Saved seed verses bought

It's interesting to note how my own saved strain of sunflower seeds compared to a packet of bought seed of the same variety. I've been saving my strain for about 6 years. This year I only had quite a small amount of saved seed to plant because I didn't do enough collecting in Autumn, so I bought a packet. I sowed one tray from the bought seed and one tray of my own seed on the same day in the same potting mix and raised them under identical conditions.

So there they are sitting next to each other, my seed on the right is growing bigger and healthier looking plants. I am very encouraged.

Just wanted to show this good recycling idea too. We buy old ironing boards from the recycling centre for $2 each. Because they fold down flat they are ideal as market tables in summer, with a cloth over them you'd never know. Then when they get to tatty for that I use them as potting tables around the garden and in the glasshouse.

My plant tags are cut up icecream containers or venetian blinds.

Spring Shift

It sneaks up. I don't mean mother nature's changes, I mean the energy levels and optimism I feel within myself, come spring. For about a month the garden has shown signs of spring. Though only in the last few days have I felt the energy I need to keep up with the season. Instead of lighting the fire and sitting near it to knit, I go straight outside to collect the eggs, open the glasshouse, check growth, frost and bugs. Washing dries the same day it is hung on the line and grass grows in a week.

Meanwhile....

We're in the middle of school holidays as well. This is what the teen has been doing. His homework folder is out but I'm fairly certain from the earphones, pocket knife and dreadful computer game case that NCEA English is not at the top of his priorities.

I've had to focus on a few things I'd rather not be doing, so my Mum took a few days off work to look after the children. I came home the other day to find they'd started making some puppets, an idea from a Living crafts magazine. It's so lovely to have a Mum who wants to do things with her Grandchildren, they adore her for this. So does the dog who walks around looking for her when she leaves.

I managed to put the finishing touches on a bag last night, I'm off to put it in the shop after a couple of very much appreciated purchases last week.

Creature creations

We've been inspired by the monster hats and t shirts we've seen on felt lately. I was fiddling around drawing some designs for leather purses and bootee patterns when the red head took an interest in what I was doing. He whipped off with my pen while I was cutting and produced for me some terrific designs with instructions "make me a t shirt Mum"

How could I possibly refuse? His designs had oodles more character than mine and he needs some new gear for the warmer weather especially since he had two shirts cut off him the other night to get his cast on.

The first of many to come I suspect, he proudly wore this one to Montessori today.

Not Again

Trampoline this time. The red head snapped both bones in his lower arm last night. Skatey had been helping him to flip!!!!!!! Red said "I cracked my bloody bones Mum"
Very brave at the hospital, worse break this time, but got it x rayed quicker.
I missed the Playcentre AGM which I had been looking forward to for awhile as it would have been my last one, having gone to most of them over the last 16 years.

C'mon let's go have a walk round the garden. It rained yesterday.

Heaps of buds getting ready to burst on the Nashi, one of my best performing espaliers. It's pollinated by neighbouring pears.

Yay the asparagus is up, might be having it for tea tomorrow night. I like it wrapped in Proscuttio or lightly steamed then in with my sushi. Better pull out those weeds, they'll take off in this weather.I'm excited about this little purple one. I grew these form seeds three years ago so I get to cut and taste some of these this year.
Have you been saving your egg shells all winter? They're doing the trick for me to keep the slugs

off my sweet peas.

I haven't got many seedlings going yet. The purple Cherokee tomatoes I saved have had a great strike, but of my Money makers only two came up so far. Had a good strike of the Alderman tall Peas. Waiting for sunflowers, peppers, cleome, phacelia, basil, zucchinis and cucumbers to come up. Protecting them all from frost in the glasshouse. Haven't even thought about getting the spuds in yet or kumara, but have popped in a few onions and carrots.
Kids are looking foward to strawberries, plums and raspberries, cherry tomatoes and corn too I imagine.

