I do love this quote by Patience Strong where she is perfectly describing this month.   Although it is still winter, the promise of spring is in the air.  The winter narcissi are flowering and the classic harbinger of spring, the daffodil will be out soon if not already depending on your micro climate.  There are lambs frolicking on the hills and you may find that with the occasional warm springlike days we will get this month your own sap will start rising and you want to get out there and garden!  But hold your horses for a bit longer.  Get excited of course but channel that into this list of “P” things to do this month. 

For those of you who are following along with the crop rotation poster, we are talking this month about what to do to care for and cultivate your little piece of backyard paradise.  We’ve done a round up of your main beds, we’ve covered the perennial crops in the outer beds, and this week we are going to talk about those small fruiting trees, shrubs and vines that make up the structure and variety in your bed.

For those of you who are gardening with the Crop Rotation Poster - here is what to do with your perennial plants in winter. Rhubarb, Asparagus, Strawberries and Herbs.

What to plant in the Vegetable garden in the winter month of July in the Southern Hemisphere or New Zealand /Australia

Well it feels like everything is still growing as I write this at the beginning of May. There has certainly been plenty of rain around the country - some of you in parts of New Zealand and Australia are getting more than your fair share! The lawnmower in the family has been complaining that he even the grass hasn’t let up.

This is my new favourite go-to recipe now for rhubarb and I can’t wait to try it with summer fruits such as peach or nectarine or berries! A crostata is an Italian version of the french galette – a freeform pastry dough turned over at the edge to hold perfectly cooked fruit. It is very quick and easy and looks fabulous. The crust is buttery and crunchy and stays firm enough to eat a wedge with your hands so a great picnic option. No plate needed!

How’s summer going for you all? I think we had it on Wednesday last week down in this part of the country.  For most of January we had to keep reminding ourselves that was still January – summer – not the middle of winter.  However, the grass and weeds are still growing so there’s still plenty of warmth and moisture out there.  The Chief Lawnmower in the family was just saying that in the time it took for him to finish his second cup of tea and a biscuit, he saw the grass grow by at least a centimetre.   I’m making good use of the lawn clippings though as mulch in a desperate attempt to keep the weeds down.

Its not all about elderflowers this month (or you would be forgiven for thinking that if you are following my facebook page) For those of you who don’t have access to elderflowers, then why not try some rhubarb bubbly for Christmas?  Most people have some rhubarb coming away in the garden and there’s only so much rhubarb crumble you can eat. So if you love the taste of rhubarb and want to show off your homesteading skills give this one a try. I have started creating pdfs of my recipes for you to download so you don’t have to you’re your phone open to read.   Make sure you read all the notes in the blog as the recipe is just the ingredients and the method.