tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22388172495195602402024-03-19T03:06:20.456+00:00Thinking of the daysThinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.comBlogger376125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-28985738945937551222023-11-02T17:48:00.001+00:002023-11-02T17:48:52.533+00:00Book review : Foggy Bottom. A Garden to Share by Adrian Bloom<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: left;">I was once asked if I had seen Adrian Bloom’s foggy bottom. </p><p style="text-align: left;">At the time, in the days before I had discovered the joys of gardening and visiting gardens, I was mystified. Who was this man and why would I have seen his bottom, foggy or otherwise.?</p><p style="text-align: left;">Of course, that was years ago and since then I've read some of his books, admired his cultivars at Chelsea Flower Show, watched him on TV , pored longingly over the 8,000 different plants online available from Bressingham Nursery, and finally met Adrian earlier this year. </p><p style="text-align: left;">He's humorous, softly spoken but passionate when talking about his book which was just published last month,</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDiZjp1BFyCgDiRzun009eXVszzg0R0po50nPy9RaWRZ54c5ChkDVDeUUNz5n7epLAkMehCiWWw2ySg2KPODOhNF4Lql86-2vt7gsIhXHtZmtn7nksbgENkc3FhpBAGdrDJ5OqvBrutmGSpnLwTTVW08-knDvba9fiWiMd1joj16MqCxZzZzRMaFWgyc/s3950/52AFB81D-194F-44D8-A2A3-9DBE5239DE83.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3950" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDiZjp1BFyCgDiRzun009eXVszzg0R0po50nPy9RaWRZ54c5ChkDVDeUUNz5n7epLAkMehCiWWw2ySg2KPODOhNF4Lql86-2vt7gsIhXHtZmtn7nksbgENkc3FhpBAGdrDJ5OqvBrutmGSpnLwTTVW08-knDvba9fiWiMd1joj16MqCxZzZzRMaFWgyc/s320/52AFB81D-194F-44D8-A2A3-9DBE5239DE83.jpeg" width="245" /></a></p></div><div style="text-align: left;">No wonder, as this book is a labour of love, a testament to over half a century of creating his garden Foggy Bottom in Norfolk from meadowland.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The book begins with a highly personal tour through every acre of the garden from Adrian throughout the different seasons. Crossways Corner is the starting point, a beautiful and joyous riot of colour, photographed in late August.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDxB5_wqms6YmvxO62DwDrzjWGrt2z7ysa3jzdk8oThFZ5_0kWWplhtIH5X9h53P2y3d1aIPtQVpzwB4nSBNxQpoLgC87biKm9dqzx52pbmOAy5TP9UFNei352bsIr1r_uaZjsYvag3uKEqJGIxm7PWGaY7yyvhwaBz9UOXqGTzmtpjO_S60B-XRdpG0/s3854/EF399A7B-C746-49A6-BF0B-339E6052EC3C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3854" data-original-width="2890" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDxB5_wqms6YmvxO62DwDrzjWGrt2z7ysa3jzdk8oThFZ5_0kWWplhtIH5X9h53P2y3d1aIPtQVpzwB4nSBNxQpoLgC87biKm9dqzx52pbmOAy5TP9UFNei352bsIr1r_uaZjsYvag3uKEqJGIxm7PWGaY7yyvhwaBz9UOXqGTzmtpjO_S60B-XRdpG0/s320/EF399A7B-C746-49A6-BF0B-339E6052EC3C.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The hydrangeas may be grabbing the limelight in the foreground but I adore the layer upon layer of colour and height further back, Adrian explains it was planned to keep this below head height of a very short person to allow views to other vistas.</div><p>Adrian leads us through the six acres of garden where conifers, pines, spruces, grasses, ferns, brooms and bulbs abound. If we were visiting the garden by ourselves, we would only see snapshots of each area, captured at a specific time of one day in one season. The multitude of photos gathered here in the book show how they appear throughout the year, in different lights and it's quite a revelation. </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2PJPXI_i_JnvBHR66P5uja4E43_1cFWTDqkG4yFyH_3a1ADp_HoZvPpUBkMGBkxaTQ9G6gNPKzjKaIH0NzFB4Bzj3vCW4zX-I46ivr4Y5l8kzwMwdymbK622M9w2UqXZYmcKzUNO45W5rk1BRVhECQvC5HHEj7MS2HmNeyMgFo2iisZaHiGVlFGXfl0/s4032/951053D7-143A-4941-AF35-7AD26D58B559.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2PJPXI_i_JnvBHR66P5uja4E43_1cFWTDqkG4yFyH_3a1ADp_HoZvPpUBkMGBkxaTQ9G6gNPKzjKaIH0NzFB4Bzj3vCW4zX-I46ivr4Y5l8kzwMwdymbK622M9w2UqXZYmcKzUNO45W5rk1BRVhECQvC5HHEj7MS2HmNeyMgFo2iisZaHiGVlFGXfl0/s320/951053D7-143A-4941-AF35-7AD26D58B559.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>The treasury of plants in the second part of the book, hones in on some of Adrian's favourites eg camellias, hostas and Japanese maples amongst them, and the part they play in his garden. Well worth seeing how he paints such beautiful palettes of colours with his plant positioning and reading his insights, as the President of Bressingham Nurseries, with a lifetime's experience of growing.</p><p>In the third part of the book, Adrian looks back to the past, to 1967 when he began to create his garden. Early photographs show him and his wife Rosemary at the beginning of their life together, the small inroads they made on the land, at first for a little garden around their new house. A family garden, but you can see their dreams grow larger, as brown earth islands appear in profusion in the grass, as seeds are sown, saplings and shrubs are planted, and grow alongside Adrian and Rosemary's family.</p><p>The before and after photographs highlight both the sheer amount of work involved, as they are joined by other members of staff, and by Adrian's colourful vision of the possibilities he saw and created with his family over time. </p><p>It's also an achingly personal part of the book, his love and the loss of Rosemary and his pride evident as he marks what his sons have also achieved at Foggy Bottom.</p><p>At over 400 pages long with hundreds of glossy photographs taken by the author, this is not a book to be read in bed ...your wrists may drop off with the weight .At fifty pounds, this hardback book isn't cheap either, but it's an enjoyable insight into an inspirational garden, which is well-loved by millions of visitors, and one which I will be re reading.</p><p>Signed copies of ‘Foggy Bottom. A garden to share’ by Adrian Bloom is published by Foggy Bottom Books. Signed copies are available at www.foggybottombooks.co.uk and cost £50 including postage.</p><p>I was sent a press copy of this to review, but was not paid for this review.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-8551208888203521452023-08-25T19:01:00.004+01:002023-08-26T19:32:38.032+01:00Foodie Friday with courgettes and Anna Del Conte's book Amaretto, Apple Cake and Artichokes<p>It's a good thing I adore growing and eating courgettes. They are growing as fast as triffids but luckily dont have the ability to kill.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvW7HO8PlWOT1PsoL9vq9HyvsYImuduLW95NkCGH34O-av6Z_d2JxV3R_gfTdJufpowK_iWXqhhIZBzw7Y3t-za2kb9_IL47fxjBXq7e98V_XlpLtlZFyqGAccv-LeVKt5N6vGfPBgK9W_2H8--3MmV8AeQviSQB50HyfR6IEU8D8qyftD4WnDH352P8/s4032/4D9D8AAF-A4E5-4B9E-9B04-77A42613C087.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvW7HO8PlWOT1PsoL9vq9HyvsYImuduLW95NkCGH34O-av6Z_d2JxV3R_gfTdJufpowK_iWXqhhIZBzw7Y3t-za2kb9_IL47fxjBXq7e98V_XlpLtlZFyqGAccv-LeVKt5N6vGfPBgK9W_2H8--3MmV8AeQviSQB50HyfR6IEU8D8qyftD4WnDH352P8/s320/4D9D8AAF-A4E5-4B9E-9B04-77A42613C087.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> I'm picking, cooking them as fast as I can, in pasta dishes, stir fries, in gratins with cream and gran padano or with tomatoes in olive oil.</p><p>They still keep a coming so I was on the hunt for new recipes too. Flicking through my cookbooks for inspiration, I went back to an old favourite from "Amaretto, Apple Cak e and Artichokes. The best of Anna del Conte"</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1DuYxTMPcZwi4FzuA1aQc9n1pbUV27K97NroiMfuSfSK3KiCl7cylIFC7vVMxLXs4rdlabzzkyawzC3OzNsxTSJTqfg3j0Dg48d1Tu7KCsRY-EYG2Usjt8idTZhtqQcU0uYnLG4eq-8DwVml_lXWPG1mLQWybpQtEZObcGehVMHG-WPGilYgwc4IICE/s3787/C11830C9-D643-4331-AD1D-8F13464C38D9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3787" data-original-width="2840" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1DuYxTMPcZwi4FzuA1aQc9n1pbUV27K97NroiMfuSfSK3KiCl7cylIFC7vVMxLXs4rdlabzzkyawzC3OzNsxTSJTqfg3j0Dg48d1Tu7KCsRY-EYG2Usjt8idTZhtqQcU0uYnLG4eq-8DwVml_lXWPG1mLQWybpQtEZObcGehVMHG-WPGilYgwc4IICE/s320/C11830C9-D643-4331-AD1D-8F13464C38D9.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I've cooked from this book for years, but this time, a recipe that I had missed, leapt from the page which filled me with both longing and happy memories.</p><p>Courgettes stuffed with ricotta and amaretti, known in Italian as Zuccine ripene alla Mantovana.</p><p>At once, I was back in the Piazza della Erbe in Mantua with my husband and two friends, Spence and Linda. Fourteen years ago, sitting at a restaurant near the round 11th century church for lunch on a summer's day. A bottle of prosecco was involved as we ate greedily. Parma ham and melon to start followed by bowlfuls of tortelli di zucca. and I couldn't get enough of the delicious pumpkin filling with amaretti and nutmeg. </p><p>So, seeing those ingredients mixed with creamy ricotta in Anna's recipe, I set to work with a will in the kitchen. </p><p>According to Anna del Conte, her courgette recipe is "characteristic of the cooking of Mantua, There are many recipes for stuffed courgettes but to my mind, this is the most delicious."</p><p>She's right of course, so much so, I've made this recipe twice within ten days.</p><p>Courgettes stuffed with ricotta and amaretti</p><p>Ingredients </p><p>4 medium-sized courgettes</p><p>sea salt 30g unsalted butter</p><p>2 tbsp olive oil</p><p>1 shallot </p><p>2 amaretti, finely crumbled</p><p>150gm ricotta </p><p>2 tspns chopped fresh thyme or I tspn dried thyme</p><p>pinch of grated nutmeg</p><p>1 free-range egg</p><p>Freshly ground black pepper</p><p>dried breadcrumbs</p><p>Method</p><p>Wash courgettes, drop them in boiling salted water and cook for 2 - 3 minutes after the water has come back to the boil. Cut off both ends and cut in half lengthwise.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Scoop out the unside of the courgettes and reserve the pulp. Leave a half inch layer around the shells and sprinkle the insides with salt. leave upside down on a wooden boardto dran off the excess water.</p><p>Meawhileile, prepare the stuffing. Add half the butter and 1 tsp of oil in a pan. Add the shallot, and a little salt and saute over low heat until soft, but not brown.</p><p>Finely chop the courgette pulp and add to the shallot. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring and mashing the mixture with a wooden spoon.</p><p>Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F) gas mark 5.</p><p>Combine the amaretti, ricotta, thyme, nutmeg and egg in a bowl. Add the courgette pulp mixture with all its cooking juices and work everything together. Add salt and pepper if necessary. </p><p>Pat dry the courgette shells inside out with kitchen paper.</p><p>Fill the shells with the stuffing sprinkle with some dried breadcrumbs and dot with the remaining butter. Smear the bottom of a rectangular dish with the remaining oil, and lay the courgette shells in the bottom of the dish, hollow side up. Dot with the remaining butter .</p><p>Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until the courgette shells are tender and a light golden crust has formed. Serve warm or at room temperature. The whole dish can be prepared and baked in advance in advance and reheated for 5 minutes.</p><p>Of course, one fabulous recipe does not a cookbook make. Luckily Anna's book is full of recipes that work, all so carefully explained, and they are recipes that I can rely on. </p><p>Each chapter is dedicated to a group of ingredients, eg nuts, tomatoes, vegetables, not necessarily in alphabetical order, but useful when you need to use a particular ingredient. Do use the index too, because I didn't find the recipe above with the other courgette recipes...this was hidden amongst the ricotta recipes in the cheeses chapter! </p><p>I couldn't make a really good risotto until I bought this book all those years ago, and I adore the really rustic dishes which are so delicious, such as the stewed vegetables (eg peppers, aubergines, potatoes, courgettes and onions) which are served in a hollowed out round loaf. </p><p>Authenticity is key in this cookbook and I also particularly liked the welcome glimpses of Anna's life growing up in Italy.</p><p>Tasting the flavours in the courgette and ricotta dish last night took me back to that stopover lunch in Mantua, on the way to Lake Garda. Now, I can't wait to go back there to see and taste my way around Lombardy....</p><p><br /></p><p>"Amaretto, Apple cake and Artichokes. .The best of Anna del Conte" was published in paperback by Vintage Press in 2006.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-84008627827036285622023-05-18T15:04:00.002+01:002023-05-18T15:04:39.196+01:00A day at the RHS Malvern Show 2023 and why you should visit next year<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> It's that time of year when I feel rather giddy. After the long dark days of winter, and let's face it, quite a miserable spring so far, May and the months ahead are full of promise, opportunities, and excitement as the annual round of major garden fairs, festivals and open gardens begin. Each event has its own charm, depending on what time of the year it is held and where.</span></div><p></p><p>Going to my first show of the season last week was an absolute delight. There’s something about RHS Malvern Spring Festival that gladdens my heart.</p><p>Firstly, the setting is sublime, with the glorious Malvern Hills providing a stunning backdrop and the sheer size of the immaculateThree Counties Showground means there is plenty of space to wander around with lots of seating to relax.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtD-0azN0mYLA9mAtDS59s_0e-aNWX5Xiu-qbmVBsiEdY6DcV6Q7u6Z8MHXihsmGRtkvsNu7KYo_NCdfK-IlcJQYUblxQNPj_V0EOzKmBTXe8XU0pEbVRcVSRztYxn340aJsQtxn7-uSsfSYmSKFopBwzPli91haEKyLKRHOggfydr2xGpuWfojvj7/s4032/F0ADA917-40EE-46AB-B9B6-05C5E64067EC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2395" data-original-width="4032" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtD-0azN0mYLA9mAtDS59s_0e-aNWX5Xiu-qbmVBsiEdY6DcV6Q7u6Z8MHXihsmGRtkvsNu7KYo_NCdfK-IlcJQYUblxQNPj_V0EOzKmBTXe8XU0pEbVRcVSRztYxn340aJsQtxn7-uSsfSYmSKFopBwzPli91haEKyLKRHOggfydr2xGpuWfojvj7/w640-h380/F0ADA917-40EE-46AB-B9B6-05C5E64067EC.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The Floral Marquee has a dominating position near the entrance, and you can see visitors debating whether to go in there first to see the 50 nurseries which are exhibiting in the 190 metre long marquee or plough on ahead to see the show gardens.</p><p>As it was early morning I marched resolutely onwards before the crowds came, to get a good look at the five show gardens as well as the feature gardens.</p><p>It was easy to see why the Bee Positive, Bee Kind , Bee Aware garden was awarded a gold medal by the judges.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6xanljj6TaiAdE6JiaVV4txNCn-4A3mxylgsoTuN1vwBivx5-ca346HxSjmlyV0O8lOCvMW5xaRl7poRM5nSOkEKprX8WW-cstgJsxElXZDX6LcgHI4zecnpj1Ict_McaMcFZC9GKvSjfcXY6vIpIkAKMqeMk_LAYDfDWNq_5BK4CAT8vpu7yQ8c/s4032/A2A807D4-7468-4E24-B40A-0425F841E85B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6xanljj6TaiAdE6JiaVV4txNCn-4A3mxylgsoTuN1vwBivx5-ca346HxSjmlyV0O8lOCvMW5xaRl7poRM5nSOkEKprX8WW-cstgJsxElXZDX6LcgHI4zecnpj1Ict_McaMcFZC9GKvSjfcXY6vIpIkAKMqeMk_LAYDfDWNq_5BK4CAT8vpu7yQ8c/w640-h480/A2A807D4-7468-4E24-B40A-0425F841E85B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Designed by Rock Ford and Katie Gentle for global charity, Bees for Development, the beehives take centre stage, as all around the planting is designed to attract and feed bees with vegetables, herbs and perennial flowers. I particularly liked the living roof of the kitchen,and the area below. In fact, I wanted to leap over the ropes and settle there for an hour, listening to the bees and admiring the layout of the garden. So many good ideas to take home here... </div><div><br /></div><div>The Greener Gloucestershire NHS Garden designed by Laura Ashton Phillips is also full of plants to attract wildlife but has been created as a calming environment for patients at the Gloucester Royal Hospital. A well deserved Silver Medal for Laura ….</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqUIwxiSTGVnfldUROTbuoI7lQ8b08wmtpmRba_4yIZb1e8qjvBj29ckO303dU_IeuE0nu4oL_iv30bPY6_pIC26a_3ZNUGl5bIE0RXPN2FJUH7UJQGY76vcWAxSppP-gVcCmYLfUBjFOBATFO3NBIRWIUpn44XTlGUqM1jtCwmO2ZEpyy74zd_GM/s4032/38B48C2B-BC2B-4B63-AC2D-D17CF07BF139.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqUIwxiSTGVnfldUROTbuoI7lQ8b08wmtpmRba_4yIZb1e8qjvBj29ckO303dU_IeuE0nu4oL_iv30bPY6_pIC26a_3ZNUGl5bIE0RXPN2FJUH7UJQGY76vcWAxSppP-gVcCmYLfUBjFOBATFO3NBIRWIUpn44XTlGUqM1jtCwmO2ZEpyy74zd_GM/w640-h480/38B48C2B-BC2B-4B63-AC2D-D17CF07BF139.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Bwgx6qpCNMUyHh_RGWQCCdCvJd7nAMxLXoWRjLORd0S11ZnY9Km9lHIw7ly3o1rKLOIeAGNpVAdVIWqSU_BpaSyKLCdM3AHGKV503wnXw2jX7ccNuIgRQHCaTcK8fS8HRDkTHO_N99fnze3aQ7eL4XwrwN1-VS5IbkTth0WzX4wpFz6uq_BltfTe/s4032/500FD4E3-DD37-421A-980C-BEA4B694EBD7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Bwgx6qpCNMUyHh_RGWQCCdCvJd7nAMxLXoWRjLORd0S11ZnY9Km9lHIw7ly3o1rKLOIeAGNpVAdVIWqSU_BpaSyKLCdM3AHGKV503wnXw2jX7ccNuIgRQHCaTcK8fS8HRDkTHO_N99fnze3aQ7eL4XwrwN1-VS5IbkTth0WzX4wpFz6uq_BltfTe/w640-h480/500FD4E3-DD37-421A-980C-BEA4B694EBD7.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The pretty, soothing palette of colours and a running stream appeal to the senses, there are wide pathways so the garden is completely accessible. It's an inviting space to connect with nature after being in the sterile world of a hospital, something which has been proven to lower stress levels and improve patient recovery rates.</p><p>Meanwhile, Jamie Langlands stole the show with his design for The Wildlife Trusts' "Wilder Spaces Garden” </p><div>It features a pond, a creek, native wildflowers and a wide variety of habitats for wildlife and encouraging diversity. Mind you, it's also an inspiring and restful garden for humans...and this human loved it.</div><div><br /></div><div>So did the judges here at RHS Malvern. They awarded this garden a Gold Medal,, Best in Show and the Best Construction for a garden .</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0JnsFQm8w7kd_uKji_Xlo6h89pkjoaWVMiUsvUZ15iOlb1Kuz_MGVz7vgmruZO_icaUC-8Sak-UcyfCKsyWdq8RvRYkWx2yg6ZX46QI4czxREo24-Z1WXyX4ZBweI958skIO_LYQrBevoW-QeratPEqf7gyCW3Ghf_eaaLj_pIweHU-rrl_PkIgJ/s4032/6419FEC7-95B4-4F36-903A-E4E42483D6B8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0JnsFQm8w7kd_uKji_Xlo6h89pkjoaWVMiUsvUZ15iOlb1Kuz_MGVz7vgmruZO_icaUC-8Sak-UcyfCKsyWdq8RvRYkWx2yg6ZX46QI4czxREo24-Z1WXyX4ZBweI958skIO_LYQrBevoW-QeratPEqf7gyCW3Ghf_eaaLj_pIweHU-rrl_PkIgJ/w640-h480/6419FEC7-95B4-4F36-903A-E4E42483D6B8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I was there when the judges came over and presented Jamie and his team with the awards. After the smiles for the photographers, the guys had the longest of group hugs and the biggest grins on their faces.</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgingyi2mldDgpqaPQpr4IzKuYjHTtcBWJeZYFaQj6z3x_pXPufARFtcZaf6X8G1AkmkN8CeuwmFWsCVv9W5OeIPdF2r-0CKYg0eqSmPKJYuIOUy6r93ClirukhvKPSPDAE3p-r3VzlzzkwimGjLr7yE7AbS5RGctpAj94Y8-iuMlqoUSEi6nFgQ773/s4032/DE7031D9-D99F-41DE-AC51-68A4D2CFA6D8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgingyi2mldDgpqaPQpr4IzKuYjHTtcBWJeZYFaQj6z3x_pXPufARFtcZaf6X8G1AkmkN8CeuwmFWsCVv9W5OeIPdF2r-0CKYg0eqSmPKJYuIOUy6r93ClirukhvKPSPDAE3p-r3VzlzzkwimGjLr7yE7AbS5RGctpAj94Y8-iuMlqoUSEi6nFgQ773/w640-h480/DE7031D9-D99F-41DE-AC51-68A4D2CFA6D8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Speaking briefly with Jamie afterwards, he couldn't contain his delight. "It's amazing. This is the type of garden that's more me, and I'm thrilled for my contractors who worked so hard in quite tough conditions. It's great that they have been given this award."<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></p><p>A large, 25 metre dome which dominated the Show Gardens area was certainly a talking point.Going inside Leaf Tropicana was quite a revelation, leaving an oh so quintessentially English country festival and finding yourself in a tropical wonderland of heat, humidity and lush greenery.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzRnM201cqPoFNoo33M8N2M0od62MHJMMY0wX0RILoe2ww0mtPUpaN_WZCH5WYP7rIqT7MLIu7-8oeHygsylQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div>The vision, the scale of the planting (3,000 plants), the height of the trees and being confronted by a huge waterfall are breathtakingly successful. There's even a little bar to sit at and have a drink.</div><div><br /></div><div>Chatting with designer Peter Dowle, who runs Leaf Creative, a plant nursery and garden design service in Gloucestershire, I was surprised how relaxed he was after a build which took 14 men 12 days to construct.“So what happens to all these plants after the show” I asked Peter. Apparently every plant is recycled. Many are hired out for events and he pointed out one huge plant which has been on display 5 times at different events. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, these were the four gardens I very much enjoyed t, but every single garden here had something to admire or an idea to squirrel away for future use.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course it's not just the gardens that visitors come to see at RHS Malvern. This year there seemed to be an increasing amount of talks and demonstrations by top florists, garden experts and designers, cooks plus familiar faces from the telly, such as James Alexander Sinclair, Frances Tophill, Alan Titchmarsh, Adam Frost,,Mark Diacono, Greg Wallace et al.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's lovely to take a pause for half an hour and listen to knowledgeable and amiable speakers, and they were very popular with visitors.</div><div><br /></div><div>The retail offer at this spring festival is top notch too. Everything from clothes to garden antiques, thousands of plants in perfect condition, garden seating parasols, plant pots , tools etc which you never knew you never needed were tempting so many. Artisan and local food and drinks producers were selling well too indoors and with something new to taste or take home. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvFlbQn2CEwHm6b1AJIDEqiglOt5aky25HqrmyW60mQb206HySmXFYWia1psBPMC1s2MTHnTUAuYqopt8zct4Wpt3clt1RLOH4l5XTpQHlUK6i6PRteB4L-_VkpVlDSUpP-jr0DdPKFQqhZKkZ4eo4X2omkxzIkGIrIhi5m7nZepyW9mx1If7Um7y/s3455/4B185AEB-159F-4179-8846-88AA37682234.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3455" data-original-width="2993" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvFlbQn2CEwHm6b1AJIDEqiglOt5aky25HqrmyW60mQb206HySmXFYWia1psBPMC1s2MTHnTUAuYqopt8zct4Wpt3clt1RLOH4l5XTpQHlUK6i6PRteB4L-_VkpVlDSUpP-jr0DdPKFQqhZKkZ4eo4X2omkxzIkGIrIhi5m7nZepyW9mx1If7Um7y/w554-h640/4B185AEB-159F-4179-8846-88AA37682234.jpeg" width="554" /></a>As T</div><div><p>As Thursday drew to a close, it was time to go and at last visit the Floral Marquee on the way out. With the crowds thinning out, there was space to see everything that the plant nurseries had to offer and time to talk to experts in their field of speciality. As suspected, I couldn't resist the lure of seeing plants at their peak, and a tray of carnations and three stunning pots of tulips soon found themselves in the boot of my car.