Living a contented creative life.

Autumn is well under way. The damp earth smells of scented leaves, berries are glistening and colours are changing. Days are shorter so plants are snuggling into the soil to protect themselves from Winter’s chill.

The garden hasn’t entirely given up though. Winter crops are almost at their peak. The sprouts are doing well, the parsnips are delicious and celeriac fills the air with a lovely celery scent.

The garlic has pushed through the soil and looks healthy. It has long been said that it needs the frosty weather to encourage it to grow and taste good. I’m not sure if this is true. I grow mine in the polytunnel and it’s fine. It should progress nicely until harvest in May or June.

When I grow vegetables I space them quite close together. I don’t want big vegetables and space is limited. Unless they’re being grown for a show or for a large family, it really isn’t necessary to strive for enormous ones. Small and tasty are best I find. Enough for a meal, so I can use fresh every time. I don’t feed the plants a great deal either. If the soil is right it isn’t needed.

The Conference pears have been wonderful. They seem bigger this year and perfect apart from blemishes on the skin. Sweet, delicious flesh once they’ve been peeled. I was a bit impatient waiting for them to ripen so I cooked a few. Just peeled and quartered after removing pips and then popped in the microwave with a little water and a sprinkle of sugar. Mmm. Lovely.

The Cox apples have been good this year too. I think the wet spring increased the yield. I had far more fruit than usual. The tree seemed diseased for many years and the apples were small and blemished. Fortunately, it seems to have recovered. I just let nature do it’s work and usually it succeeds.

I love baked apples. I choose ones with perfect skin and scrub them. Then I core them, being careful not to split the apples. I sometimes fill the centre with sugar and sultanas but for a change I filled them with Christmas mincemeat. I wanted to try them in my air fryer but I miscalculated and cooked them for too long. I wrapped them in foil and baked them at 145C for half an hour but some of the apple oozed out of the skins. Still tasted wonderful though. I didn’t take a photo of the end result because they didn’t look very decorative.

A very simple, old-fashioned dessert but so tasty. Very nice warm with vanilla ice-cream, or cold with custard or cream.

The birds are taking advantage of the food we’re putting out and the squirrels are joining them. I don’t mind the squirrels. They’re so entertaining and such beautiful little animals.

Not many flowers now. Some late asters in lovely shades of purple or pale pink are still giving a little colour to the garden. A few marigolds are flowering too.

Some days have been very wet so I started knitting for Christmas. I’m making a scarf. Very easy, no pattern to follow, and I can just pick it up and do a few rows whenever I have a moment.

I intend to knit a few toys to give away as well. Need a few more balls of pretty colours for those. So pleasing to make as they knit quickly and it’s fun to see them shaping up in the final stages.

I’ve painted a little picture of a marigold from a photo I took in the garden. Drawn with pencil and painted with gouache. I’m a bit tired of doing flowers though. I need to explore my photos for a Still Life subject. Something to look forward to during the Winter.

That’s all for now. I hope you’re finding lots of pleasant pastimes of your own and enjoying the autumn colours. Bye. With you again in a couple of weeks.

October is often a lovely month with blue skies and the scent of autumn leaves. The lovely shades of purple on the asters, the glowing yellow of rudbeckias and the vibrant scarlet of berries on holly and hawthorn give so much pleasure.

September ended with wet weather but I ventured out and took a few raindrop shots.

Since then we’ve had some lovely days with azure skies, the whitest of fluffy clouds and a few tiny creatures enjoying the sunlight. There was a gathering of five shield bugs basking together on leaves and a brown moth was fluttering about under the strawberry netting. Fungi are popping up here and there as they always do at this time of year.

Ivy can be an awful nuisance but it’s really beautiful. Bees enjoy the flowers and the birds eat the berries during Winter.

Autumn colours are either mellow or vivid. Here’s a selection.

I’ve planted my Spring cabbages in the polytunnels. Although they’re hardy and will withstand frost I like to grow them undercover. They’re cleaner and ready a bit sooner than when they’ve been outside. Easier to control slugs as well. They’re tiny now but will grow slowly until February when they’ll put on a spurt. Lovely ball heads will have formed by May. Delicious shredded raw or steamed.

