Winter has now melted into Spring (Fun Fact: 1 September is the official start of Spring in New Zealand), which means it is time to harvest our Winter garden.  While we were away in the States, all of the veges grew much larger and many of them produced.  We have already eaten four crowns of beautiful, fresh broccoli!  Currently, there is one head of cauliflower nearly ready to pick.  Also, all of the lemons on our lemon trees are bright yellow and ripe for picking!

In other news (and not unexpected given the particularly cold Autumn), all but one of the eighteen lettuce plants perished.  Also, the cabbages have not materialised like I expected; however, they are flourishing and simply might require few more weeks before harvest.  As a first-time grower of brassicas, I am not yet sure of the timing.  That being said, the weather in late-Winter has been spectacular - sunny, dry (for the most part!), in the mid-teens during the day and above-freezing at night.  Hopefully, this will be the boost the plants need to finish production before I have to pull them out - seeds for our Summer garden are already sowed inside!

All things considered, it was a good experience learning to grow (and growing new things!) in such a small space.  I am not yet sure we have broken even cost-wise on the garden setup, but I am sure we will come out ahead once we harvest the Summer garden.  Can’t wait to eat more fresh broccoli and try the fresh cauliflower!

The ski fields have just opened, winter storms are forecast….and the cherry blossoms are blooming.

Yes, despite the official start of Winter nearly one week away, the Signs of Spring are everywhere!

The daffodil shoots have emerged from their long Winter’s slumber, the birds are singing (actually, I do not think they took a break), lilies are in bloom, rhododendrons are budding, the magnolias have gorgeous, pink flowers on them with many more to follow.  These examples are plants just around our yard, but in other areas, flower gardens, hedges, climbing vines, and trees are acting like Spring has already arrived.  Winters (except for this one, apparently) are generally mild enough to sustain blooming roses year round, and many native plants have beautiful flowers on them throughout the seasons.

Clearly, these plants must be confused, as I am.  What’s going on?  Climate change?  Transplants (no pun intended) from the Northern Hemisphere?  Perhaps, as new Kiwis, we are simply not used to seeing this level of Springtime explosion so early.

So, does this mean that we can declare Winter over before it even officially begins?

There are many parks around Christchurch, and Rus and I are fortunate enough to live very close to the large, central park called Hagley Park.  Within this vast park is a public golf course, numerous rugby and soccer fields, a crouquet club, lawn bowling, 42 netball courts, tennis courts, numerous walking and biking paths, and Christchurch’s extensive and popular Botanical Gardens. The beautiful Avon River, with its clear, swift-but-shallow water snakes its way throughout.

On most sunny days, Rus and I walk over through the park.  We bring stale bread and feed the ducks.  We marvel at the massive trees.  We inhale deeply the cool, fresh air.  We watch the fascinating bird life all around us.  We literally stop to  smell the roses from the rose garden.  And, this time of year, we take note of the transformation of the trees as they shed their leaves.  Please enjoy this slideshow of beautiful pictures from the glorious Hagley Park, taken from the height of Summer through Autumn!

The Winter Garden is alive and well, although we did lose two salad plants.  There were a couple of near-frost nights that were the likely culprits.  Despite this, we have been able to harvest already several hefty salads - yummy!

A few weeks ago, we had a potato that sprouted in the pantry, as well as two red onions, so we planted them for good measure.  I have not had any luck growing them to harvest in the (distant) past, but so far they look like strong plants.

In addition, the broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower are growing well and getting big.  With this success, we have also attracted bugs that love cauliflower leaves, as they have decimated several leaves on these plants.  To remedy, I will plant marigolds nearby because the scent of these flowers masks the scent of the cauliflower (which attracts the bugs), just like tomatoes. Hopefully, this will take care of the problem.

Also on the agenda this week is a dose of organic fertiliser.  members of the Brassica family (i.e. broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower) apparently need to be fertilised often, and I have not yet done this.  Unless it comes to picking and eating what’s in it, I am abnormally lazy when it comes to gardening - all the more proof that if I can do it, anyone can!

Updates will follow after these treatments have been given!

As I have mentioned in previous posts, part of our strategy to eat healthy and fresh food, save money, and “do our part” in treading lightly on the Earth involves growing as much of our own food as possible.

