PROGRESS

Yesterday, we did more work on the front (flower) garden.  At the back of the garden is an area of very tall astroemeria and I spent the morning pulling out the dead stems.  While I did this Doug weeded the garden and started to spread the mulch.  

These photos were taken at lunch time yesterday.  We were unable to do any more as we were going to neighbours for afternoon tea and then, after feeding the animals, out for dinner at Alzheimers (roast pork followed by mini pavlovas with mixed berries).

MULCHING

Although we had the vegetable beds ready for the new seedlings it was a different matter with the flower garden.

The large cosmos were still there, in fact some of them were only just starting to flower although they had grown so large they were startling to split.  The trunks on them would have been about 4 - 5 cms at the base.  We have just had a satisfactory morning removing them ready to plant the seedlings.

When Max and I were on our 5 acre property we had a lovely heavy duty petrol shredder which could deal with quite large branches but we left it behind when we moved.  When we got settled here I bought an electric AL-KO shredder/mulcher.  I know Max thought it would be useless but it actually works very well.  It is obviously not intended for anything large but it mulched the cosmos with no problem.  Doug cut the plants down and  I mulched them.

This is the result - two wheelbarrows full of lovely mulch.

There is still more work to do to get the garden bed ready but we have done the hard part.

FIRST FIRE OF THE YEAR

It has been wet for a few days now and has drizzled all afternoon so it is quite cool and damp - I think the temperature is about 20C but it feels cooler.  It doesn't take much for me to decide to light the fire so that is what I have done.  Looking forward to a nice snug night in.

Kim thinks that it was a great idea

While I lit the fire Doug poached a couple of eggs each.  I had mine with Worcestershire sauce as usual.

SEEDLINGS

Yesterday we  received a large box of seedlings.

Each bundle is supposed to have 9 seedlings in it but today I planted the two bundles of mixed Brocolli, Italian Brocolli and Brocoflower and there were 24 plants.  I also planted a bundle of kale and a couple of bundles of pansies in pots.  

While I did this Doug got some more beds ready for planting.  I had already cleared some of the tomato plants, dug the last of the carrots and beetroot and picked any beans to dry for seed.

We have been having intermittent rain showers so it is the ideal time to be doing the planting.  We still have leeks, pac choi, silver beet (chard) and coloured beet as well as spinach to plant and more carrots to sow.

We also have to clear away the cosmos in the front garden and we have dwarf cineraria, stock and two varieties of lavender to plant there.

It will all be a bit bare for a while but should not take too long.  We planted a couple of pots of pansy seedlings a fortnight ago and already have flowers on them.

"OOK?!"

Another busy long weekend which started when  a friend of Doug's from his Air Force days visited us with his wife on Friday.  I had not met them before so it was great to spend some time together over a meal.  The weekend went along as usual with the market and preparing the produce on Saturday and going to the gym on Sunday.

On Monday, our Parkinson walk was around the garden of one of our members who has just built a new house.  It was built on family land and we were able to walk around the whole garden which is opened to the public annually in aid of the SPCA.

In the evening we had a visit from the blogger "Ook?!" or Gwynneth and her husband Vic ( https://gzandco.blogspot.com ) from Scotland.  Vic had just competed in the BDO Tour of Northland and we spent a pleasant evening together.

The weather is still warm (25 degrees C today) and dry and the forecasted rain seems to keep moving further away although I think we may get some this weekend.  We have finally got around to ordering our flower and vegetable seedlings so once they arrive we will be very busy.

LATER;

On the News tonight flooding on the West Coast of the South Island, a major bridge washed away and a Civil Defence Emergency declared.

LATER STILL;

There has been over 1 metre of rain in a 24 hour period.  One dead due to the flooding.

ONE WEEK ON

It is one week since the terror attack took place in Christchurch.  This afternoon there was 2 minutes silence across the country after the Muslim call to Friday Prayers at 1.30 p.m.

It is assumed that the Terrorist wanted to break New Zealand apart whereas the opposite has happened and it is bringing people of different religions and races closer together.  The name of the Terrorist is never mentioned so he gets no notoriety.

We already thought highly of  Jacinda Ardern, our Prime Minister, and we are now even more impressed with the way she has handled the situation and helped in bringing people together.  She shows great empathy and is an inspiration.

Many women have been wearing the Hijab in support of Muslims and this photo has now appeared of a Policewoman wearing one while on guard at the Cemetery.





On the Home front the friend I flatted with over 50 years ago  stayed with us in the new spare bedroom for just over a week and gave it the tick of approval.  She has now moved back down to Auckland.  During this time I have not been blogging or following blogs.  We have also had old friends of Doug's to visit today.

On the blogging front I finally read an email from google about the coming shut down and it appears that I will not be able to blog and comment after 2nd April.  I will have to try and work this out in a hurry.  The old brain cells had better get working.

Morning Fog

We awoke to fog this morning but as I left for my early walk I noticed this rose with the mist or heavy dew on it.  

The death toll in Christchurch has risen to 50 with more in intensive care.  It is the sort of thing that happens in other parts of the world not here in New Zealand.  Hard to comprehend.