Category: Garden

Posted on

A SUMMER DRINK

I was given out of date lime and lemons by the shop. I have lots of mints, so I thought I would have a go at something. Mints:apple lemon verbena and lemon balm, Bowles M, pineapple m, ginger m, chocolate m, Spanish m, Atlas Mt.M. Some ginger and lots of fresh lime and lemon juice and some honey. Not bad. I think with ice lemon and thin slices of apple? And maybe vodka or gin?

  •  zest of 6 large lemons (you are going to strain it later so keeping the zest in large pieces is preferable – I do this by using a potato peeler to remove it from the lemons.)
  • 500g sugar
  • 500ml lemon juice (around 10 lemons depending on size and volume of juice)
  • 500ml water
  • 40 large mint leaves ripped into pieces

I like my mint to be a subtle undertone so perhaps half this amount.

Posted on

PANIC

I live in a rural village in North Somerset. My garden is full of insect friendly flowers. Weather sunny. Few insects. What the fuc* is going on?

Posted on

GARDEN – 8 July 2022

First tomato starting to blush – hopefully by Monday the stream should start. Raspberries and Loganberries are also making a break for freedom. Temperatures are above 20C for next week at least so that should help the harvest.

Front garden is a happy chaos. Cornflowers, chicory flowers, marigold, vetch, Californian poppy, evening primrose, night scented stock, nasturtium, fennel, sage flowers, different types of lavender in flower, but few bees, butterflies, etc. All growing alongside the 30 pots of thymes and mints, oregano and verbena and golden verbena. All growing in chaos – no colour co-ordination, many self seeded and growing as nature intended (apart from the pots to keep mints under control.

Posted on

WEATHER

Looks like we are heading for a dry spell after a wet spell. However the temperature is only creeping up 16C today and 21C by the weekend – hopefully enough for the tomatoes to ripen. A couple of pics of the garden.

Posted on

RASPBERRIES AND LOGANBERRIES

I just picked 250g and am thinking raspberry yoghurt? it has rained quite a lot overnight again and very cloudy at the moment. Tomatoes rather slow at turning red – maybe I should embarrass them?

Posted on

GARDEN 2 JULY 2022

Front garden looking good. war with slugs is ongoing but I think I am beginning to win.

My front lawn don’t need no cutting’! Bees and insects welcome.
Looking west

Tomato plants are my height so I am stopping them by pinching off the tips. I think I will start removing some leaves once they start to ripen. I have had a couple of cucumbers, coriander is doing fine, basils also seem to be ok.

Posted on

CHUFFED

A neighbour decided to leave most of their lawn uncut and was happy with the grasses rippling in the wind, and the yellow vetch. They are now extremely happy to have orchids, and yes I am a tiny bit jealous!

Posted on

LEMON VERBENA

Perhaps my favourite herb – certainly for scent although I am partial to basil too. lemon verbena goes well with fish. The tea below is Mexican and served hot or cold.

Te de cedron. Instructions

  • Place the 3 lemon verbena leaves in the 4 cups of water. 
  • Boil for 15 minutes.
  • Serve hot or iced with a teaspoon of honey in each glass for sweetness
Posted on

GARDEN -JUNE 20

Planted Erigeron karvinskianus ‘Sea of Blossom’ many thanks Holly and Martin for the plant which should spread. Evening Primrose in blossom (also one plant in the road gutter where it joins barley and fennel!) with sage, thyme and rosemary blossoming and also cornflowers, fetch, dandelions, night scented stock and morning glory. Fennel doing well. basil on window sill has something attacking it – the same as the chillies in the conservatory. Red basil and lemon basil and coriander and greek basil all coming on.

I will get new soil and repot mother-in-laws tongue as both are about a metre high. I think others may need repotting. Tomatoes are forming – maybe a week or 10 days. A few raspberries

Posted on

GARDEN PLANTING

Well more seeds in 60 pots of red basil, lemon basil and Korean mint – coriander seems to be growing well, and greek basil (I like basil) is catching up – in total about 90npots with seeds, a nice warm spell would be good. Tomatoes are all looking good in the greenhouse and tiny in front of house. Night scented stock in flower. Roses are abundant maybe I will get another couple of bushes? I have put camomile in bigger pot together with ginger mint. And I have planted some fat baby seeds. Raspberries are spreading across the ‘former’ lawn!

I will transplant some different mints for the shop – I wonder if I could do a bit of the Corsican Mint, lemon balm, chocolate mint, Bowles mint, spearmint, and the rest? Maybe 3 at a time?