May Blossom and Spring Cabbage

The merry month of May! The blossom is fabulous on the hawthorn with it’s pure white petals, dainty pink stamens and a lovely fragrance. The flowers deserve to be appreciated in close-up.

The blackbirds are singing their melodies, high up in the trees.

What a lovely sound to start and end each day.

The garden is full of promise. I have some oriental poppies which I grew from seed last year. Mature enough to flower this year but I have no idea what colour they will be. I used mixed seed and I’m excited to see what they produce. Possibly just classic scarlet but who knows? They might be a bit unusual. Whatever the outcome, I’m sure they will be gorgeous with their silken petals and dark centres. Look at these fat buds almost ready to burst into glorious colour.

When I was out with my camera I saw some handsome flies, with blue-black wings, on the Polygonatum. I suspect these are sawflies. After the flowers fade their caterpillars appear and strip the leaves from the plants. I leave them to it. I’ve enjoyed the flowers and once the leaves have been eaten by the caterpillars, I cut down the stems and compost them. The plants reappear as healthy as ever the next Spring. Not everything in the garden needs to be interfered with. An organic garden finds a balance. I try to live and let live as much as I can.

Here are some flowers and leaves I’m enjoying right now.

The last picture of a tulip was one of those delightful surprises that a garden produces now and then. A pair of them appeared this year. I don’t even remember when I planted them but I do know they haven’t flowered for years. So why now? Not my favourites, as they don’t hold that elegant tulip shape, but still a pleasant novelty. I think this type is called a parrot tulip. They have frilly-edged petals.

The strawberry flowers are every bit as beautiful as ornamental flowers. The plants are looking healthy and lots of flowers have appeared. There was a bumper crop last year and I’m hoping for the same this year.

The vegs are coming along nicely. The seeds are popping up green shoots. The cabbages are fat and tasty.

The ball head of the cabbage is delicious shredded raw and drizzled with a little ginger syrup and salt and pepper. I also steam it when I’m boiling potatoes to make my tasty fishcake. I mash the potatoes and mix in a drained tin of fish, usually salmon, then brown the mash in a bit of heated olive oil. A really flavourful and satisfying meal with the steamed cabbage ( or other veg) and some chutney or sauce. Cheap and simple to do. One of our favourites.

If you’re a gardener, when you bake cakes, it’s a good idea to rinse the empty egg shells and pop them into the bottom of the oven on a heatproof plate or baking tin. While the cakes cook, the shells will dry and become brittle. Then they are easier to break into tiny fragments, or powder, if you smash them. Brilliant for sprinkling around tomato plants for extra calcium.

I always do this now and my tomato plants are much healthier. Any surplus can be worked into soil or added to the compost bin.

My little knitted toys have gone off to new homes, so now I have time to do some painting. I’m intending to do some more Still Life, my favourite subject. Simple things like tools in the kitchen, pottery or flowers. Objects with form, colour and definition. I prefer bold shapes with an emphasis on light and shade. Must get those brushes going!

Meanwhile, here is an old painting. I was fascinated by the light through the blind, falling on the chair, on a bright sunny day. Painted with acrylics on a canvas board.

With you again next week. I hope you have lovely, warm days and plenty of pleasurable pastimes. Bye for now.