We experienced the pleasure and excellent value of having a backyard garden in our last house, and we wanted to continue that here in Christchurch.  Earlier in the Summer, Rus and Christian took a pile of old bricks and made a raised-bed herb and salad garden (which we have been enjoying ever since!).  There were, however, a couple of challenges to growing a decent-sized winter garden.

First, like many urban dwellings, land for planting is scarce.  Two, since we moved in the middle of Summer, it was too late in the planting season to start a traditional Spring garden.   Conversely, there was some good news!  One, Rus and I are always up for a challenge.  Two, the ground does not freeze in Christchurch; therefore, hearty vegetables like broccoli and cabbage could still be grown despite Winter’s arrival.  Three, 20 DAH-bee has a small patch of overgrown land between the garage and the neighbor’s fence, full of yard waste, just begging to be re-purposed.

Since about half of our rubbish output is organic, we and our flatmates decided to “compost”; this consisted of throwing all of our organic waste next to the garage until we could work up a compost bin (no one was willing to buy one as they run upwards of NZ$150).  Several smelly weeks and a few feral cats later, and Rus and I asked the neighbours (landlords) for any available wood scraps to make one. We hit the jackpot!  We were given some tongue-and-groove timber and an old Formica table.  Without nails and without spending any money, Rus built a large compost bin with a lid.  We shoveled weeks of old vegetable stems, coffee grounds, and eggshells into its new home (and prayed to the Worm Gods).

Then, borrowing the neighbors’ shovels and a rake, we cleared out the area where we would put the garden.   We purchased some organic garden soil with compost mixed in, garden accessories like a hose and reel and hand trowel.  Rus and Dylan picked up about 100 used bricks at the landlords’ other property (free!) for a walkway through the garden to the compost bin.  Finally, we bought seedlings from a local home improvement warehouse: red cabbage, green cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and lettuce.  We also bought a lemon tree and an orange tree with large fruits already on the vines.

On one of the (presumably) last warm days of Summer, we measured out the location of each plant and put the seedlings in the ground.  With a little luck, in 60-90 days, we will have more cabbage and cauliflower and broccoli - as well as plenty of fresh salad - then we know what to do with.  Hopefully, we can find some Bean-o around here somewhere too!

So we successfully planted an urban winter garden with limited space and fund - if we can do it, anyone can!

In addition, I will keep track of the return on investment (ROI).  In our summer garden in Pennsylvania, I estimate we returned 400-500% on our initial investment of about US$150 in fresh, organic vegetables.   We spent about the same equivalent in NZD on this one, so it will be interested to see how it turns out.

Stay tuned for updates!

*Reader alert: Lots of links in this one; however, if this information is new to you, I highly recommend checking them out!

I would like to offer my kudos to the President: Michelle Obama has broken ground on the much-anticipated White House Garden.

Advocates for organic farming and sustainable living have been calling for this for months, and even though I consider myself an amateur with only a few gardens under my belt, I am a huge fan of home gardens.  Name your issue:  Conventional produce not tasty?  Organics too expensive?  Concerned about salmonella and other food-bourne illnesses?  Is money tight?  Unsure about the future?  Feeling stressed out?  Start a garden!

The Obamas are setting a great example, especially since home gardens are more important than ever for the following reasons:

1. Growing food organically and close to home is healthy for you and the environment.

Obviously, replacing a lawn that needs to be watered, fertilised, and mowed into a productive food patch is better for the environment; however, many people do not fully understand the health and environmental impacts of purchasing food from a supermarket. For example, conventional produce is grown in depleted soil, requiring inputs and fertilisers to make the soil viable for planting.  Then, it is sprayed with highly toxic, cancerous pesticides (genetically-modified “RoundUp Ready” plants are actually sprayed with RoundUp!) throughout the growing process.  These chemicals eventually make their way into the water supply and contribute to harmful algal blooms (HABs), collapse of ecosystems, and ultimately ocean dead zones.  Finally, the produce is picked before ripeness to survive shipping (and is often coated in a waxy preservative!) until it arrives on your grocer’s shelf - not as tasty nor nutritious as they should be.

