Blog
Weekly tales from The Outpost.

Going back to growing garlic
And so it begins again.

Things I’ve been liking
As the world gets a bit dark and awful, here are some of the things that have brought me joy.

May in the garden
As the weather turns cooler, there’s still a few jobs to keep you busy in the garden.

65 Hours Without Power
Cyclone Tam roared through the country last week, and the fallout took a while to settle.
December in the garden
The most important tasks for December in your garden.
How my garden grows
A peek at how the garden is doing going into the main growing season.
Making joy
The world is a lot right now, so I took some time to create some joy in it.
November in the garden
It’s full-steam ahead on all your fresh summer faves.
Four reasons to dig up your compost bin
When was the last time you lifted up your compost bin to see what it’s been up to?
Paper wasps in New Zealand
Polistes paper wasps are introduced pests in New Zealand gardens. Or are they?
October in the garden
It’s heating up this month and there’s plenty to get growing in the garden!
The fourth herd
After a winter without any cows, our fourth herd has arrived to fresh spring growth.
The best-laid plans
Find out what I’ve got planned for the 2024-25 growing season in my garden.
September in the garden
Heading into spring the garden jobs begin to build up. Find out what needs doing in September.
White Cabbage Butterfly
A deep dive into white butterfly – one of the most common and destructive pests in Kiwi gardens.
The second peanut harvest
Results from my second season growing peanuts.
Another year in the berry house
The annual task of tidying up the berry house is upon me!
August in the garden
We’re at the tail-end of winter rolling towards spring, and things are heating back up.
Kat’s Nip Fluffy Balls
A new product has joined the Kat’s Nip range.
Gran Shirley’s Cauliflower and Pineapple Pickle
It’s taken me years to grow the cauliflower I needed to make this one…
July in the garden
Winter might be upon us, but there’s still plenty to do in the garden.
Canning lemonade syrup
The lemon tree is heaving and I need to do something about all these lemons!