gold cans: (have tried stubbies but not as good in the taste stakes). This is a lower carb beer. As with XXXX Bitter, a very refreshing drink for the lower alcohol content, but tends to bloat you, like all low alcohol beers. Takes a lot of cans to get the 'buzz' as I found out on New Year's Eve when we went to friend's place to celebrate. Had about 10 cans and still walked away without even a stagger or repeating or words or phrases. Now that is definitely a first for me.
Stats are: Cost: around $40.00 carton of 30 cans. Product size 375ml cans. Cost per unit $1.33. Cost per 100ml $0.35. Alcohol 3.5%and carb total 1.90. A refreshing drink. Recommended for social gatherings so that you don't get too untidy!!

XXXX Summer Bright Lager: I can't really say too many good words about this beer. It is full strength and is touted as the summer alternative. I only bought one carton to try because I saw the Air Force boys over the road take several cartons in when they had a party. The cost is quite reasonable, as is all Queensland beer at the moment because the brewery at Milton was flooded. I found that after 2 of these stubbies (I don't think it comes in cans) I developed a slight headache. So I investigated more over the next few days and found that every time I drank Summer I got a headache. Its been a long time since I had a hangover so I don't know whether the headache was an early warning system or what, but i definitely won't be buying it again.
State are: Cost around $40.00 a carton of 24 stubbies. Product size 330ml stubbies. Cost per unit $1.67. Cost per 100ml $0.55. Alcohol 4.2% and carb total 1.20. Recommended that only be drunk in extreme emergency or drastic shortage of other beers.

Boags Classic Blonde: (Stubbies only .. Tap beer is no where the same). This is lower carb and this would have to be the beer drinker's beer!!! Not only because I am Tassie born and bred and loyal to the local brand, but because I have asked several others to try it and they have all said "A great beer". When it was fist produced, I was working as Secretary of the Launceston RSL and the rep came in and asked if I would offer some of our members a free Classic Blonde to gauge the acceptance. I naturally agreed and so he gave me 2 X 6 packs. I tried it after working that Wednesday (that's the day I always worked the bar) and found it to be a very pleasant beer. I tried to keep it to myself but soon everyone knew about it and it became the preferred beer at the RSL. The taste is out of this world, not too harsh or too dry, but just with that hint of Tassie when you close your eyes. Maybe I am homesick????
The stats are: Cost around $46.00 (in Queensland) a carton of 24 stubbies. Product size 375ml stubbies. Cost per unit $1.92. Cost per 100ml $0.72. Alcohol content 4.5% and carb total 1.00. Recommended for any social occasion and just for pure enjoyment.

As you can see there has been a lot of investigation carried out and to break it all down .... but first ..... authorities say that "THE HIGHER THE ALCOHOL CONTENT THE HIGHER THE SUGAR AND CARBOHYDRATES". Well just take a look at the stats:
XXXX Bitter: Alcohol 4.6% carbs 2.70
Classic Blonde (Lower carb): Alcohol  4.5% 1.00
XXXX Gold (Lower carb): Alcohol 3.5% carb 1.90
XXXX Summer: Alcohol 4.2% carb 1.2
So when you look at it realistically, these so-called experts are talking out of the area where their mothers never kissed them!!!! The alcohol content does NOT increase the carbohydrate total, according to my survey.
Now for the overall result!!!!!
I would recommend the best beer of the 4 for pleasure and satisfaction is ........................................


Wait for it (as if you haven't already guessed .........................


In my opinion ... Boags Classic Blonde is the best beer in Australia and I urge you all to try your hardest to procure a carton (or several) to just try and prove me wrong!!!!!

Keep watching fans ... more gardening coming and if you have something you would like me to investigate .. please let me know.
Until next time .. May you have fair winds and calm seas.

The Great Taste Test - Part 2

BEER: First ... a bit of background.

After extensive investigations and tasting of 4 beers, I have concluded that my poor old Dad was right!!! He always told me: "There are no bad beers son, just some are better than others." And I have also concluded that everyone's taste in beer differs and really stems from where you live and the taste you acquire from the local brew. Then you can decide which you prefer.