2. It reduces the reliance on a complex system of credit and fossil fuels to provide one of our basic human needs - food

It is estimated that it takes 10 calories of fossil fuel energy (from seed to sowing to supermarket) to produce one calorie of food for consumption! (1).  Furthermore, most farmers borrow money to plant seeds in anticipation that they will be able pay back the loans (and hopefully make a profit) when the crop is sowed.  Similarly, truckers rely on credit to fill their fuel tanks to ship food across the country, and pay off the loan (and hopefully make a profit) when they get paid for successfully delivering the shipment.  In the face of a credit crisis, Peak Oil, and climate change (droughts in food-producing areas, floods in others, etc.), this complex system is destined for disruptions that will impact Americans’ food security in the near future.

3. It relieves stress

The world news today does not exactly illicit feelings of calm and tranquility.  In fact, it can be downright scary.  Taking control of part of your food supply provides peace of mind for when disruptions occur.  Small farmers and family gardens got the United States through the last Depression.  It got the Soviets through the collapse of the U.S.S.R.  You can also avoid the risks of food-bourne illnesses associated with mass-produced food.  And what could be better than venturing out after a long day to see what vine-ripened goodies nature has provided for dinner?

4. You do not have to be a rocket scientist to do it
Remember, when you were a kid, putting a lima bean seed on a wet paper towel and watching it sprout? Plants are amazing.  A bit of water and a bit of sunlight, and plants are resilient little miracles.  Little miracles you can eat.   I do not consider myself a “green thumb” (I have killed my fair share of house plants), but gardening is easy enough for kids!

Spring is here (for my Northern Hemisphere readers), and it’s time to get planting!  No matter how big or small, I think you will be happy that you did.

1. Horrigan, Leo, Robert S. Lawrence, and Polly Walker. “How Sustainable Agriculture Can Address the Environmental and Human Health Harms of Industrial Agriculture.” Environmental Health Perspectives 110, no. 5 (May 5, 2002) (accessed March 20, 2009).

Continued from “Kaikoura”…

Several weeks ago, Rus and I booked a trip with Encounter Kaikoura, which specialises in dolphin watching and dolphin swimming tours.  Our flatmate, Radu, had swam with the dolphins a few weeks earlier and said it was amazing, so we opted to try it!  I did not know the details, only that the tour takes a bunch of people out on a boat to see dolphins and drops a few of them (wearing wetsuits) into the ocean so they could swim with them.

Kaikoura is a small town of about 2,000 people and is unique because of the deep ocean trenches just off its coast.  The underwater canyon system merges warm water from the north and mixes it with the cold waters from the Antarctic.  This allows the nutrients to be dispersed into the deep and support the huge communities of large ocean mammals like dolphins and whales that live there.  With relatively easy access to these awesome animals by boat, Kaikoura is a popular eco-tourist spot.

Once we checked into Encounter Kaikoura, a tourist shop and cafe bustling with people on this beautiful day, we waited to be summoned to get our wetsuits. From the outset, we were told that the first two tours did not go out that morning due to the rough seas from the storm.  Also, no dolphins had been spotted by any of the watching companies (there are many offering whale- and dolphin-watching by boat, helicopter, and small plane).  We were also told, in the event we did not get to see any dolphins, we would get charged a small operational fee.  I guess you could say that they did a good job of managing our expectations.  We went outside in the warm sun to await our call.

Once we got our wetsuits on (looking rather ridiculous), we waddled out to the presentation room with about 50 others, to watch an informational video about the dolphins we were about the encounter (hopefully).  Here, we learned that the dusky dolphins, were not baited or fed for the tours.  We also learned that they are quite acrobatic and love to do flips and spins; hopefully, we would see some of these while we were out!

After the video, it was time to go!  We boarded a bus for a five minute trip to the dock where two 30-ft. fishing boats awaited.  We got on our boat and soon after, we were off in search of dusky dolphins.

A little bit about the weather - it was warm (about 20C/70F) and sunny with some fluffy clouds in the sky.  The water was clear, light blue and beautiful.  After nearly two weeks of colder and wet weather (this is supposed to be Summer!), it was such a welcome change.  At first, the roller coaster-like motion of the boat as it went over the waves was fun, but some people near me were already disliking the trip (getting seasick).

On our way out to sea, we talked to a cool 30-something British couple (who live and work in Portugal).  They have spent the last month travelling New Zealand and were going to take a helicopter to the top of Mount Fyffe (which, at its summit, gives panoramic views of Kaikoura) to get married at sunset the next day.  It was going to be just the two of them and the Justice of the Peace.  The guy said they had been engaged for five years, and since their friends and families were scattered all over the world, they decided to marry privately and “make big parties” in Portugal and the UK when they got back.  As beautiful as Kaikoura is, I can see why they chose it to celebrate their special day - very romantic!

