Island Gardening

Hi Christy, thank-you so much for the gorgeous Xma...

2011-12-26T22:33:35.257+13:00

Hi Christy, thank-you so much for the gorgeous Xmas decoration. It didn't actually make to the tree because Sadie loves it so much she has been sleeping with it. Hope you had a lovely Xmas. Heart Felt.xxx

Our computer wouldn't let me comment for quite...

2011-12-20T08:12:55.909+13:00

Our computer wouldn't let me comment for quite awhile but now that we've moved the broadband seems to be faster and more reliable. Phew. I've missed the details but you lost your bees? Varroa is in the Maniototo and we weren't able to take our bees further south as it has not reached here yet. Not sure that we will have anything to take...

what a beautiful paradise you have created, keep i...

2011-11-10T10:08:43.536+13:00

what a beautiful paradise you have created, keep it up, I know it can be a little over whelming at times x laura

I love the look of the fresh produce at the market...

2011-07-20T14:46:35.675+12:00

I love the look of the fresh produce at the market, especially the ginger with its shoots. Wahoo and wahoo curry, what a great name indeed. One of our kids used to call the goldfish wawa long before he knew the word fish. He was making that mouth shape they have as they sucker around the glass. Looks like a 'real' holiday, I mean a genuine sightseeing relaxing one.

I've never thought about olive trees needing p...

2011-06-15T08:34:45.609+12:00

I've never thought about olive trees needing pruning. The ones I've seen look a bit like a shrub. The contrasting photos of last year's/this year's olives sums up our summer nicely. We can measure the sunshine hours in the colour and sweetness of the fruit.

Those brassicas could be models in the vegetable w...

2011-05-22T17:53:30.528+12:00

Those brassicas could be models in the vegetable world. They look marvellous. I thought Calvolo Nero was black and I have been intending to try it. This year I've had better success with a green curly Kale than the red kale. Sandra is right, It's one thing to grow it and another to get it eaten but my family does prefer it to cabbage. It will be interesting to see if that red cabbage turns up with the goods. I've heard of quatering the stem after picking the cabbage and getting a cabbage off each quarter. The concept is good.

I was thinking the same thing about identifying fu...

2011-05-08T15:08:49.644+12:00

I was thinking the same thing about identifying fungi. I actually think our small kindy parent library has such a book, will look next time I am there. I'm not experienced enough to know about the honey patterns of bees up here, but they do definitely have times when they have 'honey flows' and then none at all. I think that during the winter they collect pollen rather than nectar, althoug they must collect some nectar too, as the extra honey frames I left for them last winter were largely untouched. They seem to collect the most nectar in spring, and then have a second flurry in early to mid summer. Also, beacuse we have varroa here, you have to take the honey off before you can treat them, even with the organic thymol treatments. The organic treatments work best when the temperature is warmer, so another reason to take the honey off in late summer/early autumn.

That's something I need to track down, a good ...

2011-05-07T22:16:58.531+12:00

That's something I need to track down, a good book on fungi. I love to know their names.
I imagined You would take honey off throughout the year, that it wouldn't be as seasonal as the South where everything shuts down in Winter and the Winter is long.

yes very tempted marcia, but have all the existing...

2011-05-01T10:47:46.866+12:00

yes very tempted marcia, but have all the existing equipment - i'd like to have a go at building one some day - maybe next years project.

You will have to get a TopBar hive ! I hope to hav...

2011-04-30T20:47:54.077+12:00

You will have to get a TopBar hive ! I hope to have 2 next spring all going well.

The honey is such a beautiful colour in the jars! ...

2011-04-30T19:11:31.706+12:00

The honey is such a beautiful colour in the jars! Good luck with your second hive, I think it's well worth persevering with that.

that's funny miriam - have just been thinking ...

2011-04-28T19:40:10.478+12:00

that's funny miriam - have just been thinking about a wardrobe cull... agree about nature being mathematical, i've always liked that.

Back home again and doing a blog catch up. The ban...

