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Monday, October 3, 2011

Flowers and veggies from my garden, and writing about living in Oratia





I love all colours but I am not the type of gardener who would structure a garden to have it 'colour coordinated'. Mostly I like to see trees (the most important thing in my 'kind of' garden, and colours pooping up amongst the tree, everywhere, all types, all shades. And I like to bring flowers into the house too, something I am doing more and more now, since it is raining a bit too much these days and I cannot enjoy the flowers outdoors like I normally would.


The palette is very rich this month, lots of yellow, orange and whites..... 



... but also lots or pinks and reds!





And in the veggie garden? Not much now, but I do have a couple of cabbages :-). Actually, I prefer broccoli and cavolo nero, but cabbages are so pretty to look at that I have to plant just a few every year, and now there is so little choice that we eat them gladly.  Then I have carrots, lots of carrots!! Did I tell you that I eat the leaves also? The broad beans have flowers... still! Can anyone tell me how long does it takes for these flowers to become beans???? And a few leeks, but some are covered by mint, I need to free them or they will be strangled! And if you wonder about that newspaper... well, it keeps the weeds down, the snails away, and the worms warm :-).



Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©


Finally, this month I have an article on Metro Magazine about living in Oratia, as part of a special feature about living in Auckland. If you also live in Auckland and have read the feature please let me know what you think :-).

Have a good week
Alessandra







19 comments:

  1. forse ti ho già detto che il tuo giardino/orto è bellissimo? se così non fosse te lo dico ora....deve essere una cosa meravigliosa aggirarsi epr colori e profumi....e persino la verza adesso!!!
    molto molto bello :)

    PS: è la prima volta che commento per prima un tuo post. stanotte va così, complice l'insonnia. credoc he domani in ufficio la pagherò un pochino ;)
    Barbara

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  2. Oh, B. spero che adesso tu sia nel mondo dei sogni :-)

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  3. Oh Yumm!! Fresh veggies, I love carrots they are so good for your eyes and the cabbage looks great. I'd love to have a garden of my own one day. Great job with yours Alessandra.
    :)

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  4. ma che meraviglia i tuoi colori di giardino ed orto! mi piacciono molto i tuoi fiori!!!!

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  5. Our broad beans this year are still just flowers. They do take awhile to form into beans, but then once they do they grow like crazy! Xx

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  6. Good to know Emma, this year they seem to take forever!!!

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  7. Love all the flowers in your garden. Makes me wish I had more than just my little balcony... back when I had a proper veggie garden to grow carrots in, I used to eat the carrot leaves too! :)

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  8. Don't know how you ever harvest anything from your garden - it looks TOO good to eat!! Our broad beans are only just forming beans - and you're further south, so probably a while longer yet ... some years I've even had fresh broad beans for Xmas!!!

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  9. Guess I have to harvest while it looks good :-). For the beans, possibly I am just impatient, poor beans!

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  10. mi piace venire a conoscere nuovi aspetti della nuova zelanda per noi molto interessanti, ogni volta che parlo di antipodi mi sei sempre in mente :-)

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  11. :-) Pero' Gunther io non sono sicuramente un'esemplare tipico degli antipodi...

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  12. Wow..your flowers are stunning...such lovely photos once again my friend. xoxo

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  13. Stop press... I saw the first little broad beans today!!! (Very little...)

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  14. A beautiful cabbage! And it won't be too long for broad beans....love them. I have finally got in to my garden and some planting! Must check out your article in Metro.

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  15. How lovely to get a breath of spring in these photos, Alessandra! Such pretty colors ...

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  16. @ Mairi, good one on the veggie garden, let me know what you think of the article :-).

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  17. The reds are such a beauty! If I were there, I would lay down on that bed of flowers! LoL. Good job on the photos.

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  18. Wonderful collection of flowers!Congratulations on those wonderful photos!

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