Struan Farm

Jam & Jelly, Collared

Pet lambs Jam and Jelly scored some bling this week here at Struan Farm. While it's easy to see that the brown faced lambs are Karen's pets, sometimes the pure white ones get lost in the crowd. And while I'm not sure about Fergie, Whiskey and Camilla given their aggressive behaviour at the back gate at bottle time, I'm rather attached to Jam and Jelly, along with my brown faced lambs Bambi and Diva. They come when they're called and aren't rough with either me or the other lambs.

Jam and Jelly are the twins whose mum got trapped under a log and ending up dying. We converted them to feeding by bottle in the Pet Pen, an exercise that took some time. They were wary of human touch for several weeks. It took a gentle approach to establish a relationship. Early on I had to chase Jam around the Pet Pen to hold and feed her, she wouldn't drink otherwise.

The collars are to avoid any confusion for Farmer John, identifying the lambs as "Karen's Pets." While it's usually easy to identify socialised pet lambs by their behaviour, when out in the paddocks they can get caught up in a mob of similar looking sheep and rounded up or separated. We don't want that.

Jam was easy to collar while she was drinking a bottle, hers is bright pink. Jelly was a bit more wary, certainly wary of John, who was meant to be helping me. The next day we swapped roles to get her collared: John held the bottles of milk feeding the two lambs while I put a bright purple collar on Jelly. She wasn't fussed.

Mission accomplished. I think they like them!

The other three white pet lambs are Whiskey (ram), Fergie and Camilla. Whiskey will go off to Farmer John's before or after Christmas. We'll see how Fergie and Camilla's personalities develop once the bottle chaos starts to calm down, they may get collars still. Fergie was a reasonably behaved lamb when she was separated in a paddock with Whiskey. 

Of course the pet lamb diva of them all, Rosie, still wears her red collar with pride. Without doubt she'll keep the Class of 2018 in line, with or without collars, once everyone is weaned and out running with the mob December/January.

Potting Again

A few days ago John and I took to the potting table here at Struan Farm. I had some marigolds to get out of seed trays into pots, while he was starting to dig up and pot the totara seedlings that we discovered growing below the mother tree. 

After I finished potting up 250 marigold plants I joined John to help with the totaras. We managed to get a total of 650 potted up, were quite pleased with ourselves! Next for me come zinnia seedlings.

Piopio's Next Top Model 2018

The auditions by the pet lambs here at Struan Farm have begun for our 2018 Christmas card. First up is Bambi, one with a little help from her friends.

I started with Bambi because I thought she would be the most cooperative, and she was. I managed to get the antlers on Whiskey, but couldn't take a photo of him with them on just yet. I don't think I've got a prayer getting anywhere near Jam and Jelly with the headgear, but Jam could surprise me. The auditions continue, stay tuned!

 

Fluffy Like Candy Floss

Or pink cotton candy, depending on your jurisdiction.

John's avenue of flowering awanui cherry trees has had quite the spring here at Struan Farm. We've had little wind and no major rains since they started to bloom. As a result they've turned themselves into such fluffy pink states that they look like candy floss running up the drive. (Truth be told I said "cotton candy" to myself but autocorrected.)

People have stopped to take photos! The tuis and bees have been loving them too. Thought I'd give you one more look at the show before leaves start to appear and rain happens. 

Battling the Bluebells

I've spent most of the past week here at Struan Farm head down bum up in the Homestead gardens. It's time for the big spring clean and then some.

John has decided a major redo of the Homestead gardens is in order, pronouncing that they weren't looking "homely" any more. For non-kiwis reading this I should translate, this means not "home-y" (vs. ugly). I guess we've had a disconnect on this, since as the gardener I'd thought "we" were trying to make them lower maintenance in our later middle age, focusing "our" efforts on getting the new gardens at the newish house established and looking good.

My problem seems to be that the new gardens are now looking so good that John wants essentially the same thing at the Homestead. And since the Homestead is the house he grew up in, it seems he still wants it looking like a home. His home. With serious flower gardens like Mum and Dad planted once again. A garden of national significance without the associated work force, you get the idea. So I've spent time this week digging things out and planning for more flowers. It's a bit late in the season for all this but I'm onto it. A large, too old camellia has been chopped down, and John is busy redesigning several gardens and paths and taking down a trellis.  Relatively major work.

I've also been directed to get the bluebells under control. I hadn't touched any bluebells in the gardens, since along with blue hydrangea they were John's mum's favourites. Awhile ago I went on the record that they had the potential to be weed-like. Now they've spread everywhere. 