The tomatoes have been removed and composted. I had a bucket of green ones so I used some for green tomato chutney. Not done this before but I had so many this year. It’s not a very strong tasting chutney but I don’t like things to be wasted. The rest are in two baskets in a cool room. They’ll ripen gradually. I often keep tomatoes like this until New Year. No need for the paper bags or bananas that people often recommend. Tomatoes give off enough of their own ethylene gas in order to ripen.

I froze some of my red tomatoes. Although I no longer buy polythene bags because I discovered they’re not recycled I still re-use old ones. Here’s a tip for filling bags for the freezer: to keep the bag open put it in a jug or bowl and fold the edge back over the rim. Easy to fill it this way.

My little pepper crop has been ripening nicely. From green to black then to scarlet is so satisfying to see.

We decided to take a chance on storing the apples again in the shed. We’ve had problems with mice and rats but fingers crossed that they might not find them this year. I can’t freeze or preserve all of them and it’s useful to have fresh apples as well.

We have several compost bins because home-made compost is such an essential resource but I was amused to see that one we’d left open has lovely self-seeded alyssum flowers growing at the top! Plants are wonderful opportunists.

Time to start those knitting needles clicking. I often knit toys for Christmas. They’re quick and easy patterns and it’s lovely to put them together and see them come alive.

A couple of years ago I knitted an Autumn wreath using patterns from a favourite book. I still haven’t decided what to do with it. The project was more important than the finished item. It was a real pleasure to make. I’ll have to get my thinking head on and sort out my yarns to keep me happy again during those dark nights.

I hope you’re enjoying all that the season offers. With you again in a couple of weeks. Bye for now.

“Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”. So true of late September. A gentle decay is taking place around the garden and a definite scent of autumn fruits and leaves.

My Alstroemerias are flowering nicely. I brought in three stems for a vase and I love the autumnal look in the jug I put them in.

Asters and sedums are beginning to flower. The beautiful colchicums are at their best because the weather has been dry and sunny for a week. (Since writing this we’ve had storms and the poor colchicums were flattened.)

Lovely seedheads are developing and adding a faded beauty to the garden.

Hardly any butterflies, sadly, although the Cabbage Whites have been on a frustrated hunt for my brassica plants. I did spot a lovely Comma the other day and managed to capture a couple of photos.

We’ve started feeding the birds again. I read that a Bluetit goes down to 10g in weight during the breeding season and needs to fatten up to 14g to withstand the Winter. The trouble is our small flock of sparrows is wiping everything out! Plus squirrels have been busy trying to access the feeders. Here’s one I snapped through the kitchen window.

I’ve bought little violas to fill the pots. Cheerful yellow for most of them but two pots of a lovely pale purple as well. Such hardy plants and yet so delicate-looking and pretty.

My squashes have been a miserable failure this year. I had two very small ones which looked like they might amount to a small helping but when I went to look at them something had eaten most of the bigger one! Looks like it might have been a mouse. Doesn’t seem like slug damage. Oh well, next year I will try again,

Gardening is always a gamble. Weather, pests, time and energy levels can interfere with the best plans. Over the winter I renew my anticipation for a fresh start when Spring excites me again.

I have apples waiting to be preserved in some way. I used to store them in the shed but mice and then rats got in so it’s no longer a good idea. I have a book by Beryl Wood called “Let’s Preserve It”. It’s a very comprehensive collection of old recipes for preserving fruit and vegetables. I found one in the apple section for apple and ginger jam. I liked the sound of it but as usual I thought I could adapt it to make it easier and a bit more to my taste. It was easy to do once the apples and ginger were prepared. The end result is delicious. You will need ginger syrup. I make my own but a bought jar of stem ginger has plenty of syrup to use for the recipe.

Have a board by the side of the hob covered with a teatowel or kitchen paper to prevent cold shock to the jars. If you haven’t a large wooden chopping board, cover the counter with a folded teatowel. You will need a ladle and a funnel.

Apple and Ginger Jam

Makes about five small jars.

