The mornings have been cold, the nights are stretching out, and although the signs of spring are subtle, they’re certainly on their way. With the first day of spring also marking my birthday, it felt extra special this year.
One of the highlights was having a kit-set greenhouse assembled. It was no small feat and may well have required an honorary engineering degree to complete, but it’s up and standing proudly now, complete with two-tiers of wooden shelving. I am a very happy bunny! Happy birthday to me!
I’ve always loved growing from seed. There’s something deeply satisfying about watching seedlings rise from the soil (I have been known to check the seeding trays several times a day and literally count any new growth with much delight). We’ve built a greenhouse from scratch before, but this is my first DIY plastic house. Living in the Waikato, where frosts often linger through to Labour weekend, it feels like a great way to get a head start on the growing season. Just this week, it reached inside temperatures of 35 degrees C already, and it’s only early spring!
I’m also part of a local Crop Swap group, which I co-founded with a friend a few years ago. It’s a wonderful space to gather, connect, and share the fruits (and veggies) of our gardens. It also comes in handy when I’ve grown a few too many seedlings of the same variety. Recently, a fellow swapper mentioned she grows capsicums year-round in her greenhouse. That really drove home how useful this new addition will be and has made me even more excited for the season ahead.
Beyond the garden, this past month I’ve been back in the kitchen topping up pantry supplies in my Preservery (aka second kitchen). A special win has been finding the right sized screw-bands for my old Agee Special preserving jars (thanks Mitre10, you are awesome).
…and not so long ago I started making my own cottage cheese for the first time. What a revelation that was! Simple ingredients, minimal effort, and the result was cost effective, yummy soft cheese somewhere between a ricotta and a feta (a drier version of store-bought cottage cheese). I’ve decided I won’t be buying pre-made cottage cheese again. Happy days!
