--->> The SIMPLE Answer to providing food... Why dont we do these things?

Ive just been looking at this link - Please take time to read it, and comment as you wish below... What do YOU think?
FOOD FOREST

Oh the possibilities. Especially here in little old East Christchurch where the landscape keeps changing. We have plenty of flat land available for re-construction. SOME OF THAT LAND CAN NO LONGER BE BUILT ON - Perfect for growing food.

Too Simple? ...
Where do we start. Im ready - I would donate seeds or plants, Im sure others would too?...
THIS is an exciting simple thing to do...for us, for our city, and for our Grandchildrens children.
Thinking Outside The Square
Love to You

E BUTTERFLY
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Summer Berries... Surviving School start...Survival Stuff

Scarlet Runner Beans - Yum!

Its the Weekend... already!
And we have Waitangi Day on Monday, so a three day weekend is in store. Awesome!
This week was pretty stressful, and with School starting again for the new year, it was One Of  Those Weeks.
However, we got through it and everything turned out to be ok. Mr almost-12 is keen to be back, so far, so good. Miss 5 is almost ready to go, she has immunisations this week, will have treatment for her hands and be on track for starting mid to late Feb.
How quickly the school holidays went, and here we are again, worrying about books and school fees, new shoes and haircuts. Its all a-buzz. And I miss Blaise when he isnt home, but thats ok, hes where he should be.
So to remove some of the stress, we took off  to go blueberry picking today. It was so nice to go from the East, where we ride the roads and bump and graunch everywhere down potholes and over sandhills, to the South, where its relatively normal and everything looks like it should.
Prebbleton looked great, Hornby fantastic...
Down Shands Road and past Watties - a taste of The Old Times, as I used to work there way back when... and we found the berry place with no worries.
Have a look at where we went!
Blueberry Bliss - Website
So at $12 a kg, I had decided 2kgs was a good amount for two adults, three children to pick perhaps. Well, Arlais lasted until one kg had been picked. She did very well, but Im thinking she ate more than she picked. Gord (15y) had the best idea, he could reach where most couldnt, being well over six foot. The sun ripened berries at the tops of the highcrop plants were his domain. The biggest fattest juiciest berries too! He and Blaise later found a massive clump of big plump ones to fill up the last of our containers. I wasnt sure Blaise would like them, but I think he ate his fill too :)
I just wandered along picking as I went, stuffing a few in here and there, Im intrigued by the different Blueberry varieties and how different they taste. We got Atlanta and Jersey high crop varieties. Here at home, we have a Centurion bush and a Tif Blue - both of which are very small, but both fruiting at the moment, although they ripen in Feb/March. They are quite different to the high crops we saw today which were very tall. Gulp - I hope mine might grow that size one day :-)

Petunias

Came home from our day out, after picking up my latest trademe purchases - a Feijoa, a white pearl rose banksia rose, and a dwarf ballerina *samba* crabapple... oh, and a Satsuma mandarin of unknown variety, could be Miho, or maybe Kawano apparently. Im very keen to have my own orchard one way or another, and at this rate, it will be sooner. Now to get them organized in their own little... or big pots, with all their nutritional requirements supplied so they can GROW... Grow strong and big as Arlais says to them.

Bought Clementine Mandarins at the supermarket this week - couldnt help myself, seeing Ive just recently brought one myself. They were so super sweet, and so easy to peel. The kids were impressed, and I cant wait for the tiny fruit on our tree to grow.

Have been packing another Survival box. I dont know why, it just feels right. Have not completed it yet, am in the process of getting more things for it,  on my list I have rope, some more batteries, lighters, matches, candles. I also need to put in some more first aid things, like crystacide ointment, bandages, pads and toilet paper... Lots of conversations about the additions, adding to the list, more talk... Maps must be added on The List also. Another addition will be a wind up radio, we need to be in touch with whats going on if things go awry. After writing all this, we have just had one of the first aftershocks Ive felt in a week or two. Im sure its not over, but what can we do?
Its not so much scary as annoyingly frustrating now.

