đ New moon greetings đ¨ There's usually a quiet and simple inspiration for each moon greeting that arrives when I slow down and pay attention to the moments going on. Looking, nothing. Looking, nothing. Where was it? Invisibly all around me as it turned out. The seasonal spring winds of change are here, blustering through every afternoon. Stand out in the wind and feel blown clean of what you don't need, or annoyed by it's insistence at removing things. #moongreetings #newmoon #artforsale #inkandwatercolor #wind #seasonalwind #windsofchange #windy #bellingen #cleansing #natureinspiredart #pauseandreflect 
đ Full moon greetings from the beginning of spring đŁ Time to acquire some more egg layers. Off I went to the local rural supplies store to collect the pullets I'd put in an order for the other week. It was kinda odd though because when I turned up the place was deserted. Usually for these pre-ordered chickens there is a barely-organised line-up of people with boxes and cages and a semi trailer full of live chooks to be dispensed, all shuffling and squawking. The chooks are quiet in comparison to the people. But nothing. Checking in the store raised a giggle from everyone, myself included; I was a week early. It's not like me to be muddle-headed like that, but hey, it's life and it happens. So I am ready with my cash and box and starter feed. I see you sitting there in next week chookies! #fullmoon #lunarcycle #moon #moonart #moongreetings #artforsale #chooks #springchicken #muddleheaded #calendarfail #welcometospring #inkandwatercolour 
For the bees When I first arrived in Bellingen I had the strange experience of watching my zucchinis flower and wither, flower and wither and if they began to set fruit, it would rot. This was strange as zucchinis in my experience were prolific and looked after themselves. Eventually I figured out I was watching a pollination problem and out I went each morning with a small dry paintbrush to collect pollen from one zucchini flower and transfer it to another. That got old really quickly. For the following season I made sure I had bees. Honey bees, sugar bag bees, solitary bees, night moths and good bugs. Help out your garden helpers by planting food for them. Full article via link in profile under Bello Food Gardening. #artforsale #gardenpollinators #springgardening #seasonalflowers #kitchengarden #beefriendly #forthebees #goodbugs #homegrownfood #nospray #bellingen #gardenharvest 
New Moon greetings Current mood - blossoming with new ideas . After a health enforced stop, it feels like the time is here to grow and move again. There's a reshuffling of projects going on and I'll be shifting focus from what I had planned (2020's most useless word) to be creating. It will be good. Big. Bold. Better. . Art available. Message for details. #modernbotanicals #originalart #inkandwatercolor #jasmine #newmoon #artforsale #moongreetings #welcometospring #itsabeautifullife #newmoonritual 
Don't stop at potatoes Artwork available. Message if interested. . Published today in the weekly @ilovebelloshire newsletter The best times to plant potatoes in this area are after the first full moon (and before the new moon) in January and August. Well peoples, we just had a full moon last week. It was a beauty. And though I can barely believe it, how did we get to August already? But wait, there's more. More starchy root vegetables that is. Don't stop at potatoes. I know we all know them because they're a supermarket staple, but they are by no means the only potato-like food that grows well here. Actually, a lot of the following are far more suited to here than potatoes. Tatties prefer a climate like Dorrigo, Scotland, NZ and the Andes which is where they're from. The warmth and humidity here aren't ideal for them. Let's start softly... Full article & more food gardening articles via the link in profile under Bello Food Gardening. We cover sweet potato, oka, African yams, cassava, taro, arrowroot, Jerusalem artichoke, yacon, water chestnuts, lotus and yam daisy. #artforsale #modernbotanicals #penandwatercolor #artforyourhome #collectart #kitchengarden #subtropicalgarden #gardenersofinstagram #growyourownfood #permaculturegarden #homegrownfood #rootvegetables 
