Sunday 11 May 2014

I've Gone Potty...



 
It was such a gorgeous day in the cliff today, blue sky and sunshine made a welcome appearance but step out of the sun and it was obvious that winter is rousing and will soon be here. 

I spent my day catching up on housework and little jobs that have been on the to-do list. One thing I have been meaning to do for awhile is the re-potting of some of my plants. I love re-potting time, for some reason it is one garden job I just love. It is always so therapeutic and soothing for the soul. 

This monster is a passionfruit I grew last year, I kept wondering if I should put it in the garden but decided to put it in one of the large pots I traded for some eggs some months back.



 


I also put my two year old Blackboy peach into a larger pot.   
I bought this tree when I lived in Wellington, it was a self seeded tree that had grown from a tree brought here in Wanganui and had been taken down to Upper Hutt many years ago. 

The next generation has been brought back to where its mother plant came from.


Next (and in between loads of washing and other distractions) I potted up a couple of chilli plants which despite the colder weather are growing well. I have been told they can over-winter in a warm sunny place so I am going to try. I also potted another passionfruit and a rouge calendula I found in the gooseberry pot.



There was two Gooseberry plants that Andy had brought me from his garden, two small peach trees which are from a very old variety and a small but sturdy two year old peach. 

All of those got potted into larger pots with good drainage and a lovely compost rich/pot mix soil. 

One day Andy, when you retire and park your house bus on my lawn, we will be able to plant all these lovely yummies into the garden...whilst having a glass or two of course!






Here some of the succulents I started growing down the side of the house last year...as you can see the have grown very well. 

They were pretty much sticks and buds when I planted them in and despite set backs from birds, bunnies and dogs, they are doing marvellously and giving a nice splash of colour in the small garden as well as great ground cover. 

These plants will be my nursery plants to share.

Saturday 3 May 2014

Cheap And Cheerful Fire Starters...



 
Its getting colder and soon winter will be upon us. There are many cabbage trees here (Cordyline australis/tī kōuka) which look lovely in the garden but constantly drop their leaves on the lawn. If you know anything about cabbage tree leaves then you will know they can do a lot of damage to your lawnmower if you run over them...they get caught on the shaft and wind themselves around and around, making a tangled mess of threads that are difficult to remove. So I have been picking them up and making fire starters from them. When dry they are great for getting your fire going, I don’t have a fireplace but know people who do. All you have to do is grab a handful, fold them over a couple of times into a nice little bunch and tie them with another leaf. No messy lawns and no buying fire starters...easy peasy!

Going Retro...



 
I recently found these fabulous old 70s patterns and couldn’t resist getting them. They weren’t cheap but I thought their simple designs would look great made up in some of the more modern fabrics I have. The sizes are perfect for my nieces though the styles would be able to be adjusted without too much hassle. My eldest niece has expressed a desire to start sewing so maybe these will come in good use for her too. Love these old patterns!