Hello and happy end-of-school-term, if that's applicable to you. We're very happy to see the start of the spring holidays roll around here. The kids are visiting their grandparents and cousins this week and couldn't be happier about that. And we have a plan to go away for a few days with them next week…

Hello! I hope your September is going well so far. It feels like a 'yellow' month – the kōwhai trees are all in flower, even the little one that grows beside the steps up to our place. And the mornings are getting warmer and brighter too. My Dad sent up a bag of his homegrown…

There are hellebores in the garden. I planted three varieties last year and am so happy to see them flowering, although I can't remember the names of the different types. Some have green petals with a pinkish tinge, and some are very dark purple with a greenish tint, almost as if someone has painted them…

It's September! Our clematis (it's this native NZ variety) is out and looking beautiful, draped like fairy lights along the fence. And I finished a knitting project – it was a small one but seemed to take ages. Socks for Arlo – in rather boring but (I think) pretty wearable colours. You can see the…