Growing up

The pergola surrounding the garden is a growing space that still merits investigating. The vine was seriously pruned a few weeks ago. I reduced the fruiting shoots to 2 leaves beyond a truss of grapes to create a more open framework. I will most probably take 2 cuttings and replant the old vine in a new spot and see whether we can generate a better growth plan and fruit in the next few years.

The pergola hosts a fantastic rose of which I know not the name but clusters of pink roses as big a posies hang down and shower us with scent and colour.

The two pots hold 2 cucumbers which hopefully will also trail up the posts. I have acquired some boating rope which I intend to coil around the pergola to enable some climbers to hold onto something.

Growing space in the garden can be vertical as well as horizontal.

Summer colour

The garden is a glorious sight to behold at the moment, hot and humid, full of colour and goodness. Its an organic garden with fruit, vegetables and flowers mixed together in order to maximise variety and minimise damage.
And yet, my gooseberry bushes are being munched by a small green caterpillar. Thrushes eat the strawberries and strip some of the bushes. I am happy to share as it is my hope that this will be repaid by eating insects and others that damage the garden. I am of the belief that in time, the ecosystem in my garden will balance itself. In the meantime, I observe, make notes and document changes.

There is a certain magic to the garden. The more love it receives, the more it shows its glorious colours and delights which in turn is a reason to spend more time in it, adore it even more etc etc.It is a constant inspiration to me both in colour and texture and how in a small space, such variety can be grown and enjoyed. A lot of pruning, weeding and hard work goes into it but whatever you give your garden will be returned in many many ways. The garden is defenitely more alive, with creepy crawlies, with birds and buzzing insects.
Salad crops are abundant, strawberries shared with the birds, blackcurrants ripe, gooseberries for the picking. Courgettes starting to bear fruit, and the corn is ripening too. Its a work in progress and I love spending time in the garden. It is possible to get a high return from a small space.
Most of all, there is some healing and therapeutic value in the creation of the garden, based on the fact that the whole is more than the parts within it. The creation of this garden started with a neglected space, very overgrown bushes and now we are seeing the fruits of the labour poured into it. I wish you the same magic in your garden.

On planet earth




An elusive matter, time, flying past. It has been quiet on the blog but not in my surroundings.My need for quietude, rest and peace is greater than it has ever been not just because my energy is limited but because I often reflect on who is in the driving seat when it comes to the activities I undertake.
I have questioned how I have formed my goals in life, the ones I followed as a young adult and how easily it is to follow everyone else and lose your authenticity, the element that makes us unique. What happens to our personal power when we give away or even lose our uniqueness Over the last month I have observed how my boys make choices in their lives and some are influenced by peers, some are influenced by society and sometimes there is a glimpse of an authentic human being. Those moments are rare and need to be savoured. As unique human beings we can make our unique contribution to this world, but as clones and uniform personalities our need to compete will be greater. Between young men there is definitely a need to lead and be the best, a lot of jostling and fighting and yet when you highlight that they are all good at something and if they only worked together they would really be worth following, they look up as if I am living on another planet. Maybe I am?

'Leadership is an attitude, not a position'

Simply washing up

John Bull, Watching Televisions Washing the Dishes Washing-Up Up Magazine, UK, 1950

Washing dishes has been much simplified. Actually as with washing clothes I have discovered that it has been made specifically complicated and that as a result we would do anything not to wash up.
Initially families needed little crockery and a set of 6 plates would have been sufficient for most. Washing up liquid was soap based and it was a daily ritual in which women cooked a meal and quite often men would help their wives do the drying of the dishes. At that time, some conversation would take place about all kinds of subjects after which the adults would sit in the main sitting room, he with a book, listening to the wireless etc.

Washing up liquid became a detergent and with it harsher on hands. It was effective and to make hands softer when doing the dishes, someone invented rubber gloves to enable the lady of the house not to have to touch the dishes or water or detergent. As television became more popular, and washing up became a chore, someone invented a machine that would do the dishes instead. Good plan, thereby cutting out the gruesome chore of washing up. With it however came the need for electricity, a more intensive chemical product to wash the dishes and more crockery.

I used to use the dishwasher a lot, with 3 children and poor health at one time it was a necessity. One day, the dishwasher got blocked and we were forced to do the washing up. I noticed that using ecover washing up liquid, the need for gloves was superfluent. If it was kind to the environment it was also kind to my hands. I seemed to use less crockery and everything washed ended up in its rightful place in the cupboards, ready for its next use. We timed the amount we spent together doing the dishes and it never amounted to more than 20 mins. The dishwasher at best used to take 139 mins to do the cycle.

