Courgettes and Creativity

An abundance of Summer fruits and long sunlit days at this time of year. It has been extremely hot though and the garden has suffered despite our efforts. Still plenty to enjoy and as long as we have delicious food who can complain?

The Verbenas I planted are lovely but need deadheading regularly which is too much of a demand in this heat. Some I’ve retained and are looking beautiful but my two wall containers were drying out too quickly so I replaced them with magenta coloured Petunias. They seem to be more resilient. I love the colours and shapely flowers of the Verbenas though.

My Lilies haven’t been so good this year. Lily beetle and dry soil have taken their toll. I only have one or two so they’re precious and pretty. I planted nine “Brasilia” lilies in Spring but not a single one has appeared. So disappointed! They’re very beautiful lilies, almost white with a pink blush at the edge of the petals. I complained to the supplier and had a refund. I will try again next year but I will put them into large pots with some rich compost. Here are the other lilies which survived.

Marjoram is one of my favourite herbs even though it takes over the garden. The delicate tiny pink flowers attract butterflies, especially the little brown Gatekeepers and sometimes Holly Blue. The leaves when crushed have the most wonderful scent. Along with Lavender they are powerful attractants for pollinators. The Marjoram’s savoury leaves are also good in cooked dishes where herbs are required. I like them in my vegetarian sausages.

I have had some beautiful roses on my “Golden Showers” climber. A few years ago it was struggling and I thought I might remove it. I fed and watered it and it has made a tremendous difference. It’s grown, produced more flowers and sent up a new shoot loaded with buds. I love it. The flowers are fleeting, lasting only a day or two, but they are a delight to the eye.

I have a tiny rose called “The Fairy” in a pot. It has never amounted to much but the miniature flowers are pretty so I forgive it for its obstinacy. I will it to grow more but sometimes quality is better than quantity. It has a pleasing backdrop of green and ivory variegated Eunonymus.

I’ve decided to change a bit of the vegetable garden to reduce work so I’m going to plant it with closely-spaced perennial flowers. These, I hope, will be easier to manage and help to shade the soil so it doesn’t dry out so quickly. I’ve only planted a few so far. I intend to buy more when the weather cools down. Too hot for planting and too hot for the planter!

I’ve put in some Penstemon, Eryngium, Iberis and Platycodon with a shrub in the centre. Looking a bit lonely yet but it will be lovely when they have friends.

The vegetables are standing up well to the heat. Even those in the tunnels are thriving. I have plenty of “Little Gem” lettuce, Spring onions, kale, kohl rabi and leeks. Parsnips and carrots are coming along as well and a lovely cauliflower is growing. The cabbages I left to develop more new growth have two good ball heads. I have yellow French beans and runner beans.

Sounds like a lot but I never grow surplus crops. We don’t need much. Variety is more important to me than a glut. Small amounts of delicious things are so enjoyable and easier to cope with. I try to replace seeds when crops finish but I often forget to do it when it’s time.

My squashes are growing well in the top of a compost bin. This isn’t an active bin. It has a lot of old soil in it and I’ve topped it up with good finished compost from other bins. The squashes benefit from the warmth and as the sunlight hits the leaves they photosynthesise and nourish the plants. Lovely little squashes are growing rapidly.

I normally grow a courgette plant or two outside in the garden. This year I tried one in the old greenhouse. Not sure it was a good decision. So far it has grown enormous leaves but only a few small courgettes. Usually the courgettes grow a mile a minute but these seem very slow. I hope it picks up so that I can make my delicious Courgette and Ginger Loaf.

This is a moist, sweet treat which is served as buttered slices. It freezes really well so it’s a good idea to make two at a time. Here is my recipe for one loaf.

Courgette and Ginger Loaf

2 large Eggs
1 medium Courgette, about 150g
100g Caster Sugar
135g Self-raising Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
15g Bran
2 lumps Stem Ginger
1 tablespoon Ginger Syrup
100g Sunflower Oil

Grate the courgette and pour off excess liquid. 
Chop the ginger into small pieces. 
Heat the oven to 180 degreesC/160 for fan oven.
Grease a loaf tin or use a liner.
Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Spread in the loaf tin and bake for 35 minutes.
Test with a skewer. If it comes out clean the cake is done.

I love nectarines but often they are hard and not very sweet. A bit disappointing to say the least. However, sliced, cooked gently in a drop of water until soft, a little sugar added and left to cool, they become a taste sensation. Cooking and the sweetness of just a small amount of sugar brings out a wonderful flavour. Delicious served slightly warm with vanilla ice-cream, cold with Greek yoghurt or simply on their own. They are something special.

