This ain't Farmville/ town no more Dorothy
September 3rd 2009 08:19
OK - I have to be honest - I have been suffering withdrawals from Farmville and Farmtown on Facebook while staying at mums and while they have a net connection - it's dial up with a small graphics card and the computer basically shits itself every time I log on. But like I said in my Bermagui post there has been SO much else to do.
Today I was determined to do some farming real style and mum has on the property a lemon myrtle tree I used to have in a pot at home - due to a bad summer at my place last year this plant was not coping so mum brought it back here and saved it from plant heaven (mulch).
I was shocked that it had not been planted yet as A) lemon myrtle is the BEST plant/ tree in the world - seriously there is no other smell like on the earth - I am addicted to smelling it, it's my crack
. I have soaps, body washes, moisturiser, burner oil and I LOVE to cook with it in stir fries, chicken dishes and seafood. B) It can grow to 20M - that's 66ft and the smell that would come off them in a nice breeze would make me quiver at the knees. C) Being the best plant in the world it demands respect.
SO - mum, or as I liked to call her for the afternoon, Daffy Duck the Garden Nazi set me to work. I have to tell you that gardening or farming for real is NOTHING like Farmville/ Farmtown. As opposed to calluses on your ass you get them on your hands. And unlike the wrist damage received by teenagers on the internet I got it from lifting a bloody shovel.
First we selected the area, which took half an hour of a conference between myself, my ma and Mike, the stepdad. Then mum said to dig a hole, so I did, the size of the pot the plant was currently in. This received a chuckle from mum, "NO - it needs to be 3 times the size" she said - "what the?" I thought - so off I went digging through the dryest earth the folks had seen in years. I ran into clay, more roots than Woodstock and nearly saw all the way through to China. "Is this good?" I asked - "Nope, don't go deep anymore, make it wider". So off I went. Depth and width met approval so next was to fill the hole completely with water and allow it to soak into the dry earth around it. 15min's later - do you know I can do all my crops on Farmville/ Farmtown in this time - the water had soaked in and due to content of clay in the soil - mum sprinkled in some gypsum - I think this breaks down the clay in the near vicinity. After this it was a cup of water retaining crystals - to keep water in the root area for the plant. Then I filled two wheelbarrows - and this is for one plant - with soil/ mulch. I emptied in four shovel loads and we filled the hole with water again.
Now I was in my element stirring a kind of 30 something year olds version of a mud pie - cool. Then the water had settled and in went the plant, after teasing all the roots out. I then shovelled in and around the plant a wheelbarrow full of soil. Looking good it was.
But then, Daffy Duck said, "Put another wheelbarrow worth of soil around it making a saucer shape with the plant in the middle at the bottom" - this helps to collect and retain rainwater - if they ever get it.
This done - we then drowned the plant in more water in the hope of it getting a good start - Mike was called over and approval granted from the overseer.
Below is some facts on Lemon Myrtle but this farmer has to go and bake some yummy, honey and ginger biscuits. My work is never done and THIS farmer needs a husband
Facts thanks to Wiki:
Backhousia citriodora (common names lemon myrtle, lemon scented myrtle, lemon scented ironwood) is a flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae, genus Backhousia. It is endemic to subtropical rainforests of central and south-eastern Queensland, Australia, with a natural distribution from Mackay to Brisbane. Other common names are sweet verbena tree, sweet verbena myrtle, lemon scented verbena, and lemon scented backhousia.
Lemon myrtle was given the botanical name Backhousia citriodora in 1853 after the English botanist, James Backhouse.
The common name reflects the strong lemon smell of the crushed leaves. "Lemon scented myrtle" was the primary common name until the shortened trade name, "lemon myrtle", was created by the native foods industry to market the leaf for culinary use. Lemon myrtle is now the more common name for the plant and its products.
Lemon myrtle is sometimes confused with "lemon ironbark", which is Eucalyptus staigeriana.
Indigenous Australians have long used lemon myrtle, both in cuisine and as a healing plant. The oil has the highest citral purity; typically higher than lemongrass. It is also considered to have a "cleaner and sweeter" aroma than comparable sources of citral–lemongrass and Litsea cubeba.
Lemon myrtle is one of the well known bushfood flavours and is sometimes referred to as the "Queen of the lemon herbs", with the new growth preferred for its sweetness. The leaf is often used as dried flakes, or in the form of an encapsulated flavour essence for enhanced shelf-life. It has a range of uses, such as lemon myrtle flakes in shortbread; flavouring in pasta; whole leaf with baked fish; infused in macadamia or vegetable oils; and made into tea, including tea blends. It can also be used as a lemon flavour replacement in milk-based foods, such as cheesecake, lemon flavoured ice-cream and sorbet without the curdling problem associated with lemon fruit acidity.
The dried leaf has free radical scavenging ability.
