Hi, I'm relatively new to gardening, but extremely interested. This year I've started and grown successfully, sweet corn, zucchini, okra, radishes, papaya, mango and rockmelon. However, I've always wanted to have eggplants, the smaller, marbled, asian variety (which i can't seem to find seeds in any store at all). If anyone has any could they give me some? I have some commercial zucchini, okra and pumpkin seeds I can offer in return. Thanks, Jason

thanks Len. My Dad started Amalgamated Pest Control before I was born (sold out when I was 2 ROFL! - no great inheritance there!) so I can honestly say that the only time till I was 20 that I ever saw a mouse, rat, cockroach or ant inside a house was when we went to visit my maternal grandmother in the country! So I consider myself very brave to cope with the mice, cockroaches etc (I refuse to get my house sprayed - the chemicals my father used for those few years have left a terrible legacy on him, and my siblings and I). Our chicks are not quite 4 weeks old yet. I'm assuming it will be a few months before they are big enough to tackle a mouse - even a sick one. So for the time being I'll keep baiting. One of the chicken books I borrowed from the library had a really good idea for a bait station - pvc pipe with a "T" junction - at least 60cm long along the ground, with the "T" bit in the middle (upside down T), with another length of pipe 1m or so long. The tall length of pipe has wire attached to hold it up against the fence, and a cap on top to stop the rain. To add bait, just take of the cap and drop it down. Living in the middle of a building site has its advantages - finding pvc pipe was not a problem, I just needed to buy the T connection and a cap. So I'm quite happy to have these out in my garden - mice, rats, and probably the odd baby cane toad or imported Indonesian gecko are the only things that can get into it. how is your wife? hope everything is well with your family, and you're enjoying the school hols with the grandkids.

I am currently harvesting: Mulberries Red Strawberries White strawberries Valencia Oranges Lemons Babaco Lettuce (x 3 varieties) Cress Rocket Carrots Chillis Macadamias (just finishing) Perrenial Leek Perpetual Spinach Silverbeet Asparagus are doing great this year Celery ( dissapointing little plants - first time growing these) Rhubarb Capers (just starting to form buds) Tumeric Heaps of herbs( parsely, thyme, sage, lemongrass, dill, coriander, curry leaf, laksa leaf, chamomile, calendula, lemongrass, mint, oregano, marjoram, chives, garlic chives, rosemary, lavender, aloa vera, bay leaf, comfrey. Seeds in for mustard, fenugreek, cumin, mizuka and more coriander) Sugar snap peas have just been pulled Loquat finished fruiting about a month ago Plants in preperation for fruit are: Fig Black muscat grape White nectarine Garlic (regular and elephant) tomatos Potatoes Pepino chili capsicum eggplant rockmelon (hales) watermelon (small shining light and sugar baby) Pumpkin (jap, delicata, golden nuggett) Lebanese Zuccini Cucumber (lebanese and german pickling) Onions (red and white) Citrus (Kaffir lime, tahitian lime, oranges, cumquat, lemonade all small fruit) All my other trees are still too small to fruit: Three guava varieties Fejoa Carambola Lilly pilli Native tamarind Davidson Plum Black Sapote Apricot Yellow and red papaya Granadilla Passionfruit - yellow panama cherimoya Oh and of course my five chookies! (which aren't really vegetables now are they!) And that's about it! All mixed up and couldn't really say they are all in my "Veggie patch" as the two vegie gardens that I started with seem to have taken over the whole yard - plants stuck in wherever I could find space!

Damask, I didn't realize there was this thread of your roses. Where have I been?! Your kitty is so pretty. Feral cats can turn out to be the best pets. My grandson fostered 3 feral kittens when he lived with us for school, and kept one. She has been his constant companion through school here, then in Boston, and now in Michigan. She is used to a lot of travel back and forth to his home in SoCal and adapts well to different environments. I hope your little punkin will come inside and love the warmth and comfort of being out of the elements. Now, the roses! OMGracious! You have some great ones. Is your Intrigue a good bloomer? Bing Crosby looks like a big bloom and such a vibrant color. You should enter that pic of Rio Samba in a photo contest. It's stunning!!! Diane, your pic of Clancy and Finn make me even more sure Daisy should have had a friend all these years. I still love the photo of Finn and Clancy together in their window hammock best.