900g ( 2lbs) approximately, Cooking Apples
285ml (half a pint) Water
100g (4oz) approx. Stem Ginger
1 Lemon
3 tablespoons Ginger Syrup
680g Sugar
Wash the jars and rinse well. Place in the oven and turn the heat to low. Put lids to one side and keep dry.
Prepare the apples by peeling and coring. Slice into salted water to prevent browning.
Rinse the apples in a colander and drain.
Put in a pan with the water and simmer until soft.
Mash a bit to remove lumps.
Chop the ginger finely.
Add juice of the lemon, sugar, ginger syrup and chopped ginger to the pan. 
Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve sugar and mix ingredients.
Boil for ten minutes.
Test a spoonful on a cold plate for setting.
If the surface wrinkles as it cools it is ready for potting.
If not, boil for a few more minutes, checking after each minute.
I found ten minutes was enough.
Cool slightly and stir foam back into the jam.
Remove the jars, one at a time, from the oven and ladle the hot jam in, leaving a slight gap at the top. 
Screw the lid on immediately and tighten.
As the jars cool they will seal. You will hear the lid pop if this has happened correctly. They will keep for a couple of years if they're sealed.

As the colder months approach I’m thinking of satisfying hot meals. I love one-pan cooking and most of my meals with vegetables, meat or fish are made this way now. It’s not only an easy way to cook, it uses less fuel and there is little washing up to do afterwards. Above all though, it’s the most nutritious way to cook a meal because the vitamins are not poured down the drain. The small amount of water I use ensures all the goodness is retained along with maximum flavour.

Many cooks talk about their secret ingredients. No secrets with my cooking; I’m happy to share ideas. Of course I use ingredients and methods which I believe make a dish that bit better.

There are two ways I ensure the tastiest out come with these one-pan meals. One is, as I said above, not to use too much water, so that the vegetables partly steam and the other is to use good stock. I always use Kallo organic vegetable or chicken stock cubes. This is an essential base for flavour and for making a sauce if needed. Sauce or gravy can be made in the pan by stirring in a little dissolved cornflour. Deliciously savoury.

Ideas for these simple, tasty and nutritious meals are in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook. Here’s my link if you would like to see them.

https://geni.us/eANQu

I hope you’re enjoying the harvest and the pleasures of September. With you again in a couple of weeks. Bye for now.

Just a few hints now that Autumn is on its way. I’m noticing the scent of damp leaves, ripening fruit and a feeling in the air. A slightly melancholy time and yet an atmosphere of anticipation.

Time for sowing and transplanting for winter and Spring crops. I have tiny Spring cabbages and cauliflowers in the greenhouse. These were sown in August and will be put into the polytunnels to grow over the next few months. I also have “Little Gem” lettuces to provide leaves for a little while.

In the greenhouse the tomatoes were slow to ripen because it hasn’t been sunny enough. They’re coming along nicely now and they’re delicious. The peppers are fattening and will soon be ready. Lots of little chillies on too.

In the tunnels, the celeriac is growing well. The air is filled with a lovely celery aroma. The second sowing of peas have pods forming.

Parts of the garden have lost their colour but the rudbeckias are glowing and alstroemeria are adding their sunny faces. Asters are beginning to open flowers and the Japanese anemones are as pretty as ever. These anemones are such a valuable addition to this garden because they thrive in poor, dry soil with no fuss. They display their beauty late in the summer when other plants are fading.

The Colchicums are appearing beneath the trees. Their beauty is so fragile and fleeting. The slightest puff of wind blows them over. A brief pleasure each September.

As usual I’m on the lookout for wildlife and here and there something catches my eye. A small green shield bug on a rudbeckia, an interesting insect on a white flower, a scattering of feathers, and a frog with golden eyes which leapt from a pot when I watered the plants. So much to see.

Some of the pears are ready and falling off the trees. I love pears and have been enjoying them very much. Because I garden organically without harmful sprays the fruit often looks very blemished. However, it’s really not a problem. Although the skin might look dreadful the flesh just beneath is perfect and full of delicious sweetness.

Here’s an example of what I mean. Look at the skin which I peeled off but see how perfect the pear is inside.

So if you’re new to growing fruit, please don’t discard it if it looks rough.

When the pears on the tree come away in your cupped hand without resistance, they’re ready to pick. If they cling on, they need to be left a bit longer. Remember that pears need a few days in the fruit bowl to ripen.

With a plentiful supply of cooking apples I decided to make my Christmas mincemeat. It’s a big job but I make enough to last for two years. It improves with keeping and I prefer it to the shop-bought kind. Sweet and boozy but not too sharp tasting.

