Spring! This week’s small pleasures #70

While lots of bloggers in the northern hemisphere are writing about autumn, pumpkins, leaves falling off trees and getting cosy, down here we are in the process of celebrating spring. So this week’s small pleasures have as their focus, spring.  The featured image at the top of the post was taken on Saturday afternoon, when it was warm enough to sit outside and read.  Now if that is not a small pleasure, I don’t know what is. Flowers bloom the year round here, and the seasons are marked by which ones are on display.  Daffodils and tulips are now past, and now the rhododendrons are in full flower.  Peonies are for sale in the flower shops, the lavender is brightening up our wee terrace. and the chard on the main shopping street in Wellington is ready for picking – you can read about it here.

Asparagus

Nothing says spring quite like asparagus, and it is time to make the most of the short season.

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Tomato prices start to fall

This is one that New Zealanders will identify with.  It is also one that makes me happy, as I love all the different varieties of tomatoes that are available these days.

Black cherry tomatoes

A change of tea

It is time to put aside spicy chai and move to green tea with rose, but spring doesn’t stop scone eating.  I was up early on Saturday, and thought a cheese and rocket scone would do nicely before Pilates.

Ekor Bookshop and Cafe – one of my favourite places in Wellington

Changeable weather

Saturday – lovely and warm and sunny.  Sunday morning – heavy rain and grey skies, followed by another sunny afternoon.  Still, my winter coat has been put away.

Spring baking

Sticking with the floral theme and sunny days, I baked a batch of rose biscuits (as first written about last year).  Small and buttery, with a nice, mild rose flavour, they went really well with some Earl Grey blue flower tea.

Little rose biscuits for afternoon tea

And that is it for this week.  I still have a cold and still feel lousy, but the fact that longer days are here cheers me up enormously.

Thanks to Mani over at A New Life Wandering for the original idea. Please share your small pleasures of the week!

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