Struan Farm

Secret of Change: Finished Object

I've finished knitting and blocking my "Secret of Change" shawl by Veera Valimaki. Given the gauge of the Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light used (colorway is "Cousteau"), it's quite a bit smaller than the pattern version. If you want a larger shawl another repetition of the pattern in sequence could be done easily. I decided it's okay as is, so didn't keep going, but I could see the merits of a larger shawl too. Maybe next time.

This is an easy pattern to knit and can be found here. I also used my Coco Knits "Knitter's Block" for the first time to block this project, and it is great, I'm a convert. Find info here. The kit includes a blocking cloth and T-pins in a nice storage bag with the blocks, which are pieced together like a puzzle to fit your specific project.

The Return of Happiness

Here's our magical Lily of the Valley, now blooming fully at Struan Farm. I was interested to see in my Victorian Flower Dictionary that this flower symbolizes the "return of happiness," since it peaks during the month when spring turns to summer and "happy, carefree days come back to us."

I'm struck that by clearing out this overgrown garden to allow things more room to thrive we've seen the return of happiness!

Gimme Shelter

I know, we all think of the Rolling Stones. But in this case it's more rain, more sheep sheltering from the rain at Struan Farm:

Jim's Hut: The Next Installment

Wow, we arrived at Struan Farm to see the builder's work on Jim's Hut over the past week:

The bunk beds look great; the construction part of this project is pretty much done for now. When it's moved down to the river in due course we'll add a deck on the front, and a little room off the back for a composting toilet. (John is also thinking about an outdoor shower off the back, since we'll rig up a water tank to capture rainwater from the roof.) The builder is making two ladders for each side to allow those sleeping on the top to clamber up. 

Noel, our painting expert, arrived on Saturday to assess the project. He'll start with the interior to make sure that's done in time for Christmas, the exterior job will be weather dependent. Not sure we'll get the native timber floor refinished before the holidays, but that's in the cards too. I've got a nice braided rug for the floor.

Mattresses and bed linens have been purchased, along with a small folding table and chairs. John is picking up a small wood burning stove for one corner. We'll also re-use a nice stainless steel sink and benchtop from the old Homestead, put that in on a wood frame that will allow for shelves underneath. A wee gas camp stove, teapot, lanterns and we're all set! Oh, I forgot, we think it needs a rocking chair too, I'm on the look out for a nice wooden one.

John has already decided this is going to be his getaway/hideaway, although he can't tell me who he would be trying to getaway or hideaway from!!

I'll continue to post as we make progress on this.

 

In Search of Jim

We've been busy renovating "Jim's Hut" these past few weeks. One of my related projects is to frame a photograph we have of Jim and write a short welcome explaining the history of the hut for anyone staying there.

Te Haeata "Jim" Ngarama was a fencer who worked for the Robertson family on Struan Farm for twelve or so years in the 1960's. He lived in the hut down by the pond.

The family remembers him fondly. He had a huge draft horse that he kept in the paddock with a rope around its neck to make catching him easier. Since Te Reo was his native language he referred to most things as "whatchamacallit."

When he retired from the farm he bequeathed the carved wooden rammer he used for fencing to John (who still treasures it), and returned to Waimiha, his home town. The family continued to call the building "Jim's Hut" in the intervening years.

Recently John, Anna and I travelled over to Waimiha and found Jim's grave/final resting place.

Special Find

One intended consequence of the major weeding and clean out accomplished in the various gardens at Struan Farm over the past few weeks has been that plants previously having to compete for room are now thriving.

I was thrilled to stumble on this lovely little Lily of the Valley! Hope it grows and spreads this season. Now that I know it's there I will help it along.

Last of the Winter Roses

It's always a bit sad to get to the end of the season's hellebores, aka "winter roses." This past week I picked a nice vase for the Homestead bedroom at Struan Farm ahead of guests arriving for a visit.

 

But of course then the good news is that spring is here!

Weekend Luncheon at the Farm

Recently our friends Elizabeth and Bruce came to Struan Farm for a visit and lunch. We're a little betwixt and between in terms of vase appropriate flowers at the moment, so I improvised for the table arrangement with viburnum berries, boronia, and bits and pieces from the gardens:

I served "Spicy Beef with Harvest Vegetables" and "Orange Lightening Cake" from Annabel Langbein's new "Simple Pleasures: The Free Range Cook" cookbook, both of which were really good.

The beef salad is topped with a garlic dressing made with garlic, lemon, mayonnaise and yogurt, as well as dukkah (recipes included). 

I'm liking this book, it's more in the spirit/aesthetic of the first Free Range cookbook vs. the more recent Free Range in the City. While some of the recipes look like re-treads/reinterpretations of some old favorites, there's enough that's inspiring for sure.

Rainy Day at Struan Farm

This past weekend was one of those weekends at Struan Farm when everyone had to hunker down, the wind was blowing and the rain flying sideways.

Over breakfast John and I looked out at the Pet Paddock and noticed this:

Two ewes with two sets of twin lambs huddling under the huge oak tree, sheltered from the storm.

Hut Happenings

Major progress on the exterior renovation of Jim's Hut at Struan Farm over the past week:

This next week the interior will get insulated and two sets of bunk beds built (we've decided to do this in lieu of a loft, since it will create more interior space). It will be great for a group of fishermen down at the river, or even intrepid kids! In the meantime it will stay put adjacent to the Homestead.

John made contact with the painter to try to keep things on track to finish this by Christmas....