I find my electric mincer/juicer is a great help for this. Years ago I used one of those clumsy hand operated things which clamped on the table. Nightmare! My electric one minces perfectly and then the ingredients just need to be stirred together to combine all the flavours.

If you’d like to try it, here’s my recipe.

Christmas Mincemeat

400g Vegetarian Suet
500g Raisins
500g Sultanas
500g Cooking Apples
500g Sugar
100g Candied Peel (Add more if you like a sharp taste)
1 Lemon
1 teaspoon Salt
1 rounded teaspoon Cinnamon
1 rounded teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 teaspoon Ground Cloves
Brandy and/or Rum

Peel and core the apples.
Grate the lemon and save juice.
Mince dried fruit, candied peel and apples.
Mix in a large bowl with lemon zest and juice, salt, spices, suet and a dash of rum and brandy.
Stir very well. Leave to stand covered with a teatowel for a couple of hours.
While it's standing, wash and thoroughly rinse jars. Place them in the oven and put on a low heat. Allow them to dry then cool a bit.
Dry the lids with kitchen paper and leave to one side.
Stir again and spoon into the jars. 
Make sure rims of jars are clean, then tightly screw on the lids. 
Store in a cool dark place. 
When I use it I stir in extra brandy if it's a bit stiff. The spirits keep it preserved for a couple of years if necessary and it improves with age.

A lovely season with good things to eat, sensual pleasures and a hope that it fulfils all expectations. Here’s a little poem I wrote a year or so ago, inspired by these things.

Autumn Thoughts

Silver threads hang on the hedges
Revealing a secret spiders' world,
On mornings when the mist dredges
All the land with moisture pearled.
Apples lie beneath the trees,
A blackbird's generous feast
And heady scents our noses tease
Of leaves and earth and fruity yeast.
Mushrooms add a mystic mood
To a time of pleasurable decay
When the body has ample food
And the soul satisfied in every way.
Despite regret that Summer's ended
Our senses give us every reason
To never be offended
By the gentle melancholy of the season.

I hope you’re enjoying the changing of the season. Much to look forward to before winter sets in. Bye for now. With you again in a couple of weeks.

Summer winding down now but perhaps a last fling of warmth and colour to look forward to before Autumn begins.

A busy time in the garden with falling fruit and beans galore. I’ve made my Apple and Cinnamon Squares, frozen apple slices for later and lots of French and runner beans. Best to place the apple slices in salted water to stop them browning while preparing them. It works far better than lemon juice.

The wind is bringing down apples and pears daily. The problem is that they bruise when they hit the ground. It means they won’t keep for long and need to be used as quickly as possible.

I’ve given away some of the windfall cooking apples because I have plenty more to be harvested when the time is right. They’re so versatile. They are great for adding when making mixed fruit or strawberry jam. The apples are rich in pectin and this is what makes the jam set to a good consistency. They’re brilliant of course for the classic crumbles and pies but they also make lovely cakes, apple sauce and chutney.

The sweeter “eating” apples don’t fluff like cookers and hold their shape, so they make a lovely Tarte Tatin, the classic French dessert. They’re also brilliant chopped finely in the food processor to make my Nutty Sausages and Sausage and Apple Flan.

I managed to make a few jars of chutney with the last big courgette, apples, onions, beans and other tasty things. So good in the winter with satisfying meals. Especially good with potatoes mashed with tinned fish and browned in the frying pan. Delicious, filling and nutritious, served with some favourite vegetables.

The rudbeckias are lighting up the cloudier days. Their golden petals contrasting beautifully with their dark central cone. I planted Alstroemeria a few weeks ago. New to my garden, not grown them before. They are now bursting with buds and the bright flowers are opening. The label showed pink ones. Slightly disappointed that they’re not but they’re lovely all the same.

Among the mixed lilies I planted in spring I’ve been delighted to find that two of the plants are “Stargazer” lilies and have several flowers on each. I love these. Dramatic, elegant, colourful and fragrant. The scent wafting around is fabulous.

Lots of weeds mixed in which I haven’t been able to remove but I tell myself they’re benefitting the insects. It’s never a tidy garden. Too old to keep on top but as long as I can produce beautiful flowers, delicious fruit and vegetables I think that’s what’s important. Plus my time in the kitchen means I can either do that or garden jobs but I can’t always do both. The garden is still a pleasure.