SERVING OF BEER: The presentation of beer when you go to your local pub or drinking hole is very important and will create an effect on your enjoyment at the time. The way the beer is poured is so very important; too big a head and you don't get value for money and too little - the beer is flat!! I visited Canada while I was in the Navy and at the time they had very strict rules concerning the social drink. There were Cocktail Bars and Beer Halls. Being good Aussie sailors we opted for the beer hall. What a shock!! The floor was covered with sawdust and the furniture was all pine. The tables were long and would seat 8 - 10 people and the seats were benches. They were also SCREWED TO THE FLOOR. Not only that - the ashtrays were also screwed to the tables. The beer glasses had a Plimsoll Line, but not like in Australia. The froth on the head of the beer had to be BELOW THE LINE. It was illegal to pour a beer with the head above the line. Quite a beer drinker's culture shock.

 I visited Kuala Lumpur last year and I think I found the most civilised way for beer to be served at your table.The CARLSBERG TOWER!!!!! Shaif and I decided that this was the most economical way to buy beer. The tower holds 3.3 litres of ice-cold beer, and it remains cold to the last drop because of an ice tube in the centre of the tower. You can just see it in the pic. The tower also has its own convenient tap and after delivery to your table, you just help yourself when needed. This is really civilised social drinking!!

You can travel from pub to pub drinking the same brand of beer and find a distinct different taste each time. This comes down to the expertise of the cellar-man and his staff. If the beer lines aren't cleaned regularly and correctly, this is reflected in the taste and quality of the product at the drinker's end. The way it is poured is important too. I learnt a lot about cellar work while I was in the Navy and I had a crusty old Chief Petty Officer as my mentor, and you couldn't get anything past him!!

But this taste testing is not about pubs as the beers differ so much. Its about take home products.
This is enough info for the time being - Next time the feared STATS!!!!

I Love Nature

While I am getting the last bits of info together for the final "episodes" of The Taste Test, I thought I might regale you with some of my thoughts on nature here in Queensland.

I love Mother Nature and the wonderful way she always seems to regenerate herself (with a little help from us) right from the wonderful big tomato plants from such tiny seeds to the humongous trees that withstand everything that Nature at its worst can throw at them. The recent floods over the East Coast were devastating I know, but I really think that its just Nature's way of letting us know who is in charge and giving us a not so gentle hint that we are doing things wrong!!!

I also am intrigued by the wildlife around our place here in Yamanto. There is such a plethora of birds and small creatures, and some not so small and cute, in our garden. Just look at this chappy -- I have called him Lurch the Lace Monitor. I found him perched on a tomato stake pretending to be a tomato, i think.

I have also counted about 12 different types of ladybirds!!! But they tend to eat great holes in the leaves of our plants. But we can't have paradise all the time.

Of course with the good comes the very bad!!!! There are also beautiful, big butterflies, but they lay eggs and their caterpillars also eat our plants.

And there are the birds .. who can ignore them. If they are not flitting around with their lovely colours they are screeching as they fly past. I have been watching some wrens fighting for mates. The blokes  are a beautiful blue but the poor old shielah is a drab brown colour. Not like us humans!!!! And the bad - noisy Indian Minahs - birds that wake you even before sparrow fart - the sparrows haven't even stirred yet!!!! The Minahs fight over dog or cat food left in pets' bowls. Perched on the fence they yell at each other and there is no way to get back to sleep until they have decided that it is time to go elsewhere!!!

And then there is our old favourite hate -- the humble (??) cane toad!! There cannot be an uglier creature on earth. It is always a shock to come out to the bar-b-q area for a smoke and find 2 or 3 of them on the lawn just staring at you as if to say "Whatcha doin' mate??" I was cutting a friend's lawns on Sunday and accidentally ran over one with the mower. It wasn't a cruel death .. it was fast and the toad didn't feel anything. That will teach it to always use the "toadestrian" crossing!!!

And then there is the real beauty of a flower garden. We have Bird of Paradise and Hibiscus in flower at the moment and I think they make our front garden look "a little bit fancy" (sorry Macca's).

 Kay selected the Hibiscus and we have four different colours and types. I think that she made a terrific choice. They look stunning when they are all in flower.

 The Bird of Paradise took a long time to flower. I was almost going to dig it out , but I'm pleased now that I didn't. I have never seen them growing, only in photos. So it is a real pleasure to have them in our front garden.

I didn't have much luck with tomatoes this year. I made the mistake of growing whoppers like these Hungarian Hearts. Apparently here the fruit fly absolutely love big tomatoes and they really infested our crop. These are the first off the vines and were not infected with grubs. They were HUGE!!! as you can see compared to my cigarette lighter. Very disappointed that we didn't get more, but I am now growing salad sized tomatoes and I hope we can get a crop from them.