The ants are farmers Artwork available. Ink & watercolour. Message if interested. . When you are out wandering through your garden keep an eye out for lines of ants marching up and down a plant. This is a classic sign of an aphid or scale infestation. If you havenât spotted the plague of pests on the plant yet, youâve gotten in early. What are aphids and scale? They are small animals that feed on plant sap. Think of them as the vampires or leeches for the plant world. They are about the size range of midges to large fleas. Scale are oval and flat and tend to adhere to the plant and look like innocent bumps. They are often black or a rust colour. Aphids have small legs and usually no wings. They are often green or black. But both come in a huge variety of colours â white, yellow, green, orange, red, brown, grey, black. As you can probably imagine, one or two of these tiny sap sucking insects isnât a problem. But en masse they will bleed a plant to death. What has this got to do with ants? Ants are farmers of aphids and scale. I kid you not. It gets weirder. They pick them up and carry them to juicy feeding spots. And no they donât eat them once they are fattened. Both aphids and scale shit a sugar syrup. True! Ants love to eat this. Which is why they make sure their herd are well fed and protected from predators like ladybirds. And when the ants realise a particular plant is keeping their âhoneydewâ producers happily munching they line up their army and carry the sapsuckers to the feast. How to get rid of them?.... More via link in profile under Bello food gardening. Or on @ilovebelloshire #artforsale #abstractart #symbolicart #inkandwatercolour #ants #aphids #scale #gardenpests #antsfarm #growingfood #gardeninfo 
Spring & summer planting time Artwork available. A5 ink & watercolour. Message if interested . Back when coronavirus first hit and people were panic-planting, people were doing mad things like planting corn and eggplants right before winter. If that was you, I have good news. Now is the time to plant your corn and eggplants and tomatoes and capsicum. Believe it or not, itâs spring planting time! Thatâs right, August is the month to get your spring seedlings going. Then theyâll be ready to plant out in September. Not sure what grows in this area? Hereâs a combined list for spring and summer from myself and Pete Bufo from Northbank Community Garden. Hope it makes you hungry!! We talked through all of these and a few more in our first Bello Food Gardening Podcast last Thursday. I wonder how many people we have who would recognise all of these plants? all the herbs â angelica, basil, chives, coriander â in shade, french & winter tarragon, lemon balm, lemongrass & citronella, mint, oregano & marjoram, parsley, rosemary, sage, summer savoury & winter, thyme amaranth artichoke â globe & jerusalem (fartichoke) asparagus asparagus pea (winged bean) beans â bush & climbing & snake, not broadbean beetroot capsicum & chilli burdock cape gooseberry cassava celeriac celery collards cucumber daikon & radish eggplant fennel ginger kale leeks lettuce loofah lotus marrow & zucchini & squash mustard greens okra peanuts pepino potato pumpkin & gramma rhubarb rocket & mizuna marigold, borage & most annual flowers melons â rockmelon, watermelon, jam melon, honeydew new guinea bean rosella salsify silverbeet spring onion & shallots strawberries sunflower sweet corn sweet potato taro tomato esp cherry tomatoes aibika (tree spinach) turmeric warrigal greens & okinawa spinach & longevity spinach water chestnut yacon yam / oka yam / african . #artforsale #bouquet #springgardening #springveggies #bellingen #foodgarden #eatlocal #inkandwatercolour #kitchenart #kitchengarden #sowingseeds 
A few more things about citrus trees. Artwork available. Ink & watercolour. Message if interested. .. Itâs citrus season. Part two of some basics for looking after citrus. Leaf miner. When to prune. How to prune. Shallow feeder roots. Heavy feeders. Full article via link in profile, under Bello food gardening .. #artforsale #artwork #inkandwatercolour #foodgarden #bellingen #citrus #growingcitrus #fruittrees #growyourownfood #backyardorchard 
New moon greetings. Brought to you this month by the kookaburras that sit in the sun high up in a tree and laugh at me every morning while I'm making plans to get this or that done, instead of sitting in the sun and accepting that we're in a pandemic which means that nothing is predictable and I have anemia and therefore no energy and F-all is really happening aside from things s l o w l y inching their way into perfect place in their own sweet time, human-thinking plans be damned. #newmoon #lunarcycle #moonart #kookaburra #australianbirds #laughterisgoodmedicine #justbe #slowingdown #artforsalebyartist #artforsale #collectart #inkandwatercolour #moongreetings #moonmagic 
A bit about citrus trees Artwork available, ink & watercolour. Message if interested. Latest gardening article available in the Bello Food Gardening series, link in profile. #artforsale #artwork #inkandwatercolour #foodgarden #bellingen #citrus #growingcitrus #fruittrees #growyourownfood #backyardorchard 
Extremely tardy full moon greetings from the weekend! Some days I really need to remember to not get so caught up in knots. Stop, look properly and breathe. It's a dolphin not a shark. Actually it's an entire pod of dolphins. How incredible! Yes, this is inspired by an actual pod of dolphins that swam past while I was watching from a headland. Initially I had a fright - only one fin, Shark!! - But then I spotted a whole lot more fins - ah, dolphins. My week feels like it's been that way - all in my head of course. Everything's just fine. Great even. #artforsale #livingartist #fullmoon #moonart #moongreetings #andbreathe #inkandwatercolour #inkandwash #dolphins #sharkordolphin #everythingsfine 
Last chance for snowpeas While peas donât tend to grow so well in the Bellinger valley area (they tend to do really well until about flowering time then suddenly wither to nothing), snowpeas are go! Snowpeas arenât fond of warm weather and will die off as spring warms up. If you havenât planted them yet, thereâs still a couple of weeks to get them in with enough cool weather growing time for them to produce an edible crop of pods for you to enjoy. The leaves are edible too, especially the smaller growing tips. These are plants that need a trellis. Some of them will reach two metres high. Set this up before you plant. They are easy to germinate from seed as most larger seeds are. Soak them overnight before planting (if you remember) and then do not overwater while you wait for them to come up. They rot easily. In fact, plant them into barely damp soil. They are an easy plant to grow. They almost grow themselves and when the snowpea pods start youâll need to keep an eye on them daily because they grow so quick. They are easy to save the seed from. I like to mark the first and largest pods from the healthiest looking plants. Normal people might tie a ribbon or a twist tie on the pod stem as markers, but I like my annual chance to be like Alice in Wonderland and I head out into the garden with a paintbrush and some blue poster paint. Eat other snowpeas but not these ones. Let your marked pods stay on the plant until they turn brown and start rattling. Then harvest, make sure they are dry (donât cook them!!) and store until next year in a cool dry spot that weevils and rodents canât get into. Then youâre on your way to your very own line of snowpeas well adapted to your backyard. . Art available. Ink & watercolour on watercolor paper. Msg enquiries. . More #gardeningtips via link in profile under Bello Food Gardening #snowpeas #foodgarden #artforsale #inkandwatercolour #gardenart #growingfood #winterveggies #wintergardening #plantingtime #seedsaving #backyardgardening #seasonalfood 
What to plant for winter in Bellingen. A helpful article. I'm a bit belated in putting this up here. It was published back in March in the ilovebelloshire newsletter, but still relevant enough. Link in profile under Bello Food Gardening. . Artwork available. Ink and watercolour on watercolour paper. Message if interested. #artforsale #bouquet #wintergardening #winterveggies #bellingen #foodgarden #eatlocal #inkandwatercolour #kitchenart #kitchengarden #sowingseeds 
Pigeon Peas - this week's artwork and food gardening tip published in the newsletter for @ilovebelloshire .. Artwork available, watercolour and ink. Message for details. .. While your fruit trees are growing up, it is very helpful to also plant some short term protection for them. Young fruit trees appreciate protection from heavy rain, frost, wind and too much sun. The idea is to create a supportive micro climate around them. Dappled shading in summer means a LOT less watering is needed and the taller plants shelter the young trees from the worst of rain, wind and frost. Pigeon peas do that job really well in this area. They only live for about 5 years and by then