I’ve sown seeds for “Spring Hero” cabbages and “All the Year Round” cauliflowers to grow in the tunnels over winter. They’re just beginning to germinate. I’ve also sown French beans because if the weather stays warm I might have another crop in the tunnel before frost starts. They have been so productive and tasty so I’d love some more if possible.

Other pretty things which caught my eye over the last two weeks.

Lots of wildlife in the garden. I don’t mind spiders as long as they don’t crawl onto me. They have their place and eat some pests.

I had a family visit coming up so I made a Victoria sponge cake with my own favourite recipe. So easy to do. No need for all that old-fashioned creaming the butter and sugar together and trying to work in the eggs without curdling.

Sponge Cake

4 large Eggs
200g Caster Sugar
200g Self-raising Flour
2 rounded teaspoons Baking Powder
200g Sunflower Oil

Grease two 20cm/8inch sandwich tins. 
Heat the oven to 180C/ 160C Fan oven.
Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat thoroughly.
Put mixture into the tins evenly.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Press the centre gently. If it springs back it's done. Or push a skewer into the centre. If it's done it will come out without any sticky mixture. 
If necessary, bake for another couple of minutes. 20 minutes is usually enough.
Allow to cool slightly then turn out of the tins onto a wire rack.
When cold spread butter cream over one half, then place the other layer on top.
Jam can be used instead or whipped cream. The top can be left plain or iced.
 

I finally got back to painting. I thought I’d use acrylics this time because I wanted to use glass as a subject and acrylic paint would perhaps achieve the best effect. I call this picture “Trio”, for obvious reasons. Not entirely satisfied with it. Glass is challenging to portray. Difficult to observe the way the light is reflected and to convey the transparency in the painting. Enjoyable to try though.

That’s all for this post. I hope you’re enjoying the last of the summer days. With you again in a couple of weeks. Bye for now.

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.

The garden is flourishing with this mixture of sunshine and showers. The phlox are lovely this year. The leaves have stayed fresh and green. The veronica are attracting the bees with their spikes of tiny flowers and add height to the borders. Lots of colour to enjoy.

The lilies have survived attacks from scarlet lily beetles. I’m a bit ruthless with these because they destroy the plants if left unchecked. Now I’m enjoying the summer show.

Marigolds are lighting up the garden with their vivid gold and orange petals. Such a cheerful, generous and trouble-free plant. Good for insects, self-seeding and always put on a show. These are calendula known as pot marigolds. My favourite kind.

In one of the borders I discovered two wood pigeon eggs. Still intact even though I’m sure they fell from one of the big conifers. At first glimpse I thought they were fungi but when I moved the leaves aside I saw what they actually were.

Little frogs are hopping about. So nice to see wildlife in the garden. I’m happy to share it with little creatures. Grasshoppers pop up here and there and I saw a lovely blue beetle or fly land on a leaf.

I love rudbeckias. They flower for weeks and brighten up the dullest day. I have “Goldsturm”, a lovely bright yellow with a black central cone. I bought some new ones with stocky stems and large flowers with bronze tints. Plenty of buds and now they’re planted there should be a lovely show for the next few weeks.

A few other pretty flowers have been a pleasure.

In the greenhouse, the “Roma” tomatoes are just beginning to turn red. At last! It does take an age for my tomatoes to ripen but it’s so worth the wait. The chillies are ready with their shiny scarlet pods and my sweet peppers are flowering.

In the tunnels I have lovely carrots ready now. The celeriac are growing well and the dwarf French beans have delicious yellow pods.

Slugs ate my new lettuce seedlings so I had to resow. While I wait I need salad alternatives. I made one of our favourites with beans. I emptied a tin of baked beans into a colander, rinsed off the tomato sauce and allowed them to drain. Then I mixed in a grated apple and snipped spring onions with a little salt and pepper.

It might sound wasteful to throw away the tomato sauce but it would make the mixture too wet and spoil it. Plain haricot beans wouldn’t have the flavour needed. Thinly sliced onion would do instead of spring onions but wouldn’t have the colour to give eye appeal. I often add tiny bits of celery as well. This makes a nourishing and tasty salad or side dish.

Someone was giving away two old oak dining chairs which I could find a use for. So I embarked on an upcycling project.