Lemon Myrtle tree at Dragon's Lair taken by Jason King
Today I was determined to do some farming real style and mum has on the property a lemon myrtle tree I used to have in a pot at home - due to a bad summer at my place last year this plant was not coping so mum brought it back here and saved it from plant heaven (mulch).
Lemon Myrtle tree at Dragon's Lair taken by Jason King
I was shocked that it had not been planted yet as A) lemon myrtle is the BEST plant/ tree in the world - seriously there is no other smell like on the earth - I am addicted to smelling it, it's my crack
. I have soaps, body washes, moisturiser, burner oil and I LOVE to cook with it in stir fries, chicken dishes and seafood. B) It can grow to 20M - that's 66ft and the smell that would come off them in a nice breeze would make me quiver at the knees. C) Being the best plant in the world it demands respect. 
MY MUM WILL KILL ME FOR THIS PHOTO
SO - mum, or as I liked to call her for the afternoon, Daffy Duck the Garden Nazi set me to work. I have to tell you that gardening or farming for real is NOTHING like Farmville/ Farmtown. As opposed to calluses on your ass you get them on your hands. And unlike the wrist damage received by teenagers on the internet I got it from lifting a bloody shovel.
No laughing - after this holiday it's back to a diet of lettuce leaves, exercise and hourly purging
First we selected the area, which took half an hour of a conference between myself, my ma and Mike, the stepdad. Then mum said to dig a hole, so I did, the size of the pot the plant was currently in. This received a chuckle from mum, "NO - it needs to be 3 times the size" she said - "what the?" I thought - so off I went digging through the dryest earth the folks had seen in years. I ran into clay, more roots than Woodstock and nearly saw all the way through to China. "Is this good?" I asked - "Nope, don't go deep anymore, make it wider". So off I went. Depth and width met approval so next was to fill the hole completely with water and allow it to soak into the dry earth around it. 15min's later - do you know I can do all my crops on Farmville/ Farmtown in this time - the water had soaked in and due to content of clay in the soil - mum sprinkled in some gypsum - I think this breaks down the clay in the near vicinity. After this it was a cup of water retaining crystals - to keep water in the root area for the plant. Then I filled two wheelbarrows - and this is for one plant - with soil/ mulch. I emptied in four shovel loads and we filled the hole with water again.
Now I was in my element stirring a kind of 30 something year olds version of a mud pie - cool. Then the water had settled and in went the plant, after teasing all the roots out. I then shovelled in and around the plant a wheelbarrow full of soil. Looking good it was.
But then, Daffy Duck said, "Put another wheelbarrow worth of soil around it making a saucer shape with the plant in the middle at the bottom" - this helps to collect and retain rainwater - if they ever get it.
This done - we then drowned the plant in more water in the hope of it getting a good start - Mike was called over and approval granted from the overseer.
Below is some facts on Lemon Myrtle but this farmer has to go and bake some yummy, honey and ginger biscuits. My work is never done and THIS farmer needs a husband
Facts thanks to Wiki:
Backhousia citriodora (common names lemon myrtle, lemon scented myrtle, lemon scented ironwood) is a flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae, genus Backhousia. It is endemic to subtropical rainforests of central and south-eastern Queensland, Australia, with a natural distribution from Mackay to Brisbane. Other common names are sweet verbena tree, sweet verbena myrtle, lemon scented verbena, and lemon scented backhousia.
Lemon myrtle was given the botanical name Backhousia citriodora in 1853 after the English botanist, James Backhouse.
The common name reflects the strong lemon smell of the crushed leaves. "Lemon scented myrtle" was the primary common name until the shortened trade name, "lemon myrtle", was created by the native foods industry to market the leaf for culinary use. Lemon myrtle is now the more common name for the plant and its products.
Lemon myrtle is sometimes confused with "lemon ironbark", which is Eucalyptus staigeriana.
Indigenous Australians have long used lemon myrtle, both in cuisine and as a healing plant. The oil has the highest citral purity; typically higher than lemongrass. It is also considered to have a "cleaner and sweeter" aroma than comparable sources of citral–lemongrass and Litsea cubeba.
Lemon myrtle is one of the well known bushfood flavours and is sometimes referred to as the "Queen of the lemon herbs", with the new growth preferred for its sweetness. The leaf is often used as dried flakes, or in the form of an encapsulated flavour essence for enhanced shelf-life. It has a range of uses, such as lemon myrtle flakes in shortbread; flavouring in pasta; whole leaf with baked fish; infused in macadamia or vegetable oils; and made into tea, including tea blends. It can also be used as a lemon flavour replacement in milk-based foods, such as cheesecake, lemon flavoured ice-cream and sorbet without the curdling problem associated with lemon fruit acidity.
The dried leaf has free radical scavenging ability.
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And from what I have read - you could be able to bonsai everything - but it will require oodles of attention and TLC
WYS - do it find it you will love it. You just need a fresh leaf and crush it in your hand to smell - or most other stuff containing lemon myrtle smells just like it.
Thanks for the comments ladies.
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