Blooming October
Check out October! So beautiful, such promise! I know, it’s exciting. And so do the shops. Telegraph cucumbers, chillies, peppers and tomatoes sulk in the cold draughty porches of supermarkets and...
View ArticleThree Steps To Abundance
This pile of chopped up garden debris is getting this spot ready to grow me an orange. It could be any fruit tree and is without a doubt the best beginning for a vegie patch. Stack up a heap of weeds,...
View ArticleOctober in the Vegie Patch
October checklist and things to do Get your zucchini, cucumber, pumpkin, corn, tomato and pepper beds ready to grow. These are all heavy feeders and need rotten manure, compost, seaweed – that kind of...
View ArticlePlant Citrus, Prune Tamarillos and Feed your Fruit Trees
October is so tender, so pretty. The plums are in full blossom, and the rest of the orchard is on it’s way. Such a joy to be a fruit gardener! Prevent Pests After our mild winter fungus and pests will...
View ArticleA Guide to Fat Yams
Yams (oca) are such a fabulous crop – both leaf and tuber are edible, they’re easy care and problem free. There are but two negatives They’re in the ground for ages (8 months or so). Use edges, wild...
View ArticleCome Visit My Garden This November
I’m opening my garden on Nov 27th 10am – 4pm, as part of the Waiopehu College Garden Tour. A fundraiser to get the kids to Japan. 10 gardens in all. Located in and around Levin. 8 are lifestyle...
View ArticleGet Ready For Psyllids
Boy, did we panic about psyllids when they first arrived on our shores. And rightly so! Our tomato and potato crops got hammered as we figured out how to cope with them. And figure it out we did. We’ve...
View ArticleNovember In The Vegie Patch
I love November because Asparagus and Broadbeans are in it. Two of my favourites! Together! At the same time! Here’s my asparagus patch – my pride and joy. Make sure you read to the end of the post...
View ArticleMaking Your Summer Garden Brighter and Better
November is ‘hang out more in your food garden’ month. You need to take a daily walk about the estate. It’s not arduous, trust me – look how gorgeous it is! About now things really get a move on –...
View ArticleRoast Cauliflower Salad with Prune and Honey Dressing
Casting about for fresh and easy ways to use the last of my winter cauli’s, I found this delicious recipe in the GOOD magazine (Nov/ Dec 2015, issue #45). Such fabulous recipes in this mag! Because not...
View ArticleElderflower Cordial
The elderflowers are in! There’s great excitement in our house because everyone loves elderflower cordial! Such an amazing tree – for coughs and colds there’s nothing like elderflower tea at the onset,...
View ArticleGet Inspired!
Last month I spent a weekend with mum (by the way, not my mum in the photo!) at the Tauranga Garden and Art Festival – a chance for a catch up, a breather, and a shot of inspiration – which I got in...
View ArticleSharing The Gift Of Food Gardening With Our Kids
November brings a delightful task my way – judging vegie gardens for our local Ag day. I love chatting with kids about their gardens – what they’ve discovered and created, what they’ve loved (peas and...
View ArticleDecember In The Vegie Patch
What a charming spring we’ve had! Untimely cold snaps and prolonged wet periods have a big impact – rust and other delightful fungi explode and growth slows. It’s a boo when stuff doesn’t grow well,...
View ArticleHow To Thin Fruit (And Why You Need To)
For top quality fruit and a better performing tree – thin your fruit this month! Thinning removes the excess to improve the remainder – and it’s a lovely job, so peaceful among the fruit trees (apart...
View ArticleMidsummer sowings
A mid summer sown row of dwarf beans and a zucchini are just what the doctor ordered to keep your garden ticking over. They’ll both be ready in a few months time – give or take – to land you with a...
View ArticleEasy Peasy Saladings
Salad is my great love. Because I need at least one daily bowl and because I jam alot into each day – I’ve got salad growing down to a fine art. Here’s my easy peasy direct sown salads. The method I’m...
View ArticleLemon Verbena Syrup Cake
When skies are grey and you need some cheer – make cake. This tangy sweet delicious number will warm the cockles of your heart. This recipe is from The Cooks Herb Garden by Mary Browne, Helen Leach and...
View ArticleWhen Summer Doesn’t Come, Make A Plan B
To cheer myself up last week, I lit the bonfire while I gardened. It was such a gloomy day. It was mid summer, and I was gardening in jeans. The fire lifted my spirits. For those of us out west and...
View ArticleFebruary In The Vegie Patch
New Zealand is playing the game of two halves. We are split into the wet and cool, and the hot and parched. Use your smarts and match your February plantings to the weather. If its cold and soggy plant...
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