Struan Farm

Struan Farm Struan Farm is a rural farmstay in the King Country, not far from Hairy Feet Waitomo Hobbit Film Loc

The heavy frost is just disappearing, almost time to get out to work!
10/06/2026

The heavy frost is just disappearing, almost time to get out to work!

This week I decided to start the seasonal clean up of the flower gardens at our house, between rain showers. It’s a majo...
09/06/2026

This week I decided to start the seasonal clean up of the flower gardens at our house, between rain showers. It’s a major. I’m not cutting back the roses quite yet, too damp plus some are still blooming. But I’m w**ding, cutting back dahlias, echinacea, sage, and pruning overgrown shrubs that can be pruned this time of the year. I’ve almost got one side done but for some blackberry and biddy bid that I decided to save for tomorrow since I need to be on my best game for that. I’ll then tackle raking and w**ding “Apple Alley” before going around the back (can see some California thistles sneaking in from the paddock at the far end). The chooks are keeping me company, I’m stirring up bugs. Lots of overgrown shrubs needing haircuts across the back and I can see at least one that has split and fallen over. But things are starting to look much better, hooray! It’s also the right time of the year to fill gaps and replace things (I’m over standard roses, floribundas all the way!). And right when I decided to call it a day I looked up and saw this lovely white camellia smiling down on me. :)

Trying some Monty & Sons made in NZ pasta for dinner tonight. Even the durum wheat is grown here. The products won a gol...
06/06/2026

Trying some Monty & Sons made in NZ pasta for dinner tonight. Even the durum wheat is grown here. The products won a gold medal at the recent Outstanding Food Producer Awards. They’re available at New World, but also places like Red Kitchen in TA. Important to support NZ artisanal products when we can!

It was really restorative to get out back to the garlic, shallot and onion beds this afternoon. I’ve decided to experime...
30/05/2026

It was really restorative to get out back to the garlic, shallot and onion beds this afternoon. I’ve decided to experiment with daggy wool as mulch this year in an effort to keep w**ds down and onions from rotting with the “Super El Niño” forecast for winter. El Niño usually means wetter for us on the West Coast vs. drought on the East. Our generous neighbour gave me a big sack of dags from the wool shed to supplement that from our modest mob. Soon I will plant out red and Pukekohe Long keeper onion seedlings. Have just read it’s good to plant them in threes, so I will give that a try too. And good news: the garlic is already sprouting!

Autumn, yesterday afternoon by the back gate.
29/05/2026

Autumn, yesterday afternoon by the back gate.

It was an absolutely stunning day to be working outside planting garlic and shallots in the beds out back, once it warme...
14/05/2026

It was an absolutely stunning day to be working outside planting garlic and shallots in the beds out back, once it warmed up a wee bit. I will finish up planting out the garlic tomorrow, but have planted Rocombole Early White and Ruby Red from Koanga and Creole and Rose from Te Mata Garlic. May or may not pop in some Printanor. Everything is netted to deter the dastardly feral pheasants, who fly into the fenced beds and dig things up much to my dismay. I’ve used some poopy wool scraps from crutching a few of the ewes as mulch. The beds were prepped with a good w**d, rotary hoe, manure, lime and blood and bone before the recent rain, timing is everything.

John is off with the New Plymouth Mayor and roading people to drive Taumatamaire Road this morning. Nothing in Mokau or...
11/05/2026

John is off with the New Plymouth Mayor and roading people to drive Taumatamaire Road this morning. Nothing in Mokau or Awakino is open for lunch from FB posts, email messages or attempts to ring, so these are freshly baked “really good cheese scones” from Sophie Gray’s “Fill the Tins” to help the journey. There’s butter in the picnic basket, of course!

I’ve been going a bit nuts with the wet weather!Our crop of walnuts has been shelled and put into ziplock bags in the fr...
09/05/2026

I’ve been going a bit nuts with the wet weather!Our crop of walnuts has been shelled and put into ziplock bags in the freezer, now I’m starting the bumper crop of hazelnuts. These are actually easier to shell than walnuts: one crack and they pretty much pop out. The shells don’t compost but I put them in the fire to help as firestarters. I’m really just trying to make a dent when I can, it’s one of those jobs.

09/05/2026

This is a wonderful movie!

Address

942 State Highway 3
Piopio
3970

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