The year’s turning

Plums are dripping off the trees, apples are falling on the ground. Tomatoes are beginning to ripen and we are drowning in marrows Autumn has arrived. For the first time in over twenty years there are only two of us in the house to share in all this bounty. My older son has finished his …

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 …

Rhubarb, weeds and a bunch of flowers

What a glorious day it has been today. I started in the garden, doing a little weeding, down on my hands and knees and was rewarded by this little gem of a viola, pushing up between the paving stones on the back patio: Then I weeded the strawberry patch: It may not look like much …

Daffodils

Daffodils always came out for my Dad's birthday. Today he would have been 85. The daffodils have been early this year but there are plenty still in flower and more to come. Here's some from my front garden in his memory:

Solstice soup

Today's the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year but the one where we can start looking again for light and the promise of spring. It's rained for most of the day but I went into the garden in the rain and hauled out masses of overgrown stuff from round the pond. The frogs …

Emergency carrots and a strange use for sprouts

There's been very little done in the garden or allotment these past few weeks (by me anyway) and very little interesting cooking either.  But today we got the Christmas puddings made. My mother, now living much nearer to me, came over to help. The pudding recipe  has long family roots and, although I have been …

Yet another apple cake recipe

Thanks to the tomato, apple and courgettes gluts, there have been mutterings lately about 'too many vegetables' and that 'vegetables with vegetables and vegetable sauce is not a proper meal'  at Reclaiming Paradise. So, when it came to making a start on the annual birthday cake marathon (everyone here except me has birthdays in October), …

Leaves

I've been away helping my mother in her garden again. She's in the process of moving house and the garden needed a little tidying up. One of the things that was needed was to sweep up some of the autumn leaves that have started to accumulate at her front door. There are only a few …

Home

Back home from a little break involving much walking and talking and eating lovely things in the far north of Norway.  There wasn't much gardening to be done but there was lovely scenery and good company. Northern Norway has the northenmost botanic garden in the world and it had some lovely things in flower in …

Autumn pleasures

It's been a long week and it's only Thursday.  Work is a little trying, extended family issues are rather energy-consuming and there are still musicians all over the house, overflowing into every room.  Don't get me wrong, the musicians are delightful, just a little all encompassing. Anyway, coming home from work and feeling rather grumpy, …