The case of the curious roadside wilding close to Beau Vista orchard, Wairarapa NZ. Some apples are hanging on right through into Spring. And they are still fresh! I know I tasted one. A sharp. And now it’s blossoming! #apples
Legs in a wine glass are caused by the Marangoni effect of surface tension differences between H20 & EtOH in the wine As EtOH evaporates faster than H20 from the thin film on the glass the wine becomes watery with a higher ST that pulls more wine up Gravity then causes it to fall back down as legs.
Pear anthers changes from a purple to black over 2 days as it releases pollen and then oxidizes and dries and shrivelsThe colour is caused by anthocyanins in the cells of the anther. If the flower has been pollinated by bees the flower will then progress to fruit set. The pollen is actually yellow.
At Beau Vista orchard we let nettles grow in the corners to encourage biodiversity. Nettles encourage an amazing array of insects including Red Admiral or Kahukura. They also provide shelter for larvae, support a diverse range of pollinators, and contribute nutrients to the ecosystem. #nettles
On the Wairarapa plains the next town north from Carterton ( our nearest town to TeePee Cidery and orchard) is Masterton. In the era before social media when newspapers reigned supreme, the Wairarapa Times Age built this magnificent art deco building. #artdeco#buildings#architecture#NewZealand
What a late start to Spring for many plants in NZ. Beau Vista orchard’s beech hedge should be green by now. Never seen it so bare as the old brown leaves finally blow away, you can see though it! #Spring#Aotearoa#beech#hedging#orchard#cider#apples
Hysteranthous -blossom before leaves. Pears do this. Apples which flower a few weeks later take the usual leaves first course to the spring weather shielding the delicate flower buds from frost etc Pear have evolved to flower dramatically as early as possible in to attract bees but take that risk.
Mystery solved! Kererū poo! Under a large greengage tree at Beau Vista orchard has been continuous poo. I thought possums but trap those and levels low. Then they arrived. 3 beautiful birds who had been hiding from me for weeks. Must roost in the tree at night. #kereru#orchard#NewZealand#Aotearoa
At last! -the Tom Putt apples (our first apples to blossom) are about to bud burst. The leaves opened first last week revealing these gorgeous deep crimson flower buds. A late but bountiful Spring. #cider#apples#orchard#Wairarapa#NewZealand
The orchard is changing rapidly now the days are longer and the temperatures are climbing after a slow start to Spring. We are now peak bluebells. They have put on a great show this year. #bluebells#cider#orchard#Wairarapa
Well that’s a wrap. Winetopia 2025 in Auckland was great. 2 days of fun. Wonderful customers really passionate about how cider is wine. Lots tasted. We had 3 offerings a SV Kingston Black, SV Yarlington Mill, and a mixed Perry. Great networking with winemakers. #Winetopianz#Winetopia2025#Cider
Winetopia 2025 in Auckland is a blast. 50 stands of premium wines food and of course cider. We are next to Palliser in the Wairarapa section. Masterclasses and live cover band with dancing. Did I mention a fantastic rendition of Dancing Queen? #winetopianz#Winetopia2025#cider
A good day was had. Now we know a 50 seater bus fits now the drive at TeePee Cider! We hosted a visit by Wellington U3A. Sadly the blossom was late and it rain, rain, rained but with improvisation, a gazebo and a talk, our guests had a good day with cider tastings and good food. #cider#U3A#orchard
Our local park has a magnificent conference pear tree in it. Really quite old and majestic for NZ. This year it is looking spectacular with heavy blossoms. Although late probably due to the colder end to winter most early fruit trees like cherry have heavy blooms this year. #pear#Spring#blossom
The humble forget-me-not self sets and appears each year at this time around TeePee Cidery. Its scienitific name is Myosotis, a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae from the Northern Hemisphere. Myosotis alpestris is the official flower of Alaska. #cidery#NewZealand#Aotearoa
At last! The leaf buds of Tom Putt, our earliest cider apple trees at Beau Vista orchard are opening. No sign of blossom yet though and most varieties are still dormant. #apple#cider#Wairarapa#Aotearoa#NewZealand
A curious start to the year in the orchard. Whilst most established trees are late to bloom, now about 3+ weeks late, a few of our younger pear trees about 5 years are in full bloom! Yesterday was warm and sunny and even the honey bees came over to celebrate. #perry#orchard#cider #NewZealand#pear
Move over daffodils; it’s bluebell time. Although our equinox’s winds batter them, they are doing well. They self propagate so its nice seeing bunches appear as well as replanting the bulbs. There are a few white ones but the pink ones have not flowered. #bluebells#orchard#Apples#NewZealand
This is our oldest Shropshire sheep. She is about 13 years old. We have had her now for 10 years at Beau Vista orchard. She is losing condition and some weight but is still the leader of the others that joined our small flock later. And always happy to see us. Just eating grass 😍. #orchard#sheep
In 1922, Beatrix Potter’s 2nd book of nursery rhymes was published by Warne, some from old material. He made changes, including that Cecily's apples become into cowslips and that the barrels of cider be turned into cowslip wine. Photos of the original with cider and revised. #cider#rhymes
The perry blossom in opening fast now even in this atrocious weather. Second photo in 1 day later and the 3rd photo is 3 days later! Is 3 weeks late already so perhaps trying to catch up! 😉 #perry#blossom#flowering#orchard#Spring2025
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