You can make up your own mind about how it fits in with your family but as adults we quite like to have a chat over the washing up of dishes and it helps to bring the day to a conclusion. There is no longer a smell of dishes in the dishwasher and I am wondering what all the fuss was about, why did I ever want a dishwasher. Oh yes, for convenience......

Not using the dishwasher has resulted in savings of rubber gloves, dishwashing tablets, electricity and maintenance on dishwasher. Strangely it feels liberating.....

Edible flowers

Viola Cornuta "Violet Flare" (Horned Violet), Evergreen Perennial


There are many flowers that we usually cultivate for their ornamental value but surprisingly some can make a wonderful addition to your salad bowl. It makes a green salad look very special indeed.
Here are some to try raw.

Violas are pretty with pastel colours, they are easy to grow and have a delicate flavour.
Borage- pull the blue flower away from its hairy base.
Calendulas - rip the flower apart and spread the petals in your salad.
Chives - break the purple globes up and spread the petals in the salad.
Nasturtiums - these have a strong and peppery taste but add very pretty orange colours to the feast.
Rocket - when the plants start to bolt, leave them in the ground, strip the leaves and the flowers as they have a really hot peppery flavour.

Later in the season courgette flowers offer an opportunity to be fried in a tempura base.But I am ahead of myself here.

Planning for food

Last week we created tee pees to create growing areas for climbing plants, beans, cucumber, marrows and sweet peas. The starting point is very much to find what is available in the surrounding garden that may lend itself to be reused in a different way.;making something new out of something old and giving it a second lease of life. Whilst creating the raised beds, we reluctantly had to cut down an aged clematis that had got out of hand but this year, the dead stems provided just the right material to weave into the tee pee structure.

Creating a small forest garden has meant investing in some plants, shrubs and trees and most of that work has been going on over the last few months. As the growing season gets seriously under way, I seem to be in the garden every day, checking on the seedlings, plants and herbs to see what is available, where there are gaps and if anything is in competition with the garden.

Today has been a day of transplanting cucumber and courgette seedlings into larger pots, harvesting some herbs for tonight's omelet, shoring up the potato plants, and marvelling at the peony blooms, planting gladioli bulbs. Awaiting in the wings are sweetcorn and small seedlings of the heritage bean varieties; lazy housewife, bi colour and trail of tears. I am switching to heritage seeds in an effort to grow our own and collect the seeds at the end of the growing season. This will mean less dependency on hybrid seeds and some experimentation will go on with regards to yield and suitability in the garden.

The purple sprouting broccoli plants, phase one, are setting seed which has prompted me to sow next years crop. Its a busy time, the strawberry plants are showing flowers and gooseberry clusters, raspberries, cherries, apples and pears are forming on the trees. Amazing what variety a small space can provide.

Evenings are still chilly and are spent spinning a yarn from Devon Alpaca and merino whilst knitting a nice shawl to cover shoulders later in the year. A woman of a certain age must have a shawl! I am planning to spin and knit sufficient yarn to make 6 pairs of socks, 1 sweater, 1 shawl and a couple of hats and gloves. The garden will also provide some plants that will help me dye the yarn. A lambs fleece of texel/dorset has been promised by the end of May.

Some painting is going on. We make it a priority to engage local craftsmen so the windows have been made by a local carpenter and fitted with double glazing. The window replacement program is ongoing and very much depends on funds. The priority windows were the ones that had rotted and were unable to open as well as the ones that, when closed, had the ability to make the curtains blow into the room, all indications of draughts. Maybe next winter we will be warmer!

Pigging out

Brown Pig

The biggest waste factor in our shop is bread that really has to be fresh to sell. The boys are crying out here for fresh bread.....instead of yesterdays rolls in their lunch box or, bread pudding, bread and butter pudding or even a mean pear bread and butter pudding made with stale croissants ( really yummy). As I am intolerant to bread it really is a challenge.

I spread the word that if anyone had a pig, I would be happy to provide some bread in return for a couple of sausages at the end of the journey. Fair exchange: the pig gets to indulge in day old bread and eventually, the boys ( who are not vegetarian) will be the happy recipients of great sausages.

As we pay for commercial waste by the sack loads it seems fitting that not only the local chickens have a treat from the shop but the 3 Old Gloucester spots get a treat too. Little do they know!

The pigs have a take away bucket that gets filled daily.