Living a contented creative life.

Halfway through March and Spring is definitely springing! So much going on in the garden and in my life (more of that later).

Here’s a short poem I was inspired to write.

Springing To Life

March is a mixture of sunshine and chills,
The satin petals of crocus flowers,
The golden glory of daffodils
And crystal drops of sudden showers.

While dreary Winter is fast receding
And new life delights our eyes
The natural world is now proceeding
To promise us the ultimate prize.

The prize is hope, another beginning,
And though it happens every Spring,
It's the possibility of winning
All the blessings that life can bring.

Pond life is waking up. The water has gone green again so we’ll have to add some barley extract. Doesn’t bother the wildlife though. The frogs have been croaking as they called for mates and they’ve evidently succeeded because we now have our first frogspawn of the year.

The crocuses are almost over but daffodils are blazing in the sunlight. Cream tulips with yellow violas are looking pretty and two small pots of anemones are just simply gorgeous with their wonderful colours. Lovely corydalis are opening their flowers beneath the fruit trees and a potted arrangement we bought from the local nursery is adding to the show.

I know I’ve mentioned hellebores many times but they’re such amazing flowers and are still giving me huge pleasure. An almost black one is stunning and the centre sings out in contrast. There are so many variations of petal colour, form and striking centres. I have several different ones and they’re all beautiful.

I have a Hypericum which bears lovely yellow flowers, followed by berries. It needed cutting back. This will enable it to grow healthy new shoots and flower well.

I also cut back the Rue. It’s a herb. Not a cooking one as far as I know but a lovely plant with shapely bluey-green leaves and yellow flowers. It tends to splay over the paving but it’s a pleasing sight. It grows in a very dry spot beneath our huge conifers so it’s not a fussy plant. You can see it in summer in the bottom right corner of this photo.

The Spring cabbages are growing but tiny slugs keep munching them. The garlic had several caterpillars snugly lying along their leaves! I just hand-picked these and threw them out. It’s a mystery how these find their way into the polytunnels. We keep the doors shut except for watering so the moths must sneak in unnoticed. Any opportunity I suppose.

I removed the dead foliage from the strawberry plants and the bed was dressed with some new compost. The plants look small right now but will fill out with new leaves and I hope will crop as abundantly as they did last year. Allan made netted covers to keep the birds off the fruit. They lift off and back on again easily. The netting needs stretching and refixing so that the birds don’t become tangled in it if they do try to land.

Allan dug out some compost and leafmould for me. I mix them together to make seed sowing medium. I riddled some to make it finer and used it to sow tomato seeds. I will keep them indoors on a warm windowsill until it’s safe to plant them out in the unheated greenhouse. Last year I was a bit early and the nights were too cold so we had to put a small radiator in there for about ten nights to protect the plants. This year I waited a bit longer before I sowed. I prefer to let plants grow naturally without artificial heating.

Many gardeners like to make liquid feed from comfrey. Here’s a tip I discovered years ago. A five gallon homebrew barrel is ideal for this. I bought mine from a car boot sale. People often sell them or give them away when the homebrewing has fallen out of favour. Best placed on a stand or a few bricks so that the tap can be used easily.

I put the leaves in a bag (usually the leg from a pair of tights) and place it inside the barrel, then fill with water. I screw the lid on and allow it to stand for ten days. Then I can draw off as much as needed from the tap. Keeps it clean and handy. Afterwards the bag can be easily removed and the contents composted.

And finally, I don’t often include personal information on my blog. I’m sure people would prefer to know what’s going on in the garden or perhaps my latest recipe, but, this is a very special event in our life. It’s our 60th wedding anniversary! We will be having a little celebration with family and friends to mark the occasion. The years have flown by and we’ve had a very interesting life together. I’m blessed to have a wonderful husband and the best son and daughter I could wish for. I hope we have many more years ahead of us.

This was our wedding day in 1965.

Pill box hats were very fashionable in the 60s and this bridal one caught my eye. I made the veil from the train which was too long for me. Pity they’re not coloured photos as my bouquet was a mixture of pink roses in two shades and scented freesias. I dried one of the roses and have it tucked away with other little mementoes. My three bridesmaids wore sunny yellow dresses with daffodil bouquets. Allan had a beautiful made to measure suit tailored by Burton’s . They did a wonderful bespoke service in those days. It was a very happy day despite awful weather.

