I guess I should be grateful for the rain, at least it means that the bees won't swarm!
It's Labour Weekend here in New Zealand. It doesn't really mean much when you're staring down the barrel of week 10 in what feels like the longest lockdown in history...but I digress...and I should stop feeling sorry for myself!
Labour weekend traditionally marks the beginning of the coming summer in New Zealand.
It's our first 'official' summer holiday. It's also the middle of spring, so in Auckland that means rain, rain and more rain!
This is also the weekend that we 'traditionally' plant our warm summer crops: tomatoes, cucumber, eggplant, squash... I don't (and won't) be planting any of these out in the garden until the nights warm up. There's still a good chance of a southerly sweeping through the country and putting my warmth-loving plants back too many weeks in their development, so I shall wait.
What have you planted already or are planning to plant out in your garden?
With the beehives (somewhat) under control, my focus this week has been on making sure that my summer seedlings are coming along and they seem to have been doing that quite well. It's gratifying to see their little leaves pushing out of the soil and casting off their seed covers.
Pumpkins, squash, beans and sunflower seeds seem especially dramatic about the way they fling off the confines of their seeds. There's a lovely shot in the garden tour of the seedlings in the hoop house...
Which brings me nicely to ... a sodden chicken...
Who also "stars" along with our cats in the video.
Enjoy paddling around the garden with us.
Love & lettuce,
Toni xx