This was taken in Greece when we had a trip in 2003 to Turkey, Italy, Greece and Germany. We were about to catch a train from Athens to Istanbul, not a recommended train at all. We should have gone by plane or ferry or anything...Anyway we had a great trip, especially in Turkey.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
The plums have been very plentiful
We have given away so many of these plums! Still there are plenty left. But the next job is pruning the apricot and early plum trees and we are now buying an orchard ladder. My daughter Rachel was the last one to get plums and hopes to make plum sauce. She came here yesterday with her two little boys, the youngest is only a month old.
Alistair's children 2005
Nearby is Malcolm's son Alistair and his wife Caz. They have five children and the sixth is due in April. Here are the five gorgeous children last year. They are all bilingual as both parents speak Maori fluently and Alistair teaches it at the local college. Malcolm has 67 descendants.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Malcolm's meal tonight
I am not saying this typical, as the corn is just wonderful at the moment. The lettuces, beans, tomatoes and parsley are ours. Not sure if we can grow kumera here, don't think so, and one day we will have broccoli. Might have to organise a cloche for them though...Malcolm is a vegan plus fish. Deirdre had organic chicken tonight. I am having to stew a lot of peaches, apples and pears at the moment, the ones which are damaged in some way and somehow I will have get someone to help me eat it all, as Malcolm doesn't eat stewed fruit!
Some of the red pears
There are several pear trees coming ready now. Not sure of thename of this reddish pear.
A fair part of Deirdre's family Jan 06
Deirdre's larger family had a family reunion in January and these are some of her grandchildren. Son David on right lives in Christchurch with his wife Jane back left. Five children. Susanna lives in Lower Hutt with her husband Bryan and they have three children. Rachel (Wellington) and Richard (Waihi) didn't attend.
Food and work are both abundant here!
Today I picked up a third of a bucket of hazelnuts. Also brought in our first sweet corn which was utterly delicious. We now have quite a few peaches dropping. The seedling by the gate has a huge crop and they are a sweet white fleshed freestone. Still the plums are plentiful and we hope to give them all away before the birds finally discover them.
Otaki has been glorious weather today, lots were at the beach. I lay under a chestnut tree on an old wide stretcher we have, (we nearly threw it out many times and now it has a use) with a wonderful pillow. It was marvellous in the shade. Malcolm often goes to the native bush area on such days to work in the shade weeding the path.
This weekend we have had visitors as well as on Friday. Tomorrow we visit another organic orchard to get some ideas. Today we attended the Tree Crop Association for a demonstration on summer pruning and on arrival home discover we have plenty of plums, two apricots and a cherry which all need pruning, not to mention the gooseberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants that still haven't been pruned. Today we called at an organic chicken orchard and bought some wonderful chicken manure soil, which I spread under six of our citrus. Then realised three more were to be done, so we will have to get some more. Also bought some amazing organic duck eggs which we had for dinner.
The pears are still dropping and we race the birds to them, particularly young blackbirds which spend ages eating one pear. Other jobs we need doing are planting tree lucerne to attract the bush pigeons in the bush and underplanting of all the trees with various herbs, particularly those with long roots like coriander, parsley. We think we will plant comfrey under the feijoas at the back avoiding tansy as it is can be difficult for those with allergies like me. Most locals don't complain about comfrey being invasive. One said you just mow them down anyway if you have them under apples.
I sprayed the broccoli with rhubarb juice today. We have so much more spraying of fruit trees to do with Organic 100, the seaweed and fish waste product we bought from Agrissentials, and also stilll have to scatter rock dust over more than half the property before the soil gets too cold. We heard stories of potato and carrot growers further north who were getting great results with rock dust and getting an edge on their competitors that way. This morning I sprayed the cherry with Neem oil before breakfast because it had bad pear slug and I hadn't noticed it until last Friday.
Malcolm has been clearing out the dead flower heads from the borders and discovering old tires underneath.
We are thinking of getting kunekune pigs but first of all have to buy some electric fencing. Also we may get ducks or geese.
We sure need help on this property and will soon buy a tripod orchard ladder. We have some wonderful tools now and the good new mulcher is there waiting to be used. It looks as though the mowing is now imminent after the rain. People from the Tree Crops Association told us today they lusted after our mower, it is a Wilson, the best.
