Beans, Butterflies and Poetry

The beginning of September! The end of Summer and a new season ahead of us with its own pleasures.

“Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” as the poet so rightly said. Our trees are dipping with the weight of delicious fruit. Such a good year for apples, pears and plums in my garden. Some are ready for harvest, others need a little longer. I had a bucket of windfall cooking apples so I made my Apple and Cinnamon Squares.

A couple of years ago I had one of those accidents which turn out to be a bonus in disguise. I was making my squares and I forgot to sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon on the apples before I spread the cake mixture on top. I popped it in the oven and immediately realised what I’d done! I removed it right away but wondered what I could do. So I mixed the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkled it all over the top of the cake mixture.

I thought it would be a disaster! In fact, it turned out to be a delicious improvement to my recipe. The crisp topping is a tasty contrast to the apples below. Now, I always make them like this.

The original recipe is still good and if you have my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook you will find it in there along with other easy cakes. The book can be found with this link if you’d like to take a look. https://geni.us/eANQu

Runner beans grow at an alarming pace and huge ones are not nice to eat. If they are too big and stringy, remember you can remove the beans from the swollen pods and cook those instead.

Although they lose their lovely colour when cooked they’re very tasty and nutritious. They need at least ten minutes cooking but keep their shape and add texture to a meal. I add them to my one-pan meals but they can be boiled separately.

The courgettes have been wonderfully generous. I made two more of my Courgette and Ginger Cakes. So good sliced with a spread of butter. Always best to make two and they freeze well. My recipe is on a previous, recent post called Summer Pleasures and Cake. Easy to find by scrolling back.

The squashes are coming along perfectly. So pleased with the way they’ve grown. Just beautiful to look at and so satisfying.

Butterflies love over-ripe fruit so I leave a few fallen pears on the ground and crush them slightly to expose the juicy flesh. I also put a black-skinned banana on the bird table and the Red Admirals have been sipping at it.

Lovely to see how wildlife share our garden with us and hopefully thrive on the food and shelter it provides.

Still enjoying a few flowers although a feeling of winding down is going on. Leaves are changing colour and dropping from the fruit trees. Seedheads are looking lovely on the clematis.

Beneath the Acer the Colchicum are flowering. I think they’re a bit early. Although they flop their delicate pale mauve flowers look beautiful in the dappled light.

Here’s a poem I wrote a couple of years ago, inspired by the end of Summer as the days shorten and Autumn approaches.

Changing Seasons

The fragrance of the damp earth
Mingles with each fallen leaf
And lavender wafts its sweet scent
Now Summer's days are brief.

The wasps are feasting on the fruit
Which drops upon the ground
And butterflies with their dainty tongues
Sip without a sound.

Toadstools, mushrooms, instantly appear
Spontaneously in the night,
Their ever fascinating forms
A strange but pleasing sight.

Blackberries glisten in the hedge.
Despite their ripping thorns
They're gathered eagerly and eaten
As early Autumn dawns.

Each season has its pleasures
And Summer's soon will end
But another one will take its place
and our melancholy mend.

With you again in a couple of weeks. I hope you have a bumper harvest in your garden and enjoy all that the season has to offer. Bye for now.

Summer Treasures and Tomato Chutney

Although Summer is still in full swing there are signs that the garden is winding down. Leaves are falling from the fruit trees and pears and apples are giving up their treasure. Blackberries shine out where the brambles have sneaked in here and there.

Glowing autumn colours lighten up the garden now. Rudbeckias are favourites in my garden with their glorious yellow petals and nearly black centres. They shine out on even the dullest day.

My “Scarborough Fair” rose is flowering well. A bit prickly but with a lovely scent, it does well in a large pot. It’s good for insects too with its open blossom.

Under the fruit trees a few white cyclamen brighten the shadowy ground among the falling apples. Although they don’t spread in our dry soil the few who succeed are very welcome.

Lots of wildlife about this month. We saw a large dragonfly whizzing about. Didn’t manage to snap a photo but here are some other things which visit or live in the garden.

The last photo is of a large Elephant Hawkmoth caterpillar burrowing into the soil to begin its metamorphosis into an adult moth. Fascinating. I haven’t seen the moths in the garden but often wondered if they were about. Now I know!

The squashes are coming on well. I love to see them growing and their colours developing. These are new to me this year. I normally grow a delicious one called “Buttercup” but the seeds failed. I am trying “Uchiki kuri” and “Turk’s Turban”. I hope they’ll be as tasty.

The courgettes have been generous. Such a productive vegetable and has so many uses. Last time I included on my blog my recipe for delicious Courgette and Ginger Cake. This week I pickled some. Just cut into chunks and with the addition of sliced onions I preserved them in spiced malt vinegar. They will soften and be very tasty with winter meals.