</p><p>As I made my way home happily, I realised two things: what an entertaining and motivational day it had been, and also that RHS Malvern has become my favourite festival.</p><p>RHS Malvern is being held next year from 9 - 12 May 2024</p></div>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-75448585103600279872023-04-01T19:33:00.001+01:002023-04-01T19:40:24.679+01:00Foodie Friday with “Real Food Fast “ by Mary Berry<p><br /></p><br />The relentless rain yesterday didn't stop and the heavy dark clouds overhead weren't exactly cheery. It was one of those days that the lights are on all day and you stay resolutely indoors if you can.<div><br /></div><div>The sort of day when you feel the urge to bake. The thing was, I didn't really know what I fancied to make or eat. Time to sit down then with a hot drink, and rifle through my cookbooks for something to tempt and inspire. I didn't want to make a huge cake or something too fiddly, and I'd already made homemade biscuits and shortbread earlier in the week.</div><div><br /></div><div>Luckily, Mary Berry came to the rescue.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVj6xM-4cdG7dnNhzYDsiAho_hy8B6r9kMqRQchYQlKBN5of_e08LGT9YVPaBjzgPNEMuYSg9tQ9ZwxelqbBKYKvig-snhCGl_HZRYPu7YkIWZs0yeF5tmas0Il5iiJT7ZwGSTchrAOhXat5-dTGRUpdY7lEnKX24v8YwIgF_eIdNmkOy8G4VK1IV/s3967/C88C59B1-D183-4B01-B7F7-80F3D87B28CD.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3967" data-original-width="3015" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVj6xM-4cdG7dnNhzYDsiAho_hy8B6r9kMqRQchYQlKBN5of_e08LGT9YVPaBjzgPNEMuYSg9tQ9ZwxelqbBKYKvig-snhCGl_HZRYPu7YkIWZs0yeF5tmas0Il5iiJT7ZwGSTchrAOhXat5-dTGRUpdY7lEnKX24v8YwIgF_eIdNmkOy8G4VK1IV/w486-h640/C88C59B1-D183-4B01-B7F7-80F3D87B28CD.jpeg" width="486" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a signed copy of her book which was published back in 2005, and given to me for my birthday that year by my lovely neighbour Sharon. Such a useful present, I've been cooking from it ever since.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are lots of recipes that are speedy to make, or can be prepared well in advance if you have got friends or family coming around for drinks or a meal. Some are fancier than others, (quails eggs, prawn bloody marys anyone?) Some take longer but really, these are uncomplocated dishes which pass the taste test whatever the occasion.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There's other recipes though that are tried and trusted by me - for example the wonderful parmesan and pistachio nutters. Such easy, delicious biscuits, and then a very moreish mango spiced dip and everyone always wants these recipes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Starters, fish dishes, vegetarian,and meat main courses and puddings are featured and there's some chicken dishes I've relied on in past years, and really fancy trying again. Being reminded of Five spice mango chicken again makes me vow I will make it again soon, as well as the mini suasages with mango chutney and sesame seeds which we all love. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There's a chapter though, which has proved its worth time and time again, and that's Chapter 6, Tea for a crowd.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mary Berry has opened up her garden for years in the summer in aid of the National Gardens Scheme charity, and so there's a wealth of teatime treats to make in large quantities. A variety of prepare ahead sandwiches, easy but tasty traybakes, cakes and what are called modestly(!) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"The Very Best Scones"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Actually Mary is right. They are. Light, fluffy and fail-proof. Just the sort of thing when you catering for a crowd, or a school fete or a charity event </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And that's what I decided to make yesterday. Not for any of those reasons. Hot scones with cream and jam, to satisfy my urge to bake on such a dismal, dreary day but also something with the promise and taste of summer gardens and strawberry jam.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They really are a doddle to make - prep time is 10 minutes, cooking time is 10 minutes and makes 40.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Very Best Scones</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ingredients</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">900g 2lbs self-raising flour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">8 teaspoons baking powder</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">175 gm 6oz butter </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">100g 40z caster sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4 eggs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">500ml 18 floz milk</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Method</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Preheat oven to 220 deg C, Fan 200 deg C, Gas mk 7 and lightly grease 2 baking trays</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1.Measure the flour and baking powder into a food processor( I used my Kitchen Aid stand mixer) Stir in the sugar.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2.Beat the eggs until blended and make up to agenerous 600ml (1 pint) with the milk. Put aside about 4tblspoons of the egg and milk in a cup for glazing the scones later. Pour the rest of the mixture to the dry ingredients until you have a soft dough, It’s far better to have it on the wet side ,sticking to your fingers as the scones will rise more.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3.Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and flatten it out to a thickness of about 1-2 cm . Use a 5cm (2in) . Gently push the remaining dough together, knead very lightly then gently push the remaining dough together, knead very lightly then re-roll and cut out more scones as before.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. Arrange the scones on the prepared baking trays and brush the tops with the reserved egg/milk . Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until the scones are well risen and golden. Coolon a wire rack, covered with a clean tea towel to keep them moist.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5.Serve as fresh as possible , cut in half and spread both halves with jam. Top with a good spoonful of thick cream. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NGf0XWElfw3pMC729jECFsICuTFcze1R87RXyUgHA16IxRPvRoV6hzvnWy--lPp6AQaiXT-fEe3cHpU95aWH1dO4HXRY0cKRRzwscGvPlPuDcRtj9Tz5gl2LXw5rgqY5sXETcXJWgQxIS-w7cvR6_YcreLVgZIsYIAreGJHQIRHWMnxairFD7mpx/s3024/6661454C-E2CE-455E-8B05-D4322B2A70FB.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2760" data-original-width="3024" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NGf0XWElfw3pMC729jECFsICuTFcze1R87RXyUgHA16IxRPvRoV6hzvnWy--lPp6AQaiXT-fEe3cHpU95aWH1dO4HXRY0cKRRzwscGvPlPuDcRtj9Tz5gl2LXw5rgqY5sXETcXJWgQxIS-w7cvR6_YcreLVgZIsYIAreGJHQIRHWMnxairFD7mpx/w640-h584/6661454C-E2CE-455E-8B05-D4322B2A70FB.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>NB I made 20 scones (halved the recipe) and I used 284 ml of buttermilk instead of milk.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you are cooking for a huge gang, Mary Berry recommends you will need about 1.3kg (3lbs) of jam and about 900ml (1 and half pints) of cream for 40 scones.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sAGJgXJJXncpKkoQ3W5KMpbvBdBsuwYZXcOVg7ho48wu3mpdIcYaqEHHKcX5BiGZFCY17uaSYemDm1dAlN3QFYj8CvIRyF0JWWDY2mXjwKzoiX6-80RG6cQ8QZsmKhRrWiNZ6tRb7w73GpFsC_f0m3wfbuk6-erTJK_5zvA1jr3sqBohq_rseCXo/s1486/77C0FC97-4F9E-45D2-8E84-8C6E3DADB545.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1486" data-original-width="867" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sAGJgXJJXncpKkoQ3W5KMpbvBdBsuwYZXcOVg7ho48wu3mpdIcYaqEHHKcX5BiGZFCY17uaSYemDm1dAlN3QFYj8CvIRyF0JWWDY2mXjwKzoiX6-80RG6cQ8QZsmKhRrWiNZ6tRb7w73GpFsC_f0m3wfbuk6-erTJK_5zvA1jr3sqBohq_rseCXo/w374-h640/77C0FC97-4F9E-45D2-8E84-8C6E3DADB545.jpeg" width="374" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Menwhile, I have bookmarked a couple of recipes which I need to make again soon. </div><div><br /></div><div>That's the thing about Mary, her years of experience mean that all her recipes work, I've never had a duff one which has gone wrong. Everything you need to know is carefully explained and her huge repertoire of flavours and shortcuts in this book make it a winner.<br /></div><br /><div>Fast Real Food was published in 2005 by Headline Publishing.</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-25522142395900567052023-03-13T16:14:00.001+00:002023-03-13T16:55:46.023+00:00Book Review: "Rekha's Kitchen Garden" by Rekha Mistry<p>March is usually the month when I'm attacked in earnest by the annual bouts of feverishness, hope and joy of sowing seeds and growing food again for my family.</p><p>With recent snow, rain, and very high winds, I'm holding off being too carried away for now though. Instead, I've been spending a couple or so cosy afternoons and evenings on the sofa reading Rekha Mistry's first book "Rekha's Kitchen Garden" published by DK Books.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdIvHrmy3SqKmxAOP8waUcsJc5zR8ghe1NgZbVlzJidgXxhPT41Nu-9l17C1RgPBHaJxohzvUnM3gQtdN-fyp5iAGHQYehyiQlLyZhYyZOih4T159cSbUEeXtt26ua8WPD3w9O5G5ogyKzgq7pMmhM3VEAIdoRkv_sPUjvoOd-R_tPizQqHqACAdc/s3922/DF638C0A-8131-4D2D-B115-1204F8473BA0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3922" data-original-width="2991" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdIvHrmy3SqKmxAOP8waUcsJc5zR8ghe1NgZbVlzJidgXxhPT41Nu-9l17C1RgPBHaJxohzvUnM3gQtdN-fyp5iAGHQYehyiQlLyZhYyZOih4T159cSbUEeXtt26ua8WPD3w9O5G5ogyKzgq7pMmhM3VEAIdoRkv_sPUjvoOd-R_tPizQqHqACAdc/w488-h640/DF638C0A-8131-4D2D-B115-1204F8473BA0.jpeg" width="488" /></a></div><p>I've followed Rekha's gardening journey for quite a while now on social media. I've read some of her articles in garden magazines, watched her on BBC Gardeners World too, so know from experience what good gardening advice she can give after 30 years of growing food for her own family.</p><p>So what else can her book offer? Quite a lot as it turns out, whether you are a novice gardener or more experienced, and it has ticked so many boxes for me.</p><p>Rekha grows organically (hurrah!) and has plenty of tips for how to plan your plot or patch of garden for bumper crops. She's a great believer in growing what you like to eat, and grows 40 different types of fruit and vegetables on her own allotment.</p><p>Some kitchen garden guides merely tell you when to sow seeds, when to plant out and roughly when to harvest. Rekha goes quite a few steps further, holding your hand as the season goes along, so you know exactly when to do what and why you should. </p><p>Having said that, nothing is set in stone, this advice from one gardener to another is very engaging, readable and practical. For example, when growing purple sprouting broccoli (such a favourite of mine) Rekha writes </p><p>"Purple sprouting broccoli is a laid back plant , and so I take a leaf out of its book (pardon the pun) and ignore the recommended times of March and April. There's no point in rushing to get these seeds sown when there are so many seed trays taking up space in my greenhouse and cold frame. I much prefer to wait until early May, when most of my seedlings have moved on. I'll sow a tiny pinch (not more than 7or 8) of these in a 7 cm pot, sieve over a light covering of compost. After watering, I place the pot in the cold frame because the greenhouse is too warm and small containers can run dry within days."</p><p>Such good advice, which I'd not thought of before but which I'll certainly be following this year. There's so many more tips to encourage any gardener to go ahead and grow anything from fennel to french beans, spinach to strawberries, and to save your own seed and get plants for free.</p><p>This is very much a personal guide from Rekha, of what works and why for her, but deserves a much wider audience to benefit from all her experience. I only wish this book had been published when I started my own seasonal growing journey. </p><p>I was sent this book for review.</p><p>"Rekha's Kitchen Garden " by Rekha Mistry is published by DK Books and costs 18.99</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3HTSaWuEiUsWytfjndYMhoz4TKGL8GEBWRmVS1l3jx6NaxfpfxyIU9wdezvY7XN77uPiJTbkbW34aLCPqiLWQWmoFfuHAPse-Qgrox7heKBnJalaBrp-x2xhJBfYRpVaCKRtTPOnhybDm4OvrpE1f9-vq3sVXqiXN5rWt1LCppo3NKVx4Bvi7jYu/s4032/C84F451E-52A7-4DE5-B9B3-43ADF4C7EC0F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3HTSaWuEiUsWytfjndYMhoz4TKGL8GEBWRmVS1l3jx6NaxfpfxyIU9wdezvY7XN77uPiJTbkbW34aLCPqiLWQWmoFfuHAPse-Qgrox7heKBnJalaBrp-x2xhJBfYRpVaCKRtTPOnhybDm4OvrpE1f9-vq3sVXqiXN5rWt1LCppo3NKVx4Bvi7jYu/w480-h640/C84F451E-52A7-4DE5-B9B3-43ADF4C7EC0F.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-67479624999870932092022-12-05T09:44:00.002+00:002022-12-05T10:01:24.781+00:00Book review of ‘Death at the auction’ by E.C. Bateman<p>As an avid cosy crime fan, I was on full alert when I first heard about this first in a new crime series called the Stamford Mysteries.</p><p>The fact that it's set in the beautiful Lincolnshire town of Stamford and involves the world of antiques and auctions, is an added bonus. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGiuOQ3EeFDCMWBXfZIFtQUgBcQG_3RCkFztMGX3vdQ2syEbc0L39uOJi_rua49CeW74UgSXJ9vrmX6ITYimajaXx__bnT0Ifv7pyfcDCXIUMhNnBwl2EezLRP2r-fNwK-J-XVAnRTOYKU5bjOD7-7kmdAcBH_8RIm_mcr4N_cJhrwUvvtpfQ6f9R/s4032/DD11A00B-9479-47D8-A622-4C0E9FE0C3D7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGiuOQ3EeFDCMWBXfZIFtQUgBcQG_3RCkFztMGX3vdQ2syEbc0L39uOJi_rua49CeW74UgSXJ9vrmX6ITYimajaXx__bnT0Ifv7pyfcDCXIUMhNnBwl2EezLRP2r-fNwK-J-XVAnRTOYKU5bjOD7-7kmdAcBH_8RIm_mcr4N_cJhrwUvvtpfQ6f9R/s320/DD11A00B-9479-47D8-A622-4C0E9FE0C3D7.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>As the book opens, it's safe to say that Felicia Grant is having a hell of a day. She and her twelve year old son Algernon have to hurry back to her home town of Stamford where her father has had an accident. What's more, there's no one to run the Saturday auction at the family firm apart from her, and there's also the small matter of someone who is found dead in the wardrobe she is auctioning.</p><p>So, an intriguing start to a mystery, where everyone could be a suspect including feisty Felicia and her ex husband Dexter, who has also surprisingly turned up in Stamford. With a detective sergeant who is trying his best to solve the murder despite the best efforts of a new, belligerent boss, a likeable but chaotic Mayor who also wants to get involved, and a rather large list of characters, you can't help become engaged with what's happening </p><p>Aspiring authors are often told to write about what they know. EC Bateman writes knowledgeably and entertainingly about auctions and antiques, - she's married to an auctioneer(who happens to run the family auction house in Stamford) and is an expert on antique jewelry. </p><p>Her descriptions of Stamford itself are like love letters to the town . Vivid scenes of the water meadows, the George Inn, the stunning Georgian architecture and mediaeval churches as well as the real atmosphere of the town are beautifully captured. </p><p>She also knows how to rack up the tension too, between the characters themselves as the body count rises and the mystery widens...who can trust who? Her plotting skills and twists also ensure an enjoyable read as Felicia and Detective Sergeant Pettifer find themselves forming an unlikely alliance to unmask the murderer.</p><p>There's humour in the novel too, with amusing digs at the telly tarts of the antiques business. I also enjoyed them the ascerbic dialogue between Felicia and her ex-husband with a hint of will they or won't they get back together. This made me smile and the all-seeing eye of their rather solemn son is deftly drawn. </p><p>No, I didn't guess who the murderer was but I wasn't disappointed, and E.C Bateman has really set the scene for more mysteries in Stamford which I'm really looking forward to reading . The next novel will be published next year, but in the meantime, guess where I'm going to as soon as possible? My next visit to Stamford is quite overdue and who knows, I may attend an auction too...</p><p><br /></p><p>Death at the Auction is published by One More Chapter and costs £8.99</p><p>Stamford 2016</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZptm3pGzd9sDRRs2AjGG3vg7sMsNEhmaysbGZ8GzAbPcAFXefcxyIh-K9mi3GaVFtLYCxJibClHcA2UvVDRitEh0qcjwgr6IdIdjtdSZkBPfaNq0HXn11MU1nPioLg5M4cv63mmfWnlizhdYPGhvI7kWM-f-XQeM_NSKlH_sr-FxZ_ocaYGRLHmq/s3264/A8384409-7F86-4506-AE06-CA40CFFB2DFF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZptm3pGzd9sDRRs2AjGG3vg7sMsNEhmaysbGZ8GzAbPcAFXefcxyIh-K9mi3GaVFtLYCxJibClHcA2UvVDRitEh0qcjwgr6IdIdjtdSZkBPfaNq0HXn11MU1nPioLg5M4cv63mmfWnlizhdYPGhvI7kWM-f-XQeM_NSKlH_sr-FxZ_ocaYGRLHmq/w640-h480/A8384409-7F86-4506-AE06-CA40CFFB2DFF.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-12518277253142134252022-11-12T08:18:00.002+00:002022-11-12T08:18:51.515+00:00The Gardener's Almanac by Alan Titchmarsh - a book reviewThere's something about an almanac that I find quite comforting. In an uncertain world, especially at the beginning of a new year, there are certain constants in an almanac. There is advanced information on what time sunrise and sunset will occur, the times of the tides, should you be going to, or living by the sea. Anniversaries, planetary activities, and all sorts of other snippets and facts in a variety of subjects are there in bite-size pieces to inform and entertain.<div><br /></div><div>That's why I was pleased to receive a copy of The Gardener's Alamanac by Alan Titchmarsh in the post to review, and for the past week or so, I've been going to bed with Alan's book and rationing myself to a chapter or so per night. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1H4ghq0ZQJN0jcF9cqOzXZnRkDy5HzWK-3XBXefTO9cNosFR77GtjP7ug1lmppJjij3L7fnBl_FTx4w2vMDJ7ncunZV5bcGEW8ygcr-mKAfyzjX_Zm-X4c4tpA4ohi5tiQ2BbX-ruD_LJnsO7KLaC1NcuEaP11mQrVq27vrhdoaqswUS17mQ7Vdk/s3836/94A0624A-D93F-4268-AA6C-5A09A8E8396E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3836" data-original-width="2994" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1H4ghq0ZQJN0jcF9cqOzXZnRkDy5HzWK-3XBXefTO9cNosFR77GtjP7ug1lmppJjij3L7fnBl_FTx4w2vMDJ7ncunZV5bcGEW8ygcr-mKAfyzjX_Zm-X4c4tpA4ohi5tiQ2BbX-ruD_LJnsO7KLaC1NcuEaP11mQrVq27vrhdoaqswUS17mQ7Vdk/w500-h640/94A0624A-D93F-4268-AA6C-5A09A8E8396E.jpeg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This is comfort reading, to be savoured, even if you may be au fait with some of the topics featured.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, each month features weather information, lists of flowers and vegetables to eat or store, as well as observations on a flower, a tree, a bird of the month, plus feast days. If you are a Scot though, you might take umbrage at the rather unfortunate typo in the first chapter which declares that Burns Night is celebrated on the 5th January rather than the 25th.. </div><div><br /></div><div>That one niggle aside, and moving swiftly on, Alan's choice of the tree of the month for February is Witch hazel - just one example of why I find his writing so engaging.</div><div>"The witch hazel hamamelis x intermedia has aspirations to be a tree, but in most gardens, it's a large shuttlecocked-shaped shrub. The fact that it flowers on bare branches makes it an exciting plant to grow. The flowers are large spiders consisting of a cluster of narrow, strap-shaped petals which may be rich crimson-"Livia", or yellow in what I think is the best variety - Pallida", quite simply because on a dingy, grey day when the darker varieties merge into the mist, it is more readily visible.</div><div>The flowers are scented of citrus and if the weather is too cold to detect fragrance, exhale on the blooms through your mouth and then inhale through your nose. Unless you have been heavy on the garlic the night before, the warmth of your breath will relieve the fragrance."</div><div><br /></div><div>A lovely description, which makes me giggle too. Not only do I now want a couple of witch hazels in my garden, I also have visions of a rather hungover and garlic breathing Mr Titchmarsh propped up against a witch hazel and trying to inhale with gusto.</div><div><br /></div><div>A list of appropriate advice on gardening do's and don'ts is accompanied by Alan's personal suggestions of music and books to enjoy each month. Some pieces I know, but in June, he recommends "The Banks of Green Willow" composed by George Butterworth who died during the First World War. It really is a beautiful piece of music that I've not heard before, so am rather thrilled to make its acquaintance and am following other recommendations which are featured in each chapter.</div><div><br /></div><div>Alan also highlights a famous gardener for each month and during his long and varied career, he's met and has been friends with so many. So, I like his personal anecdotes about them and personally am so pleased he included David Austin, the rosarian, who I managed to meet just before he died.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is a quote at the beginning of each chapter of the book, and so aptly Alan quotes his friend Christopher Lloyd who was talking one day about November,</div><div>"The great thing about the garden in November is that no one expects anything of it."</div><div>How very true!</div><div><br /></div><div>I also like Alan's suggestions for a garden to visit each month when it is at its best...and he has even illustrated the book. How on earth does he find the time?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRY32GCjzIclEW51RquZQHUlzQerQ9jCawmMKKXeK4npezYmEoh-uMWiUu3XpqxGGVD8GSVJ7jso-YNV-GVrUDmarK5AZb5GheSsqkRpERj6Yk0XDjqgrFaXnGSxm1AYPpxORzmiz8UCaWBkd9-btdYU-aPvsopfP9APP7o01xUV2LGcCGSOdVEQYK/s4032/B21BD318-67BF-4D0B-BE51-9C1F61156B09.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRY32GCjzIclEW51RquZQHUlzQerQ9jCawmMKKXeK4npezYmEoh-uMWiUu3XpqxGGVD8GSVJ7jso-YNV-GVrUDmarK5AZb5GheSsqkRpERj6Yk0XDjqgrFaXnGSxm1AYPpxORzmiz8UCaWBkd9-btdYU-aPvsopfP9APP7o01xUV2LGcCGSOdVEQYK/w480-h640/B21BD318-67BF-4D0B-BE51-9C1F61156B09.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>After all, he’s written novels, countless gardening books, and even three memoirs in addition to the TV programmes he presents so well.