The extreme heat has kept me out of the garden and I feel dismayed when I walk around it because of the damage going on. So I’ve turned my mind to other things. My daughter asked me to record memories of our five years in Canada when we were young. I began to type and am enjoying it immensely. It was a time of adventure, not always easy but full of interesting and challenging experiences. We learned so much from the generous and resourceful Canadian people.

While we were there we read a book about The Enlightenment in Europe. It had a profound effect on us as it introduced us to history, philosophy, art and music. It heightened our awareness of the various aspects of our own lives and stimulated our desire to know more.

Later, back in England, we became mature students at university for a few years. We then worked as lecturers and researchers. At the end of each academic year we would visit the degree shows where the students showed off their artwork, pottery and textiles. We bought objects which caught our eye. Such wonderful talent and imagination. Here are a few of the lovely things we found and now own.

And here is my own latest bit of art. I painted my little jug of pretty flowers. I usually work from my own photograph but this time I worked from life. The vase was in front of me and I tried to copy it’s beauty. Painted with gouache and with an unpainted background to show off the delicacy of the flowers and pottery.

The year is galloping along. Summer at its peak already and so much to do. I hope you’re having the best of summers and making the most of this weather. Bye for now. With you again in a couple of weeks.

Summer Colours, Courgettes and Cheesy Bake.

Almost mid-Summer already! The year is flying by. The intense heat has stretched the garden to its limit but thankfully we’ve had a few cloudy days to give a little relief.

The water butts are bone dry. Not enough rain to keep them filled. Reluctantly we’ve had to resort to the hose for essentials.

Foxgloves, Aquilegias and Poppies have spent their energy and need trimming back. Other lovely flowers are now emerging to renew the pleasure. Delicate pink Mallow, the dainty white daisies of Feverfew, Roses, Veronica, blazing scarlet Verbena, the cool pale purple of Erysimum “Bowles Mauve” and the pure white of Leucanthemum.

As the garden is a bit spread out I often feel there’s not enough to fill it but when I collect my photos I realise there is much to enjoy. The shrubs seem to withstand the heat and give years of pleasure. Hypericum with its cheerful yellow blossom sings out and Euonymus “Blondie” retains its glowing golden leaves in all weathers. Mahonia and Berberis flowers have faded and left lovely blue-green berries instead.

I hope the tree fruit will not be too affected by this Summer’s record temperatures and lack of rain. Right now the apples and pears look promising so perhaps all will be well.

Courgettes are versatile summer vegetables. I usually grow them in the garden but now we have two greenhouses I decided to try one under cover. It has grown enormously! Never had such a big courgette plant. It’s already produced two small courgettes so It’s doing what it’s supposed to do. I love them sliced with a light covering of olive oil, then microwaved for three or four minutes. Sprinkled with a little salt and pepper they’re a delicious accompaniment to most things, even a sandwich. They make wonderful cakes and bread and are good in homemade chutneys or pickled. All good uses for a very generous plant.

The squashes are now shooting outwards and sprawling down the side of the compost bin where I planted them. Teeny-tiny squashes are forming so they look promising.

For very many years I grew “Scarlet Emperor” runner beans and saved the seed. I hadn’t had to buy seed for a long time. However, this year I bought plants from the garden centre to save myself a bit of work. Instead of red flowers, they have white. Something different for the garden. They’re looking healthy so the beans should follow on and be just as good as my old ones.

I have mentioned before that when I harvest a cabbage head I leave the stump and a few outer leaves. Later, new smaller heads form and extend the useful life of the cabbage. I brought in a lovely small head to make my Cheesy Potato Bake. A simple and satisfying meal on a day when it’s not too hot.

I shred the cabbage and steam it over boiling potatoes. While the vegetables are cooking I slice some onion into a heatproof dish, sprinkle with a little olive oil then soften in the microwave oven. When the potatoes and cabbage are cooked I mash the potatoes and mix in crumbled Cheshire or Lancashire cheese or grated Cheddar. The cabbage is spread on top of the onion then the cheesy potato mash over that. Baked in the air-fryer for fifteen to twenty minutes at about 155 degrees C it becomes pleasingly browned. Deliciously savoury and filling.

Here are a few small and pretty pots to enjoy. They’re lovely to see and beautiful as vases for fragrant posies.

I learned last year that over-ripe bananas attract butterflies and it proved to be true. Red Admirals seem particularly fond of sipping the rich juicy flesh. Once again, they’re fluttering about on the bird table to enjoy this special treat.

