New 2nd hand kiln

A local pottery (Murry Gum Pottery) closed down a few years ago

allowing the owners to pursue different careers.

They have decided to move house and despite not operating the

kiln for several years it was difficult for them to let it go.

One  owner, husband and wife team.

Large, gas, comes with shelves and props to suit.

And an enormous set of shelves.

It comes with a new stainless steel flue, the old one had recently rusted away.

Their neighbour came over with his trusty tractor, the famous Grey Fergie kind.

A legendary tractor in these parts. Attributed to the saving of Wentworth from the 1956 floods.

It was the biggest recorded flood in this area, my house has a mark near the

mantle piece that denotes how far under water it went back then.

It is refered to as a 1 in  100 year event 

It is also the reason why we are not allowed to develop much on our land.

In case it happens again

We live approximately 15 km's from here, it was a slow drive home.

It hasn't rained all year but of course it is predicted for toady, tomorrow, and the day after.

So we had to find undercover storage space.

Shame the shearing shed is unavailble.

The wood shed is now completely filled with the kiln,

with a tarp cover to make sure everything stays dry.

I am hoping 2013 will mean a new studio for the Pottery Club.

Its been a long time coming and I won't hold my breath but I will keep you informed.

I am linking this post with Mud Colony which is a potters platform and it has been a while so I hope you can check it out by clicking this link http://mudcolony.blogspot.com.au

I am looking forward to using some of my reduction glazes having only fired in electric kilns these last few years.

I have been very busy in the garden as per usual and I thought I would share a photo of the basil circle. It's going gang busters at the moment.

I am selling many bunches a week...make hay while the sun shines they say.

I am also trialling growing Lisianthus.

There is a white flower in the centre of this photo.

I knew I would be really pampering this circle of Basil,

that's why I planted the Lisianthus there, I have a pink, purple and this white.

I am hoping it is a perennial plant as that means

I will have 4  x 2 year old plants next spring, if the frost doesn't muck things up.

Silver beet a hardy staple.

Silver beet is my most prolific plant

in the vege garden.

It self seeds everywhere.

In fact it self seeds so prolifically that I have to weed/thin it out

so the plants aren't crowding each other too much.

It is popular on my market stall and

also popular at PJ's supermarket where I maintain a leafy green section

in their fruit and vegetable department.

I also supply fresh herbs at PJ's but they are a much slower trade.

Basil would have to be the most popular herb.

The plant nurseries bring in seedlings way before the ground is warm enough for the plants.

I have had a stream of disappointnted gardeners

complaining that their basil just isn't growing.

It's just sitting there waiting for the ground to warm up.
I don't think they realise that plant growers trick the seeds with heat beds.

Artificially warming the soil to get the jump on summer.

I don't do that and as a result many folk have already planted their basil

by the time mine is ready naturally.

If you look after the plant, not letting it go to and stay flowering,

it will feed you until the first frost which in some years can be as late as May.

I plant out my basil for picking in the rows.

As far as popularity goes, Coriander comes a close second, however,

unfortunately

Coriander is difficult to grow here. It just bolts to seed.

This climate in summer is just too hot for such a culinary delight.

I have tried to trick this herb by growing it in a shade house over summer.

It won't be fooled however so

 rule of thumb in Mildura is, Basil in summer and Coriander in winter.