Although our veggie patch is prolific through summer, it tends to be somewhat limited once the colder months descend. After much contemplation, we took the plunge and ordered a greenhouse last February.
We chose a site adjacent to the vegetable enclosure with the potting shed and running water close by.
We have found that self-build is not always the easy option, with dubious instructions and missing pieces and so, we relied on those with prior experience. Even so, it took a little longer than the one day allocated to finish but the result was worth it.
We brought in a couple of scoops of earth for the base followed by a layer of blue metal to assist with drainage and a topping of mulch that can be watered down to increase humidity.
Michael constructed a staging shelf out of reclaimed timbers
and we bought raised beds to fill the rest of the space. Once we realised how high the temperature reaches, we installed a sunshade on the northern side.
A temporary trestle provided the perfect environment to cure the butternuts in May. I then store them on a shelf high in the potting shed where they last for a good six months.
To help with temperature control, we added louvres to one of the panels and Michael cunningly created a screen to keep out creepy crawlies and resident reptiles.
Being in the apprentice stage of greenhouse gardening, we weren’t sure which plants would be successful. We started with brassicas, beetroot, carrot, onion, capsicum, butternut and bush bean.
The first broccoli was very impressive and, three months on, we are still harvesting smaller florets.
The capsicum are thriving but yet to bear fruit.
The bush bean and butternut are happy companions, we have harvested some beans but will have to be patient for the butternuts.
We have a plethora of seedlings ready to plant in another week or so, once the night time temperatures are a little more moderate.
My first attempt at striking Grevilleas from cuttings seems to be successful,
and after many months of coddling, the avocado stones have finally sprouted.
Michael has turned on the tap of creative juices once again and presented me with a stylish trug to collect the harvest
as well as a bespoke egg collecting box (the girls are giving us 5 to 6 eggs a day).
Of course, I needed a keyring befitting a fine greenhouse.
We were looking forward to exploring Marlborough wine country on our way to Blenheim but, sadly, early morning is not the time for winery visits. We indulged instead in a leisurely coffee and cake stop somewhere amidst the eye popping countryside. Another hour down the road, we came across The Store at Kēkerengū, perfect timing for lunch.
First established in 1994 as a tearooms and garage, The Store was transformed twenty years ago into the restaurant, café and gift shop it is today. There are options for indoor and outdoor dining
and a stroll around the grounds revealed a thriving kitchen garden.
Despite the overcast skies, we opted for a seat in the fresh air at the top of the stairs,
with a front row view of the Pacific Ocean and resident seals preening on the sand.
Beachfront campsites are available with mountain views and secluded bays from which to enjoy East Coast sunrises.
Tempting though it was to partake in a stroll along the beach
or a short post-prandial nap,
it was time to continue the journey to our next destination, Kaikōura.
There is a belief that it rains all the time in Tasmania. This is a myth. We have four distinct seasons and hot, dry summers just like any other city on the 41st parallel (Rome, for example). Our rural paradise is reliant on rain for water supply, although we have a spring fed dam that services the garden. We soon realised the original 13,500 litre tank would not suffice and replaced it with a 15,000 litre
and two 10,000 litre tanks cunningly concealed between two sheds.
Last summer was particularly dry and the tank levels were worryingly low (we actually had to buy water to fill the tanks in 2020). We decided to add another 15,000 litre tank to the arsenal before the winter rains. After receiving two very prompt quotes, we set about preparing the base. As the tanks are linked to fill in unison, the trick was to have the level precise so all would reach capacity together. We started with a frame
and filled it with earth.
In came a couple of cubic metres of crusher dust
followed by a trip to the hire shop for some fun with a wacker packer.
We filled and packed in increments, making sure the base was level after each addition.
Of course, Poppy was on hand to oversee the project.
A soaking to settle the dust
and we covered our masterpiece to protect it from tree detritus and big-footed nocturnal creatures.
I would like to point out that I did participate in the physical labour, not just lounge around drinking beer and taking photos. Two weeks later, our tank arrived right on schedule.
Fortunately, the driver had access to a paddock for a very proficient three-point turn of the 19 metre truck and trailer.
He parked alongside the prepared base
and assured us it would just take a push to land it in place.
He was right!
Some minor manhandling positioned it perfectly.
The driver went on his way to the next delivery
and, with strong winds forecast, we took the precaution of securing the tank with ropes.
