Happy 2025

As I start this Blog Once ‘Again,’ I still can’t believe I can lose all my data through not ‘Saving”

Slow learner, maybe or definitely not taking notice that the battery was low and getting carried away sitting quietly in my lovely spot in the sun. Central Otago is back to its dry, hot, sunny best. It’s makes no sense to endure the hot weather in the scorching sun and time management means we can spend time early in the day by watering and looking after the prolific vegetable garden and take to the shade for the remainder of the day. Preserving has started with gooseberrry, red currant and black currant jelly and Cucumber pickles.

 My labour of love !!!! the Perenial bank which wraps around the house, has taken its time to get completed. Half of it is now over 3 years old and is established and requires  only a cut back each year. However, the remaining half has been slower to get planted. I feel relieved and  happy to work for a couple of hours each morning in the shade – weed and plant all the hundreds of seedlings and cuttings that were virtually root bound in their small pots. We now just have to mulch with newspaper and pine needles and oh yeah …. It will also become the no dig no weed bank.

Gardening is my passion – whether its buying books,magazines, more seeds or listening to podcasts or simply walking around the garden with a glass of wine in my hand with Philip in the evening. It does provide us with a lovely environment to live in.

Gardens are also a focus on all my tours. The integration of food, wine, and gardens go together and make it simpler to understand the culture and environment we are visiting. Local guides fill in the history and lifestyle while we get to relax and take everything in.

Tour updates:

Victoria – 6th – 19th April Due to unexpected cancellations, I have 2 spaces available (single, twin or couple)

Italy – Full

France –  24th June – 9th July 1 space (single, twin or couple)

Turkey – 3rd – 20th September 2 spaces   (single, twin or couple)

Incredibly, it was a month ago that our families from Melbourne, Auckland and Sydney arrived for Christmas . It was a special time with grandchildren as they played together in the garden and swam in the pond next door at the vineyard. There were meals with Matthew and Richards friends and a few lake Hawea days but, basically all the old toys, books and Christmas presents got thrashed.

Matthew and Kara had an extended holiday from Melbourne after Richard and Holly left to go camping. Grannie and Grandads day with Mia and Charlie at the wonderful clever renovation of Orchard Garden by Francis and Brian Raymond (Good Oil Dunedin) near Clyde was loads of fun and we did manage to get lost in the maze.

Hannah was the last to leave and we had a chance to revisit Rob Roy Glacier early in the morning and have a few meals at the new Sofi in Wanaka.

A month later I am writing this blog sitting on the deck at my brother Brian and sister in law Julie’s house at Oakura in Northland. The ocean is across the road and it is an idyllic sunny morning.  We offered a week to look after Asher and Emme – but the parents haven’t been able to resist this gorgeous spot as well.

I have certainly been absent from my computer and finding time to myself has been scarce. There has been a lot of time spent in the kitchen and I felt for the large families in the past when feeding 12 would have been a daily task and without a modern kitchen. As the washing machine and dishwasher went constantly – I imagined my grandmother who did come from a family of 12 and had to boil the water in the copper to do any washing. Evidently my great grandmother would ring out the thick white cotton sheets by hand and ring them around her neck before hanging them out to dry.  

Now we cherish the coppers for planters and they look amazing in our Dunedin Garden where I have managed to collect a few (including my grandmothers). For those of you who  have visited the amazingly stunning complex at Ayrburn near Arrowtown you will see their vast collection along with all the other eclectic bits that make this place simply spectacular. A must if you are in the Central Otago region.

Happy 2025 everyone – I hope you have a great year planned.

 We have a busy year scheduled and although being immersed in vegetables and flowers for the next 6 weeks is fun, I can’t wait to get traveling during the Winter.

If you would like to take up one of the last few travelling spaces.

 E Mail – judith@judith-cullen.com