Rocks in My Head

I've had a serious number of close encounters with heavy, large rocks the past few weeks at Struan Farm, deconstructing some overgrown rock gardens that were lovely in their time but that needed weeding and major clean up.

This despite the fact that I love rocks and have since a young girl. I want stone walls up at our new house site, especially around our giant tawa trees. The King Country landscape, and Struan Farm, are dotted with interesting limestone formations.

During a recent work project I escavated a special rock. It has a wonderful shape, I love the holes carved by water over the ages. I think it looks either like a church window, or "Jaws," that great white shark, depending on your active imagination. Figured this had to feature in the garden somewhere, so I've put it in the front bed outside the Homestead....

Hard Labor

I spent the past week working in the gardens at Struan Farm. Made a dent, really, I did. We won't speak about the state of my fingernails or my bruised knees, however.

First John and I made a trip to the garden center to purchase plants/shrubs for the raised bed just outside the Homestead. This is the garden in which we've replaced all of the soil to get rid of a terrible weed called "twitch." I was able to get everything planted before it rained, good timing.

I did have some help:

 

Next I weeded the sunflower garden beside the Pet Paddock, planting zinneas I've grown from seed along with sunflower, cornflower, and "cottage garden" seeds. I then covered everything with surplus chicken wire to deter both rabbits and birds.

 

We're also having new fencing put in along here, so I left a decent margin for the fencers to trample. I've learned this lesson the hard way, from builders and painters who don't seem to see plants right under their feet.

Next I cleaned out and reorganized my cutting garden. With help from sister-in-law Anna I replanted a decent stash of the extra dahlia tubers, a temporary home until we get gardens established up at the new house site.

 

Lastly, also with help from Anna, I weeded and tranplanted trees/plants from a back garden we are redesigning. Our friend Aaron delivered a few loads of topsoil in his bobcat and carried away a pile of rocks.

Part of this garden will stay, part will get grassed so that John can mow this area more easily.

I couldn't believe the number (40 odd) and size of the rocks I took out this garden. I was sore for days, so cannot imagine what it took to build it in the first place. Robertsons and the things they do!

And I mentioned weeds, didn't I?

We did do a bit of pruning too....

Let the Hut Begin

Big news--Daniel the builder and his partner arrived at Struan Farm on Monday to start the renovation of Jim's Hut. The previous weekend John painted the corrugated iron for the roof, while we both cleaned out the interior so it was ready for their arrival.

Here's the "before" picture:

 

Here's what it looked like at the end of day one, with new roof installed and the deconstruction/repair underway:

I'm already thinking about interior colors, bedding, etc., can't help myself!

Ipad Test

Herewith the first photo taken with my new Ipad! It's a very interesting knitting themed sculpture by Hastings artist Keryn Whitney, "Wool with Needles," from the latest issue of "NZ House and Garden" magazine. Since we love all things knitting, thought this was appropriate. We've also just converted from PC to Mac, and upgraded to the latest version of Microsoft Office for Mac, so lots happening on the technology and brain cell fronts.

Sheepish Humor: Dags

Recently my sister-in-law Julie emailed that she had to "rattle her dags" to go off and do something asap. The expression, which I had never heard before, had me laughing. Of course, if sheep with dags were to run, they'd certainly rattle!

The sheep at Struan Farm rarely have rattling dags, they are kept tidy. For the uninitiated, "dags" are what accumulate on the rear ends of sheep. The fleece at the back requires regular trimming, or "crutching" so that flies, etc. don't breed. This is done apart from, and more regularly, than shearing. Dags trimmed off sheep are actually quite good to put on the garden, you can imagine why..

But where I start to get confused on all this dag stuff is with another expression: "he's such a dag!" As used, this is meant to be a compliment. I wouldn't think the scraps off a sheep's back end would be a good thing particularly, would you? So I did a bit of research, and it does mean that someone is funny in a nice way, and doesn't relate back to sheep dags. Guess we've all learned something!

In Case the Bees Get Lazy

Started to wonder/worry recently that I should have researched our apple varieties at Struan Farm a bit more thoroughly to make sure pollinators weren't required. In our two orchard areas at the farm we've got Monty's Surprise, Peasgood Nonsuch, Bramley, Cox's Orange Pippin and Akane. Next year we'll probably add Granny Smith and Braeburn to the mix to cover all the bases.

In scrolling through information online I began to see references to varieties that are meant to be planted with Bramley, for example, and thought: oh. oh.

So I contacted Heather at Mapua Country Trading, my reliable source on all things fruit trees. She assured me that bees travel, and we should be fine without specific cross-pollinating varieties of apple trees. But that if we wanted, crab trees could be used for this same purpose, and are commonly used in commercial orchards.

Since John and I both like crab apple trees generally (and the birds love them), we decided why not plant a few just in case the bees were to get lazy? Varieties favored are Jack Humm, John Downie, or Golden Hornet. We've ended up with Jack Humm, which apparently also have large crab apples if I were ever to get into using them for jelly or whatever.

These will get planted in the next day or so.

Work in Progress: Ella's Stocking

While this won't be done for this next Christmas, I'm making progress on Ella's needlepoint Christmas stocking:

I've done the little girl's dress and the teddy bear in velvet:

Next there's one for Livvy, then one for Charlie. I've already got the canvases and threads. No rest for Nana KB, clearly!

Times Two

Hard to resist the twins walking around Struan Farm at the moment: