In all the best partnerships a person settles into the niche that they excell at and develops his or her skills in there. John’s niche is the walled vegetable garden. It was not always like this.
I used to do all the vegetables but then came the animals and the manure and the compost! Well the compost turning needs a tractor, the man likes to work with the tractor and so began a trickle down effect. He made the compostand began to decide which garden got the compost. So he started taking over the vegetable gardens and I have become more involved with the manure making animals. 
Stalkers garden. There are other gardens but this is his favourite. It is filled with his choicest spring foods, lettuce, onions and radishes. Tomatoes in every corner. 
Cabbages and broccoli are in big beds of their own in there. Cilantro, parsley and celeriac. Horseradish. Strawberries. Yesterday I planted 150 potato tubers out in one of the East beds and there is room for two more rows. Twenty artichoke plants are scattered about the flower beds and 10 more blueberry bushes arrive soon. My leeks are calling to me to plant them out every time I pass them. John is not fond of leeks. The fennel bulb seed has been sown and the hazelnuts (that we are growing for pig feed) are struggling back to life.
The end of March is almost upon us and already we are well underway.
In the old days around here, so I am told, the Granny’s planted scented lilac bushes around the Out Houses. The Long Drops. Lilacs for the loo. I remember there was an outhouse at one of my grandfathers rather rudimentary country cottages in New Zealand. It had a stable door with the two short doors one above the other and was situated down a little path from the house. My Mother used to say that you either opened the bottom door and lost your dignity or opened the top door and reveal you identity, or shut both and suffocated to death.
There was many a time we would walk down the back path to the stile in the back fence, aiming for the the hills in the shimmering summer heat and see a disembodied head watching us above the bottom door of the dunny. Dignity intact though.
Good morning. We have a chilly blustery morning. TonTon and I shall be driving to the retirement home soon with The Old Codgers weekly list of bits and pieces. The Sheep Sitter also known as The Sheep Midwife will pop in on Mama while I am away. Mama is her usual sedate self this morning. Maybe she will take us all the way through April like she did last year. Mice and men should not make plans apparently.
I pick about two pound of asparagus a day so far, not enough to sell on the green truck yet. So far we have had it steamed or roasted. Soon I shall start making hollandaise sauce and mornays. We are still enjoying the fresh taste of unadulterated asparagus. And so are our friends.
The Herald Cat has arrived to encourage me to get a wriggle on! But this grey windy dawn does not look inviting. I will wear my clown pants again this morning I think.
Good morning. Have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
86 responses to “Lilacs for the Loo”
This title made me laugh. Things are looking good up there, I guess that even includes the loo.
Your garden must be growing too greg! I think you are even warmer than us?.. c
Snickering about the door to the loo. That reminds me (no, not the loo doors) I need to see about getting some lavender plants for this year. And a good morning to you, Miss C. t
I love lavenders, I have many of them.. the scent is glorious and the bees love them!! morning Miss T.. c
Men who don’t like leeks often say they are delicious in a purée or chopped very finely – which is the way I serve them with fish.
Oh yes leeks in a cream sauce with fish.. YUM! c
or soup! Leek and potatoe.
I forgot about leek and potato, yum!! c
I adore lilac – I wonder if it would grow here? Will have to investigate. Had to laugh at your description of the loo…I think I´d have gone for revealing my identity 😉
Yes, an interesting dilemma! c
I love lilacs. Ours are just now beginning to bud. Hopefully our crazy weather will calm down and spring will get here before summer arrives. Have you heard about the “new” ever-blooming lilac they have now? I wonder if they smell as nice when they bloom all summer. Supposed to bloom until frost. They are dwarf lilacs though and I’m not sure I care for those little petals. I have 3 lilacs in my yard and one is a white dwarf. Not nearly as pretty when it blooms as the other two.
