Seasonal Pursuits

November is rushing by and thoughts of Christmas are uppermost. The weather has changed to seasonal cold with frosty mornings. Although this has finished off some of the plants there are highlights here and there.

The winter Jasmine is flowering with its cheerful little blossoms. It’s a vigorous plant and needs cutting back every couple of years but it’s such a welcome sight when the rest of the garden can look dreary.

On blue-sky days the berries glisten and their scarlet beauty pops against the azure backdrop.

Clematis cirrhosa has begun to flower. I thought it had given up last year but it’s now full of buds again and will soon be lovely. I have “Freckles” with pink splashes inside the bell flowers and “Wisley Cream”. “Freckles” always seems dominant.

Now the garden is mostly dormant I search for beauty here and there. A few lovely glimpses caught my eye.

The runner beans had their fling and it was time to save seed. I let some pods dry on the plants, then removed the beans. These are now stored in a little brown envelope and will grow next year’s crop. I haven’t bought runner bean seeds for many years. It’s so easy to do this and very satisfying. The seeds need to be fully dry and stored in a dark, cool place until next Spring. These are an old variety called “Scarlet Emperor” and they’re very reliable.

The parsnips have been very good in chicken soup. Only one or two remain in the polytunnel now as I didn’t have a good germination rate this year. Parsnips can be a bit temperamental at the seed-sowing stage but once they germinate they can grow to a big size and are a valued winter vegetable.

The garlic is growing well. I scattered comfrey pellets around them to add nutrition. They’re breaking down now and I need to carefully work them into the soil.

Parsley grows abundantly in the polytunnels despite being in very dry poor soil. It’s lovely to have fresh green sprigs to add to soup. It freezes well too but I enjoy fetching some fresh leaves from the garden.

I’ve planted some winter onion sets. These are a variety called “Snowball”. The name speaks for itself as the onion skins are white. I’ve never grown these so I hope they’ll come through the winter and grow away when light and temperatures increase again.

In the greenhouse I have winter lettuce; a variety called “Arctic King”. These provide some welcome fresh green leaves to add interest and nutrition to a sandwich, when foods can become a bit stodgy.

I brought my peppers into the kitchen and put them on the windowsill. They haven’t done very well because I didn’t look after them this year but I have one ripening nicely and almost ready to use.

I made my Christmas cake with the much-needed help of my lovely daughter Sam. We really enjoy doing this together each year and we usually do it on my birthday. This year was no exception. This is an old photo of us but the same happens each time.

The cake always looks a bit lumpy because I line the baking tin with greaseproof paper which makes creases round the sides. It doesn’t spoil it. It’s still delicious when it’s ready at Christmas. When it’s cold I wrap it in fresh greaseproof paper and store it in a tin. Twice before Christmas I prick the top and spoon sherry over it. Smells amazing and tastes fabulous.

I confess I forgot to include my Christmas cake recipe in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook but I put it on my blog last November. If you’d care to try it, scroll back to find the recipe and detailed instructions. Let me know if that’s a problem.

While the weather was wet, cold and miserable I contented myself with some knitting. Here’s “Purrcy”. He was a soothing project during a stressful week. I’m so pleased with him. He’s the cutest cuddly toy I’ve made.

I hope your Christmas plans are going well. It’s only stressful if you leave it till the last minute. The run-up to Christmas can be such a pleasure. It helps to dispel the dread of winter. At least, it does for me.

Bye for now. With you again in a couple of weeks.