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Gardening in New Zealand

was that summer?!

13 years ago

According to WeatherWatch there's a southerly coming up and a high coming down and there'll be thunder and cold and rain in the middle. What's new??!!

The tomatoes are sulking. Plenty of fruit and not much red to be seen at all.

The polyanthuses think it's spring. So does Clematis montana, flowering along the top of the fence. And the leaves are starting to colour up for autumn.

Had a brilliant crop of european plums this year - Angelina Burdett and Greengage. Must have been the snow! And the japanese plums tasted fine this year: no freaky heatwaves in November which left them plump, juicy, and with a weird grainy texture.

Next best thing? Elderberries and windfall apples. Magnificent jam! (Haven't been blackberrying yet but it might be ok, though we're short of warmth for bringing out the sugars. Luxury...)

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Comments (2)

vetivert8
Original Author
13 years ago
A run of fine days and frosty mornings. The Bletilla and Pleione were both frost-swished. :-(

And - can anyone explain why, just before the frost settles itself for a good old freeze, there is a little wind that stirs the frost cloth quite enough to expose a tender leaf or stem???

NIWA is sort of promising an El Nino summer. It might be enough to attack the vast swathe of buttercups in the yard. Zillions. No. More than that. And boggy/puggy where the ponies wandered in. Bah! Humbug!

Looks like I'll be growing my lettuces in pots again...
vetivert8
Original Author
12 years ago
The November Dries happened. Much scampering to deep water and double pot or repot. For some - too late. Natural cull.

Holding back the strawberries for their first fruitless year - and trying to make a sufficiently luxurious bed for them. I'm sure those early to rise blackbirds will be delighted with the quality.

No or few flowers on the persimmon this year.

Trying heirloom tomatoes again. Black Prince, Bloody Butcher, and Purple Cherokee (I think I have that right). Supposed to be amenable to drying - and the dehydrator is waiting for work. Fingers crossed.
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