Growing An Angel In Your Garden

Hello there!

Well we've reached the chilly bit of our winter now. You know, when there's frosts & snow (well a day of it) & all the leaves have finally fallen off the trees and even I wear a hat & a scarf & a jacket to garden. I think that the Chinese have a good point about keeping your "wind points" covered. Scarves are a very good idea to protect your neck from rogue winds.

But it's also the time when we all start to go on about how we can't wait for the spring bulbs..but hold on, half the bulbs are flowering very nicely already.

My friend Ruth grows wonderful narcissus...many of them of the jonquil variety. Here are just a few, in all their lovely glory.

I thought I must show you our snow (since it's quite an event), up on Te Mata Peak just last week.

Wind chill factor kicked in making the temperature -6 degrees C about this point; brother's know these things!

One recent morning I happened to be in the kitchen looking out the window when I heard a great commotion & immediately thought that Whistle had finally captured Elijah, our visiting racing pigeon friend. Here he is, just yesterday...

He's still wandering around the neighbourhood visiting where-ever he pleases. We often spot him meandering along the footpath. But, no it wasn't Elijah at all. It was a Kereru, a native wood pigeon. I shouted quietly for Rob to come quickly, as this wonderful bird had landed in our olive tree right outside the kitchen window. The Kereru then dropped down on to a buxus bush below & promptly squashed it!

We've never seen a one in town or in our garden in all the 26 years we've been here, until now.

A little nibble of an old wrinkled fig,

a quick drink from the bird bath. Lucky he didn't tip it right over!

And then a wee rest up in the frangipani tree before departing.

 I am so grateful that I live in a place where I can be a Garden Fairy the whole year through. I love sharing my plants & seeds & cuttings & sometimes a little knowledge with others through Trade Me. Sweet violets are one of the most sort after of my listings. I love the little stories & memories that people tell me about violets; usually from their childhood & their favourite aunty or grandmother. The fragrance evokes the memory of connection in a heartbeat.

I received an email enquiry form a customer (oooh, I have customers!) a while back asking me for a little assistance as she had searched the internet for tips on growing the seeds that she had bought from me, but hadn't been able to find a thing. She'd been searching for a plant called "An angel in the garden". So funny & utterly delightful! On my seed packets I write the name of the seed & then where it says origin I write "An angel in the garden".
It's quite amazing when you keep your eyes open, what you find in the garden that does actually flower through the winter.

We both love cyclamen.

Every week I bring home bunches of rainbow chard from Gay & Robert, the organic growers at the Farmers' Market.

It doesn't grow like this in the summer! Such stunning colours full of goodness.

Finding a good movie to watch is such a treat. We loved "What We Did On Our Holiday" so very much. "We're all ridiculous, really", says Billie Connelly, as the grandfather. I agree!

In late autumn I harvested ginkgo leaves just as they were turning to yellow. Only trouble was...I popped in to a funny little park down the road where I knew there was a good big tree & as I jumped up & pulled down a branch to gather the leaves there was a loud crack & a large branch broke right off & nearly conked me on the head. Oh dear, what to do. I couldn't very well just leave it there, so I grabbed it back to my car & stuffed it in the back seat & drove it home to deal with it there. It took me weeks to get rid of all the leaves that fell off in the process & dispersed all through my car. However..I now have an almost mature ginkgo tincture that I plan on taking to see if it might improve my menopausal brain function. Now wouldn't that be something to look forward to!

I friend posted this wonderful turmeric milk recipe on Facebook a day or two ago. It is so delicious & really nourishing & warming. I popped the recipe in the kitchen blog just here.

As an angel in the garden I have even taken up the role of cupid...what fun. I had a random enquiry for assistance from one romeo looking for purple peonies for his sweetheart. It turned out that I could help with purple flowers (as they had to be live) & manage a delivery too. All just down the road from one of my gardens. There were some theatrics & a little drama but all ended in pure delight. It's worth remembering that a gathering of live plants can be much more economical than a picked bouquet. This little lot only cost $20 all up. The hyacinth was just about to come out & had 8 beautiful stems/buds. Good old Rob spotted it at Bunnings when he went to buy building bits.

"So...let's make this garden this year more lovely than it's ever been." Yes please!
As to the experimental present free with every order. Perhaps it'll be a packet of An angel in the garden seeds? Wouldn't that be lovely!

