Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - The Sad & Sorry Tale of Girlies Daughter

As some of you might know, my most favourite Arapawa Ewe is Girlie. She was the first “wild” Arapawa that trusted me to let me feed her by hand. She is also the most doting Mum out of all the Ewes.

About 4 years ago, Girlie had a daughter to an Arapawa Ram that was not part of my main flock, so we decided to keep Girlie’s Daughter, as Girlie herself was an excellent Mum, I thought her Daughter would be too.

Girlie’s Daughter was very unlike her Mum… she became one of my fiercest Ewe’s and was always a challenge to handle. I really didn't mind as I was impressed that she chose her own path and developed an identity of her own.

About a week ago, Girlie’s Daughter unfortunately became the victim of Barbers pole worm, a blood sucking parasite that causes severe anemia and sudden death in sheep. It’s something to watch out for during wet summers or the start of autumn. There is very little in the way of warning signs, and generally when you discover it, if you don’t drench immediately the sheep can die within 24 to 48 hours. Signs include pale mucous membranes (eyelids/gums) and lethargy.

Initially the first thing that I noticed was that she was following her lamb around a lot. Nothing that would alert me to anything, just something I noticed… as Girlie’s Daughter tends to lead from the front. The following morning Girlies Daughter was hanging back with her lamb, and then I knew something was wrong. When a sheep isolates herself from the flock… it generally means the sheep is sick.

I walked over to her to investigate, and she just stood there, didn’t run, nothing. Which given how fierce she normally is, it became apparent that she was lethargic. I walked her into the holding pen, which there was no objection from her at all. I checked her eyelids and they were white as paper. They should be salmon pink. She was severely anemic and as she was lethargic, and her poop was normal, my confident conclusion was that she has Babers pole.

I immediately drenched her, and at this point in time, it's a 50/50 chance as to whether she will survive or die. I separated her from her lamb, so the lamb wasn’t using the little energy that her mum had to keep producing milk.

The following morning, I checked in on her, and she was still alive! That was a huge relief.

However, she didn’t look great, and I had the feeling that there was still a very good chance that she would die. I also noticed that she seemed to be blind… her eyelids were still white, and she was still extremely lethargic. 

To help her regain some energy for her body to produce the blood that she had lost, I made up a homemade tonic. A glucose/electrolytes mixture. Basically, 500ml water, 2x tablespoons honey, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and I gave her 50ml 4 times a day. Along with some grains, hay, sheep nuts and water. 

I checked in with the vet and was basically advised to allow time for her to recover.

After about 4 days, she has recovered to a stable position, but she’s still not right, and I am confident she has gone blind in both eyes. She is eating, pooping, drinking, standing and takes a few steps at a time, although walks in a lefthand direction.

I’m not sure what I should do with her now. 

I’m glad she is alive, I’m glad she is stable. But if her sight doesn’t recover…I don’t know what to do.

I feel terribly sad for her.

She has lost her Arapawa spirit.

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - A Reminder To Myself

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Red Gold Planting Day ✅️ Done!

​They say that anything worth doing is rarely easy, and today’s weather certainly wanted to test that theory.

​Today was the big day: Corm Planting Day. While I was hoping for beautiful North Canterbury summer sun, Mother Nature had other plans. It was drizzly, wet, and notably cool for January. But in the world of saffron farming, the clock doesn't stop for a bit of rain. If anything, the damp air felt like a quiet blessing for the 1,000 treasures we were about to tuck into the earth.

​The Grid Of My Dreams

From the photo, you’ll see my "secret weapon": the string lines. To the casual observer, it might look like a giant game of noughts and crosses, but this is precision engineering at its finest… if I do say so myself!

​Each string is set to ensure a perfect 10cm spacing. This isn't just because I like straight lines (though it does help the soul!); it’s to give each corm enough "elbow room" to multiply over the coming years without getting crowded.

​A Bodyguard in Every Hole

​You might have also noticed my dibber and a little red bucket in the photo. 

I used the dibber to create corm holes exactly 10cm deep—it’s quick, precise, and makes the work much easier on the back.

