The weather is a bit like childbirth

The weather is a bit like childbirth, you quickly forget about the bad bits.

It was quite cool here yesterday, it was showering most of the day, overcast and windy. It was one of those days you get at the beginning of the cold seasons when you feel glad to be alive, you wear layers of clothes to keep you snug all day and you look forward to hot tea and coffee and being able to warm your hands on the cup.

I'm looking forward to the cold days ahead, when I can wear jumpers, scarves and gloves and make hot soup in big pots that will keep us going for days. I love the time when I perform the yearly ritual of changing from a summer bed to a winter bed. When the cool summer sheets are replaced by flannel ones, Hanno has an electric blanket on his side of the bed and I add an extra quilt. We're already in the first stage of that winter bed process because for the last few nights we've slept with the windows shut tight. The next stage is to change to the warm bed.

They are simple pleasures and if you are mindful of them, they make such a difference.

I was at work yesterday and while I was attending an afternoon meeting, I sat mesmerised by the rain falling on the Flexischool roof. The falling rain took me back to the front of an open fireplace at my parents' house and gave me the warm and cosy feeling of being looked after when I was young. We have a combustion stove where I work and that is one of the things I really like about being there. Even when it's just sitting there unused, it makes me feel comfortable. When it's cold enough to light it, I doubt they'll be able to move me away from the warmth it. There is ample room for a coffee pot on top and I have no doubt that when it's cold enough for the fire, there will always be the smell of coffee to welcome people to the house.

But I remember back to the end of last winter. I was glad the cold weather was over and looking forward to warmer days, clinking ice cubes and summer dresses. We quickly forget the bad bits, don't we?

A couple of ladies asked for more information about growing vanilla orchids. On the left is a photo of several of my vanilla bean cuttings that have now grown to a good length. Producing vanilla is long drawn out process and probably reflects the high price we pay for genuine vanilla beans.

I've grown vanilla vines for a few years but I've never moved them to a place where they could grow to the required height to stimulate flowering. Basically they need about 50% sunlight and are usually grown up a tree. When they're a certain height, you cut the top off or flick the top off the support so it's hanging down. That triggers flowering if the vine has reached the right height.

Once the orchids have formed you must hand pollinate them. We have no natural pollinators in Australia for these orchids. If the orchid is not pollinated within 24 hours of flowering, it dies and falls off the vine. It takes about nine months for the vanilla bean to form and grow to the right size. When they're picked they need to be fermented for six months. This is done by dropping them, in boiling water, wrapping them in cloth, then allowing them to dry naturally for several months. It's a long drawn out process but certainly worth it if you're a keen gardener and cook, and you live in a tropical or sub-tropical climate. They're very easy to grow in the right climate. There is some excellent information about growing and processing vanilla beans here.