Blog
Weekly tales from The Outpost.
Tidying up the catnip
A peek behind-the-scenes at how I grow wickedly-strong catnip.
Going back to growing garlic
And so it begins again.
Things I’ve been liking
As the world gets a bit dark and awful, here are some of the things that have brought me joy.
May in the garden
As the weather turns cooler, there’s still a few jobs to keep you busy in the garden.
Storm surge
We weren’t entirely unscathed by Gabrielle, but we are left feeling very grateful.
The pursuit of self-sufficiency
We’ve been here a while, so how close are we to being self-sufficient?
Making Nana Retter’s Fruit Cake
Last Christmas I joined a long line of women in my family who have made my great grandmother’s fruit cake.
The pros and cons of owning chickens
If you love eggs, you might be thinking about owning some chickens… but should you?
Six things I did this summer
I’ve had a wonderful summer break, though I’m not sure how relaxing it was. Here’s a catch-up of what I got up to.
2022 Garlic harvest (part 1)
Four of our six garlic varieties are out of the ground! See how it went!
On patience
Time marches on and if you’re patient enough, it delights you.
Oh, Christmas Tree
This year our pine nut tree is tall enough to be our outdoor Christmas tree!
Where are the avocados?
We have a lot of trees at The Outpost, but we don’t have any avocado. It’s not just because we’re saving to build a house.
Planting peanuts
I’m feeling more on top of things in the garden, so I’m growing something new.
My happy place
3 years ago I wrote about my frustration at my new garden. Today, it is my happy place.
Paying for my cow’s farts
How will the proposed agricultural emissions scheme affect my little farm and tiny cattle herd?
Vegetables that pay off
All things considered, what vegetables deliver the best returns on investment in the garden?
Five trees you’ll find at The Outpost
A tree that can grow 6 meters in a year; another that you can wash your clothes with. A guide to a few of our trees.
Tidying the berry house
The berries are flowering, so it’s time to secure the berry house against birds. If only it were that simple!
A mid-season update on the garlic
After last year’s disaster season, how is the garlic growing in 2022?
The shopping spree
I spent my 40th birthday buying and planting trees. 16 year old me would be horrified.
Why I don’t keep bees
You’d think with so much native bush (and with more trees planted each year), we might put in a few bee hives at The Outpost. But we won’t be. Here’s why.