I hope you’re having all the pleasures of the season. With you again soon. Bye for now.

“Mad as a March Hare”! That’s me now that Spring is on the way. The month has begun with glorious sunshine and flowers are colouring the stirring soil. What a lovely time of year. So welcome after the dreary cold of Winter and filling me with inspiration.

I sowed my first seeds of the season in one of the polytunnels. “Little Gem” lettuce, “Purple Vienna” kohl rabi, “Sugar Ann” mangetout and “Berlicum” carrots. The soil is fairly warm so these hardy vegetables should germinate but perhaps a bit slowly. Patience is a virtue, they say!

Our little orchard is a picture with the snowdrops, hellebores, and crocuses.

New pleasures surprise me every day. The satin petals of purple crocuses scattered around the garden are unfolding in the warmth of the sun. White and purple bi-coloured ones look pretty in a pot and the lovely pink flowers of cyclamen coum mingle pleasingly among the snowdrops.

The hellebores are magnificent with abundant flowers and glowing colours. There are so many lovely variations of petal shapes and centres.

Lonicera fragrantissima has, as the name suggests, delightfully scented flowers. The fragrance fills the garden. Another shrub, whose name I’ve forgotten, has pretty pink berries and one of my viburnams is just beginning to flower.

I’ve spent a few hours in the sun over the last few days picking up dead stems and debris from the borders. I haven’t noticed any disturbed wildlife so I think it’s time to do this now. I have a problem with moss because parts of the garden are in shade. It seems to like our light sandy soil. I don’t worry too much about it but it can be a bit of a nuisance in places. I can manage to scrape it off to an acceptable level.

I planted some Alstromeria last summer. I bought two lovely established plants from our local nursery and they flowered profusely during August and September. They have fleshy stems so I was worried that they wouldn’t be hardy enough to survive the winter. I was delighted to find new shoots coming up when I cleared away the dead foliage. I’m hoping for these blooms again in a few months time.

The frogs are not active yet in the pond but surely any day now the frogspawn will surprise me. Our robin has found a mate and they were together feeding from the fatballs today. I captured a photo of one through the window.

Such welcome visitors, absolutely beautiful, and they eat many of the garden pests. Constantly singing, they can often be heard even in the night. The robin is probably the most recognised of our British birds.

A few primulas have sent up their glowing flowers and fresh green leaves.

Indoors, life goes on despite the temptations of the garden! My freezer supply of cakes was a bit low so I made my super-quick brownies. These are simple to make and take only about twenty minutes to cook. They’re moist and deliciously chocolatey. My recipe is in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook for those who have it but I’ll give the recipe again here for anyone who hasn’t.

Super-Quick Brownies
Use a good cocoa for these, not drinking chocolate. I use Green and Black's for its rich chocolate taste. I use oat milk for my baking but most people will use dairy. Either is fine.
Grease a large tin. I use a roasting tin, 30 x 25cm(12 x 10inches)

4 large Eggs
200g Caster Sugar
200g Self-raising Flour
2 heaped teaspoons Baking Powder
4 heaped tablespoons Cocoa Powder
4 tablespoons Milk
200g Sunflower Oil

Heat oven to 180C/160C for fan oven.
Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly with an electric mixer or in a food processor.
Put mixture into the greased tin.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Press centre gently. If it springs back it's cooked.
Allow to cool then cut into squares. Lift out with a palette knife. They freeze well if not all needed at once.

Good as they are but if you like an even sweeter treat try one of these.
Spread with jam or marmalade. Cherry jam is good for a Black Forest effect.
Slice and fill with buttercream.
Spread glace icing on top. Add nuts or glace cherries.

I keep intending to paint a picture but seem to have lost momentum. I used to paint regularly but somehow I’ve lapsed into a lazy spell. The house is fit to burst with my paintings, so perhaps it’s just as well. Here’s an old one with a breath of Spring. Painted with gouache from a vase of flowers.

With you again in a couple of weeks. I hope you enjoy the brownies and the sun shines on you. Bye for now.