the fruit trees are established. They grow very quickly to a protective height of about 2.5 metres. They have a canopy that allows filtered light in which is enough for young trees to keep thriving. They donât out compete other trees with their roots. They are nitrogen fixers which is good for the soil for young fruit trees. And when they come down they arenât heavy or destructive (black wattle!!). As a bonus, pigeon peas flower over winter which is excellent for the bees and they produce edible bean pods. These pods arenât really worth the effort to pick and shell, but you could if you wanted. Besides, the parrots love them. Though encouraging parrots may not be ideal depending on your garden! If thatâs the case, any quick growing, short lived, nitrogen fixing bush/tree will do the job. We have a lot of acacias that might be suitable. But maybe not black wattle. Itâs a hardwood which means that it is dense and heavy. When it falls over it can mash a hills hoist. I may be speaking from experience. You donât want a baby fruit tree to be hit like that. More food gardening tips via link in profile under Bello Food Gardens. #bellingen #foodgarden #fruittreesinmybackyard #fruittrees #wintergardening #pigeonpeas #permaculturegarden #foodforest #artforsale #inkandwatercolour #artwork 
Time for fruit trees! The cooler months of the year are a great time to get fruit & nut trees/vines/bushes in the ground and give them a chance to get their root system for feeding and watering established before summer comes along and tries to annihilate them. To get your mouth watering (sorry but youâll have to wait a few years): mango, most citrus, avocado, bananas, lychee, fig, mulberry, passionfruit, persimmon, raspberry (Heritage variety), grapes (humid tolerant variety such as Black Isabella), pecan, pomegranate, blueberries, starfruit, tamarillo, davidsonâs plum. And more⌠Most stonefruit need much more cold days than we have here, known as âchill hoursâ. Thanks to the help of Daleyâs Fruit Tree Nursery, Iâve calculated Bellingen chill hours to be medium to low (tending to medium) which is 450-330 annual hours. You will get away with plums and peach/nectarine if you choose the variety carefully by the number of required chill hours (and net the peach/nectarine against fruit fly). Apples? Possible, just, but really donât bother. Buy the fruit from Dorrigo where they do really well. Please check the size (height and width) a plant needs! There are dwarf varieties of a lot of fruit trees, but not all. Some fruit trees can be enormous and arenât suitable for a backyard. Mark out the width with a string rope circle. Guaranteed it will be bigger than you think. More food gardening info via link in profile under Bello Food Gardening . Artwork available. Message if interested. #fruittreesinmybackyard #fruittrees #bellingen #growyourownfood #wintergardening #inkandwatercolour #kitchenart #gardenart #artforsale #gardeningtips 
Brassicas & Cabbage Moth #artwork available, message if interested. The cooler months are the better time to grow brassicas, although they do grow all year round, for a few reasons. Hang on, what are brassicas? Think cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, collards, rocket, mustard greens (tatsoi, mizuna, others), bok choy & similar, turnip, kohl rabi, swede. Not an exhaustive list but you get the idea! Why would you preference growing these during the cooler months? Well they grow well during this time, which is a good enough reason because not everything likes the cold. They also can tend to bolt to seed a bit quick in summer. But the big reason is our little white fluttering friend the cabbage moth. You may have noticed this visitor to your garden, laying tiny creamy yellow eggs on the undersides of your brassicas (squish them!!)? These hatch into little green caterpillars that decimate your plants. If you think theyâre bad now, they are much much worse over the warm months. You can net your vege patch. You can plant way more than you need and hide your brassicas in amongst a tonne of other plants like nasturtiums (my favourite strategy). You can make little fake cabbage moths and place them around your brassicas, on sticks. The moths are territorial and this sends them searching elsewhere for egg laying. Google âcabbage moth decoyâ. More gardening tips and articles via link in profile under Bello Food Gardening #bellingen #foodgarden #brassica #cabbagemoth #wintergardening #growyourownfood #vegegarden #artforsale #inkandwatercolour #gardenart 