After about 45 minutes, we were told that the other boat that went out with us spotted something - an orca!  Orca are occasional predators of dusky dolphins, we were told, so my expectations of seeing those dolphins were dimished further.   By the time we had arrived, a second orca was with the first, both young males.  They were so close to the boat and beautiful!   While we were there checking out the orca, a flock of Wandering Albatross flew into the area.  These birds can live 70+ years and have wingspans of over three metres!  Rus captured some excellent photos of these fascinating animals.

Eventually, we continued on our expedition to find the dusky dolphins.  I migrated to the deck on the back of the boat to enjoy the sun, wind, and sea spray - what a glorious day out on the open ocean!  After searching for another hour and going farther and farther down the coast (we passed our campsite), the tour decided to take us over to an area where New Zealand Fur Seals live.  We had seen an odd one here and there, just laying on their backs floating, with their little front flippers resting on their bellies - so cute!  There was a giant rock off the coast where many of these little animals were resting in the sun.  There were adorable little baby fur seals too!  We floated near the rock so everyone could see them and take photos, then we were told it was time to go back.  We had been gone for 2.5 hours.

On the way back, the tour said there had been some dolphins spotted!  When I looked up, we were right in front of our campsite.  These were likely the exact dolphins we had seen this morning while selecting our tent site.  The tour guides should have just asked us, right?  At any rate, these were Hector’s dolphins - small, endangered, and very rare - and Encounter Kaikoura (actually, no one) has a commercial licence to swim with them.  We had to be content (and we were!) observing them from the boat.  They swam all around us, and we had plenty of opportunity to look at them.  One thing I did not realize about dolphins is that they sound just like humans when they inhale a deep breath.  It was cool to see and hear them!

Soon, it was time to go back to port for good.  We began the trip back and were told that we would be charged half-price for a “spectators’ tour”.  I was starting to feel a bit seasick (not from that news, although I was a bit annoyed), so I rested on the seat in front of me for the remainder of the trip and was glad when we reached solid ground again.  We took the bus back, changed out of the wetsuits, and walked across the street to our car.  We had been gone for four hours, and it was early (just before 5:00PM), but time to find dinner!

Rus and I were supposed to go up to Kaikoura (about two hours North) on Saturday night.  The plan was to drive up, find a place for dinner, set up the tent at the camp site, and relax before Sunday’s activities. However, by the time Rus was finished with work and it was time to pick up the rental car, a huge storm was raging - bringing torrential downpours and tropical storm-force winds.  Our packs were ready to go, but the weather was terrible (in Forrest Gump rain terms, it was “rain that came in sideways”), so we opted to go in the morning.

Saturday night we made dinner and chilled so we could get an early jump on the trip in the morning.

By the time we woke up on Sunday around 7:30AM, the sun was shining brightly and warmly, and there was not a cloud in site.   Everything smelled so fresh!   We ate breakfast, packed up the car, and were on our way.  The trip up to Kaikoura is straight up the coast on State Highway 1 (a two-lane highway) and is so stunning!  It was hard to believe there was an optional “Scenic Route” (which I think is redundant); we decided we would take on the way home.

We first drove through Waipara wine region, where we had been wine-tasting a few weeks prior.  Then we hit patches of rural grazing areas - lots of deer and horses and sheep (of course).  We stopped in a tiny town called Cheviot for a coffee, then jumped back in the car for the rest of the journey.  We drove up into the mountains, on roads that dropped off hundreds of metres into deep valleys.  Trees and heavy vegetation covered these mountains, and the sight of it all was simply spectacular.  Once again, except for the odd power line or farm shack, this scenery was virtually untouched.  There did, however, seem to be “more traffic than usual”, i.e. we saw several cars on the trip.

Eventually we made our way to the top of hill and a glorious view of the sea awaited us.  The sun was glistening off the azure water.  The rocky coast and mountains in the background, in contrast, were dark.  It was like a living postcard!

We winded our way back down the mountains to near-sea level; the road, at this point, traced the coastline.  The waves in the ocean were large from the storm that had passed and crashed against the rocks in giant splashes.  I could not get over the color of the water - simply beautiful!  With the fresh, salty breeze and the warm sun, it was going to be a great day!