When they arrived they were splashed with paint and had horrible old seat covers. I stripped the seat covers and binned them. I rubbed down the frames with surgical spirit to remove paint and a little of the years of polish and old varnish. Then I polished them. When the chair frames were ready I covered the seats with new foam and fresh fabric. I’m pleased with the result and they go well with with my other old chairs.

I think old furniture is under-rated. You just don’t find the lovely wood and character with modern furniture unless it’s extremely expensive. I love old things.

Back to the garden now for a little TLC. The roses need deadheading to encourage them to flower again, I want to sow more vegetable seeds and there are many jobs to be done.

Back with you again in a couple of weeks. Enjoy all that Summer has to offer. Bye for now.

Well, all I can say about the weather is that the garden is enjoying the rain! A little sunshine and plenty of showers are suiting the flowers and most of the vegetables. Not so much the gardener who can’t do much in these conditions.

Much to be thankful for though. The roses have been better this year. They usually struggle in our poor soil but are flowering more and looking healthier.

The pond has a build up of algae so it needs some barley straw extract but the tadpoles seem happy and the water lily has sent up one beautiful flower. Another bud is poking upwards so I’m hoping for more.

My other lilies have survived the ravages of lily beetles and are beginning to open. I planted some mixed Asiatic lilies in spring and I’m hoping for some pretty colours. So far, only the white ones have opened their faces to the sun and rain but they’re looking good.

A couple of years ago we had a small wildflower bed which was lovely but I haven’t been able to reproduce it since. However, surprises still pop up. We had pink campions in Spring and now two chicory plants have grown. The chicory are very tall and have the most beautiful blue daisy flowers.

I scattered marigold (calendula) and cornflower seeds in another bed. Sadly, only four cornflowers have grown but the marigolds have germinated well and will soon be a golden show.

Talking of gold, the yellow loosestrife ( Lysimachia) are flowering now and I can see them when I’m near the kitchen window. A cheerful sight, even on a dull day.

These have a variegated leaf. I noticed that one or two stems are plain green. This reversion to plain green sometimes happens with variegated plants. Usually it’s best to cut out the plain parts but I don’t mind with these as the flowers are the important feature.

Here are some other little treasures which caught my eye.

I have a clematis which flowers on the top of a bushy tunnel. I think it’s called “Comtesse de Bouchard”. Because of its position it’s difficult to fully appreciate the lovely flowers. So I was really pleased to see that the woody stem has grown new shoots which bear flowers lower down where I can see them properly. Here’s a photo of two of them.

I feel way behind with my vegetable growing this year but I’m trying to catch up. I’ve sown peas again and “Autumn King” carrots in the polytunnels, more basil, lettuces and radishes.

The tomatoes are doing well but nowhere near ripe yet. I have kohlrabi to use,  broad beans, Spring onions, carrots, potatoes and courgettes, as well as onions and garlic I harvested earlier. Parsnips, leeks, kale and sprouts are coming along for winter. So we won’t starve!

A warning to anyone growing brassica plants ( cabbage family). It’s time now to closely cover them with fine netting to keep out the cabbage white butterflies. They should be about very soon although butterflies are noticeably scarce this year. As much as we want to encourage butterflies we certainly don’t want caterpillars on our sprouts, cabbages and the like. Put them in place before the culprits show up.

The garden is untidy. The paths need sweeping and there are plenty of weeds in places. The weather and old age are significant problems. Not ready to give up though.

Next year will be our 60th wedding anniversary! In that time we have experienced many different homes, gardens and jobs. Little money early on encouraged us to be resourceful and to use our imagination. Make do and mend became a way of life.

I’m by no means an expert on anything but with all this experience I’ve picked up lots of tricks over the years. I have always tried my own way to do things. Too often ideas become fixed and go unchallenged. I look for simpler or more effective ways and try to pass on these useful methods in my blog as often as I can.

From gardening to cooking my home-grown food, preserving, inventing recipes, upcycling old furniture, sewing and knitting, writing poetry and painting. I’ve had a go at all of them and try to be innovative and practical.

I hope you’ve found some of my ideas interesting and enjoyed the photos. Please feel free to comment. I love to hear from readers.