Moths are also lovely but generally elusive during the day. I’ve been lucky to see one or two flitting about. Here’s one I saw while walking through the garden. I had to zoom in or I would have scared it away. Such beautiful markings. Since learned that it’s a Box Moth! Fortunately I no longer have Box in the garden. The caterpillars of these moths destroy Box bushes. What a beauty though!

Summer racing on! I hope you’re enjoying it and sharing my pleasure. With you again in a couple of weeks. Stay cool and happy. Bye for now.

Fruit, Flowers and Holiday Sketches

Summer is wonderful! Roses, strawberries, sunshine and light nights. So much to enjoy. The garden has new treasures every week and delicious things to eat.

The broad beans are almost finished. I haven’t had enough to freeze this year but they have been such a treat. I enjoy eating them seasonally anyway so I don’t mind the fleeting pleasure.

The strawberries have been abundant again. There’s a belief that the plants should be replaced every three years but mine are far older and still giving tremendous yields. The plants look very healthy and the berries have a superb flavour.

Although they’re fabulous served simply, occasionally it’s nice to make a dessert. Here’s a mousse I dreamed up a few years ago.

Strawberry Mousse
Serves four

200g Strawberries
3 tablespoons Sugar
200g Cream Cheese
300 mls Whipping Cream

Prepare strawberries and set aside a few for decoration.
Put the rest in a pan and crush with a potato masher.
On a low heat cook them in the juice until broken down.
Add the sugar and stir well. Cook a few more minutes then allow to cool. Chill the strawberry puree.
When it's chilled, beat the cream until soft peaks form.
In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese into the strawberry puree. 
Fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream.
Spoon or pipe into pretty dishes.
Put a fresh strawberry on top of each dish.
Chill until ready to serve.

There’s much going on in the garden and beautiful flowers to enjoy. The colours are sensational. Here are some I caught with my camera.

Lots of wildlife around the garden as usual. The Verbascums, known as Mullein, which pop up here and there, are food for the hungry caterpillars of the Mullein moth. I found two beauties munching away. They have an interesting life cycle and the pupae can live underground for several years. I’m always pleased to see them.

It’s good to see the pollinating insects busy in the flowers. Without them there would be no seed for future blossom. Sparrows are flitting about and eating some of the less welcome visitors like aphids.

I have two small gooseberry bushes. People often think of gooseberries as sour and crunchy but in fact when they’re fully ripe they’re soft and sweet. Unfortunately the birds are well aware of this and unless I net them the bushes are stripped before I can pick them. I don’t want to go the trouble of netting them so I harvest the berries before they’re ripe. They’re still very good when cooked and make excellent jam or jelly.

Redcurrants are a lovely sight to see. Glistening, translucent scarlet berries hang like jewels on the branches. I no longer use these, although I do like the taste . The blackbirds love them so I let them feast to their heart’s content.

Although I harvested my Spring cabbages a few weeks ago I always leave at least one to produce new growth. I remove the ball head but leave the stump and some outer leaves. Some small new heads then form and provide more useful greens.

Last year I grew Uchiki kuri squashes in the top of a compost bin. They did well so I’m doing it again. I have three plants in there which will trail down the side and enjoy the warmth of the sunbathed bin. The squashes are just the right size. I don’t want big ones. These peel easily with a paring knife and will store for a few months in the winter in a cool room.

The Turk’s Turban on the right of my picture were not very good. I’ve not bothered growing those again.

The garden is a lot of work but gives me tremendous pleasure. Because of a chronic illness I’m no longer able to have holiday breaks so home is even more important to me now. I do have fond memories to look back on and I was looking at my little sketchbooks which I used to draw and paint in while we were away in the caravan. Here are some of the quick small sketches I did with watercolour pencils.

I hope you’re making happy memories too and enjoying the Summer. With you again in two weeks time. Bye for now.

Poetry, Pottery and Garden Treasure

June! A time of roses and strawberries. Garden delights a-plenty in this early summer period. Every day brings something lovely to see and to eat.

We had record breaking temperatures for a few days but now it’s sunshine and showers. The garden desperately needed water but these dull skies are hard to bear at times. Too hot or too cold? Here’s a little poem about it.

Summer Contrasts

Sultry Summer nights,
No rest the darkness brings.
The hours stretch out till dawn
When the blackbird sings.

Air lies like syrup
In the stillness of the night
And naked skin begs for mercy
As it waits for light.

But a cooler morning,
A fresher feel, however brief,
Revives our spirits
And brings sweet relief.

The contrasts of life
Are far beyond measure
And give us the special gift
To turn misery to pleasure.

My Day Lilies have been in for many years yet still shine out with their zingy yellow, lightly scented flowers. Although each flower only lasts a day they’re a welcome sight every time.

