The Rat Hunt

For those of you that don't know, we are having to leave our little patch of paradise, to  move to North Canterbury.

Much to my heart's regret, this means leaving our garden and starting all over again in a new place.

First the chooks had to go.  Our good friends Steph and Terry are going to have the house and 4 girls, and I sold off the other 7.  So moving day came for the house, but just as we were getting it onto the trailer a rat hunt got underway.

Isn't that the cutest, softest, fattest rat you ever saw!

Cauliflower Heads

How did I grow these so big, my sister wanted to know.  I don't have the answer.  We put them in as autumn seedlings, and sometimes this is a big mistake (we have experienced "going to seed" as soon as spring starts).  This year, beautiful caulis.

CAULIFLOWER CHEESE - a la Anna

Keep the head of cauli whole, and submerge in cold water.  Bring to the boil and simmer about 5 mins till tender.

Put the whole head, cut stalk down, and pour over your own cheese sauce recipe.  Top with fresh breadcrumbs and bake till crisp and brown on top.

Not so much happening

I just don't seem to have a lot of time at the moment, and the garden is raring to go.  The weather is settled, warm and wet.  It's perfect planting weather.  Who knows if there are frosts to come, I shouldn't rule it out, as we have had massive snowstorms before at this time of year, but I have been lulled into a lovely sense of security.

Yes, the garlic is in, so that was one job well done.  I have also dug in some of the pea-straw that was overwintering on the beds.  But only on a few of the gardens.  The rest make me feel guilty every time I look out the window, as they do need my attention.

We have moved some roses, and cleared out a bit of space where the tomatoes will go.  The remainder of the work may have to wait a few weeks.  It's hard to get motivated when there is so much else to do, washing for 5 kids, cleaning for 5 kids, picking up after 5 kids, and more.

The raspberries are coming out in green leaf, the willows I did actually do some work on a few weeks ago and pruned off lower branches.  They are now that beautiful fresh green.

Gordon Bennett, some time soon I will have to plant potatoes...

Bottling up Elderberry Port Wine

Today is just about 6 months since I made up the first stage of the Elderberry Wine and put it into my cask.  Out came the cask this morning, and I steralised some wine bottles, tops and muslin.  Then Mark helped me to bottle the wine.

Only 3 years till its ready to drink!

Uh Oh, Spring is coming and I am not ready

I see the roses putting out new leaves, the lavender greening up, the garlic sprouting at a rate of knots and huge buds on the grapes.

I am not ready, help!  I haven't had time to do half the stuff I planned. Today I rushed out in a frenzy and cut the lavender back by 1/3 to give it a chance.  But on the way I saw so many things I havent done...pulled out the blackberries, tackled the winter weeds, moved the roses and some of the clematis.  Lordy, lordy, lordy, I can see it's all getting away from me already eeeek.

PS...cos I haven't killed the old chooks yet (ahem) and the new chooks are installed, we have 17.  And what do you know?  11 eggs yesterday, and 9 today :-)

Chickens for the Chop

Ever since the beginning of winter our chickens just haven't been doing their job.

We only have 7 hens now (since one got snaffled by a ferret, see earlier posts!), and we have been lucky to get 3 eggs a day, if that.  So, we have decided to give them the chop and put them in the pot.

A couple got a reprieve tho!  I took them to Little Wonders, for a new life with the kids.  Into an old guinea pig cage they went, new straw, made a bigger door then let them out.  The kids were great, really interested in what the chooks were doing scratching around the playground.  They helped fill water containers, fed them some of the lunch leftovers and had their photos taken with them.

The chooks rose to the challenge.  They were relaxed, happy, and got straight down to the business of being a chook!  no eggs yet, but watch this space.  The kids will be so excited if they get an egg or two!

It's been a real mixed bag

Not only the weather!

First it was cold, freezing fog, frosts, snow and miserable.  Now we are having a week of "Psuedo Spring", it's warm during the day, (well if 10C is warm), and it feels kinda balmy.  The garden is in a false sense of security, the buds are out on the roses, and even the artichokes havent died off completely.

I pruned the grapes out the front, which involved a bit of wishful thinking.  When we "rescued" them, they had had their main arms cut off, so I am having to imagine which of the shoots sent up last year will become a permanent branch.  Anyway, I did my best...

The roses also had a look in.  I have pruned 2 of them, the 2 that are going to be moved.

Garlic has shoots up, and the onions (despite their teeny tiny size) have not died!  which has to be good...

Things have been pretty busy here, which is why I havent posted much.  We said a very sad goodbye to Luan, who went back to Brazil (with dreams of NZ still in his head) and said KiaOra to Majan from Germany.

Also, Mark is now working away during the week, leaving me with 5 kids to look after, as well as working about 25hrs per week!  jeepers, I am stuffed by the end of the week!