Season's Greetings.

 

Wishing You All a Very Happy and Safe Christmas.

New Zealand Christmas Trees.

 Pohutukawa = New Zealand Christmas Tree.

 This one is in the small round about as we drive into our sub division. It is a dark shade. Some are more orange red.

 This one is now finished. It is in the 2nd round about in our sub division.

 This little one is in our young folks section below their house.

 Its a good year for Pohutukawa  I think the liked the rain earlier this year.

 We see them everywhere we go.

 In fact I can see the neighbour's ones from upstairs better than they can see them. 

Bethlehem Town Centre which is closer to me than Tauranga has these and other decorations on display.

 There is quite a good selection of shops there ( tho not every type ). There is a large elderly population in the surrounds so it  is often very busy. As long as I can find one, parking is okay.

 We can post things at Te Puna ( closer still ) at the local store. I'm trying to keep off the roads as much as possible as there are so many road works and a very large population trying to use them.

 

Caring for my Indoor Plants.

 Firstly Thanks Janice for your reply. I am just going to ignore the threat for now and see what happens.( if my blog got wiped I'd start another one! )

 

 This morning as I often do, I have been caring for my indoor plants.I have lots.The peperomia obtusifolia seen here is one of the easiest to care for. It lives upstairs on the dressing table and gets plenty of light from the ranch-slider It does however get dusty and is time consuming to clean, so I took it down to the lawn and sprayed it gently with the rose nozzle on the hose. It is dripping of dry now..

  I have one position in the house which causes plants to sulk and degrade. It is on the side table inside the front door. The position. really needs a plant there but the light is very low. I leave the hall light on for it often but that is not enough. Sometimes I stand the plant in another room in the light but what I really need is a new plant ( or something else decorative ) that will thrive in low light. Are Aspidistras still available?  I know in my grandparents day that was the plant that stood in the near dark passageway.

 My maidenhair fern does well and also my several African violets and Calethea and Kalanchoe but more tricky to get just right are my Peace lilies.. The tips of the leaves go brown and I know it is either too much or too little water - that is hard to solve.

 What do you grow indoors ladies, that thrives for you?

What to Do?

 

 

This white Hydrangea likes a dull drizzly day (It sunburns quite easily )

 All the garden plants are getting a slow( so far ) gentle watering from rain.

What to Do was the title of this post, so here's my question. Have any of you had a threatening email from somewhere called legacy blogger or Legacy migration ( in USA )?  I was told to migrate my blog to them. because my account has someone associated with it who hasn't blogged since 2006. If I didn't move,  my blog would be closed down in 60 days.

 Question - is this for real or yet another scam email ?

 Any thoughts or help would be appreciated.

Project completed.

 

I am pleased with how my 'long stitch,' cushion cover turned out. Finished and a good fit with the inner.

 The back has a generous  ( 2/3rds ) envelope entry.  ( like a pillow case ) I prefer that to a zip.

 I can start something new now.

*****

 Despite damaging, relentless winds some patches of my garden are bright and cheerful.

 Snap dragons, cineraria , larkspurs, bedding begonias,  primrose and low alstromeria.( too low for picking really ) There are some new taller ones due out this month that I want to buy a couple of. They keep  so well picked

Walking.

 All week I have been doing short walks to help my back. I hurt it last weekend. Walking did not hurt it . Getting up after sitting did.

 Today with it 95% better I did a LONG walk. This afternoon I walked for an hour and 40 minutes, from Hukarua Harbour Park ( at the end of Plummer's Point Road ) to Te Puna Beach. I wore far too many clothes and carried an umbrella. As you can see from the first photo it was dull and spitting when I started out. It improved to quite warm. I have shown you photos on this walk before ( not recently ).

 The tide was fully in today.

 Here the path follows the railway line on the left.

 The highlight of my walk was finding this avenue of Awanui Flowering cherries all out. I counted 50.

It Must be Spring Now.

 It must be Spring now as a whole month has gone by.( it's September half way gone ).

 Iceland Poppy faces are fleeting as Spring winds and rain do their thing.

 At least 8 more buds to come. The Yellow Kangaroo Paw plants are doing well. They seem to love the rain. I mistakenly thought because they were Australian they would prefer dry.

*****

 Smaller Grandson is a good worker. Here he is unloading the  clean new sand for the new sandpit.

 He and I have been doing lots of puzzles too. Jigsaws and wooden puzzles. This one called the Soma Cube. My boys had it nearly 50 years ago and it's still a challenge. I decided to see how many of the shapes I could still do.

 Here's one I did this morning. That's 5 I can still do.

 I'll keep pushing myself with puzzles of many kinds.

Bigger grandson and son started a very tricky 1000 jigsaw 2 weeks ago and did about a quarter before they had to go. I was then left with 3/4 to finish to get it off the table. R has now cut us some MDF board to work on so the puzzle in progress can be lifted off the big table.

 

 I thought it would be the sky and water that would be hardest but in fact it was the flowers.

****

 Yesterday I planted these seeds into 3 trays. So tiny. About 30 in the packet . I do hope some grow as I really like the frilly part and the delicate colour.

 As always lots of gardening happening. I have picked the first few asparagus.

*****

 Molly the cushion top is almost finished. I hope to show you it complete next time I blog.

Not quite Spring Yet.

 Lots of frosty  mornings. Not quite Spring yet. Many signs of it with daffodils,  cherry blossom, daphne ,Pieris and  Freesias ( what a perfume ) all brightening up the garden

. The final roses are pruned and a few late blooms sit in a vase.

 There is a planting of Pieris either side of the driveway

****

 I am making a variety of new cushion covers and found this idea in an Australian Homespun 

magazine from Oct 2022. Annorina made this slow stitching cushion by cobbling together Liberty scraps.