Campanula persicifolia was in the garden before we lived here and it self seeds freely. The wonderful bell flowers pop up here and there in brilliant white, deep purpley-blue or sometimes a pale lilac shade.

Most of the Aquilegias have shed their flowers but I found a few late ones hidden away in a rough part of the garden. Their petals are a delicate pale pink with a hint of purple. So lovely!

My favourite oriental poppy is “Patty’s Plum”. It seems difficult to grow but after three attempts I’ve succeeded in producing a few beautiful flowers. Such a striking colour and pleated petals.

In the new greenhouse the tomatoes are doing nicely. Lovely green fruits growing well and promising delicious food later. I don’t fuss with tomatoes. There is no need to remove leaves, early flowers and so on. The leaves are there to feed the plants so it doesn’t make sense to strip them. I just plant them in good homemade compost, support them with canes and feed them with liquid seaweed.

The new greenhouse has a slabbed floor so I’m growing the tomato plants in builder’s buckets with drainage holes drilled in the base. A new venture for me but they look very healthy and are doing well.

In the old greenhouse I’ve sown and germinated Basil seeds and “Voltage” French beans. The yellow beans will be tasty and look good. I’ve also planted a courgette. I usually put courgettes outside but I’m trying one in the greenhouse bed this year to prevent mice from nibbling them when the courgettes are swelling.

In the tunnels I’ve got carrots, parsnips, lettuces, radishes, Spring onions, leeks and peas. I’ve just planted my little celeriac plants I started from seed. Good little root systems will help them to grow and then they’ll be welcome late in the year.

Sadly I will have to cut down my vegetable production. Old age and a chronic illness is taking effect and although it upsets me I know I need to slow down. I’ve decided to stop growing brassicas now because the need to net them and monitor them closely is simply too much work. I will however, keep my tunnels and greenhouses going for as long as I can. I just can’t do without delicious homegrown food.

Most of my time is taken up with the garden but as I’m not a very sociable person my home is really important to me. My surroundings matter. I appreciate visual pleasures and enjoy seeing things that I love.

Regular readers know that I have collected pottery and particularly like studio pots made by individual craftsmen and women. Lucky finds have been picked up in charity shops and fleamarkets but a few have been purchased directly from the makers. I include those which are factory made but in a studio style. Here are some which give me lasting pleasure.

I recently lost my youngest brother but I have a treasured memento which he made as a little boy. It’s a beautiful thing and I love it.

I hope you’re enjoying the start of Summer with all its promise. With you again in a couple of weeks. Bye for now.

Sunny Days, Sage and Onion and a Painting

After a wet spell the sun is beaming down on us. The garden is responding with new flowers and fresh crisp salads to enjoy.

I’ve sown tender vegetables now that the risk of frost is almost over. I have squashes, courgettes and cucumbers growing into nice little seedlings in the greenhouse but I have bought runner bean plants to save myself a bit of work. Sad in a way because I have grown “Scarlet Emperor” for many years and always saved my own seed from them. However, I’m not getting any younger. I need to find ways to manage the garden. These will all be planted outside once they’re ready to cope with weather. Last year I grew two squash plants in the top of a compost bin. It worked well and the plants trailed down the side and lapped up the warmth from the bin. The cucumbers are outdoor ones and I allow them to sprawl on the ground.

My celeriac seedlings are growing their true leaves which have a pleasant celery scent. I will allow them to develop a bit before planting them in the tunnel for a winter crop. They only grow to a small size in my soil but that’s fine as we don’t need big ones. They’re always tasty and tender when cooked.

The “Roma” plants in the new greenhouse are growing well and have flowers so I’m hopeful there will be a good crop of delicious plum tomatoes later in the summer.

Glorious flowers are unfolding their satin petals as the sun shines down. The roses are just beginning to peep out from their dainty buds. “Golden Showers” has some bright blooms and “Paul’s Scarlet” is scrambling among the apple tree branches. “Sharifa Asma” has only one delicate pink flower yet but so fabulous and it’s scented.

Hardy geraniums in blue and magenta are blooming. Allium “Purple Sensation” is living up to its name and my perennial Iberis is white with a delicate tinge of mauve. I found a purple aquilegia which I’m thrilled with as they’re my favourite colour for these delightful flowers.

The Lupins are standing proud. One of my favourite plants and so welcome in the garden. They do attract large aphids but I just squash them. If I do it carefully they don’t return and the problem is over for the year. I don’t use any sprays in my garden. Everything is grown organically. I find it actually works well once a biodiversity is established so that most pests are dealt with by natural predators like ladybirds and beetles.

