While it was windy the other week, lately it has been so calm than it would be easy to rebuke the naysayers who frequently declared “ohh it will be windy there.” If you only came to visit once and it was this week, you would think the wicked winds of the west wouldn’t be at all possible. It is just too lovely! But they lurk … Continue reading Rhubarb Cordial
Radish is a quick and easy crop, and this is where the flibbertigibbet of season worked in my favour. I was late getting them in and ordinarily the weather warms up and then all they do is bolt to seed with no sign of a fat bottom at all. But with the season on constant reset back to very cold after a few days of … Continue reading Radish Relish
It seems like forever since I have been in the garden. Last week I was at the flower show which was exciting and inspiring, and I loved every moment. This week we had a bereavement in the family and while it was a blessed relief from suffering it was still a very sad and sombre week. And the garden waited on the side line for … Continue reading Back in the garden
Normally at this time of year we look back over the previous twelve months and wax lyrical about the mundane goings in the garden, reminisce over the ordinary and set goals along the lines of ‘must keep on top of the weeds this year.’ Life in a garden has seasons and once you get the hang of things it can become a bit of a … Continue reading 2017 – Oh what a year – huge plot twist at the end, which I didn’t see coming.
This is a strange time of year in many ways. Ordinarily we aren’t here at all, but off beside the sea somewhere soaking in the summer sun and doing some well deserved relaxing after a hard year of hard yakka. Sometimes we’re in a tent – although not often. I’ve long since decided sleeping on uneven ground under a thin piece of fabric that is … Continue reading The in Between
I woke in the middle of the night to the sound of rain bouncing off the roof. Its deep rhythmic nature sent me peacefully back to sleep knowing I wouldn’t need to worry about the garden for a couple of days. But as the daylight emerged, so did a hearty wind that lasted all day and did a great job of driving off the heat … Continue reading Don’t waste water!
Historically I have been absolutely terrible with keeping plants in pots and containers. There is so much pleasure and joy found tending the garden that I seem to run out of time for the small pot bound plants, not as in out grown with encircled roots, but bound as in confined without the freedom of sending their roots off at will in a direction that … Continue reading Keep you friends close… and your water closer.
If you had told me nine weeks ago that I would willingly give up my garden I would have told you that you were lying. I spent a long time dreaming and planning for this season. I have tomatoes from A to Z. My spuds, planted lovingly in September, aren’t due out until March. And don’t get me started on the sweetcorn. I was not … Continue reading And… Sold
And it isn’t Bug-ger. Although this is the sentiment of the situation. You just can’t win with the weather. This year can easily be described with soggy soggy soggy soggy dry. And not just any dry, but the one tinged with humidity but no useful moisture. Perfect conditions for a bit of Blight in my spuds! Really. I have been dreaming of a long hot … Continue reading The B word.
After much anticipation, I left my country garden and headed into the big city to check out the NZ Flower and Garden Show. There hasn’t been a garden show on this scale here for a few years, but it takes more than an earthquake and a few soggy seasons to keep good gardeners from gardening. It was a delight and a pleasure to see such … Continue reading Flowers and Gardens
