New veg planter boxes

 Dismantling the old boxes. This is the first one to go. It was held together by rope at the end of its life, and protruding nails and splinters had got me a few times. 

Wheelbarrowed the soil over to the new boxes. It's not full of life so added some ZooDoo and veg mix and have planted a green crop to dig in and add some nutrients. 

Went nuts with the green crop idea (what fun, haven't done this before) and sowed mustard, lupin seeds etc in the brand new terraces down the driveway. A week later and we have green dots all over that area. In about six weeks we'll dig the whole lot in and start planting. 

Delicious old style grapes on the way

With Phil's massive prune over a year ago, and netting and leaf plucking this year, we have a bumper crop coming. 

This is our third summer here and the last two crops have been three or four bunches. This year:

Fruit tree netting

 This year we're a bit more organised with timing to keep the birds out of our pears and apples and peaches. Mish has erected frames over some of the trees. Luckily they are all small trees.

About to pound in a post for the peach and the pear next to it. Plum is helping.

Laying out the netting ( a hand me down from the Blenheim vineyard) for the next job. Plum helping again. 

Can't net the blueberry bushes though and the blackbirds are in there helping themselves. We do provide. The plants are in pots by the swan plants and the monarch butterfly collection and the caterpillars have crawled into blueberry bush next to them.  When the flutterbys emerge they'll need to fly away, so can't net them inside  the blueberries. 

Counted 34 caterpillars a week ago and less than 20 today, and can't see where any of them have gone. Made an area where they could hang out using a pallet, but no takers yet.

Meanwhile, back inside the house...

Have stuffed it all back in several times - it's great fun ripping it out.

There's a plush mat and trampoline bed, but my bean bag is best. Apparently.

Plums!

The plums are plummeting.

We have the most lovely big plum tree - no idea what kind of plums they are: early fruiters, yellow flesh, gutsy flavour. It is loaded.

We've had to tie branches up as it is right over the driveway and almost hitting the house, and those branches have kilos of plums on them. So far we've made jam, chutney, slow cooked plum butter (that's a wowee intense flavour), frozen some, and given buckets of plummy treasure away.

Michelle's lot - baking plums before 10 hours in the slow cooker.

Carol's lot - jars of plum jam on the bench and not wasting the bit on the saucer that I was testing for setting

Carrots getting cozy

And they were yummy. I guess this happened as I planted seeds and didn't cull enough when hundreds of them came up. It's a hard thing to kill your baby carrots.

 Also growing in the veg boxes now: peas, beetroot, spinach, lettuce, garlic, spring onion, fennel, coriander, mint that is hanging in there in the cooler weather, and, for the first time - kale.

Fig story in March

The neighbour's fig tree is in full fruit. We didn't net it this year as a bossy tui took up residence (on a particular branch) a couple of months ago AND didn't eat the figs and kept all other birds away!

Several days ago the tui left the scene and the silvereyes moved in en masse. Had to act quickly!

Most were too high for me to pick, and the tree arcs over the big veg boxes so using a ladder was too tricky - enter the John Reid extendable flower picker. Couldn't get close enough to pick an individual fig without crushing it so had to take branch chunks. The tree grows like crazy so I knew that wouldn't matter. Got about 33 delicious figs in mint condition. 

Result:

Mish in planning mode

 We're running through many ideas and options for a renovation of our 'new' house.

There's been the sandpit modelling of site contours:

Most of the block is flat, but we have a long driveway coming up our west side through trees. We're about 9mt above the street. One idea was to turn into the yard about half way up the existing driveway, but the access, steepness and the sandiness all got a bit too expensive and difficult.

The modelling idea didn't work so well as the sand wouldn't behave. But we did find a quirky table to do the 3D modelling on, and will make that do another duty of  .... something.

There have been days of immersed drawing on tracing paper.

And now we are up to site mock ups of what could be, with bits of old timber and tape and ladders and rocks and rope.

Currently, this is the new mistresses bedroom, pushing out from the southwest corner of the house. Mish in bed with a view of the island. All those veggie boxes will get moved out of the shade of that new building. (The white mesh veg cover in the background is over one swan plant that survived winter and that now has an egg on it. Monarch butterflies are warmed up and on the move.)

Looking along the south side of the house:

Wood splitter and splitting block are in the new bathroom.

In the meantime, the last wood splitting of winter is a happening thing. 

Almost spring

We've had some frosts and icy days, but generally it's been a warm winter. Yesterday was chilly but today so mild I've just lit the fire at 5.30pm.

We caught the train to the city today. Bus outside our driveway to the station, then a scenic ride to Wellington through paddocks and flax, along the coast beside the sea, beside streams and then you pop out beside Wellington Harbour. It's a water ride. 