My week has been spent digging out hundreds of bluebells. Hundreds and hundreds. Some will grow back, they're like onion weed and violets, you can't get them all but rather need to stay on it from one year to the next.  We're leaving the bluebell dell in the roadside wooded garden, but that will also get a clean up to some extent once the spring bulbs have finished their show. Especially where they've tried to bully the tulips. We don't mind bluebells there, provided they behave themselves.

 

Not sure I will win the battle with the bluebells, but I do know that I can honour that request for the home gardens to be "homely" again. Even as I fret about my ability to manage it all.

 

Counting Kereru with Mrs. Tiggy-winkle

The Great Kereru Count 2018 started yesterday! And so in the morning I climbed up the hill behind the Cottage here at Struan Farm to the trees that border our fence with the neighbour. There are willow and poplar trees here where I almost always see kereru/native woodpigeon in numbers. Sometimes as many as twenty.

Yesterday I counted four. It was a cloudy day and I was late for the morning feed I suspect. But coincidentally I bumped into Mrs. Tiggy-winkle out doing the count as well. She agreed, there were only four in the trees today.

And can I just say that I'm not nearly as far sighted as Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, especially with my contacts in. It's a wonder she saw any kereru at all!

Our Kauri Preservation Project

Most NZ readers will know that our native kauri tree is under major threat from "kauri dieback disease." Several bush areas have been closed off from public access in an effort to get it under control and protect areas that haven't had problems just yet. The pathogen attacks the roots and is carried in soil. In Waipoua Forest up north visitors to Tane Mahuta wash their feet before entering the bush, but there is still grave concern for the giant trees, Tane included.

Charlie Smart, our local nurseryman, recently told us that people have stopped buying and planting kauris out of concern that they will die. Of course after hearing that John has adopted a contrarian view. We have been buying kauris and planting them in our extended native bush reserve. John's theory is that we may just be sufficiently remote here at Struan Farm that we can establish a protected enclave for the tree.  Kauris need all the help they can get.

It's not easy carting trees and planting them on those steep hillsides. And as you can see he's staking and tying them. Twenty-five so far and counting. Now we pray the goats don't invade.

 

Along the Mangaotaki

John and I were down at the Mangaotaki River that borders the southern end of Struan Farm a day or so ago in the late afternoon. In summer we often take wine and cheese down to the rapids near the sandy beach at the end of the day, but in winter it gets rather wet and muddy so we don't venture down in that direction all that often.

There's an area of smaller rapids just upstream from there where nephew Mike has been working to clean up farm rubble beside that stretch of the river. We're looking at planting more natives along the river and fencing, similar to what John's been doing along the stream that runs down from the QEII bush reserve.

A rather spectacular old willow tree is the main feature currently. I have cautioned both John and Mike to leave it alone. It's decorated with native orchids and ferns, I absolutely love it. Especially when the late afternoon light is just so. If anyone gets near this tree with a chainsaw they'll have me to answer to, and it won't be pretty!

Magnolia in Detail

Just had some fun with the big magnolia blooming down at the Homestead in the late afternoon light here at Struan Farm.

Going More Than A Bit Potty

Almost tomato time at Struan Farm! I've spent several days potting up the seed trays of various tomatoes that have germinated in the glasshouse. This year we've got saved seeds from last season I've christened "Big Red," "Black Oxheart," both saved and new, "Tula Black," "Oxheart," "Albenga Oxheart," "Black Cherry," "Cherokee Purple," "Marmande," and "Mr. V's Purple," seeds sent to me by my tomato mentor Mr. Vodanovich from Dargaville.

One day I counted up over 300, and that was before my latest pot-a-thon. I've still got heaps of "Big Red" plants in seed trays to spare. May have to run those into the local community garden.

And yes, quite a few of these will end up at the Piopio Community Fruit & Veg Stand in due course. Once the weather is warm enough for plants to be planted outside.

A Walk Along the Avenue

John's avenue of awanui cherry trees are coming into flower here at Struan Farm. As the trees have matured their spring show has become quite spectacular. The bees and tuis love them too.

At the moment this also happens to be the paddock where a number of ewes with their lambs are hanging out. It's fun to wander and see what's happening in the late afternoon.

I stumbled upon two lambs absolutely zonked out napping in the snow bells. One looked almost dead, so I won't show you those photos, but the other was quite adorable. They have pretty good radar when someone gets too close, I did manage to wake one up, who then woke the other.

And on the walk back up to the house I bumped into one of Rosie's new twin ram lambs, he's quite a cutie. Because she's always coming up to the house for apples her lambs don't seem at all fussed by me.