As I was working I could hear the bees humming in the Deutzia and Ceanothus. The Ceanothus is an old shrub and losing some of it’s vigour but still has a few lovely flowers. My snowberry, whose Latin name I can never remember, is covered in tiny bell flowers and later will bear beautiful white berries.

The gorgeous little Welsh poppies, Meconopsis cambrica, have either bright yellow flowers or glowing orange but I found a really nice bicoloured one.

A few others which please me as I look around the garden.

A purple sage had grown into a large bush. The leaves are beautiful but it had to be cut back from the path. I enjoy using the leaves in cooking. They taste the same as the classic green sage.

Sage and onion stuffing is so easy to make. I strip the leaves from the stems and rinse them, pat them dry then mix with dry bread and sliced onion. I whizz them in the food processor with salt and pepper then add a little water to moisten the bread. It bakes very well in the oven or the air-fryer for about twenty minutes on a medium heat but can be done in the microwave for a few minutes. Really delicious with pork or chicken or even with cheese and apple.

Here’s a painting I did a while ago. Some of my Eric Leaper pottery painted here with acrylics.

With you again in a couple of weeks. Enjoy the beginning of Summer with all the sunlight, flowers and birdsong. Bye for now.

May Blossom and Cabbage Parcels

The merry month of May! Such a lovely month in the year. Days are warmer and longer and the garden is blooming. The old saying, ” n’ere cast a clout till May be out” refers to the blossom on the hawthorn trees, known as May flowers. In other words, be cautious until the hawthorns blossom because there’s still a risk of frost. Good advice for gardeners.

Lilacs are displaying their beauty too. Our lilac tree was old and in a poor state so we thought it might need to go. Cut back to the ground it was left as a stump but to our surprise it sent up new shoots and now it’s flowering again. Lovely!

The Welsh poppies are everywhere in the garden and looking so pretty, along with pink aquilegias which spring up here and there.

Many shrubs flower in Spring. My Choisya has flowered for the first time and is looking beautiful with white flowers and golden leaves. My Clematis montana “Elizabeth” has some low-growing pale pink flowers below the main show up in the plum tree.

Other lovely flowers caught my eye as I walked around the garden with my camera. An abundance of the wildflower, Campion, beneath the fruit trees, a single Clematis flower, some hardy Geraniums, English bluebells, a stripey tulip and a plantain flower head.

Many birds are attracted to the garden. I spotted a big crow sipping from the pond. I had to take my photos through the kitchen window so they’re not as sharp as I would like. A blackbird was singing at the top of the tall conifers and magpies are in and out of the beech tree.

Plenty of wildlife busy among the foliage. Ladybirds stand out with their scarlet jackets but other interesting things pop up now and then. Here’s a spider hunting between the leaves.

Delicious salads are on the menu now with crisp lettuce and “French Breakfast” radishes. The Spring onions are almost ready and I’m still harvesting mizuna leaves from a couple of tiny plants which grew in the polytunnel throughout the Winter. The strawberries are looking promising with their lovely flowers and I picked rhubarb to stew and enjoy with some Greek yoghurt.

I had a lovely cabbage ready to harvest. It seemed a shame to throw away all the bigger leaves so I made stuffed cabbage parcels. I softened two big leaves in a bowl of boiling water, removed the thickest part of the leaf then filled it with a mixture of cabbage, onion, cooked meat and bread. I steamed them for about 45 minutes. Tasty, economical and a good way to use up leftover meat and dry bread.

Over-ripe bananas are so good in cakes so I baked two of my Banana and Cranberry loaves. Really nice sliced and spread with butter. They freeze perfectly so I have cake ready in the freezer for another time. I invented this easy recipe after so many disappointed attempts to make banana loaves from various cookbooks. It turned out so well I included it in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook. My regular readers know I published this after requests for a compilation of my recipes.

And finally, a few photos of the abundance in the garden as plants are springing to life as the season progresses.

I hope you’re enjoying the longer days and the wealth of colour and beauty in your surroundings whether that may be in your own garden or another. Bye for now. With you again in a couple of weeks.

Beautiful Blossom and Fresh Mint Sauce

April has been a sunny month so far here in my area. The flowers have flourished and the vegetables are thriving. A few windy days have caused concern but most plants have resisted the twists and turns of the breeze.

Dappled shade and interesting shadows are another fascinating feature on these brightly lit days.

When I photographed these exotic looking tulips the bright sunlight blacked out the background and gave these stunning images. Surprising what can be done with a simple camera.

My Clematis montana are looking lovely. My namesake “Freda” is adorning a fence and “Elizabeth” scrambles through the top of the plum tree.

