Miel des collines

What are your most preferred ?

At spring time, this one I use every day
Works great for loosening or aerating the soil and is ideal for weeding

Don’t ask me what it is called or where to buy it though

It came with the farmer I met 12 years ago and this one I am not going to let it go (the tool I mean!!)

Garden tools new zealand farm life spring gardening task

Favorite method ! Also I find bubble wrap works best as it keeps a good level of humidity but you can always do this with more environmentally friendly materials like cardboard or woven wool mats

The seeds I start with this method are tomatoes or cosmos. This is because they grow super thin roots and shoot so I find transplanting a lot easier

Gardening methods seed sowing tomato season

Have you grown before ?

It caught my attention a few months ago after a bride asked me to quote for a aisle made with this flower variety

My florist had warned me that even though they are a show stopper, they are quite pricey

As a home gardener, an expensive flower stem turned into a gardening challenge

So here I am learning to grow gypsophila from seeds and hoping for some blooms this summer

Feel free to share your growing tips with me

garden challenge

Seeds from Kings Seeds

is what this is about !

I can never stop buying more seeds… can you?!

The temptation for new varieties is always there.
And this year I am trying two new pumpkins/squash varieties. The Kakaï is the one from which you harvest the delicious seeds we eat on salads. It will be a fun one to grow

I definitely believe keeping a little fun in the garden is worth it and new varieties are here for that

seed sowing

Wool mulch coming in hot !

The most loved pet lambs got their haircut today

It’s no fun shearing 100kg+++ adult pet lambs! But they need it and these two actually love it

That’s another job ticked and bonus, I keep their fleece as mulch for the summer garden

Wool makes for an fantastic natural mulch that will eventually break down and feed the soil

wool for the garden New Zealand

It turns out… organic matter is something out of interest (unless it is ?) since a lot of you have enjoyed watching me prepare a lasagna/permaculture garden bed for spring planting

I live somewhere where most trees are evergreen all year long. Lucky enough we have a few trees who do loose their leaves in winter so that’s where I get my leaf supply to make leaf gold!

These two bags will be stored outdoors so the rain and sunshine can work their magic at helping the leaves decompose over time. The wool sacs I use are amazing for that purpose as they are breathable

And that’s two jobs at of one. Chickens are fed and happy

compost gardening