I am so glad that you popped in for a visit. Thank you!! Wishing you all a week with happy bits of learning something new...it's so much fun!
Much love Catherine x0x0x0x

The Queen Of Golden

and the green, green grass of summer!

Our paddocks & hillsides are still verdant, a most peculiar state of affairs.

 I do know that it is in fact late summer as the golden queen peaches have arrived, along with the omega plums & naked ladies in the garden. As I was contemplating these seasonal visitors, I wondered to myself just how long golden queens have been around for? As I recall, everyone used to bottle back in the day (when I was a child) 20lb or 40lb cases at a time.

 I made two discoveries through my pondering. The first, that we have a New Zealand encyclopedia called TeAra & the second that, 

"The Golden Queen is reputed to have first been grown in New Zealand in the garden of a Mrs Reeves in Tauranga. Velvety skinned peaches were once popular for bottling."
Now would you just look at that...and me being a Mrs Reeves & all!

 It is time to gather some firewood..well have delivered. Bit of splitting to do but it's lovely wood. Old man pine they call it.

 The cranberries are ripening up nicely but won't last long as they are right near my washing line & smell so enticing. They are known as the New Zealand cranberry on occasion & also "Mrytus Ugni"...not sure that is quite the right title for a successful marketing ploy, however.

 In my fossicking around this week I found this oil pouring can & the butter yellow handled knife or implement sharpener. The little chap was an excellent find considering we have a master sharpener in the house presently. What a huge difference it makes to have properly sharpened knives. Anyone fancy borrowing The Boy?
Rob discovered the wee green clock amidst the abundance & fluff of a stall at The Bazaar on saturday morning.

 Apparently our local SPCA is in dire financial strife & may not be able to continue past the end of the month so I am more than happy to support their new op shop just down the road..which is where I found the green teapot. I feel that my macadamia nut cracking hammer might like to reside along with other useful implements in the oil can.

 If you can find macadamia nuts in their shells they are fun to crack & so much cheaper to buy. Being a little skittery & on the fiddly side is a good thing...stops you eating too many at once.

 I thought that this was a perfect addition to the kids book shelf in the sunroom. I just can't help feeling a little queasy though looking at all those screeds of hose...rather reminded me of intestines, ok saghetti then!

 I love the look on the dog's face.

 Oh yes, found a Sanderson cushion at the Bazaar. The inner is filled with duck down.

 I have been making kefir for quite a few months now. No, I hadn't heard of it before either. It is the easiest thing in the world to make & I like it a lot more than yoghurt. Turkish in origin I believe..well not mine obviously. I began with a powdered starter from the organics shop, but now, just make the next batch from the last one.

 Just pour the milk in to the clean jar, add a tablespoon from the last jar, cover & leave on the bench till the next day...done! Pop in the fridge. Kefir is packed with really helpful bacteria & has a much softer, more digestible curd than yoghurt.

 When I bought some fish during the week I noticed a bag of very cheap fish heads & bits. I have never actually made fish stock before so I decided to follow the motto from the "Origin Earth " people at the Farmers' Market
"Try something that scares you everyday" & I bought the bag of fish...heads. Eeew eyeballs & all.
Next, I stopped in at the library to return some books, had a quick check through the just returned shelves & noticed "The River Cottage Fish Book." I opened to a page & what should I read , but how to make fish stock..only took half an hour & didn't smell too fishy either.
My other grand find was "Grow Your own Drugs...a year with James Wong."
David & I are plotting all kinds of concoctions from this wonderfully inspiring book.

 I have had so many people asking for more Luisa plums..never seen them before.. bit scary to some people. But once tried best loved.

 One old dear asked Rob, "What are they liked stewed?" He wasn't too sure on that one so I thought I'd better have a go...what astonishing colours. Quite unexpectedly tangy I must say, but wow what a plum for jam!

You might have noticed these little coconut balls peeking out of a little container a wee way back. I am learning to use organic coconut oil. In that journey I came across a great little recipe which you can find just here if you're interested.

 I have a sneaking suspicion that this isn't a children's book that I bought the other day. Perhaps best not read it to my nephew, but thought you might enjoy a couple of excerpts, even if you don't love cats.

