Urban Floral Farmlet

 The Garden Club members embarked on a local visit to the Urban Floral Farmlet in Te Atatu Peninsula where grower Marisa had turned her backyard into a floral enterprise. It was part of our 'garden trip' for club members now we were no longer travelling vast distances en masse to exotic locations (outside of Aucks) and haunting  RSAs. 

Marisa had spoken at one of our club nights on the joys of working from home, meaning quitting your corporate job to invest in your own backyard, and all the things she learned along the way. Being a complete novice, she learned plenty and was passionate about each and every seedling. 

We encountered beds of cottage flowers grown to make stunning bouquets, of particular note were statice and billy buttons. Then we were treated to a tulip goody bag, and dahlia tubers on sale. It was sort of like exit through the gift shop. 

Afterwards everyone mosied on down to Woodside. I was not going to give any long talk explaining all the trials and tribulations and consequences of NOT working at the community garden since I'd hardly any time at all down there and the ladies could see for themselves but Jacqui took the reigns and spoke about slug control and other such things to the rapt audience while I caught up with Karyn and her new dog that I'd never met. Cute. I wonder if Dusty could come along to the garden too. 

I was asked one question though 'Can you plant anything you like or do you have to check in with others first'? I wanted to give an honest answer because this was never my private garden but even at home its seems like I have to ask permission to even breathe so I wasn't sure what to say. Don't get caught? Within reason? You have to fill out a form...

The ladies were hungry after that and we repaired to Mitre 10 cafe for much needed sustenance and possibly shop at the Garden Centre. 

I reflected that I couldn't possibly turn my own backyard into an urban floral farmlet and make a profit selling flowers when its enough just to even attempt to have a garden on hard clay. But good on Marisa for making a go of it. 

My dahlia is called 'Rocco' and its pompom purple, so I will be putting that in along with two kinds of potatoes (Agria and Jersey Benne) in a few days. The rain has come, I'd emptied the barrel with seaweed fertiliser and now it's full up again. 

I've a list of things to buy now the growing season is here and things to do. Please don't ask me to do any extra things round November/December. It's gardening time. My job is cut out for me in my own garden that its likely that I can't do anyone else's jobs outside of home for a while yet. Post Covid, people always talk about working from home, but they never talk about working from the garden which is where the real labour of love is. 

Labour

 I missed my calling to be a botanist. They don't really have that specialty in New Zealand, where horticulture is relegated to the Primary Industries and gardeners are seen as The Help, paid to mow your lawns and keep the rugby fields looking green. Was thinking on this yesterday as on Labour Weekend, which is the traditional time of year to plant tomatoes, Bev, Cenny and I snuck off to have a look at the Auckland Botanic Gardens.

It was a lovely mid spring stroll, with many flowers out. Falun Dafa had taken over and set up booths everywhere extolling the virtues of traditional Chinese arts and crafts, which had been supressed in Communist/Athiest China. There were colourful displays of lotus lanterns and spring festivities, lion dances, and flowy garments. I forgot that I wasn't Chinese enough and seemingly blended in. I learned about Chinese traditional herbal medicine, that surely was another calling I missed too. I can't really explain how I ended up born in Auckland, it just happened. I like to blame my parents for that. 

Unlike Hamilton Gardens, Auckland Botanic Gardens doesn't have themed gardens, so there is actually no Chinese garden as such. I saw the makings of a Japanese garden near the magnolias, where some Japanese people were doing impromptu Karaoke, but so far, no bamboo, rice paddies and interesting rocks that make up a Chinese Garden. Despite having the largest Chinese population in NZ. Instead Auckland has a Children's garden, a South African garden, a Rose Garden and an English cottage garden. There's an Endangered Native species Garden (Maori garden? Mara?) and a herb garden and a perennial garden. 

In bloom and stood out were clivias under the shade of camellias and redwoods, and banksia yellow roses on the trellises. There was also a geranium looking pink flower pom pom looking plant that I quizzed Bev on - she reckons its a verbena bonasoreriss or something, but I reckon it's a geranium (the leaves) or lynchis (the flowers) . It had no tag or label though everything else had which was annoying. The one plant you want! 

There were eels in the pond, and we didn't really get round everything, as its park like grounds are extensive and you really need a sun hat and maybe a buggy if you want to see everything. There is a library and a cafe, but its enough to look at all the plants and not be tempted to take cuttings. 

I got back home to put my tomatoes in (Grosse Lise and Oxheart) and in general get ready for the growing season. Next Saturday the garden club are descending on the community garden at Woodside and I haven't even been to do any gardening! Arrgh. They will soon see there's a lot to do. Wonder if this a sneaky way to get recruits in. Probably not as it takes a lot of effort and labour to have a productive vege-kitchen garden especially if you don't live on site. 

Yes it would be my dream job to work in the Botanic gardens (I claim the herb garden) but since I live out West, there is not a chance I can get there in time thanks to Auckland traffic which takes at least 40 minutes to 2 hours on a good day. And you have to do gardening EVERY day. Not just five minutes on the weekend or on Labour Day! 

Orange you glad to see me?

 Sometimes in the garden I have waves of colour, first its all purple flowers, then blues, then pinks, and now its orange turn (tangelos and clivia - thanks Els). Tangelo tree got beauty treatment and she now has had a haircut, trimmed her nails, and been fed lots of compost and vermicast, as well as sequestron tonic. 

The plants at her feet are now being moved to make room...although I still have a lot to do, with the chickens cages and rabbit huts to be cleared out and make room for our newest family member, who was adopted from the SPCA 26 September, who I am training to catch rodents. 

Her name is Dusty so her is her debut pic, I just need to plant some catmint/catnip in preparation for when she does get outside to enjoy the spring weather..as it is well and truly here. Hallelujah!