Radish and Solar Yellow Carrots

The Garden is looking a bit bedraggled at the moment. Its not been the classic Summer days at all, and there has been a lot of that cold wet stuff (rain)  Patchy weather is what I would call it I think!
The pumpkins have taken off nicely. Quite a number of fruits growing nicely. One in particular I can see from under my tree, which makes me grin. I love pumpkins. As a friend said today, they grow by the hour and this one doesnt know it yet, but its going to be PIE!

The corn under the tree was mostly a disaster... Not all however, I have quite a number flowering at the moment in the other bed, full sun. I know it wasnt ideal conditions, position or care, as Im a first-timer with corn, but it seems to be forgiving :)
I am so looking forward to corn on the cob, as is one little 5 yr old girl who licks her lips when she talks about corn cobs with butter!

Echinacea & Bees

The other new garden has been *horse-poohed* and weve dug it over twice or three times now, breaking up the clods, its very nice soil and Im looking forward to planting some medicinal herbs in it.
Everything seems to be taking its time and growing nicely, so we cant complain.
I even have four tiny little olives on one of the trees (J5) growing down the driveway. They certainly cheer me up, what a kick to have your own olives growing!!

Well, thats me for now.
Not a lot happening except the mundane and necessary. Plodding along, and getting there.
Hope life is good in your world.
Happy Gardening
Love,
E BUTTERFLY
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Mandarin Satsuma Miho

First fruit of 2011 - Bloody Butcher Babies!

Poppy Head, still no showing of colour... Exciting!



Another gorgeous morning in Christchurch, New Zealand.

My furry friends have been out there *helping* me with the composting... See below for some cute furries!


Washington - Rubbing on the sticks that are put there to deter poohing in mummys garden!
See Zander lying in the polystyrene box behind. They all love those boxes, they must be quite warm.

We have water restrictions, and today is not my watering day, so weeding it is, well once the coffee break is over!... We have 26 degrees promised today, which is great for the tomatoes. Not so great for us who wish to have our beds tidy and weed-free for Xmas... but of course, Ive learnt, Gardens are always a work in progress, and as so, are never weed-free.



Parsley Babies... Yum!








Theres always some little unwanted plant creeping up somewhere!
Next year I hope to have some swan plants in, to attract the butterflies. My efforts as such this year are the buddleias - I have a creamy peach one to pick up tomorrow. Below youll see the Barbie Pink one. I also hope to gather others, I love their flowers, they remind me of lilacs, which I hope to have one of eventually too... Then theres Spindleberry, I love their wee berries... Oh heck. Add it to the Plants To Gather list!!


Buddleia. This one is lipstick pink. Like HOT pink!
Barbie Buddleia!


We have Kereru, or  NZ Native Wood Pigeons in the trees at the back. They dont stay long, but they nibble the plums next door. I think they must come from Woodham Park which is around the road from us. It is wonderful to see them, though they never stay long enough, big fat luscious berry-eating, branch benders that they are. Theyre far bigger than anything else we have visiting us, and their wings make a definitive noise when they fly!



Maori Potato with flowers. Im new to potato growing, with mixed success. Next season will be better!


The Eau-de-cologne Mint from Miss B along the road is growing nicely.
The scent is quite unusual. She also gave me Sweet Cicely which has made itself at home and is quite sweet indeed,  has an earthy after taste with it.

We have two stevia plants that I love. How awesome to know you have sugar when you dont have sugar *grin*

Another thing to do, is to figure out where to put grains. I really am itching to try growing something to provide us with a versatile grain...
Im hooking into Kay Baxters book Koanga Gardens Garden Guide. It is awesome, and very informative for NZers and their gardens... I aim to get my own copy, the library wants theirs back!!

Well thats it for today.
Im glad I wrote, its more real when its there in pictures, and I can look back. I just need to put aside some time to write more often...
Hope youre all enjoying the Spirit of the Season, whatever your beliefs, traditions, culture or location.

Be kind to Yourself,
Love,

E BUTTERFLY
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The Benefits of Spring!!