<div><div><br /></div><div>Throughout the book, Alan's chatty style distills his years of gardening experience and know how in a very accessible way to both those at the beginning of their gardening journeys, and to others along the way who fancy some inspiration. </div><div><br /></div><div>This almanac is perfect for bedtime and fireside reading during the long winter nights and an ideal Christmas present which will make you long for the gardening year ahead. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Gardener"s Almanac. A Treasury of Wisdom and Inspiration throughout the Year" by Alan Titchmarsh is published by Hodder and Stoughton and costs 14.99.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_M1dRzDuRQBQ44j-NvTL-5lolpnMwIsTYpHXTzKTlyg-9kfNjbMXehkAcVOhNUcQDH-3pHr17Dm6h2z43EREcbgdaWElWzGNm4_BBCyCUr32L-LcEDe_X-NAVMnTrVYsy14OgGlEoPB3WFIleVY-r57xVGq7QdtyKaAdRLnjeUqNPEvkRs7BWSBQK/s3682/AFFB2E12-816A-4022-8728-F46758C2D52C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3682" data-original-width="3023" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_M1dRzDuRQBQ44j-NvTL-5lolpnMwIsTYpHXTzKTlyg-9kfNjbMXehkAcVOhNUcQDH-3pHr17Dm6h2z43EREcbgdaWElWzGNm4_BBCyCUr32L-LcEDe_X-NAVMnTrVYsy14OgGlEoPB3WFIleVY-r57xVGq7QdtyKaAdRLnjeUqNPEvkRs7BWSBQK/w526-h640/AFFB2E12-816A-4022-8728-F46758C2D52C.jpeg" width="526" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-90039638565778101792022-10-26T14:38:00.005+01:002022-11-17T11:47:35.639+00:00"A plant for every day of the year" by Philip Clayton - a book review <p> </p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b54a63cb-7fff-510a-cbd1-3b35a503ab58"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A filthy, soggy morning and rain has stopped me from getting </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">some gardening done.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Instead, I am holed up in my greenhouse listening to the spitting of rain on the window panes, with </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">my nose in Philip</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Clayton’s new book “A plant for every day of the year".</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KI0DEx88FAbUoRuMfg_o_ZunZNca1RdXA8xFBmEEnF7y2cG2cmw3iUpZSh12MAPfhmKb_P9Wkjm6q2gt6RhhjeWP6f-FSMM-RIxs7GtYEouDCv2EdYehBWKD97X4ovIqbztfcD9cke3KV-8iVjNbWKZYapt0yiSDlbWsp_amAcAEioraU52G5nRf/s4032/39E5F9CC-3091-433B-835E-8C9983F20187.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KI0DEx88FAbUoRuMfg_o_ZunZNca1RdXA8xFBmEEnF7y2cG2cmw3iUpZSh12MAPfhmKb_P9Wkjm6q2gt6RhhjeWP6f-FSMM-RIxs7GtYEouDCv2EdYehBWKD97X4ovIqbztfcD9cke3KV-8iVjNbWKZYapt0yiSDlbWsp_amAcAEioraU52G5nRf/w480-h640/39E5F9CC-3091-433B-835E-8C9983F20187.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve been dipping in and re-reading this book for the last week, and it's so much more than a dry, extended list of 365 plants divided into seasonal sections with the odd photograph thrown in for good measure.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Philip, a writer and former Deputy Editor of The Garden magazine from the RHS has grown and photographed every one of the plants featured in his own 130 x 25 ft garden. He really knows how each performs throughout the year, and advises on how to get the best out of them as well as mentioning their individual foibles and providing a fact file on each of them. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unlike most books, I didn't start at the very beginning. I went straight into the chapter covering plants right now at their peak in mid Autumn and found a Decaisnea fargesii .</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Philip says it is perfect for Halloween and </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">describes as having </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">“bizarre looking fruit which gives the plant its more grisly common name “dead mans fingers”. Each fruit is about the shape, size, and bruised blue colour of a detached human finger. It gets worse: if you touch them, they are cold with a soft flesh-like texture. Best to put such thoughts out of your mind and enjoy them as blue seed pods hanging amid the butter-yellow tints the leaves acquire."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6SXxCJHPOOfAUtbm-urpSE7VjPTkFTBe-WGfiyvOpdurJU0tlRb6755OmGU0cCGk0gizbITdnP6BQ12898kX9U0lsJRhn172Qo4DmYd-BxBolODe9xVogjqVEv_qclvS24l1pY3vnGa-7LwH_wypPIhp1EA3R64QH2yp4o0Sg-9wQkuf6rPxtPf-/s2814/15155ED6-0502-4B5F-8AC6-76C5B7DAB980.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2814" data-original-width="2728" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6SXxCJHPOOfAUtbm-urpSE7VjPTkFTBe-WGfiyvOpdurJU0tlRb6755OmGU0cCGk0gizbITdnP6BQ12898kX9U0lsJRhn172Qo4DmYd-BxBolODe9xVogjqVEv_qclvS24l1pY3vnGa-7LwH_wypPIhp1EA3R64QH2yp4o0Sg-9wQkuf6rPxtPf-/w620-h640/15155ED6-0502-4B5F-8AC6-76C5B7DAB980.jpeg" width="620" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, this is the sort of engaging description I like when reading about a plant, and there are plenty of them throughout the book.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the same page, I'm seduced by a photograph of a beautiful Euonymus Alactus "Compactus" in all its glory, and once again I love the accompanying vivid description. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuf36FnT_CgUrf9By25uM6awllUqT3vCmmF7Ds6H6wb0H9iFMzuAww-klPCCLdy6VkxOYrn46n1yvBp0pr8vyuQd9afmpRTxTRVvvyxXD5qEBN4Ax0t0tY3k7gwAUVyl222VR2cinZn84imXFgWcvZrRVYCf4BEb_BhQ6oVIin8NxUwNc5HLDiTSg/s4032/9D8B3705-B39F-477E-A699-2006BD654152.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuf36FnT_CgUrf9By25uM6awllUqT3vCmmF7Ds6H6wb0H9iFMzuAww-klPCCLdy6VkxOYrn46n1yvBp0pr8vyuQd9afmpRTxTRVvvyxXD5qEBN4Ax0t0tY3k7gwAUVyl222VR2cinZn84imXFgWcvZrRVYCf4BEb_BhQ6oVIin8NxUwNc5HLDiTSg/w480-h640/9D8B3705-B39F-477E-A699-2006BD654152.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">There's also a ClematisTerniflora" I rather like the look of with frothy white flowers and a sweet almond scent, which I haven't come across before, but apparently, it may need restraint. Don't we all at times? </span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Mind you, after finding so many specimens in the book which would be wonderful in my garden, I will need restraining too. I “may” be tempted to buy quite a few of them ( and yes, I’m being deliberately vague about the exact number)</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The plant selection here covers some more unusual ones which you won't find everywhere and may have to be hunted down. There are also plenty of more well-known ones, that remind you of some you’ve seen on garden visits. There’s no plant snobbery here, just a knowledgable, love of plants which he hopes gardeners of all levels will enjoy.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to Philip Clayton " Thoughtfully planted, a garden will add new delights every day, regardless of the season." </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">With this book, there's an absolute feast of 365 delicious planting possibilities for </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">both all-year-round colour and interest in any garden, whatever its size. I just wish there were a few photographs of Philip’s garden which show how he has curated this collection of plants, and so admire the overall effect </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> One word of warning about lending this book to friends…. You just might not get it back.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17F-bnvIH5CPWs3TAThWIMSpXeR6jCdG37mVNuEiCt568e7ASniHzjoykEVSwNbp2Wm4wDfSDhdZ02ygre-emIJTW4wwwTyc7lemeMiqjwZhBMH2O541HK2F5SPRuNyToPg4ejmJbwjhyXZRtUHgAAio30TpVtsAE4ub9n-6fvsUys_VNJiq5ITRy/s3167/D0C5914D-EFF8-4D03-B7A8-BAC0053CC0C0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3167" data-original-width="2420" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17F-bnvIH5CPWs3TAThWIMSpXeR6jCdG37mVNuEiCt568e7ASniHzjoykEVSwNbp2Wm4wDfSDhdZ02ygre-emIJTW4wwwTyc7lemeMiqjwZhBMH2O541HK2F5SPRuNyToPg4ejmJbwjhyXZRtUHgAAio30TpVtsAE4ub9n-6fvsUys_VNJiq5ITRy/w490-h640/D0C5914D-EFF8-4D03-B7A8-BAC0053CC0C0.jpeg" width="490" /></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fe40d3e2-7fff-d686-2cf9-b73a1198ca76"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"A plant for every day of the year" by Philip Clayton, is published by DK Books and costs £20.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was sent a copy to review. </span></span></p></span>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-26546505401874780812022-10-21T18:30:00.265+01:002022-10-21T22:24:39.847+01:00National Apple Day <p>National Apple Day has been celebrated here in the UK since 1990, and I'm only too happy to join in the celebrations for such a wonderful fruit.</p><p>I don't know about you, but I couldn't manage without apples in my diet. They're not only scientifically proven to be good for you (yes there's truth in the old saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away), but growing them is good for all of us too .</p><p>According to Common Ground, the organisation which created this day in our calendar, it's important to recognize the importance of orchards to our landscape in the sheer diversity of our local varieties of apples and in our culture.</p><p> As a child, my mother and father had a mini orchard of apple and pear trees in their suburban garden and I have vivid memories of all the apple puddings we polished off over the years.</p><p>These days I have only one apple tree in my garden, which is rather lax about when it is going to fruit. I don't know what variety it is, but it's just sweet enough to pick off the tree and crunch away, but is also delicious when baked in cakes and puddings.</p>Our village apple tree fruited before mine, so at the beginning of September my two year old grandaughter and I went to collect our first locally grown apples of the season. <div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehNLOl_ADz0N9C9BllnoEO0n4Okna8fWwBjec7kNsndvzExZ-OOUEcxUAG5z6Es1kEYU3YYEOzrMu57IWQqh0ag4T3e8bklSBEp1NJDTJDajPM5EtqminyxfpIhW48jmLEwNu0PhJ1230MyfaL8fd2A7zvBCNlMXUGodG1rkTGynnegQKRbRhARsf/s3818/D9129AC3-E9AA-4FE1-BA39-3FB121B6F29B.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3818" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehNLOl_ADz0N9C9BllnoEO0n4Okna8fWwBjec7kNsndvzExZ-OOUEcxUAG5z6Es1kEYU3YYEOzrMu57IWQqh0ag4T3e8bklSBEp1NJDTJDajPM5EtqminyxfpIhW48jmLEwNu0PhJ1230MyfaL8fd2A7zvBCNlMXUGodG1rkTGynnegQKRbRhARsf/w640-h506/D9129AC3-E9AA-4FE1-BA39-3FB121B6F29B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple picking </td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>For the last month though we've been picking and eating our own apples</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUPjrau95XbM9y6t0EFmcZhrbsQYbiNAJ1MztIsBH-POx9ha0mVcx-p22B9Lvve8jBCexu3jOdHPMs3_HbZ6n4xNRPFZsONw4u2g-J6Qmbo5gkFV-9-xbRcUDD8WSf2lmVGbY_9sGZwphYdFsoshdA6WZTkFN6TD1buy6GV4H6J0RDAYyDWRfHQ2E/s4032/AFBEAD54-5CA2-4C3C-9192-29462D3C17F0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUPjrau95XbM9y6t0EFmcZhrbsQYbiNAJ1MztIsBH-POx9ha0mVcx-p22B9Lvve8jBCexu3jOdHPMs3_HbZ6n4xNRPFZsONw4u2g-J6Qmbo5gkFV-9-xbRcUDD8WSf2lmVGbY_9sGZwphYdFsoshdA6WZTkFN6TD1buy6GV4H6J0RDAYyDWRfHQ2E/w640-h480/AFBEAD54-5CA2-4C3C-9192-29462D3C17F0.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7hoA7dgqEce8_G0IfBAbZ3SwNy2c0aO14vD66SZpGXwgCLtQMefxSzQC57LuC_eGPSWK-UQgDDf2T2jkBmLKqoAULHbws2_ACOY9PZHs_Xb3OtLpmp8Wmgivm8wTKSf63fhV18ACgp4LXWLHzejVG325771d9EM04V5-fc1pQDW4McTfop67j4pA/s640/3473FD66-502A-4027-B5AE-24F47DADD78D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7hoA7dgqEce8_G0IfBAbZ3SwNy2c0aO14vD66SZpGXwgCLtQMefxSzQC57LuC_eGPSWK-UQgDDf2T2jkBmLKqoAULHbws2_ACOY9PZHs_Xb3OtLpmp8Wmgivm8wTKSf63fhV18ACgp4LXWLHzejVG325771d9EM04V5-fc1pQDW4McTfop67j4pA/w640-h480/3473FD66-502A-4027-B5AE-24F47DADD78D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVEPf5zrDzzdj87rrVhE4BbTIUPvHvRQCihiIpu6RoNmBkJqOJDPf-CgbmkkANzlcBDBXZVt_3TL2mbGxSEllx-yXvsYBzfVz7lI0uh9XvYYn7rWU1nBkuWS_kZevJERCzwZvWZK-pHztiEAQpaP9iyG3rf4NqtZ7GWnHYz5H7H6RWd1ndAJUwzYZ/s640/278D75E3-4594-4FE4-965E-F65553BE669F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVEPf5zrDzzdj87rrVhE4BbTIUPvHvRQCihiIpu6RoNmBkJqOJDPf-CgbmkkANzlcBDBXZVt_3TL2mbGxSEllx-yXvsYBzfVz7lI0uh9XvYYn7rWU1nBkuWS_kZevJERCzwZvWZK-pHztiEAQpaP9iyG3rf4NqtZ7GWnHYz5H7H6RWd1ndAJUwzYZ/w480-h640/278D75E3-4594-4FE4-965E-F65553BE669F.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I've prepared pounds of apples in the freezer ready for pie, tarts, and crumbles through the winter, but today, on a rainy Apple Day, I've collected the last lot off the tree and some windfalls. They will be needed.</div><div> </div><div>Earlier this week, Angie came around for supper. She's new to the village and is staying with our next-door neighbour until she can go home to Ukraine. We thoroughly enjoyed her company and she absolutely loved the apple crumble I made for pudding. I can't ever remember a time in my life without a crumble, but I suspect she won't forget her first one. One helping was followed by two more and she loved the tartness of the apples combined with the sweetness of the topping. </div><div><br /></div><div> So do we, so I suspect it will be apple crumble ago go for Angie and us from now on, until the apples run out that is.....</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy Apple Day to you all.</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KlQImCMAc94OB3jIgpaJO1tPZN_DlLXvjeBXt5MHrADfF2aJnfHLlFoS48Y3a4B6sy4f-gq5SvnoVLcAGe5RbosINyljlsDBw6eFMQm5QlKxARC616AlLJBLGCPQr-nMVHCrO87mE3FTJOZJAsFHXdu-1_3aJ3Vd-QWArJcTbvqjN-cRwwY39sJd/s4032/79B460F3-C4F0-4A1B-A9C9-40BEED68F47B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KlQImCMAc94OB3jIgpaJO1tPZN_DlLXvjeBXt5MHrADfF2aJnfHLlFoS48Y3a4B6sy4f-gq5SvnoVLcAGe5RbosINyljlsDBw6eFMQm5QlKxARC616AlLJBLGCPQr-nMVHCrO87mE3FTJOZJAsFHXdu-1_3aJ3Vd-QWArJcTbvqjN-cRwwY39sJd/w640-h480/79B460F3-C4F0-4A1B-A9C9-40BEED68F47B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-58048848858580112562022-09-21T14:55:00.004+01:002022-09-21T15:50:13.066+01:00A day at Garden Organic and preserving seeds for the future<p>My ideas about gardening and the food we were eating changed when we had small children. One of my neighbours' garage held everything to kill things - weeds, ants, rodents, you name it, there was some toxic product to keep the garden pristine and repel all invaders. </p><p>That wasn't going to happen under my watch in our small garden, and I began reading about growing organically, which I've done ever since. </p><p>So, a few weeks ago, I was delighted to be at Garden Organic, near Coventry for a Garden Media Guild visit.</p><p>This is the home of the UK charity formerly known as the HenryDoubleday Research Association, which encourages organic gardening and growing food in a healthy and sustainable way, carries out scientific research into the best ways of doing so, and preserves heirloom seeds for posterity.</p><p>The organic show gardens that we see now were only created over two years ago, designed around a beautiful glasshouse and framed prettily by cosmos and verbena bonariensis. Our guide is the wonderfully enthusiastic Head Gardener Emma O'Neill.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5boyPfiX99tlLiuIihYgAIw5tfJygf54dXjfN1kCl0uFTxDUMNVY-wPo9f5sNaURZjZHJuNYG1n5qoxpTrzBxmUjwu9EQtXzxZ6x2tS6oGSKx9Ujb9jF_XOpx2PM9Md9hFP2Ew_k_G3v7gF16_8AgqHARIH_Q8iY6EjVm_bn5K-2xr_XCESxGgpe6/s3918/F8621384-F08D-4B3A-BD2B-234D3A73BEA8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2938" data-original-width="3918" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5boyPfiX99tlLiuIihYgAIw5tfJygf54dXjfN1kCl0uFTxDUMNVY-wPo9f5sNaURZjZHJuNYG1n5qoxpTrzBxmUjwu9EQtXzxZ6x2tS6oGSKx9Ujb9jF_XOpx2PM9Md9hFP2Ew_k_G3v7gF16_8AgqHARIH_Q8iY6EjVm_bn5K-2xr_XCESxGgpe6/w640-h480/F8621384-F08D-4B3A-BD2B-234D3A73BEA8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Inside, tomatoes, chillies, aubergines, melons and other heat-loving vegetables are grown in pots. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Outside, the glasshouse is surrounded by four beds, one a perennial vegetable bed which includes skirret. This is new to me, but apparently, it dates back to Tudor times and its flavour is somewhere between a potato and a parsnip.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One bed is trialling the no dig method, and another features legumes, with heavy cropping beans climbing over archways.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_zqwIQ4Klrd_D96maKCojCfbq9hwCeI_y606YAkp1--dVbUttcZOPawE3AIOmK5PHk-3I0ygLGEe3g04lk2jX3zzv-sS_-JqkjUuDZwf46xzS9s-BTMqU-xS3IohIlkX-2YAPZlBF2Ae4PmKir7doWLN5Yr9z1ybBFt0SNYeTCNGqwDrB-X605ed/s4032/1B6BA8BC-64C9-4144-A8C8-DAAB66980448.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_zqwIQ4Klrd_D96maKCojCfbq9hwCeI_y606YAkp1--dVbUttcZOPawE3AIOmK5PHk-3I0ygLGEe3g04lk2jX3zzv-sS_-JqkjUuDZwf46xzS9s-BTMqU-xS3IohIlkX-2YAPZlBF2Ae4PmKir7doWLN5Yr9z1ybBFt0SNYeTCNGqwDrB-X605ed/w640-h480/1B6BA8BC-64C9-4144-A8C8-DAAB66980448.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div> Beans are one of my favourite things to grow, so I made a beeline for them and was intrigued by one variety of runner bean "Slovenian White" Such delicate white flowers, so vigorous too, and when I saw some of the actual beans, they're large, bright white, and used primarily as a dried bean for soups and stews.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6WmTtFC-RhXW_ci5osYsi1xEG2k-PFv_vs3VrjOmDWmotw5_-ijDuLOWu59QlQ02pL_03Ax9RwlCwe4Yd113fzXgBr-riPcVvk2Xd2wQFXnu9FSRKoC2yZbYWjFX-2BSJNvGhyDu3HaY6GFk62SGuHckalKYNM0MUtYCfu3QcKfCKTo2a7m15XME/s4032/64B5C9AF-503D-4C77-BC58-B0F02D3774DC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6WmTtFC-RhXW_ci5osYsi1xEG2k-PFv_vs3VrjOmDWmotw5_-ijDuLOWu59QlQ02pL_03Ax9RwlCwe4Yd113fzXgBr-riPcVvk2Xd2wQFXnu9FSRKoC2yZbYWjFX-2BSJNvGhyDu3HaY6GFk62SGuHckalKYNM0MUtYCfu3QcKfCKTo2a7m15XME/w640-h480/64B5C9AF-503D-4C77-BC58-B0F02D3774DC.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>As we walk around, Emma is a mine of information and is very honest too, telling us how she's been having problems with the brassicas due to the heat, what plants have irritated her and why. This is the way to learn about growing plants, to hear of the failures as well as the successes,because it can be all too easy to be despondent at home when something goes wrong, As Emma says, you can always try again, using a different approach, or use the advice pages on the Garden Organic website. </div><div><br /></div><div>Emma is proud of the ponds which have been established in the last two years, attracting all sorts of pollinators and the bug hotels around have attracted both bugs and children who are fascinated by them. After all, you are never too young to learn about organic gardening.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70mOCtM4ky608YRRqJMh30H6IFMgz__lbbY38UnF40r9cpX6ve4nnEhGY7STfFTPVUWzG5HcBHJP2tV7QaQ1ED6B5mQT-OCVn1BEQUZgXSX-w_eYGWR1-Id87H9ATJTTeA_8Jws6gFqHMNKzwz8ObP9N2ZH_oxUQGLovqwJqu3YAuEFZQ9mcEOD8Z/s4032/9EC828C8-474E-4627-9074-B8BCDF63A0A1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70mOCtM4ky608YRRqJMh30H6IFMgz__lbbY38UnF40r9cpX6ve4nnEhGY7STfFTPVUWzG5HcBHJP2tV7QaQ1ED6B5mQT-OCVn1BEQUZgXSX-w_eYGWR1-Id87H9ATJTTeA_8Jws6gFqHMNKzwz8ObP9N2ZH_oxUQGLovqwJqu3YAuEFZQ9mcEOD8Z/w640-h480/9EC828C8-474E-4627-9074-B8BCDF63A0A1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dX0USrRlJe4I0bWtVV_oBCUjjXXv82BqTOq_gzBZEFgqovHYffMWorzcagNZRMyGUdpc7dCcaMEkAa_OebFNbUTkqPyE-aBpakRyyq16Bvi4hENWN15hh_T8Gv_k88LOebwvCJWkh0l9JSoB9SllJHhH9R0s1_Eq82VLOPiC4kfR93m6nPtBQ0rd/s4032/40AF0274-EF06-46B5-8078-2C97126A7D55.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dX0USrRlJe4I0bWtVV_oBCUjjXXv82BqTOq_gzBZEFgqovHYffMWorzcagNZRMyGUdpc7dCcaMEkAa_OebFNbUTkqPyE-aBpakRyyq16Bvi4hENWN15hh_T8Gv_k88LOebwvCJWkh0l9JSoB9SllJHhH9R0s1_Eq82VLOPiC4kfR93m6nPtBQ0rd/w640-h480/40AF0274-EF06-46B5-8078-2C97126A7D55.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>As you enter the polytunnel, there's the addictive scent of strawberries, so intense I want to snatch handfuls of the juicy fruits to eat, but I resist the urge and just admire them, as well as the very well-behaved tomatoes.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfMXgJhFbUdUU0tc_rmIG4I6hK-97rbMnkgYwly-8qiggHOBIn9oA5XDkVyZ4unH6FbVf8oA5YrOfrSyc0I5_zEMIIdmUu890KJa-QebR3L8d-JNQJmvHT7reJVJNdYEh7bZiEawzqHPI8Zjnhdd0Yse0-aIZUq6d8aCkGxKYW9cbiB604QrMYh5v/s4032/7A8DAEB0-668F-483B-B97A-CD1019F818E2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfMXgJhFbUdUU0tc_rmIG4I6hK-97rbMnkgYwly-8qiggHOBIn9oA5XDkVyZ4unH6FbVf8oA5YrOfrSyc0I5_zEMIIdmUu890KJa-QebR3L8d-JNQJmvHT7reJVJNdYEh7bZiEawzqHPI8Zjnhdd0Yse0-aIZUq6d8aCkGxKYW9cbiB604QrMYh5v/w640-h480/7A8DAEB0-668F-483B-B97A-CD1019F818E2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Organic gardening isn't just about growing food to eat of course and Emma O Neill loves her ornamentals too. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhzsO-VRrdA4H-3oBVJOuaAjs3ujrhQHekJdEZkQMa2ka2h3jhL219Bz4rjXxet38dEO4WpQKa5BUvYzINii7PBH5yupBLYIo5t27myVh-IPo4UHmNW6gd_wbTVm4mHR00tmNbeE8ItIEwCkVFlFlj-5OSuJGq-fqqAo67hEL3YnzAXQuV12yTl08/s4032/51E1ED05-ABA6-4065-9286-B525CC5AF6EE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhzsO-VRrdA4H-3oBVJOuaAjs3ujrhQHekJdEZkQMa2ka2h3jhL219Bz4rjXxet38dEO4WpQKa5BUvYzINii7PBH5yupBLYIo5t27myVh-IPo4UHmNW6gd_wbTVm4mHR00tmNbeE8ItIEwCkVFlFlj-5OSuJGq-fqqAo67hEL3YnzAXQuV12yTl08/w640-h480/51E1ED05-ABA6-4065-9286-B525CC5AF6EE.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_cwPqLRs7iPzpK-J24HyqTh5oubmNbEgFzMFiTw6M9DhP056soaQqhrxhpG0rx3QxrIWtjqrn4eke93Lo6U3VQx_52M0I2nhCkURWn4AejWFX63X0SdbUyYghAcOJu11gJJYP7CdWKejzysRbpsPqe8EsDghslaSYYVC6v0JNpREaE9WbvdOicWr/s4032/A22F236D-7D9F-4F28-A938-0AF209F6017A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_cwPqLRs7iPzpK-J24HyqTh5oubmNbEgFzMFiTw6M9DhP056soaQqhrxhpG0rx3QxrIWtjqrn4eke93Lo6U3VQx_52M0I2nhCkURWn4AejWFX63X0SdbUyYghAcOJu11gJJYP7CdWKejzysRbpsPqe8EsDghslaSYYVC6v0JNpREaE9WbvdOicWr/w640-h480/A22F236D-7D9F-4F28-A938-0AF209F6017A.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>After a quick lunch, (we all brought our own) we were off to learn more about the work of the Heritage Seed Library, which I found absolutely fascinating. Catrina Fenton is Head of the Library, and she's passionate about her work and why it is so important.</div><div><br /></div><div>Apparently, we've lost thousands of varieties of traditional varieties of vegetables in the last fifty years or so. Catrina explains the introduction of intensive farming and EU rules introduced in the 1970s, <span style="background-color: white; color: #141414; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">meant the trade of seeds that had not been through an expensive registration process was restricted, which led to the extinction of heritage varieties.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #141414; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #141414; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">That's where Lawrence Hills, the Founder of the Library stepped in. He realised that these old varieties needed to be protected, and since then, seeds of all sorts have been collected, sent or donated by growers who treasure the diverse range of varieties.