Well it is Sunday and it is hot and dry. It didn’t rain last week as forecast  which was super disappointing. It is meant to rain today too, but not a drop in sight. I don’t think I recall a summer quite like this with only 9mm of rain in January. Not good!

So what is happening in the garden apart from summer magic that is? Those gorgeous heirloom beans are growing like mad with lots of blossom. I picked a couple of apple cucumbers (the plant just so happens to be laden), only to find that the lack of water has cause them to be a tad bitter! Shame … surprising too given that we have been watering every day!
The radish are particularly yummy as are the tomatoes ..  with production well under way. My Cherokee toms are just the best looking things … had some in a salad last night, so delicious. My father-in-law has this habit of peeling his tomatoes which I just don’t have the time nor patience to do myself. But I have to say, they taste terrific minus the skin .. the jury is out on whether this is a good idea of not?

Yes … a brag pic. Can’t beat fresh vege from your own garden!

We have taken the net off one of the peach trees – ‘Christina’ and removed most of the fruit. Small, juicy with a punch of flavour. Yum! I have another peach next door (no idea of the variety) which is divine … larger, sweeter fruit. So now we have 2 buckets full and it is time to consider jams and a host of dessert that you can cook with peaches.
Also time to give away some of the crop of course to the neighbours!

Wonderful peaches ….

My chooks are still being good girls with their egg production – probably something to do with the good tucker that they get given on a daily basis. And why not …
I took a snap yesterday of two of the girls sharing a nest while laying … just love it. Yes I was busy giving their abode the weekly clean out with a lavender scented water (what else?), which by the way the mites and nasties aren’t meant to like too much …

How good is this .. sharing the nest!

So, my garden is growing. Andrew dug up the rest of our spuds today … probably about 7 kg, wonderful tasty Irish Fir, Maori spuds and just a couple of the Rocket … and of course we had them boiled for dinner with butter and mint. What else?

Muriwai beach – just down the road. How lucky are we!

Happy gardening …

PS .. posting this on Monday and it poured in the early hours of this morning. Yay!