A few days later, the plumber completed the installation
and we are now confident that 50,000 litres will see us through summer.
I can’t recommend Orion Tanks highly enough. From the timely response to my initial enquiry through the website to the seamless delivery that went without a hitch. The driver was amazing, very professional and instilled great confidence and ability. If you’re in the market for a rainwater tank, be sure to contact Orion.
Following our sensory stimulation at the World of WearableArt Museum, we next ventured into the adjacent Nelson Classic Car Museum. I’m not really what you would call a ‘car enthusiast’, as long as it transports me from A to B in comfort I am happy. I do, however, appreciate the form and am of the opinion that when it comes to cars, and fashion for that matter, style and class are a thing of the past. The fabulous collection of vehicles began in 1967 and all have been fully restored and are presented in immaculate condition. Our attention was instantly drawn to ‘The Flamboyant Fifties’ section to our right
but we chose to traverse the museum in the other direction after spying an intriguing red Mini. It seems two blokes decided, over a beer, an attempt to break the land speed record in a 1964 Mini was a great idea. Guy Griffith and Garry Orton assembled a team, known as Project 64. Long story short, they did indeed set a new land speed record of 166mph (267kph) on Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah in 2016.
I suspect a more sedate history is attached to the cute little BMW Isetta parked in the next bay. The entire front end of the Italian-designed microcar opens out as a single door, along with the steering wheel and instrument panel. Driver and passenger were to exit through the canvas sunroof in the event of an accident. The right-hand drive version, produced under licence in England from 1957, meant the driver and engine were on the same side, so a 27kg counterweight was added to the left-hand side to compensate. Popularity waned until a three-wheeled version was introduced and it was therefore classed as a three-wheeled motorcycle, requiring only a motorcycle licence. Unfortunately, the three wheels made it more prone to rolling over.
Adding a touch of nostalgic ambience, some displays are accompanied by an innovative façade. A 1962 Holden station wagon has been packed for a beachside holiday
and a 1922 Hupmobile is parked suspiciously outside Luigi’s Barbershop.
The next section was aptly named ‘Visual Delights’.
A dazzling line-up of 1960s sports cars opened with a Sunbeam Stiletto. Despite lacking the pizzazz of the classic convertibles, the Stiletto was considered a rival to the Mini Cooper in its day. Only around 9,000 of these cars were manufactured between 1967 and 1972.
A trio of tantalizing Triumphs
terminate in a time warp, back to the 1930s. Auburn automobiles, produced in America from 1900 to 1937, were renowned for being fast, good-looking and expensive. Business declined following the Great Depression and the Auburn 653 was developed in 1934 to offer more affordable models. Re-styled in 1935, it still wasn’t enough to save the company and all vehicle business came to a halt in 1937.
BMW were more successful during the same era with the 328 sports car. Produced from 1936 to 1940, the BMW 328 won its first race at the Nürburgring in 1936 and went on to achieve more than 100 class wins the following year. Incidentally, Frank Pratt won the 1948 Australian Grand Prix driving a 328.
New innovations in the ‘sporty’ Cadillacs of 1929 included a synchronized 3-speed transmission, eliminating the need to double-clutch when changing gear, and four-wheel brakes requiring considerably less pedal pressure.
Looking a lot more ‘sporty’, the 1934 Fiat Balilla Spider, originally with the 3-speed ‘no-syncromesh’ gearbox, benefitted from an upgrade to a 4-speed transmission.
A recently restored 1900s Ford waited to find its place within the exhibition buildings.
On a completely different scale, the 1959 Cadillac Coupe de Ville boasts the world’s largest tail fins on a production automobile. At the time, Cadillac’s design philosophy was heavily influenced by jet aircraft and the tail light arrangement represents the exhausts of a jet.
Back to the more ‘classic’ form
the Humber Super Snipe was produced by British-based Humber Limited from 1938 to 1967, the Mark III commenced in 1950.
U.K. luxury car, the Austin Sheerline, was designed during WW II but production was delayed until 1947. The style was similar to the Rolls Royce or Bentley of the time but the Austin was around two-thirds of the price.
The Ford Motor Company introduced its De Luxe line in 1938 to bridge the gap between its base and luxury models. 1939 saw the first year of hydraulic brakes at Ford.