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #141414; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #141414; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Each year, new ones arrive, and they are all trialled in the grounds at Garden Organic, in open ground, polytunnels and glasshouses.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Firstly we went into the polytunnels, one of which was bursting at the seams with what looked like tall triffids, they were so lush and energetic, but they were Shropshire blackpods, an heirloom variety of runner bean grown by the same famiy for at least 100 years, plus Mr Wong's Shark Fin melon.</div><div><br /></div><div>In one of the glasshouses, plants were drying out ...such as this Rousham Park Hero variety of onion, which was bred in the 19th century in Oxfordshire.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0yeEq0P7aAYxcabfq_H_o-lggoMi_opBqNpabMLAxDkYST8tEOCPky7ehdtHaN8_Hn9Oaql1T60gzxg4-s_pf73RpgsxR5Qv5MAhnyAjHA4UFqY2r_UtmOL7VLCW5GxlUOck7TyO8wXD6OKC6dk-KMnxKZwPRf1qBFUFgMFSL0jZlem9riHWQyTM/s4032/2E03D49E-00BC-476F-954A-86AE92750917.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0yeEq0P7aAYxcabfq_H_o-lggoMi_opBqNpabMLAxDkYST8tEOCPky7ehdtHaN8_Hn9Oaql1T60gzxg4-s_pf73RpgsxR5Qv5MAhnyAjHA4UFqY2r_UtmOL7VLCW5GxlUOck7TyO8wXD6OKC6dk-KMnxKZwPRf1qBFUFgMFSL0jZlem9riHWQyTM/w640-h480/2E03D49E-00BC-476F-954A-86AE92750917.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meanwhile in the seed cleaning room indoors, Lucy the Seed Officer, oversees all the thousands of harvested seeds that arrive in here, including 3 to 4,000 tomatoes which come through the door. There's a winnowing machine, tomato seeds </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The results are kept in cold storage, in a room which houses thousands and thousands of treasures - heritage seeds of tomatoes, beans, peas, cauliflowers, carrots, squashes, you name it, filled with seeds which need to be protected.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXHIOCdNey-pF63YTUc9fY81p8aPC8YGqVs5g9hOFW4YiHXR2yIelWoEiv1H0BRrGKHyJ7lKgSawJU2O9sLJXIp2vzYsqxz6rvvccKu-3ZY2LhxoTlGej29mBWKiwkV4YfeSwMktvGyBT3DKlY4H9FF3OVuuCFJ3ZI7e6zZkYoZ6S8diDtfC6Ppol/s4032/D4996934-15B9-499A-AB9B-A18A65D6B571.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXHIOCdNey-pF63YTUc9fY81p8aPC8YGqVs5g9hOFW4YiHXR2yIelWoEiv1H0BRrGKHyJ7lKgSawJU2O9sLJXIp2vzYsqxz6rvvccKu-3ZY2LhxoTlGej29mBWKiwkV4YfeSwMktvGyBT3DKlY4H9FF3OVuuCFJ3ZI7e6zZkYoZ6S8diDtfC6Ppol/w640-h480/D4996934-15B9-499A-AB9B-A18A65D6B571.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div>Many have weird and wonderful names which delight, and every packet of seed tells a story of gardening history, the people who grew them and a sense of place. These seeds can come a local grower, or from Europe and further afield, or from people who have come to live here but brought a taste of home with them. For example a seed search was conducted by Garden Organic back in 2012 across allotments in the the Midlands, to find seed originated from India. Again, these are an important genetic resource maintaining heirloom varieties. </div><div><br /></div><div>Before the end of out visit, we sat undercover in the Demonstration Garden, and over a chat, we made ourselves useful. Some of us, were podding dried beans with Fiona Taylor, the charismatic Chief Executive of Garden Organic...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOWd5G30Qx0ZAIyy_l8xeHcPeeKETcLMUdUkkd1OX7k4vBx7K1AMUYKndxSwBauve59vXs2vvm7DK2rbP10rFqC8lojdh_ho0q65_88FWKRrbTL5t8_6-cMYhqvfF-3VzfsyIwXOKdGu25HWGBXA1TduBYIBFxH-P0EaI9xWY9MvOLcu0Qgm-oQpN/s4032/9D0915D3-D150-4680-B23B-CC0C9C807BE8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOWd5G30Qx0ZAIyy_l8xeHcPeeKETcLMUdUkkd1OX7k4vBx7K1AMUYKndxSwBauve59vXs2vvm7DK2rbP10rFqC8lojdh_ho0q65_88FWKRrbTL5t8_6-cMYhqvfF-3VzfsyIwXOKdGu25HWGBXA1TduBYIBFxH-P0EaI9xWY9MvOLcu0Qgm-oQpN/w640-h480/9D0915D3-D150-4680-B23B-CC0C9C807BE8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>and the rest of us, were packing broad beans into packets, ready to be sent out to members of the Heritage Seed library early next year. Members of Garden Organic can join the Heritage Seed Library for an extra £18 and select six packets of seed from over 150 different types of vegetables in a catalogue which plops throught the door in early December.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4v_Ra_JmliclEJR-VtWrq1i6iH3QdWJkWknAbXHKcn-lB8FF_h1h9GEYV95sgvO5NbpdVXOTCpPQK4QTXur3i0ri4W32_1GKlDRfx2jvW5F_hfcV3_CPoxSH1pRaIJ8LIyE7Nc_9YFBr0q5rUn7gZYuQINgId5uE8uY0kVN6FsFsP_awOdqxYEX1X/s4029/9ED27AF5-41A4-486A-9240-84F0D6214109.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3022" data-original-width="4029" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4v_Ra_JmliclEJR-VtWrq1i6iH3QdWJkWknAbXHKcn-lB8FF_h1h9GEYV95sgvO5NbpdVXOTCpPQK4QTXur3i0ri4W32_1GKlDRfx2jvW5F_hfcV3_CPoxSH1pRaIJ8LIyE7Nc_9YFBr0q5rUn7gZYuQINgId5uE8uY0kVN6FsFsP_awOdqxYEX1X/w640-h480/9ED27AF5-41A4-486A-9240-84F0D6214109.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I drove home from the visit with my mind buzzing with visions of upping my own seed saving game, what to grow next year and planting methods and ideas which are so relatable not just to my garden but so many others. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There was also the sense of just how valuable Garden Organic is, in a world of unprecedented global, environmental change and challenges. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>The garden and Heritage Seed Library is open regularly to the public and pre- booked tours and workshops. Visitors are offered a guided tour and expert advice on organic gardening. Scheduled tour days are free for members and cost £7.50 for non members.</div><div>Groups can also book a private tour ...call 024 7630 3517<span style="background-color: white; color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div><br /></div><div>More information can be found here <span style="background-color: white; color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/events&source=gmail&ust=1663603533748000&usg=AOvVaw1I64wgLRxSy2jiUEuGHczj" href="https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/events" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">https://www.gardenorganic.org.<wbr></wbr>uk/events</a></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><br /></p></div>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-36883073489254680162022-08-30T17:11:00.005+01:002022-09-29T17:17:50.771+01:00A day reviewing "The Secret Gardens of South East England by Barbara Segall<p> Surely visiting a garden is one of the most pleasurable of pastimes?</p><p>For me, it's the sense of anticipation as you arrive, wondering which vistas, planting schemes, and colour combinations will excite you. Happiness on the way home, stuffed with cake and usually with a car boot containing some new little treasures in plant pots.</p><p>Well, this Bank holiday weekend, I visited twenty glorious gardens in Surrey, Sussex, and Kent, all without leaving my own home and garden. It's all thanks to gardening and food writer Barbara Segall and her latest book"The Secret Gardens of the South East of Gardens of the South East. A private tour" which is published next month.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8rzuvVbNuug9NgnB7vOVhXRMj3y-SPa9nSqftwFgs6sQ5PZCNqtupKsGJD8x7HaQ9BUqdDc07AQMaInmZiL-SCR5yuPMsDmRi6ZiGZ6CjYEA7_-q-5w5JlAH9DtFpJafCanH_6Eimo_-gtQPLjSRwa5hKzY9BN8BeUF82B3AidJs1mWBNpCsUe_E/s3318/51041163-4D5B-4065-912B-31025DAAD941.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3318" data-original-width="2883" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8rzuvVbNuug9NgnB7vOVhXRMj3y-SPa9nSqftwFgs6sQ5PZCNqtupKsGJD8x7HaQ9BUqdDc07AQMaInmZiL-SCR5yuPMsDmRi6ZiGZ6CjYEA7_-q-5w5JlAH9DtFpJafCanH_6Eimo_-gtQPLjSRwa5hKzY9BN8BeUF82B3AidJs1mWBNpCsUe_E/w556-h640/51041163-4D5B-4065-912B-31025DAAD941.jpeg" width="556" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>This follows her previous collaboration five years ago with photographer Marcus Harpur "The Secret Gardens of East Anglia, which I really enjoyed. My review of that book is here...</p><p>http://thinkingofthedays.blogspot.com/2017/12/days-before-christmas-gifts-for.html</p><p> So I knew I would be in good hands as she introduces us to twenty very different gardens and their owners, this time photographed by Clive Boursnell.</p><p>The first garden in the book is a surprise, a small town garden in Whitstable, measuring a mere 45 feet by 14 feet, like so many Victorian houses. In 2010 when they moved in, it was a gravel garden with a membrane breaking up and impoverished soil, according to owners Paul and Phil.</p><p>Not now though, as they have embraced the fences, using them for height and structure, and are now packed with upwardly swarming plants in a riot of colours.</p><p>Donald and Charlotte live in a small house with a delightfully quirky 1.5-acre garden, in Beneden in Kent which through necessity and choice has been created on a shoestring budget. Recycling and getting most of the plants free, from cuttings or from seeds from their parent's gardens or elsewhere has been their mantra for years, plus growing lots of fruit and vegetables. For years too, Charlotte has been creating the most playful topiary animals from the yew hedges they planted, and the effect is stunning. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTaqvVZmWhJUJ4VxPWn9Of68LJANetYHwRz_M4TlkzDUklL8ZzUGZRG3FAiEXvGUFKH4OQY_sv3SXJ-oIsUHdsxPmDqdBOiJFADkiszuWgVmvqVvfLYzW3FnigwnyslJlXgMlGDkjnZtoKJKlMPFfVyVbupjV1ulWoyi7nUWGXIN89HbmOUHFYPB9/s4032/666ACB3B-2354-4555-B195-1E8728319997.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTaqvVZmWhJUJ4VxPWn9Of68LJANetYHwRz_M4TlkzDUklL8ZzUGZRG3FAiEXvGUFKH4OQY_sv3SXJ-oIsUHdsxPmDqdBOiJFADkiszuWgVmvqVvfLYzW3FnigwnyslJlXgMlGDkjnZtoKJKlMPFfVyVbupjV1ulWoyi7nUWGXIN89HbmOUHFYPB9/w640-h480/666ACB3B-2354-4555-B195-1E8728319997.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>So what about the other 18 gardens in the book? Well, you're going to have to buy a copy to discover them for yourselves.</p><p>Quite a few of them have been inherited from previous generations. For example, the owners of Ramster Hall in Chiddingfold, Surrey are celebrating a century of curating the garden this year.</p><p>Doesn't the thought of inheriting a beautiful garden sound wonderful? Yes, it does, although that's hardly likely in my case. Nevertheless, with privilege and the urge to put your own mark on a garden, comes a responsibility - to enhance and restore it, of future-proofing, whilst being mindful of its past. This comes over quite strongly in the book how these owners have risen to the challenge.</p><p>To buy a house with a garden designed by Vita Sackville West or Gertrude Jekyll must be a privilege too, and Barbara has featured two of them, </p><p>Barbara has woven the stories and history of these gardens and their previous owners with those of their current custodians with care and dexterity. I'm also pleased to see that the gardeners who work in them too are given their due and included in both the text and the photographs. </p><p>Through her expert eyes, we are given a comprehensive overview of each garden but I like the way she hones in on specific plants, and features that others might miss. The devil is always in the detail.....</p><p>The gardens may be classed as secret, but some do open for private visits or as part of the inimitable National Gardens Scheme. </p><p>I certainly plan to visit as many of them as I can when possible as they all look so inviting and beautiful. In the meantime, I've enjoyed quite a few happy hours poring over this guide to such an eclectic group of gardens, including one which even features a hornbeam church!</p><p>'Secret Gardens of the South East. A Private Tour' by Barbara Segall and photographs by Clive Boursnall is published by Frances Lincoln on 20th September 2022.</p><p>NB I was sent this review copy by the publishers.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-8663293873743371372022-08-03T17:14:00.000+01:002022-09-29T17:19:20.363+01:00Days of picking raspberries differently with Sophie Kinsella<p>I've almost picked the last of the raspberries.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRgOzBtmEz0Rpaw0FxZK7Hbj21eqIRYyAn_roSKLJjtzTjPPjWENyU8fbHxff24QxEkHI2_CL32MeyXF9mDG537h6RBL0WHDyjuhDtOHixq0cnA9GEJUt91o2u6TPO0rbJ0--Hrz7olXLjOTJij31pc6gn5FHfEUtfo_CzpDXBjgu5IgG9eUvL0IV/s4032/59FD52DD-EE6E-47F9-8EE7-360EAA94625B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRgOzBtmEz0Rpaw0FxZK7Hbj21eqIRYyAn_roSKLJjtzTjPPjWENyU8fbHxff24QxEkHI2_CL32MeyXF9mDG537h6RBL0WHDyjuhDtOHixq0cnA9GEJUt91o2u6TPO0rbJ0--Hrz7olXLjOTJij31pc6gn5FHfEUtfo_CzpDXBjgu5IgG9eUvL0IV/w480-h640/59FD52DD-EE6E-47F9-8EE7-360EAA94625B.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Each visit to the allotment to pick them has been different. At the beginning of the season, there were a couple of quick dashes to pick before heavy rain was about to fall. A case of throwing caution to the wind, and flinging as many ripe raspberries as I could into containers, then home, before getting soaked.</p><p>A few weeks ago, the sun was warm on my back as I made my way down the rows of raspberries canes, and picked leisurely. Treating myself at the end of each row to a handful of juicy berries, lifting my face to the sun, I was thoroughly lost in the moment.</p><p>It reminded me of something, something I'd read years ago. A very funny Sophie Kinsella novel "The Undomestic Goddess" featuring a deliciously romantic romp</p><p><br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyWPDkZmpm_tZgRIEsHtVjhu1nYswVZ_UJnngpWLkDVh-oV8kjsQU6CnzW3KGYab0C2mZy-cnTZrz4UmkDgtNWbnPr3Fb0f__ZGcE10Jy1q_p5dvm_SKTRsTvwUTBiw4GeeV2ST7m-PpVO9-axkAkjNJVD1lzAQtKF_pc5Z8o3UBAQiWXmNfwKaBD/s4014/BF209D20-B465-4A95-9724-473BFE687A22.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4014" data-original-width="2654" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyWPDkZmpm_tZgRIEsHtVjhu1nYswVZ_UJnngpWLkDVh-oV8kjsQU6CnzW3KGYab0C2mZy-cnTZrz4UmkDgtNWbnPr3Fb0f__ZGcE10Jy1q_p5dvm_SKTRsTvwUTBiw4GeeV2ST7m-PpVO9-axkAkjNJVD1lzAQtKF_pc5Z8o3UBAQiWXmNfwKaBD/w424-h640/BF209D20-B465-4A95-9724-473BFE687A22.jpeg" width="424" /></a></div><br />in the raspberry canes between the heroine Samantha and the rather gorgeous Nathaniel. <p>Samantha is a hotshot overworked London lawyer who escapes to the countryside after she's blamed for a multi-million-pound error and Nathaniel is a gardener who teaches her that life in the slow lane can be more rewarding in more ways than one. A few days later , I found the book in a bookcase upstairs and the raspberry picking scene.</p><p>"The raspberry canes are further down the garden, like rooms of green netting, with dry earthy floors and rows of raspberry canes As we enter there's no sound apart from buzzing insects and the flapping of a trapped bird, which Nathaniel shoos out.</p><p>We work the first row wordlessly, intently, picking the fruit off the plants. By the end of the row, my mouth is tangy with the taste of them, my hands are scratched and aching, and I'm sweating all over. The heat seems more intense in this raspberry cage than anywhere else in the garden,</p><p> We meet at the end of the row and Nathaniel looks at me a still second, sweat running down the side of his face.</p><p>"Hot work," he says. He puts his trug down and strips off his T-shirt.</p><p>"Yes."There's a still beat between us. Then, almost defiantly, I do the same. I'm standing there in my bra, inches from in, my skin pale and milky compared to his.</p><p>"Have we done enough?" I gesture at the trug, but Nathaniel doesn't even glance down.</p><p>"Not yet."</p><p>Something about this expression makes me damp and prickly behind my knees. I meet his eyes and it's like we're playing truth or dare.</p><p>"I couldn't reach these ones." I point at a high cluster of fruit just out of reach.</p><p>"I'll help" He leans over me, skin against skin, and I feel his mouth on my earlobe as he picks the fruit. My entire body responds. I can't bear this, I need it to stop. And I need it not to stop."</p><p>Well, I'm going to stop there too as the attraction and tension among the raspberries continues rather well. I couldn't help thinking of that scene though, during the heatwave when I went to the allotment to water the raspberries after doing some more picking. </p><p>The heat, the sweating (mine). There the resemblance ended and I began to smile, then giggle, before crying with laughter. </p><p>Romance was decidedly lacking. In the distance I could see Alan, in his eighties, back bent over digging, and then stopping to rub his back as he tried to get upright. On the neighbouring allotment, Graham was huffing and puffing, not from any physical exertion I might add, he was too busy swearing at the same time. I don't blame him, thieves keep targeting our allotment site, and I won't describe what he was going to do to them if found.</p><p>Truth can be so much more mundane than fiction.</p><p>Meanwhile, there are plenty of raspberries tucked away in the freezer, raspberry coulis too, and pounds of homemade raspberry and gin jam on my shelves. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5B6BADDQaokCw0pXPMJ4kK4-7GU1x6-kQ_JnX9TDu7dInWatP3B5x3mtTKbWMnVZPq-rYKSAaUfX4kpd34geXMj_miVqGAoXEai4TnpLUFidgcd8FVt0YlU1StKqZpp1iIUXb2ZB8P3JqSQoSDSo7Jmt_bo8pKbJbwV2CSZY-OBz2q6qWR_N9Ydfu/s1082/219C32E8-B762-4F12-B289-598856DEE69C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="1082" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5B6BADDQaokCw0pXPMJ4kK4-7GU1x6-kQ_JnX9TDu7dInWatP3B5x3mtTKbWMnVZPq-rYKSAaUfX4kpd34geXMj_miVqGAoXEai4TnpLUFidgcd8FVt0YlU1StKqZpp1iIUXb2ZB8P3JqSQoSDSo7Jmt_bo8pKbJbwV2CSZY-OBz2q6qWR_N9Ydfu/w640-h580/219C32E8-B762-4F12-B289-598856DEE69C.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p> All I need to do now is prune the raspberries, and re-read Sophie Kinsella’s novel……</p>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-60556103986195175302022-07-23T09:52:00.001+01:002022-07-23T10:01:26.230+01:00Days of discoveries and changes at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">There's always something different to see at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, even a surprise or two.</span></div><p></p><p>One of the biggest surprises this month in terms of size, is the fact that the recent, blisteringly record high temperatures we've been experiencing have uncovered something very special.</p><p>This is a view of the South Lawn at Chatsworth, usually a lush-looking green.</p><p>Now though, like thousands of lawns across the UK (including mine), it's scorched and in places the colour of straw. Unlike others, this lawn has revealed what is left underneath of a much earlier garden from the the17th century.</p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7q29_Ejlqxd42Gh0NidfpXZe8G5dbJmLfhk1fjg1seW9rMSlN8oLYWtE5wurptRt-Ua3eY_eUAJ-4BwPk9PQ5sa_p5QfGB_tjUCK59cpMVC-nQjpLxMpEE-QyGfG_YzIBZyvV-FTZLL_BppFLTUKzw86oMMVwVrWUU7LvnHclQdJHiUTsxOpHRkVp/s5799/Chatsworth%20south-front-in-spring%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6o3K-gU9b6pt67j2eYCJwV3Yri3lqJJxBSp5nS1VAIUCCetEwF8aKyNN675qqcsZF2pPE53Wnu3ZvCyymfYibXrLOlehPkespi03icrw6gQjAVOkbMQf6T-rzejIQn-sSjkGNsKBYMyv0BXsAgU2JMPDXZP7sTTsrhCAbmJSi2SXxAlTV8YokrkqZ/s3840/Parterre%20aerial%2003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6o3K-gU9b6pt67j2eYCJwV3Yri3lqJJxBSp5nS1VAIUCCetEwF8aKyNN675qqcsZF2pPE53Wnu3ZvCyymfYibXrLOlehPkespi03icrw6gQjAVOkbMQf6T-rzejIQn-sSjkGNsKBYMyv0BXsAgU2JMPDXZP7sTTsrhCAbmJSi2SXxAlTV8YokrkqZ/w640-h360/Parterre%20aerial%2003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The pattern looks intriguing, doesn't it? What's even more fascinating is that the historians and gardeners know what exactly was here from this illustration of the ornate design of the garden which was created in 1699 for the Ist Duke of Devonshire.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ayJ2Jr71TOFAhFxnrfG6lqJ2SVOlTEq2kDpNbPuFQ2KSAJeRC-otF69oxV6XNVE5Km-M_bwPBQPQ-yModWcuO5Xs8q1ClxUQIOGcSndk-xxFDd6xkj_KtWu36f9K1cbQl2kqufLjnN3Rktwgi4KHyhE69UqMMiFfPhi3YBpyk7SImwD48Du3hKNK/s1074/Kip%20&%20Knyff%20mono,%20from%201699%20-%20crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1074" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ayJ2Jr71TOFAhFxnrfG6lqJ2SVOlTEq2kDpNbPuFQ2KSAJeRC-otF69oxV6XNVE5Km-M_bwPBQPQ-yModWcuO5Xs8q1ClxUQIOGcSndk-xxFDd6xkj_KtWu36f9K1cbQl2kqufLjnN3Rktwgi4KHyhE69UqMMiFfPhi3YBpyk7SImwD48Du3hKNK/w640-h524/Kip%20&%20Knyff%20mono,%20from%201699%20-%20crop.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>It's lovely to see these echoes of the past, proof that the gardens at Chatsworth have constantly evolved and changed over 300 years.</div><div>What a coincidence that this should happen now, as the garden has been going through its biggest transformation in the last 200 years.</div><div><br /></div><div>I came to Chatsworth last September to see the changes which were taking place across the 105-acre gardens and was bowled over by the time, energy and sheer scale of the alterations and creation of a new15 acre garden called Arcadia on a ridge above the more formal gardens, at a cost. of around £15 million.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can read about it here..</div><div>http://thinkingofthedays.blogspot.com/2021/09/a-day-of-visiting-chatsworth-house.html?m=1</div><div><br /></div><div>Last month I was back to see what else has been happening since then. Arcadia continues to delight, and it's good to see Tom Stuart Smith's designs of woodland and meadow glades in a different season, a different palette of colours.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmAUSe08BvYn5Bgmuwr5BzfCA1uvkOCX1J__6MtmpqmNSe3Cv4WRs-TzoHZFJgFOUus0attOiGM5CFkKwkka-6hb5rqKApZcuZ9aSOiSc7V5MhB-6yYadMdyIJjlsdtNkw_bKF8aXRUob4nMa-Z6OV6rr9wHJwAW3G9Py37eoK_onprkQKU-IFvd4/s4032/89C2B127-D726-4F1E-A090-27AADFC1F31F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmAUSe08BvYn5Bgmuwr5BzfCA1uvkOCX1J__6MtmpqmNSe3Cv4WRs-TzoHZFJgFOUus0attOiGM5CFkKwkka-6hb5rqKApZcuZ9aSOiSc7V5MhB-6yYadMdyIJjlsdtNkw_bKF8aXRUob4nMa-Z6OV6rr9wHJwAW3G9Py37eoK_onprkQKU-IFvd4/w640-h480/89C2B127-D726-4F1E-A090-27AADFC1F31F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgovpWfkwQUrzuwaZ-TCqJ7KIU08DyTEdwiTK0Lve6yKTLm0u0rg0ysEW6PM1IaGCt3TuiVACig-FVNY9Wi4qLF6CaKEQw97MrcgcFuzYwXJ-2qNF8kAz3W4WAvR2ejkZsf0rwMqWOGss6ueSE7NKG45lPthTiYKX5S2aPJ_ZO6OjcdefLWCI6_hVE/s4032/72999165-F064-427A-82FC-A66D10FB66F6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgovpWfkwQUrzuwaZ-TCqJ7KIU08DyTEdwiTK0Lve6yKTLm0u0rg0ysEW6PM1IaGCt3TuiVACig-FVNY9Wi4qLF6CaKEQw97MrcgcFuzYwXJ-2qNF8kAz3W4WAvR2ejkZsf0rwMqWOGss6ueSE7NKG45lPthTiYKX5S2aPJ_ZO6OjcdefLWCI6_hVE/w640-h480/72999165-F064-427A-82FC-A66D10FB66F6.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The rose garden has also had a make over, the first since 1939. Designer Tome Stuart Smith says he wants more romance, and has planted over 100 different varieties of roses and introduced the underplanting of foxgloves, bearded irises and violas to provide a show from early spring to autumn.