Otaki has been glorious weather today, lots were at the beach. I lay under a chestnut tree on an old wide stretcher we have, (we nearly threw it out many times and now it has a use) with a wonderful pillow. It was marvellous in the shade. Malcolm often goes to the native bush area on such days to work in the shade weeding the path.
This weekend we have had visitors as well as on Friday. Tomorrow we visit another organic orchard to get some ideas. Today we attended the Tree Crop Association for a demonstration on summer pruning and on arrival home discover we have plenty of plums, two apricots and a cherry which all need pruning, not to mention the gooseberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants that still haven't been pruned. Today we called at an organic chicken orchard and bought some wonderful chicken manure soil, which I spread under six of our citrus. Then realised three more were to be done, so we will have to get some more. Also bought some amazing organic duck eggs which we had for dinner.
The pears are still dropping and we race the birds to them, particularly young blackbirds which spend ages eating one pear. Other jobs we need doing are planting tree lucerne to attract the bush pigeons in the bush and underplanting of all the trees with various herbs, particularly those with long roots like coriander, parsley. We think we will plant comfrey under the feijoas at the back avoiding tansy as it is can be difficult for those with allergies like me. Most locals don't complain about comfrey being invasive. One said you just mow them down anyway if you have them under apples.
I sprayed the broccoli with rhubarb juice today. We have so much more spraying of fruit trees to do with Organic 100, the seaweed and fish waste product we bought from Agrissentials, and also stilll have to scatter rock dust over more than half the property before the soil gets too cold. We heard stories of potato and carrot growers further north who were getting great results with rock dust and getting an edge on their competitors that way. This morning I sprayed the cherry with Neem oil before breakfast because it had bad pear slug and I hadn't noticed it until last Friday.
Malcolm has been clearing out the dead flower heads from the borders and discovering old tires underneath.
We are thinking of getting kunekune pigs but first of all have to buy some electric fencing. Also we may get ducks or geese.
We sure need help on this property and will soon buy a tripod orchard ladder. We have some wonderful tools now and the good new mulcher is there waiting to be used. It looks as though the mowing is now imminent after the rain. People from the Tree Crops Association told us today they lusted after our mower, it is a Wilson, the best.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Broccoli and tomatoes
Malcolm has extended the vege garden and Susanna has planted marigolds round the broccoli. We will also cover them. However the tomatoes are being eaten, possibly by rabbits or birds, not sure.we get plenty of tomatoes from the hothouse though.
Tereana with plum in her mouth
I guess this speaks for itself. Tereana is 14 and is boarding at Wanganui Girls College. She loves riding round the property.
Chestnuts Feb 06 and general comment about food so far
It looks as though there will be a good crop of chestnuts as well as walnuts this year. So far we have eaten beans, potatoes, tomatoes, basil, parsley and soon there will be corn and Maori potatoes. In the fruit line there have been loquats (Dec before we came here), plums, grapes, and nowadays we are getting windfall pears and peaches. but the rabbits are eating the chives I have planted under some fruit trees and the birds are eating pears. I am about to change some CDs so that they frighten away more birds. We had tabouli today, made from all the parsley that is growing.
Hazelnuts before the coating comes off
This is how they are camouflaged. It takes a bit to peel the coating off. They hide among the brown leaves under the hazelnuts. The ones that fall on the lawn are easier to pick up especially if their coating is still light green
Hazelnuts manage to camouflage themselves well
It wasn't until the former owners turned up for a visit that we found we had hazelnuts under the trees too. They can be used in three weeks and this is our first batch drying in the sun.
Macadamias are dropping
We have picked up our first macadamias and expect this to go on for some months. You can see the three where the green seed pod hasn't yet peeled off. You have to leave them for 12 weeks till they rattle apparently, then you can open them. Well actually the children have already opened several and they were very nice.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
House from front
We have a very good house, the best we have ever lived in. On the left is the huge study. When they were building this house they decided to build a separate garage. That's why the study is as big as a double garage. Three bedrooms, lounge, good family/dining area, high celings in living area, wood burner stove.
Walnuts closeup Feb 06
The walnuts are going to be good this year. We have about six trees in the front part of the property.