Friday at last

PJ and I bought some delicious local apples for this weekend's baking. She's been taking about baking again all week and how could I refuse after she worked so hard to achieve "high honours" in her tap dancing exam this week.
The red head stayed home most of the week with me after his eardrum burst on Tuesday night. It was just as well he hadn't gone to see the Parachute band with the other kids that night. His earache came on so quickly but his fever and pain depreciated equally as quickly once the ear burst. So now I add burst eardrum to my long list of parenting experience. Gotta love it!

Thanks for the kind comments and emails I received after my last post. The blog community have been a lifeline at times over the past few years. Please accept this as a personal Thank You.



I understand too that my less than " perfect" relationship status got me dropped off a few peoples favorites as well. Walk a mile in my shoes before you judge me is all I ask.

In the kitchen

It would take me all day to catch you up with what's been going on here in the garden, at the sewing table and with life so I'm not even going to try. The focus of my life has changed a bit lately, I don't feel I can be as open with my thoughts here anymore. Some of my friends know my partner of 17 years and I separated earlier in the year, it has been a horrific time involving alot of grieving and of putting all my energy into my children to help them get through as best we can. We all have a long way to go.

They were very excited about Fathers Day this year. PJ said she wanted to make cup cakes for her Dad, so despite the chooks wrecking havoc in my garden and the boysenberries still desperately needing to be pruned, we spent some quality time in the kitchen.

The red head likes the beater,
And PJ looked the part with her Grandmas apron as they teetered on the stool without fighting to watch the mixer going round.

Thank goodness someone in the family is showing some interest in cooking. Hopefully she'll be cooking dinner for me someday.

How blogging helps

This post inspired me today.
This one as well.

Music of my Youth

36, 20 years since I was 16, 1989.
My teen is alot better behaved than I was 20 years ago. My goodness 20 years seems such a long time. Music takes me back. We were doing " Annie get your Gun" at High School. I loved Art, U2 rocked, I loved Led Zep, The Volent Femmes, Joe Satriani, Marianne Faithful, and I was going out with the postman's son ( naughty, naughty) about to go totally off the rails with a bad boy from Oamaru. I hitch hiked to parties and spent weekends with friends. I quit violin and began to wear leather. If I was my mother I'd have been totally insane with worry. I also quite fancied a red head for a bit. If I could go back to 16 I wouldn't change a thing! Except I'd be confident that I was awesome as me and I'd love myself a bit more. On the eve of 36 I adore my kids and move forward with no regrets! I treasure these kids for their gifts, how lucky am I to know them.

My school report read " Gillian is a walking jewelery display and likes to be involved in activities. Can be distracted by others.",

"Gillian is an expressive worker but demands a high standard of herself. This can inhibit work at times but over all effect is good."

Mrs Bolt told me I wasn't going to pass my school cert music exam, so when I did I rang her to gloat.

She is still there at the teen's school, my school councillor is now the acting principal. The crusty old History teacher now teaches my son computer studies and my third form English teacher who I quite liked for debates about anti vivisection now teaches my son 5th form English and he is totally uninspired. Go Figure!

I'd quite like to teach textiles. My younger cousin teaches PE. J*** said to the teen, "hey Teen have you seen the hot new PE teacher? Teen said Dude she's my Mums cousin"

Man I loved High school. Skatey boy is off there next year and i finally fit in with a few mums my age.

Skatey loves Art and music and is sensitive.

Watch out Gilly!

Late winter Sunday

Drizzly Sunday morning.

My big boys went off to play paintball, so I popped over to the "fabulous fibre and fabric fair", nestled in the centre of Nelson city in the historic building Melrose house, which reminded me of my Grandma's home where I spent many of my childhood holidays, big rooms with high ceilings and coloured glass. Dark wood and a tranquil air. Grandma's house was packed to the brim with family treasures though and memories of games like hide and seek, books and comics collected by 8 children, dress ups she made from Enid Gilcrist patterns and Christmas morning with 15 cousins from all over the country.

I came home with a gorgeous green toned pear pincushion from Sally Ann, some fabric for bags and some balls of sock wool.

Not wanting to spend my grocery money I left the lovely felted wool brooches behind.

I must put my head down and do some sewing and work in the glasshouse this week!