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

Summer has arrived at last! Warm days, sultry nights, an abundance of food in the garden and flowers to lift the spirits. The garden is scented with honeysuckle and roses.

Hmm! Since I wrote this the weather here has turned cold and drizzly! But never mind, it will pass and the garden needs it so I’m celebrating the good times.

I have been busy with strawberries. The season is short but so generous. Lots of delicious glowing scarlet berries for now and plenty squirrelled away in the freezer for winter desserts and my favourite strawberry jam.

I love all summer fruits but strawberries are a special treat. The colour, the shine, the flavour! So appetising and announce Summer like nothing else can.

I have two small rectangular raised beds with lots of strawberry plants which have gradually converged to form a tangled mat. The beds have a dressing of homemade compost in Spring when the leaves begin to grow. Then I put a mulch of coir around the plants and apart from watering, that’s it. No fertiliser needed. A few snails help themselves but don’t take many fruits. I carefully wash and trim the berries and any nibbled ones are cleaned up and frozen for cooking. For the last few years I have harvested kilos of strawberries. Organic methods do produce results.

I made strawberry ice-cream. Just a small amount to enjoy straight away because it freezes really solid if I put it in the freezer to keep. I made custard from whole milk, custard powder and sugar. When it was cool I stirred in some stewed and sweetened strawberries, chilled it in the fridge then put it into my ice-cream maker for thirty minutes. A bit soft. I could have churned it for a while longer but very nice. Delicious and no harmful additives. I should do it more often.

I use baskets a lot for harvesting fruit and veg but I also find them good for other things. Not only are they useful but there is something so pleasing about a basket. A perfect shape, a comfortable handle and lovely materials from natural fibres. I bought some from a Pound Shop years ago and they’re still doing good service and I’ve picked up others here and there or had them as gifts.

I’ve planted my squash in boxes of homemade compost in a sunny spot where they can sprawl across a warm concrete surface. Sadly, neighbourhood cats have found the boxes and soiled them. So annoying. We’ve tried putting holly leaves on top but they have been swept aside.  Now trying sticks poked into the soil as well as the holly. Fingers crossed.

I have two squash  plants for my favourite “Buttercup” variety and this year I’m also growing some “Little Gem”. The “Buttercup” are so tasty but they are a bit big for us so I thought I’d give the others a try. I hope they will match up in flavour and storing qualities.

Winter squash are a handy vegetable because they will store for about three or four months without having to process them in any way. Roasted or in soups they are delicious treats.

Courgettes are coming on nicely. Our neighbours very kindly gave me two plants and they’re doing well. I hope to have a good supply later on for pickles and chutney.

Apples and pears look promising. The June drop is taking place at the moment. This is when the trees shed excess fruits after the exuberance of the Spring blossom. The paths are littered with baby apples and pears but enough will grow and at the end of Summer I will be gathering in the harvest.

A kind friend on Facebook sent me some oriental poppy seeds last year after I admired her lovely photos. I sowed the seeds, kept the plants in the greenhouse over Winter and planted them out in Spring. Finally, after much anticipation, I have beautiful flowers. I already have scarlet poppies in another part of the garden but these pink ones are such a romantic colour in my border.

So many lovely flowers to enjoy at this time of year. Here are a few I captured with my camera as I walked around the garden. Mallow, red “Flower Carpet” roses and Feverfew, blue Scabious, Campanula, white Antirrhinum, yellow flowers of the shrub Brachyglottis, “Handel” roses, scarlet Salvia and not sure about the white daisies, perhaps Mesembryanthemum.

Here’s a lovely feather I found on the path.

Our tiny lawn was reseeded in Spring and we’ve let it grow to strengthen it and hopefully to benefit wildlife. Some lovely flowers have appeared. Yes, they’re weeds, but they’re lovely.

Been enjoying new potatoes, broad beans or peas with mint sauce. Peas are almost finished. I will sow some more in one of the polytunnels. Keeps the pea moth away so we don’t have any annoying little grubs inside the pods. Had black fly on the broad beans but, as I said last time, it isn’t a big problem. Ladybirds have benefitted from the feast.

I haven’t painted for a while but here’s one I did a while ago. This Still Life is one painted with acrylics on a canvas board. I enjoy trying to capture the light and reflections on shiny surfaces.