My tomatoes have been very slow but my neighbour very kindly gave me two baskets of plum tomatoes. I decided to try some tomato chutney. Wasn’t very keen on any recipes I found so I made my own. I just made two and a half jars because it was an experiment but it turned out really well. Sweet but very tasty.

Here’s my recipe .

Red Tomato Chutney
1kg Plum Tomatoes
300g Onions
250g Sugar
2 heaped teaspoons Mustard Powder
1 heaped teaspoon Ground Ginger
2 teaspoons Salt
grind of Pepper
250mls Malt Vinegar
Put the tomatoes in a heat proof bowl or pan and cover with boiling water from the kettle. Leave for a couple of minutes, then drain and cool slightly. 
Remove the tomato skins and discard.
Peel and chop the onions finely.
Put the tomatoes and onions in a large pan and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
Wash and thoroughly rinse three jars, preferably with plastic lids. Put the jars into a cold oven and turn the heat to low. Dry the lids and put aside but not in the oven.
Add all the other ingredients.
Boil rapidly until thickened, stirring occasionally and turning down the heat towards the end. Takes about half an hour.
Cover the worktop by the stove with a folded teatowel or newspaper. I use a large wooden chopping board covered with kitchen paper. Hot jars on a cold surface would cause thermal shock and crack the jars, so this prevents that happening.
Have a funnel and ladle ready. 
Using a cloth, remove a jar at a time from the oven and ladle the chutney into the jars while still hot. Almost fill but leave a couple of centimetres free at the top.  Screw the lid on tightly straight away. This usually ensures the jars seal as a vacuum is created.
Label and store in a cool dark place. 
I haven't tested this for long term storage but it should keep.

After working in the kitchen it’s nice to stroll around the garden and relax.

I have started painting at last! Not finished yet, so more of that next time. Meanwhile I hope you’re enjoying all that late Summer has to offer. With you again in a couple of weeks. Bye for now.

Late Summer Pleasures and Cake

The last month of Summer has begun. A few more weeks of light nights and flowers before the season of “mellow fruitfulness.”

Meanwhile, my “Stargazer” lilies are fabulous and their heady perfume lingers on the air.

There is a lily called “Brasilia” which I love and hoping to buy and plant this autumn. It has an almost white flower with a delicate pink blush. I grew some previously but my soil was too dry and they died out . I hope it will flourish in a large pot of homemade compost.

Pelargoniums ( also known as Geraniums) have made a dramatic splash of vivid colour against the dark green of the conifers. I think these are called “Orange Dream”,

I thought they were a bit gaudy at first but I came to love their exuberance.

Marjoram, an edible herb, grows well in our poor soil and although it tends to spread a bit too freely I love it. It attracts clouds of bees and some lovely butterflies like the small and dainty Gatekeepers. The pink flowers are pretty and the leaves have a wonderful scent.

A few more flowers and interesting things are still giving me pleasure in the garden. Here are some which caught my eye.

The fruit and berries are swelling ready for their autumn glory. Viburnum berries and Hypericum are almost in full colour and the apples are taking on a rosy hue. Windfalls are dropping now and the birds and insects are taking their share on the ground.

The yellow French beans are still producing well. I’ve frozen several portions and we’ve enjoyed a few meals. The potatoes are small but so delicious and the kohl rabi are ready now too. Kohl rabi are similar to turnips but, in my opinion, far nicer. They’re sweet and tender at about tennis ball size. If they’re allowed to grow bigger they become woody.

Courgettes are one of Summer’s pleasures but they grow rapidly and abundantly so it’s sometimes hard to use them all. I came up with a new recipe for a lovely cake which we’re really pleased with. It might sound unlikely but, trust me, it’s a real treat. I have made three so far and they’re absolutely delicious.

Here’s my recipe for courgette loaf.

Courgette and Ginger Cake

150g Courgette
2 lumps Stem Ginger
2 large Eggs
100g Caster Sugar
135g Self-raising Flour
15g Bran
1 heaped teaspoon Baking Powder
100g Sunflower Oil
1 tablespoon Ginger Syrup (from the jar of ginger)


Grease a loaf tin or line with a ready-made liner.
Wash and trim the courgette. No need to peel. Weigh the amount needed.
Grate the courgette and put in a mixing bowl. ( No need to remove liquid).
Heat the oven to 180C/ 160C for fan oven.
Chop the lumps of stem ginger. Add to bowl.
Add the other ingredients and mix well.
Put into the loaf tin and bake for 35 minutes.
Test with a skewer. If it comes out clean it's cooked.
Allow to cool.
Serve as buttered slices.