Apple blossom is to my mind the most exquisite blossom. The delicacy of its pale pink petals and the rosy pink of its buds are such a delightful sight each Spring. Our biggest tree produces delicious green cooking apples and has my favourite flowers. The crab apple also has beautiful blossom but these are a deep vibrant pink bordering on crimson in colour. The tiny apples are red and make good jelly. Another small tree has bigger flowers. Still lovely and the apples are sweet and full of flavour.

I have a couple of redcurrant bushes which I’ve left to their own devices. They still produce fruit and the blackbirds seem to really enjoy them. They make a chuck- chuck sound as they’re eating them. It sounds like contentment. The inconspicuous small green flowers will turn into glistening red currants in a few weeks time.

The substance on the branch is just lichen. Not a problem in the garden. It’s neither fungus nor plant and is an ancient life form which grows on trees. Often seen on stone in churchyards as well. It’s supposed to indicate that the air quality is good and I think it’s lovely.

My self-seeded wallflowers have brought me such pleasure with their wonderful colours and their scent.

Many years ago a friend gave me some Welsh poppies (Meconopsis cambrica). Sweet little flowers with shining satin petals that seed freely around the garden and pop up everywhere. I love them and so do the bees. They come in bright yellow or a glowing orange and both are lovely to see.

Most of the tulips are losing their petals now but a few later ones have been a show of intense colour for me to enjoy.

A few other features I spotted with my camera. The dainty flowers of Sweet Woodruff, a magpie feather, Aubretia, Vinca major, Dicentra and a spot for sitting enjoying the garden.

In the greenhouses I have seedlings coming along and I hesitantly planted the tomatoes in their pots. I was concerned that nights may be still too cold but they were becoming a nuisance in the house so I took a chance. So far they’re looking very well and have grown quite a bit.

In the tunnels my winter lettuces are almost finished although they still produce a few nice leaves. My new “Little Gem” lettuces and “French Breakfast” radishes are coming along nicely.

There was some lovely mint available in the garden so I made mint sauce to freeze for the winter. I used a mixture of Apple mint and Spearmint. Both are good but Spearmint is a bit more strongly flavoured. I wash the mint, strip the leaves from the stems and dab dry with a bit of kitchen paper. Then I put them into the food processor and chop finely. I add malt vinegar and enough sugar to taste sweet. Whizzed together they make delicious mint sauce. It freezes perfectly and is just like fresh when thawed. I put it into small containers with a bit of space at the top for expansion. Thaws very quickly when needed and is so handy when there’s no mint in the garden or I’m pushed for time.

Full details of how to make mint sauce are in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook. If you’ve only tasted bought mint sauce and didn’t like it you will be surprised how delicious freshly made tastes. Why not give it a try? It’s so good with new potatoes and lamb, or bacon.

I have an old gardening jacket which has been very good. The fabric is shiny, keeps out the cold wind and seems to resist dirt. The zip broke and I knew I wouldn’t find an anorak like that again, so I put in a new zip. I confess I didn’t make a very neat job of it but it does work and my jacket can serve me well for a few more years.

With you again in a couple of weeks. Enjoy the last weeks of Spring with all it’s special pleasures of renewal and the promise of long Summer days to come. Bye for now.

Spring Sowing and a Veggie Meal

More sunshine and showers this month. Some lovely days when the garden beckons for work and pleasure. So much to see and do!

The pear blossom is wonderful but lasts a mere few days. The petals are already drifting around like snowflakes.

There’s a Berberis in the front garden which has grown enormously and is very prickly. It’s spectacular when it’s in blossom and its evergreen leaves are welcome in winter. The clusters of tiny flowers are like miniature daffodils.

The greenhouses and tunnels are filling up with seeds and Spring crops.

I don’t sow too early. It just isn’t worth it. Frost can kill or check the growth but when the time is right I sow seeds under cover. April onwards is ideal for starting things off. I have carrots, parsnips, spring onions and radishes germinating in the tunnels. In the old greenhouse, Cosmos, cornflower and red sunflowers are coming along nicely.

I bought sprouts and leeks from our local nursery instead of sowing seeds. I have to limit my workload a bit. I also bought some broad bean plants although I grew a few extra from seed. I planted the broad beans outdoors because they’re hardy. I really like the taste and texture and they freeze well so I thought I’d grow a few more this year. I have to protect them from pigeons.