I hope you’re enjoying the sunnier days and warm, scented evenings. With you again in a couple of weeks. Bye for now.

Well, the weather has not been kind! June is usually a month of sunshine, warm evenings and summer pleasures but not so far this year.

The garden has not let me down however. There is still much to enjoy and lovely colour to brighten the dull days.

I have a rose called “Vielschenblau” which is very temperamental and usually sulks but this year it’s splendid and giving me great pleasure. It scrambles through one of the pear trees and is a picture right now. The flowers are an unusual purple colour fading to pink with an open centre which is good for bees. Arranged in clusters they look very pretty.

Campanulas are putting on a show around the garden, flowering freely wherever seeds have been blown by the wind. I love them and leave them to flower wherever they choose. Most are a deep blue, possibly purple, while others range from palest lavender to white.

My “Sarah Bernhardt” peony has disappointed this year. Only two flowers. Lovely, though and I will enjoy their fleeting beauty.

Outside one of the tunnels a large verbascum, also known as a mullein, has grown right beside the door. It’s not easy to open the door but I’m reluctant to move it because it’s full of lovely mullein moth caterpillars.

It’s so important to preserve such creatures because they’re sadly declining rapidly. I’ve seen hardly any butterflies so far this year. Perhaps when the weather improves they will reappear. I hope so.

Other treasures are dotted here and there. The pink campions are still flowering and look pretty with blue geraniums. The yellow flowers of the herb Rue are a lovely contrast to the bluey-green foliage. My “Patio” rose has pretty pink flowers and even the hawkweed pleases me with it’s orange “fox and cubs” flowers.

At last the peas are yielding fat pods. Many of them don’t make it to the pan because I love the taste of fresh raw peas straight from the pod. One of the summer garden’s delights. Along with the first of the new potatoes and home-made mint sauce, they’re a special treat. Especially when strawberries are ready too.

As usual black fly have found the broad bean plants and are clustered thickly around the tops. I’ve pinched out the top few inches and discarded them to get rid of this pest. I never use sprays in my garden. It really isn’t necessary. A few old tricks can solve most problems. The plants will be fine now and produce lovely beans for a few weeks.

I held back from planting my outdoor cucumbers because the night time temperatures were so low. Now it seems to have warmed at night just a little, I’ve put them into the garden to grow on and hopefully in a few weeks I can start to enjoy them. I grow a variety called “Marketmore”. Small, juicy cucs full of flavour once the bitter peel has been removed. I also use them for pickles and chutney. I’ve always found them good reliable plants for our climate and they don’t require the fuss of greenhouse cucumbers.

A glimpse of the ornamental parts of the garden.

With my cooking head on, I had an idea for a savoury flan with the flavours of a pork pie but lighter in texture and with an added ingredient. It’s really delicious served cold with a salad or some chutney. Here is my recipe.

Sausage and Apple Flan

Make pastry for an 8 inch/22.5cm flan dish, with 1 cup of plain flour, one third cup of sunflower oil, one quarter cup of cold water, whizzed together in a food processor. Press into the greased flan dish, making sure the surface is covered. Place in the fridge while the filling is made. Or, use your favourite pastry recipe.
350g Sausagemeat with onion and herbs
2 Sweet Apples
1 large Egg
50g Bread (crusts can be used)

Peel and core the apples.
Heat the oven to 190C/170C for fan oven.
Slice the apples into the food processor.
Add sausagemeat, the egg, bread pieces and salt and pepper. Whizz to combine well.
Fill the pastry case with the mixture.
Bake for 25 minutes.

If only plain sausagemeat is available, add a small onion and a pinch of dried sage.
Although we enjoyed this straight from the oven it was even tastier  served cold. Can be frozen if it's for another day.

Here’s a little poem I wrote a while ago, inspired by the weather. Putting a positive spin on our disappointing June.

Garden in the Rain

Rain splashes on the paving
And brings up unexpected shades.
Drenched leaves are gently waving
With glistening drops on grassy blades.
The sky is dull and overcast
Yet the garden sparkles in the rain.
Such a pleasing contrast,
Why should I complain?
Diamond droplets drip from flowers,
Astonishingly beautiful to see
And those life-giving showers
Refresh the blooms and also me.

I hope you have your own lovely flowers to enjoy and perhaps the sun will shine for us all very soon.

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