Dear reader,

HAPPY NEW YEAR - a little belated but I trust 2017 has kicked off really well for you all!!

Weather wise January has been strange with sometimes hot, then cold and then humid temperatures. We've had enough rain for the orchard, but we do water the vegetable garden.  The weeds everywhere are flourishing, even if the up and down weather causes trouble with disease in the tomatoes.  I've met a new weed in the clover family see below and been enjoying the summer annuals like Galensoga Galensoga paviflora, Amaranth Amaranthus viridus, Magenta spreen Chenopodium giganteum and Purslane Portulaca oleracea in smoothies and salads.

During January I was sorting through boxes of books stored in the barn, reconnecting with some and letting many others go (I'm going to the Papamoa market and using Trademe to sell them)  One book I particularly love is called "In Wildness is the Preservation of the World" by Eliot Porter. That title speaks to me deeply. Even little patches of 'weeds' are wildness that we can connect with and appreciate for their exuberance to grow and flourish with wild abandon, independent of us.

Earlier on in January I was so heartened to read this blog post called "The Future of Humanity" which has a quote from a very famous person (hint his first name is Charles) we have all heard of written in 1871 and whose theory is still the basis of how we view nature.  It is very well written see here.

My workshops are getting underway again.  I'm running two through the month long Bay of Plenty Sustainable Backyard programme, see below. 

Sunday 26th February 10-1pm at Andrea and Hone's amazing garden/orchard, Welcome Bay

Sunday 12th March 10-1pm held at Teacher in the Paddock, 190A Tara Road, Papamoa

 We are about to welcome my brother Ian and sister-in-law Malene from Denmark to the farm.  They are coming along to the Welcome Bay workshop to see what I get up to. In addition, my Australian brother John and Laura are arriving as well.  I can't wait to see them. all.

We don't have purslane Portulaca oleracea growing wild so I have grown it as a microgreen from seed.  It came up nice and thick and I've been putting it in salads and in my smoothies.  It is well known as a nutritious plant in many cultures being very high in Omega 3 and mucilaginous to eat. More in a blog here.

This time last year I travelled to Golden Bay and Nelson and it was there I learned that young nightshade leaves are edible.  The berries I've known are edible for a long time.  This always surprises people.  In order to address the misconceptions of Black nightshade Solanum nigra I've written a blog post about it including its nutritional/medicinal qualities and photos comparing it and deadly nightshade. Read here.

The orchard is a wild haven with grasses going to flower and their waving in the wind lovely to watch.  There's all sorts of flowers in among the grass like red clover Trifolium pratense, Catsear Hypochaeris radicata, Self Heal Prunella vulgaris, and Hawksbeard Crepis capillaris.
I planted chicory plants  Cichorium intybus which became very tall with beautiful pale blue flowers, producing seed which I'm sure will spread.  If anyone wants seed write me an email.

This plant is the new plant I met called Haresfoot trefoil Trifolium arvense and I found it on the edge of a parking place in Papamoa where it is very hot, dry, stony and compacted.  It has these lovely fluffy, pink flowerheads on short stalks 10-30cm high. It is in the Fabaceae or pea/clover family.  I think it is very ornamental rather than inviting me to eat it.

Do you know what this is?  Many people have never seen a leek Allium ampeloprasum gone to flower.  This one flower head will produce a large amount of small black seeds which you can sow to grow your own leeks. The bees love these flowers and visit them often, so I don't mind leeks going to flower.  We still use leeks gone to flower and cut up the stalk if they are not too tough. If they are you can take out the tough centre and steam them or donate the whole thing to the compost heap.

I thought these Oxtongue Helminthotheca echioides flowers growing all in a row were quite a wonderful sight. I have an affinity for this rough bristly plant.  I really like how it is upright and strong with sculptural flower/seed heads.  I like to include the young more tender leaves in smoothies.  They could also be steamed or put into broths for the rich mineral content they contain.

I had to include a picture of the leghorn chicks.  They have grown fast and it is now clear that we have 3 hens and 4 roosters.  A little hen is crouching in front, a rooster standing and another hen behind.  They are said to be 'blue' in colour.  I'm now letting them out every day as they are keen foragers and love to fly or get up on things as you can see.

This colourful striped scene is Catsear Hypochaeris radicata growing between the paths the cattle make on the slope of the gully.  I thought it looked really lovely.  In the foreground are some Red clover flowers Triflolium pratense.

I'm growing kumara (two sorts) and yams in pots again this year. I'll keep you posted on how they perform.

This last image is called "Spot the frog".

Have a wonderful summer and I wish you great health and happiness!!
Julia