Sundeck journaling 📔

Journal, notebooks, pens and fruit in the shade on a very sunny back garden deck. Lots of rosemary.

Xmas morning Irises, Hōkio beach

Purple, yellow and white irisExplosion of irises


Traditional Hokio Xmas Irises


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