Choko Challenge

A fellow member of our local gardening club gave these chokos to me to plant. Apparently I should just stick them in the ground and not worry too much about them. Hoping for a big vine at the end of the growing season.

Blueberries

I can't take any credit for these blueberry buds but it's lovely to see them developing.

Sprouting Seeds

Looks like my vegetables might be off to a good start. I guess that these little sprouts are going to be spinach...


Now I just have to nurture them to full size...

Winter Coat

It feels like we've had a relatively mild winter bar a week-long cold snap in mid-August. But that hasn't stopped Jasper developing a lovely thick winter coat. No doubt he'll start shedding it soon as the spring warms up.

Whispering Rabbits

If you think you haven't seen much of the rabbits lately, that would be right. And neither have we as they've been banished to the bottom of the garden whilst we renovate. My father-out-law's house is far too nice to have rabbits roaming around.

But don't feel too sorry for them - once we move back in, they'll get full access rights to the rumpus room which has been designed to be rabbit-proof with all plugs and cables off the ground.

Antfestation

Warm weather means more ants and wet weather means more ants inside.

And more ants inside make me ITCH!!!

Grapefruit Wine: Step 3

We've been using a grapefruit wine recipe found online here, increasing the quantities according to the number of grapefruit we had. The recipe has produced two successful batches so far so we have some confidence in it.

The second batch was much sweeter than the first though so this time we cut back on the sugar a bit. This might be why our third batch stopped fermenting after about a month. We added more sugar after wracking off and it started glugging again within ten days. Hopefully it will be ready to drink by the time I finish breastfeeding...

Grapefruit Wine: Step 2

Once all your wine-making equipment is sterilised, you can start extracting your grapefruit juice. I used the juice of 50 grapefruit and the zest of 10 fruit. Just be careful not to grate your fingers when removing the zest - otherwise the juice will really sting in your cuts!


Unfortunately, there was too much waste to risk putting it in a compost heap without turning the resulting product acidic (though there is some debate about that topic). I put my grapefruit skins in the household waste. Make sure you have the bin close to hand before you start - otherwise you'll drip sticky juice all over your floor. I have heard a suggestion since that you can burn the skins in a woodburner, producing a lovely citrus smell, so I'll be trying that next winter.

Grapefruit Wine: Step 1

We made use of our bumper crop of grapefruits to make wine again this year. The first step, once we'd harvested the fruit, was to get all the equipment ready.

If you want to make fruit wine, you'll need the following equipment -

1. Glugger, spoon (for stirring in the sugar) and fermenting vessel - all sterilised
   
2. Campden tablets and citric acid, clean washing up brush and shower attachment for sterilising
3. Outside drain for disposing of the sterilising solution without poisoning yourself

Sterilisation is the first stage - and arguably the most important stage - of wine-making. Otherwise you risk ending up with vinegar rather than wine.

Just crush four Campden tablets and mix them into a pint of cold water with a teaspoon of citric acid. Put all your equipment into your fermenting vessel, pour in the sterilising solution, put the lid on and swill it all round together.

Take great care not to inhale the sterilising solution, otherwise you'll be coughing for hours.

The sad story of the swan plant seedling

A few weeks ago, I planted some swan plant seeds in the hope of producing a big plant to attrach monarch butterflies to our garden. I was delighted last week to find that two of the seeds had sprouted.



So imagine my dismay when I returned to admire the seedlings a few days later to find that no trace of them remained. The soil was still quite damp so I don't think they withered away. Instead I'm blaming this little blighter...

Groundwork

Whilst I wait for the opportunity to get started on my grand food production plans at home, I thought I'd cultivate my father-out-law's raised bed. It produced a good crop of beetroot, rainbow chard and brocolli last season, no thanks to me, so I'm keen to see what it can do this year.

I started off by clearing the weeds and disposing of them carefully...



...I then turned the soil and was pleased to see it was still dark and moist underneath. There were a good number of fat and juicy worms too - here's one with a millipede for scale...



There were some healthy-looking herbs still growing in the patch and I added some more herbs from pots too - chives, basil and basil mint. I transplanted the strawberries that had been in a container too but may live to regret that if they take over the patch.





Finally, I purchased and sowed some seeds and then let the rain water them in...



Not much thought went into the varieties of seeds - I just grabbed a selection from the display in the garden centre before our little one woke up. I've picked out seeds that I think I can manage to cultivate and vegetables and herbs that we use regularly. Plenty of time for experimenting and specialising later.

Although I had a small garden in London where I succeeded in growing some vegetables, most notably tomatoes, spinach and rocket, I feel very much like a beginner again. It's more than three years since I cultivated my small patch of earth and now I have a quite different climate to contend with. And much more ambitious plans.

So watch this space to see what I learn - and what successes I enjoy and failures I endure. In the meantime, to see what some more competent and productive gardeners have been up to, visit Allotment #65, Real Men Sow, Margaret's Patch and, last but not least, Plot 37.

And if you know of any gardener-bloggers in NZ whose posts will coincide with my growing season, do leave a comment.

Smallfarming: Plants

One of the other questions in my first assessment required me to write a couple of paragraphs on the plants that I intend to grow and the systems that I'll need to put in place. So here's a hint of one of the challenges that I've set for us...

