Greener by the Day.

Thank you all for your comments. Yes, Isabelle we are indeed lucky to be SO pleased with our son's chosen partner. We love her and couldn't have found anyone better.  Molly we don't have to go over there again. When we went over there this year it was because they are coming back to NZ, leaving UK next month and making their way home  to  NZ by December.

  They are both Kiwis!  Pam I am not thinking that far ahead yet!

That's the exciting stuff covered....now to the more mundane. Every day the new grass is greener. ( the thunder, lightning and down pour on Monday night must have helped. )

 Here is how it looks from the kitchen window - the angle makes it greener.

Look for the line behind the clothes line to see where old meets new. And before you ask....yes, there are many , many pairs of gloves on the clothes line. I wash out the gloves I wear in the garden and orchard to get more wear out of them ( also note in this photo a new frame over my strawberries ( the other one rotted ). If you look really closely you can see my 2 cosseted tomato plants first in line along what will become a row of tomato plants. They have only been out of their pots and in the garden a couple of days. One is a golden peardrop the other a heirloom called Brandywine. The yellow one we grow every year the Brandywine is new to us but was recommended in the NZ Gardener as the tastiest someone had ever grown...so just had to try one. YES it is early to have tomato plants in the open But I was prepared to chance it. ( I didn't want to miss getting a plant of that new tom ). The row of peas is so slow!

My salad greens are coming on a treat. We ate a salad last night made totally from my herb garden, plus an avocado. I thinned these young radish - so sweet and young .  ( 3 sorts of lettuce , chives ).

Every 2 days I walk down and visit the new plum tree - encouraging it to set some fruit please. It has lots of flowers and buds so I am hopeful.    Yesterday I did blokes work. We laid a new pipeline down the great wall ( beside the driveway ) so tractors and machine can wash down more easily at the bottom of the drive...as a PSA prevention between orchards. It involved feeding the alkathene pipe under flax plants and rosemary bushes the whole way. I did the slowly; wait a minute  while I cut this bit out; be patient role, while R did the swearing getting impatient and using machines role. Hope the plants don't die after he hauled them back with the hussler. BUT we got the job done and it works brilliantly.

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Having finished edging  these 3 spare blocks to make mats at the weekend I am now sewing together the parts of another of my felt baby balls. I have written up some ideas for next quilts BUT just can't quite get going....hesitating....do I want to do it this way? or that way?  Maybe a bit of trial and error is in order.

A Tinge of Pink, a Tinge of Green.

A tinge of pink on the Cherry blossom trees on the driveway will turn into a profusion of fluffy delight, over the next few days if the weather allows. ( I got naughty and picked some - the trees are huge now so it won't hurt.) I had to dodge the bees who were excited with the flowering. They have SO much to forage on at the moment - the rata and rosemary are literally crawling with bees. )

A tinge of green is the new grass. Look Nicky it's up! This is day 11 from sowing.

This is day 12 ( today ). It is noticeable from a distance but not when looking straight down on it. SO I lay on my front to get this moonscape effect. Watching grass grow!!!

There is also a little mauve around as this climbing pea on the trellis by the woodshed ( a rather ugly area ) comes into flower. For me this is a well remembered flower. My late Mum grew one on a white trellis in our country garden at Tutaenui, over 50 years ago.
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Helen I forgot to tell you where you could find Village Fabrics.( it belongs to the couple that previously had Tautau Lodge. ) It is on State Highway 2( the main road between Tauranga and Katikati. ) From Tauranga you pass through Bethlehem, cross the Wairoa River bridge up a hill and there it is in the corner of the state highway and Clarke Road. The buildings used to be a packing shed but now it's called Village 7. It's worth a stop for sure. As well as the Quilt shop there is Cafe Paradiso; a garden ornament shop, an art and gift shop, an antiques shop, a garden pot shop and a tasty pantry shop.
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Today is R's Birthday. He says he doesn't like them...but he is glad to get the books I bought him and the phone call from son in Somerset, etc.  He  just doesn't like the thought of getting old - Who does?  In his farm diary for today it said. World Vegetarian Day and International Day of the Older Person. Ha, that really upset him!

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The front page of last evening's paper. Suddenly folk around here are realising what a big impact it will have on the area if PSA virus keeps spreading. To date a known 312 orchards have the virus. One in Waihi and one in Katikati, now. So it is on both sides of us now. Zespri International the Kiwifruit Marketer says it could cost the area NZ$100 million in overseas earnings next year. ( most of that from the BOP. )
What does the future hold?
                Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Next Step.

Paula asked what I was going to do with the ric rac ( rick rack ).I have added it to the outside borders and will try out some leaves and even maybe some small flowers on it.The border and the sashing is navy blue -very dark and I felt it needed some softening; that's why leaves are going to overlap it in places. I always like parts of the quilt creeping into the borders.( still not sure about the leaves I have made. I will play some more )

DH has been busy putting a wooden edge along one side of the vegetable garden and levelling out a dip that always annoyed. He had sprayed out some pest grass in this area about 2 months ago.He then sowed new grass,rolled it and watered it.( sorry about the clothes line shadow in the shot - but can you spy the capsicums ripening ?)

The other photo shows a surprise gift I got in today's mail. I sent a friend in Oz some fabric she needed for a jar quilt and she sent me this ( mochins ? ) scarf as a thank you.I hadn't seen one like this before.The card has a lovely Waratah flower.

Tomorrow I am off to a weekend retreat with some of the ladies from my P and Q group.I will report on that early next week. I have 3 projects that need some finishing to take with me. Thanks for your comments everyone.