It’s been hard to concentrate here in Tarras as the windy days carry on relentlessly. We’ve had several gale-force days, and it’s demoralising to watch the new stems on the Stipa gigantea snap in half and the huge artichokes , Holyhocks and Delphiniums get torn apart. The rain has arrived regularly each week, but any benefit seems to be countered by this season’s persistent wind.

Since we arrived back from Turkey and Rhodes at the end of September, I could count on one hand the number of still, calm days in Central Otago. Spring has tested us with wind and even late snow, but—best of all—no late frosts. So for once, we all have fruit on our trees, and the new the seedlings are filling out beautifully.

We planted most of our garden on a bare property four years ago. With our “vision goggles” on, we had a plan—and this year, for the first time, I can really see the difference. Areas are beginning to behave. Even the intended white garden, which does has a few colourful rogues this year, but soon be sorted out and they will enjoy a trip in the wheelbarrow to a new home with more suitable companions.

Both Philip and I turned 70 this year, and our party celebration for 70 people was so much fun. All our children and grandchildren travelled to be with us, and as my friend Annie said, it felt like This Is Your Life—a wonderful reunion that brought together our “tribe” across the years and generations. In our younger days we used to party constantly, and I can confirm that finding reasons to gather your friends and family was definitely one of the best memories of 2025.

att.JuFNxxxv4HM_-URQ3n0hyYMf3GX6lGtGwg3UhU371c8.jpeg

att.or-DYgvVhFO_rt6vnld0LToXfdTkU5_K5Lg7wADfdXI.jpeg

att.BX-hKNbpKD7lL0rXQ5XrVbrzprjriR8E6FI-q6R4yvU.jpeg

att.YYvSo9IlwaUEzeLmemVfEftpFmXRj-3W21T7PU7FMmE.jpeg

att.K1p5hJmwUp8OMZ7L9JhNxXjw6DQHzxd8q-XBt2ltSxY.jpeg

att.7ElDFkxHr6LzS4JSDCdD_NDeIeSiDqKsBAnr940IiCk.jpeg

att.0hJ7W_yINxh87ybLH33TuVKTsJNFPgfJhTdU3L9Bsok.jpeg

att.dw-hpVlcL_qoT4Inlv-fPUVveU4s2pc8tH-QWjcVpk0.jpeg

att.TuhF_MR_K37h_cs2N5BS3PRbcBf33WQk8A-C59yb23I.jpeg

att.K75yB32Ajt7H3rt2ONHT10sCZtbQKUqyqB6xkjZv3Q8.jpeg

att.ln0ef2Fb5a0sXwmkldMWtZdlZjHlIPrlXXDNPERIOQg.jpeg

att.Uo7hlMJ1lc_W84u6w1uesu9TKjgs9g9Blc8QUUpvfXs.jpeg

att.yvEjUTBgLJkH2WEVJLJC1JfMznrFKgybt5LD2hYQgzg.jpeg

att.gRAMyygclysL1fYNE9dykCF6wYpT7sryRNsJ2tX8MM8.jpeg

att.eggh7xiwXhGJMmFZ3CvmWc4ipuzrq0ggcnEqxUvnYgU.jpeg

att.kTuDaCjQ67D6Oc92gGee7cwo3THBPaz0B33sb_tDNxA.jpeg

att.dEPlXJBdo2zGYy07Y2Z59U-I-gyhTxEj1HJmBV17Mbs.jpeg

att.C5TPLY7QkWRPbQWXPuepdm8cez8eba0dR1UxUsKqeHs.jpeg

att.XutYGzxLIRepfuKBPr6T-YkHYSYSmXVtkdZcpOo7Kcg.jpeg

att.SK2fT3dEN7FrYV7M4HmKCIvkOLfVi-5rCLjS1v_FUVI.jpeg

att.cnM_JpBa97lZ3lDNmWpsaWNRLKY27AxvNxZXZn2b3K0.jpeg

att.8-VXBD7UjtvgAhGKWqtIJUMUqwyeFtNOieRyW6ntUNI.jpeg

att.Rn5HlSesFIygZxtM7we1FiCy8JBTTk5fHoJpT5nybC0.jpeg

att.bU3VZHFzhFk1zDmUwf3i_eIfIc20Upr3TxPcCEzf3RE.jpeg

att.WDAYGt12tTpqq-_kX9mjb83Kk8-JK1eAqsc_2a3hURQ.jpeg

att.kl9SeArDijOZmtU7WmRsrmq2hYfGNVl9EqAxSFGY2J0.jpeg

att.8407SMxvpWgTv9DcLec-zJcyAFJ-LntjTq0Sxhwf3v4.jpeg

att.dNVAY6BHJZG9mvO_ow5QwQOsVMcyIpyzfz8uC-TwOAE.jpeg

The same goes for travelling. Now that we have reached our seventies—and as I manage a knee and hip issue while planning tours for 2026—I’m more aware than ever of making the most of each day. We love spending our winters in Europe, exploring and enjoying the life and culture of Italy and France with our tour groups. After each tour we travel together, and over the years we’ve discovered Corfu and the Peloponnese, Northern Spain and Portugal, and countless gardens throughout the UK and Scotland. For 2026 we’re thinking Southern Spain might be our next adventure—always with gardens, wine, food, and rich history at the heart of our travels.

This year I used Meta AI on WhatsApp constantly, and it gave me wonderful notes for every tiny village, big city, and region we visited.

Why Not Join a Your in 2026?

On both tours we spend a full week in one place—a magnificent Masseria in Puglia and a charming iconic Château in Normandy. This means the tour size is limited by the number of bedrooms available. At the moment, the rooms in both the Masseria and the Château are just over half full. Once they’re taken, I won’t be able to add more people.

I’m just about to begin serious advertising, so if you’d like an itinerary, or are interested in either tour—or both—please get in touch.

In the meantime, I’ll be watching the dahlias and gladioli grow into a flowering forest, harvesting from the vegetable garden, and no doubt tackling the inevitable weeding. Today is the first of December, and we all know what that means—the lead-up to Christmas. I’ve decided to make all my decorations from foliage this year, so I’ll be out foraging for inspiration. Finding the time, however, may be the greater challenge!