We continued winding, passing by several scenic lookouts where others stopped to take pictures.  We went through short mountain tunnels and alongside a train track which we knew continued North into another area we have yet to visit - Marlborough (one of our future trips involves taking same coastal train to Marlborough with our bikes and biking to visit several of the 30+ vineyards there).

Several kilometres down the road and we found our campsite, Peketa. We stopped into the office to book a tent site and found a spot that would be suitable.  The campsite is right off the beach in the grassy dunes (no sand).  Walk a few metres, and the rocky beach and ocean waves await.  There were no other tents around us at the time. We gathered damp driftwood and left it on an old picnic table to dry in the sun; we would use it to build a fire later.  Looking out into the ocean, not far off from the breakers was a small pod of dolphins.  I was getting excited!

At this time, it was getting close to our scheduled time to swim with the dolphins, so we made our way to Encounter Kaikoura to check in!

The other night, we heard some rustling around in our garbage.  I thought it was the stray cat we often see hanging around.  Our roommate, Dylan, had and look and casually said, “Oh, it’s just the hedgehog again.”  Just the hedgehog!?  I had never seen one; I wanted to see!

The hedgehog was the cutest damn little creature I have seen in recent memory.  I couldn’t get over it!  And it could have cared less that there were three people (Rus, me, and Dylan) all staring at him - and me squealing and bouncing around excitedly in the background.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t keep him (booooo), so after we took a few pictures, I grabbed Rus’s leather work gloves so he could escort the little rascal away from the garbage.  When Rus picked him up, Sonic curled into a ball with his little hands and feet all scrunched up next to his face - awwww - the cuteness scale was off the charts!  I took the opportunity to pet him, and he was definitely spiky!

I took a few more pictures and let Rus take him to chomp away on the neighbor’s garden…but I hope he comes back to visit again :)

A few days ago, Courtney and I ventured to the Botanical Gardens, located in central Christchurch, for a bit of relaxation and outdoor time. It was a truly beautiful day in every way: breezy, just hot enough to be comfortable in the shade, and no bugs. We wandered around for a while trying to find a tucked away little spot to sit down and enjoy the gardens and some activity planning. Courtney brought her MacBook, and I supplied the wireless 3G broadband modem so we could look up some cool bike routes and tramping trips.

As we were laying there on our blanket, looking up into the underside of a huge tree, we notice two fairly large birds nesting in the branches high above. They weren’t moving around much, just perched on a branch, with their heads turned around resting on their backs (similar to a resting duck). At first I thought it was a hawk because of its size. After about 45 minutes one of the birds took flight and landed on a smaller tree. I rushed up to get a closer look. The bird didn’t fly away; it just turned around to look at me. I must have been only two metres away. Up close, I noticed it had a gray iridescent head, tip of the tail, back and wings. It had a longish orange beak that curved downward at the tip (similar to a hawk but not as dramatic). Its head looked like a normal pigeon, with small beady eyes and the distinctive overall shape. I thought to myself: is this some kind of cool mutant New Zealand pigeon (it was 2-3 times the size of a normal pigeon)?

The next day, my colleague and friend, Ryan, helped me identify the bird from my verbal description. It turns out the birds I saw were male and female Kererus (the New Zealand pigeon). Here are some of the more interesting facts about this bird (some of which I experienced first hand):

• Kereru seem totally unafraid of man
• They are entirely vegetarian
• They are faithful to their mates
• Unlike most birds, they can drink without raising their heads to swallow
• They primarily eat fruit and play a big part in spreading seeds across forest land
• They shower in light rain by hanging upside-down on a branch and let the rain fall on their bellies
• They lay a single egg, which is long, narrow and white
• The male and female take turns sitting on the egg; alternating 12-hour shifts
• They produce a cottage cheese-like milk called “crop-milk” for their young (penguins and flamingos are the only other birds that do this)
• They are known for their spectacular aerial displays during mating

It was truly awesome to witness an unseen (for me) and uncommon bird in the wild in a new country. Discovering its uniqueness only made it that much better. You can find more information about the Kereru at the New Zealand Birds website and Wikipedia. The very beginning of this video clip shows Kereru flying and perching.   Enjoy!