While the courgettes are producing I’m going to experiment with some savoury ways to eat them. One of our favourites though is just to slice them into a heat-proof bowl, sprinkle with olive oil, then microwave them for four or five minutes. A little salt and pepper on top and ready to enjoy with an open sandwich or anything at all.

Now the mid-summer flowers are winding down others are coming into life. Rudbeckias are one of my late-summer favourites, especially the variety called “Goldsturm”. We’ve just planted some new ones to build the garden up again. They flower for weeks and seem to be long-lived and unfussy plants. They light up the scene on the dullest days and their black cones are pleasing when the petals eventually drop.

My “Roma” tomatoes are not doing well this year. I thought I might have put them into the greenhouse too early but my neighbour says he started his very early and they’re producing abundant crops. He gave me a generous basketful, which I’m very grateful for. I have a few of my own but very few indeed. Strangely, the three spare plants I put out in the garden instead of the greenhouse have more tomatoes in relation to the small size of the plants. “Roma” are our favourite tomatoes. A plum type, they’re flavourful and fleshy with thin skins.

I still haven’t managed to revitalise my urge to paint! Need a dose of inspiration. Perhaps another bowl of fruit. Here’s one I did a while ago with acrylics on a canvas board.

Enjoy August as this month will fly. I hope you have lovely flowers, sunny days and delicious food. With you again in two weeks.

High Summer and Stitching

High Summer. The hum of the bees, fluttering butterflies and the scent of honeysuckle on the evening air. It flits by in the twinkling of an eye but so much to enjoy while it lasts. While some days and nights have been much too hot for comfort the gentler days have been a delight. Now for some welcome rain to refresh the garden.

Parsley has enjoyed the heat and I’ve frozen some for winter soups. Crisp fresh green leaves, rinsed and patted dry, freeze well. I don’t bother chopping first. It’s firm enough to chop when I need it straight from the freezer or if I’m going to blend the soup I just pop in a whole sprig.

Parsley grows well in the polytunnels and is protected from mud splash. It grows throughout the year but I like to have some in the freezer for days when it’s too cold and wet to trek down the garden.

In the greenhouse, next to the tomatoes, I have a crop of basil. The aromatic leaves are good for Italian style salad or for pesto. I’ve made a second batch of pesto and frozen portions for winter use.

I had a crust of bread to use so I lightly toasted it and cut it into croutons. Then we ate it with pesto, tomatoes and thinly sliced onion. It might not look special but it was utterly delicious. I could have mingled the pesto and croutons but as it was an experiment I served them separately.

I’ve frozen more French beans. These are my favourite variety called “Voltage”. Golden yellow, tender and tasty.

The squash plants I put in the top of one of the compost bins are growing. They’re in a warm sunny spot and can trail down the side of the bin. I’m hoping they’ll do well. Had a failure with squashes last year, so fingers crossed.

I saved two of last year’s celeriac to produce seed. They’ve flowered and the seed looked ready so I gathered some in a small brown paper envelope. I labelled it and put away for next Spring.

The bees have been very busy. The lavender attracts lots of bumblebees and many more pollinators are flitting about among other flowers. Marjoram is particularly attractive to bees, hoverflies, mint moths and Gatekeeper butterflies.

The garden is full of weeds. I can’t keep on top of them! I try not to worry because it still has other lovely flowers. Here are some which caught my eye.

The rudbeckias are showing colour and will flower a little early I think. I love the way the petals form a lovely pattern on the bud then curl around before opening out.

The birds have welcomed fresh water and probably needed to find cooler spots in the garden. A woodpigeon chose the small branch on top of the fat balls to take a nap. I took the photo through the window and had to zoom in so it’s not as sharp as I would like. You get the picture though. What a place to snooze!

Although we still feed the birds some days there is plenty for them to eat in the garden. The apples and pears are shedding fruit in the wind and wild strawberries are everywhere.

Indoors, I had a pleasant sewing job to do. Allan likes to hold on to favourite shirts until they’re ragged. If the collar has frayed I enjoy turning it over to lengthen the life of the shirt. Time to do another one.

I set up my sewing machine with white thread and found my little stitch ripper. Next, I unpicked the stitching which holds the collar in the neckband. It was very torn so I inserted some iron-on hemming web and pressed it. That stabilised the fabric. Then I reversed the collar, re-inserted it into the band and stitched it back together. Now the damaged side of the collar is underneath and the good side is on the outside. A very satisfying job and one happy husband.

I hope everyone manages to stay cool, has some rain for their garden and enjoys the long light days. With you again in two weeks time. Bye for now.

The Summer Garden and a Simple Meal

Past the midpoint of the year and whizzing by. Much to enjoy in the garden though with beautiful flowers and delicious summer vegetables.

My early crop of peas are over and I need to resow as soon as possible. That sweet tenderness is a special treat I want to repeat.