I think you sent your wind over here. You and TonTon enjoy your visit with the Old Codger today! 🙂 ~April
I have a white lilac too and I have to agree April it looks pretty for about 5 minutes but with a touch of age or wind or rain it is over. I have not heard of the ever blooming lilac, maybe one day we will see one and have a sniff. Having blooms all summer long is an inviting thought though! I wonder whether the pollen has been bred out of them tho, like modern geraniums and roses.. they are no good to bees at all.. c
Sad! I didn’t know that about the modern geraniums and roses! I have a couple of purple plants in my yard that the honey bees absolutely love. I can’t remember their name…they have long stalks with tiny purple flowers all the way up. I haven’t noticed if they pay attention to my roses or not, I’ll have to keep an eye on that! That really irritates me. What do people think will happen when there’s no food for our bees? Honestly, they probably don’t really think. 😦
For the first 12 years of my life, I lived in an old farmhouse without a bathroom, meaning we had to use the outhouse. I wish my parents had thought to plant lilac bushes around the loo. The whole experience would have been much more pleasant at least for a short time in the spring.
I can’t wait until the lilacs bloom. We don’t have any in our yard, but my husband scouts out bushes and brings an armful to me every year. To me, that’s as good (even better) than a dozen roses.
Oh I agree, a man and a bunch of wild flowers! so romantic! Morning audrey.. c
I love lilacs. That’s what I miss most about our last house. They grew right outside of the kitchen windows and would fill up the kitchen and dining room with their aroma. Loved it! Love the pics of the garden. I can’t believe how far along it is already. 🙂
how wonderful that would be to have that scent wafting into the house.. I have many lilacs on the south side where all the wind comes from with that very intention. we have a few years to go yet. .. c
haha morning, C! The veggie garden looks wonderful and so glad to hear you are enjoying the wonderful taste of your new asparagus.
Lilas are a particular favorite of mine. It is just such a heady, bright and addictive scent. They are gorgeous and herald a favorite time of year!
Morning ksenia, lucky they flower so early when we are desperate for some scented flowers after the winter! c
I laughed right out loud, and startled my dogs. Oh, and I do love liacs.
Enjoy your visit. Momma, sit tight,
Jess
My sheep sitter thinks she has a week or so to go, i did not want to make a bet!! c
I have used outdoor loos in the distant past but no one had planted lilacs which would have been perfect. Interesting door..dignity or identity…love it! The cast of your garden cast look wonderful!!
You and TonTon enjoy your visit!,
We had a lovely visit thank you Chris, it is always delightful going out to that home.. c
My lilac has buds but hasn’t bloomed yet. I’m glad, too. I doubt the blossoms could have withstood last nights wind & rain. Quite a storm blew through here. I thought of you and hoped it missed you otherwise you surely would have been out in the thick of it, fighting with a barn door or something. You really have gotten much accomplished. Good for you! Have a nice visit with your friend today.
Well you got our rain then, we had nothing at all, just a howling wind, but today has come out very nicely, I must go out and see if any bees have found the lilacs yet.. c
loved the dignity or indentity , we had the cresent moon and star for our door…
grandma planted lilacs for that reason too, well among the obivious one that
they’re incredble, and bees loved them, which made excellant flavored honey..
she would chew on a branch as she gardened and weeded the flower and veggie beds..
she loved the taste of lilacs, me too..!
grandpa made me choose a lilac swiitch one time when i did the opposite of what he said,
thinking thinner was better, wrong!..and he only swatted me once never again did I have to choose my switch LOLs…and no it wasn’t abuse, it was discipline, which worked because I still remember..it!
Great morning reading after feeding my zoo out here…! I have only found one Lilac that grows in SanAntonio, it was from Korea, beautiful, and the deer thought so too…
Take Care…
Thank you, I enjoyed the laugh out loud thismorning
)0(
ladybluerose
Incredible pictures!
Good morning lady blue rose.. i had a chuckle at you cutting a thin switch for your punishment, things were different then! but we seem to have survived! Sad that the deer ate your lilac.. there are deer around here, but i am surrounded in empty fields at this time of year and I think that is why i am never bothered by them.. have a great day.. c
Good Morning, Celi. I love lilacs and they are a rare treat here because it is not cold enough to grow them. It’s nice to hear the list of crops (we know what you’ll be eating).
I know, we are already eating well, and it is still cool enough to be growing lettuce for a while too.. I am going to throw caution to the winds and sow some beans this afternoon!! How about that for outrageous behaviour! c
Morning Celi – I’m sure your clown pants are absolutely acceptable for today. Enjoy your visit, I bet everyone looks forward to seeing TonTon now! CA x
I think the staff love him just as much as the residents.. c
I can’t believe the scale of your garden! Have a good visit. 🙂
My objective is not to go to the supermarket all summer.. Or at least only once a month or so! And john loves radishes! c