Allotment Tales // Hello Sunshine!

We have finally been able to get down to the allotment and complete some long-awaited tasks this weekend. The sunshine has finally come out and the rain has stopped for long enough for us to do some weeding, planning and plotting.

Of course, the rain has been much-needed and has meant that our established plants such as herbs, or those which were over-wintering like the onions and broad-beans, are doing really well. These chives are flowering in abundance and I'm looking forward to using the flowers in some summery salads and pasta dishes, for a garlicky flavour. 

Now that the ground has dried out a bit, we have been able to plot out our sections and paths, get rid of the insane amount of weeds and begin sowing seeds. Last year, my strawberries were in the ground and they didn't do particularly well. Slugs and birds got to them and it was difficult to keep them weed free. This year I have put them in a raised bed. Strawberries do prefer being in containers, so hopefully we'll get a better crop. They'll be easier to cover with a net to keep birds away as well.

The most exciting development, however, is that we have our very first bench! Now we'll be able to sit in a bit more comfort and enjoy a tea-break when we're down there. We've plotted out the section in front of it to look a bit more like a cottage kitchen-garden - with a curved path, small plots of lettuce, herbs and flowers  - rather than the long drills of vegetables we have in the remainder of the allotment. With a wigwam of sweet peas, lavender and chamomile around the bench, I'm hoping it will be a lovely place to sit.

Happy gardening to those of you who do - I hope the sunshine stays out for you and you're been able to create a little bit of garden magick in the coming weeks. We certainly have this weekend!

A small harvest

My hanging-basket of strawberries is beginning to offer up its fruits...

 I am so excited to taste these!

In a couple of weeks, B and I are making a journey on a steam train. 

It would be just perfect to have home-grown strawbs in our picnic.

Fingers crossed!

Rewards

Today I am thankful for many things.

For a small space to call my own, in which I could plant things that I hoped would grow.

For the warm sun, after weeks of nourishing rainfall that, combined, have made these blooms possible. 

For a camera, and the right bit of light, that have meant I can capture the wheel of the year as it turns in my humble little corner of the world. 

For these beautiful reminders that, if you tend to your hopes carefully and have a little patience, you will be rewarded. 

Brightest blessings to you all. 

Making changes

After an unproductive day, when life feels barren and empty...

...the best thing you can do is nourish the soil, plant some new seeds and wait for something beautiful to bloom out of the desolation. 

May day musings

As mentioned in yesterday's Beltane post, May day marks the start of summer. This morning, as I watched the swallows whip in and out of the barns, swooping down to mere inches above my head and soaring back up against the sky, it did indeed feel like summer is upon us.

Sadly the swallows were too quick for me to get a good photo, so this 

illustration from the RSPB will have to do. 

It was Aristotle who famously said...

'One swallow does not make a summer'

...and by three o'clock, as the dark clouds set in and the rain came tumbling down, I felt a renewed understanding of those wise words. Here in the UK, our weather can be so temperamental that sometimes it does not feel like we have a proper summer at all. 

And then I thought, if we can't always have the sun, what does make summer here?

Oh yes...

...these play a pretty big part!

And so I spent the rest of my afternoon cheerfully potting up a hanging basket of strawberry plants for outside my window. 

As I filled my humble basket with the nutritious soil and watered in my little summer-fruit bearing plants, I smiled thinking that this is exactly what May day is a celebration of: the start of things to come. It marks the beginning of the season which will provide us with food to harvest, in a month or two. 

Or perhaps even sooner, in the case of this little one...

Strawberry plants are pretty versatile and can be grown in all sorts of pots and containers, as long as they have drainage. I was really pleased with my basket which, when I look out of my window, will remind me of the harvests yet to come, both in my garden and in my life.

I can't wait to taste the fruits of my labour soon - hopefully to be enjoyed with a little bit of that elusive sunshine.

Lavender

There are many different varieties of Lavender to be found and perhaps the most easily recognisable are French Lavender seen here...

...and the English variety, below...

With its pretty flowers, found in a range of purple hues, and bee-enticing fragrance, I think Lavender is my favourite garden herb. It is also, without a doubt, one of the most versatile and useful plants you can grow. 

