Walking in NZ Native Trees.

 A beautiful warm clear day for a walk. I have shown you this reserve before. R dropped me off to walk and collected me later. ( I was tired and hot )

 New Zealand native cabbage trees in full flower.

 

 Kahikatea ( white pines ) planted in a stand together in the late 80s.

 Flax in flower. Tuis are often seen upside down licking the nectar from these flowers.

 A close up of Miro leaves. Its my favourite NZ native tree.

 

 I went up a side track and found a newly planted area ...all NZ native plants nestled in long grass but doing well. The reserve is looked after mainly by volunteers.

  I stood on top of this ridge and looked back across the open paddock and away toward the Minden Hills.

  I never saw another soul while walking...very peaceful.

 I have known so many NZ native trees and plants since Primary School in the late 1950s. In Std 5 and 6 we all had to make a native leaf collection. I lived in the country and had ready access to  NZ Native bush so would take huge bunches of leaves in the school bus for the town kids to have. The bus driver was also my Teacher so he encouraged me. We all pressed the leaves in big heavy books for weeks then stuck them  ( unfortunately using sellotape which discoloured with age )  in a big scrapbook and wrote their names (s) and a description of each one. I know I had well over 100 in mine.

After a Very Strong Wind.

 All day yesterday a very strong wind lashed our property and all those around us. One short shower of rain late in the day may have saved some plants. The flowering cherry lost lots of small flower laden branches. Iris and sweet peas , cornflowers and larkspur got pulled sideways

but by some miracle my 2 new roses were still in the ground. The windfall plums.( click to enlarge )

 Also still standing the already "frost trashed," banana palm. We lost one bunch then but this one may still produce a few to maturity. What a tatty mess.

 Untouched cause it was well supported the little yellow pear

drop tomato has flowers out. Its looking so healthy.

Beautiful Big Trees.

 Lately I haven't had much chance to walk in different places, but I did this morning. R was at a medical appointment so I walked the neighbourhood nearby . Slowly ,( monitoring my back )  for over an hour. I used my umbrella and passed others who didn't have one.

 I just love looking into front gardens but don't photograph them. I came to a lovely playground and picnic are.

 These big oaks formed a cathedral roof overhead. Cool. green. 

 Lovely playground empty( school day ) except for a young mum with her baby in a stroller/buggy/ pushchair. ( they get called all theses names now )

 Not in this shot was a quite low to the ground flying fox, which kids find great fun.

These will be lovely for shade in the Summer.

Some Fruit Set.

 

 The Beurre Bosc pear is flowering and setting fruit slightly ahead of the other pear.

 Apple blossom on the Splendour tree.

 Some very tiny fruit have set but the tree will drop some of this bunch as thy are too close together.

 Some tiny ice plants are beginning to grow. From a punnet of 6 I have red, pink, apricot and 2 unknown yet. They are in a very dry warm spot on the retaining wall.

 Apricot snap dragons and everlasting flowers.

 The much needed rain that was forecasted for yesterday only produced 5.5 mls so that will quickly dry out again. I am still vertically gardening as my sore back is not right yet. So dead heading and  weeding only on raised areas. Over the long weekend we were without the computer as Microsoft shut us out -  very frustrating. Yesterday it took a nerd over an hour to restore things. Luckily we both have mobiles for photos and texts. The camera on mine is really good and allows cropping and enlarging garden shots.....  it makes things look better than they sometimes are. I take a lot of photos that get deleted as not good enough. I really enjoy it.

Today we picked a cauliflower to go with the large cabbage that we are are still eating. The silver beet is mostly going to seed but we love it too. Great progress in the Spring veg garden too. Mostly daily watering though.

All Flowers .

 The lovely ( 1000 piece ) jigsaw some of my sewing group friends gave me for my Birthday was started in the school holidays when both grandsons were here,  is finally finished. Younger grandson gave me some help yesterday and he was surprisingly good at it. We only had the top background( all the similar colour to each other ) left to do. So at lunch time today  I stuck at it. It is all native New Zealand flowers. A couple I can't identify. ( left  click to get a clearer photo )

 

 Slowly both strawberries and blueberries are ripening. Yum!

 The air plant in front of a gazania in a very warm spot has its little blue flowers out.

 Rhododendron Unique is fully out.

 Lots of colour up in the raised area of the clothesline.

 I am getting up close to this I think blackbird nest. Mumma Bird tells me off.

 

Can We Eat a 2 kg Cabbage?

 Today we picked this lovely big cabbage that weighs in at 2 kg. It is having a  short soak in cold water in the sink to encourage the livestock to come out. luckily it is a favourite vege.

 So far this yellow pear drop tomato is thriving. It is not in the vege garden but down the bank where we pulled out an old falling down passionfruit fence. The container got a top up of compost and R has given it good supports to grow up. R has planted his usual red  tomatoes ( just 4 this year ) . Last year we grew too many and it created too much work processing them all.

 

 Abraham Derby rose got a head start as it only got a trim not a full prune. So far no bugs or black spot.

 

 The 2 deutzia at the top of the drive gardens are looking at their best.

 

 Mauve iris looking good. My sewing group did a swap of corms and I seem to have ended up with lots of white and mauve.

 Both plums have now got small fruit set .

 

Do You Like Asparagus?

 Part of tonight's dinner will be these asparagus spears fresh from the garden. This is the 3rd pick . All sizes  are okay on mature plants. I have some old plants and some new 2 year old. Mostly Mary Washington variety. My latest easiest way to cook them is lying on their sides  in a Pyrex loaf tin with water half way up them   and knobs of butter. 2

or 3 minutes only!    

                                               *****

 My blue / Purple Dutch irises are out . 3 clumps 

 Her are some lovely flowers; sweet pea and Argentinian pea 

 my friend Helen gave me on Tuesday.

 I love all the Spring flowers appearing, especially the fragrant ones.