Uncle Joe's plum Feb 06
We have had a huge crop from this delicioius red fleshed plum this year. So many people have gone away with big bags of it and every time we go to a relation's place we bring a big bag. Who was Uncle Joe? The uncle of Ross Dean the previous owner of this property. The Deans did all the planting over 15 years. It is only in mid February that the birds are starting to want their share and we will have to pick them all very soon.
Deirdre and Malcolm at 202 Otaki Gorge Road
Looking toward the road. One of Deirdre's sisters took this photo in early December 2005, before we had moved into the property. The drought continued on through January and finally broke in February, but it was the worst drought in sixty years. As you can see there is a lot of planting other than fruit trees, which are in fact not showing at all in this photo.
Caravan, mower shed
On the left is the caravan, then there is the mower shed and the trees on the right are fig trees covered with nets to protect the fruit from the birds. Figs have been slow to mature due to the drought (the driest summer in 60 years). But the drought broke in early February and it won't be too long now. On the left back is the block of firewood trees.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Three and a half acres of nuts and fruit trees
Well, we have been on this property since 18 January 2006 and it is a big challenge and delight to us. Malcolm Murchie and Deirdre Kent are our names and Deirdre's granddaughter Tereana Kent is with us in school holidays too. She boards as a fourth former at Wanganui Girls College.
It is the first time we have owned anything other than a suburban property and we are not young. In fact Malcolm celebrated his 80th birthday last year and Deirdre is 67. Neither of us have done much gardening in our lives really but both have been convinced of the need to grow organically using permaculture principles. Over the last few years we have spent up large on organic food; the first thing we noticed on arrival here is that we don't need to shop as often and even then the bill is quite low. We are also very conscious that the end of cheap oil is upon us and that food is going to be important for our families as peak oil really impacts our society. So it was knowledge about peak oil that brought us here actually.
So what have we got on the property? We have heritage apples, lots of figs, feijoas, pears, grapes, plums, walnuts, persimmons, guavas, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, chestnuts, olives, nashi pears, passion fruit, green tea, cocoa trees, loquats, a cherry, two avocados, one cherimoya, two pecan nut, blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries. The property was bare land just 15 years ago. The former owners were Ross and Margaret Dean who made the development of the property their retirement project. To plant a tree on this land require you to dig down to the stones, then pick out all the stones with a pickaxe. 250 trees have been planted over 15 years.
We have to mow quite a lot but hope to graze kunekune pigs in a fenced off area some time in the future, heaven knows when. This will reduce the need for mowing. But this means we should create a muddy place for the pigs and we haven't solved this problem yet.
The mower is a Walker, the very best for going right up to the trees and round them, and we also have a new mulcher to feed in prunings.
Half an acre of the property is taken up with native bush, through which there is a lovely pathway with stones either side. Another quarter acre is taken up with firewood trees.
This property is for sale now 2008
It is the first time we have owned anything other than a suburban property and we are not young. In fact Malcolm celebrated his 80th birthday last year and Deirdre is 67. Neither of us have done much gardening in our lives really but both have been convinced of the need to grow organically using permaculture principles. Over the last few years we have spent up large on organic food; the first thing we noticed on arrival here is that we don't need to shop as often and even then the bill is quite low. We are also very conscious that the end of cheap oil is upon us and that food is going to be important for our families as peak oil really impacts our society. So it was knowledge about peak oil that brought us here actually.
So what have we got on the property? We have heritage apples, lots of figs, feijoas, pears, grapes, plums, walnuts, persimmons, guavas, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, chestnuts, olives, nashi pears, passion fruit, green tea, cocoa trees, loquats, a cherry, two avocados, one cherimoya, two pecan nut, blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries. The property was bare land just 15 years ago. The former owners were Ross and Margaret Dean who made the development of the property their retirement project. To plant a tree on this land require you to dig down to the stones, then pick out all the stones with a pickaxe. 250 trees have been planted over 15 years.
We have to mow quite a lot but hope to graze kunekune pigs in a fenced off area some time in the future, heaven knows when. This will reduce the need for mowing. But this means we should create a muddy place for the pigs and we haven't solved this problem yet.
The mower is a Walker, the very best for going right up to the trees and round them, and we also have a new mulcher to feed in prunings.
Half an acre of the property is taken up with native bush, through which there is a lovely pathway with stones either side. Another quarter acre is taken up with firewood trees.
This property is for sale now 2008
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