Beans are taking over now. Some lovely broad beans to use yet and my yellow French ones are producing well. I have four plants in the polytunnel with golden pods ready for picking. The variety name is “Voltage”.

I like to use these while they’re small and tender. Big beans of any kind become stringy and full of seeds if they’re allowed to mature. Most vegetables are best picked at an early stage for maximum flavour and eating qualities. They keep producing if they’re picked and will go on for a while.

Kohl rabi are swelling and almost big enough to use. These are similar to turnips but with leaf stems growing out of the sides. I think they’re much nicer with a sweeter flavour and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Good grated raw, or cooked. I add them in chunks to one-pan meals.

My celery is growing well and looks healthy. Again, these are in one of the polytunnels protected from pests, wind, rain and mud-splash. They’re a modern variety which don’t need “blanching”. Blanching is a method of keeping the stems covered to make them white and tender. Gardeners used to go to a lot of trouble to do this but green celery has taken over. I hope they’ll be as good as the old celery I remember.

A beautiful self-seeded poppy has grown in the corner of one of the tunnels. It’s technically a weed in there but it’s so lovely that I will let it flower and feast my eyes.

Polytunnels are a wonderful invention. Although plastic isn’t to be used irresponsibly the horticultural polythene on these lasts for many years and does an excellent job. I have food all year round in mine and they protect the plants from many pests, diseases and weather. I wouldn’t be without them now.

Outdoors, “new” potatoes are giving many tasty meals, so good with the fresh peas or broad beans. The yield isn’t big in our light soil but it’s more than adequate for us.

I’ve planted squashes, “Turk’s turban” and “Uchiki kuri”. I’ve put one of each in the top of a compost bin. I hope the warmth and moist conditions will encourage them to grow and trail down over the bin sides. Three others are in a bed. My favourite “Buttercup” squash didn’t germinate this year for some reason. It will be good to try these alternatives though.

Allan has covered the sprouts with closely fitting fine mesh because the cabbage white butterflies are on their annual mission to lay eggs on any kind of brassica. This is essential to prevent caterpillars from destroying the plants.

Around the garden there are flowers and wildlife to see. I found a fascinating thing on the back of a water lily leaf. I think it’s the shed skin of an emerging dragonfly as it burst out into the adult form. I wish I’d spotted it in the process.

I caught a cheeky squirrel with my camera as it ran along the fence, a butterfly at rest on the marjoram and a fluffy feather resting on leaves.

We have a tunnel in the garden covered by winter jasmine, honeysuckle, apples and clematis. It’s a shady walkway and on sunny days I love the way dappled light falls on the path below.

There was a slight lull for a week or so but more flowers are appearing.

The apples and pears are developing and looking full of promise.

There are lots of weeds in the garden but some are so lovely that I don’t mind. In my lily border Hawkbit with yellow daisy flowers had surrounded the lilies but looked absolutely beautiful so I left them alone.

Indoors, I’ve been thinking about the problem of ultra-processed food which has sadly become the staple diet of so many people. Research is proving that it’s causing a great deal of illness and obesity. I have always felt strongly that good food doesn’t need to be complicated and I focus on simplicity and good nutrition with my cooking.

Of course, like most people, I’m sometimes too tired to go to a lot of trouble and turn to easy meals like beans on toast. However, there are many nourishing meals with good ingredients which take minutes to prepare and cook. They don’t need to be expensive either.

One of our favourites is my fish mash. I have mentioned this before but I think it’s worth repeating when so many people seem to be struggling with their food. It’s tasty, satisfying and cheap. I boil potatoes and mash them (I steam cabbage over the boiling potatoes or frozen peas), drain a can of salmon, mackerel or sardines then mix them well into the mash. I heat a little oil in the frying pan, tip in the fish mash and brown it it on both sides. Served with vegetables and chutney or sauce it’s really delicious. Especially good as a winter meal.

Tinned fish is relatively cheap compared to fresh but it’s nutritious. This meal can be poshed up by adding chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice to the mash but it’s very tasty without these if they’re not available.

Finally, here’s a painting I did a few years ago when I’d brought some beauties into the house for a vase. Hydrangea flowers in various shades of pink, blue and purple with Artemesia stems. Drawn from my photograph and painted with gouache.

I’m glad to see rain at last as the garden’s so dry but I hope we can enjoy many more lovely sunny days throughout the coming weeks. Look out for beautiful moths on the long warm evenings. Here’s a photo of the Cinnabar moth.

With you again in two weeks time. Bye for now.

Strawberries and Wine

We’ve reached the Summer Solstice so Summer has officially begun. The heat some days is intense. Too hot by day to work in the garden but the evenings are pleasant. So much going on now with flowers, fruit and vegetables.