And we really appreciate our freedom to do it. Masks on public transport (recommended only) and everything open. No community cases in New Zealand for weeks. We're very lucky down here at the bottom of the world.

Vietnamese for lunch. Warm enough to eat outside! In winter! Bottom of Lambton Quay, Supreme Court opposite.

Meanwhile, in the garden. French breakfast radishes and first time fennel growing. Fennel was so easy and fast I'll be planting more of them. (And it's aniseedy delicious.) The silver shed behind me is now moved to a shady place so it's not hogging the sun any more and the lemon behind it now features in that corner and everyone is happy.

And then feet up in the afternoon sun.

Lemon tree very pretty

... and hopefully very fruitful.

Third time lucky: we've had two munted lemon trees here that struggled through years and bore no fruit. This time we are planting on the bottom of the yard (more sheltered and warmer) and we've prepped the soil properly and set up a bracing system.

In she goes, and Mish is demonstrating the spread that is required, chokka with lemons, thanks very much.



This a Yen Ben lemon, apparently NZ's main commercially grown lemon tree. An expensive advanced specimen, already with lemons, so we'll give it lots of water and food and hope for the best.

Meanwhile, to send in a bit more sun, another gentle prune of the juniper that shades the bottom. Can't be bothered getting the ladder, I can reach it...



And up top out in the front yard, the veg boxes are going very well. More rain would be lovely, so hand held hoses are the go through summer watering restrictions.

End of the summer holiday

Back to work tomorrow, but not the end of summer hols really. Plenty of summer left for swimming, tennis, bike riding, etc. Even got Mish into the sea at Titahi Bay the day before yesterday!

Our pine planter boxes for veg garden makeover arrived Christmas Eve. We placed in situ, and saw we need another one, so ordered that. But, in the meantime, started to fill these ones and get the beautiful topsoil we've made into the boxes. Then we'll lay weed mat or similar and do gravel paths around them. Fair bit of shovelling there, but they are now full. One even has peas sprouting.



Christmas was calm and relaxing at Rugby Ranch, Norm and Arlene's place. Then we had a few days in Blenheim with Sue and Phil, flying down on a plane that was WAY TOO SMALL, and back on a sunny cruisey ferry ride. Picked some cherries, here's Mish posing with a gas gun - not in use as the rain came at the wrong time and split the fruit - so a poor harvest and lots of mouldy cherries. We still got a couple of kilos, mmmmm.



Sue took us bike riding and kayaking. With lots of lovely food and games of 500. The four of us walked a track out of Picton and admired Marlborough Sounds' scenery





In the vineyard next to the house, rows of just topped vines and ones not yet levelled. There's always something going on in the vines in Marlborough.




Back in Wellington, we've had a spectacular season for flowering pohutukawa trees around town. The one outside our window is the best it has been since we've been here (eight years in a few days). Looking past that bold red to Evans Bay, the airport, and Cook Strait. Orca and dolphins galore down there in the harbour and we keep missing them.




The pohutukawa Mish planted at the bottom of the yard is also having its best ever flowering. This one is a pinky red, with  a plane going over on a new flight path some of them are using (not directly over us).



Jane and Nicola dropped in for a few days and we had a lovely easy time drinking tea and wandering around town, once we got out of our dressing gowns.

 

Walked out to Point Dorset on the Miramar peninsula overlooking Cook Strait. Mish took a panorama  on the point and her clever new phone turned it into a video pan.

Someone has carved a whimsical seahorse on the beach.

 

And a shopping moment in Kathmandu. Jane and I bought swish puffer jackets, Nicola already had one - so, puffer jacket kitchen pic!

Summer continues

With a bit of a cold snap for a couple of days, but we're back into it now. Even Mish was out in shorts today.
And the bumble bees are busy  in the lavender. We've been moving some lavender plants to create a lavender edge to the deck. Should be great in  a couple of years.

We have monarchs around and caterpillars and cocoons. All good so far, this year.




The Interislander ferry going out this morning.



Lovely day, no wind turbine movement and then a light cool breeze and hot sun. Had a spin in Mischa's 'new' car, a little red  2010 Honda Fit/Jazz, and a walk over at Titahi Bay.

End of the weekend

A bit of calm Sunday sunset watering in the vegie garden. Second harvest of broad beans yesterday, another coming on fast. Amazing plants given some of them got bent double in  a big wind a few weeks ago and the stems are squished - but the beans are still growing. Tough as.

Thin low mist has turned into thick cloud sitting in a band below us now. Can't see city or harbour but I think it's dissipating at 9pm.

Winter, windows, shed & cockatiel

A few things have been happening in Wellington.

