Honeymooners

After our stupendous wedding day (more on that later) we had some time away.  A quick stopover in Nelson to visit Mr. Fox's Aunt and Uncle. It was so lovely to put some more faces to names. We were spoiled with chocolate and the yummiest of afternoon teas.

Nelson is one of our favourite places. We have spent a few New Year holidays in the town and spent half a summer apple thinning. We went back to see the old orchard.....it has changed. The trees we thinned are gone. Only grass now. The little house we stayed in was still there. When we were there the only furnishings were a table and 3 chairs.  We all stayed on the wooden floor with a few blankets underneath us....would not be roughing it like that again.

Pear trees

Little hut

All the apple trees gone!

We had a delicious lunch in nearby Mapua. Much to my dismay the local Aquarium had been burnt to the ground. So glad I visited all those years ago. The area has changed....very trendy. A great spot for food and shopping. Especially the Mapua Country Trading shop a real treasure trove for those who working with nature and interested in gardening, cheese making etc. 

After lunch we did a quick trip to Kaiteriteri. The weather was closing in so we had a quick round of mini golf before road tripping back to Nelson. Mr. Fox won the game by a large margin...he always wins. Have never won a mini golf game against him EVER!

Didn't win again the next day at the Nelson mini golf either. Lol was fun though. The little Natureland Zoo was a pretty fun way to spend an hour too. Hehe they had a possum on display!! and a very vain peacock.

Not such a stunning creature from the rear!!
The rest of our time was spent looking around the local shops and Art Galleries. Nelson has so many artists so we were spoilt for choice. The McCashins Brewery Cafe had amazing decor the resident artist was incredible...the works were unfortunately way to big to bring home to Auckland. 

Til the end of 2013

I read on Foxs Lane blog that less frequently she blogs the harder it becomes to write a post. Gosh ain't that the truth. The whirlwind months of November and December have come and gone. 2013 is all done and 2014 is rollicking along already.

The two cubic metres of garden mix I shovelled into the garden beds has given us a good space for the growing season. The hard yakka of that day is easy to forget and already I am keen to order more to fill and replenish other areas of the garden.

The space was very neglected throughout late December and early January as we headed down to Southland to get married. (It was an amazing day but will regale the tale in another post). We had the lovely and incredible Brylee and Tony mow the lawns and tend the patch while we were away. Both deserve gold medals and certainly have a big piece of our hearts.

This is what the space looked like last week.

We have been enjoying squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, celery, carrots and beetroot since our return. The flat leaf parsley had gone crazy.....it had a severe haircut resulting in a bucket of parsley. Mr Fox was kind enough to help me remove the stalks. It was then processed into a few jars of pesto...so scrummy.

Planted recently: spring onions, silverbeet

Sown recently: sunflowers, rocket

The weekend coming will see some seed potatoes sown and some more carrots. Oh the possibilties. I just love this gardening lark.

July to October

Well our wedding is just over 7 weeks away and although things are pretty much all set to go the anxiety is building. Nervous excitement but a some fretting does go on. Planning parties is not something Mr. Fox and I do often so planning a big and very special one is a big ask. We are hoping for a fun and relaxing day. It is shaping up to be that way.

The garden is doing well from my nerves...it has never looked better. I unwind completely there and forget all my cares. This Saturday I put in 2 cubic metres of garden mix by wheelbarrow and shovel. It was a sunny day and when you are doing such physical work it hones your focus on to nothing but dirt, shovel, wheelbarrow! It is great to see a big pile of dirt turned into useful surface area for growing yummy food.

The winter crops are still providing lots of greenery and should tide us over til our summer crops are ready. The Broad beans are growing fantastically and survived the blustery winds we have had. Garlic and potatoes are quietly doing some growing too. The wee flowers dotted about are keeping the bumble bees busy.

Clearing out the flax bush, making room for a compost bin

Tools of the trade

New to me terrarium...must plant out and bring inside

Broad beans in August

August winter garden

Newly filled boxes from a roadside find. Great spot for lettuces etc that tend to bolt in full sun. Just enough dappled light here for growth. Mmm yummy Basil, Coriander and lettuces seeds in

Friends with chainsaw cleared the privet tree and the tree pushing on fence. Great usable space for fruit trees and berries

Broad beans in late early October and strawberries forming

Toby's seeds all planted out

Yay for a sunny spring day

The weeks whizz by. Our lovely friend was up in Auckland with her dear wee boy. Her little one was very unwell and in hospital but is on the mend now. It was wonderful to be able to spend so much time together despite the circumstances. Coincidentally a gorgeous family friend's little boy had to have an operation and I also got to catch up with her, so great to sit in the sun and chat. Not much of a summary of the past few months but the night is going fast...will post another time soon.