Reengineering

These things happen at Struan Farm. John goes off on a business trip to Dunedin, tours a public garden and comes back with ideas. This was how the old swimming pool got turned into a rose garden, and that worked out well, didn't it?

An old, overgrown camellia has been taken out, other gardens re-edged and redesigned. It's all about walkways and flow. 

Part of this project entailed extending the raised veggie bed at the Homestead and re-aligning Hydrangea Hill just ever so slightly.

Last year zucchini and butternut squash thrived on relative neglect in the smaller raised bed, so I'm contemplating more of the same this year. Perhaps some italian parsley and other herbs for Homestead farmstay guests to snip as well.

Here I thought the established gardens at the Homestead were pretty much on autopilot at this stage of the game. I've been focused on getting the newer gardens at the newish house established and thriving, hitting the Homestead gardens for weeding, trimming and clean up as required.

Clearly John has other ideas. Kew, Gardens of National Significance. I'll start hiring staff! In addition to the camellia, it looks like one trellis is coming down. With the camellia out two trellises in this area of the garden look odd. Beds in this part of the garden are also being enlarged and changed, beds for which I'm meant to get plants/shrubs. It's getting to be just a bit late in the season for that, but I hear and obey. Mostly. 

 

A Subtle Sunset

We had a lovely sunset a night or two ago here at Struan Farm. It wasn't one of those skies that screamed at you, rather subtle changes in colour as the sun went down. I finally went to grab my camera.

Changing Faces

Quite a bit to report from Struan Farm, much can happen here in 48 hours!

Two days ago hubby John came across a ewe trapped under a log at the end of the Old Road. She'd fallen and hadn't been able to get herself back up. She'd had twin ewe lambs days before that, who remained with her as she laid on her side.

John couldn't get her up by himself so enlisted Farmer John for a joint rescue operation. They managed to get the ewe up and her twins rounded up as well. The trio went off to Farmer John's farm for some medicine and re-hydration. At the time it was unclear whether or not the ewe would survive, although the two lambs seemed fine. The lambs were fine, but the ewe wasn't, she died. Farmer John brought the lambs back to me to be looked after, joining our ranks of pet lambs.

Meet Jam and Jelly:

Since these are lambs that have spent time with mum, they aren't easy to convert to drinking from bottles. It's a gradual process and we're still working on that. I've already bumped and bruised my forehead on a metal post chasing them around the Pet Pen, don't ask how that one happened. I will say the little darlings are pretty fast. Jelly, the smaller lamb, is quite nervous but will come to the edge of the pet pen and drink, provided no one moves too quickly. Jam, the other, won't. She has to be chased and grabbed. She will guzzle a bottle when sitting on your lap. Socialisation continues.

Unfortunately what this meant was nine pet lambs, above my (arbitrary) quota allocated by hubby John for current season. Anyone who is married will know that marriage is often about compromise. Unfortunately for me one of his sisters had told him she'd take some pet lambs if we didn't want them. I was told to decide which two would be "whanau-ed out."

We both knew that it was going to be at least one ram lamb, since they go either way after weaning. That meant either Whiskey or Ajax. I wasn't going to split up Ajax and Bubbles, the two surviving triplets. So it was going to be either Ajax and Bubbles or Whiskey and Fergie heading off to Auntie and Uncle. Breeding issues then entered into the equation (dare I call it racial profiling?). Whiskey and Fergie are from Farmer John's stock, so come from his stock bloodlines, while Ajax and Bubbles are not. I love those speckled faces, think they're nicer lambs, but the two Johns have different views for entirely different reasons. Some of it relates to shearing, where coloured wool has to be kept separate. Some of it relates to breeding issues. My motley crew is humoured, somewhat, because they know I love them.

And so Ajax and Bubbles went off yesterday in the "Lamb Mobile." John constructed a wee coop so they'd be cozy and safe for the drive, and I took them down to meet Auntie and Uncle after their morning bottles. They baa-ed in the back while I explained to them what was happening, but then fell asleep for most of the ride. Auntie and Uncle know how to look after lambs, and they also know they can be brought back to Struan Farm if need be.

 

As you might expect there was a wee tear shed in the car after my lambs went off. I thought back to that night when they laid on blankets shivering by the fire. I was admonished to harden up, but that's not going to happen, is it?

Our mob of pet lambs now consists of Bambi, Diva, Camilla, Whiskey, Fergie, Jam and Jelly. The names sometimes change but the stories will continue.

