A mild and sunny spring morning is a marvelous tonic for the soul, and one hardly needs prodding to get out and ridge the spuds.

The 400 mm netting hanging on the fence will eventually go around the garden to keep Brer Rabbit and his buddies out. I was unaware until I went to purchase 'rabbit netting' at the local hardware store that rabbits won't jump over 400 mm. I've taken their word for it for now, but the jury is still out, in my mind.

The two gardens are a total of 1,320 square feet, or 123 square metres, which allows for plenty of exercise keeping the weeds down and the rows ridged. We have peas under the bird-netting, which are purely for munching from the vine, potatoes (Swift, Red King, Purple Heart and Waiporoporo - a Maori spud) and what we in New Zealand call 'yams' but are actually a starchy South American tuber called 'Oca' (Oxalis tuberosa) that are a favourite in the roasting dish. 

From here, we can sit with a beer and watch them all grow.