Hello dear hive blog readers! I must begin this blog post with a heartfelt apology for my prolonged absence from the blogging world. yes yes... i know i did this last month too... but hear me out its been a bit crap really. Life has thrown a series of unexpected events my way, leaving me with little time to devote to my beloved garden and this blog. I know many of you have been eagerly awaiting new updates and insights, and I appreciate your patience and understanding during this challenging time. Today, I want to catch you up on the recent happenings in my life and share some captivating photos from my family's farm in Southern New Zealand. So, grab a cup of tea or wine, get comfortable, and let's catch up!

The "what has happened" bit

Since we last spoke, my gardening endeavors have taken a backseat due to a string of unexpected events. Firstly, my hand injury, which I mentioned previously, had improved, allowing me to get back to gardening in small measures. However, fate had different plans for me. I recently found myself involved in a car accident caused by a reckless driver who ran a stop sign. Stupid woman, as its someone i know, who i have been meaning to report to police for MONTHS as she is dangerous, but i have not as it is a school mum and i feel badly.

Thankfully, no one was seriously injured, but it has added significant stress and disruption to our lives. The car has been away for nearly THREE months and we had a dodgy little hire car that doesn't even fit kids and shopping...

On top of that, we experienced the sudden loss of a family member, which has understandably consumed much of our time and energy. Long trips to the coast and the then the hospice have drained our free time.

To add to the whirlwind, it has been competition season for my kids' dance school, demanding our presence at various events and competitions throughout the weekends. In summary, life has been incredibly busy, leaving me with limited time to tend to my little urban backyard garden.

but life goes on, and thankfully much has survived in the garden.

SO here was are zoomed back to Brisbane Australia and my urban backyard that is this size of like a tiny tiny corner of my parents place you see above.

The Family Farm's Serene Respite:

Despite the chaos of life, I want to take this opportunity to share something truly special with you. My parents, amidst their daily toil, have been devotedly restoring a magnificent 100-year-old farmhouse on our family farm in Southern New Zealand. The gardens surrounding the farmhouse are a simply devine, with vibrant blooms, flourishing winter crops, and a captivating charm that can only come from just been in a rural location. New Zealand is so beautiful and fresh.

As you can see the place is gorgeous and its a perfect spot for my green thumb mum to redo the old gardens that had been left to ruin by the previous owners.

Here are some photos of her lovely tending to the flower gardens near the house:

However, all is not perfect in this idyllic landscape. A mischievous troupe of wallabies and rabbits has been wreaking havoc on the winter crops my parents have painstakingly planted in the walled gardens. My mom is tirelessly working to protect the plants from their nibbling antics, while also tending to seedlings nurtured in the greenhouse. Nature's challenges are a constant reminder that gardening is a delicate dance between man and the wild. lol... or rather my mum in the wild... lol.

Mum has been doing "hats on, hats off" covering up all her plants with plant pots each night and generally going out at night to scare the wallabies away... yep... lol

Mum has also been clearing out large chunks of the garden to grow winter vegetables in... i am so jealous about all her land she has... cries...

There goes the lovely sparky the farm dog. He is so fluffy. my kids loved him... before he moved to NZ again... lol such a happy dog

totally in contrast to the area i have for strawberries... lol

Progress on the Farmhouse:

Amidst the gardening trials, there is progress on the farmhouse front. After a year of hard work, my parents have finally achieved a functional kitchen. The recent addition of a magnificent range has breathed new life into this century-old abode. lol.... we are also getting a new oven this week. So am VERY EXCITED about that indeed. Its a big freestanding one

so we are very excited about that indeed.

As life takes us on its unpredictable journey, we sometimes find ourselves unable to devote as much time to our passions as we would like. I hope you enjoy the photos I've shared from this serene retreat in Southern New Zealand. I really do need to get back into our garden here again as soon, no doubt, it will be too hot agagin to garden and our pests here are relentless... lol

Below is the garden when we moved in - green - but nothing to eat

CONCLUDING MESSAGES

Just another very busy week all in all. I will now sign off and start the next video.. lol... as its already late as well

talk later

happy gardening

Sarah

Anyway thanks so much for stopping along and reading my posts I am just loving my HIVE experience so far. Such a fun platform for sure.

For those that don't know my i'm currently focusing on Daily painting and somewhat amusing my self and my family with Acrylic pouring.. lol.. i wish i had a separate studio for that as it is so messy.

My other HIVE interests are:

• cooking
  sunset photography (i take photos of the sky every night)
  Art
  Graphic Design
  Gardening (just a smidgion)
  Ballet

Here are a couple of snaps of some of the stuff i do outside what you see up in the posts above.

LOVE AND LIGHT

BLINGIT