Garden news

I haven't posted a garden update for a while, so thought that it was timely...

Our prospero rose which we planted a few months back continues to do well. It has the most gorgeous highly scented blooms.

Last weekend was an absolute stunner so Will & I spent most of Sunday out in the garden. We finally got around to finishing a job that we had started before we left for the UK at Christmas! That was to finish putting down weed matting on the terrace that our citrus trees are on as we were getting sick of always having to weed under the trees! Nana will be happy as the last couple of times she has visited she has ended up pulling a few weeds from this area!

I also harvested our butternut squashes. We ended up with a dozen so that will keep as going for a wee while. We had the first of them with our dinner that night & it was divine.

We have had a good season so far from the carrots & they are still going strong. I pulled up this monster last weekend but unfortunately it had started to go to seed & was a bit woody. I have also planted a second row of carrots. The tomatoes are still going really well, I wasn't too sure how successful they would be in Wellington, but have been pleasantly surprised. The beans are also still going, but only just. They probably only have another meal or two left in them... The other thing that I have been really impressed with this season is the cape gooseberries which have been prolific.

I have also planted some onion & broad bean seeds so we will see how they go... We are also trying for a second season of sugarsnap peas (from seed collected from this year's crop). Our spinach & silverbeet is growing like mad, so we need to hurry up & get the chickens who we mostly planted it for! We also have celery, bok choi, leeks, beetroot, brussel sprouts, red cabbage, broccoli & lettuce on the go.

I have been growing my chillies inside & was very excited to see the very first one turn red this weekend! The other thing keeping us busy at the moment is collecting walnuts. They have started to drop over the last week or so & it is already looking like it is going to be a bumper crop. We already have more than we did last year & probably about half are still on the tree! We are currently drying them on the kitchen bench but we are fast running out of room! They might end up being spread out on the kitchen table...

That is about all the garden news...

In other news, my friend Sara & her husband (plus their 2 & 4 year old kids) came & stayed with us for a couple of nights at the end of the week. I used to teach with Sara at St Peter's & it was great catching up with her & the family. They arrived on Wednesday, then on Friday caught the early morning ferry to the South Island where they are having a family holiday for several weeks.

I am back into my rugby & have had 2 pre-season games so far. The season proper starts next week. I had forgotten just how sore I always am the day after a match, today I haven't been too flash! I guess me body will eventually get used to it again... Last night Will & I went to a friends 30th birthday party with a 'Rubik's Cube' theme. It was loads of fun, but the punch made with fejoia vodka & the Rubik's Cube coloured jelly shots probably helped contribute to me not quite being 100% today... The 'young' ones continued into town but Will & I decided to call it a night. Will was driving so we dropped a carload into town just after midnight then came home to bed.