Drinking to death!?!

At lunchtime today, a person in a Commonwealth Bank uniform (looking suspiciously like me!) was seen asking for a bottle of the 'cheapest beer you have' at the Boyup Brook Hotel. They then were observed to tuck a brown-paper-bag clad bottle under their arm, and slink over the road and back into the bank. Of course the "it's not good to drink on your own" sympathy gaze was evident on the bottleshop attendant's face while serving this person - until she was told what purpose the beer was being used for.

OK - yeah it was me! Carrying a bottle of Carlton Midstrength under my arm.

Now I'm not a beer drinker by any stretch of the imagination. Can't stand the smell let alone the taste. So I have a better use for it. I'm waging war on the snails and slugs that seem to think my seedlings and baby lemon tree are easy pickings. Yes - I'm drowning the suckers. I think in polite circles they call em beer traps - beer in the bottom of a saucer or container, that the snails will be drawn to by the smell - and can't get out of - subsequently drowning. This might seem a little nasty to those of you with a soft spot for snails - but better that than poison me thinks.


Here's a look of my current gardening venture - a no-dig potato crop. I've layered compost, straw and manure into a cake and put seed potatos at the base. As each little plant pops its head through the top, it is going to be covered with more manure and straw to encourage a larger crop. As you can see I made the mistake of purchasing oaten hay so have now got a bunch of weeds growing in the centre. Oh well - tis all healthy. And of course the girls had to get in on the photo as well. Posers!






And I've been blessed again by the Compost God this year - with a lovely little crop of self-sown pumpkin seedlings - not sure whether they are kent or butternut. But am going to separate them out soon and plant them in a bed all on their own.


And just cause they are too good not to share... here are a bunch of sweetpeas I picked today - this is the 6th bunch this size I've picked in 2 weeks... and there are plenty more still coming on. Not bad for 8 plants.