I harvested my little crop of garlic which I planted in Autumn. The bulbs are small but will taste really good and last for a few months. I lifted them and left them in the greenhouse for a couple of days to dry off the skins. Then I rubbed away the dirt and trimmed the leaves and roots.

My tomato plants seem on the small side this year so far. I think the earlier cold nights set them back. Even though the greenhouse was hot by day the temperature plummeted on several nights. Tomatoes are appearing though so all is not lost. I’m feeding them with liquid seaweed and I spread comfrey leaves on the bed as a nutritious mulch. I think they’re picking up at last.

We’ve enjoyed the first of this year’s peas and very nice they were too. Podding peas is a pleasant chore and of course several have to be tasted in the process. A perk of the job.

The strawberries have been abundant again. From my two small raised beds I’ve harvested about five kilos already and there are more to come. The freezer is packed for winter jam making and desserts.

It’s important to protect strawberries from the birds. Blackbirds love soft fruit. The nets should be pulled taut and not just draped or birds become tangled in it and are harmed. My husband made me two netted canopies that just sit on top of the beds. They’re lightweight and I can just lift them off and replace them easily.

Other fruits are developing for later in the year. Apples, pears and plums.

Small and delicious new potatoes are ready. I just scrape away a bit of soil to find a few and try not to disturb the plant. Any tiny potatoes can keep on growing. Love these with my home-made mint sauce and broad beans. No blackfly on the beans yet. My fingers are crossed!

So many lovely flowers this month but changing by the week. The peonies are over now but have been so wonderful to see for a while. I have two in pots and each had only four flowers but such a delight to the eye.

Other pretty flowers are giving pleasure too.

The garden has several separate areas which are pleasing in their own ways.

I found a beautiful Cinnabar moth on the rhubarb. They have lovely orange and black stripey caterpillars which feed on ragwort. So if a ragwort springs up in your garden don’t be too hasty in removing it because you might help these lovely creatures to survive.

Indoors, we’ve enjoyed the last of my bottled parsnip wine. I have another demijohn waiting to be bottled but I didn’t make any last winter. It’s well worth the effort but it is a lot of work preparing the parsnips. Good thing it tastes so good. It’s very potent so we only have small amounts. It’s the pleasure of the taste and feel in the mouth that matters to us. We have no desire to overdo it.

My method, adapted from Ian Ball’s book “Winemaking the Natural Way” produces perfectly clear wine without the addition of chemicals. It’s very simple and only uses good natural ingredients. I keep the wine for a year before I bottle it. It’s superb! Fully detailed instructions are in my “Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook”. You can find it with this link:

https://geni.us/eANQu

We liked the Banana and Orange Buns I invented so much that I bought extra bananas and made more. This time I doubled my recipe and cooked the mixture in my big roaster so that I could cut it into squares. Simpler than filling bun cases.

The recipe for the buns is on my last post. Available if you scroll back. I hadn’t thought of these when I compiled my little cookbook so it’s not available in there. Plenty of other cakes to enjoy though and easy to make.

With you again in two weeks time. Stay cool and refreshed while you enjoy the flowers and delicious food that the Summer garden offers. Bye for now.

Summer Fruit and Flowers

The glorious May weather seems a far away dream now that June is here. Although we have some sunny spells there’s also a lot of rain. I know the garden needs it but not heavy downpours. As I write thunderstorms are expected and the rain is pounding down. Still plenty to enjoy in the garden though so let’s be thankful.

I have a couple of small gooseberry bushes. One was loaded with berries so I decided to harvest. Many people regard gooseberries as sour and unpleasant but if they’re allowed to ripen they are very sweet. Last year I waited too long because I wanted them to ripen to that delicious sweetness but the blackbirds stripped the entire crop before I got to them! I really need to cover the fruit with netting. Although this year’s berries were quite small and certainly not sweetly ripe I picked them and stashed them away in the freezer.

I love gooseberries but the thorns are awful. I picked very carefully and didn’t suffer. In the past I have topped and tailed every single berry before I cooked or froze them. It’s such a tedious job that I decided not to bother this time. I just gave them a good wash in cold water. I’m hoping that when they’re cooked the tiny stalks and withered blossom ends will melt into the background and not spoil them. Fingers crossed!

Gooseberry jam is lovely and turns red as it cooks. Gooseberry tarts are delicious so I will use them for that this year as I don’t have enough for jam.

The cabbages have been used but I left two in to make new growth. I found that if the head is cut off and some outer leaves retained new leaves and sometimes one or two small heads of cabbage form from the cut surface.

These are tender and tasty and extend the crop a bit.

I have two celeriac still in the tunnel and they have sent up flower heads. I’m going to allow them to flower and set seed. It will be interesting to see if they will grow next year from the saved seed.

