CHRYSANTHEMUMS

I always have a vase of flowers in the house, usually on the dining table and pick them from the garden.  This week at the Growers' Market I noticed some bunches of Chrysanthemums and just had to have them.  I had some growing in my previous garden but none here.  I have always enjoyed their unusual scent and like the colour of these ones.  They were the princely sum of $4.00 (GBP 1.89) and there were enough for a vase on the dining table and a smaller vase in the lounge.

I have been keeping an eye on the Hydrangea Paniculata Sundae Fraise as it has been changing colour and picked three stems yesterday hoping that they dry to a pleasant colour.  Not sure, I may have left them a bit late.

HUNDERTWASSER ART GALLERY

 It is just over two years since this opened and we have finally been to see the Gallery.  We had been waiting to go with visitors but it never worked out and our visitors who went on Monday while we were on the Parkinson walk said we must go and see it. I had read that it was well worth getting a guided tour so that it what we did.  Thursday was horrible with strong wind and much needed rain and the school holidays start today so yesterday seemed a good day.

The hour long tour started at 11a.m. and we thoroughly enjoyed it. You are also able to visit the Gallery for the rest of the day if you like.  

A couple of photos of Friedrich Hundertwasser at his home in the Bay of Islands

Some of his paintings

Two of the rugs he designed.  He liked top one so much he had it in his cabin on his final trip on the Q.E.II.  He had a heart attack and died on the ship in Cairns.

Some of the posters he designed. I understand his first one was for Conservation Week then he did several others for causes he supported.

A fantail in the floor tiles

On the spur of the moment we decided to have lunch at Aqua which is attached to the Gallery. This is a seahorse in tiles reflected in a mirror in the Ladies Toilet.  We were so pleased with our decision to have lunch there.  Line caught snapper with the most delicious salad.

KUMARA (SWEET POTATO)

In spring Doug grew some "slips" from an old kumara we had and we planted them at the back of the flower garden as well as in a tub. 

Yesterday, we harvested them.  There were only a few plants and, although we did not get a lot of kumara, we are pleased with what we got.

We still have half a box of potatoes, mainly my favourite, Agria but some Cliff's Kidney.  We are very pleased with our vegetable garden this year.  It is time to get more in the ground for winter.

TODAY'S PARKINSON WALK

Today we walked from Reotahi past the old Freezing Works (there are some photos and information here)  to Little Munroe Bay and back.

The weather was lovely.  There are quite a few steps but eleven of us made the full walk there and back.

LAKE WARO

Last Monday the Parkinson Walking Group did the walk around Lake Waro then around the limestone rocks.  We last did that walk at the end of November, the sun is too harsh to do it during summer and with winter approaching I decided it would be a good time to do it again.

Luckily, the weather was perfect, sunny and a pleasant temperature.

First we walked around the lake, above,  then around the rocks below. (Cattle graze around the rocks).

We had 13 on the walk and finished up with a caffeine fix at the Miners' Rest Cafe in Hikurangi.

HYDRANGEA PANICULATA

A neighbour has several Hydrangea Paniculata Limelight plants and I was keen to get one.  I recently went to Palmers Garden Centre as I had been given a voucher for my birthday but they had sold out of them so I bought the Sundae Fraise instead.  The flowers were a lovely bright white when I purchased it but as the weather has cooled the colour has changed.

A week or so after buying this I was in Mitre 10 and they had the Limelight so I bought that.  I think I prefer the Sundae Fraise but the Limelight is nice as well and also showing signs of pink.  I am happy to have both.

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FIRE

A few days ago we had a call from a neighbour as someone had lit a small fire in the park next to the nearest cypress tree.  The closest neighbour was able to reach it with his garden hose and put it out. 

On Wednesday I was watering the garden when I heard a whooshing noise and looked up to see the closest cypress tree to us bursting into flame.  I dropped the hose and phoned for the Fire Brigade along with several other people.  I could feel the heat from the flames while standing on our deck.  Generally, we are lucky and don't have any problems here.  Presumably some bored kids.  

The top photo is a screenshot from a video someone posted.  Our chimney is to the left of the photo.

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The sad looking tree afterwards

Today, we heard a motor running in the park and the tree was being cut down and mulched.

We managed to get a few logs - one will be good as a chopping block

The whole area left clean and tidy but minus a tree.

BACK AGAIN.

We have had a good summer, not like the storms and continual rain of last year.  Our tomatoes have been exceptional and we are still picking them.  I also sowed some late beans and will be picking the first of these today.  Not sure how they will go as it was an experiment planting so late.  Kumara (sweet potatoe) are still in the ground as they like a long growing season.  I have also started winter planting with broccolli and silver beet (Swiss chard)

We still have daylight savings ( it doesn't end till 7th April) and dawn is not until 7.30 a.m. so I am not rising as early as I would like - can't do much in the garden when it is still dark.  (I am not a fan of daylight savings as I prefer to rise early and get jobs done and am usually getting tired by the end of the day).

The weather has been good for the Parkinson walks and our small group has grown over recent months.  17 people on a recent walk.

Spring and autumn are my favourite seasons and, at present we have daytime highs of 23 or 24C with about 15C at night.  All very pleasant.

My stepson came up from Auckland to stay last week and we managed some nice walks. (His photos).

BUSY TIME OF YEAR

 Well, we are always busy but at the moment it seems more so.  

It has been hot and dry so watering every day.  The tomatoes, in particular, have done really well and I have frozen a lot (just washed and put into bags and frozen.  Later will be taken out have boiling water poured over them, the skin comes off easily before they are used in sauces, casseroles, soups etc. I have also given kilos to friends, neighbours and relations.  

The peaches are doing well this year.  A couple of years ago we had the tree (self sown) topped and only got a few peaches last year but they are fruiting well again.  They are similar to a Golden Queen.  Unfortunately, a lot have the Guava Bud Moth larva in them but I cut around that a stew them before freezing.  

We have just bought  a load of firewood from Grand-daughter's husband (a misunderstanding meant we ended up buying 4 cubic metres plus another cubic metre better for kindling).  Yesterday we moved and stacked 3 cubic metres and did the remaining one this morning.  Not bad for two octogenarians. Should have enough firewood for a couple of years as we already had quite a lot.

Still a few peaches left on the tree.

New lot of firewood stacked.  Shed now full.

Spare bedroom turned into storage for peaches and tomatoes.

RE-USEABLE VEGETABLE BAGS.

In July last year single use plastic bags were banned in Produce Departments.  Paper bags have been supplied since then and re-useable bags on sale.  One Supermarket has heavy cotton bags for sale and the other, I have just discovered, has lighter bags made from recycled plastic.

On a Vegetable Gardening Facebook page I recently read about using these bags to cover tomatoes to protect against birds and insects.  

They are only 20 cents each and I bought 6 to try them out.

They are brilliant.  We have Green Vegetable Bugs here that cause a hard unripened lump in the fruit and these bags work in keeping the bugs away.

Yesterday, I bought another 10 and they are now all in use.  Still plenty more problems that can  beset the plants, blight being the main one, but I have my fingers crossed.

At the moment I am picking about 1.8 kg a day with the largest just under 400 grams so plenty for us, friends and family and, hopefully some will go in the freezer for adding to casseroles and soups in the winter months.

TODAY'S WALK

 Because of the forecast heat we did another walk through the bush alongside the river today.  Just before we started there was a lovely shower freshening up the ferns  and other plants.

According to my magic machine the temperature is 28 degrees C. with a real feel of 30 degrees, much better than where my step-daughter lives in N.S.W. where it was 31 degrees at 10 p.m. last night and 33 a couple of hours earlier.