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.

"Plan what to eat. Eat what you planned."

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most powerful.

This month I'm taking part in my own July Tortoise Diet Lite 4-Week Challenge, because I know how valuable it is to keep reinforcing the habits that lead to long-term success.

That's really what the Tortoise Diet Lite is all about – incorporating four simple habits into your daily life. As you practise them consistently, they gradually become automatic and quietly guide you towards your weight-loss goals.

One of the biggest tools for success – not just for weight loss, but in almost every area of life – is getting organised and making a plan.

One habit I strongly recommend is planning your meals in advance for the week ahead.

July is winter here in New Zealand. We’re not long past the shortest day, sometimes called Mid-Winters Day, on the 21st June, but don’t be fooled into thinking that its the middle of winter.  Winter is just kicking off as those currently experiencing heavy rain and snow will well know.  I grow in a cool temperate part of the South Island so tend to speak most about what applies here but I will include more warm temperate notes as well.

It’s Saturday morning and as I lay away early in the frosty dark I was thinking about what I was going to get up today. For a lot of us, the weekend it when we are mostly likely to get the chance to get into the garden for a couple of hours so keen to get out there myself. First thing will be to get a sourdough loaf started as it likes a good long rising period for all the good fermentation to take place so before too much gets done I’ll start that off. Some of you have kindly given me some good suggestions on how to get the best out of my culture so enjoying the opportunity  to try out some different techniques.

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.

For those interested in health and wellbeing, or who follow the principles of the Tortoise Diet Method, this will feel familiar. I’m a big advocate of eating a wide variety of whole foods and making sure we get all the essential nutrients our bodies need — protein, fats, fibre, calcium, probiotics, trace elements — and plenty of deliciousness along the way.

As the nights draw in and the air turns a little cooler, the natural cycle of the plants in our garden begins to come to an end. In their short lives, plants have one primary goal—to reproduce. The seed cycle is the final and most important part of that process. They quite literally “go to seed.”

Each plant has its own way of scattering seed. Once that job is done, the plant dies back, returning to the soil or compost and contributing its goodness to the earth—ready for the cycle to begin again in spring.

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!