  Have a wonderfully tiddily week.
Lovely to see you.
MUCH

 ♥♥♥♥♥

Bertie and the Wheaties

Bertie's been part of the family for quite a wee while now. He arrived much like the tooth fairy, quite unannounced & right on time. Although...just this week Fynn's father was led to comment "that he hoped that, that bloody unreliable toothfairy turns up tonight as she forgot to come the last two nights & although my toothless wonder was understanding "as she must be a rather busy fairy", he went to bed hopeful this evening!" Bertie is a kind of "wheatie" himself; cuddly & comforting, but I don't think he'd like it in the microwave somehow!

 In recent times, he has found himself a new kindred spirit & is quite taken with the little pocket wheaties that I've been making.

When I was a child "hottie" like "gay" only had one meaning. We would fill our hot water bottles with near boiling water, screw the top on hard & snuggle into bed with them, bliss! Many were the unsuspecting souls, however, who later woke to (horror of horrors) a wet bed...a lot of water in one of those things! So...if you haven't heard of them wheaties are a nifty alternative to a hottie & are quick & easy to make. I made these little pocket jobs out of a pretty vintage sheet.

On a coat or jacket kind of chilly morning they can be popped in to pockets on the way out the door. These ones are 15cms x 25cms. Cut two the same. Wheaties are best lined.

  Fold the fabric like this, with right sides together & then the other over the top.

Sew right around all edges with very close stitches or else go around twice, leaving a 5 cm gap in the centre of one side so that you can put the wheat in. 

 Trim the corners.

 Turn inside out through the opening that you left & gently poke out the corners with closed scissors. Now fill the wheatie with whole hard wheat or rye that you can buy from a farm place that sells stock feed or an organics shop. If you like you can add a little dried lavender. Depends who the wheatie is for..boys don't always love the smell of lavender!

 Some people use rice but it doesn't seem to last as well. A funnel is useful to get it all in to the bag. Check as you go that you don't add husks & bits of stick.

When your wheatie is pleasingly plump simply hand sew the opening shut.

 This bigger one I have sewed through the centre to create two compartments. Fabric measured 22cms x 32cms, but you can make them any size or shape that you like. (Rob insisted I had to use Sanderson!) Now, to heat your wheatie: my little one went in to the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, so 3 minutes for two of them. The larger bag takes 4 mins in my microwave. Ok three things: 1) just use trial & testing till you find out how long yours take to heat. Never heat the wheatie longer than 4 mins..they can burn. 2) You can always pop a wheatie into a hot water bottle cover for a child & 3) Always put a cup with some water in it in to the microwave too when you are heating so that the bag doesn't become too dry. Just one other thing, make sure that you don't dump your bag in the microwave on to teenagers melted cheese or other nasties!  Apply to aching muscles or even warm a babies bed. They make a lovely little gift too.

Wheaties can also be stored or chilled in the freezer to be used like a gel pad for sore bits or general under the weatherness..headaches & the suchlike.

Source: art-dept.com via Catherine on Pinterest

I found this pattern in the Salies this week. It appears to come with free icecream. I thought someone might just be inspired by the hairdo ; )

 Next page, this chap was modeling a Peter Pan pattern!

I just love this sign!

Source: colourmehappyblog.blogspot.com via Catherine on Pinterest

I was delighted to find this wonderfully shaped mirror at the Salies on Tuesday, complete with interesting stickers.

 The one beside the flowers.

 Down in the garden, I unearthed the poor old bike that I was given 20 years ago & bought it out from the under growth. I got to here & then decided that it would make an excellent winter bird feeder.

The birds are in little bird heaven feasting on over ripe apples, pears & persimmons. They take it turns, after the sparrows came the wax eyes & then the black birds.

 When I went to visit the worm farm yesterday, I found this dear little chirpy, fluttery fantail. They are the only bird that allows you to come very close but they are so busy & flitty they are very hard to
snap.

 Today I picked my first daphne (heavenly scent) & some white lilies.

This rose has made a gentle home in a flowering cherry & is still flowering even though it is now quite surely winter.

On the shortest day I picked roses & camelias, how wonderful is that!

 ♥♥♥♥♥
X0X0X0

Last thing, dear ones, I stumbled upon this remarkable video this week. Please consider watching it full screen if you have time & it appeals. All done with one cello & one musician..fantastic & sooo much fun!