I planted potatoes, “Charlotte” and “Jazzy”. When I started gardening I followed the old instructions to trench and earth up potatoes. Earthing up wasn’t easy with our loose sandy soil so I decided to try mulching instead. I spent hours soaking newspaper and covering with black polythene to exclude light. Eventually I experimented with a more straightforward approach. I now just plant the potatoes into holes and cover them with soil. If I have mulch available I put a thin layer over. The crop is just as good. I find one or two might have poked out of the soil and gone green so I discard them because they’re poisonous to eat but I’m satisfied that this method is practical and saves a lot of unnecessary work. Old methods might not always be essential. It’s good to innovate and find alternatives.

Under the fruit trees the red campions are beginning to flower. Such lovely wildflowers and they grow generously in our sandy soil. The ladybirds were basking in sunshine on the leaves. A beautiful Speckled Wood butterfly was flitting about the garden.

The male form of Skimmia is laden with blossom right now. The leaves are a bit pale and yellow. They prefer acid conditions but have to put up with a neutral soil. A liquid ericaceous feed will help.

Some other beauties which catch my eye when I walk around the garden.

Although we’re not strictly vegetarian I try to have meat-free days. I like to combine ingredients to produce satisfying, inexpensive and flavourful meals. “Patties” are one good way of achieving this. I made a good vegetarian version with a can of organic chickpeas. I drained the can and put them into the food processor. I added a small sliced onion, apple pieces, bread crusts, a sprig of fresh parsley from the garden and salt and pepper. Whizzed them together then I took scoops of the mixture and formed flat cakes with my hands. Browned on each side in a little hot oil, they were tasty and enjoyable served with other vegetables and ketchup. Nutritious, cheap, easy and good to eat.

Here’s an old painting of mine. It shows some Physalis “lanterns” which I grew and saved as they dry well and look decorative. They lost their lovely orange glow but their subtle beauty remains. I took a photo then made a pencil drawing before filling it in with gouache paint.

With you again soon. Enjoy the sunny spells between the April showers. Bye for now.

Sowing Seeds and Fishy Cakes

April is a month of sunshine and showers, lovely lambs and Easter eggs. Gentler days are ahead of us at last and the land springs to life.

In my garden the plum trees have opened their beautiful snow-white blossom for the attention of the bees. I hope a frost won’t damage them but most years they survive and give me enough plums for tasty jam.

In the tunnels I’ve sown parsnip seeds, Spring onions, radishes and carrots. The first sowing of carrots has germinated so I’m checking their moisture daily as the tiny seedlings are near the surface of the soil. No sign yet of the peas I put in. They do take a while but I suspect the seed was far too old. I’ll resow with nice fresh seed I think.

My broad beans are growing outside in the garden but some have been nibbled by slugs and I’ve had to cover them with netting to prevent pigeons from snapping at the leaves. Wood pigeons are handsome birds but they can be a bit of a nuisance in the garden.

The Spring cabbages are growing now. Half of them were munched by caterpillars and are looking very ragged but the other half are doing well. It’s a mystery how these particular caterpillars have ended up in the tunnel. That’s gardening for you! Nature has some sneaky tricks.

I grew some “Little Gem” lettuce seedlings in the new greenhouse and I transplanted fifteen into the tunnels. I pick individual leaves once they’re big enough and leave the plant to replace them. No need to pull up a whole lettuce.

The beautiful marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) at the corner of the pond was magnificent until a few days ago. Sadly, the heavy rain and strong wind have flattened it and it looks very forlorn. Here’s how it looked before the weather took its toll.

A few early tulips have brought elegant flowers and lovely colours to the garden. A few more will follow.

I have three Japanese Acers. They are all lovely. One has grown to be a medium sized tree and looks very graceful. It has tiny inconspicuous but interesting flowers in Spring.

The frogs have been busy in the pond. There’s some frogspawn now although not as much as previous years.

My new Brunnera I planted in a pot last year is doing well. It has bright blue flowers and the silvery leaves are fresh and lovely. A good perennial for a shaded spot in the garden.

More flowers and pleasing things in my garden right now.

I’m always thinking of ways to use food and to provide nutritious tasty meals that aren’t too difficult to make. I like fish but Cod and Haddock are overfished now so I buy Pollock. It’s so much cheaper and frozen fillets steam over vegetables in my one-pan meals in about six to seven minutes.

I wondered if they’d make good fish cakes. I partially thawed two fillets, dabbed them a bit with kitchen paper then chopped them into pieces. I put them in the food processor with 50g of bread ( cut off crusts), a sprig of parsley from the garden and the juice of half a lemon. Sprinkled with salt and pepper and whizzed them all together. I didn’t add onion or garlic because that would overwhelm the delicate flavour of the fish.

