Salad boxes and sheep shearing

Still getting plants ready for the Halloween Herb Sale and starting on publicity. Not much time to go now. Have been asked to draw up a list of what is for sale. Wish I could add photos of all the plants as they appear in flower. This time of year many herbs are just bright green tufts but they will leap into action before long.

Have had some positive feedback on the Salad Boxes (see photo). They last for around 6 to 8 weeks before the plants become too root bound. Two boxes will provide enough salad greens to make lunches etc for two people. Plants are all cut-and-come-again salad greens such as mignonette lettuce, rocket, endive, cress, silverbeet, tatsoi, parsley, smallage, society garlic, spring onions, coriander etc. Combine the greens with a salad dressing of crushed garlic, fennel, mint and tarragon with a dash of lemon juice and olive oil and it makes the most delicious Spring tonic. Bitter green herbs were traditionally eaten in Spring in Europe. They were reputed to cleanse the body of all the toxins that build up over Winter and to stimulate the Liver and gall bladder. They taste really great too, although a little bitter for some.

David has been busy shearing the Merino. The Whiltshire doesn’t need clipping; he just sheds his wool (how civilized!). The Merino is now as frisky as a spring lamb and we have a large quantity of very thick wool to save for spinning and some daggy wool for mulching the trees. The Merino stood perfectly still while David clipped his fleece. He’s lost his collar but he’s still very docile. We tried to dose them with a garlic paste while they were in the yard but they both screwed up their mouths and refused to take it. Whoever said that animals know instinctively what's good for them obviously didn't have sheep in mind!