</div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgS5kkQ1JAM8tV-IT5X-NNr_yY2V_Hrkw4sShjfkiCuYEhzL0trvg_1LmoHbsafaV99JqFWve-Da9qshHrRXGsyJhH9sk0k7VSCXPjfd4KOqQgTK_16bqYtktARAAiqLBdEidpVKc-87HffyMITBhX3nY6TqPIziiqOg2Tmelhhzo-9P7OoPKUGn-/s4032/9049C7A5-ACB5-4FD9-A728-4FAC043A1404.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgS5kkQ1JAM8tV-IT5X-NNr_yY2V_Hrkw4sShjfkiCuYEhzL0trvg_1LmoHbsafaV99JqFWve-Da9qshHrRXGsyJhH9sk0k7VSCXPjfd4KOqQgTK_16bqYtktARAAiqLBdEidpVKc-87HffyMITBhX3nY6TqPIziiqOg2Tmelhhzo-9P7OoPKUGn-/w640-h480/9049C7A5-ACB5-4FD9-A728-4FAC043A1404.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>A bigger and bolder move is enhancing the Rock Garden, designed by Joseph Paxton. It's the oldest and largest in the world and has delighted visitors for many years. </div><div><br /></div><div>Not only are there more rocks strategically placed to add depth to a vista but they are also accompanied by new, prolific swathes of planting to add colour and more all-year-round interest.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqXwUi1F6BNh5nK917pS8HqtZ2663sIytxFEXgw9AUOBAe7oGRMu7J4VjesFrmaIna9b5ZbhycKT50DpJibNkUJNEvgZibuBm1PvP7KOdLLdHsKFJ5BfzJjorpJa-X5h02ujNIWGWRn6cTlwv2BVuEF1qbAZWKWEQMQ6Suta5qnxrHn0GA1utZePY/s4032/29907F77-F483-429E-930D-894C9B5B56FA.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqXwUi1F6BNh5nK917pS8HqtZ2663sIytxFEXgw9AUOBAe7oGRMu7J4VjesFrmaIna9b5ZbhycKT50DpJibNkUJNEvgZibuBm1PvP7KOdLLdHsKFJ5BfzJjorpJa-X5h02ujNIWGWRn6cTlwv2BVuEF1qbAZWKWEQMQ6Suta5qnxrHn0GA1utZePY/w640-h480/29907F77-F483-429E-930D-894C9B5B56FA.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This centrepiece of the Rock Garden still commands awe and attention. and my case, longing. It was such a hot day, I had an intense urge to stand for a while under the falling cool water.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-Cx6M3qyhl8SdM_-fdlU0YlpKyb1KEo6qgYasWE2wC97-M07cBAIA7taVaeJCTVg_SiLBnxgiMT9n1llSBQ0PFzvxlWhFvyTCcUB2RqhNg8eSBeYSqfBrIqB5zB-EpZWm2-7vN2oMAFH-V9c3k7QcJs17Xes2Vvr0ymhHiZ2IsN0pBwRhQEAyXu_/s4032/553012AF-A08C-4889-870D-EA39E684E323.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-Cx6M3qyhl8SdM_-fdlU0YlpKyb1KEo6qgYasWE2wC97-M07cBAIA7taVaeJCTVg_SiLBnxgiMT9n1llSBQ0PFzvxlWhFvyTCcUB2RqhNg8eSBeYSqfBrIqB5zB-EpZWm2-7vN2oMAFH-V9c3k7QcJs17Xes2Vvr0ymhHiZ2IsN0pBwRhQEAyXu_/w480-h640/553012AF-A08C-4889-870D-EA39E684E323.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I don't think Steve Porter, the amiable Head of Gardens and Landscape would have approved somehow, but he likes the fact that visitors are spending more time now in the Rock Garden, not merely walking through it. There is more to see, and areas to sit and drink in the views.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDCG-lYeWYLM4gZeOHY0wbx2ZdSJwwVQ9K91vrjwN4VNZ6WhQFT0vyiq0QwV6LaXGRW8atHWPxEH5AoJ3iUcMIUjqoO4wXdS96lsoMyDZF_7IuCkpoliZaij6W4H1JiTRPVyg9TnwmV2xOLp5k12kbZyvZvc7ocgeH77mNbWGG-0ziT8roFWCNciO/s4032/A7688973-93F9-4A47-9E31-030356F20FA9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDCG-lYeWYLM4gZeOHY0wbx2ZdSJwwVQ9K91vrjwN4VNZ6WhQFT0vyiq0QwV6LaXGRW8atHWPxEH5AoJ3iUcMIUjqoO4wXdS96lsoMyDZF_7IuCkpoliZaij6W4H1JiTRPVyg9TnwmV2xOLp5k12kbZyvZvc7ocgeH77mNbWGG-0ziT8roFWCNciO/w640-h480/A7688973-93F9-4A47-9E31-030356F20FA9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2Jai6v4iRPhUqI_fwm9mz91gMRzfQtKyiCEstkdWu0oQf-qQo5Kd_I5jjMLmuPyf7ribzgUUm3x3JCaS24zjlgMEK70DOAT41FnqHTI6fM-pxzwLNFC_PryIM6ktsiafdEQfjRrmLvCpYtw9Y_BoJzhbvrWQWKCrXdZ7i9xmV9IAYqnpOfWpNOv8/s4032/F522B63C-6F7B-47E3-8AFB-26BC75F9C79A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2Jai6v4iRPhUqI_fwm9mz91gMRzfQtKyiCEstkdWu0oQf-qQo5Kd_I5jjMLmuPyf7ribzgUUm3x3JCaS24zjlgMEK70DOAT41FnqHTI6fM-pxzwLNFC_PryIM6ktsiafdEQfjRrmLvCpYtw9Y_BoJzhbvrWQWKCrXdZ7i9xmV9IAYqnpOfWpNOv8/w480-h640/F522B63C-6F7B-47E3-8AFB-26BC75F9C79A.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="m_329743219162834044templateContainer" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; max-width: 640px; min-width: 300px; text-align: center; width: 100%px;" valign="top"><tbody><tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 10px 20px; text-align: right;"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>"The more time people engage with a garden and revisit a garden is a measure of success," says Steve, and that's happening already, with more visitors returning, eager to see what's going on in the garden. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The most hardworking three acres of gardens at Chatsworth are very productive ones. A fruit garden, a vegetable garden, and a cutting garden are set on the hill with wonderful views across to the rolling parkland </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTeN6LOUJC5LZ987_ZBEOuEFnYXTxLXcBxBQ2vbBATA3NCaNso-hQ5LWIm69vdNGwVcGiBSUvokO50pKnjv_2ChgF3HPsgduh1WvOBtBPU4HEEE00RUWaiOo7t1wuoJVEJqGVhDHBFAO7M-sxCsq1JrdGrxffMlRCSx_5w5X9UIWwjljIKKaYYM2uA/s4032/F428A61E-D284-43F4-92BB-880C361938D1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTeN6LOUJC5LZ987_ZBEOuEFnYXTxLXcBxBQ2vbBATA3NCaNso-hQ5LWIm69vdNGwVcGiBSUvokO50pKnjv_2ChgF3HPsgduh1WvOBtBPU4HEEE00RUWaiOo7t1wuoJVEJqGVhDHBFAO7M-sxCsq1JrdGrxffMlRCSx_5w5X9UIWwjljIKKaYYM2uA/w640-h480/F428A61E-D284-43F4-92BB-880C361938D1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Mick Brown is the Production Garden Manager, leading a team of three gardeners and eleven volunteers.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68BoSXyhwWtnddULC3VW6zG-cQs_g0YSjlysxFOaKcM3Lgmuj3x3ypZbm35cxJCc-nCsNub_gB0C9J3aAdu3zzJwWl1YY0JZnK9QzdYfo9wfABT1XEHy5TF5Vq99chWSOgn4KbnQ2I71YoWjk2bTdCfHQurODjQoH29dZZHtZgP_boYh3MHO8dz3Z/s4032/E2066C22-E547-42F4-89BD-A793EA53B8A7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68BoSXyhwWtnddULC3VW6zG-cQs_g0YSjlysxFOaKcM3Lgmuj3x3ypZbm35cxJCc-nCsNub_gB0C9J3aAdu3zzJwWl1YY0JZnK9QzdYfo9wfABT1XEHy5TF5Vq99chWSOgn4KbnQ2I71YoWjk2bTdCfHQurODjQoH29dZZHtZgP_boYh3MHO8dz3Z/w640-h480/E2066C22-E547-42F4-89BD-A793EA53B8A7.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>He says there have always been kitchen gardens at Chatsworth in different areas, but this site was very much unloved until the early 1990's.There were greenhouses, but the 11th Duke and Duchess Deborah were inspired by the popularity of the grow your own movement, at the time, to make the kitchen gardens beautiful as well as productive, and open them so that the public can see the area.<div><br /></div><div>The cutting garden is undeniably decorative and it was so pleasing to see rows and rows of peonies. I was especially taken with the exquisite "Evening World " which I will definitely introduce into my garden next year.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnK9D-kETXNJr1UbPaNbj_DHM-rcaWNxqsqQU-8z9p4DQOrWBE_HXXbdF_q_7dmaHDU-X8Q4GkHepyVqpPdu01pTMOsbkCKn_tO9yJrt36hHUMkPSu7ffWiMd6DabnyV2Kfyt-pg7QiehdGP8wGaZC70ypPp-WVV0is6ekYXsuI8a95H3o1slhBTv/s4032/FE332412-4E93-481E-951B-D195D6194996.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnK9D-kETXNJr1UbPaNbj_DHM-rcaWNxqsqQU-8z9p4DQOrWBE_HXXbdF_q_7dmaHDU-X8Q4GkHepyVqpPdu01pTMOsbkCKn_tO9yJrt36hHUMkPSu7ffWiMd6DabnyV2Kfyt-pg7QiehdGP8wGaZC70ypPp-WVV0is6ekYXsuI8a95H3o1slhBTv/w640-h480/FE332412-4E93-481E-951B-D195D6194996.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wasn't the only one transfixed by the cutting garden....Camilla Anderson and Sylvia Travers, also from the Garden Media Guild were too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8T7H3P7457seRyU8y5CCGYJgvzE8vty-Us86E25c-GzwowLs6txzOIhEgTH0uNbCiUVrxNQ-Ysb81jv85YmkLP8aBwVyzr74qhCBPas6dRF8FCB-y457pXHNREdbwzFO0h2_Zh2DQLUf1K8VRx4xHG7VLyLTE_DqdiAldj7N8YcfWLFe5MbDBUoLW/s4032/C7941512-D6C5-4403-9B28-218529FEC2B4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8T7H3P7457seRyU8y5CCGYJgvzE8vty-Us86E25c-GzwowLs6txzOIhEgTH0uNbCiUVrxNQ-Ysb81jv85YmkLP8aBwVyzr74qhCBPas6dRF8FCB-y457pXHNREdbwzFO0h2_Zh2DQLUf1K8VRx4xHG7VLyLTE_DqdiAldj7N8YcfWLFe5MbDBUoLW/w640-h480/C7941512-D6C5-4403-9B28-218529FEC2B4.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All of these flowers are grown to be seen here in the garden, to be cut for floral bouquets for the House itself, for weddings and other events held at Chatsworth House, and for the floristry workshops </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">held here too. Not a single bloom is wasted ....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggdliBriJFlCf3WecNF6toPndcDxkJmqDm3xExJCVu9EZzu0HjzdIFVgm2QxWBHjKrDoa__-dMxptVxgaEWTz0BXIuvMcJEQ18scX1WpLzDV7L5TQT2uowl0PHD18ocoOlnSFBSv-skfzpGtiIqO6SKU9GamiDupGMkgTJetinMmJHVrrYPHEvpgc6" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggdliBriJFlCf3WecNF6toPndcDxkJmqDm3xExJCVu9EZzu0HjzdIFVgm2QxWBHjKrDoa__-dMxptVxgaEWTz0BXIuvMcJEQ18scX1WpLzDV7L5TQT2uowl0PHD18ocoOlnSFBSv-skfzpGtiIqO6SKU9GamiDupGMkgTJetinMmJHVrrYPHEvpgc6=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The vegetable garden is similarly intensively cultivated, as the vegetables and salads aren't just grown to feed the Duke and Duchess and their family.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They are supplied to hotels, pubs, and the Farm Shop which is owned by the Estate well as the newly opened Chatsworth Kitchen in nearby Rowsley, serving locally sourced food each day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">According to Mick Brown, the high demand for their vegetables from local chefs is energizing his team because they can see the value in what they do each day, and they are growing a wider variety too, with historic crops enjoying a resurgence. Mick's enthusiasm for his job is obviously infectious and he's proud of what his team are achieving.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The produce of the fruit garden and orchard is in demand too, such as the Derbyshire Beeling Pippin apple and other local traditional varieties. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mick also oversees the glass houses, including the wonderful vinery, a huge glasshouse which was originally erected in 1835 with two others to house orchids.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuG75wuh4tKI30Ur-5ObKS_H9x6oDMWZKUi6j88uUJME9AF8bW7VXwAhT-L_9vti4uakAibldX962nz5XHNEiHKJf7vEVLNIWmVwABH_oEIuLB7rRNB5C1RKvmLvrlZAWnE3B1v4VMi5ap_WRBosVaaQdrl803MDoLfFjWKvBs_rFlBuxU7a9uFaFO/s4032/C02E0084-FCE6-4AD4-984C-7C2CA75045B8.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuG75wuh4tKI30Ur-5ObKS_H9x6oDMWZKUi6j88uUJME9AF8bW7VXwAhT-L_9vti4uakAibldX962nz5XHNEiHKJf7vEVLNIWmVwABH_oEIuLB7rRNB5C1RKvmLvrlZAWnE3B1v4VMi5ap_WRBosVaaQdrl803MDoLfFjWKvBs_rFlBuxU7a9uFaFO/w640-h480/C02E0084-FCE6-4AD4-984C-7C2CA75045B8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since the 1920's though, the space has been used to grow muscat Alexandria grapes and peaches. It's a glorious space, even though what sounds like shots ring out at intervals. We're assured that it's just the blackbird scarer, so we all relax and tuck into some produce from the Estate, such as beetroot and horseradish chutneys and heritage green tomato chutneys, with cheese and biscuits.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiToA1OVMxUYoJjfhWYSrWJH4Aanwf7xDuyLsfNQsGnh9gs1SlYErVUO9S7fwudDG5iS4qB2zaHS2zNPKirjwYqsGOCSMQNAcFD6qkKGv3yTd1p6JlHzxWiet7bxAwcdZlWroe8YzRGGjPVA33U5MVDsZeXQkDh4b03puBDxiJmll4Q4WOF5M3-g94g/s2838/E70D6D56-618E-4B14-9DB3-C67F40F4451B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2343" data-original-width="2838" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiToA1OVMxUYoJjfhWYSrWJH4Aanwf7xDuyLsfNQsGnh9gs1SlYErVUO9S7fwudDG5iS4qB2zaHS2zNPKirjwYqsGOCSMQNAcFD6qkKGv3yTd1p6JlHzxWiet7bxAwcdZlWroe8YzRGGjPVA33U5MVDsZeXQkDh4b03puBDxiJmll4Q4WOF5M3-g94g/w640-h528/E70D6D56-618E-4B14-9DB3-C67F40F4451B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> Delicious limoncello, orangecello and even some Great Conservatory rose pink gin too.....thimblefuls, I might add, otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to navigate home.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oa3kc84VdfJLWxBZyOa49vASVKjxwRAOlq3OhFQKmnYew6IjF-GQ-N4bIyJazTD06SAb9RmvWvcXpU8yW0nqT2D2MTbrmLswkkqzHFjDn-9EkXVyKw5Td2s-0sGjjyHThUws9mXhnkliEAR-c1fFtdLv0Lu5y9InW3Jb3bwi1nH2tdNdrMO95IjP/s3818/073A3D2A-2411-443A-A457-A551BB95676B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3818" data-original-width="2874" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oa3kc84VdfJLWxBZyOa49vASVKjxwRAOlq3OhFQKmnYew6IjF-GQ-N4bIyJazTD06SAb9RmvWvcXpU8yW0nqT2D2MTbrmLswkkqzHFjDn-9EkXVyKw5Td2s-0sGjjyHThUws9mXhnkliEAR-c1fFtdLv0Lu5y9InW3Jb3bwi1nH2tdNdrMO95IjP/w482-h640/073A3D2A-2411-443A-A457-A551BB95676B.jpeg" width="482" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Unfortunately, it was time to leave, but I'll definitely be back again. Visiting Chatsworth House Garden really is the gift that keeps giving, with something new to discover with every visit, </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Chatsworth House Garden is currently open daily from 10.30am until 5.30pm.</div>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-19787567925731364572022-06-09T09:22:00.002+01:002022-06-09T10:08:20.012+01:00days of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Living in the UK, you couldn't have avoided the Jubilee celebrations last week even if you had tried.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Four days of events and gatherings were held across the country to mark the Queen's 70 years of service as the longest-reigning monarch in our history.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In London, there was the Trooping of the Colour, a concert outside Buckingham Palace, thousands thronging the Mall, big fancy affairs, church services, and thousands of more modest street parties. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You couldn't move far without spotting flags and bunting throughout the land..and there was one event which united all parts of the kingdom. It's the old tradition of a beacon chain. Lighting a beacon chain in villages, towns, and cities was a tool of communication, perhaps used to warn of invasion and danger. Now, it's used to celebrate jubilees and as a symbol of unity and celebration.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Back here at home in our teeny, tiny village, we celebrated too. With less than thirty houses here, our events aren't on a grand scale, but we do enjoy ourselves.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our beacon lighting event took place last Thursday at 9.45pm in a huge field on the top of a hill which is only a couple of hundred yards outside the village. You can see for miles from here.....</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzmshzbPVp_bRZNuGmTPJWOki3TcALoi85ynriqQEodvLYmwwatPFPuPP1FvrIr7WsSwTS8cO86SQdLXg-KLA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The beacon was set and expertly lit by Phil on the right side of this photo...</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPaoICnDEnclTWr9Bsre8ydYG5JMJSV4D5fLKbMG04OVv2sTuKnIcDppnT-rVSL_RnkXqkSz_ozRjSWLp5IecD1sLJu_clXGjqj-plqoY-iobO-QGT3r1v-5RA1bsvVvujjv-9l3eY4AbwDQVFPuQYaDEje36fDkrvoFFbeTkJqqgIrDmooFSQ3fnI/s4032/2B461C37-8688-42E2-9AE9-F2361CB78739.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPaoICnDEnclTWr9Bsre8ydYG5JMJSV4D5fLKbMG04OVv2sTuKnIcDppnT-rVSL_RnkXqkSz_ozRjSWLp5IecD1sLJu_clXGjqj-plqoY-iobO-QGT3r1v-5RA1bsvVvujjv-9l3eY4AbwDQVFPuQYaDEje36fDkrvoFFbeTkJqqgIrDmooFSQ3fnI/w640-h480/2B461C37-8688-42E2-9AE9-F2361CB78739.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Some of us brought a bottle or two of something to celebrate, some didn't but everyone enjoyed meeting up, chatting, and watching the amazing skies putting on their own dramatic show.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnRMUQn_Ciu3GnvdS47F24VVKWnB6iaBf9OPa8wapvxJlxk7mYcO_XW7SKVv-f4dEtMG7vMSPLtkz5sk8f3qVb0FOQqtF-Lnu1nUYXQnh53v4E4q7MR9hVBYg22ejvGQyjKP6qNn1J0IEYTDIx4ImufkbC3xmaAHureIH2h9HKQSCmHJXO-dHyPBJ/s4032/711443A7-F118-431E-88D1-3C790FD9BCC1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnRMUQn_Ciu3GnvdS47F24VVKWnB6iaBf9OPa8wapvxJlxk7mYcO_XW7SKVv-f4dEtMG7vMSPLtkz5sk8f3qVb0FOQqtF-Lnu1nUYXQnh53v4E4q7MR9hVBYg22ejvGQyjKP6qNn1J0IEYTDIx4ImufkbC3xmaAHureIH2h9HKQSCmHJXO-dHyPBJ/w640-h480/711443A7-F118-431E-88D1-3C790FD9BCC1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUp7t2dS46XCi_fM7SwFRG39S_9iFsawSBypm7n0aC4PTVoH9dlPDD3jhBDcOgWBxLj2SKmtUlJT5qZKaRt0eKQs9keJLX3G9sK65iuNd18GAa6WJ1AWfklSlXpl3ar-WAF9g95IeuzsA9QFUk3wUVMzj5Wsq2DVb8ZCAXeu_8TvXNILUZ3a-c9pz/s4032/7B4DB39F-0DBF-47DD-8B83-E218BBAB9BBE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVi_jY63d_33TfitayK__-zU2AGVg9FFML4fsUCWMXRMxiRvDD5RnGfGQo4SUSrtxDciKkbsZPoasP8ZnTEVRzHN5QLpfs0yOjAHmOvI6PWbJAR0DRDNqEQvF2Zr5s1k1z1FqxiXmVqnoeKqVH8P9FyTh2jGHanL9DCPFv-Ko6NHAhREFggowypYv/s3933/4A8C7605-597E-4B85-892F-E688ACF626C3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It grew darker and some began to edge away from the beacon which was well and truly alight and throwing out quite a fierce heat</div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTQ4NR5UM0nl9ybqBhPqqF4p31Gfu9geSQBPjrZNPqto8hnXrUoRiBwkSUtMf5ieY-dwYnA5fyzbENznYatlnQnbXHEmCoGKFrlYdSX6zIsbwO_Bv-Ua0OMrklRWiAlXx4PAhJkZQZsOaBqMbBDAeZuH79YJxJtk0jOiHhn_Y7emaqdcKOPrAR60z/s4032/571DEBFB-A78F-4B2F-8E04-D373E3F4690C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTQ4NR5UM0nl9ybqBhPqqF4p31Gfu9geSQBPjrZNPqto8hnXrUoRiBwkSUtMf5ieY-dwYnA5fyzbENznYatlnQnbXHEmCoGKFrlYdSX6zIsbwO_Bv-Ua0OMrklRWiAlXx4PAhJkZQZsOaBqMbBDAeZuH79YJxJtk0jOiHhn_Y7emaqdcKOPrAR60z/w640-h480/571DEBFB-A78F-4B2F-8E04-D373E3F4690C.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilqzdznP0E2iAcJGqSNE0qLW6LT1HyOQjNt_9iYtgKe1Q1erWDQWpEDtfeJEkn8SLfoCHW_UVjLcjsnuCKkK6U3CFpj1FBlpSsfiHeyvT3zZlmwpYSaAdYf06p9nR6aJsPmNGcsJJN2C6AaIOeDBTUzEHu2De8lld4yJGdEtQV2HQrPH7fF9ctiluv/s4032/5C75339D-95C9-4C19-AE78-4096DEE19BDF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilqzdznP0E2iAcJGqSNE0qLW6LT1HyOQjNt_9iYtgKe1Q1erWDQWpEDtfeJEkn8SLfoCHW_UVjLcjsnuCKkK6U3CFpj1FBlpSsfiHeyvT3zZlmwpYSaAdYf06p9nR6aJsPmNGcsJJN2C6AaIOeDBTUzEHu2De8lld4yJGdEtQV2HQrPH7fF9ctiluv/w640-h480/5C75339D-95C9-4C19-AE78-4096DEE19BDF.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thanks to Joe (below on the right) who lent his fabulous field for the beacon lighting </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJow11xmg8HnJwkv5Pqplw9TfAKv_KUwOeUeBUALpxPL4mprIQJ1xLNVfw9-xcI6-tC0xaT0dlBhqPWTq93-L4iWjZSjxESy6Scwke5dyq__NAiW1syB4smalklNbrs3zn7SgOZP3cOuwx2Pi8xa45HeaSO4W_R2hNLLYGuBYOQ5mpVaMkuYxKsfo/s4032/145A2B62-1BE5-4866-9EF9-A92A77ED7856.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJow11xmg8HnJwkv5Pqplw9TfAKv_KUwOeUeBUALpxPL4mprIQJ1xLNVfw9-xcI6-tC0xaT0dlBhqPWTq93-L4iWjZSjxESy6Scwke5dyq__NAiW1syB4smalklNbrs3zn7SgOZP3cOuwx2Pi8xa45HeaSO4W_R2hNLLYGuBYOQ5mpVaMkuYxKsfo/w640-h480/145A2B62-1BE5-4866-9EF9-A92A77ED7856.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pBGhDQzvv1PufqQTpy3l_Luw5tdKWgkZzCqRt5lE7x4O6lpGyoY5eqaoadKGCMCKX70j3PxKX72Hy12b9g0he1Ki55-6seITN5KZ-6O2JelNvPM_IkHyiZ0STwqqMGoeSB187OwXupKGzxu4xoUCEti85af6jdBXygupHPJ2GXELWHUBfH2ZwOvm/s4032/1AE1EBD1-C21B-469C-8846-3AE5D5D7AE80.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pBGhDQzvv1PufqQTpy3l_Luw5tdKWgkZzCqRt5lE7x4O6lpGyoY5eqaoadKGCMCKX70j3PxKX72Hy12b9g0he1Ki55-6seITN5KZ-6O2JelNvPM_IkHyiZ0STwqqMGoeSB187OwXupKGzxu4xoUCEti85af6jdBXygupHPJ2GXELWHUBfH2ZwOvm/w640-h480/1AE1EBD1-C21B-469C-8846-3AE5D5D7AE80.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmSgxE8Q1MhV9StcCxIq47CdgLDZn8CVceZ24I7VnPPuuP70a-Ih84W2H0nejZSN4xrPzas7DSCuE6A9v0JSMwcd4UYf6bkgjw6X0u2OnjcuXPzJex7zWLe8A95bBgk0rXySdAfjN0JKcDEZni_DhwaAUXazHK7s93sx6RRUcWzDc63YYMqDt2caw/s4032/4A6A8977-7059-4A2B-AD0A-6935CC70C999.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmSgxE8Q1MhV9StcCxIq47CdgLDZn8CVceZ24I7VnPPuuP70a-Ih84W2H0nejZSN4xrPzas7DSCuE6A9v0JSMwcd4UYf6bkgjw6X0u2OnjcuXPzJex7zWLe8A95bBgk0rXySdAfjN0JKcDEZni_DhwaAUXazHK7s93sx6RRUcWzDc63YYMqDt2caw/w640-h480/4A6A8977-7059-4A2B-AD0A-6935CC70C999.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05s_0CtZgSGSmZyXcOjYAZm2SE5jaqJO5jcRCEWuXPpX8hz-Swx2N81RRwj0qabLXTkcVxZV6ZJt8tsQUKNX0n_w0hhzpK8CTBNmSu-VxwaXfPsISw4pmcRlbhtGYg7BZWyBSE2-KaEV8XNBFOiDxTbIbDH0z4forPsYX2Nl-oyaL43HwsDacM_oO/s4032/6C12D715-980A-4135-AE65-769C4AD3F3F8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05s_0CtZgSGSmZyXcOjYAZm2SE5jaqJO5jcRCEWuXPpX8hz-Swx2N81RRwj0qabLXTkcVxZV6ZJt8tsQUKNX0n_w0hhzpK8CTBNmSu-VxwaXfPsISw4pmcRlbhtGYg7BZWyBSE2-KaEV8XNBFOiDxTbIbDH0z4forPsYX2Nl-oyaL43HwsDacM_oO/w640-h480/6C12D715-980A-4135-AE65-769C4AD3F3F8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9s5YoLlF8fzTcyGHnKg_AId0XcIOZ1OYNs0R-DvTI9zRpTG4qqFpNIZImjMJrCgznk2oS2bwpxXudIsEh4ZQw5DJFGjRC66LhoWW7bcJcTbm4qgVUOyOHsJHawwC9cIRdokEw1Pcs_46SpvMBsyWgbVfSBPw8pNm66KRtQoCQx1ySMB5VR08ThU5/s4032/8A5BD2DA-9A2B-422D-A291-590D471B1E8F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9s5YoLlF8fzTcyGHnKg_AId0XcIOZ1OYNs0R-DvTI9zRpTG4qqFpNIZImjMJrCgznk2oS2bwpxXudIsEh4ZQw5DJFGjRC66LhoWW7bcJcTbm4qgVUOyOHsJHawwC9cIRdokEw1Pcs_46SpvMBsyWgbVfSBPw8pNm66KRtQoCQx1ySMB5VR08ThU5/w640-h480/8A5BD2DA-9A2B-422D-A291-590D471B1E8F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfgCslSqfShB65NtnV1uSL2ggs2nue_R0tncmicx8W15A92P-MGK9XdfNKhShjkdPpPDKTsjU8D7TeVG_KhQknhbJ5_ByOj5QcX9QMSn9MpTpn7U5IjkFa8yspXs_gMFpSQPvAsV1UA-q38_7eP-Ie43q4NNSWhvn_ImdXpvvlXqX57p8Gyhh2eGW/s4032/AAA6E8E6-6300-4461-8DBC-452DBC29EF9F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfgCslSqfShB65NtnV1uSL2ggs2nue_R0tncmicx8W15A92P-MGK9XdfNKhShjkdPpPDKTsjU8D7TeVG_KhQknhbJ5_ByOj5QcX9QMSn9MpTpn7U5IjkFa8yspXs_gMFpSQPvAsV1UA-q38_7eP-Ie43q4NNSWhvn_ImdXpvvlXqX57p8Gyhh2eGW/w640-h480/AAA6E8E6-6300-4461-8DBC-452DBC29EF9F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We now have two lovely Ukrainian families living in our village and it was so good to see them join in the celebrations. As we chatted, they told me about the ritual of a bonfire on Kupala night back home which takes place every July. <div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskG1MuDPF1LqsBb31Y5s-82jI7tu7hM_dUPzDjG5DMWF4-RFARkGo9S4D-p7d2L62tiysQEfjOLXtDTlxjabKDe4osl0jgBRnxnErzxtH5D0_EZb_JAY_wvYyshl2cO2hhCdUNFzXWZQXhPmkjDWrEQFbdKybE1h_KF4bvZNtAjikFTNB4QyQknj7/s3831/D5BC914F-379E-4E5F-9099-5BB5AF9498DC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3831" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskG1MuDPF1LqsBb31Y5s-82jI7tu7hM_dUPzDjG5DMWF4-RFARkGo9S4D-p7d2L62tiysQEfjOLXtDTlxjabKDe4osl0jgBRnxnErzxtH5D0_EZb_JAY_wvYyshl2cO2hhCdUNFzXWZQXhPmkjDWrEQFbdKybE1h_KF4bvZNtAjikFTNB4QyQknj7/w640-h506/D5BC914F-379E-4E5F-9099-5BB5AF9498DC.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>After sunset, young couples, holding hands, leap over the bonfire. If they don't separate their hands, they will marry and are destined to be together ...if not, their relationship won't last. It's a fascinating tradition, but luckily no one attempted to do that over our beacon bonfire!