I moulded two small cakes with my hands but the mixture was wet. That would make the heated oil in the frying pan spit so I dipped them into plain flour and coated them all over. Then I browned them in moderately hot oil on both sides until crisp and golden. They were tasty and satisfying served with vegetables. Will be making these again.

I’ll be baking more of my Iced and Spiced Squares for Easter. They’re my favourite cakes. A good crumby texture with delicious spice and the added pleasure of icing on top. If you have my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook you’ll find the recipe in my Sweet Treat Squares section. Although in my book I include dried milk in the ingredients, it isn’t absolutely essential if you don’t have it in the cupboard.

Finally, here’s a painting I did a few years ago. Nothing shouts out Spring like daffodils! Drawn from my own photo taken in the garden then painted with gouache. These daffodils are called “Pippin”. Sadly, I’ve lost them but at least I have a photo and a painting.

With you again in a couple of weeks. I hope the weather will be kind to us and the gardens glorious. Bye for now.

Spring Sensations and a Sweet Treat

March is a month of Spring joy, weather changes and for us, our wedding anniversary. Married for sixty-one years!

We usually buy something for the garden to mark the occasion. This time we’ve had two beautiful hanging baskets full of bright little flowers.

Such a busy time in the garden! I’ve started sowing seeds cautiously because nights are still very cold. Although temperatures are high inside the greenhouse and tunnels during the day it’s easy to forget that they plummet at night.

So, I’ve sown and germinated “Little Gem” lettuce in the greenhouse. These are hardy. I’ve sown carrots and kohl rabi in one of the tunnels and peas in the other one. The pea seeds, “Hurst Green Shaft”, are years old so it’s a bit risky. They might not germinate. However, pea seeds can last for years so I thought I’d try them. Broad beans are just beginning to peep through the seed compost.

I have mentioned before that I make my own compost. I haven’t bought any for years. For seeds I mix two parts of homemade leafmould and one part of homemade compost. If it’s a bit rough I riddle it to remove bits of hard material but I’m not too fussy about it. For potting, I mix two parts of compost with one of leafmould. Things grow well and it costs nothing. Also means I’m not collecting plastic bags.

The frogs have been busy but frogspawn has only just appeared. Snails and slugs are crawling out again and eggshells are appearing. A few cunningly disguised caterpillars are about as well and easily spotted ladybirds are everywhere.

Sometimes it’s not a bad thing to be a bit untidy in the garden. What we often regard as waste nature finds a use for. I found a lovely bee was resting peacefully on a Rudbeckia seed head I hadn’t cut down.

I had a pot of lovely little tulips and violas which were a glorious sight a few days ago. Here’s what they looked like. Sadly, strong wind and heavy rain have left them bedraggled and looking quite miserable since then.

Lovely Spring colours are lighting up the garden. The hyacinths are sensational and the fragrance is so pleasing as it wafts around. I have two patches of corydalis beneath the fruit trees showing off their pink flowers and the yellow of daffodils can’t be matched.

I found two tiny toadstools in a pot. So lovely. Some gardeners are a bit worried when they find fungi in the garden but they’re an essential part of the ecosystem and do no harm. I’m fascinated by them.

I’m always so glad I went to the trouble of preparing and freezing lots of strawberries in the summer. Gardeners often say strawberry plants should be replaced every three years but mine are several years old and produce kilos of fruit. Delicious fresh but also lovely in winter, thawed and stewed gently with a little sugar. Fabulous warm with ice-cream or cold with Greek yoghurt.

Something else I froze a few months ago was my courgette and ginger loaf. It was just like fresh when I thawed it. A really nice moist and sweet treat served sliced with a spread of butter. I thought up this recipe when I had courgettes in the garden but they’re available from the supermarket all year round. It’s not in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook so I’ll explain it here.

Courgette and Ginger Loaf
You will need a loaf tin and I used a cake tin liner to make it easy to turn out.
1 small Courgette, approx. 150g
2 Large Eggs
100g Caster Sugar
135g Self-raising Flour
1 heaped teaspoon Baking Powder
15g Bran
100g Sunflower Oil
2 lumps Stem Ginger
1 tablespoon Ginger Syrup from the jar

Grate the courgette, chop ginger into small pieces. 
Grease the tin if not using a liner.
Heat the oven to 180C/160C for fan oven.
Put all ingredients into the mixing bowl and beat well.
Spread in tin.
Bake for 35 minutes.

Check with a skewer to the centre. If it comes out cleanly it's done.
Worth doubling up the recipe and freezing one for later. Keeps very well.



With you again in a couple of weeks time. Enjoy the lengthening days and sunny spells, the daffodils and bursting buds. Bye for now.