Harvest

Today was a big harvest day at the allotment. There's a real nip in the air and temperatures of two degrees forecast for next week. So we decided to harvest all the allotment tomatoes before they succumb to the cold. They are still very green but abundant and luscious nevertheless. We picked about 3 kilos, …

Fruit smoothie cake

I had another glut problem this morning. Not plums or marrows but bananas.  I don't usually buy bananas, thinking that it is better generally to use up my own gluts first.  So someone else had stockpiled them in the knowledge that the younger generation often snatches them for on-the-go breakfasts, late night munchies and sophisticated …

Autumn raspberries

Autumn raspberries are a delight. They start to ripen in early August when you want to shout at them to slow down - it's not autumn yet. Then they keep on coming, handfuls at a time in my garden and in small bucketfulls at the allotment. I harvested these at the allotment at the weekend …

A new redcurrant recipe

I harvested most of the redcurrants today. They have been fabulous this year in the garden but not at the allotment. Another of the strange differences in microclimate between my two growing spaces. I remembered making some less than successful redcurrant relish last year but couldn't remember where I found the recipe - just checked, …

Green

It's been a scorchio day here as everywhere else in the country. I went for a wander and passed an in ice cream van, selling, among other things, mint choc chip ice cream: I had been thinking about my Dad, as I often do at this time of year and now six years since we …

A garden feast

I've spent most of today at the allotment, tackling weeds and harvesting onions. Everything is coming along nicely although the peas are still rather straggly, which is strange as the peas in the garden raised beds are in full flourish, with their beautiful butterfly wing flowers: The onions have been magnificent this year but feel …

Onion soup

Despite being June, it's definitely soup weather. I've already made several of my classic green soups, mainly using Swiss chard, herbs and assorted bought vegetables but this week I've also been experimenting with onion soup. I've got a bit of an onion glut. The autumn planted allotment onions are absolute stunners. Here they are back …

Cottage garden

Warm sunshine, pouring rain, warm sunshine again - it's party time for the weeds in my garden and allotment. This morning I tackled the weeds in the front garden, which if you've been paying attention, is a former paved over car parking space, converted to what can only be described as a 'cottage garden'.  In …

Juggling rainbows

It's May and should  be the time to get lots of things going in the garden but the last week has been too nippy for me to dare put very much outside or even out to the seed palace.  The tomatoes are taking over the windowsill inside and I haven't yet sown any courgettes, marrows …

Foraging

Last weekend I was away,  staying in a caravan, having a long lie while reading in a sleeping bag and listening to birdsong, then waking myself up by paddling in freezing sea. Here is a photo of fabulous gorse bushes with a wonderful coconut scent It was all lovely but there was no gardening or …