Meanwhile, this year I’m trying celery for a change. I started the seed in the greenhouse in plugs then I transplanted the seedlings into the polytunnel to grow on. These are a modern self-blanching type which don’t need to be earthed up in the way gardeners did many years ago.

One of the wonderful things about June is the marvellous pleasure of strawberries. The first ones were ready a few days ago and were so delicious. I’m hoping for a big crop again this year so I can fill the freezer with winter treats.

If my memory serves me correctly I grow an old variety called Cambridge Favourite. They are not deep scarlet when ripe but they are really full of flavour and we enjoy them so much. I read that strawberry plants need replacing every three years. Mine are several years old, look very healthy and still producing huge crops, so I don’t worry about that. I just cut off all the old foliage in Autumn and Spring, give them a fresh layer of homemade compost and mulch them when they start growing again.

Flowers are wonderful at any time of year but June is especially delightful. Peonies, poppies, campanulas and foxgloves have taken over the garden now that aquilegias and the Spring show are over. Looking beautiful in sunshine or showers, their colours sing out among the green leaves.

Other lovelies are blossoming as well.

Roses come into their own this month. Always a favourite even though they struggle in our poor sandy soil. I have been feeding them a bit more than I did and they have responded well. I would prefer to use manure but now we’re old we can’t do all that shovelling. I bought pelleted rose food which smells like it’s manure based. It seems to do the trick.

The garden is buzzing with wildlife. I found an eggshell again which I think had been taken by a crow or magpie because it wasn’t where a nest could be. I saw a lovely mullein moth caterpillar on a self-seeded verbascum. Such a lovely creature. I hope it will not be found by the birds and will go underground to complete it’s long stage of development into a moth. Apparently it can be underground for about five years before it is ready. Lots of pollinators about too.

Indoors, I need to think about making space in the freezer for my summer fruits. Rhubarb, strawberries and, later on, apples will be squirrelled away for puddings and jam. I have cooked meat to use up. I freeze slices and then when they’re thawed they make nice patties. I mix them in the food processor with onion, sometimes an apple, breadcrumbs or crusts, and an egg if it needs binding. Shape them with my hands into little flat cakes, then I gently brown them in a little oil in the frying pan. Makes a tasty and satisfying meal. Any left over are good cold the next day with some chutney or sauce.

I’ve finished knitting my jacket. It was a nice straightforward pattern and I was pleased to find it actually fitted. The trouble with knitting something to wear, you can’t try it for size until it’s completely finished and sewn together! Whereas, with dressmaking you can check and adjust as you go. Of course, experienced knitters know that if the tension is correct the pattern should fit but often I don’t bother to check before I start. It usually works out ok. Here is my jacket, knitted in a nice tweed-effect wool mix double knitting.

I haven’t been painting recently. I think I’ve lost a bit of momentum and can’t find an inspiring subject among my photos. Here’s one I did a few years ago. This was drawn and painted with gouache from one of my garden photographs.

With you again in a couple of weeks. I hope the summer will be a happy time for you all. Bye for now.

Roses, a Recipe and Thoughts of Spring

Refreshing rain at last! Sunny days are wonderful but constant watering is a chore. The garden was very thirsty but now it’s moist and full of promise.

The roses have started flowering and their beauty is a joy. My “Golden Showers” climber was the first and lit up a corner where it leans against the fence.

Next was my “Sharifa Asma”. This is a lovely rose which was given to me after the workmen ripped out a rose during resurfacing of the drive. It’s thorny but has delightful pink blooms with a delicate fragrance.

Now my “Paul’s Scarlet” is scrambling through the apple tree. It’s a bit temperamental and I’m not sure it’s entirely happy where it is but every year it produces a few red roses which I love to see.

At the end of the jasmine tunnel an “Iceberg” rose dips its branches. It’s just opened one flower so far. Such a lovely contrast to the dark shady tunnel.

Peonies and poppies have fat ripe buds and are about to burst. Looking forward to that. I thought I’d lost my “Sarah Bernhardt” peony but she reappeared with four promising buds. I have a new peony I planted last year but I can’t remember the name. It will flower for the first time.

My favourite oriental poppy “Patty’s Plum” didn’t do well last year but it now has two buds so I’m hoping it will pick up and thrive. My scarlet orientals seem to have taken a battering over the winter so not sure about them but I have two lovely pink ones I grew from seed kindly sent to me by a Facebook friend.

I’ve planted some petunias and verbenas at the front of the house. They will be pretty in a week or two. Pink verbenas in a pot by the front door are a cheerful sight. I’ve potted two lovely dahlias with lilac tipped petals below a small burgundy coloured clematis in the back garden.

