Room Three has Begun The Autumnal equinox is on us and going forward things are only going to get colder and bleaker. It sounds quite doom and gloom and this season, although we aren’t having the rain we had last year, the ordinary gentle descent into the cooler weather has been more of a rapid plunge! It hasn’t been as dramatic as flipping a switch, … Continue reading Room Three has Begun
Watermelon Jam I recently pulled the plug on my melon garden. The melons were ready, and the plants were exhausted from their efforts. It didn’t help that this was one of the most windswept garden beds with sightlines to the ocean through the front gate. I have a stable door style gate with windbreak on the top half, although it isn’t often closed and the … Continue reading Watermelon Jam
I always start the year with good intentions and normally by now my new year’s resolutions have fallen by the wayside. However there is no rule to say this is the only time of year you can try to reset things and so I’m taking the opportunity with the start of a new month to be more focused and intentional with telling you about the … Continue reading I’m turning over a new leaf.
I’ve been away again. I suspect it will happen a lot this year – the stars have aligned to make 2023 the year of travel for us. I don’t mind, so long as the garden still gets what it needs and remains productive and in control, with opportunities for exciting projects, and that I can squeeze in some horticultural goodness while out and about. And … Continue reading The long way to Dunedin
Because it could easily be mistaken for an instruction. And taking a fall in the garden is less than ideal, as I have just experienced! This weekend I have been working on Room Two in The Palace Garden and I have been so excited about it, I’ve even been dreaming about it. This week was to be the culmination of months of thoughts and preparations … Continue reading Why we don’t call ‘autumn’ ‘fall’.
In typical style for out here on the wild west coast, this week’s storm’s last hurrah is wind! There are still a few spotty showers, but the wind right now is averaging around 50 km/h with the inevitable stronger gusts. By this time tomorrow it should be all over or getting that way. The forecast for tomorrow says ‘Fresh southwesterlies easing.’ Fresh is an interesting … Continue reading A fresh wind is blowing through
Finally, after 6 weeks without decent rain (not counting the pitiful amount that arrived 4 days after the 115mm deluge), and enduring higher than normal temperatures, the dry spell has been broken. This has been looming tentatively on the weather outlook for weeks, teasing us with its variably as it finds its final position on the forecast. But even as recently as yesterday morning they … Continue reading The rains came!
The garden seems to be in some sort of holding pattern. The old summer plants are limping along, being supplemented by frequent watering and liquid feeds like they are on some kind of life support. They are still productive and there is a modest harvest, but it is so dry. And while we are no longer in those heady high temperature days, it is still … Continue reading Waiting for rain
… And a few words to go with them. The mornings are turning out to be quite productive as the cooler starts stretch well into the day before the heat drives me indoors again. The temperature is still getting up to 30C in the garden in the hottest part of the afternoon. But it isn’t just the pleasant working conditions that make gardening great, the … Continue reading Mostly Pictures
Last week was a strange week. In fact, it seems we are living in a strange world and there is so much uncertainty than concentrating on anything for too long can seem overwhelming. But the garden is always a place of peace and somewhere to lose yourself in. The mornings have been much cooler and it has been lovely to potter about without overheating, but … Continue reading Dry Days