Why grow spinach? Would you believe that English spinach doesnât grow that well here? Itâs not cold enough! Not to worry, there are plenty of plants that could be substituted for spinach that do grow themselves in this area. Winter greens that arenât spinach â longevity spinach, okinawa spinach (both subtropical perennials), dandelion, flatweed/catâs ear, nasturtium, sweet potato leaves, chickweed, buckwheat leaves, broadbean leaves (young), snowpea leaves, comfrey (young leaves, cooked only), all the asian greens, tatsoi, rocket & mizuna, collards, brassica leaves (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower), kale, rainbow chard & silverbeet. These might not be as well known or known as greens, which is perhaps why people persist against the odds in trying to grow spinach. However any of these will be easier to grow here and used in similar ways depending on your tastebuds. -- Ink & watercolour on watercolour paper. Available for sale. Message if interested. More food gardening articles via link in profile, under Bello Food Gardening. #artforsale #bellingen #spinachsubstitute #spinach #growyourownfood #eatyourgreens #growingfood #vegegarden #inkandwatercolour #foodgarden #foodsketch 
New moon greetings from a beach a few nights ago. Campfire potatoes and conversation, from a distance! -- Artwork available for sale Ink on watercolour paper. 16 x 16cm Enquiries welcome #moongreetings #artforsale #moon #Bellingen #moonart #lunarcycle #newmoon #lunarlove #artwork #inkandwash #originalart #penandink #andbreathe #lawyervine #waitawhilevine 
The âsecretâ to healthy plants is feeding the soil, not your plants. But what does soil like to be fed? New food gardening article in ilovebelloshire's newsletter today. www.wherefishsing.com > Current art & events > Bellingen Food Gardens Artwork available for sale ink & watercolour #artforsale #originalpaintings #inkandwatercolour #contemporaryartwork #Bellingen #permaculturegarden #homegrownfood #growingfood #feedthesoil #compost #soilhealth 
đ Full moon greetings.With a pink halo. While creating this this afternoon I was interrupted by a silvereye (a small bird) who had inexplicably managed to fly into the studio and was trapped, flying around trying to get out. All birdlife safely back outside and I checked the time to discover I was meant to be on the beach, for a full moon ceremony with a friend. I swear I'd only been painting for ten minutes. -- Ink & watercolour on watercolour paper. 16 x 16cm Enquiries welcome #fullmoon #mooncycle #fullmoonritual #lunarcycle #moon #lunarlove #moonart #artwork #artforsale #livingartist #workingartist #takeamoment #moongreetings #Bellingen #tibouchina 
What grows easily in pots? Bellingen based gardening info, with artwork! Publishing weekly in @ilovebelloshire 's email newsletter of local happenings. https://ilovebelloshire.com/from-the-garden-what-grows-easily-in-pots-by-fi-morgan/ Or look for it in their Local Stories section -- Artwork for sale Ink & watercolour #artforsale #Bellingen #thesimplethings #workingartist #gardening #smallgarden #gardentips #growingfood #kitchengarden #inkandwatercolour #herbgarden #pottedplants 
đż Where to place your veggie garden. An article I wrote for @ilovebelloshire With original artwork! Message me if you're interested in making it yours. Ink & watercolour. www.wherefishsing.com/bello-food-gardens/where-to-place-your-veggie-garden #artforsale #inkandwatercolour #painting #artwork #artist #gardenart #veggiegarden #vegegarden #foodgarden #growfoodnotlawns #growyourownfood #Bellingen 
đ New moon greetings. April 2020. Ink on watercolour paper. 16 x 16cm. Enquiries welcome #newmoon #artwork #inkdrawing #artforsale #setyourintentions #Bellingen #banksia #modernbotanicals #painting #originalart #moongreetings #lunarcycle 
đ Full moon greetings for last night. She's still hidden behind a blanket of clouds here. #fullmoon #inkandwatercolour #art #sketching #comfrey #Bellingen #painting #artforsale #moongreetings #moon #moonart 
Magnificent full moon last night with seemingly endless rain and the normally upright bamboo leaning almost to the ground, so loaded down with water. Full moon sketch. #fullmoon #bellingen #penandink #sketch #sketchbook #art #artist #rainyday #bamboo #artforsale #moongreetings #moon #moonart