 

Tulips, for the Table & Elsewhere

I've been waiting here at Struan Farm. Waiting somewhat patiently, something unusual for me. I've been waiting until enough tulips were blooming at the front entrance gate near the Homestead and under the pergola at our house. Those pops of bright colours make a difference in the gardens, and I didn't want to cut them for an arrangement for our table and lose that.

I did cut some for the Piopio Community Fruit & Veg Stand last week when contributions were running a bit low, even before we had some for our table.

 

But I'm glad to look out and see that colour in the gardens. It reminds me that summer, with all those beautiful flowers, isn't too far away.

 

 

Countdown to The Great Kereru Count

I'm not sure if this is the very same native wood pigeon, or "Kereru," that kept coming in the late afternoons last year to nibble the new leaves on our plum tree here at Struan Farm, but I suspect that it is.

And just about in time for the annual national count of these birds too. The Great Kereru Count is due to start on September 21 and runs through September 30th this year, so mark your diaries and plan to participate. After last year I know where they hang out here at Struan Farm. We've counted as many as 20 at one time in the the willow trees along our border fence with the neighbour, so that ends up being a morning destination for me during the count.

In the meantime I will continue to stalk this bird to see if I can get some better pics. At a certain point I chase it off the tree, since those plums are quite good!

Lambs in the Paddocks

It's all been happening here at Struan Farm. Lambs, mostly twins, some triplets. An amazing season, really. No ewes lost and only one rejected ram lamb lost. 

Yes, that lamb is leaping above. They do that, it's rather incredible to watch.

Enjoy the innocence. I do!

Disciplinary Proceedings

I haven't told you, but we've had a bit of carnage at the back gate over the past week here at Struan Farm with all of the seven pet lambs now out in the paddock.

The end of my tether was reached this past Friday evening, after Fergie and Whiskey got very aggressive with the four gentler lambs: Ajax, Bubbles, Camilla and Diva. Bambi can hold her own as the biggest, but she also doesn't get nasty, she's a gentle soul. Fergie and Whisky were so bad that the four walked away from unfinished bottles, stressed out, choosing not to get into fights.

That was it for me. As you know, we have a zero tolerance for bullies. John and I discussed re-homing Fergie and Ajax that night (John was staggered that I was willing to contemplate this, but I'd pretty much decided that Fergie and Whiskey were not nice lambs, and it was only going to get worse). Ultimately we decided to give them a second chance by moving them into the front paddock, and they were moved the next morning at bottle time. At midday I found them back at the back gate with the other pet lambs, they'd managed to get through the fence. I picked them up and carried them back to the other paddock.

Now after a few bottles they seem resolved to their fates, and somewhat calmer. Perhaps the scrum of seven was too much for them too, bringing out their darker instincts. We all can't be Gandhi or Martin Luther King.

They also won't be eligible to participate in "Piopio's Next Top Model," the annual photo competition for the Struan Farm Christmas card. I might reconsider if they behave themselves and become model pet lambs in the meantime....

Clouded

Our house here at Struan Farm faces out to the hills. Often we see the weather coming at us before it hits. So it pays to keep eye on the sky being outside most of the time. A few days ago I got a bit lost in the clouds, as you do. Or at least as I do! In this instance the light and the shapes intrigued me for a bit, until Mother Nature determined the show was over.

A Spring Tonic Taste Test

Since our visit to Nelson's Cod & Lobster Brasserie last March, when John was confronted with choosing his gin and tonic from extensive menus offering a wide range of options, I've been bringing him home artisanal NZ and British gins to sample, as well as different types of tonics as I've come across them.

Truth be told, John isn't overly enthusiastic about these enthusiasms on my part. He's happy with his tried and true. The word "artisanal" doesn't excite him as much as it does me. But he's been a good sport, tasting Taranaki's Juno gin, which recently won a silver medal at San Francisco's World Spirit Awards, as well as "Blush" rhubarb gin, and using the various tonics I bring home, usually "Fever-Tree" from Vetro Taranaki. (Note to readers: I rarely if ever drink hard alcohol myself, but I do like the idea of supporting artisanal producers of just about anything, especially those here in NZ.)

On my most recent visit they had four types of Fever-Tree tonics, three more than I'd seen before. We'd been buying the Premium Indian Tonic, made with quinine, which John enjoys. I decided we should taste test the other three, which were "Mediterranean," made with floral botanicals, "Elderflower," which also has quinine, and "Aromatic," a pink coloured tonic made with angostura bark (the same ingredient often used for bitters). We tasted these without any alcohol to mask the flavours.

I enjoyed the Elderflower and Mediterranean ones the most, while John is happy with the Premium Indian. It's interesting to sample these, with or without alcohol, and play around with the flavours.