Garden Pleasures and Cookbook News.

We had beautiful Spring weather last week, so the Daffodils are singing out in their golden glory and even Tulips are beginning to add their glowing colours to the garden. Some of these flowers are not subtle but that’s a bonus after the drab months of Winter.

The garden is filled with the scent of Hyacinths. I love the blues, mauves, pinks and pure white as they open their waxy flowers.

I bought some Primulas, the colour of egg yolk, and I discovered a pink bud nestled alongside one of the plants. I separated the two plants and I now have a lovely bright pink one in addition to the others.

I have a few more dainty Primulas dotted around, looking lovely.

The fruit trees are opening their blossom. Plums are the first with their snow white flowers looking wonderful against a blue sky.

The Magnolia is blossoming. Fewer flowers this year because it had to be pruned. It had grown tremendously and needed checking. It still looks lovely though.

I have only seen a few butterflies so far. It’s a sad fact that they are declining. I still catch a glimpse of them now and then. A Brimstone went flitting by, a Comma was airing its wings on a warm surface and a Red Admiral was taking nectar from the flowers.

The shield bugs have been out, basking on sunlit leaves.

In the vegetable garden the Kale is doing well, since we covered it, after an attack by pigeons.”Red Winter” is our favourite and I always grow it for Winter meals. Deep green leaves are very nutritious and said to be able to prevent cancer. I picked a trugful the other day and made our favourite cheesey potato bake.

I find the best way to cut the stems off Kale is to use scissors. I fold the leaf inwards , exposing the stem, and cut along it to snip it out.

Talking of cooking, I have some news! My little cookbook has now been published and is available on Amazon as a paperback or a Kindle edition.

It has taken me a few months to put together my recipes in a form which others can use and I’m pleased to now be able to share them in this way. I’m very grateful to my daughter, Sam Maxfield, who helped me to navigate my way through the publishing process. As an author herself she has a lot of experience. I couldn’t have done it without her.

I include line drawings to mark each chapter and an introduction to explain how it came about.

I would welcome feedback from anyone who buys it and tries the recipes. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do.

You might remember the drawing I did last week of Muscari (Grape Hyacinths) from my garden. I outlined it with pen and since then I’ve painted it with gouache. It’s not what I would call a painting. It’s more of an illustration. I usually make a painting with a background and a story to tell, or at least a context. This is simple and fresh looking which I think is enough with some flowers.

I hope you’re making the most of the longer days, the sunshine and the flowers. With you again next week. Stay safe and well.