Shed's done!
That's #3, with a bit of shelving to go in and fine tuning. It's nice and big and dry and fits that corner nicely.

This is the long view past the front door. Am straightening a hose. Will get some deck stain onto the whole deck area one fine day soon to make it cohesive.



And across the winter veg garden (with some sad spinach, spring onions, struggling peas, and the ever perky broad beans). The whole yard is looking like a tip at the moment, half done projects all over, from Carol's driftwood paling fence on the street to stacked timber  bits EVERYWHERE and the compost we are about to move at the bottom of the yard.

And windows are in too.

New uPVC french doors being installed (unplasticised poly vinyl chloride) which sounds horrible I know, (says Mish), but which has many benefits over aluminium and looks good. The original painted timber frame (architrave) stays put and the new window or door joinery is securely screwed into the opening.

Adrian (always singing to The Breeze radio station) has taken out our old timber window. See the corner of the new window on left.

The new frames are in. Double glass panel only takes about 8 minutes to install into each frame. Super quick :)

 All new double glazed UPVC you beaut windows. They look great and we have a warmer house and a slightly quieter one too. No more air and rain leaks, yippee!



Meanwhile, outside.
We bought some wattles to fill a space and they are about to flower. Here's Mish putting them in, just...so. With a bit of river rock and mulch landscaping and a new timber retaining wall and bay to hold 'em. Go you yellow things.




Today was lovely, warm and calm. Not spring yet but it is coming. Some blossoms around too, at work in the river valley, not up here on the windy exposed heights.

Had a walk on the waterfront tonight and dinner at the old yacht club right beside a marina. Then another walk and realised it is a full moon. Here's the best I could do with the point and shoot, looking across one of the marinas to Mt Victoria, Freyberg Pool the  blue smudgey lights on the left and St Gerards up the hill.




And, the cockatiel.
Mish heard chirping - it was sitting outside and very happy to come inside. Made itself right at home for about a week, Scoffing our tamari almonds and sitting on our shoulders.

Very sociable bird - Mish made a driftwood perch which it loved.  Couldn't track the owner but we found a kid with an aviary nearby so bye bye birdie.

We were just talking about this photo - it's a moment in time. When we nursed a bird, the last days of the old windows, and Sean's potboilers that he gave us when he came to work on the shed.

Post hole digging on a very cool Saturday

Winter is here. The air was in Antarctica a day ago. Brrr. There's snow on the eastern hills at 500 mt.

So Mish put on her gumboots and went out. The plumber is coming soon so we had to  concrete a post in beside the vegetable garden. We're finally putting in a second tap. Post is now in and set nicely and we're inside with the heater on.

House and yard duties

Last night we went to a concert in town, Orchestra Wellington playing two new pieces and Holst's Planets, with visuals from the observatory. That was pretty cool - film and animations from Hubble and NASA.

Four rows back from the stage, we looked up into a timpani. The white table centre of photo is a glass box that pivoted to roll pebbles, so it sounded like waves rolling pebbles on the shore. Ooh ahh, experimental.

Saturday food markets in the street next to concert hall fed us dumplings after the concert, then a 5 minute walk to car and a 10 minute drive home. Little city; fabulous.




Mish finished two projects this weekend: pots and pots of cuttings for me to take to work tomorrow and sell as a fundraiser, and a shelf /hanging system at the front door.

Almost there, everything in its place. Much measuring, drilling, levelling, etc.
Another good shake down south this afternoon (rated severe as it was shallow), just a tremor here.



So let me take you on a guided tour of the new system. From the bottom: twisted cutlery on a coat rack, shelf  over top; cap hooks on those great hooks that open and close with one action; shelf system remade from junky piece bought in op shop; hats on top. Mish chuffed. Much more room at front door - and she's added a book shelf in the walkway.







Out to a nursery this morning, took mum for a jolly jaunt with lunch, and back to potter around the yard. Mostly grey day, but calm and warm and I got  a widdle sunburnt.

Mish made burnt butter sage pasta for dinner - mmm mmm. Got a week's supply of fruit and veg at the local farmers' market this morning (nice big dark green broccoli $1; same in supermarket Friday, $3). Love the Sunday market: the first apricots are here from the South Island and sweet as, plums and cherries just arrived too, and paw paw are back. Yum! Aussie mangoes slowly coming down in price but still $4 each - won't have a bar of the Mexican, Ecuadorean, Filipino, Peruvian ones - we get them all and they are scrawny and fibrous and ugh unluscious. Saving myself for Kensington Pride in Sydney.

More repurposing. Latest pot totem - looking back to house.



Looking down from the house, Leunig driftwood bird in a busted concrete post, the latest pot totem, and the old Hills Hoist now doing good duty as a bird feeder.