Apple Days

I don't have any apple trees in my garden but the house next door but one does.  When I moved here an elderly gentleman called Arthur lived there, he'd planted the trees many years ago. Arthur died a few years ago and his house is now rented to a very pleasant young couple who have absolutely no interest in their garden at all so they let my neighbour and I pick as many apples as we like.

Yesterday, mindful of an approaching storm, we picked the final ones.  

One of the trees we think is an egremont russet

One is possibly a cox

And one is totally unidentified; a redish, very juicy eater

But the best of all are the cookers.  

They are much sweeter than normal cookers and hardly need any sugar at all but we have no idea which variety they are.  They're the size of a bramley but yellower in colour - anyone know what variety they could be?

I made chutney from some of the windfalls

And will freeze some of the other cookers for use over the winter, but I'll keep some to bake later, filled with some dried fruit and brandy - yum!

Bank Holiday Doings

How was your bank holiday weekend?  The rain actually stopped here at times so I was able to get out and do a little in the garden between the showers.

I love the contrast of this 'Queen of the Night' tulip against the self sown euphorbia.

I managed to do some much needed weeding in the veg garden and was pleased to see that, with the exception of the carrots, all the other seeds I'd sowed just before the monsoons started have germinated.

I was also very surprised at how many flowers there are on the strawberry plants.  I now have to make sure that the birds and slugs don't get them. There is such expectation at this time of year, imaginings of tastes to come!

But I didn't just garden, this afternoon I went over to Lavenham to the Art Festival - it was lovely.  The chance to see artists in their studios, with real range of work and also an amazing range of studios and settings; some old and medieval, some new in beautiful gardens and then this one, the last one we visited:

Not only was it a stunningly beautiful garden (and this is only a part of it!) it was home to beautiful bronze sculptures by Kate Denton (if you enlarge it by clicking on it you might just see a stag and a hare sculptures).  Did I have garden envy?  Just a little!

And to finish, it's Florence and Dylan's 7th birthday today.  They've had fish for tea and are now sleeping it off on the throw I made for the sofa  (I'm so pleased they use it after all the hassle they gave me when I was making it!)

P.S. Thank you for all your good wishes about my back on the last post, it's fine again now :-)

Veg Growing

I have just picked my first two courgettes!  There are lots more to come as well.  When I first had my allotment I planted 6 courgette plants and practically supplied the whole village with them!  I learnt my lesson and only planted 2 plants the next year.  Now I don't have an allotment but I manage to squeeze a small veg plot in behind the greenhouse.  Currently I an growing various cut and come again lettuces, onions, carrots, rocket, red mustard, beetroot, courgettes, runner beans, tomatoes, cucumber, and strawberries outside, with more tomatoes, cucumbers and aubergines in the greenhouse.  I have leeks that need planting and a blackcurrent bush with no fruit or flowers.  I didn't realise how much I was growing 'til I made that list!  I've picked a few strawberries, although they're in too much shade really, but I have had a lot of fresh salad.  Can't wait for the rest of the bounty!