Perhaps not overly associated with culinary uses, Lavender can in fact provide a fragrant twist to some classic confectionery and dessert recipes, such as Lavender shortbread (found here and pictured below), Honey and Lavender ice-cream and Lavender cupcakes.

One way to incorporate a delicate taste of Lavender into your baking is to use Lavender sugar, which can be made following these simple instructions.

1) Take a jar which can be sealed tight and fill with caster sugar.

2) Gather two tablespoons of lavender flowers (either fresh or dried).

3) Place the flowers in a square of muslin cloth and tie using thread.

4) Place the lavender bundle into the jar with the sugar.

5) Leave for two weeks, shaking up every day or so. 

After two weeks your sugar will have a delicate fragrance and can be used in place of caster sugar in your recipes. Some people prefer to place the lavender flowers directly into the sugar for a stronger flavour and pretty, decorative effect. 

More on some of the medicinal properties and other uses of lavender to come.

Rarity

The Fritillaria Meleagris - commonly known as the Snake's Head Lily, Chess Flower, Leper Lily or, simply, Fritillary - is a rare European wild flower usually found in grassy meadows.

Its nodding, bell-shaped flowers are imprinted with a delicate pattern reminiscent of snakeskin or a chequer board. The fritillary's flowers range from this deep mauve shade, through lighter purple tones, to pale creamy white. Even the almost luminous white flowers show the same faint chequered pattern, almost like a watermark upon their fragile petals. 

Now an endangered species in the UK (and much of Europe), it is rare to see these beautiful plants growing in the wild. However, they are still found in the gardens of enthusiasts and I am proud to say this wonderful specimen still flowers at my parents' home.

I planted the bulbs around 14 years ago when I was just a wee girl and it gives me such a thrill to see the delicate flowers still raising their heads, year in year out. 

It is nice to know that, in spite of all the change that occurs in our lives, some things remain constant and true, reminding us that there is stability and security all around us, should we need to ground ourselves every once in a while. 

Growth

Some of my Spring sown seeds (okay, bulbs) are already beginning to sprout!

A mere couple of weeks ago, I planted a variety of summer flowering bulbs in my big tub outside. As I had some left over, I put a few into small pots which are currently sitting on my kitchen windowsill.

These anemones must be feeling nourished by the cosiness of this little terracotta pot, because they have shot up proudly! Realising that you have nurtured life and growth has come from something you have planted is a real joy and privilege. I'm very excited to see the colourful flowers brightening my kitchen in a few more weeks.

Weekend Wrap

Yesterday B and I took the long, winding road to visit Glastonbury, with some uplifting tunes from a collective of local musicians to accompany us in the car. We took a simple picnic that was intended for the top of the tor but wolfed down, after a somewhat lazy stroll, half-way up. Sometimes I love nothing more than a rigorous ramble in the hills. However, this weekend seemed designed for a slower pace and after a hectic week I have relished every moment.

Glastonbury is a lovely place to wander round; filled with brightly-fronted cafes offering home-made soups, a cornucopia of shops overflowing with crystals, herbs and candles and the aroma of sandalwood incense drifting through the streets, it is every witchy-woman’s dream. I treated myself to a piece of protective obsidian that I will be using to make a pendant – more of that when it is finished.

Driving home as the sun was lowering in the sky, we spotted a sign for a riverside bar, tucked into the hedgerow. I love finding little surprises like this so we turned down the quiet lane and discovered an old mill, converted into a restaurant. A lovely spot to stop for a drink – I was gleeful at the prospect of summer evenings sitting on the riverbank with a glass of wine. 

Today has been even lazier still. I potted up a planter of herbs, which B attached to my windowsill, so I am able to reach out a cut them as I am cooking. Endless pleasure! Some blogs on the qualities of these herbs to follow, I feel.

For now, though,  I sit with a cup of tea and the radio, admiring the golden daffodils outside my window, reading through the inspiring blogs that are quickly becoming a staple in my daily diet. 

I hope that you, too, are enjoying the Spring sunshine. Brightest blessings.