Introduction “As easy as shelling peas,” as the saying goes, but is actually growing peas really that easy? The short answer is no, and the reason I think this, is because to grow peas successfully some prior preparation, mid-growth maintenance, and good timing is required. To grow the best peas and plenty of them there
More cynical is one way to describe how view the world these days. For me, it’s a trait which has developed from life experience and knowledge gained along the way because I believe most people become a little more cynical as they get older. When I first joined the Army at just 18, I was
In today’s society we’re constantly bombarded by rules and regulations making us conform to a certain set of community values and logic. Largely, these values, rules, and regulations are good to have and keep our communities organised and functioning. However, the sheer overall success of implementing and upholding laws both locally and globally has led
This article was revised on 14 December 16 (a video I created was added towards the end of the post below – this gives some extra information on growing cucumbers and also how to ferment/pickle them). Cucumbers, the phallic melon which takes pride of place displayed proudly in the fresh food section in supermarkets around
Humans… we're funny creatures. We love new stuff and then we also love what's old. One of my favourite songs (by a German band) has the chorus: Destroy, improve, and re-build. For some reason, I love the freedom in the intent of the song and the premise conserving holds back creation. But then, another part
Every climate and food garden has a particular time of year – a window of opportunity – when growing food is at its best. It’s extremely important to know when the beginning of this growing window is in your location; because, if you miss this window of growing opportunity it can set your food growing,
Modern society has many ways to make us feel economically inadequate. There are pressures arising from numerous sectors demanding more and more slices of our income pie. Most people could be forgiven for thinking the days of fair wages and a reasonable cost of living are over – and they may well be correct (for
When I think of beetroot I can’t go past a hamburger with the lot and for me the sweetly pickled taste of the sliced beetroot mixing with the pineapple, lettuce, cheese, fried onions, egg – soft yolk, and of course the burger meat with some BBQ sauce on a buttered bread roll, is what nails
There’s no better gift than one heartfelt and bequeathed with love and care. Self-sufficiency is the perfect platform for enabling the best of both worlds when it comes to gift giving at Christmas or any other festive occasion by producing something very special at a reasonable cost. Venture into Target or any other department store
So as the New Year hits us square in the face like the rising sun of a new day, I wonder how many people are considering self-sufficiency as their New Year’s resolution. Last night I cooked up a sensational meal for the family (even if I do say so myself) I named it Rooster soup
So you’d like to grow some of your own food but you can’t be bothered digging the garden bed several times a year and managing annual vegetable crops. Well, then why not grow an edible perennial garden bed instead and have the best of both worlds – home grown produce with minimal work that looks
How to grow eggplant (or often called aubergine by the British) is exactly what this article is about and whilst you can read the instructions from a packet of seeds or the glossed over generic points in a gardening mag or book nothing beats a raving online post like this from someone like me who’s
Some of us have our own allotment (our backyard) where we can grow much of the produce we require and others rent an allotment of land or join a community garden to get the same results. At the end of the day, is it better to own an allotment, rent one, or join a community
This is a quick down and dirty guide about how you can easily get free food plants from your own garden without hardly any effort at all! Often we see garden TV shows showcasing vegetable seedlings or seeds purchased from a garden centre, but what the presenter doesn’t often do is explain how easy most
We often read or hear how important spacing is when it comes to planning our backyard food crops. Seed packet instructions and the experts all tell us that plants need appropriate space if we want the best growing results. Well, I’m going to debunk this myth and blow it right out of the raised garden
Lots of people complain about the cost of living (I’m one of them) but many don’t do much about it (I’m not one of them). The media says that grocery prices have actually reduced over the past 12 months or so; however, I don’t see much evidence to back this claim up. And, the media
Do you find kneeling, crouching, and bending in the vegetable garden is getting harder as you get older? Well, you’re not alone! But, don’t despair there's an easy solution that will keep you plodding in your vegetable allotment until you’re pushing daisy’s yourself! It’s called Stand up Gardening. That’s right all we have to do
So it’s the dreaded fruit fly season in Queensland Australia (where I live) and unfortunately it coincides with our best growing seasons being spring and early summer – that’s no surprise I guess. However, what does surprise me is how much fruit actually survives the sting of the fruit fly. Queensland fruit fly preparing to
Tim’s the boy from the bush and he not back in town because he hates it… Well, maybe not town but he definitely hates the city and every one of those Claytons greenie, soft skinned, whinging, people who live in it (especially the politicians). Nup, Tim has time on his hands but none for those
Self Sufficient Me is a blog about self-sustainment by growing our own produce (plant/animal), and self-fulfilment by looking after our health (physical/mental) through exercise and slowing life down a little.
