Daffodil and Tulip Heaven

It's been a busy few weekends, planting over 200 daffodil bulbs and about 150 tulip bulbs.

I'm hoping for a big show in the spring, I just hope all this rain doesn't rot the bulbs before they have had a chance to give me their best efforts!

We have a couple of really special daffodils from an amazing outfit in Geraldine that my sister Karen took me to last year.  We viewed a cut flower from each type, and then chose what we would like to have sent to us the following autumn once they had harvested.

Just to see about 300 or more single daffs in rows was just beautiful, and I (as always) over estimated how enthusiastically I could plant them...Yes, I got sick of crawling round on my knees, but now it is done, finally!

Joining "The Garden Share Collective"

I have just joined this collective, which I stumbled across on my way round the internet.  Although I am not sure exactly what to do? I did get an info sheet, and I think I am expecting an email with tasks to try to achieve for the month, and then to blog about my successes/failures....but I wait with baited breath to see what happens! 

Also, 
1. What I am planting
2. What I am harvesting
3.  My "To Do" list

It's great to share ideas, and I am hoping to learn lots about how other people approach their gardening and eating from their vege patches.

If you click on the link here http://www.strayedtable.com/grow/garden-share/ you can see some of the monthly blogs that have already been published with the growing number of bloggers contributing.

I'll let you know how I get on

Still plenty in the garden

Harvest continues apace

A "Gardening Blogs" Conference

If only we had one of these in New Zealand! I'd be there with bells on
http://garden-bloggers-conference.com/highlights-from-the-first-garden-bloggers-conference/#comment-34739

A FlowerPot heater for the Glasshouse

Sometimes cruising round the internet is a good thing.  I am always interested in money saving ideas, and do-it-yourself ideas, and came across a discussion for cheaply heating a room in winter.  It's a very ingenious thing!

Having watched this video, and several others very like it, I have thought that this could be the answer to all my winter and spring problems in my glasshouse.  Especially in Spring, when the days are warm, but the nights are clear and cold, and morning frosts get right into the glasshouse damaging early tender seedlings of tomatoes etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brHqBcZqNzE#t=142

I reckon, rather than using 3 x tealights, I could use a longer burning candle, so that I could light it in the evening when I went to bed, and it would keep burning all night.

I was especially interested to hear on one video how during the Blitz in London people used these in their Anderson shelters to keep warm, and even reckon they could boil the billy for tea on one!  I'm pretty keen to try that out, just because....

It looks industrious, but it's an unpicking - sadly

I have been knitting this amazing Cleckheaton bolero pattern.  I checked my tension (I am 26 rows and 20 stchs over 10cm, the pattern called for 30rows and 22 stchs over 10cm), I thought, a bit tighter won't matter too much.  I knitted the size 16-18 (you, know, because usually I am an 18).  And, wow, all I got was a huge jackety thing.  I started to knit the lace to go round it, but actually had to stop and take a long hard look.

I have measured it out, and I am going to have to knit mostly the Small size! really! 8-10.  Sounds good to me.

And I am cutting 14 stitches off the width of the sleeves, because even the small size started at 50 stitches...

It's been a real disaster really, and now unpicking starts *sigh*.

I did consider felting it in the drier, or putting it through the overlocker, but no....unpicking it is :-(  It's such a beautiful 100% merino, in such a lovely colour, I didn't want to ruin it.

Hurunui Valley Wine Trail - perfect for an Autumn day

This morning was fresh, sunny and autumny, and we decided it would be a great day to check out the new bike/walk trail round the Waipara vineyards.

Well, we headed off about 10:30am, strolling, not rushing.  The colours of the golden vines in rows was lovely

We got a little lost after Greystone Wines, and when we came to a junction the sign pointing off in the different directions was just lying on the ground, so could have pointed anywhere!  at that point we set off back.  Greystone had opened their cellar door at 11am, so we tasted a few of their wines, thus fortified headed on foot under the motorway, and round on a sideshoot to Waipara Springs.  Lunch, a seafood platter was very welcome!

A final stroll back to the car, parked near the Waipara Domain, and it was 2pm, my how time flies when you are having fun.

Here's the link if you are wanting to give it a go!

http://www.hurunuitrails.org.nz/