Magnolias, Marigolds and Hot Cross Buns

I hope everyone had a happy Easter, however you celebrated. The weather was perfect for that first real opportunity to feel the goodness of Spring.

The garden is a little mixed right now. The Pulsatilla, or “pasque flowers”, named for their habit of flowering at Easter are not putting on a show this year. Usually their lovely purple petals and feathery foliage are giving me such pleasure. Here’s a photo from previous years to show what they’re like.

Lots of other pretty flowers to enjoy though. The magnolia is showing off it’s lovely blooms. I think ours is a variety called “Susan”. Lovely colour.

A few things seem a little slow. I think the prolonged severe spell of frost we had has affected some. Here are those lovely flowers which are bravely putting on a display.

The rhubarb is looking tempting but I will leave it to grow a bit. Then I can freeze any surplus.

The Spring cabbages are coming on nicely. In two or three weeks they’ll have delicious ball heads for salad or steaming. So sweet and crisp raw, and tender and tasty when cooked. I always grow these in the polytunnel for maximum protection although they can be grown outside. Every bit stays in good condition under cover, so I can use the larger leaves to make stuffed cabbage. A really good vegetarian meal.

The pear trees are just beginning to burst their buds. The apples will be a little later. One of the pears stands just behind the house and gives a lovely view from an upstairs window when it blossoms.

Behind our garden there’s a small coppice of silver birches and other trees. They form a lovely backdrop to our outlook and the seasonal changes are a pleasure. Crows previously nested in the birches and they have returned. We can hear them “cawing” to each other and occasionally they land in a treetop in the garden when they’re hunting for food. I spotted one tearing small branches from the plum tree and carrying them away in its beak for nesting.

My tomato seedlings are growing well in a warm windowsill. I have another half dozen which I put into the greenhouse to see how they’d cope with the cold nights. They’ve hardly grown. The ones in the house have romped away and look sturdier. I potted them in a compost made from one part garden compost, one part leafmould and two parts topsoil. The mixture will nourish and keep them moist without being too soggy.

There’s always a danger in growing seedlings in a windowsill because they constantly stretch towards the light outside and can become thin, straggly and what gardeners call “leggy”. I turn them at least twice a day and because it’s south facing they seem to have avoided this problem.

As soon as the threat of frost is over I shall plant the best six in the greenhouse border. I still have winter lettuce in there and I want to leave them as long as possible because they’re still producing tender, crisp leaves. Delicious with a simple French dressing made with a pinch of salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar, stirred together in a few drops of cider vinegar, with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil beaten in at the end. Just drizzled over and the leaves gently tossed to coat them, it makes a salad special.

Seed catalogues sell lettuces which are described as “cut and come again” but I’ve found that you can do this with any lettuce. It’s not necessary to grow a special type. I mostly grow “Little Gem” and I simply pinch out the leaves I want from between the outside and centre and leave the plants to produce more. Important to leave the central growing point intact. Garden plants are so generous if you treat them with respect.

Lots more seeds to sow soon. Kale, French beans, more salad crops and later, runner beans, squash, cucumbers and courgettes. Best not to be too hasty. Once the risk of frost is over, young plants grow rapidly with the extra warmth and light.

In the kitchen I made hot cross buns. I wasn’t going to do them because I’d made iced and spiced cakes which I told myself would be nice instead and so much easier to do. But, I’d got the bug and decided I would have a go anyway.

I made the dough in my breadmaker. Came out perfectly, divided it into eight balls and put them to rise. It seemed to take forever! Eventually, I decided they’d have to go into the oven. I made a cross on them with flour paste, very messily unfortunately, and baked them. Made some sugar syrup and brushed it on when they were still hot and freshly baked.

They looked ridiculous, so I didn’t take a photo, but actually tasted very nice. Sliced in half and slathered with butter, mmm! Four went into the freezer but they won’t be there for very long. Satisfying with a cup of tea.

Here is a little sketch I did a while ago of marigolds in a jug. One of my favourite flowers. So simple and unpretentious and grow like weeds in my dry sandy soil. I drew these in pencil, outlined them with a fine pen and painted them lightly with gouache.

I hope Easter was a pleasure and you’ll have many sunny days to enjoy now Spring is here. Bye for now, with you again next week.