2011-04-26T23:04:40.221+12:00

Back home again and doing a blog catch up. The bananas look amazing. It always seems to me that nature is very mathmatical, the way the fruits are arranged and each with its own symmetry. And so abundant too. This year, for the first time, I had too much fruit to deal with but it doesn't stop me looking around for more things that will prosper here. You're right to nip out those apricots that don't produce. Fruit trees are no different from a wardrobe. If they don't work they need to be replaced with things that do.

Thank you for inviting me over to your beautiful i...

2011-04-04T17:31:37.865+12:00

Thank you for inviting me over to your beautiful island Christy, I had a superb day, met great bee enthused people, loved the fair and workshop - will definitely be back !

I had never heard of feijoas until I was 21- that&...

2011-04-03T18:15:56.789+12:00

I had never heard of feijoas until I was 21- that's living in the lower south island for you. After having my first feijoa I was a convert and when I shifted to Nelson I was amazed and delighted to see them growing everywhere. Yours look delicious.

English cookbooks mention Damsons alot and I figur...

2011-03-31T17:41:13.964+13:00

English cookbooks mention Damsons alot and I figure they are probably similar to the Black Doris which is tart to say the least. I preserve them in a thick syrup of 1C sugar to 1C water and they need every granule. As you say, there are only so many one can eat. Fejoias look perfect.

Ooooh Christy! I've been reading about refrac...

2011-03-24T12:58:26.727+13:00

Ooooh Christy! I've been reading about refractometers in Organic NZ Magazine - I expect you've read Kay Baxter's articles there as well. I'd be very interested to read of any adventures with the refractometer in the rest of your garden.

Yes, we still feel frozen too. The relatives in Ch...

2011-03-11T16:56:53.421+13:00

Yes, we still feel frozen too. The relatives in Chch who are fine are starting to get really tired as they cover for people worse off. All the creative community responses are wonderful.

Great tip about not using water - I'll try tha...

2011-02-16T21:24:51.496+13:00

Great tip about not using water - I'll try that next time! I make the tea by soaking comfrey in water in a lidded dustbin, and I don't smell it at all when the lid is on. When you take the lid off and mix it up that's another story... and I always wear gumboots and rubber gloves, because if you get it on your clothes or hands you'll be smelling it the rest of the day!

wonderful big sunflower heads. Someone just told m...

2011-02-16T15:58:39.350+13:00

wonderful big sunflower heads. Someone just told me about sprouting sunflower seeds which I immediately latched onto. That way you don't need to hull them. I have been stuck in the kitchen, not that I don't enjoy it but as you say, suddenly there are all these things to be dealt to. The garden hasn't had much of a glance this week.

they have never cropped this long before miriam - ...

2011-02-04T19:52:27.014+13:00

they have never cropped this long before miriam - i'm wondering if they like the excessive amounts of rain we've had over the past month, instead of the drip fed rations they normally receive.

Still getting strawberries...m mmm. Is this a long...

2011-02-04T08:13:17.252+13:00

Still getting strawberries...m mmm. Is this a long season cropping variety or an Autumn fruiter. I seem to have a couple just fruiting up now but most of mine are a one crop wonder.

That's a brilliant idea not to use water. It&#...

2011-01-28T22:19:37.722+13:00

That's a brilliant idea not to use water. It's not that I mind the smell so much as the rat tailed maggots that suddenly appear swimming in it. Plus it's alot easier to cart around a concentrate than carry away buckets of liquid.

Thanks Christy, I'll give Dawn a try.

2011-01-23T07:16:32.707+13:00

Thanks Christy, I'll give Dawn a try.

Hi Miriam - there is a seed savers group on the Is...

2011-01-22T22:07:09.561+13:00

Hi Miriam - there is a seed savers group on the Island, and I've made a couple of attempts to go to meetings but they are usually on when I'm working. But I would like to connect up with them, I'm sure they have a lot of great knowledge about growing stuff on Waiheke. Will post about it when I eventually get there....