Mid February has seen some cold, dull days. A few glimpses of sunshine have been precious. March is not too far away though and will hopefully bring sunlight, daffodils and budding trees.

The birds are very busy in the garden, fattening up for their Spring activities. Snatches of lovely song fill the air from time to time as they call out for mates and establish their territory.

Our little flock of sparrows finish off the food in the hanging feeders so quickly that it’s hard to keep up with them. The lovely brown and grey dunnocks bob about below the feeders to take advantage of dropped seed and the robins look pert and beautiful wherever they perch. The collared doves always arrive as a pair and are such pretty birds.

There was a Peacock butterfly in the woodstore. It was on top of a bag of logs, flapping its wings, but it seemed far too early for it to be awake and out in the cold. Allan gently put the logs back and replaced the cover to keep out the rain. We’re hoping it will stay sheltered until it’s safe to come out. I didn’t take a photo because I didn’t want to disturb it too much.

Although the garden looks damp and drab the snowdrops and hellebores sing out in their glowing colours. They look fresh and bright beneath the apple tree. In another place I have a tiny clump of double petalled snowdrops. I have to hold them up to see their beautiful centres. I can’t recall their name. I think my taller snowdrops are “elwessii” but may be wrong. I accidentally snapped off a flower but it looked so lovely against the dark soil so I took a photo to remember it by.

Evergreens are essential for all year round interest in the garden. So welcome in winter. We have two enormous conifers which we love. We have had to have these topped since this photo as they might have fallen in a storm. There are other less obvious ones which provide focal points. A small prostrate conifer at the edge of a path is a lovely blue-green one. Skimmias with their glossy leaves and scarlet berries are beautiful and Euonymus is a favourite with cream or gold leaves combined with fresh green.

A few flowers and interesting bits are catching my eye among the sleeping summer perennials.

Not much happening in the vegetable garden at present. The potatoes are being “chitted” in the conservatory. This means they’re exposed to light for a few weeks prior to planting them. This encourages small purpley-green shoots to form. Keeping them in the dark would produce those long white sprouts. They’re not what we want for growing in the garden. I stand the seed potatoes in egg boxes so they stand individually with some support. Works well. “Charlotte” on the left and “Accord” on the right. New varieties for me given to me by my daughter.

It’s far too cold and frosty to plant yet. The middle of next month might be worth trying but if the foliage comes up while frosts threaten it will be damaged. Best to keep an eye on the forecast and cover any tender new leaves to keep them from freezing.

I’m going to put a few seeds in the polytunnel beds soon. Peas are an early crop given a bit of protection and I will try kohl rabi and some lettuce. They might take a bit longer to germinate but will soon catch up as the days lengthen and hopefully become a bit warmer.

Talking of warmth, I was giving some thought to how much colour affects me. It’s something important to me in so many ways. I love flowers of course, whether it’s the blazing scarlet of poppies or the pristine whiteness of snowdrops but all the many shades of green are pleasing as well. The bright lime green of new leaves in Spring to the dark glossy holly of Winter are equally striking and proclaim their seasonal beauty. So many amazing colours in the natural world and the garden.

My home is also full of colour. The kitchen walls are deep red. I appreciate its warmth and cosiness. In the living room we have egg-yolk yellow walls and a green chimney breast. Visitors often say how much they love the vibrant colours but they wouldn’t dare to use them. That’s strange to me. Colour is so wonderful and it’s vital for myself.

When I paint pictures I love to use good strong colours. That’s why I enjoy painting with gouache. The paint is a type of watercolour but with stronger pigments and a heavier texture. It produces vivacious paintings full of life and emphasising the effectiveness of colour. I know watercolour can be used to beautiful effect but for myself a wishy-washy, sploshy technique is not pleasing to my eye. I feel more satisfied if a painting achieves a realistic depiction of its subject and the effect is arrived at by observation of light and shade and careful control of the paint. I realise that’s just personal taste and many people will not see it my way. My main point though is about colour. So important to me when I’m painting.

Often. when I’m in a thoughtful mood, I write a poem. Here’s one I wrote some time ago and I’d forgotten about.