At the beginning of 1950, Britain was the leading exporter of cars, dominated by Morris and followed closely by Austin. These two companies merged to become the British Motor Company (BMC) in 1952. I have vivid memories of the drives home from primary school in Mum’s blue Morris Minor, affectionately known as Gertrude. If she didn’t have a clear run at top speed to tackle a particularly steep hill en route, we would slow to a halt before reaching the top, despite our verbal encouragement from the back seat. Encouragement turned to screams as mum juggled gear stick and clutch, my fear of careening rearward only allayed by the perfection of yet another hill start.
The Reliant Motor Company was founded in 1935 and are mostly remembered for their range of 3-wheeled vehicles. The Supervan III was introduced in 1956 and was the first to have a full fibreglass body. As I mentioned previously, 3-wheeled cars were popular as they didn’t require a car licence to drive. However, the EU changed this rule for vehicles over 550kg in 2001, severely affecting Reliant’s market share and they ended car production a year later.
Winding the clock back to the World War I period, the Stutz Bearcat was named America’s racing champion in 1915. Although it was fast for the era, it was considered a ‘man’s car’ because the clutch was so stiff and the brakes required much force to operate. Supposedly, this prevented women from driving.
Porsche built only 90 of its first purpose-built racing cars, the 550 RS Spyder, between 1953 and 1956 and was the first car manufacturer to get race sponsorship. Apart from a successful race history, it is probably most famous for being the model James Dean was driving when he was killed. Avid Porsche collector, Jerry Seinfeld, sold his 1955 550 RS Spyder for $5,335,000 at auction in March 2016, a world record price for the model.
The Porsche 356 preceded the 550, with production starting in 1948. Although intended to be a road vehicle, the engineers couldn’t help themselves with a few tweaks to make it raceworthy.
The Jaguar XJS was unveiled in 1975 as a replacement for the iconic E-Type and, despite some initial market reticence with the new, angular lines, it went on to be one of British Leyland’s more successful ventures. A convertible model called the XJ-SC was introduced in 1983, the small rear seats were removed to make space for the removable soft top.
Surely one of the most beautiful cars of all time is the E-Type Jaguar (in my humble opinion). Produced between 1961 and 1974, it was surprisingly tasteful, unlike many fashions of that era. I would prefer a British racing green rather than Austin Powers’ psychedelic ‘Shaguar”.
Frazer Nash sports cars were first manufactured in 1922, with the BMW 328 design used as the basis for the later models. All cars were built to order, meaning small numbers but many different models. Only 12 of the Frazer Nash Mille Miglia were made between 1948 and 1953.
GT Beetles were the only classic Beetle produced in Europe to be officially badged a ‘Beetle’. Built to celebrate the importation of Britain’s 300,000th Beetle, only 2500 were made in three unique colours – lemon yellow (1250), apple green (250) and tomato red (1000).
The Mini came about because of a fuel shortage caused by the 1956 Suez Crisis when petrol was rationed and sales of large cars slumped. The Mini was marketed under the Austin and Morris names until 1969 when the simple name ‘Mini’ replaced the separate brands. Rover Minis were the last of the original shape, built from 1996 until the end of production, after 41 years, in 2000.
We finally made it back to our starting point, at ‘The Flamboyant Fifties’.
The scale of these extravagant American vehicles was boggling. I’ve always loved the old Morris Woody Wagons but Chrysler outdid themselves with the Town and Country Newport Coupe. Only 698 of these last true woodies were produced for one year only in 1950.
Built to celebrate Cadillac’s Golden Anniversary, a limited edition convertible version of the El Dorado concept car was released in 1953. More a method of testing the market, production was restricted to 532 vehicles.
Presumably beyond repair, a 1953 Buick has been laid to rest in a mock graveyard.
The arboreal aftermath left us with a monstrous mulch pile to deal with and so, I made it my mission to replenish every garden bed before the onset of winter.
The Tree Doctor advised us to cover the exposed roots of a couple of large trees or they would certainly suffer. We moved the existing edging to extend the mulched area and procured some huge cardboard boxes from a local electrical store. After placing the cardboard as a weed mat, I dumped a hefty layer of mulch
and am very pleased with the result.
Come and have a look at the refreshed garden.
We then decided to rejuvenate the old dog kennel (that none of our dogs have actually used) and move it to a more prominent position.
With a fresh coat of paint, new bright curtains and the addition of a door and gable finial, she is flanked by a pair of potted English Box.
cannonhillchronicles 