My deutzia is a show right now and the bees can’t get enough of it. It grows next to an old ceanothus which has seen better days but still produces a few bright blue blossoms.

A few other pleasing flowers around the garden caught my eye.

Vegetables are coming on although I’m a bit behind with sowing seeds this year.

The potatoes are up. Some gardeners insist you have to earth up the leaves. I stopped doing that years ago and it doesn’t make a scrap of difference. As long as the new tubers are below the soil surface they will be fine. Apparently, earthing up is done to protect the leaves from frost. I don’t think they should be planted so early then the risk of frost will be less of a worry. The leaves need to photosynthesise to feed the growing potatoes. They need the light to do that.

Broad beans are flowering. Mine have marigolds (Calendula) growing beneath them. This is purely because I love marigolds. It doesn’t stop blackfly aphids from finding the bean plants. I rub off  any aphids and if they’re very bad I pinch out the top of the plant. Not usually too big a problem. It does vary though from year to year.

Apples and pears are forming and the natural shedding of excess fruit is going on now. The trees drop many tiny fruitlets before the serious business begins. I’m hoping the drought this Spring hasn’t affected the cropping potential.

Meanwhile, life has to go on indoors.

I had two small very over-ripe bananas and wondered if I could use them rather than throwing them in the compost bin. A new recipe was called for so I got my thinking head on. The result was very pleasing, so I’ll share it with you.

Banana and Orange Buns
Makes about 1 dozen.
I used cupcake liners for the bun tins but if these are not available, just lightly grease the tins.

2 small or 1 average, very ripe Banana
1 Orange
2 large Eggs
100g Light Brown Sugar
125g Self-raising Flour
15g Bran
1 rounded teaspoon Baking Powder
100g Sunflower Oil

Mash or process the banana. Scrub, then grate the orange.
Heat the oven to 180C, or 160C for fan oven.
Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix well.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. ( Mine took 17 minutes)

Allow to cool completely if you want to freeze them.
Nice as they are but extra special with a topping of glace icing.



A couple of weeks ago I was inspired to write another poem about Spring. It’s such a lovely time of year and lifts our spirits after the dreariness of winter.

Thoughts of Spring

Sweet scents dance on the air
As I pass wallflowers bending in the breeze,
Their colours like a fire's flare,
A multitude of reds and golds, my eye to please.
Apple blossom delights me
As I pass beneath the orchard's shade,
Rose-tinted buds unfolding to attract the bee
With petals that will softly fade,
While pure white strawberry flowers shine out
Among the fresh green leaves
And soon the scarlet berries shout
Of what the natural world achieves.
No matter how the years go by
Spring fills my senses and my soul.
Though winters drag and summers fly
Spring completes me; makes me whole.

With you again in a couple of weeks. I hope you’re enjoying Spring as much as I am. Bye for now.

The Merry Month of May

Drifts of May blossom petals scatter over the paving, the scent lingering in the air and the satin flowered Welsh poppies are lit with a golden glow, filling the garden with welcome colour. So much to enjoy in the month of May.

My Clematis montana “Elizabeth” scrambles right to the top of the fruit trees and cascades beautifully overhead.

The “GoldenShowers” rose has a few lovely blooms but it’s already suffering from the dreaded Black spot, a fungal problem. I try to remove the affected leaves as cleanly as I can so as not to spread it. I prefer not to spray as I have been managing the garden organically for about twenty years. It’s a good system and doesn’t harm any essential insects or other creatures.

Some pretty things to enjoy in our garden right now.

Leaves are pleasing too. The ivy is fresh and green, the acers have lovely shapes and I found a curiously coloured leaf on the ground.

My peonies are not flowering yet but have some buds. Some gardeners are alarmed when they see ants on their peony buds but they really do no harm. The buds exude a sugary substance which the ants lick. They don’t damage them in any way and usually disappear once the flower opens. You can see the sugar oozing from the bud in my photo.

I love fresh mint at this time of year. My favourite is apple mint but I also have spearmint and chocolate mint. I don’t use the chocolate mint for anything but it’s a pleasure to rub a leaf and catch that delicious scent of chocolate peppermint.

The apple mint I like to use for mint sauce. It’s really good with new potatoes and so easy to make. I freeze small containers of it to use in winter. When it thaws, it tastes exactly like freshly made and it also keeps well in the fridge. It tastes so much better than those jars of mint sauce to buy in the shops. Homemade isn’t heat treated and has the most wonderful flavour. If you’d like my recipe and full instructions, it’s available in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook. If you don’t have the cookbook, just chop the washed mint leaves or put them in the food processor and add malt vinegar and sugar. Just enough vinegar to cover, then sweeten it to the level you like.