Well that's about your lot for today. I will get the finals of the test finished and publish in the next day or so.

So until then .. May you have fair winds and calm seas.

At Last - The Results Are In - Part 1

THE TASTE TEST:  Soft Drink.

Everyone knows the taste of the big brands, so I won't go into them!!! They have been around for too many years. Besides, they are quite expensive to buy at times. I have found, through my extensive taste testing, that the Aldi brand - Regal - has the best all-round taste. And it is economical as you can buy it in single flavours or a mix of 4 - orange, lemon, cola and lemonade. This mix comes in packs of 24 (6 of each flavour). Value later in this report.

Now for the all important and infallible "MICHAEL'S TASTE TEST" - 
Coca-Cola and Schweppes brands always have a distinctive taste although some lesser brands come close to the mark. The big brands would all score 8/10 and with Regal I have broken each flavour down and marked individually.

LEMONADE - Very fizzy, but most lemonades are. A bit harsh to throw down if you are real thirsty and makes the eyes water!! Maybe best sipped or used as a mixer.

Flavour is good and scores 7/10.

COLA - Just as a cola should be!! Not too fizzy but with a full cola taste. Makes a great rum and cola.

Scores 8/10

LEMON - An excellent social drink. Just like the Lemon Squash you used to be able to get in the pub.

Fizz is just right and the lemon sensation is sweet with just the right amount of tartness.

Scores 8/10.

ORANGE - The top of the list!! Everything about Regal Orange is just about right according to my tests.

The orange flavour is not overbearing nor is it too sweet and the fizz is enough to satisfy that thirst. There is no bad after-taste (as all Regal drinks comply with this criterion) and overall, a very satisfying drink.

Scores 9/10.









VALUE FOR MONEY -

The big brands often have discounted products in packs of 24, or sometimes 30, but they are usually of only one flavour. You can sometimes find 6 or 12 packs on sale but again, no mixed flavours.

Aldi Regal has a 24 pack of 6 each of 4 flavours (see above) and this is the product I usually buy.
Big brands cost between $12 and $16 for 24 where Regal is around $10 a mixed 24 pack.

THE BOTOM LINE -

Aldi Regal is the best for all-round taste and value.
I don't think that Aldi is trading in Tasmania yet, but when they do I urge everyone to change your shopping habits from the duopoly and try Aldi. You can usually purchase 90% of your shopping there with only a few branded products (if you really want them) at the big supermarkets.

Spare a thought for me while I was carrying out this survey. On several occasions I had to fore-go my usual 4:30 beer to be able to give an honest opinion. (A few words of sympathy wouldn't go astray!!!). But I did it all with goodness in my heart and in the interests of science.

Frog hitches ride on back of snake

Frog hitches ride on back of snake

Of all the startling images to have come out from the Queensland floods, this has to be the most unusual - a green frog hitching a ride on the back of a brown snake.
Computer technician Armin Gerlach was visiting friends in the flood-hit town of Dalby, located in the state's south-east, last week when he spotted the unlikely pair.

The frog 'riding' on the back of the snake

"I felt amazement, I just couldn’t believe it," Gerlach told ninemsn.
Mr Gelach said a friend who had been affected by many floods told him animals often helped each other out during disasters.
"It's quite common when you have animals in floods or fires or disasters, they actually get together and don't do anything," he said.
"(My friend) has seen foxes and rabbits forget their hunting instincts during natural disasters," he said.
Gelach said he and his friends were inspecting flood damage on the property, where waters had risen to about 47cm.
Source: ninemsn.com.au
Published Jan 13 2011

Vale John McNally

Just learnt today, through John Wright, that my good mate John McNally passed away last Thursday. I just received an email from John's son Chris informing of this great loss to the Veteran Community. John was a very good friend of mine and was a fellow Vietnam Veteran and also, like me, a passionate gardener.
When John and his wife moved to "smaller accommodation" he was concerned about how he could adapt his gardening to fit, but he managed this no worries.
John was passionate about heirloom veges and was instrumental in supplying seeds of his favourite tomato - Oxhart - so that the pure strain could be continued. I was one of the lucky ones he approached to help him achieve this goal. I lost my plants in very bad weather and John was there shortly after with replacement seeds ready for next season.
John is now where he can grow his Oxharts and his other favourite veges all year round and have no fear of bad weather affecting his crops.
You will be missed mate but your presence on this earth will remain forever.
YOU SHALL NEVER GROW OLD
LEST WE FORGET.