Colourful Things.

 When I was last in the garden centre I spotted a bright red chair with a very pleasing design. It was comfortable too.  I do not care for plastic chairs but these were a cut above. We decided to get 2 and found they were half price...so ended up getting several. They give a real splash of colour and I already have a garden seat under the copper beech tree that is this colour red....so continuing a red seat theme. These are very easily moved into where ever the shade is at the time.

 With the larger space on new deck we needed extra seating. The table and benches  we got before Christmas  are still sitting on the lawn being washed daily to stop the stain leaching onto timber.

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 Something else colourful! R first spotted this while water my garden. We have had them before many years ago when we had a clerondendron tree; it housed lots.

 It is a one centimetre long, female  two-spine spider making a web under a rhubarb leaf.

 It's full name is poecilopachys australasiae. I found good information about it on Te Papa museum's website, where it said they have been found in NZ since the 1970 ( I would verify that ); they like citrus trees  - (guess rhubarb is close) ; and hide under leaves in the daytime and by night make a cartwheel shaped web where they can catch moths and other insects much bigger than themselves. Their egg sac is spindle shaped. They are harmless. ( and very cute I think ) I know where ours is living and will keep an eye on it and see if it makes an egg sac.

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 Meanwhile out in the orchard it is very hot and sticky. Yesterday we had a gang in to help us by doing some basic fruit thinning in the largest 2 blocks.That will just get us ahead a bit.

 We are spending the evenings watering and picking produce. ( beans; the last few peas; tomatoes courgettes and  strawberries ) ( we have potatoes and carrots too ) It is great to be able to have whole meals where we grew all the veges.

 The worms have had to be moved as they were getting too hot....still not sure I have them in the ideal spot.......they don't say a lot! 

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I feel for all our neighbours across the ditch ( and now in Canterbury as well ) who are struggling with bush fires or floods. Once again Nature is having the last say. I think it is possible some stupid people may be assisting by lighting fires - quite unbelievable behaviour.

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 I have pressed some fabric and cut out some 6" squares for a project.The machine is back on the bench and it looks like I might be doing something...who knows!