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Thursday 8 October 2015

And out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain....

Hello lovely friends and readers!
Well the spring rains came and filled up all the rivers & made slips & puddles all over our land.
I squelched around in my rosy gumboots for about a week.
The tulips loved the drenching.
Isn't this Margaret Tarrant picture sweet.
Others took it all with good grace.
 Then there was a wee break in the heavens and along came the ladies from the gardening group.
In they swarmed, bustling all over the place, poking at things & nattering away.
Someone thought they'd found a four-leaf clover down the back here.
And then there was the "let's see what's over the back wall delegation"!
And then, quite promptly, they were gone.

The bluebells have been such a joy.
I find I have some Spanish & some English varieties. 
We've had lots of delicious smoothies in the mornings lately. This one is made with blueberries, blackcurrants, kefir, banana, chia seeds, ginger & a little honey. Set with a little gelatine the mixture also makes a delicious dessert.
I found the weirdest bread recipe & thought I'd have a go.
It is absolutely delicious, contains no flour & is very tasty & satisfying. It also makes the best ever toast.
I popped the recipe in here.
I am constantly thinking of new kinds of seeds to sell.
I collected these pink nerines seeds in autumn & they are just starting to sprout, all by themselves.
What elegance for seed dressing!
I know that violets like to spread themselves around rather liberally but I've never really studied a violet seed pod before...isn't it just marvellous!! Reminds me of caterpillar eggs.
My dear friend Ruth was delighted to discover that her husband had not, in fact, sprayed & killed her unusual apricot violet, so now we have another to add to the violet collection.
While wrestling with the cupboard moths & tidying out the pantry cupboards I came across this The Zetland jar with a smooth chip out of the rim & thought...excellent, I'll give it the Julie Lealand treatment (ooh that girl's a treasure!!) I used the pastel pink Voodoo Molly Vintage paint that I bought  a few months ago. After three coats on the outside it covered the glass really well. I then gave the lettering a very light sand. Love the effect.
I also painted a grubby old brown wooden tray with a test pot of green & lined the bottom with a piece of Rainbow Rose Cath Kidston wallpaper. I finished it with two coats of Modge Podge to make the surface wipeable.
These potted colour ranunculus & anemones have done so well through all the rain.
Such good value for $2 each as they flower for months & just get brighter & bolder as time goes by.
I so value these dwarf calla lilies for their elegant lines in the winter/spring garden. They last for weeks in a vase.
Sometimes people ask me to tell them about the seeds I have available that have high scent. I've learnt something interesting from this query-it's mostly the bulbs & spring flowering shrubs like this viburnum that are highly scented. Most annuals & cottage garden/wild flowers have very little perfume at all.
Delightful as it is, this little forget-me-not has no scent at all.
Freesias, daffodils & bluebells, however, are just divinely scented, especially altogether.


Yay, yay!! It's asparagus time. One of the main culinary joys of spring.
We went on a long walk in the foot-hills of Havelock North last week & suddenly came across three macadamia trees right by the roadside...
It's must unusual to see mature macadamia trees around here, but they were very happy & the nuts were beginning to fall...even some on to our side of the fence.
We also visited the valley where we know the wild banana passionfruit grow. They were just ripening too. Dear Audrey (my elderly friend across the road) told me about her mother bottling these fruits over 70 years ago in Wanganui, so one day I cooked them & they were absolutely delicious.
So strange to see Lucy & Rob going off without me!!
Good for her to have a little outing, get her warrant of fitness & give me time to sweep the space where she lives.
Then, out came the sunshine & dried up all the rain...
Duchess de Brabant thought she'd make a showing.
And Whistle found himself in the dog box.
I thought you might like to watch this marvellous video too. I love everything about it...the song, the setting, the joy & the instruments used by such happy, clever musicians.

Worth watching full screen: https://youtu.be/WcLuUt-dyks

Thank you so much for visiting.
Have a lovely & peaceful week.
Much love to you all.
Catherine x0x0x

6 comments:

  1. hi there! I will have to come back and listen to the video as rushing about but just had to stop and read your lovely post - I love the violet sprouting - it's a work of art! Bread looks interesting. I do hope you are having a few days of 'me time' as you have been so busy making and baking and creating! Betty

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  2. Although I wasn't part of that garden group I can guess they had a fabulous time in your gorgeous garden! It looks amazing! Enjoy!

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  3. Hello there Incy Wincy Spider ... beautiful post Catherine. I did laugh at the Garden Circle Ladies ... it only takes one to say "oh I wonder whats over the fence" ... & so it goes. So glad it went well. I guess you must look at the different seed pods from a whole new angle now that you are selling so many. I often forget that everything has a seed of some sort. Your jar turned out beautifully - that is a gorgeous pink shade. I have never tried banana passionfruit before ... they look intrigueing (whoops not sure how to spell that !!!) Your garden is looking beautiful Catherine as we progress into spring. It is warming up here ever so slightly at last & things are bursting forth. Have a wonderful weekend my dear friend x x x Off to watch your video now :-)

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  4. You are a true garden expert! You know everything there is to know, I think! I'm so glad spring has sprung there and we can join in via YOU! (BIG HUG!)

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  5. I enjoyed reading your post so much. The beauty of the flowers that I could almost smell, the unusualness of the seed that's sprouting and dear Lucy off for a jaunt. What a score with the Macadamias. Your DIYing looks wonderful. Everything is so colourful and happy. Thank you Catherine. I do so love visiting you and reading your stories. All collected together will make a glorious book. Will now watch your video.

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  6. Catherine, it's easy to see that your garden loved the rain. And what a treat for the garden club! Everything is gorgeous! I love Ranunculus, but they don't last long here and are $3-$4. Still, I have to have a few every Spring. I love Violets and have never seen an apricot colored one. The sprouting seeds are amazing! Soon it will be winter here and I will be longing for Spring!
    Hugs,
    Jann

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So lovely of you to leave a comment. Thank you!! So sorry if you've tried to leave one & it hasn't worked. You are welcome to email me at catherine@sunshinevintage.nz instead, if you'd like to, much love Catherine♥

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