Daffadowndillys

Recycling Challenge No. 3

We've been determined to rescue as many re-usable bits of wood and fixtures and fittings as possible during the demolition phase of our renovations - I hate throwing things away and didn't want our building work to be wasteful.

So the builders have hoarded hooks and handles and all sorts of bits and pieces in the shed. Most of it has an obvious re-use but other things are more challenging - like the hot water cylinder. I'm going to use the header tank from the loft for making more weed tea but what about the metal tank?



Sadly the internet has few ideas for re-using hot water tanks so what do you think, reader?

Recycling Challenge No. 2

One part of our plan to rationalise the house was to straighten up the bottom part of the staircase and the adjacent wall. The house is very rectangular and so the wide angle of the staircase and the zigzag in the hallway wall just didn't make sense to us. We'd hoped that the builder could re-use the existing staircase to create a new straight set but unfortunately not.



So now we have a fairly solid, five-step, timber staircase languishing in the barn. Any ideas?

Recycling Challenge No. 1

We've taken the plunge and decided to replace all our windows with double glazing - it'll be much warmer in winter and cooler in summer. And safer too, particularly as we have big picture windows in quite a few rooms.

But we're left with the question of what to do with the old windows. I intend to select a few to use for constructing a cold frame - ideally there are some frames which will fit over our raised bed. But what about the rest? We could sell them off cheap to a salvage yard or to some lucky TradeMe bidder but is there something more interesting that we could do with them?

Check back soon for more recycling challenges...

Signs of Spring: Daisy

According to this raw-foodist, daisies are edible - a good source of calcium and great for the liver.



I haven't found much corroborating evidence online though and it strikes me that it would be a lot of hard work to gather enough daisies to satisfy a healthy appetite. But the flower could be a lovely garnish given that they're not obviously toxic.

Signs of Spring: Buttercup

I know for certain that this meadow flower isn't edible, despite it's tempting name. Apparently they can be useful in a poultice though.

Signs of Spring: Dandelion

I'm fairly certain that this is a dandelion rather than a catsear or false dandelion. I'll have to examine it carefully before making a salad though because it's questionable whether catsear is edible. The rabbits never seem to mind either way though and usually get first pick.

Signs of Spring: Onion Weed

Another edible plant flowering in our lawn, this is onion weed. You can guess what it tastes like. I haven't tried it yet but it might go some way to making up for the lack of wild garlic here in NZ.



I originally thought it was a kind of harebell and had been using it as a cut flower - picking huge bunches at a time - but now I might try it in cooking too.

Signs of Spring: Purple Deadnettle

When I visited the house to feed the chickens the other day, the forecast rain was still some distance away. The sun was warm on my back, the chickens were foraging happily and there were wild flowers peeking through the long grass. It convinced me that winter is drawing to a close and spring is here.

This wild flower (alright, weed) is an early purple dead nettle or lamium purpureum. It's pretty and apparently edible too.

Woodburner

My favourite feature of the whole renovation is the woodburner that we're going to have in the large open plan living space upstairs. Warmth, cosiness, guilt free hot water... Mmm... And it's finally arrived on site. It needs to be plumbed in for the wetback first and will then be installed.



I know I won't be able to wait until next winter to light a fire. The only question is whether I'll be able to wait until we move back in or whether the builders might find some of their planks have gone up in smoke... Better wait for the flue to be attached first though!



If anyone's considering a similar project, it's a Firenzo Contessa Rural fire. The emissions aren't as low as some of the urban models but it is possible to build up a big fire to keep it burning for longer - cutting down on alternative heating options overnight thanks to the heat exchange system that we've had installed in the loftspace.

TradeMe Treasure

I found these lovely shelves on TradeMe recently - just the thing for keeping the 1960s feel in our house.



And perfect for displaying a few more of my op-shop finds - a lovely little succulent with a lime green bowl, a cute teacup which is calling out for a tiny potted cactus, and, best of all, a pumpkin pot.



This pumpkin pot will join our endive cruet set, grape and rosebud teapots, red apple salt and pepper shaker, pineapple sugar bowl and avocado bowls. Have you spotted the theme yet?

Gate

Leaf

Sowing the seeds

I've finally got round to sowing the swan plant seeds that I gathered earlier this year - in my prototype recycled seed tray, made from six toilet rolls and two small beer boxes.


The idea is that I'll be able to transplant the seedling into the ground, tube and all, without disturbing and damaging it. And then I can compost or reuse the cardboard crate. If it works, I'll be using this free and sustainable model for all my seedlings.

For tips on how to propagate swan plant seeds, click here.

Bumps in the Road

We found this fantastic knitted road sign at the Corban Estate Arts Centre.

Tractor Trail

We're still on the trail of the optimal tractor - not too battered, not too perfect - for J's restoration project.

We weren't too sure about this one as it was dropping bits of rusty metal where it stood - probably too much of a challenge.

Phenology

I learnt a new word this week: phenology. It's the study of periodic plant and animal life cycles and was started by Robert Marsham in Norfolk in the 1700s.

There's also an extensive tradition of season-watching in Japanese and Chinese culture - as illustrated by the Tale of Genji in which the Emperor had a palace, a magnificent complex of four interconnected mansions, one for each of the four seasons.


We saw phenology in action too when our magnolia flowered a year after it last did. Perfect timing.

You looking at me?

Game of Thrones

Our new loo...with a nice square cistern, to match the squareness of our house.

Aliens in the Attic

The rainfall in Auckland is actually higher than that in the North West of England. So most houses in New Zealand are damp, dripping, crying windows and black mould accumulating on the ceilings. But not our house any more - now that we have aliens in the attic.

It's a wrap!

Now that the house has been reduced to nothing more than a skeleton, the slow, slow work of putting it all back together again has started.



The first job is to make the house weathertight. The house is now wrapped and the builder has started to put the weatherboard on.







The weatherboarding should take about a month and then the interior walls will be packed with insulation before the gib board is put back and the house takes shape again.