I'm at my mother and step father's this week, and have been having a touch of garden envy. I should apologise in advance for the uninspiring photographs - I was rushing round trying to take them while Teddy napped (after starting his day at a sprightly 6:15am).
This bit doesn't bother me too much:
I spent one long, hot summer earning my keep by levelling the space for the kitchen garden, and it looks rather wonderful, if I do say so myself. I would love to have something like this (although on a bigger scale, as I'm hoping to pretty much feed us from it) by the end of out five year deadline.
Incidentally, I made some amazing plum and apple jam from the Snow White tree (I'm sure that the apples have a more sensible name than that really). I'll post a recipe tomorrow, along with some of the other things I'm hoping to find the time to make - spiced preserved plums, apple jelly, apple jelly with spices in, fruity chutney, and anything else I can find/make up/adapt a recipe for that will use up the apple/plum glut. And then in a few weeks I can start on the pear glut! I'm hoping for a courgette glut, but the plant is not looking like it's going to oblige.
Lucky that homemade bread with homemade jam is one of my favourite breakfasts. Really I need to find someone who wants to barter jam and chutney for actual food!
Hopefully a more constructive post tomorrow (you may have to wait for the weekend for more sticking-to-the-budget stuff. Apparently being in Wales makes my brain melt and I can't remember all the things I was going to say).
This bit doesn't bother me too much:
(Who needs more lawn? Waste of good vegetable space). But I would quite like to be able to walk through this rather pleasing archway:
into my orchard/greenhouse bit. The orchard has a comedy Snow White apple tree:
as well as some not-quite-there-yet pears and a completely laden plum tree:
(Picture lots more branches like this).
I am very jealous. To be fair, my parents have lived here for over 20 years, and have spent most of that time getting the garden the way that they want it (for my step father, this mostly involves building more sheds, as far as I can work out).
I spent one long, hot summer earning my keep by levelling the space for the kitchen garden, and it looks rather wonderful, if I do say so myself. I would love to have something like this (although on a bigger scale, as I'm hoping to pretty much feed us from it) by the end of out five year deadline.
Incidentally, I made some amazing plum and apple jam from the Snow White tree (I'm sure that the apples have a more sensible name than that really). I'll post a recipe tomorrow, along with some of the other things I'm hoping to find the time to make - spiced preserved plums, apple jelly, apple jelly with spices in, fruity chutney, and anything else I can find/make up/adapt a recipe for that will use up the apple/plum glut. And then in a few weeks I can start on the pear glut! I'm hoping for a courgette glut, but the plant is not looking like it's going to oblige.
Lucky that homemade bread with homemade jam is one of my favourite breakfasts. Really I need to find someone who wants to barter jam and chutney for actual food!
Hopefully a more constructive post tomorrow (you may have to wait for the weekend for more sticking-to-the-budget stuff. Apparently being in Wales makes my brain melt and I can't remember all the things I was going to say).
Comments