Garden harvests this week have been slim - citrus, fennel, beetroot, carrots and artichokes. Mostly root veggies that can withstand the cold temperatures that have even seen the North Island covered in flurries of snow here in Katikati, in Tauranga and even in Auckland!! We have had about 4 frosts to contend with and the bananas and sub-tropicals look a little worse for the experience! Tamarillos hang their heads in blackened defeat, banana fronds wave their shredded shards in the breeze and our native ferns look decidedly forlorn. The grass is orange and browned in patches. Poor, poor plant cells!
But on a brighter note, we harvested one of the 5 banana bunches and hung it up in the shed where it will hopefully ripen slowly. Mmmmn, the taste of fresh organically grown, sweet and pungent bananas will remind us of our carefree days in the blissful sunshine of Rarotonga! Mike bought 3 coconuts at the supermarket today! He was so excited to show me what he had found! They look a little old - not sure if it will be the same as the freshly harvested coconuts on the island of Raro!
Had to upload these photos..... Remember the old black weather-beaten sand-toy boxes from kindy? Well these are the finished, revamped masterpieces! We have a wonderful HelpXer, Julee, from Germany, who is keen to try her hand at anything (including a very, very bad Indian accent!). Given free reign, the finished "antique trunks" look fantastic! And they are sooo handy - I can keep all my gardening goodies in one and don't have them rained on and rusted out! What a thrill to create new things out of old!
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| Gardening storage box 1 |
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Another storage box to store our outdoor soft furnishings and table cloths.
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Along with this cold snap, we are having some stunning warm sunny mid-days. Filled with the promise of things to come. How exciting! I managed to sow some pre-spring seeds. It creates this little exciting thrill in my solar plexus when I look on the seed trays and know that soon, little green heads of potential crops will appear. The thrill and miracle of birth and growth! Julee has weeded, raked and spread wildflower seeds amongst the orchard and any bare patches of ground - I can imagine the splendour of colour in late Spring, early Summer, as the bees flock to gather their quota of pollen, pollinating our fruit tree blossoms and vegetable flowers at the same time! The air will be alive with the energy of nature in full flight! Butterflies, ladybugs and Monarch caterpillars (the good guys who eat only Swan plant fodder). And the bare soil is spared the ravages of evaporation in the sun by the shade of wildflowers. It is no wonder they call it Spring - just the mere thought of it brings joy to the heart and a spring in one's step.
We shall survive the last few weeks of inclement, cold extremes......... this too, shall come to pass!
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