 I had floral scraps but not Liberty. I can do 2 or 3 rows of the big quilting using 3 strands of embroidery cotton in off white, before my left thumb aches and I need to stop. I'll get there. Its a new idea and I haven't done any hand quilting for ages. The big stitch size suits my eyesight. My first rows were not well marked and I have wobbled  so I might redo them at the end.

Storm Damage.

 Last Tuesday the winds were as high as I have experienced here. Our power went out before 5pm and didn't come back on till nearly 8pm. I would not have wanted to be the linesmen who were out working to restore our power. The winds were scary.

 We had damage!.

 One of our Reed avocados is lying on it's side. The roots ripped up.

 Up the hill behind it the apple tree has been snapped off. Its trunk split upwards. ( click to enlarge )

I think the avo falling sideways opened a tunnel for the wind to sweep in.

 When and if the weather ever clears up and the sun reappears the clean up will start 

( with the chainsaw ) We will see if the avo hangs on till we pick its fruit in a few months time .

 I wandered around the garden looking for bright spots.

 Poor little hyacinths had their heads bashed in as they try to emerge.

 The hellebores seem quit hardy. I love their faces which they are reluctant to show.

 The older type are less impressive but lovely all the same.

 I find they don't last in a vase unless very mature so I am picking camellias and proteas and early jonquils and Daphne. The last few rose that hadn't been pruned have sodden rotting buds. Also flowering are primroses and polyanthus.  Roll on Spring and fine days. 

Lucky Me.

 Yesterday at Patchwork and Quilting group I won the raffle.

We all buy tickets and the money goes towards the rental on the building we use and running costs.

 The goodies include hair products ( in metal containers ) a tiny torch, a pink fat quarter, 3 embroidery cottons, some thread, a knitted face cloth and a large cake of chocolate.

Lucky me.

For Your Imformation.

 

 ( click to enlarge if you can't read it )

 Not long now till our Exhibition. With Covid we have missed having one, so some ladies have given those quilts away but hopefully there will still be heaps to see. I have been preparing hanging sleeves and filling in entry forms.

 This is a new venue for us.  Hope it works. Plenty of parking which is essential. Note for anyone who has visited from other places it is for 2 days only..

A Spot of Colour.

Vireya Rhododendron - Red Mountain is enjoying all the extra rain and is flowering brightly under the big magnolia tree at the front gate

 We seem to be getting an early wet Winter which is not so pleasant.

 I have a nasty chest cold ( for the last 3 days ) so being inside because of the rain has been okay.

 My collection of felt Christmas decorations  I've made for the Exhibition Sales table has grown.

 The little bear needs a bed made ( next ).

 Being stuck inside I  had time last  week to read Atlas - The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley ( RIP ) and her son. I will not put any spoilers here for those of you yet to read it. I really enjoyed it ( as I did the others )  and wasn't far off the mark with what I thought might happen!

.

Inside Weather Today.

 Although it is indoor weather today I can see from my windows some flowering delights.

 Now 18 months old (in my garden )  the Vireya rhododendron at the front door is looking very happy and healthy. Its called Dawn Chorus. I had one at the orchard that did brilliantly so knew I liked it.

 On the other side of the house the Zygocactus is coming into flower. I was doing some research on it and it is now reclassified as Schlumbergera. I know in the Northern Hemisphere you call it Christmas cactus. ( I hope I can remember its new name! ) Its many years old and is happily repotted in a terracotta pot..

****

 In July our Patchwork and Quilting group is having an Exhibition. As I have lots of felt still I have been making Christmas decorations for the Sales Table. It doesn't really show here but they need something shiny to look any good. ( thread or beads or baubles ) I have more cut out . They are my hand sewing project at the moment.

 I will show you this for a laugh. The all time largest feijoa I have seen

 Back to the kitchen now where I am making bread and have made a date loaf. Its chilly  ( & wet ) enough outside to day to appreciate the heat from the oven.

Plenty of feijoas and walnuts .

It's Autumn so collecting the fallen feijoas is a daily task. When it has been windy or raining or both there is over 100 at a time to get. They have been being distributed to friends and family and friends of friends. With feijoas there seems to be no middle ground. You like them or hate them. You have none or lots.

 Yesterday  the Grandsons helped me pick up the walnuts. Smaller is in the front and bigger grandson is in the photo. ( where's Wally situation )  The walnut is now quite a large tree.

 Previously I have been laying the collected nuts to dry on an old drop cloth outside  in the sun for a week. That doesn't work when it's raining so I have them lined up on trays  along the window sills inside ( much easier as long as there aren't too many )

 4 year old G/ son wanted some knitted slippers for kindy - ones that would be good for sliding on the wooden floors! 

 I had to adapt a baby bootee pattern using bigger needles and 4 ply to make some to fit. He was happy. 7 year old g/son is now knitting at school and comes to me for help with casting on and off.

Although my dahlias  required quite a lot of tying up and staking they have been a delight for weeks and weeks. These white pompom ones  have long  stems for picking.

 

More Harvesting.

 

 I decided if we wanted any I   better get to it before the wasps hollowed out all the pears and the ducks from the estuary ate all the apples. ( so the Granny Smith Apples may have been picked a little early)

 Its quite a steep slope where these fruit trees grow so I have to be very careful of my footing.

Two Finishes.

 Finally, I've finished Felt embroidered ball # 30, for Matilda.

 The motifs are:

 a pear; a ladybird; a sunhat; a peapod ; a balloon; a grey cat; a strawberry; a birthday cake; some flowers;  a hen;  a

star and a capital M for her name.

 I will post it off on Monday. 

I also made this little bear in a sleeping bag for the Sales table for our Exhibition in July.