Jeremy Baker

Pohotukawa in bloom in the first week of summer in Pōneke.

Lazy afternoons.

The secret garden, Hōkio Beach.

#garden #secret #aotearoa

Hokio Lime Marmalade Recipe

Ingredients:

1 kg of home-grown / organic limes (I use the sweet, yellow-skinned variety that we grow at Hōkio Beach) 2 kg of sugar 4 cups of hot water

Recipe

  • Slice the 1kg limes with a mandolin, and chop roughly; reserve the juice created.
  • Place chopped limes in a large casserole dish with the 4 cups of water and bring to the boil; then add the reserve lime juice. (If you want you can add extra squeezed juice of 2–3 limes for extra tartness at this point).
  • Add 2kg of sugar, stir in, and hard boil for 5–10 minutes - ensure you reach 104C (the sugar set point)
  • Pour the hot liquid into pre-sterilised preserving jars, seal and allow to cool. You will need around twelve 250ml jars.

You can adjust all the quantities - e.g. 500g of limes; 1kg of sugar; 2 cups of hot water; 6+ jars - as needed.

Hōkio Lime Marmalade.

Spring flowers in the Eketāhuna country cottage garden.

#garden #spring #flowers #eketahuna #eketāhuna

Spring in the Eketāhuna country cottage garden.

#spring #blossom #garden #eketahuna #eketāhuna

Hōkio figs with Gorgonzola dolce and thyme honey.

Hōkio fresh fig festival

Ngāi Tukairangi Trust Tukituki orchard

Amazing solar-powered elevated mobile orchard pruning and picking platforms #horticulture #orchard #apples #innovation #foodandfibre #ngaitukairangitrust #aotearoa

Mobile elevated picking platform between espaliered apple trees

Huge benefits for worker comfort and safety, speed of work, and - frankly - fun! #worksafe #worksmart #workfun #noladders

Today’s harvest. #limes #feijoas #onefig

Basket of limes, feijoas and a solitary fig.

Figs, Figs, Feijoas and Limes. The bounty of Hōkio.

Cut red figs, a collection of figs, feijoas and limes

Poached feijoas #feijoas #poached #preserves

jars of poached feijoas

Chill’n in the garden #hōkio #hokiobeach #garden #chill #chilling #palms #weekend #tunes

pillows on the deck under the dappled light of palm trees

Golden hour in Hagley Park 🌳 #ōtautahi #hagleypark #christchurch

late evening sun on trees in a park

Fabulous Day Party at the White Barn with Hamish and Alastair, a quick visit to see Mum and Dad at Eketāhuna, and dinner on the deck with Bill and Simon at Hōkio. ❤️💙💚 #DayParty #WhiteBarn #Carterton #Wairarapa #Eketāhuna #EkeCountryCottage #Tararua #Hōkio #HōkioBeach #Horowhenua

collage showing garden party, white barn with green plantings, country cottage and dinner on a beach house deck

Bougiest chickens - got their own holiday home… #chickens #hokio #wellington #holiday #HolidayHome #VisitingForTheWeekend

Two chickens outside their 'holiday coup' underneath olive trees

Hot and sunny at Hōkio (30C), after the rain #Hōkio #hokiobeach #sun #summer #heat #AfterTheRain #horowhenua

Sunny subtropical garden with decking and stairs

Olives and figs This years crop of figs and olives look good! #garden #produce #olives #figs #Hōkio #Horowhenua #Aotearoa

Collage of olives and figs from around the garden

Fresh produce from the Eketāhuna country garden 📷 #Eketāhuna #CountryCottage #family #garden

Leeks, multi-coloured potatoes spilling out of a hessian bag, and a cabbage on a rustic table.

Good morning from Eketāhuna cottage 📷 #eketāhuna #cottage #morning #light

Morning light streams through an open French door and window in a wooden country cottage onto chairs and a table. A garden is visible outside.

Quick visit to Eketāhuna Cottage. 📷 #Eketāhuna #cottage #garden #family

Small country cottage with white walls and grey roof. Surrounded by a profusion of flowers. White clouds and evening blue sky above.

The grandkids brought their chickens with them on holiday. We even set them up with their own ‘batch’ under the olive trees for shade. They enjoy their supervised outings around the garden as well! 📷 🐓🪴 #garden #chickens #holiday #batch #Hōkio #HōkioBeach

Chicken coop under shady olive trees.Olive trees in a garden with a chicken coop beneath.Chicken coop with two people waving. Two chickens in the foreground.Two chickens enjoying foraging under lush vegetation.

Hōkio garden bliss 📷 #garden #Hōkio #HōkioBeach #Horowhenua #Summer #Aotearoa 🇳🇿

Lush green garden with mown lawnWooden decking and stairs with garden bushes and trees Nikau palms and other undergrowth Queen palm and olive trees

Summer is in full bloom in Pōneke.

Pōhutukawa tree in Te Aro park.

📷 #Pōhutukawa #Summer #Pōneke #Wellington #Aotearoa #KiwiSummer

Pōhutukawa tree with dark green leaves and bright red flowers in a small park. Blue sky above.