Sunday 20 December 2015

Christmas Colour

There is nothing that says Christmas time to a New Zealander more than our own Christmas tree - the Pohutukawa, which flowers in December. New Zealanders all over the world hanker to be sitting in the shade of one of these magnificent trees on a beautiful beach around Christmas time.




It is a productive time for the garden here, so Christmas lunch will feature salad ingredients, roast beetroot, freshly picked beans, and hopefully raspberries all from the garden.



The Christmas plums are ready, and so far we have mostly beaten the birds to them.



The presents are mostly wrapped (thought I was not doing wrapped presents this year!-I should have taken a photo of the big present to show you - it's a wooden logging truck, handmade by a local artisan) - not so much colour coordinated this year, but that's all recycled wrapping paper of one sort or another, including the ribbons. Old Santa there was made by Derek's mother many years ago.




 The Christmas cake is made finally, better late than never. Just the lawns to mow and a bit of a tidy up and we're ready.
The weather forecast is for a sunny Christmas Day with the possibility of a shower. We should be able to get in a game of petanque on the lawn then, and probably down to the beach for some barbecued ham steaks for dinner on Christmas day.


4 comments:

  1. Your Christmas lunch sounds lovely, and made even more special because you grew some of it!
    Is that tree also known as a New Zealand Christmas Bush? or is that another plant? because we have those in Australia, either way it is beautiful.
    Wishing you a very Merry Christmas too!!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Cheryl. I think your Christmas Bush is of the same family - there are many varieties - but our Pohutukawa grows into a massive, gnarled tree that can live hundreds of years.

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  2. I enjoyed seeing bits and pieces of your New Zealand Christmas. We've always have special things from the fall garden harvest for Christmas, too, but how lovely to have them fresh from the garden. Especially that plum!
    Merry Christmas to your and your family!

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