One of the main groups of plants that I intend to grow is fruit trees. The fruit trees will make up a small orchard and a small citrus grove.



Currently we have one mature grapefruit tree and immature lemon and lime trees plus immature peach, plum and apple trees. We hope to purchase and plant further trees including feijoa, orange and nectarine. I intend to research strains of olive and avocado trees in the hope of identifying trees suitable for clay soils. Alternatively, I will seek to develop a system which will allow olive and avocado trees in better-draining soils on our block despite the clay soils which dominate our land.

The essential systems for encouraging strong growth and good production from these trees include the following:

1. A watering system for the immature trees during the drier seasons until they are well-established (currently consisting of a very long hose)
2. Regular application of fertiliser at the appropriate times of year
3. Protection of trees from insect pests including spraying where possible and appropriate
4. Protection of fruit from birds including netting where possible and appropriate
   

I am also keen to explore more natural systems of fertilisation and pest control including the growing of comfrey and similar plants at the base of the fruit trees and the use of insect traps.

Further systems will be required to harvest and store the fruit. We have acquired a long-handled tool for picking the grapefruit and hope that will also be suitable for harvesting the peaches, plums and apples as the trees grow. Apples will need to be carefully stored, probably in our meat safe, whilst the citrus fruit will be picked as required and mostly refrigerated. Peaches and plums will have a very short shelf life and will need to be eaten or processed as soon as possible. Preservation of the fruit will be another system to be developed with the tools and skills for jam-making, pickling and wine-making to be acquired.

Optional systems which could be adopted in order to enhance production from the fruit trees would be bee-keeping, contributing to improved pollination, and the introduction of a flock of ducks to the orchard which would reduce harmful insect pests and contribute to fertilisation.

Smallfarming: Defining the Purpose

Here's my answer to the first assessment question in the first module of my correspondence course:

"Explain in your own words, your own initial purpose for small farming. Include the main reason you would like to small farm (or already small farm), and the motivation behind this."

Watch this space to find out how I go about achieving this initial purpose...


My primary motivation for our small farm is to create a (near) self-sufficient sanctuary for our family.

In purchasing our lifestyle block, I wished to escape urban life, having immigrated to New Zealand after nearly a decade of living in London, and to return to the countryside. My maternal grandmother was raised on a farm in Yorkshire and took over most functions of the farm after the death of her father before moving to a small hamlet in Lancashire to raise her own family. I grew up on the fringes of a small Lancashire town, surrounded by sheep farmers. Our move to a lifestyle block on the edge of Auckland was an attempt to recreate my own childhood and that of my grandmother and mother.

From the north of England...



...to the North Island of New Zealand...



The block that we chose is bordered by other lifestyle blocks and a commutable distance from the city. The size of the land (just over 2 ha) provides peace and quiet and privacy and an element of escape from everyday life but we are surrounded by like-minded neighbours with similar interests, creating an atmosphere of camaraderie and community, close to that enjoyed by my family back in Lancashire, without losing the advantages that city life has to offer.

I intend to use our block to go back to basics by raising our own animals and plants for food. I am keen to reduce our carbon footprint by cutting food miles and consumption of manufactured products. After being a vegetarian for more than half my life, I intend to raise free-range animals with an emphasis on ethical treatment and good welfare. I also wish to limit our dependence on chemicals (albeit not necessarily adopting a fully organic approach) whilst ensuring a steady supply of healthy, sustainable fresh ingredients with which to cook and feed our family. I intend to promote frugality and thriftiness and to learn new skills to pass on to our children, enabling a greater degree of independent living.

Finally, I will protect and encourage native wildlife, particularly indigenous plants, birds and insects, by controlling introduced pests and extending the areas of native bush on our block. I have a love of nature and want to surround our family with as natural an environment as possible.

Smallfarming: Getting Started

I've decided to put my maternity leave to good use by taking a year-long correspondence course with Telford, an agricultural college which is now part of Lincoln University.



The course is described as a starting point for any aspiring small block owner and will give me an overview of a range of topics that I can then study in more depth on a further correspondence course -

Introduction to Small Farming

• Defining the Purpose
• Systems for Small Farming
• Community and Compliance Issues
• Ownership Options
• Setting Goals and Establishing Plans

Small Farming Land, Soils and Seasons

• The Seasons
• The Land
• The Soils
• Fertilisers and Pest Control
• Land Use Regulations and Restrictions

Introduction to Livestock

Introduction to Plant Life

Introduction to Structures, Plant and Equipment

The first module, Defining the Purpose, has required me to think in a bit more detail about what we want to achieve on our lifestyle block and what planning might be involved. I'll post some of my answers to the assessment questions over the next few days so that you can see what ideas we have...

Full Beam

This metal beam runs the length of the garage which is soon to become our (wild) rumpus room. We've no intention of boxing it in but sadly it did need a coat of paint as it was getting rather rusty. So now we have the challenge of picking a colour for its top coat. I'm tempted by fire engine red or maybe "K Road" from the Dulux Colours of New Zealand collection.

Top Deck

As well as a large, wraparound deck off the upstairs living area, we're going to have a mini-deck off the master bedroom with stairs down to the lawn. There was already a small deck there but there were no rails and it leaked into the garage downstairs. So the builders have stripped it back and are starting again. Here it is from below...