Brief Lives

How swiftly flies the time no matter how we try,
While the cloudy skies and sunny spells of life go by.
The smiles and tears are merely shadows which flit upon the wall,
Yet we strive, we love; we hope to leave our mark however small.
Both the genius and the dullest mind leave footprints in the sand
But some are washed away and others shape the land.

With you again in two weeks time. I hope you’ll enjoy my reminiscing. Stay warm if you need to and enjoy whatever the garden offers. Bye for now.

January brings a mixture of moods and changeable weather. The flurry of the festive season leaves a blank canvas to fill afterwards. It’s time for positive thinking and winter pastimes.

The garden had a covering of snow last week. It melted, froze and snowed again with sharp frosts overnight. I captured melting moments with my camera.

We had to give the birds extra food. It was a busy time as they tried to keep warm and there were tracks everywhere in the snow.

The bulbs are poking their lovely tips through the cold soil and are a welcome reminder of the pleasures to look forward to soon. A bit of cheerful colour is provided by the winter violas and hellebores.

The polytunnels protected our winter crops. The sprouts are outside but they benefit from a dusting of frost so I wasn’t worried about them.

I’m using the leeks, parsnips and celeriac now because they’ve had a long growing season and will soon be past their best. I sow the seeds in March and use the vegetables from Autumn into Winter. The space they take up is well worth it because it’s so good to have them when the garden is mostly dormant. Hearty soups and stews make the most of these tasty vegetables during the cold spells.

Talking of soups and stews reminds me of something I’ve thought about a lot recently. There’s concern that many people are living on ultra-processed food which is very unhealthy. Part of the problem is that it seems cheaper than fresh food and many people don’t know how to cook or aren’t inclined to cook.

I’ve seen various initiatives and ideas for promoting healthier eating but I feel so often they’re not tackling the problem in the right way. Recipes are put forward with lists of ingredients which to my mind are definitely not going to encourage anyone to change their non-cooking habits. If someone is put off by cooking they’re unlikely to be enthusiastic about putting together a long list of ingredients, many of which they’re unfamiliar with. Why not go back to basics?

For instance, potatoes must be the easiest vegetable to cook in so many ways. One of our favourite meals is mashed potatoes mixed with a drained can of fish, then browned in a little hot oil in the frying pan. No need to make individual fancy fishcakes. Served with peas and chutney or a favourite sauce, it’s tasty, nutritious and cheap. Canned salmon is good but so are sardines or mackerel which are cheaper. So easy to prepare and cook and really delicious.

What’s wrong with a fried or scrambled egg on toast served with a vegetable, Then what about that old favourite toasted cheese? Or tomatoes fried gently then cheese added and allowed to melt and eaten with some bread? This tastes very good cooked in a frying pan but I often do this in the microwave on the plates which makes it easier and a really quick meal.

Soup is easy to make with a stock cube or two, chopped onion, potato, carrots and red lentils. Other vegetables can be added and any leftover cooked meat or chicken. It can be thickened by blending to make it more substantial. Chicken soup is particularly good but vegetable soups are cheap and nutritious too.

My favourite way of cooking is a one-pan meal. I do these in a deep frying pan with a good lid. Frozen cooked rice and vegetables are good for these and frozen fish fillets can be placed on top of the vegetables to cook at the same time. I often stir in a spoonful of soured cream just before I serve it. They are versatile, nutritious because all the vegetable stock is retained, use less fuel and save on dish-washing.

I’m wondering how many people still eat these sort of meals and yet they are so simple, enjoyable and healthy.

Ideas for these and many other of my recipes are in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook, available through Amazon or myself.

Sorting out some of my books. Too many to fit on the shelves and of course, new ones are always offering temptation. The colder days are good for these kind of jobs when the garden is a bit forbidding. I might have a look at my knitting yarns as well. I haven’t got a project in mind yet but I might do a bit of knitting or crochet before Spring stirs me and draws me back to the garden. Then again, I haven’t embroidered anything for years. There’s a thought.

Winter is a time for reflection. Cosy nights by the fire create the perfect mood for thinking, planning, dreaming of Spring. I hope you’re finding many moments like that. With you again in a couple of weeks. Bye for now.