Kamo kamo

I will soon have another sweet Kamo kamo. This is a female flower ready to open. As soon as the bees have done their work the friut will start swelling.

My Kamokamo ramble amongst my newly planted citrus orchard keeping weeds at bay and the soil moisture in.

Small black tomatoes

Waiting for our new seasons tomatoes. Last years stores are running low and we are craving new seasons taste.

Our house

We built walls, floors and a roof and then each made a 'room'.

'Will the insects like their house? What will live in our house? How can we feed our insects? Can we make a house that a slater will like? What else could we use?'

Childrens questions are amazing.

Our house is a start. Who knows where it will go.

Oh what to plant!

By the time the leaves fall off the bamboo there could be; Peas, beans, cucumbers, gourds, luffa, pumpkins, nasturtums, morning glory........................

Small places for children are so easy to make anywhere.

Living house

Our house is growing!!!

Tomato stakes

Stakes are in, compost spread, lettuce understory planted, watering trench dug, basil and tomato seedlings waiting in tunnel house.

Ruatahuna

We planted a jungle of seeds.

The children chose what they wanted to eat, sorted seeds into guilds, made the pots and then planted.

Come summer they will have an edible landscape of; purple peas, popcorn, sorgum, sunflowers, watermelon, beans, tomatoes, basil...............

Tangling

It requires sooo much concentration.

It also looks beautiful, defines the space and provides extra support for climbing plants.

Underneath the tee-pee

What a place to be!!!
Everybody loves being under the tee-pee. Sitting around the fire.
On our walk we got to see chickens, newly hatched ducklings, lambs, bees, horses and feed Lilly the cow.
Then is was back to the tee pee for pizza lunch.

All feet on the tarp.

It all comes together (sand, straw and clay). Just like baking a cake. Except the mixing is between your toes.

A textural experience for everyone.

Bug House

Welcome bugs.

We cut, sorted, listened, hammered, tied, hypothesised, measured and now wait for our bug house to be filled with bugs to help with our gardening.

Comunity build

What an amazing few days. I feel privileged to have been there as a part of the team.

All it took was a little planning, resource gathering and then a couple of days of fun with an amazing community.

The children had a whole lot of fun and now have a living willow hut, edible garden, retro-fitted whare, worm farm, seed raising house, maunga, food forest and many special spaces to explore and play.

This amazing community is now creating a riverstone awa, sandpit and mosaic path.

An ice cream container of possibility

What would you plant?

The choice is yours.

Most of the children spent time making pots, choosing seeds and planting them.

Magic

Seeds are magic.
We share their stories; who grew them for us, how they are eaten, when they grow, what they like growing with and how to save them so we can pass them on.
I love working with children. They love holding seeds, learning their stories and becoming a part of the new ones.

Many hands...

...make light work. And loads of fun.

We planted our house this morning.

It is usually a damp, forgotten corner -perfect for willow.

Now there is a place to visit.

We 'carpeted' our house with a thick layer of newspaper to stop the weeds and cabbage tree leaves for our bare feet. Our seats are a few burls of wood.