To be completely honest, it hasn’t been all bad. The last couple of days have been ok. Monday was one of those amazing blue sky days and today the fog. When it eventually lifted it gave us a nice-ish day with only one heavy shower late in the day, just to ensure the ground that had begun to dry out on Monday stayed on the wrong side of soggy.
And the fog – well it wasn’t the romantic wispy stuff that rolls in and lightly touches everything and makes it look dramatic like some kind of filter has been applied to the eyes. No this fog was the proper fog, so dense you mistake it for a gloomy cloudy day. Those fortunate enough to live on higher ground would have no idea us low lying swamp dwellers were having the completely opposite kind of day as they rejoiced in yet another lovely day above our fog. The gloom doesn’t loosen its grip until lunchtime and so we are denied full enjoyment of the already elusive blue sky days.
Winter is not even two weeks old and it has made its presence felt. We have only had two days without rain and the boffins are trying to tell me that the next ten days will only have two days without rain, but they won’t be the wonderful blue sky days – it will be cloudy. It might as well rain! Not to mention the wind, it has been positively wild with the occasional calm day that makes you feel like something is missing. It has been all over the place and come in from all points of the compass. So far this winter doesn’t appear to have a prevailing wind.
Looking for blessings, we can say the temperatures haven’t been too bad – not on the grand scheme of things. It hasn’t dropped to below 6°C and the warmest is around 16°C as an average so we shouldn’t complain. Although the damp and the gloom seems to give the impression of cold and so we wrap up warm and light the fire, only to shed our beanies and jumpers and open windows a few hours later in an attempt to cool down. However like some vicious circle just when you find that nice comfortable balance, the temperature drops dramatically and you are left shivering and unable to find the warmth again no matter how hard you try. It is too late – your bones are cold.
I guess the main reason I am having a bit of a moan is I haven’t been able to get into the garden. Well not properly. I did spend a lovely day cleaning out the greenhouse and disinfecting all of the surfaces. My staging has been designed to be able to lift out the slats and this is really good to help clean it all out as it means I can get into the corners, with a little acrobatic type contorting. So I know everything I put back in there is clean and pest free. The only thing I didn’t put back was my enormous stash of pots. I want to give them the once over, lest they sully my hygienic glasshouse with the dregs of last summer still clinging to them. So they are waiting outside for the big wash. Maybe the rain will do a good job?
So aside from that, I’ve done very little. On the lovely days I’ve been busy and try to race through things as fast as I can only to find myself foiled by short winter days. On the days I can spare a moment or two, then the weather isn’t conducive and all I can do is sit and watch the rain falling on my rapidly growing grass and long to just pull a few weeds.
Winter is so different from summer. In summer you tend to take the long days and good weather for granted and putting off tasks until another day generally isn’t a problem, until it becomes a full scale habit of procrastination that you drag unwittingly into a season that isn’t so forgiving. I need to make hay while the sun shines (so to speak) or buy a very sturdy raincoat!
Come again soon – thank you for listening to my bleating. I shall garden again very soon – or I will go stir crazy!
Sarah the Gardener : o )
Really cool shot of the clouds!
Thanks Terri. I had to get out of bed before sunrise in my PJs to get that shot. And then I quickly got back into bed because it was cold out there!
Cheers Sarah : o )
It was worth it 🙂
I understand.
Yup! Thanks.
Cheers Sarah : o )
I know the feeling my dear as your gardening season comes to an end. I have so much trouble around that time of year too. It’s like a loss on a grand scale… I suppose because our Canadian winters are so darn long. Hang in there Spring is around the corner for you. Take care and stay warm
Laura ~
Hi Laura. I think I really would go stir crazy if my winters were as long and as harsh as yours. It kind of puts things into perspective and I don’r really have much to moan about as I can still actually grow things. But it would be nice if we had a touch less rain.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Sarah, we’ve had a tornado warning here today, and have been getting lots of rain and a bit of hail too. But, as with spring these things happen, at least it’s not Snow…..wink… Thank you kindly for your comments and I hope you’ll get less rain in your part of the world.. I have to jump over to your blog now I see your planting potatoes.. hugs from Laura in Canada
Oh dear. I hope you are safe Laura. It is good to look for blessings where you can find them. Maybe catch some of that rain and save it for the garden for sunnier days.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Sarah, I sure do save all that rain water for my garden. I have barrels covered in screen to keep the bugs out. My plants sure do love the rain water better than the process water we get from the town. The storm missed us, thank goodness. But, more rain tonight and more tomorrow as well. Thank you so much for your continued comments, it means so much to me ~ one fellow gardener to another.. hugs from Laura in Canada
Hugs back! : o )
I thought of you at the grocery store today. The apples I usually purchase have a tiny little “USA” on the sticker. Same bin, same variety, same organic growing practices, but today the little text said “New Zealand.” I picked up a few extra as a hello to your economy.
Hi. Our apples do tend to get about a bit. I hope you liked them.
Cheers Sarah : o )
your greenhouse looks very presentable unlike mine at the end of a season, do you heat yours?
Hi There. Thanks. I do have a little terracotta pot heater that I will mention in my next blog. It’s nothing too special but keeps things from freezing – not that it freezes here often.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Lovely post Sarah your garden is looking good even though you are starting your winter as we start our summer have a blessed week
Hi Linda. Thanks for your kind words, but my garden needs a bit of TLC at the moment. I feel blessed it isn’t summer or I would be even more busy than I am now. Have a lovely week yourself.
Cheers Sarah : o )
You write so beautifully, that I’m happy to read and ‘listen’ to anything you say. I’m always stunned when I see the longer shots of your beautiful piece of earth. I’m envious of all that space and the open sky. It’s extraordinary to an urban dweller like me with a tiny plot. Any shots I take of the garden in front of the house are carefully staged to avoid capturing neighbors cars or power poles. Your view seems to go on forever.
I also miss variable weather which we had in Canada where I lived as a girl. Rain, wind, snow, and yes bitter cold, too. I guess the grass is often greener (coughing on that pun). I hope you’re winter isn’t too long. Congratulations on the spic and span greenhouse. It looks terrific. I remember when you were first building it.
I hope a small package finally arrived for your son.
Hi Alys. Thanks so much for your encouraging words. We still wake up each day and feel completely blessed to be here. Although some of my shots are staged to avoid the messy bits! Thanks for the package for Joey. I loved it so much and a thank you letter is on its way to you.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Cheers to you, too.
I can totally relate, this has been the coldest start to winter in my area for years. Its very restricting when it comes to mucking about in the dirt. Wishing you a warmer week this week!
Hi Kathy. Sometimes you never really know what to expect with the weather. I don’t mind working in the cold because I can wrap up warm, but working in the rain can be really uncomfortable. Here’s hoping for nicer days, if that’s not asking for too much!
Cheers Sarah : o )
Oh we do take summer for granted don’t we! Damn … the weather in Akl hasn’t been too bad, but I hear the weekend is going to be lousy. I know I have told you before, but I have greenhouse envy! How I would love something like yours. Happy gardening Sarah
Hi Julie. Sometimes I avoid checking the weather forecast so I can wake up with a bit of hope that it will be nice, rather than seeing that it is supposed to rain for the next 10 days. Having said that the boffins normally get it wrong!
I am really blessed to have such a fab greenhouse.
Have a lovely weekend and stay dry.
Cheers Sarah : o )