</div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHfr_YIHSee4VoMk3XrO-1RTyx34w14GLqlbwzLfDAv5pdTEShGUOmTd5Y226b6aotAkSEUwVHI7rgBgByz-tebViL4RaG1Kfua7Dvh1qm0oCEQigVjvSjdkDVonRTOOc-Ya-sI-b-xO-IN7vENdnUWN85Lpxjc3pzguAHPwn1kB9brflgRMv_uH5/s4032/4A3230A4-B059-4FF3-86C5-8C7C648B61E9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHfr_YIHSee4VoMk3XrO-1RTyx34w14GLqlbwzLfDAv5pdTEShGUOmTd5Y226b6aotAkSEUwVHI7rgBgByz-tebViL4RaG1Kfua7Dvh1qm0oCEQigVjvSjdkDVonRTOOc-Ya-sI-b-xO-IN7vENdnUWN85Lpxjc3pzguAHPwn1kB9brflgRMv_uH5/w640-h480/4A3230A4-B059-4FF3-86C5-8C7C648B61E9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Later as I walked home with friends, we all agreed that it had been a wonderful evening. Standing on the hilltop and watching other beacons light up in neighbouring and more distant villages, made us feel part of something bigger, I loved the conversations in the open air by firelight at a time when we would all usually be indoors, the sense of community and feeling invigorated.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Sunday morning, there was a special Jubilee service in our village church which was beautifully decorated with flowers.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Ssbo0jEefp6HdeClELCnpe-I1BMqHn79lMRwom4CzPHe1oeY3jD8-Gy7i_3xWK2IFpdIkSJw7uHUpF8s0ByVMkqz4fUI3J7Eb0FcgPIsfTPQjXQ9N6_XbKM3t33kA2Qr8NmQLao5_-cs_y3TzmxoR5cxs85665T_smDRVl5SMT2M3r2eSH8AzSu8/s4032/5C46E9B6-F187-4F7C-A786-E332875D35BC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Ssbo0jEefp6HdeClELCnpe-I1BMqHn79lMRwom4CzPHe1oeY3jD8-Gy7i_3xWK2IFpdIkSJw7uHUpF8s0ByVMkqz4fUI3J7Eb0FcgPIsfTPQjXQ9N6_XbKM3t33kA2Qr8NmQLao5_-cs_y3TzmxoR5cxs85665T_smDRVl5SMT2M3r2eSH8AzSu8/w640-h480/5C46E9B6-F187-4F7C-A786-E332875D35BC.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHdIxmSZw64qj3xGAvkzZ1u4vFLWdVYG1ZeM2fVGDxVn28ZUDTUX13457bg1LvxeO3likyYj_5suxYLU0YK2uXcidA05KTZKed3zP06z_Y-tC4EvLhbuUwwhoPWrVvnDVRMzbmDzhwHG_yWBj_lsXUtvORf8WOr9UEK0QmDHHAWiB5XNNo1dC1Ove/s3827/B39CDCCF-7674-4ADC-9CE1-3D03372CB3D6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2870" data-original-width="3827" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHdIxmSZw64qj3xGAvkzZ1u4vFLWdVYG1ZeM2fVGDxVn28ZUDTUX13457bg1LvxeO3likyYj_5suxYLU0YK2uXcidA05KTZKed3zP06z_Y-tC4EvLhbuUwwhoPWrVvnDVRMzbmDzhwHG_yWBj_lsXUtvORf8WOr9UEK0QmDHHAWiB5XNNo1dC1Ove/s320/B39CDCCF-7674-4ADC-9CE1-3D03372CB3D6.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Afterwards there was a village barbecue. This should have been held on the land behind the village hall, but the rain put paid to that idea.</div><div><br /></div><div>Luckily, a family offered their barn to host the barbecue and bring and share lunch.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrfcl4Ey0vv_5So5D9ZcpCxJ2EFsLoBz61WcM18OsJbBwJImh2n65rhSonb0op9TgGNcON64rsb0ESDPvPIqGlHFe4n6Hy09eXypruS0ZZ-6q73pnR0qZAZkr5Y4Tb87UgnsJdnPmGH9dQLhGPW6_roXfVe7qMOIZZWk1BbNICnHoyNwPzQ30-Pl_/s4032/BE10CF6C-24EF-4C09-9986-6AB9862EB774.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrfcl4Ey0vv_5So5D9ZcpCxJ2EFsLoBz61WcM18OsJbBwJImh2n65rhSonb0op9TgGNcON64rsb0ESDPvPIqGlHFe4n6Hy09eXypruS0ZZ-6q73pnR0qZAZkr5Y4Tb87UgnsJdnPmGH9dQLhGPW6_roXfVe7qMOIZZWk1BbNICnHoyNwPzQ30-Pl_/w640-h480/BE10CF6C-24EF-4C09-9986-6AB9862EB774.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgpsWqeI-vc4Iyh9yCWb6crTGyZyevQ9l6oFhy3BzC-Q1mE5U-OdaYmJXuM4BZG46xSkpmHDp_s6BKMq7bWhSlqnTpzENPj5ERXnqyexyYC1DgnSweEK2_Mwk3QBOlCLTZJ0CYIvbodAxiU67pnCHNyFICM5yQtrRwPqmcCxn_qrK9Qi4_viZVHRO1/s3739/AB8075CA-0CCF-469F-B9A9-71B80615623A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2931" data-original-width="3739" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgpsWqeI-vc4Iyh9yCWb6crTGyZyevQ9l6oFhy3BzC-Q1mE5U-OdaYmJXuM4BZG46xSkpmHDp_s6BKMq7bWhSlqnTpzENPj5ERXnqyexyYC1DgnSweEK2_Mwk3QBOlCLTZJ0CYIvbodAxiU67pnCHNyFICM5yQtrRwPqmcCxn_qrK9Qi4_viZVHRO1/w640-h502/AB8075CA-0CCF-469F-B9A9-71B80615623A.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Ian and his son Dan worked hard on the barbecue,</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGvTy_5JsNOrKNcMa5-YMKH0DSq7_Sh-7w0TYuNwKlTsKv3MkQXDYQd1iQyS40gqdf-vvM73aE7K_fFGo1vrJZEwk75pA-GKRtvDzwxrdCGB_41Y9JYW4cDLzZiH2rTk9ukpb0RLfEmZD9_iJUp463Br8sTwAdL-pbgObWcabyC2d4yR5jRQrQAKk/s4032/94886551-B565-4903-B535-2ED56F5A95E7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGvTy_5JsNOrKNcMa5-YMKH0DSq7_Sh-7w0TYuNwKlTsKv3MkQXDYQd1iQyS40gqdf-vvM73aE7K_fFGo1vrJZEwk75pA-GKRtvDzwxrdCGB_41Y9JYW4cDLzZiH2rTk9ukpb0RLfEmZD9_iJUp463Br8sTwAdL-pbgObWcabyC2d4yR5jRQrQAKk/w640-h480/94886551-B565-4903-B535-2ED56F5A95E7.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Everyone spoilt the two new babies in our village, and it doesn't matter what age you are, a few party games never go amiss.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDL5ENFQ1XFR1jMvVtAjXkR5K2BA6oY8Gg97tu3Z5T_hKD4L7TQMvMgkQBMeabLJHdSDpGT0c45HwUdEwG2rYw-DLH-LZCb_4trFC6cjgL7CILANopHcPw-JPMaYC89ecnm--Gs3B2kaNGqKSv8uJpONnD_NQLmkjfsVZ7hfYOfOv2mSeK-peP1DDU/s4032/095B23C1-06B0-4D39-AEB1-C5D3B1E5B8A1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDL5ENFQ1XFR1jMvVtAjXkR5K2BA6oY8Gg97tu3Z5T_hKD4L7TQMvMgkQBMeabLJHdSDpGT0c45HwUdEwG2rYw-DLH-LZCb_4trFC6cjgL7CILANopHcPw-JPMaYC89ecnm--Gs3B2kaNGqKSv8uJpONnD_NQLmkjfsVZ7hfYOfOv2mSeK-peP1DDU/w640-h480/095B23C1-06B0-4D39-AEB1-C5D3B1E5B8A1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div>Whilst others caught up for a chat....</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_s8jRpnzxgHWpEz3ekVYpHTNcq__rnbTzM0Id_jviHHGFtyf10NkANL3OlAHmzTnzjTkJxpHMTmoxUh6QCQnZzVYmeiSR_t6PvKfhqjHSDyMTRCZwc2KhlMU_zUCVlTdRbZN3OHm_p_o8SFNPRi5ZZ7YJz3zrSfzpSE8t9h0JHS_plJre0DIH_21/s4032/86E96039-6555-4A97-8C11-39CFA39412F1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_s8jRpnzxgHWpEz3ekVYpHTNcq__rnbTzM0Id_jviHHGFtyf10NkANL3OlAHmzTnzjTkJxpHMTmoxUh6QCQnZzVYmeiSR_t6PvKfhqjHSDyMTRCZwc2KhlMU_zUCVlTdRbZN3OHm_p_o8SFNPRi5ZZ7YJz3zrSfzpSE8t9h0JHS_plJre0DIH_21/w640-h480/86E96039-6555-4A97-8C11-39CFA39412F1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The pomp, ceremony and sheer razzamatazz of the Jubilee celebrations elsewhere seemed far away as we marked the Jubilee here in our small village. Instead, there was just a real sense of enjoyment, of being together, and of making memories of a landmark year in our little part of the world.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQ9QkrJldFbBFaa4ASR45ZrHBp6ifLYhtz1sVap-QozoB9XAk0MkxOshRP8hRqrjL4glUpNh9jGGUR0covWn1SRXGI3EsAYPiRrGqAVjBRFaqJjSUfsxQzFgJYVLS0AiOv14AqmzPJp7mHWBrhia6P5Nf_Kw1zDWu1r_sKF0fN19IwtToQjRDpVQq/s4032/9F1029EE-DA80-4A62-B7CD-CFE4E5963051.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQ9QkrJldFbBFaa4ASR45ZrHBp6ifLYhtz1sVap-QozoB9XAk0MkxOshRP8hRqrjL4glUpNh9jGGUR0covWn1SRXGI3EsAYPiRrGqAVjBRFaqJjSUfsxQzFgJYVLS0AiOv14AqmzPJp7mHWBrhia6P5Nf_Kw1zDWu1r_sKF0fN19IwtToQjRDpVQq/w640-h480/9F1029EE-DA80-4A62-B7CD-CFE4E5963051.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">;</div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div> <p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p class="sqsrte-large" style="background-color: white; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro; font-size: calc(0.6vw + 1rem); margin: 1rem 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </p></div></div></div>;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;</div></div>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-37617927196464504962022-05-31T09:00:00.001+01:002022-09-29T17:20:58.515+01:00A day reviewing "Miss Wilmott's Ghosts "by Sandra Lawrence <p>Miss Wilmott's Ghosts is the biography of the extraordinary and wilful Ellen Wilmott, a Victorian gardener, botanical photographer and an award-winning and influential breeder of hundreds of plants.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOli9V_cIu7XzZ2yolDQ96rqO8NzrvXw0uuFCN2g_XVTuvTmb02nZ4KHWdG7F9KIjgMwOX-n6diYdwrviCmRhFzBCfogHJUJrYW1q475I-6748NXaPNxlyQNSQELlsHMsPeErynV1_X6p83gMmifkrRRptYuy_Z9YUNW2H8PzKqMRxMZ2S0zUiC_kp/s3919/D5D60B73-5A87-43AC-836C-58F29646BFF4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3919" data-original-width="2939" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOli9V_cIu7XzZ2yolDQ96rqO8NzrvXw0uuFCN2g_XVTuvTmb02nZ4KHWdG7F9KIjgMwOX-n6diYdwrviCmRhFzBCfogHJUJrYW1q475I-6748NXaPNxlyQNSQELlsHMsPeErynV1_X6p83gMmifkrRRptYuy_Z9YUNW2H8PzKqMRxMZ2S0zUiC_kp/w480-h640/D5D60B73-5A87-43AC-836C-58F29646BFF4.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So far, so worthy sounding, but this new biography by Sandra Lawrence is a riveting read about the life, loves and passions of a complex woman. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ellen Wilmott inherited her parents' house, inherited a separate fortune and was known as the “greatest of all woman gardeners.” Yet she lost everything and everyone she loved deeply. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of three sisters, Ellen was brought up at Warley Place, a grand house set in 33 acres near Brentwood in Essex.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBBilC2VUMoFdfzAdw2J-UYSr2X65fWcBdeHRpVVdlUPbWMsiUY00Rq7_umYNHT1cjkcfijhKTdaqu3X2R6TOwYWK2Z5Rh72ZNXFTY29qXDIN5pGh3ivEBz-cOzL1Ec0MODpg6S2GEVsYLKF0AATA7-eJ2KSZHa71VceRVw9n1aJd5eKfUat2Ecxs/s4005/163CAACA-7372-49A3-8027-3C98BA3C5003.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2958" data-original-width="4005" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBBilC2VUMoFdfzAdw2J-UYSr2X65fWcBdeHRpVVdlUPbWMsiUY00Rq7_umYNHT1cjkcfijhKTdaqu3X2R6TOwYWK2Z5Rh72ZNXFTY29qXDIN5pGh3ivEBz-cOzL1Ec0MODpg6S2GEVsYLKF0AATA7-eJ2KSZHa71VceRVw9n1aJd5eKfUat2Ecxs/w640-h472/163CAACA-7372-49A3-8027-3C98BA3C5003.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The illustrated endpapers of the book<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p>Her sister Aida was only seven when she died, but when Ellen reached her seventh birthday, she received a cheque for £1000 and the same amount every birthday from Countess Helen Tasker, her godmother.</p><p> On her 21st birthday, Ellen’s father gave her the money to design and create a large alpine garden. This early success led to Warley being recognised as one of the most important gardens in the country and at one time there were 104 gardeners working there.</p><p>Meanwhile, when Ellen’s fairy godmother Helen died, she and her sister Rose each inherited £143,000. This really was life-changing as it was equivalent to more than £19 million today.</p><p>It’s all very well having a fortune to throw at establishing a number of gardens ( at Warley, at Tresserve in the French Alps and in Italy, a third garden, Boccanegra.</p><p>However, Ellen was gifted, clever and had the vision to create gardens which were greatly admired by her peers. She also became an expert in cultivating new species of plants which were sought after by other prominent garden collectors. </p><p> Over 200 plants are named after her. Ellen was a member of the Linnean Society and the Royal Horticultural Society and was well known in gardening and natural history circles. </p><p>As Sandra Lawrence writes “ the more I found out, the more I wanted to know”</p><p>And this is exactly how I felt as I read further about the social mores of Ellen’s time and those perceived Victorian conventions which she managed to navigate as a woman.</p><p>Mind you, I was intrigued right from the introduction of this book where Sandra involves you in her journey to find the real Ellen Wilmott as she searched through rotting trunks found in the cellar at Spetchley Park in Worcestershire, the former home of her beloved sister Rose. </p><p>The excitement of finding letters, artefacts and photographs led Sandra to uncover the mystery of why Ellen made the greatest faux pas and biggest error of her career. </p><p>In 1897, Ellen Wilmott was awarded the prestigious and inaugural Victoria medal of honour by the RHS. She and Gertrude Jekyll were the only two women to be honoured in such a way, but why did Ellen not attend the actual ceremony?</p><p>Sandra reveals she found years worth of passionate love letters between Ellen and Miss Gian Tufnell, a lady in waiting for the Duchess of Teck. There’s transcripts of such ardent letters and yet Gian suddenly announces she is getting married to a much older man. Not only that, the wedding is the day after Ellen was due to get her medal.</p><p>Too distraught to go to the RHS ceremony, it wasn’t as if Ellen could explain why there would have been a huge scandal. Even so, her non attendance though was seen as a very public snub to the society and the whole horticultural community.</p><p>Sandra feels that Ellen’s reputation never recovered and afterwards there was a real sea change in her life.</p><p>As she got older, there’s no doubt she was an eccentric… one who carried a revolver in her pocket and even owned some knuckle dusters. She became known as difficult, a battle axe, a spendthrift and a miser.</p><p>Largely sympathetically written but with welcome dashes of humour and asperity, this is an engaging, fascinating, oh so lively biography of a remarkable woman whose wonderful world crashed around her. Highly recommended.</p><p> ...........................................................</p><p>Miss Wilmott’s Ghosts by Sandra Lawrence was published earlier this month by Blink Publishing and costs £25. I received a press copy to review.</p><p>Warley Place, her family home, is now a nature reserve run by the Essex Wildlife Trust and is open every day during daylight hours. The house was demolished in 1939.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-54366911571629636092022-04-18T17:41:00.001+01:002022-09-30T11:09:09.991+01:00A love letter to Thailand <p><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> My husband and I have just come home from Thailand. It's a country which we love visiting, every year if we can. Wonderful people, beautiful beaches, warmth, sunshine, excellent golf courses and delicious Thai food seduce us and ensure that every year we can't wait until we can book our flights for our next holiday.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Unfortunately, sometimes holidays and life don't go according to plan though.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The first three weeks were idyllic, as we met up with old friends in Hua Hin, about three hours south of Bangkok. We've been going there so long that we know all the staff at the Hua Hin Golf Villa where we stay, and we enjoyed a friendly, wonderful start to our trip. It's the base where my husband organises a golf tour from, so the first week was spent with him playing a couple of rounds, going out for lunches by the beach, swimming and in the evenings, lots of leisurely meals with friends.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Then we took ourselves off to Dolphin Bay, in the National Park of Sam Roi Yot. This is the third time we've stayed there....it's so unspoilt, and even quieter than previous years. We spent 14 long days, swimming in the bay and the pool, reading, cycling around and enjoying being completely relaxed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3s1x2dy59DzRTo2_Q7qaWT8AUCNWvu2MsWojNNWNsvqfTpOy3Lm6giDgNSQ1KI6HEILkIPDvb9qOXMG9jjuU1xKMFyCEWUcBY1ehsYRubgrtrBiOvh3RLgpxIwb1M5fi_Q5Q-8P0ASFONsboc8Qd8851HoZDYSWui5QRwfGinJWlXqvLMMNUoeOuY/s4032/27481BB9-63D0-4412-93CA-6711976AF384.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3s1x2dy59DzRTo2_Q7qaWT8AUCNWvu2MsWojNNWNsvqfTpOy3Lm6giDgNSQ1KI6HEILkIPDvb9qOXMG9jjuU1xKMFyCEWUcBY1ehsYRubgrtrBiOvh3RLgpxIwb1M5fi_Q5Q-8P0ASFONsboc8Qd8851HoZDYSWui5QRwfGinJWlXqvLMMNUoeOuY/w640-h480/27481BB9-63D0-4412-93CA-6711976AF384.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Then we headed north again, about thirty minutes up the coast to Sanae Beach Resort at Khao Tao, where we were due to stay for three nights. The first day, overlooking a sheltered little bay, we lounged by and swam in the pool, went out for dinner and had an early night.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFm1YYYxTaVQTmkT_GhzLXfyBGFr5bsaJ3EeeGdWAUUgMiUkB6Tq2JEsQwjvlBlMSoXmC84x9jqhUdyFwzitf6C5U4WRiy1eyH6mcNXH_kLZCkuzIFPj5cnVIQ6kkgYISqHHxnPrfqFxyke3lio49K0LzxRoJSMoOLDVCl1R6LA_0GazxkwqJ7lbxD/s4032/8677F2E2-05A1-4E30-9D31-D4D34DB95CEB.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFm1YYYxTaVQTmkT_GhzLXfyBGFr5bsaJ3EeeGdWAUUgMiUkB6Tq2JEsQwjvlBlMSoXmC84x9jqhUdyFwzitf6C5U4WRiy1eyH6mcNXH_kLZCkuzIFPj5cnVIQ6kkgYISqHHxnPrfqFxyke3lio49K0LzxRoJSMoOLDVCl1R6LA_0GazxkwqJ7lbxD/w640-h480/8677F2E2-05A1-4E30-9D31-D4D34DB95CEB.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">That's when our holiday plans derailed and fell off track completely.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I woke up the following morning and could hear Rob moaning as if in pain. I ran around to his side of the bed - he was giddy, feeling sick and needed to sit up,. He couldn't without help though, couldn't stand and was cold and clammy. I knew by his speech something was seriously wrong, and ran to the club reception and asked for an ambulance. One arrived very quickly and after a brief examination, we were off to Hua Hin about 25 minutes away with blue lights flashing and the siren blaring.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">He was seen immediately in recuss and within an hour was being given an MRI scan. I was shown the results quickly and kindly. This was a major stroke plus smaller pea sized one in the cerebullum. The words "life changing" won't be forgotten in a hurry.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The care Rob received at Bangkok Hospital in Hua Hin was marvellous, but after thirty six hours in the intensive Care Unit we were told he was being moved to the world renowned Bumrumgrad Hospital in Bangkok for further treatment at Specialist Stroke Unit.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Bumrungrad sent their own mobile ICU to collect Rob, and within ten minutes of a doctor and two paramedics arriving from Bangkok, we were both on our way north for 120 miles once again accompanied by blue flashing lights and sirens.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Z-AeMPtgYZe4p0cOviE80Z-5SdP4ScmG9kinXE1uzHnWdbRMRmlWg6mTEY_XPwSIrlWqwZrxKzG6yasTAE0CKmitRnTSNOR43CyMtz5eNpFGFJj6fc_cdODEEXkkQfDSEJgmwbDzqiKuEGum2CezjmgYA3J9_OHqsSfEZZItnLi5S38Cgfg7xapV/s4032/32C915A7-EF99-4A2B-851C-C1584FB214BA.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Z-AeMPtgYZe4p0cOviE80Z-5SdP4ScmG9kinXE1uzHnWdbRMRmlWg6mTEY_XPwSIrlWqwZrxKzG6yasTAE0CKmitRnTSNOR43CyMtz5eNpFGFJj6fc_cdODEEXkkQfDSEJgmwbDzqiKuEGum2CezjmgYA3J9_OHqsSfEZZItnLi5S38Cgfg7xapV/w640-h480/32C915A7-EF99-4A2B-851C-C1584FB214BA.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">For the next seven days, our world became very small, but very focussed. Rob was in ICU first and then onto the stroke ward on the tenth floor of this huge hospital. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">He was confined to bed at first, more scans, numerous tests and procedures and another MRI scan which showed another three little bleeds, again in his cerebellum. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Our world revolved around that room, and the constant visits of nurses, a neurologist, a cardiologist, haematologist, an orthopaedic doctor, and physios who were all so focused and encouraging, giving us such confidence.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie65wxkIm2u7-jLIx5o68NHD_CkrUWo2tc9WxM36RhOp2NL9qzzHU4LhElV3KU15cahMUcge2dfaWxRjZjm-w1VrXe1C0lpb---37L6do32P4YjUiwgAkru9GT1zlflseMhdy1OGGTs5jZcp5__bw4GhfwAhB7rmZLVrzvoTEJNP-vV5ekRLsrAlCB/s4032/B0ED1BC1-C668-4879-805D-411F4BE89ACD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie65wxkIm2u7-jLIx5o68NHD_CkrUWo2tc9WxM36RhOp2NL9qzzHU4LhElV3KU15cahMUcge2dfaWxRjZjm-w1VrXe1C0lpb---37L6do32P4YjUiwgAkru9GT1zlflseMhdy1OGGTs5jZcp5__bw4GhfwAhB7rmZLVrzvoTEJNP-vV5ekRLsrAlCB/w640-h480/B0ED1BC1-C668-4879-805D-411F4BE89ACD.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Our window on the world from the hospital room<br /><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">In time, he could walk a little with a rollator and the support of two nurses or physios. Each day brought a new joy, a new achievement like the first time he was allowed to shower on his own or to leave his room and walk down the corridor with help, then on his own. The nurses made him laugh, the hospital food was excellent, and after a week [yes a week] Rob was ready to leave but would need further tests and examinations before being allowed to fly home. His consultants called him the miracle man, as he shouldn't have been able to walk or talk properly according to the MRI scans.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38C99XjJlDALoXK45KOE8Wy4WvpIt_nWTvzk-3pnhiiQGbndP0zwHInx56eVnCFPqG9j-6SKOWAgjGpsWxAoMZQSiaCkrBli8AD8L8vvN3xvnogcjNHFCa_EFY59nN53alHW6YhuCWsABUVpqWs_ltktZpUvoZj976eW8gCFmI6_zPMvTgkdzZuBi/s4032/8AB29BFA-5B69-4BD3-BAE8-5BDB59DD0758.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38C99XjJlDALoXK45KOE8Wy4WvpIt_nWTvzk-3pnhiiQGbndP0zwHInx56eVnCFPqG9j-6SKOWAgjGpsWxAoMZQSiaCkrBli8AD8L8vvN3xvnogcjNHFCa_EFY59nN53alHW6YhuCWsABUVpqWs_ltktZpUvoZj976eW8gCFmI6_zPMvTgkdzZuBi/w640-h480/8AB29BFA-5B69-4BD3-BAE8-5BDB59DD0758.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Some of the wonderful nurses who looked after Rob<br /><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">We went back to Hua Hin, where more of his friends had arrived for a few weeks of golfing. Hell would have frozen over before Rob would be allowed to play, but being back at a place we call home when we're in Thailand, with lots of banter and support from our friends was such a boon. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Nearly two weeks later Rob was allowed to fly home. I found out I had COVID and that's when you wonder what's next. The Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse perhaps?</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Since we've been home, there's been time to rest, reflect, and realise how lucky Rob has been. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Lucky that he's survived, lucky that we had such wonderful health insurance and a company that pulled out all the stops to help right from my first call from the hospital foyer in Hua Hin. It was about 2am UK time when I called the Collinson Group Medical Ops, yet the warm, capable voice of Kerryn reassured me that everything would be done to get Rob the best treatment care and I eould be looked after too. She kept in touch, and her colleagues too ..always at the end of the line, with information and plans, fixing me up in a hotel just across the road from the hospital in Bangkok. Handholding over the phone from nearly six thousand miles away was such support during those first nerve racking days.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">From the first morning Rob was whisked off to the hospital from Sanae Beach, the staff kept in touch to see how Rob was. In Hua Hin, the owners and staff of the Golf Villa went out of their way to help. A visit to Bangkok to see Rob in hospital with flowers and cards all gave us comfort. At the Best Western Hotel in Sukamvit where I was staying, the maitre d'hotel would greet me every night as I returned from the hospital, with a warm welcome and chat as I sat alone to eat, asking how my husband was.