Have had a pretty good day today, despite it being the 27th - the prophecy for the End of Christchurch is tomorrow apparently, so Im making a blog post just in case I get caught up handing The End of My World As I Know It and dont get a chance...
It is GORGEOUS weather in Christchurch at the moment - fresh crisp frosts in the mornings giving way to high blue skies, and if there are clouds, they dont dare stay long so the sun is making his presence well known. I love Spring!
Unfortunately the children have both seccumbed to their big brothers virus, and have sore throats, so we bundled along the river bank this morning to make our way to the Park. Woodham Park is looking its best at the moment. Love love love it.
We found our good friend The Dog there. He loves Blaise, and always finds a stick so Blaise will throw it for him. It did the kids good to get out in the fresh air, and the sun is a good healer.

All the bulbs are starting to show their gorgeous faces, and the blossom is a reminder of all the good things in the world.

Our seedlings inside are growing slowly, but steadily. Tomatoes are almost ready to be put out to harden off so they can be planted next month.  I cant wait to have my own tomatoes growing again!
Well thats it for now. Photos to add today...

Love to All,
especially those in Auckland :-)
E Butterfly
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Quick Post... Eye Candy @ Etsy.com

So Im a bit bored tonight, the kids are watching TV and Im here on the computer,... been a bit busy this week, doing some house wrecking errr... some de-cluttering.

I found my way around the internet shopping portals to ETSY - my favourite place of unique and handmade gifts - Heaven!!!
Have a look at some of this gorgeous stuff... I could spend ages browsing...oophs, I mean I DO spend ages...
Then I found THIS PLACE - The place to buy prints from the lady with the prints like the one in my previous post
KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON! ... Our post earthquake mantra.

Also, gorgeous jewellery... LOOK HERE for butterflies  AND HERE for trees - or here for more trees - cos tomorrow IS ARBOUR DAY!
Gorgeous hollyhocks HERE and Dahlias here!  Wow, those are gorgeous, unique and affordable!

Ok, so as you were... I should go and make myself useful... I just popped in to show you some pretties... Hope youre having a fantastic Queens birthday weekend... An extra day off is nice!!
HAPPY ARBOR DAY... Plant a tree... Nurture Your Garden...Hug your kids... hmm, two out of three isnt bad, is it?
Love from my heart to yours <3

E Butterfly
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Life on the Avon River... Christchurch, New Zealand - Spring!

Our first sighting of Ducklings!

<--- One of the larger Swans, so inquistive but rather haughty!
They are so elegant on the water, and rather clumsy on land...

Miss three is quite keen to sit on the edge and watch the ducklings... The tide brings the water line up quite high at this time of the year, and the white-bait fishermen are dotted along the rivers edge. Here is Arlais sitting watching the first clutch of ducklings we have seen - six in total. She is fascinated because they are not scared of her at all, and the mother is teaching them how to catch food, she welcomed a few crumbs from Arlais' scone! ----->

Beautiful waxy Camellia flower - one of the very tender flowers, such a shame that they dont last long, and bruise so easily...

<--- An olde-worlde favourite, Wisteria vine.
It grows beautifully at the top of a neighbours fence.
I love
purple, but this is purple at Natures utmost best!

The Maori word for YELLOW is Kowhai (Ko-fy) ----> What a beautiful specimen! The native birds love the flowers, and it has showy seed pods most of the year long. They incase hard yellow seeds that at their best need scarification before use... Very pretty and well worth the preparation!

Morning Tea with our Feathered Friends... Ungainly on land, beautiful and elegant gliders on the waters surface... They are much taller than they look once on the riverbank! Quite intimidating when they stretch to their full height :) I wouldnt steal their bread, would you?

<--- A gorgeous Green blossom from an Elm tree.
Just lovely. The tortured roots and branches belie the fact that this old gnarled tree has in store such beautiful GREEN blossoms. Extraordinary - again, Nature is so full of surprises...







Thats it from the Avon River til next time...
Thanks for Looking ...
Blessings

EButterfly
Thats E for Earth :-)