From the editor June 2017

We’ve been in our new home for three months now and just when I couldn’t stand the grounds one minute more – woohoo – work is starting on the landscaping!

I never really wanted to build on a large section but man about the house insisted 1100 square metres was just right. All I could see was loads of gardening down the track and no time to dig in.

However, thanks to Murray Nicklin from Franklin’s, Out of Eden, we have a plan, a good plan to put in easy care trees,lawns and gardens that, hopefully, will require minimal care.

Mmmh…I’m not so sure about that but I do love his ideas, in particular the addition of some white barked silver birches which have special
meaning for me.

My parents were Finns and silver birches were very much a part of the landscape in their homeland, not to mention that bunches of birch leaves are used to slap and clean your bare skin when in the sauna – an exhilarating experience!!

I planted birches at the first home we built many years ago but not at subsequent homes so I’m super excited especially by the contrast they will provide against our black brickwork.

Murray’s also giving us olive trees to mask the end of the section that dips away from the house – again, I love the colour and feathery foliage of these trees but I can already see my man’s mind ticking over with the idea of producing olive oil.

Now, don’t laugh, I’ll allow him his illusions for a little while but after his fruit wine making efforts of a few years ago (and that’s another story), I’m a bit sceptical.

In addition to the Out of Eden plan, I have a few ideas of my own, or rather those of a generous couple we met when driving around the Pokeno Village Estate on Anzac Day to glean a few ideas.

Warren and Shirley’s garden was lovely. When we stopped to peer at it from the footpath they came out and invited us to wander. By time we left, we had seen every aspect of their beautiful home and garden and they urged us to adopt any ideas that took our fancy and we will – isn’t local hospitality wonderful?

Now that the landscaping is underway I can, perhaps, pay some attention toadding some new interior touches too. I’ve dispensed with many of our former furniture pieces so now it’s time to go shopping – wish me fun readers!

And, talking of shopping I guess a fair few of our landed gentry will be off to do their own shopping at Mystery Creek’s, National Agricultural Fieldays.

Rural Living heads down there every year and we love to see local businesses displaying their goods as well as sussing out new technology and, of course, all the competitive events from muscle-building log chopping through to hunky bachelor boys and No 8 wire ingenuity.

All that’s coming up June 14-17 – see more on Fieldays pages 16-17. Naturally, Rural Living has plenty more to keep readers away from their chores, so take a break, grab a cuppa, put your feet up and enjoy!

Cheers,

Helen Perry