The strawberries are flowering well so there should be a good crop again. My favourite fruit and a real treat fresh or made into jam. I also freeze a lot of surplus berries and cook them with some sugar for dessert in winter. Delicious warm with ice-cream or cold with Greek yoghurt.

I give the beds a fresh layer of homemade compost in early Spring after removing any dead foliage and then mulch around the plants with coir. I buy coir bricks and soak them to reconstitute, then spread it between the plants to keep in moisture and help to prevent mud-splash on the fruit.

The “Spring Hero” cabbages are always good. They grow slowly over the winter in the polytunnel then put on a spurt in February when the daylight increases. I feed them once with comfrey pellets and although I only grow a few there still seems to be a surplus because they mostly mature at the same time. The heads are substantial and although they’re so tasty and tender we don’t want cabbage every day. I gave two away so that someone else could enjoy them.

I sowed runner beans in the greenhouse in plugs. They’re germinating nicely. In about ten days it will be safe to plant them out in the garden. Although there has been little frost this Spring, I’m not taking chances. They’re sensitive to cold and will quickly grow when the nights are warmer.

I haven’t been able to do as much in the garden as I need to so I started knitting. I’m making a jacket with tweed yarn. It’s a mixed yarn with some wool in it, in a nice shade of steel grey with tweedy flecks. A pleasant way to occupy time if I can only sit for a while.

With you again in a couple of weeks. Enjoy this wonderful month while the weather is warm and inviting. Bye for now.

Petals, Perfume and Painting

April ending and the merry month of May to enjoy. The garden and countryside are bursting with new life. The grass verges are golden with dandelions and new leaves are clothing the bare trees. So much is happening in the garden, it’s hard to keep up.

The tomato plants have been growing but nights have been so cold that we’ve brought them back indoors at day’s end. Now though, they’re outgrowing their pots and I felt it was time to plant them in the greenhouse bed. They should be fine as long as frost doesn’t strike. I can’t see any in the forecast so fingers crossed.

I sowed broad beans because my local nursery said they weren’t growing them this year. Mine grew well but then I discovered the nursery had them after all. I bought a few extra and have planted them outside. The ones I bought are “Bunyard’s Exhibition” and the ones I grew from seed are “Masterpiece Green”. Will be interesting to compare them.

Broad beans are very hardy. They can be grown outdoors over winter but I’ve not had much success with that. I prefer to start them in Spring. When they reach a bit of height they often attract blackfly, a type of aphid which seems to favour broad beans. The best way to stop them is to pinch off the top of the stem as soon as the blackfly show up. Best to eat the beans while they’re small. The skins harden as they mature. Delicious with freshly made mint sauce and new potatoes.

Rhubarb is lovely this year. I think a dressing of homemade compost and more water has boosted the growth. We’ve enjoyed it stewed with vanilla ice-cream and I’ve frozen some but there’s plenty more to come.

To save time and energy when I chop rhubarb into chunks I line up the washed sticks and slice across several. Makes it an easier and quicker job. Then the chunks can be put into a container for freezing. They keep for ages and are a winter treat.

The apple blossom has been a sensation. I love the way the buds are deep pink opening to pale delicate petals. Such a beautiful sight and full of promise for delicious apples later. The petals are falling now. Still look lovely on the ground.

For me a garden has to be more than a collection of flowers or a utilitarian vegetable patch. I need it to be a sensual experience with sounds, shadows, colours, wind, water and wildlife. I like to have trees with the sound of the wind in them and shadows cast by strong sunlight, blossom followed by fruit or berries, the reflections on water. Scents are important too. The perfume of wallflowers and lily of the valley, the aromas of mint and rosemary. Plus I enjoy the natural comings and goings of wildlife in a garden like birdsong, the buzzing of bees and the beauty of butterflies. It has to be a total experience.

In the past I’ve had no garden, tiny gardens and allotments, but now I have a good sized garden. It’s a lot of work and it’s never really tidy and has lots of weeds but it satisfies my senses and my need to grow things. Wildlife flourish in it and so do I.

Here are some pretty flowers growing right now.

Under and around the fruit trees I have some wildflowers. Campion is a favourite and plantain has taken over a bit but it’s a handsome plant.

I’m not able to do as much gardening as I’d like so I’ve had an urge to knit again. I can’t resist buying yarn. I like to have it in for when the inclination strikes, so I’ve just bought some. Some chunky yarn in a subtle shade of green, some random dyed double knitting with cotton in it and some lovely grey tweed . Exciting! Might knit myself a cardigan. A nice bit of creativity when I can’t manage all the gardening.

I have managed to do a little painting. I photographed a lovely Nerine flower in the garden last Summer and made a drawing then painted it with gouache.

I hope you’re enjoying the pleasures of Spring. Don’t forget to sit in the garden and look around if you’re a busy gardener. So much to take in.

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