Spring is definitely in the air in our nook, drifts of pale lemon yellow pine pollen are floating visibly through the much warmer air and leaving sulphuric stains and crusts on everything outside.
And bees have been busily about their business in the very first plum blossoms. Precious.
Pruning has all but finished - we have tried to keep to beneficial lunar gardening times for pruning - we are nearly done. Lots of long straight waterspouts here - could be useful...
The warmth, the pruning and the new-found energy of Spring has propelled me to make a little more push toward completing the shelter house we began with Phoebe.
While visiting the South Island in the middle of Winter, we went to the
Otago Settler's Museum. There we saw a 'Wattle + Daub' wall panel, rescued from an actual early settler's house and
could clearly see how to re-create something similar to help clad our
shelter house - adapting it to fit what we'd already created. It is just like weaving, really, with sticks.
These are my tools: a decent pair of secateurs and some mean-looking loppers.
They make nice, neat cut-off edges - a bit safer, too - because so many stick-ends could grab!
Inside has had some input, too. Aaron, Phoebe and one of her cousins who was staying in the holidays borrowed a concrete mixer and the children made the concrete while Aaron did most of the spreading and levelling.
A little embellishment also enhanced the design - a border of marbles, glass gems and stones.
And Olive always watching on, chewing her bones...
The house is super cool.
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