The Next Project...

This gorgeous gal is the newest addition to the family. She will one day be our home. 

Despite being in very good condition and an easy diy for a gal like me with no experience in caravans, she does need a few tidy ups. Today I went and brought some bog, sandpaper in different grades and three tins of primer, just what I need to get started for a tad of cosmetic surgery. 

There She Blows...

The last few days brought winds up to 155km across our little country with disastrous results in many places. People lost lives, homes, vehicles, personal effects...many places without power for hours and days, the clean up will be quite a mission. I was fortunate in that the only damage I had was waking up to the rubbish bin blowing over and spreading the contents across the lawn and bags of recycling taking a tour around the yard...I feel rather lucky considering what some people have lost, I sincerely hope life gets back to normal for them soon.

One thing I have noticed from my garden groups is the amount of lost seedlings due to cheap mini greenhouses getting blown away or toppling over in low winds...if you are considering buying one of these, please anchor it down, stabilise to lessen the chances of hours of green fingering being wasted. I had moved all my seedlings to the back veranda for protection and didn’t lose any thankfully.

Summer Lovin...

Yay, some sunshine at last! The last few days have been wet and windy as heck so it was nice to feel a little warmth today. I am still trying to shake this heinous sinus/chest infection which has limited my time in the garden but I have been able to pull a few weeds here and there and repot some seedlings so not all was lost.

Today I wandered down to the garden and with a sudden urge I launched myself into a revamp frenzy. I’m not sure where the energy came from but in between endless nose blows and regular coughing fits I managed to dig over and weed most of my patch. The corn and peas that were screaming to be released from their pots got planted, the corn in a spot near the garlic and the peas along the fence line. I had intended to use the tepee for the peas but its position had always irked me so today I removed it and put a lovely bit of hollowed driftwood there instead and it looks very cool. Not sure what I will plant in it yet but with all the seedlings I have growing and 28 new packets of seed that arrived last week, I am sure I will find something soon enough!

Last week I managed to repot the borage and marigolds and they are looking healthy and happy, the ones I have in the garden have started to flower now and I can’t wait for the busy hum of bee and bumble bums. Once again I have a heap of sunflowers from my saved seed and the corn I saved from last year has all germinated with an excellent strike rate so I am feeling quite pleased with myself. The windowsill under the veranda is full with punnets of cucumber, catnip, sage, basil, cumin and capsicum seedlings. Ah yes, summer is coming.

It Was Bound To Happen...

It happens every year...

A cold wintery blast sets upon us suddenly and I find myself scrambling madly to find shelter for all my punnets/pots and usually it ends up with my coffee table and windowsills covered in trays of at-risk seeds and seedlings until the weather settles. Its not just inside either...the back porch is busting at the seams as well but luckily those are hardened enough to stay sheltered outside.   

My lounge looks like a plant nursery...I know I'm not the only one who does these things!

In The Garden...

Ahhhh *contented sigh* I can hear the pitter patter of a steady rain outside, Diesel and Mr are zonked out on the bed and knowing all my little seedlings are safely tucked up for the night is bliss. In the last couple of weeks I have seen some unbelievable growth in the garden...weeds included. 

 

The black-boy peach went from looking like it had died to the most beautiful bursts of green along every branch. All of the red and ivory raspberries, red and black currants, strawberries and gooseberries are growing steadily and the rhubarb on the deck is looking more like a respectable crumble every day. 

I am really pleased with the garlic, it is looking fantastic and the asparagus keeps sending up more new spears every couple of days for me to devour as I pass by. 

From all the seeds I planted, I now have lots of sunflowers, basil, catnip, beans, peas, cucumber, two varieties of corn (one seed is from last years that I saved and looks to be a high strike), two types of beets, long red cayenne peppers, marigolds, sage, borage, Aus.Butter pumpkin and tomatoes (Amish Paste, Orange Blossom and Evergreen). 

The borage, naughty Ameritta and beet all desperately needed re-potting so I braved the cold this afternoon and put them in new pots. I have a feeling I am going to have a ton of re-potting and planting out soon!

Going Walkabout...

Andy popped up for a visit last week so it was a good opportunity to get out and show him a few places he hadn’t been to yet and as a given, a chance for him to snap some nice pics around the city. He also showed me how to use some of the functions on my camera (yay for clever friends!) now I can make much better use of it. Here are some pics from our ventures to the Bason Reserve, Mowhanau (Kai Iwi) Beach and Virginia Lake. 

A happy little honey bee busily buzzing around a rosemary bush at the Bason Reserve...looks like quite a load hes carrying!

Lying under a shady tree soaking up the peace and quiet at the bottom of the Bason... 

 Yes, spring is definitely here...aren't these blooms just lovely! I especially love the sun behind this one...

And the colours of this one are so pretty...

I love trees and this simple pic of straggly branches in newly discovered monochrome (thank you Andy) is rather funky.

Extensive gardens, picnic spots, clean toilets, Orchid houses, great parking, lake and bird life, artwork, walking trails and more...

Some of the locals...

Clifftop, Mowhanau Beach looking towards Patea (Forgot I was in monochrome)...

Clifftop, Mowhanau Beach looking towards Wanganui...

Virginia Lake...Walking tracks, cafe, bird life, winter gardens, gallery, outdoor aviary, lake, fountains, children's play park, sound bowl, good parking...

West Coast Skies...

A few snaps Ive taken while rummaging around in the garden over the last few days. You have to be quick to grab your camera sometimes as it changes quickly but here is a few i thought were quite cool...