​Inside that bucket is another "secret weapon" for plant health: TrichoPel. Before placing each corm, I added a small pinch of this natural bio-inoculant. I’ve been concerned about "wet feet" during the Loburn winters, TrichoPel is our natural insurance policy. It contains a beneficial fungus called Trichoderma, which acts like a tiny bodyguard for the corm.

​Why we’re using it:

​Disease Defense: It hunts down and colonizes the area around the roots, blocking out nasty soil-borne diseases like root rot (Phytophthora) and Fusarium.

​

Root Booster: It doesn’t just protect; it actually stimulates the corm to grow a stronger, more vigorous root system.

​

Nature’s Way: It’s 100% natural and non-toxic, fitting perfectly with our goal of growing Saffron exactly as nature intended.

​

By adding that little pinch today, we're giving our 1,000 corms the best possible start to thrive in their new home. 

Ohh... and the final count, there was 1058 Saffron Corms.

Now, we let the soil do the rest of the work.

​Next time you see these beds, I'm hoping for a lot less brown and a lot more green and Red Gold!

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Building a Home for 1,000 Treasures ✅️ Done!

The Saffron Beds

​Saffron seems reasonably easy to grow if you have the right conditions... but then, isn't that true for everything?

​

The trick is creating those conditions from scratch.

​Canterbury and Southern NZ are actually world-class locations for Saffron. Our cold winters and hot summers mimic its Mediterranean origins, but we have a secret weapon: High UV intensity. This high UV exposure helps increase the Safranal levels—the compound responsible for saffron's distinct aroma and potency. It’s why New Zealand-grown saffron is often considered some of the best in the world.

The Loburn Challenge - Managing "Wet Feet"

​Saffron’s biggest enemy is "wet feet" (rotting corms). While Loburn is beautiful, our flats can get quite damp in winter. As an insurance policy against changing weather patterns, I’ve decided to grow our crop in raised garden beds.

​I’ve built the beds to sit 20cm above the ground. Since the corms are planted 10cm deep, this gives them a safe 10cm "buffer zone" above the surrounding ground level to ensure they stay dry and happy during a Canterbury downpour.

The Layout: By the Numbers

​If my maths is correct, each bed should be a cozy home for 500 corms.

​Bed Dimensions: 5.8m x 1.2m

​Corm Spacing: 10cm apart to allow for future corm multiplication.

Bed Fill: 1.5m3 per bed.

​Our Growing Philosophy

​Gary and I are committed to natural, spray-free principles. While we aren’t pursuing formal organic certification yet (that’s a story for another day!), we are strictly chemical-free. Any fertilizers we use are Bio-Gro approved, and weeding will be done the old-fashioned way: by hand. We want our Saffron to be exactly as nature intended.

​The Construction: Working with the Land

​Because time was tight, I skipped the "black plastic" method for killing off the grass. Instead, I mowed the grass as low as possible and laid down a thick layer of clean cardboard before placing the frames. This should smother the grass and eventually break down into the soil.

​For the frames themselves, we used untreated Macrocarpa—no nasty chemicals leaching into our "Red Gold."

Also I attached some short vertical posts that will be used to hang netting, to keep the Pukekos and Hares out.

​The "Perfect" Mix?

​I’ve gone for a custom soil blend:

​60% Screened Topsoil

​25% Coarse Sand / Fine Grit (for that vital drainage)

​15% Mature Organic Compost

​

Was it too much topsoil and not enough grit? In the gardening world, time is the only true teacher. 

However, I’ve just tested the pH level, and it’s sitting at 7.5. That is the "sweet spot" for Saffron, so we are off to a flying start!

​Next up: The Planting.

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - The Treasures Have Arrived!

 

Remember when I said something rare and vibrant was coming to Down Wattle Lane? 

Well... the postie just dropped off the 'treasures' and honestly?

They’re a lot more... hairy... than I expected.

Meet the future of our little farm! These are 🌸 Saffron Crocus Corms… 1,000 of them!

Why Saffron? Well, besides wanting to grow the world's most expensive spice in my backyard, I need a way to keep myself busy.

