Not much going on in the garden at the moment except I've planted about 600 cuttings from my now severely pruned buddleia. Maybe over the next few days I'll be able to get out and do some weeding - this long hot autumn has produced some fabulous weeds.
Friday, 7 November 2014
Christmas comes early!
Wow, what timing with my £10 gift voucher and a sale I got masses of seeds and even a free tin thrown in! I'm so looking forward to getting this lot going in the new year. I've got loads of stuff and when things are this cheap you can afford to try out different varieties. I've gone for some flower seeds for the hanging baskets and balconnaires and lots of varieties of chillies and turnips. The only seeds I still have to source are sweet dumpling and gold nugget squash plus tender and true parsnip.
Not much going on in the garden at the moment except I've planted about 600 cuttings from my now severely pruned buddleia. Maybe over the next few days I'll be able to get out and do some weeding - this long hot autumn has produced some fabulous weeds.
Not much going on in the garden at the moment except I've planted about 600 cuttings from my now severely pruned buddleia. Maybe over the next few days I'll be able to get out and do some weeding - this long hot autumn has produced some fabulous weeds.
Tuesday, 21 October 2014
Today's little lot...
It might be the middle of October but still some goodies to be had. Basil made a pesto, the mushrooms are now in a pasta sauce and the lettuce was cooked and eaten with smoked peppered mackerel and a horseradish sauce - scrummy. The rocket was consigned to the compost bin! It was well past its sell by date. Tomorrow the dish of the day is belly pork with wild mushrooms and stir fried lettuce and garlic.
Saturday, 18 October 2014
Bit of a pick over
Really went out to do a bit of weeding but got a little distracted. This is the final pick of the squashes I reckon in total I've got about 45 usable squashes to see us through the winter.
I am hopeless at thinning out as I want to give all the plants a chance - that is so silly I know. In an effort to get over this I ruthlessly thinned out three rows of turnips and four rows of swede - now the remainder had better repay me with plump roots. I didn't thin out these carrots so there are lots of teeny weeny ones. Plenty more growing in the veggie plot which I will thin out.
Last of these long mild chillies I should think as there are no more flowers appearing and we can't be too far off a frost. These have performed well for me this year. I think they are called Doux Les Landes.
Finally, picked a few beetroot, more calendula flower heads for balm and some over blown calabrese that will make its way into a soup pot.
Now, best get out there and actually do some weeding before the sun goes down!
I am hopeless at thinning out as I want to give all the plants a chance - that is so silly I know. In an effort to get over this I ruthlessly thinned out three rows of turnips and four rows of swede - now the remainder had better repay me with plump roots. I didn't thin out these carrots so there are lots of teeny weeny ones. Plenty more growing in the veggie plot which I will thin out.
Last of these long mild chillies I should think as there are no more flowers appearing and we can't be too far off a frost. These have performed well for me this year. I think they are called Doux Les Landes.
Finally, picked a few beetroot, more calendula flower heads for balm and some over blown calabrese that will make its way into a soup pot.
Now, best get out there and actually do some weeding before the sun goes down!The prince
Another choice edible starting to appear. This is the prince it's flesh smells like almonds. I never used to be too fond of conifers but some of the best tasting fungi are to be found at their bases. Amazing day today, blue skies and 24 degrees forecast - looks like a bit of a tidy up in veggie plot is in order for this afternoon. Think I might lift the last of the squashes and set them out to dry in the sun which is set to last for a few more days.
Friday, 17 October 2014
More free stuff
Only went out to clean out the hens and found these had popped up in their coop. Makes up for the distinct lack of walnuts due (I think) to the pair of red squirrels living in our pines trees. Good day all round for freebies as this morning I ordered a pile of seeds with my £10 voucher. With the sale on I managed to get a huge amount of veggie and flower seed for next year. Finally, managed to catch a couple of safflower seed heads that yielded usable seeds for next year (other ones I've picked were like mush). I'm hoping to grow a large patch of these next year instead of the solitary specimen I managed this year!
Monday, 13 October 2014
Yummy!
Just got back from a little holiday where I saw these Milkcaps in a Spanish market selling for 35 euros a kilo - yikes! That is more expensive than cepes here in France. This lot almost escaped me as they were well hidden in the long grass which is currently in desperate need of cutting.
Must have been a lot of rain while we were gone as the mushrooms are out in force and the beetroot has finally fattened up a bit. The veggie plot is looking a bit sad but my remaining squashes are looking good and almost ready to pick. Hope I'm not saying 'sick of squash' before spring. The calendula are still in flower so another batch of balm on the cards and a gigantic pot of veggie soup should be on the go by the weekend - and I mean gigantic!
Must have been a lot of rain while we were gone as the mushrooms are out in force and the beetroot has finally fattened up a bit. The veggie plot is looking a bit sad but my remaining squashes are looking good and almost ready to pick. Hope I'm not saying 'sick of squash' before spring. The calendula are still in flower so another batch of balm on the cards and a gigantic pot of veggie soup should be on the go by the weekend - and I mean gigantic!
Wednesday, 10 September 2014
Calendula balm - so easy to make
Gave this a try yesterday and I'm really pleased with the results. First I had to find bees' wax probably available everywhere in the UK but here in France I found it at our local bio shop. The bag hold's 400 grams and I only used 30 grams to make two jars so it goes a long way. The calendula was easy to find as it grows like a weed in the garden a must have plant in the veggie plot in my option. Last year mine were still in flower at Christmas and like sunflowers they just shout cheerful.
First I picked the petals from about 25 heads of calendula then I added 300 ml of bog standard olive oil making sure all the petals were coated. Next, this went into a bain marie and was kept on a very low simmer for three hours.
I then strained the oil using a muslin cloth and returned it to the bain marie along with 30grs of wax - I used wax pellets so it did not take long for the wax to melt. As soon as the wax and the oil combined I poured them into a couple of glass jars - as you can see not very evenly! The balm was put to the test this morning as I used it on my lips when I went out for a run - well I've just had to start running again after all that lovely crumble.
First I picked the petals from about 25 heads of calendula then I added 300 ml of bog standard olive oil making sure all the petals were coated. Next, this went into a bain marie and was kept on a very low simmer for three hours.
I then strained the oil using a muslin cloth and returned it to the bain marie along with 30grs of wax - I used wax pellets so it did not take long for the wax to melt. As soon as the wax and the oil combined I poured them into a couple of glass jars - as you can see not very evenly! The balm was put to the test this morning as I used it on my lips when I went out for a run - well I've just had to start running again after all that lovely crumble.
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