Garden Jobs.

2 little bowls of sunshine. The first blueberries and a pick from my little yellow drop tomato. We have now picked and eaten the first 2 big red tomatoes.

Brandy Wine on the left and Kakanui Choice on the right.( they both had marks on the other side. ) The brandy wine was recommended in the NZ Gardener magazine by one of their writers. We remain unconvinced. It is an  ugly huge plant and the tomatoes are very wrinkly. Fine for eating raw skin and all but not for cooking if you want them skinless. It tasted quite nice BUT certainly isn't the best tomato I have every eaten - which was it's claim to fame in the NZ G. 
   Today I have weeded 2 patches of garden and mowed all the lawns. The temperature is just pleasant for working. NO RAIN!.( did I mention Dec 2011 was the wettest month we have ever recorded in 31 years! )

 Here is one of my rewards - discovering this flowering. It is an Echinacea called Tomato Soup. I bought 2 quite expensive plants last year - they both flowered a little then one died. So I am quite excited that this last plant is doing well and is going to have quite a few flowers.The colour really is brilliant.
 Further to the previous post mentioning hedgehogs.....I did a little research and yes Isabelle hedgehogs can cough and snore and sniffle and squeal.( and fart and hiss )They are referred to as insectivores. See here. Or goggle hedgehogs.There is lots to read and lots of photos.
I haven't seen or heard anything more from our resident hedgehog.
 *  I read on someone's blog ( can't find it again now ) that from March this year following blogs list is going to disappear. Is that true? If it is I better transfer lots blogs I follow onto my list on my sidebar.
 I hope you all got things done this weekend where ever you are. Did South Otago or Westland get any rain?