Being home day in and day out due to my Parkinson's, it can be a bit of a mental grind, so the plan is to keep active and stay mentally challenged with this little project.

I've spent a good few months thinking “what can I do with our beautiful Loburn land” and somewhere along the way Saffron got stuck in my head.

So stuck in my head I've even prepared a full detailed 4 year business plan, because if the Pukeko and Hares don't get to them first, hopefully we can make a dollar or two along the way.

The goal is to become “A Boutique Saffron Farm”, producing Saffron and Saffron associated products.

There's a bit to do, and the 1000 corms are for now, a trial. But if all goes well, and the corms successfully produce flowers this April, we will be looking to increase to 20,000 Saffron corms very quickly.

​Right now, they look like tiny, bearded potatoes. But in a few months? They’ll be popping up 'Red Gold.' 🤞

Time to get my hands dirty! 👨‍🌾💪

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - 2026

2026 

A New Year & A New Adventure 

is coming to Down Wattle Lane…

Today, 1,000 tiny little treasures have been purchased.

It’s vibrant, it’s rare, and it’s unlike anything we’ve ever done before.

Any guesses as to what?

#DownWattleLane

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Thankyou!

Thank you all so much for your kind condolence wishes for Zara. She was a truly special lamb who quickly grew very dear to my heart.

There was an immense investment of time put into Zaras care... literally a 24-hour job over 3 weeks. There was some guilt on my part, that I was neglecting the rest of the flock.

​Having raised Arapawa sheep for over a decade with few issues, I’ve unfortunately learned that when a lamb gets sick, their decline can be terrifyingly swift. 

We spent three weeks battling for her life. Initially, I felt death was inevitable, yet we had to try. A week in, I started to feel optimistic, believing we were past the worst. Everything was looking good. However, the last three days brought uncontrollable bloat, and despite multiple visits to the vet, her little body finally gave up this morning at 7:30 am.

​She passed away peacefully here at home, her head resting in my hands and her little eyes looking up at me. I talked to her softly and calling her name until she took her final breath.

A few tears then followed.

​Moments like these make you question why I raise livestock that I treat as pets. 

The emotional difficulty of losing any animal under your care is immense, and you’re inevitably left asking if you could have done anything differently or better. 

It would be easy to simply give it all up.

​But I feel that if you aren’t feeling these emotional ups and downs, you aren’t truly living. 

I love my flock dearly, and as hard as it can be on days like this, the good days always outnumber the bad. 

We currently have 36 sheep and lambs, so life goes on. My duties must continue... and I do love every minute of it.

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - RIP Princess Zara of Arapawa

RIP Princess Zara of Arapawa

Thank you for the short but memorable time we spent together.

You were a very clever little girl. So proudly independent.

You impressed me with how quickly you learned new skills. You made me laugh every day with your smart antics and fun games.

I just wished the journey was longer.

RIP Zara

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Poor Zara

Poor Zara... she's still so big! 🙄

I have to keep her inside so she doesn't float away in the wind! 

We're off back to the vet 3pm today to "pop the bubble" so to speak.

Update on the vet visit. The vet deflated her, more medication and Zara was a real trooper! But after about an hour back home she had swelled up again. The bloat is really out of control!

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Health Update on Zara

Health Update: Princess Zara of Arapawa 

Just as I was starting to think we're getting on top of Zaras health challenges, yesterday her bloat dramas flared up again, and this morning she was acting weird and obviously uncomfortable with it. Zara was repeatedly laying down on her back and stretching her legs way out front and back. Very unpleasant to see.

So I immediately popped her in the car and drove her to the vets.

We think Zara has an issue where her suckling which isn't sending the food into the right stomach chamber.

Everything we have been trying, thick yoghurtised milk and small regular feeds (up to 10 feeds a day using a small syringe), the vet said was good, but we now have some medication to try, and a new technique of getting her to suckle on a empty, dry teat before we introduce food. Then transition to solid food, sooner rather than later, getting her off the liquid diet. So I have muesli to introduce her to today. She's been already nibbling on grass.

So the battle is not over...