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">And as for everyone who was involved in Rob's care in both hospitals, you have our most sincere thanks, You don't forget things like that, the kindness, courtesy and support of strangers and friends.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">We can't forget how much we love Thailand too. That's why Rob is already planning another trip for us next year, to see our friends, to visit our favourite places and new ones, to relax once again.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">In the meantime, Rob continues to make progress and is hoping that it wont be too long before he's playing golf. He is taking the tablets he now needs daily, exercising each day and eating healthily. One thing he won't be forgetting to do under any circumstances is organising our health insurance for next year.....</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></p>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-84187359547119919242021-11-30T09:26:00.000+00:002021-11-30T09:26:16.995+00:00Diary days with Sarah Raven<p>Gosh, December arrives tomorrow which can mean only one thing. I need to get my skates on when it comes to Christmas. I've actually started buying presents, which is early for me, and even Christmas cards and stamps have been are bought and are in a drawer ready to write.</p><p>But there's more. I really am being even more organised, thanks to a mystery parcel which arrived last week from sarahraven.com </p><p>Sarah Raven grow, cook, eat diary 2022</p><p> I was thrilled to see it contained a diary and a calendar for 2022, which I've already put to use. </p><p>I always had a work diary of course, but would wait until what I call the fag end days of the year between Christmas and New Year to buy a personal one. I won't be doing that this year though! Not with this little beauty...</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAe9bAF7eojjfuKu770AwT0KnVYAX4NuoUe4o9Cu6-lQGHSE0yMnUPMvSncirPdh_JZv4nyLIYumCSkA5Bgck8uRc2LoxGOEvnzZpNGhTnsNGLvLLSzQKp3oRv5Ul6WAll2r4A-He8oJ4/s2048/E29227C0-6BF1-4576-81C1-C165A2151F45.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1624" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAe9bAF7eojjfuKu770AwT0KnVYAX4NuoUe4o9Cu6-lQGHSE0yMnUPMvSncirPdh_JZv4nyLIYumCSkA5Bgck8uRc2LoxGOEvnzZpNGhTnsNGLvLLSzQKp3oRv5Ul6WAll2r4A-He8oJ4/w508-h640/E29227C0-6BF1-4576-81C1-C165A2151F45.jpeg" width="508" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've been a fan of Sarah Raven for years...she is a botanist, garden expert, cook, and writer who from sowing and growing her own food for years, has developed a lifestyle business selling seeds, bulbs and, homewares that you just have to buy. Sarah also runs cookery and gardening courses.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Back to the glossy diary, which is A5 in size. Perfect for me, easy and light enough to carry in a handbag. Anything smaller is far too fiddly and piddly - I need space for important dates and notes, so like the fact there is a generous two-page spread for each week of the year. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the beginning of each month in the diary, there are beautiful shots of flowers and plants by photographer Jonathan Buckley, who is a long-time collaborator with Sarah Raven. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXChKu65ndzckVrbGY8ARkZ2rI6rrQw_3TjfK7dV7jPx42AbwpvfeMcjJ12D9sHAXz0iFsaeh_RG1Ki0dwU58y0_PRlo9lb-nUP2Wz-XdY9GZFPI6MG5eH9367ezp6aSdNspz2tijpsdQ/s2048/9306AF8B-B531-4B60-93A8-487EFA0DCE8B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXChKu65ndzckVrbGY8ARkZ2rI6rrQw_3TjfK7dV7jPx42AbwpvfeMcjJ12D9sHAXz0iFsaeh_RG1Ki0dwU58y0_PRlo9lb-nUP2Wz-XdY9GZFPI6MG5eH9367ezp6aSdNspz2tijpsdQ/w480-h640/9306AF8B-B531-4B60-93A8-487EFA0DCE8B.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also, there is a list of jobs to do in the garden at the beginning of each month as well as a seasonal recipe to try. I won't be waiting until August to make the delicious-sounding blackcurrant and almond cake featured though....luckily I've still got a few pounds of blackcurrants in my freezer, so will make that fairly soon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIb5ANte_dncJ2s1HbAXSbj3rZui7YkiZVI-blZZ2xNP5U2Bak0xpDyJQBkZ8sJNGlcTyD9oFBtE-bcE64dWBGgxzVpdd-tEVwF2r72ezKF5NIJ8KWQXc0jTBp91pMl81zkQU4CH_fvk/s2048/4D89D167-8D63-4EC1-9D18-B6269AA47A6E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIb5ANte_dncJ2s1HbAXSbj3rZui7YkiZVI-blZZ2xNP5U2Bak0xpDyJQBkZ8sJNGlcTyD9oFBtE-bcE64dWBGgxzVpdd-tEVwF2r72ezKF5NIJ8KWQXc0jTBp91pMl81zkQU4CH_fvk/w640-h480/4D89D167-8D63-4EC1-9D18-B6269AA47A6E.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Another feature of the diary I like is the sowing and planting guide for each month, whether you're growing flowers, fruit, vegetables, herbs, or bulbs, and the best techniques to do so. There's even a flexible ruler to help with sowing and planting too. So handy for measuring the right depths and spacings to plant seeds, bulbs etc.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know more and more people rely on their electronic diaries, but they are not for me. I prefer the sense of order and calm as I write in a paper diary., there's more of a connection between my thoughts and what is on the paper.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Sarah Raven's garden and cookery year calendar 2022</div><div><br /></div>I adore this cover of Sarah Raven's wall calendar for 2022. If ever there was a photograph to fill you with hope and motivation for the coming year, this is it.<br /><p></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-Vv99BNFDwvuOGl4wa8KpJvuymbCXlYMdSChJ-tsHyyp9_w2M80SnmlJrKK2KslbgMs_Foc4HQkedhrHmOurLbej_Q34D7aHNeZ3T7zspkGZh3ms9mXxApDihhk-7QBMmtVC7LVVYxI/s2048/96E20D06-715A-4F7B-A202-80795F7DA494.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1892" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-Vv99BNFDwvuOGl4wa8KpJvuymbCXlYMdSChJ-tsHyyp9_w2M80SnmlJrKK2KslbgMs_Foc4HQkedhrHmOurLbej_Q34D7aHNeZ3T7zspkGZh3ms9mXxApDihhk-7QBMmtVC7LVVYxI/w592-h640/96E20D06-715A-4F7B-A202-80795F7DA494.jpeg" width="592" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Last year I didn't buy a wall calendar...well, with so many lockdowns, we weren't going out much, and there weren't as many parties, outings or dates to remember. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now though, I will be more organised as the calendar is up on the kitchen noticeboard. </div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBump0OhHakSabs1IpLpCvzTOUOlU34A2_LYCKXRwIHPStGS2xzTQu_xh7V9pPI3G1_Ja2IHAHKDAuNeIMDa_S0XJ42RM8_ivTQqaD-azDb9kNxQdM6fGplT9JMc6epBgt9kH8OpahGKI/s2048/FC75508E-31E5-49E2-87E2-3AF63C8F286B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBump0OhHakSabs1IpLpCvzTOUOlU34A2_LYCKXRwIHPStGS2xzTQu_xh7V9pPI3G1_Ja2IHAHKDAuNeIMDa_S0XJ42RM8_ivTQqaD-azDb9kNxQdM6fGplT9JMc6epBgt9kH8OpahGKI/w640-h480/FC75508E-31E5-49E2-87E2-3AF63C8F286B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm not one to wish my life away, but it's nice to think of a new year, a fresh start, more flowers and fruit and vegetables to grow, new recipes to try and holidays to plan isn't it? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before I get too carried away, there's Christmas to concentrate on though, and I can't think of a nicer present to give to receive than a good, practical paper diary or an attractive wall planner for anyone who wants to be more organised next year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The diary costs £12.95 and the calendar costs £9.99 - I was sent these for review.</div>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-43444545754789811742021-11-12T17:47:00.007+00:002022-09-29T17:21:41.653+01:00A Foodie Friday reviewing and cooking from "Green" by Elly Pear<p> There's nothing more annoying than a friend recommending somewhere good to eat, and the cafe closing down before you can visit. </p><p>That's what happened a few years back when I really wanted to visit The Pear Cafe in Bristol, run by Elly Curshen, who is otherwise known as Elly Pear. Sadly, I didn't get the chance to taste her food, but now I can.</p><p>I've recently been cooking some of her recipes from this book which was published in 2019 but has only just come on my radar.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJzhUN0Az3pDgqx1PeeSZGV7zinPOrO6GylCj6IyulYpMdpABU0OlnqGJM9-R263zm6UtdtMcffQkpJ6cwNcUsxw69I9ShyphenhyphennLXjbRKEmEvIPeyJzQVFaEHrtc3uYaNN42J2x7oggZmaQ/s2048/B6C6964A-6634-4917-A837-3E25657EEBCA.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1534" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJzhUN0Az3pDgqx1PeeSZGV7zinPOrO6GylCj6IyulYpMdpABU0OlnqGJM9-R263zm6UtdtMcffQkpJ6cwNcUsxw69I9ShyphenhyphennLXjbRKEmEvIPeyJzQVFaEHrtc3uYaNN42J2x7oggZmaQ/w480-h640/B6C6964A-6634-4917-A837-3E25657EEBCA.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Although I do eat some meat, I love eating and making vegetarian and vegan meals, and am always looking for something new to try. Boy, do I have some new favourites after reading and rereading "Green"</p><p>It's set out in two parts...weekday recipes and weekend food, which works out very successfully.</p><p>Let's face it, many of us want fresh food, cooked quickly or easily at the end of a weekday, and Elly Pear delivers recipes that can be frozen, or cooked in one pan and some which are ready in 20 minutes.</p><p>Rose Harissa Chickpeas with Za'atar baked feta is easy peasy and tastes divine, and so is the baked two cheese, three greens, four herb frittata. I've never cooked a frittata in a cake tin before but this was full of flavour and perfect for supper or lunchtime. My "Writers what lunch" gang doesn't know it yet, but this is what they're going to have at our December meet up at my house. and it's perfect for cooking in advance. </p><p>Also on the must list to make in the very near future is Elly's recipe for Roasted Beetroot, Horseradish and Amontillado Pearl Barley risotto. What a combination of punchy, sweet and savoury ingredients ...</p><p>The second part of the book features ideal weekend food. Ideas for what to prep for the weekend and brunches, lunches and suppers that hit the sweet spot for a lazy day, alone or with friends. Recipes that ooze freshness and make you feel that they not only taste good but by golly make you feel good too. Spiced Paneer, Spinach and Pea Grain Bowl with mint yoghurt sauce anyone?</p><p>These are all arranged seasonally, but even though this cake is suggested for Spring, it's ideal for right now.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokQHfA2gQKw1CkWgi51vldVXcGdsE0ccXGRZw7CdEONaH2CP7VsF625aL8sxWdZkTv2wJIQcSyaneezvehg8_ebE5eVxYeARHEQuzIxOhNKNo0HyPB4BPCPeftYbLAnEr3PmSjJ0QwJ8/s2048/F3321E9E-C748-4CF7-9A6E-83E74EE3CCAF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokQHfA2gQKw1CkWgi51vldVXcGdsE0ccXGRZw7CdEONaH2CP7VsF625aL8sxWdZkTv2wJIQcSyaneezvehg8_ebE5eVxYeARHEQuzIxOhNKNo0HyPB4BPCPeftYbLAnEr3PmSjJ0QwJ8/w640-h480/F3321E9E-C748-4CF7-9A6E-83E74EE3CCAF.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Ingredients</p><p>140g plain flour</p><p>125g ground almonds</p><p>2tspn baking powder</p><p>Half a tsp salt</p><p>225gm salted butter</p><p>200gm caster sugar</p><p>3 eggs</p><p>zest and juice of a lemon</p><p>2 tbsp raspberry jam</p><p>4 tbsp almond flakes, toasted lightly in a dry pan</p><p><br /></p><p>Method</p><p>1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan/ 200C/400F or gas mark 6</p><p>2. Mix together flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, then beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a tablespoon of the dry ingredients along with each egg.</p><p>3. Fold through the remaining dry ingredients and then mix in the lemon zest and juice.</p><p>4. Grease a 25cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Pir the cake mixture into the tin for 25 minutes or until the top of the cake is light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.</p><p>5. Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool completely in the tin. Only then remove the cake from the tin, spread the jam over the top ad sprinkle with almond flakes and serv</p><p>6. Grease a 25cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Put the cake mixture into the tin for 25 minutes or until the top of the cake is light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_dpeTZlqGZ3047Dzsez9NCX-GvHoyFHNn5Z964N9cp91-1ge-BS7C4B0mhb3QMV1zEBjs1efGeLxxROqEl3fZFtzeudPrWFXCm48n4IjsDDHTg-9_EjZ9jUvTggpFhhQ5xDBQnb6GLA/s2048/65EA10F6-C929-4F1A-B30B-4C383E7A4323.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_dpeTZlqGZ3047Dzsez9NCX-GvHoyFHNn5Z964N9cp91-1ge-BS7C4B0mhb3QMV1zEBjs1efGeLxxROqEl3fZFtzeudPrWFXCm48n4IjsDDHTg-9_EjZ9jUvTggpFhhQ5xDBQnb6GLA/w640-h480/65EA10F6-C929-4F1A-B30B-4C383E7A4323.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool completely in the tin. Only then remove the cake from the tin, spread the jam over the top, sprinkle with almond flakes and serve,</p><div><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIa6uwQ4yF-KpQcc6_xTXPFzRepAN3j5O2amkvLG0ZBnjE33xSpbMazUoI_o86kYP-OO4xlwp7PFfYu71UnBJMS1_-tqxmxaQ4YqslUfTDdNcyJ3AeDQqZB8d8J_H_7cqQCNZLZ00a08/s2048/5FF9877B-67C3-4FD6-AC15-6CA0769D041E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIa6uwQ4yF-KpQcc6_xTXPFzRepAN3j5O2amkvLG0ZBnjE33xSpbMazUoI_o86kYP-OO4xlwp7PFfYu71UnBJMS1_-tqxmxaQ4YqslUfTDdNcyJ3AeDQqZB8d8J_H_7cqQCNZLZ00a08/w640-h480/5FF9877B-67C3-4FD6-AC15-6CA0769D041E.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3wbdv8p8s_Qi7st6d2oC0iHuu4olYUqsEwEkYsvfWqWEXA07iQChtYhsHPlSA5ZxnTBBQfMXJQfZqoh6ovGYcoj6HKvQR8PWHtXIZW4ON0Qjz3mlTVDg5ujLfEK9JD2AL4rXygfp4LE/s4032/6C0A96D6-C1DC-4D15-A2F0-4E042913A455.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3wbdv8p8s_Qi7st6d2oC0iHuu4olYUqsEwEkYsvfWqWEXA07iQChtYhsHPlSA5ZxnTBBQfMXJQfZqoh6ovGYcoj6HKvQR8PWHtXIZW4ON0Qjz3mlTVDg5ujLfEK9JD2AL4rXygfp4LE/w640-h480/6C0A96D6-C1DC-4D15-A2F0-4E042913A455.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">* I used my homemade raspberry and gin jam in the recipe (such a good move!) I may also have overdone the amount of flaked almonds ...actually I know I did, so will use more sparingly next time I make this delicious cake.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Elly Pear is right when she says this cake keeps well, even it is very moreish. An absolute winner according to those of us who ate it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For me "Green is a winner of a book too, and one which I will keep cooking from.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Green" by Ellie Pear is published by Ebury Press and costs £22</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Her previously published books are "Feast Days and Fast Days" and "Let's Eat"</div>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-92217279532195857002021-09-28T16:51:00.008+01:002022-07-18T16:41:45.920+01:00A day of visiting Chatsworth House Gardens , Derbyshire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Why you should visit or revisit Chatsworth House </b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As I drove down into the valley past the sheep grazing in the parkland, I caught sight of Chatsworth. Built of local limestone, honeyed in the September sunshine, with gold tips on the roof glistening, I felt a shiver of excitement. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was here to see the biggest garden transformation of Chatsworth for 200 years designed and created by three well known and respected landscape architects and garden designers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dan Pearson, Tom Stuart Smith and James Hitchmough have all worked with Steve Porter who is Head of Gardens and Landscape at Chatsworth to create an area of 15 acres known as Arcadia, and carry our major changes to a further 10 acres in the rock garden and elsewhere.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First though, a quick visit to the kitchen garden, where fruit, flowers and vegetables are grown for the house, the cafes and for wedding events.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDGjM2Z0y7o3e8JVsx0ucC6LCS_TmTv8uU-pdE4bP6qUcp7_ReTtU4GfKjDppgC6Qgl1aOPnmNHre62J-LBQwZ6wqB6n0qAgN2rWMMPiMeRWYLh19oImpdaGSTBGeubLxm3msu-Arr1E/s2048/99F541B4-F66E-455B-907B-4ECB58B745EB.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDGjM2Z0y7o3e8JVsx0ucC6LCS_TmTv8uU-pdE4bP6qUcp7_ReTtU4GfKjDppgC6Qgl1aOPnmNHre62J-LBQwZ6wqB6n0qAgN2rWMMPiMeRWYLh19oImpdaGSTBGeubLxm3msu-Arr1E/w640-h480/99F541B4-F66E-455B-907B-4ECB58B745EB.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_w8nZcAX11ILhBE9878SuvEUDRTUldnsNQUc5ttngKIZqavTXHZjPjNxw07Z8EWVN8o-mMkkkAkF1to702bnPZ8d0TpL2b4VeisviMVzZqBOf3txcnpDHrQJ2or1Gq1-DL2WtQ5E-uQA/s2048/AF6EB1EA-C506-4C01-B7CE-1E07C2F691E2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_w8nZcAX11ILhBE9878SuvEUDRTUldnsNQUc5ttngKIZqavTXHZjPjNxw07Z8EWVN8o-mMkkkAkF1to702bnPZ8d0TpL2b4VeisviMVzZqBOf3txcnpDHrQJ2or1Gq1-DL2WtQ5E-uQA/w480-h640/AF6EB1EA-C506-4C01-B7CE-1E07C2F691E2.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As well as being decorative with lovely views, I liked the informative and decorative signage.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTp-zKKRYSQmOKpf0rokVr0vEQOdXh7MmkOkddO6qeuMDoCsNyGGiOwCtBLQPg2TugmOgD3nuauHclwsEWl45PjzvtD9MnTeenLoDUnJNrZzT0XbSopzjDMSPxEwU7PBh2ty6o9JOw2co/s2048/3C2F622E-2AE2-40C0-9235-5AC27B9D3EE8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTp-zKKRYSQmOKpf0rokVr0vEQOdXh7MmkOkddO6qeuMDoCsNyGGiOwCtBLQPg2TugmOgD3nuauHclwsEWl45PjzvtD9MnTeenLoDUnJNrZzT0XbSopzjDMSPxEwU7PBh2ty6o9JOw2co/w640-h480/3C2F622E-2AE2-40C0-9235-5AC27B9D3EE8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From the kitchen garden, you walk, higher to where the old trout stream has been remodelled by Dan Pearson. based on his Chelsea Flower Show design of 2015.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xFQ1D8HtoCePvqobwAMqGBGl_E2PbvsE034bQpPNbPMzcvWkkqH3O9i1KaRE3ArB9cQw3YwsArVx6KMcJt91JezHI5o6dN9LuYNlv88kzrDFTU8hEdBosiXau5_HUVMC-ovDlDSj2mw/s2048/9C99E2AB-A356-4AF5-B61B-F9539DE210DE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xFQ1D8HtoCePvqobwAMqGBGl_E2PbvsE034bQpPNbPMzcvWkkqH3O9i1KaRE3ArB9cQw3YwsArVx6KMcJt91JezHI5o6dN9LuYNlv88kzrDFTU8hEdBosiXau5_HUVMC-ovDlDSj2mw/w640-h480/9C99E2AB-A356-4AF5-B61B-F9539DE210DE.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1JtHofBKZKvKmChRXoaqnDx0twwfPrfkk-2g6jAbFKcsVK9JpYMznq74REFDXdzzfX8tRIGo-rac53gPh060rdaF2p1ZGwZ8a_nZ92HhCEFwVQvdGcQbJ_bOftVL13Tb9PSAMeIvvdI/s2048/79066063-AC85-405A-987C-3F813E60DADE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1JtHofBKZKvKmChRXoaqnDx0twwfPrfkk-2g6jAbFKcsVK9JpYMznq74REFDXdzzfX8tRIGo-rac53gPh060rdaF2p1ZGwZ8a_nZ92HhCEFwVQvdGcQbJ_bOftVL13Tb9PSAMeIvvdI/w640-h480/79066063-AC85-405A-987C-3F813E60DADE.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> You follow the stream as it snakes half a mile from herbaceous borders into grass. It's shady, welcome on a hot afternoon as you walk into Arcadia.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Arcadia , a new garden at Chatsworth House</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> It's based high on the ridge behind the main house, there was a wilderness that had never been gardened. 200 trees were felled to create light and space, and the area is divided into four glades.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47e83XFfYqhE0iBKDFbAo9vdEBP-QsFTrPByCv3Iz-YvHvk9l8QDArlphTp666KS4Cx6P6HOcLDHAxQRHCD9u8FFAXCFYWujYN7LWE-O3-v9-huhNOouDNiaetXGA0B3uVoWqtIZfEAQ/s2048/Arcadia+2021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47e83XFfYqhE0iBKDFbAo9vdEBP-QsFTrPByCv3Iz-YvHvk9l8QDArlphTp666KS4Cx6P6HOcLDHAxQRHCD9u8FFAXCFYWujYN7LWE-O3-v9-huhNOouDNiaetXGA0B3uVoWqtIZfEAQ/w640-h426/Arcadia+2021.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In one there's an impressive sculpture by Laura Ellen Bacon. I've not heard of her before but I do like this "Natural Course" and the way the 100 tons of stone connects so well with the landscape.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxU7aHqH5ZMAaaRmnEBof9aLfw2kkVscwy1IrzqG1AuzfLP1vnNSlDXsohgvlN9xMYR8L-m336fhKx2jNGjiDZSMP3CH4w5RC5bSGXsylS7rALnpe36RL9kztFBYDpSqw3bC2dVLJHw4/s2048/0A84A719-2656-484B-817D-9A8D6ADB0FD5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1348" data-original-width="2048" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxU7aHqH5ZMAaaRmnEBof9aLfw2kkVscwy1IrzqG1AuzfLP1vnNSlDXsohgvlN9xMYR8L-m336fhKx2jNGjiDZSMP3CH4w5RC5bSGXsylS7rALnpe36RL9kztFBYDpSqw3bC2dVLJHw4/w640-h422/0A84A719-2656-484B-817D-9A8D6ADB0FD5.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxXdjNBQlF56Iyi9h3FjAkFpIfQOC0GsrBUeF2oYHpBV8BeyWsEUWHp12euUgsfLnINfdax0ZfJsKV-0jR2_8Md7Fwf3NeW-FGOUcjS2sAQpEv1uuVuc7YB9q1FVjjboQaaYABlB6d6o/s2048/6063D20A-6CCE-46B2-B802-0C3903348785.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxXdjNBQlF56Iyi9h3FjAkFpIfQOC0GsrBUeF2oYHpBV8BeyWsEUWHp12euUgsfLnINfdax0ZfJsKV-0jR2_8Md7Fwf3NeW-FGOUcjS2sAQpEv1uuVuc7YB9q1FVjjboQaaYABlB6d6o/w640-h480/6063D20A-6CCE-46B2-B802-0C3903348785.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The meadow glades delight in shades of dusky pink, cream, white and blue as you wind your way through the pathways. There are huge drifts of perennials, and in the wet glade, over 8,000 camassia, ferns and persicaria have been planted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExT4SMt4wMNb82aw3K4-BYqBNkNNFT4nBX0YDkjRs0vgUXk9X0U4cugAv47ce0akQbFfb9XSdVinUQKmp_Mt4wHAnhnFXTY0JqlrjC7L7mtZrMdKFbDq2VTDwR_Fb99rFm2UGJ82N4j4/s2048/9EFC31B3-4CB0-499A-935B-F9B50492C985.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExT4SMt4wMNb82aw3K4-BYqBNkNNFT4nBX0YDkjRs0vgUXk9X0U4cugAv47ce0akQbFfb9XSdVinUQKmp_Mt4wHAnhnFXTY0JqlrjC7L7mtZrMdKFbDq2VTDwR_Fb99rFm2UGJ82N4j4/w640-h480/9EFC31B3-4CB0-499A-935B-F9B50492C985.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-W3uuKNcbvPK8SWIbfrs5t0Pvhqiv_FgmH_jLUWilmdZgqDKqrxgxQgvCj8VVjctH0ge4UKuAbpq9kCzMfQVHXk_tjdIBUq8m30JG4zF4emtbxf_z0tGB_0LY6emfsyvTBi5FHWxr_8/s2048/585A5A17-C7FD-434C-A968-8A02DABFBE12.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-W3uuKNcbvPK8SWIbfrs5t0Pvhqiv_FgmH_jLUWilmdZgqDKqrxgxQgvCj8VVjctH0ge4UKuAbpq9kCzMfQVHXk_tjdIBUq8m30JG4zF4emtbxf_z0tGB_0LY6emfsyvTBi5FHWxr_8/w640-h480/585A5A17-C7FD-434C-A968-8A02DABFBE12.jpeg" width="640" /></b></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">your senses are heightened too in this special place. Birdsong seems louder and scents stronger .....with major plantings of daphne and actea "Pritchard's Giant".which I have decided is a new favourite.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_N5oK5TWIVBTTIpma4NmrBITwHZC3WuSh_LMPCQSxhXOW-EzqwIuwtHVRIWv0sqKo9CB3BjpC9xx45bA7QV0Iz4ny-Eyc0TDCKaGMlMfPwFA8BlfI4Vhbwviw7MeB5t1geJuJvVNzV8/s4032/AE09741B-636A-4BF9-BBCB-848481AE4B15.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_N5oK5TWIVBTTIpma4NmrBITwHZC3WuSh_LMPCQSxhXOW-EzqwIuwtHVRIWv0sqKo9CB3BjpC9xx45bA7QV0Iz4ny-Eyc0TDCKaGMlMfPwFA8BlfI4Vhbwviw7MeB5t1geJuJvVNzV8/w640-h480/AE09741B-636A-4BF9-BBCB-848481AE4B15.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Pretty arches of white glisten and its heady scent take my breath away.