Flowers, Freezing Beans and a Summer Poem

August so far has been a mixture of sunshine and showers. Warm days and wet nights. Ideal for the flowering plants and the fruit trees. Better too for the old gardeners who don’t need to water as much.

The phlox and lilies are fading now but other late summer flowers will soon be taking over. Still some pretty things to see as I walk around.

The apples and pears will be ready in a week or two. Looking very promising. I lift the fruit in my hand to see if it’s ready to pick. If it snaps away easily then it’s time. If it clings to the stem it’s best to wait a while. Pears need to ripen in the fruit bowl. They soften from the inside so although they may feel firm it’s important to check now and then. Usually the colour lightens from dark green to a bit more yellow when they’re ready.

I also have a tiny fig tree in the greenhouse which has some fruit. One of my favourites when they’re ripe and sweet. Not ready yet but something to look forward to.

The beans are producing well and I’ve frozen some for winter meals. It’s very easy. Only takes a few minutes to wash, chop into small pieces, blanch in boiling water for a couple of minutes, cool quickly, dab dry, then separate the pieces of bean on baking trays. Place the trays in the chest freezer to open freeze. When they’ve frozen scoop them into containers to store until needed. Open freezing like this means you can shake out as many beans as you need instead of a big frozen lump.

Runner beans are very prolific so I only grow a few plants. There’s always a surplus and they’re not good if the beans are allowed to grow big and stringy. Small, tender beans are delicious and good for adding when making chutney or picalilli.

I also have green French beans and yellow ones in the polytunnel and kale growing in an outdoor bed. Very tasty.

My practical husband has patched up one of the compost bins with bits of old wood he had stored away. It’s good to go again. Although we have several plastic bins this one works really well and is easy to remove the compost from.

I’ve had to give away courgettes. They grow a mile a minute and even though we love to eat them I can’t keep up with the supply.

They’re good sliced and drizzled with olive oil, then microwaved for four minutes. A sprinkle of salt and pepper and they’re lovely eaten while they’re warm. Or if they’re bigger I stuff them with the scooped out flesh, (squeezed to remove surplus juice), chopped onion and frozen cooked rice. I added a tiny chopped chilli but it wasn’t hot. A grapefruit spoon with a serrated edge is useful for scooping out the flesh.

I normally make chutney and pickles from courgettes but I haven’t been able to do it this year. Perhaps in autumn if they’re still producing I might have a go.

I have two good chutney recipes and one for picallili in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook, with step-by-step instructions and practical tips. Lots of delicious cakes and other items as well. Here’s my link if you’d like a copy.

https://geni.us/eANQu

Summer evenings have a special quality. A walk around the garden is a pleasure at this time of day and inspired me to write a poem.

Summer Evening in the Garden

The scent of a summer evening lingers on the air.
Honeysuckle and the heady perfume of lilies mingle
With roses and lavender adding their share
While the blackbird trills his lovely jingle.
The setting sun casts a golden glow over the scene,
A stillness softens the ending of another busy day
And leaves the garden fresh and clean
As evening shadows start to play.
The pending hours when darkness robs the light
Have a tranquility which restores my restless mind
And the promise of a peaceful night.
A better pleasure would be hard to find.

With you again in a couple of weeks. Enjoy the best of the Summer. Bye for now.