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>A quick chat with Tom Stuart Smith</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I speak to Tom Stuart Smith who has overseen this project, adores this plant too..., using 50 of them at a time throughout both Arcadia and the rock garden.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">More walking through Arcadia, and you enter an area that was cleared of beeches oaks and limes to create a wonderful moment, of seeing how this garden connects with the rest of the formal gardens. There in front of you, newly planted bulbs and perennials line the steps leading you down ....but your eyes are caught by the majestic maze, with green parkland beyond.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UDyxXNwQbxTr6OjJLLuiWgEUDF7QUN4XNFs-yN_GVKzbD0EURZARZ3snhgFtCUG9ci5wjLJdIRSk-vT0Rv3Y6bGhxKrQOp2Kek7uKEFR1MuQy91tZCADNN7g5qcAuqG_4HSqa6UkTQU/s2048/F534D76A-4D6A-4714-A231-BA094F4916C9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UDyxXNwQbxTr6OjJLLuiWgEUDF7QUN4XNFs-yN_GVKzbD0EURZARZ3snhgFtCUG9ci5wjLJdIRSk-vT0Rv3Y6bGhxKrQOp2Kek7uKEFR1MuQy91tZCADNN7g5qcAuqG_4HSqa6UkTQU/w640-h480/F534D76A-4D6A-4714-A231-BA094F4916C9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Stepping downwards, Tom Stuart Smith leads us to the three-acre Rock Garden which has also been remodelled with the introduction of new paths and heavier planting of perennials than before, some echoing those up on the ridge.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now, this is one of the earliest and largest rock gardens in the world, designed by none other than Joseph Paxton. So how does it feel to be asked to redesign some areas? Tom smiles and agrees it's a challenge...but you can see by the smile in his eyes and his love of the gardens here, he's happy with what has changed here over the last three years.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjai94XyCGZB2bLHz3F5hyphenhyphenFhy75dbnfU5DBG8qhQk8Q6sXi0DQqM0Or4XlJI60BxOjt038d1tVAxiFFm55whN0wYSxEPQ4h0tfpZgCTK5bwXxWDyi6P5A77P3lQb4Hp5Ru8CQg5ZYkAqvc/s4032/5D56F2BC-2BCE-445C-8D3E-964D75947E01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjai94XyCGZB2bLHz3F5hyphenhyphenFhy75dbnfU5DBG8qhQk8Q6sXi0DQqM0Or4XlJI60BxOjt038d1tVAxiFFm55whN0wYSxEPQ4h0tfpZgCTK5bwXxWDyi6P5A77P3lQb4Hp5Ru8CQg5ZYkAqvc/w640-h480/5D56F2BC-2BCE-445C-8D3E-964D75947E01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5ig-1NBvjKfcmjgdV_a4kpq3XaK07yrvTu1DtU7H664Ko1b0S4_WMEfhlotxf1NRK-DFSEtw-hk5li_CkzeQ5CGqW128rhSOsSVwc7HQQ1JmYNGmHh1LGSEgvXR4rsLKmOW6UIEkHRM/s2048/548180D1-8DD8-45FD-9624-01DFD0926A2E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5ig-1NBvjKfcmjgdV_a4kpq3XaK07yrvTu1DtU7H664Ko1b0S4_WMEfhlotxf1NRK-DFSEtw-hk5li_CkzeQ5CGqW128rhSOsSVwc7HQQ1JmYNGmHh1LGSEgvXR4rsLKmOW6UIEkHRM/w640-h480/548180D1-8DD8-45FD-9624-01DFD0926A2E.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meanwhile, the more formal gardens, designed by gardening greats such as Capability Brown and Joseph Paxton are waiting to be explored. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Maze itself and the newly planted entrance are on the foundations of the Great Conservatory designed by Paxton. It took 4 years to build and was the largest glasshouse in the country in 1840 - an elaborate and stunning place to grow plants and to visit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">According to Steve Porter, the Head of Gardens and Landscape though, after the First World War, it became a huge extravagance and the 9th Duke of Devonshire decided to demolish it. It was blown up, and apparently, it took several attempts to do so. Steve says that even now, his team are still digging up pieces of glass. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By now, it was time to walk back to the Stables near the House.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4adlQnJB8baMJL53BErVyJ1qhaNRmHcdsgfpmalXgDcq4tcnQM-67DlnpiXFi2qLotSb2nCoXQQmdj5HH6Qr8fPh0uJtxWUC_BA8XaemZH0sPtGPS4XzRBM7so-yyw6tDlmr80Htecjg/s2048/8591127A-4F6F-4859-A8B0-CF2713FB95CD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4adlQnJB8baMJL53BErVyJ1qhaNRmHcdsgfpmalXgDcq4tcnQM-67DlnpiXFi2qLotSb2nCoXQQmdj5HH6Qr8fPh0uJtxWUC_BA8XaemZH0sPtGPS4XzRBM7so-yyw6tDlmr80Htecjg/w640-h480/8591127A-4F6F-4859-A8B0-CF2713FB95CD.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Families were still sitting by the water, entranced by the sight of the Emperor fountain shooting water up to 90 metres high, but it was nearly closing time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I've spent the last week constantly thinking about my visit to Chatsworth House and the hugely ambitious garden transformation commissioned by the current Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. They wanted an exciting contemporary and sustainable garden.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It takes a leap of faith to radically remodel, and institute change on such an expensive and expansive scale in a much loved and admired garden.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Supported<span> by Gucci, after three years of hard work by the designers, the gardeners and a team of volunteers, and even mucking in themselves to help during the Pandemic, the Duke and Duchess's vision </span> "Arcadia", a pastoral paradise, in harmony with nature has been realised.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Accessibility information for the Gardens at Chatsworth House</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can download an access map from the Chatsworth House website.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There is free admission for carers (don't book a ticket for one)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;">A 28 seater trailer which is fully wheelchair accessible, offers tours of the garden on certain days. Garden buggy tours are also running for visitors to book at a small additional charge.</span><span face="tahoma, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I visited Chatsworth House as a member of a press trip with the Garden Media Guild</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="m_7575300359109568539backgroundTable" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; max-width: 800px; width: 684px;"><tbody><tr><td style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" valign="top"><p style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 28px; margin: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 28px; margin: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 28px; margin: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 28px; margin: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 28px; margin: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 28px; margin: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 28px; margin: 0pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-61563263328771435822021-09-09T14:34:00.001+01:002021-09-09T14:34:23.722+01:00Days of harvest and a heatwave<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, September sunshine came at the weekend, bringing almost tropical temperatures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It meant meals in the garden after watering the tomatoes and sweet pepper plants in the evening. Glasses of wine whilst watching the swallows pirouette, soar and swoop around us until the skies became dark.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">No so relaxing though for our local farmers. They’ve been harvesting at full pace when there’s a tight window between having lots of sunshine and the storms forecast. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Farmers Phil and Mark were hard at work in the field at the end of our garden on Monday. Our dogs Boo and Eric had a grandstand view, following their progress with interest as they circled the field.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOig2ACM4CMxUfPKkEyxWp_jo4N-wEfTvd25i2e03WVnPzaQFDdcb5ImvtIDhIeqdlhIKj83xvQMo5S2Sm_20wBVOVkwpOu2CxvN4DYrU6wVm9M1HQ3Z0f_pERDGw64VCLGwsjeAY35Y/s2048/B534AE6D-29FE-41D2-A318-EDB44AD4284F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOig2ACM4CMxUfPKkEyxWp_jo4N-wEfTvd25i2e03WVnPzaQFDdcb5ImvtIDhIeqdlhIKj83xvQMo5S2Sm_20wBVOVkwpOu2CxvN4DYrU6wVm9M1HQ3Z0f_pERDGw64VCLGwsjeAY35Y/w640-h480/B534AE6D-29FE-41D2-A318-EDB44AD4284F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>After a couple of hours it was time for the hard workers to have a drink and a chat …</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvlccXLZyiikmvDn0vxtXQD_CqiymNvE5A7ejJ0PnoS2mjaXIJxJnMDyFjfHyd6mIA9Q8aM4Pf5wBbAt4SSyKtdhSQ2GP4-Z51T9tl9XpmicA6qpWvQO_FOMq-n1cCMXL1YgHXqikUVM/s2048/1C47E8B5-0D33-4776-9F98-D2B2763E3790.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvlccXLZyiikmvDn0vxtXQD_CqiymNvE5A7ejJ0PnoS2mjaXIJxJnMDyFjfHyd6mIA9Q8aM4Pf5wBbAt4SSyKtdhSQ2GP4-Z51T9tl9XpmicA6qpWvQO_FOMq-n1cCMXL1YgHXqikUVM/w640-h480/1C47E8B5-0D33-4776-9F98-D2B2763E3790.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile on the other side of the village, I stopped to watch as they were working on another field, with a cloud of dust trailing behind them …..</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcJff9UW4Spytwe-aUiW0H-sSycCac9aR7utZEGLA5P2cO5usBYeyQVsn16TJlpNlMBC_rXeoGUO83elWrkxtxrx2hTek10t-q8j6OVg6Uc-0Shyphenhyphen2Y4prRGcGazttnWd6qGIg74ma6I0/s2048/2E9D6305-19C6-48FF-AD8F-B7298CC3BDCC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcJff9UW4Spytwe-aUiW0H-sSycCac9aR7utZEGLA5P2cO5usBYeyQVsn16TJlpNlMBC_rXeoGUO83elWrkxtxrx2hTek10t-q8j6OVg6Uc-0Shyphenhyphen2Y4prRGcGazttnWd6qGIg74ma6I0/w640-h480/2E9D6305-19C6-48FF-AD8F-B7298CC3BDCC.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />On the other side of the road, all was safely gathered in as I walked through one of my favourite fields.<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYLyc8Akj1cxSGNs301NS4MtT0uK_JE-MUBQuVEDaLhWJJnGi1tJkJTfj-k9-RDKTORET8TmLpboWP8B39bj7kDZuyJhKo0NzpBErd0agZipz7qezS0USsckO9SWLhOgBbv36gsKUk4Lw/s2048/4CF828A5-F950-4A7E-B4B9-B4D24A2CA2D9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYLyc8Akj1cxSGNs301NS4MtT0uK_JE-MUBQuVEDaLhWJJnGi1tJkJTfj-k9-RDKTORET8TmLpboWP8B39bj7kDZuyJhKo0NzpBErd0agZipz7qezS0USsckO9SWLhOgBbv36gsKUk4Lw/s320/4CF828A5-F950-4A7E-B4B9-B4D24A2CA2D9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As I got closer, I realised just how huge this tower of bales was. It looked so majestic in a commanding position on the ridge, pale gold surrounded by bright blue skies.<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxCOVP1hujx27ntMhXFPteHUEv1LQe1ny9Wx_0tFowvGPBvBT5R604b8Qdm84LekVOkFdC0PufMDn0Uojh-IiBWdZQpvjRS3w5ZC9I1ytlnVLZ8C-rCo89HjwW6-MHVo0sFOoRFei-_o/s2048/7733578E-1D68-4E77-99B5-8097542825A0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxCOVP1hujx27ntMhXFPteHUEv1LQe1ny9Wx_0tFowvGPBvBT5R604b8Qdm84LekVOkFdC0PufMDn0Uojh-IiBWdZQpvjRS3w5ZC9I1ytlnVLZ8C-rCo89HjwW6-MHVo0sFOoRFei-_o/w640-h480/7733578E-1D68-4E77-99B5-8097542825A0.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I know storms have been appearing already elsewhere in the country but here in our little village, all is still dry. This warmth and sunshine have given us a glimpse of the summer we didn’t have. A small bonus as the year marches on and the nights draw in…..</div>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-22302059656379833532021-09-06T18:10:00.010+01:002022-09-29T17:30:37.088+01:00A reading day: a review of Big Veg by Gerald Stratford<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ah, the beginning of September - heralding the beginning of autumn and the big bonanza of newly published books, all shiny new and ready for the Christmas market. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the first books to arrive through the door with a satisfying whack on the mat is Big Veg by Gerald Stratford.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mg_1Kw0zEg9P3gUVpYD4AVJKNJWuvmG8KtoKlIKGDHJE8qbLr77sWlFW1HC02kVfpQK5S5_3VC2em4PnmA-xL2mmmJ9TVs2ArvnPadQnmfDswP0R_e1pnAFHggQw_kHOaPFjSDfrCC0/s2048/039D28F7-A0C4-4733-8FDB-299F840A7C7A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1989" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mg_1Kw0zEg9P3gUVpYD4AVJKNJWuvmG8KtoKlIKGDHJE8qbLr77sWlFW1HC02kVfpQK5S5_3VC2em4PnmA-xL2mmmJ9TVs2ArvnPadQnmfDswP0R_e1pnAFHggQw_kHOaPFjSDfrCC0/w622-h640/039D28F7-A0C4-4733-8FDB-299F840A7C7A.jpeg" width="622" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Gerald Stratford has been growing vegetables since he was taught how to as a small boy by his father but had never thought about writing a book about it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He's a grandfather in his seventies, a retired fisherman and gardener but that's just what he's done.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">His book "Big Veg",was published last week and I think it's going to sell very well for a number of reasons.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Firstly, Gerald is an internet sensation. Despite not being on social media for long, he has already made his mark, attracting over 308,000 followers on twitter alone.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm one of them, and I know all is well in the world when there's a post and video from Gerald.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Good morning" or "Good evening "he says in his lovely Oxfordshire lilt, and I'm transported to a happy place where there are outsize vegetables to admire which Gerald has grown, and to hear little snippets about his life. Nothing earth-shattering takes place in his videos, they're not slick there's no fancy, frenetic, over the top presentation either, but they are surprisingly addictive.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So what about his book?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the words of a famous Ronseal catchphrase from yesteryear "it does what it says on the tin."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's about the outsize veg he grows in his garden and allotment, and how to grow them in simple, understandable terms.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Split into sections, the book has lots of tips for beginners to both grow and show big vegetables. His advice is encouraging and he understands that when growing veg, anything ..good or bad, can happen despite your best efforts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He only grows he likes to eat though, an important commandment really for any grow your own fan. After all, what's the point?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In his chapter on what its like to show your vegetables, Gerald is spot on as he describes the anticipation, the sheer thrill and the fun to be had whether you're exhibiting at your local village show or a more prestigious one. In the world of big veg mind you, size matters and his friendly, inspiring approach will enable you to grow some whoppers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuthCSKtiddKpJxDg-nT-QS_S9mdDJUAFBt4L6KZk2ZBPZsRPPNTnCAU4NwonEh0FT5jjNip7dJG3fOKU183zFJlDxbt9u5znZ2WqQJ6xI9wttLZCtnSmCHPh_fEQYVahxxmDoX6NP47s/s2048/0C844AAF-6B13-4322-84CA-ED41FE8FC294.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuthCSKtiddKpJxDg-nT-QS_S9mdDJUAFBt4L6KZk2ZBPZsRPPNTnCAU4NwonEh0FT5jjNip7dJG3fOKU183zFJlDxbt9u5znZ2WqQJ6xI9wttLZCtnSmCHPh_fEQYVahxxmDoX6NP47s/w480-h640/0C844AAF-6B13-4322-84CA-ED41FE8FC294.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The last part of the book guides us month by month through Gerald's year of growing vegetables, both for showing and for supplying him and his family with meals in every season.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's a charming glimpse into a land which is forever England. A gentle land of sheds, greenhouses, allotments and vegetable and flower shows. This book takes into Gerald's likeable world of retirement, family, growing food for his family and above all, humour and contentment.</div><br />Mind you, his world is already changing with a book, even modelling, plus appearing at a literary festival next month, but I suspect that nothing will change Gerald. <div><br /></div><div>Cheers Gerald!<p></p><p>Big Veg by Gerald Stratford is published by Headline Books and costs £14.99.</p><p>My copy was sent for review.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-85132060612623481832021-08-27T18:05:00.005+01:002022-09-29T17:22:04.141+01:00Foodie Friday, - making Nigella’s chilli jam<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Earlier this year, I rescued a chilli plant from "death row" at a garden centre.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You know, the few rows of plants which range from the mildly unkempt, the bone dry and drooping or the ones for all hope is lost.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This particular chilli plant was a third of its original price and had possibilities, so I thought it was well worth with a punt. I was right, it blossomed with some tender loving care, so much so, I had a slight surfeit of chillis.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd never made any jam from them, so spent a satisfying hour or so rifling through my cookbooks and scanning online to find the perfect recipe.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I found it, and after making my second batch in less than three weeks (that's how good this chilli jam is) , I can confirm that is absolutely delicious.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It is from Nigella Lawson and is incredibly easy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9B4jaRFfXMrRAcSWSWBJvOrTA_RLYO_GdYAiEGCuUAHQxMZXCbgl6BI9Nt33Sv7D1USx28DfAWGqMHJ9HIe0_z3sB_hmCjZCoVXP_kBETnf4BB4nIfDRRyyamxEPulO6wKTz-xpc9qBE/s2048/BC24A20B-F034-455B-8779-B003AA7E4F08.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9B4jaRFfXMrRAcSWSWBJvOrTA_RLYO_GdYAiEGCuUAHQxMZXCbgl6BI9Nt33Sv7D1USx28DfAWGqMHJ9HIe0_z3sB_hmCjZCoVXP_kBETnf4BB4nIfDRRyyamxEPulO6wKTz-xpc9qBE/w640-h480/BC24A20B-F034-455B-8779-B003AA7E4F08.jpeg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpX8OsDPnvX5Twesdu3OFJW7VsPO49e-Ly0RSYixkT9N_pQu-8NDlrlYQVJ77E3ReaDARaELMZdVQDZ938AsQITUimMviBICzYTWoQ4uzfYnK8vsBdd73zOgHc2fr5s4QuHEUqOGoH3c/s2048/DEB5F4F0-6C1C-4C2B-A7BB-AE23BE19D099.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Whizzing chillies and red peppers in a food processor is easy peasy. So is throwing some jam sugar and white wine vinegar together (Nigella uses cider vinegar but I hadn't any) and heating in a preserving pan until all the sugar is dissolved. I did use 100 ml less of white wine vinegar as I didn’t have enough</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Adding the flecks of chillis and peppers isn't taxing, and neither is bringing the mixture to a rollicking boil for ten minutes, before pouring into sterilised jam jars.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's literally that simple and the jam sets beautifully just as Nigella tells you it will. I didn't have to faff around with small plates from the fridge and trying to find out if it would set. It simply does.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mSapLP5-OmBy1IaRPcn_Yd4pZkGTp01gepvh5ptjLATzsL-dTgLVZDu6KCL3UtPcJSKICRyQAUFXz3AWypEt1852KlJ7kmxoTHoRxOkCtUPtpL9A1y7e_dhnL-cPPJPjl7N6vbFiUpA/s2048/D4CD37A7-F651-486C-A9E8-F76F0CE3119C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mSapLP5-OmBy1IaRPcn_Yd4pZkGTp01gepvh5ptjLATzsL-dTgLVZDu6KCL3UtPcJSKICRyQAUFXz3AWypEt1852KlJ7kmxoTHoRxOkCtUPtpL9A1y7e_dhnL-cPPJPjl7N6vbFiUpA/w640-h480/D4CD37A7-F651-486C-A9E8-F76F0CE3119C.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can't believe I've not found this recipe before. After all, I've adored Nigella's writing since "How to Eat" was published and have other books of hers on my bookshelves. So how did I miss it? I haven't got a copy of Nigella Christmas, that's why.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That will be remedied, after all it's only 120 days until Christmas and it would be good to have some recipes to try. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meanwhile, if you want to try making this chilli jam, here's the link to Nigellas's website.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">https://www.nigella.com/recipes/chilli-jam</div><p><br /></p><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Q47-1zdZaVlARfunQ40dtsAq_XqrLMeXDBu3RbjKncZRI5dcZIhNfrfTSX4udRXJoBGRRF3YvisqYe22l6HHN8qnnRdfNNiTdT7x0MFJNj22sr_nEixLK2KCQhZd8RuWa-dGn96mNFo/s2048/09B18ECE-A1EE-40AC-ADF5-1FC5B5AED440.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Q47-1zdZaVlARfunQ40dtsAq_XqrLMeXDBu3RbjKncZRI5dcZIhNfrfTSX4udRXJoBGRRF3YvisqYe22l6HHN8qnnRdfNNiTdT7x0MFJNj22sr_nEixLK2KCQhZd8RuWa-dGn96mNFo/w640-h480/09B18ECE-A1EE-40AC-ADF5-1FC5B5AED440.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-80355495201984884642021-08-19T18:22:00.005+01:002023-09-26T15:39:04.665+01:00Days of staying at Hever Castle <p> </p><p>My latest trip away is all down to a history teacher, who back in 1941, enthused an eleven year girl with tales of the Tudors and a certain castle in Kent. That young girl is now 91 - she's my Mum who's always wanted to see where Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, was brought up.</p><p>So off we went to Kent, to Hever Castle to stay in a castle for the very first time, and immerse ourselves in history and luxury. A treat to ourselves, as for a long time we were apart during lockdowns and missed each other dreadfully.</p><p>Of course, we weren't staying in the seven hundred year castle itself, our room was one of 28 in the Tudor style Edwardian wings, just yards from the castle. Arriving mid-afternoon, we were pleased with Bramley, our accessible deluxe twin room on the ground floor, with a large en suite.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwlKzmBpA7OkYDMuL253QQDEYu2Fpp_NpITAHJNYJ8gedWgmgJFZbiUjMw-IacmB7QwfaN81-60NSeWT61YWFc_AyTvoLRIThDX88rLomTdbLgANV4WZYP2sSnFIlioSl7_zSBTqbM28/s680/Bramley-Bedroom-680x452.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="680" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwlKzmBpA7OkYDMuL253QQDEYu2Fpp_NpITAHJNYJ8gedWgmgJFZbiUjMw-IacmB7QwfaN81-60NSeWT61YWFc_AyTvoLRIThDX88rLomTdbLgANV4WZYP2sSnFIlioSl7_zSBTqbM28/w640-h426/Bramley-Bedroom-680x452.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Mum made herself a pot of tea before unpacking. There was a selection, from Earl Grey to fruit and peppermint teas and a selection of biscuits. Builders tea and shortbread for her, I downed a bottle of spring water but noticed approvingly there was a cafetiere and real coffee for me in the morning.</div><div><p>We ventured out into the gardens for a brief stroll and to sit and rest in front of the castle. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59IcPSf8op8EFBXFUX06gSYVU2oZPVGMphFWh1KVPxpO3t7fn6DDWQji7hzlpNtTUehKqIhpZ2hQCI60Y2Um4Bt0hxRe0OQsH2GzAdngZB8YOqVUSnFkWb32YIV9n09XHwGgZ3D9auMg/s2048/E685C5A4-463F-4100-A181-AE36C4209CC5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59IcPSf8op8EFBXFUX06gSYVU2oZPVGMphFWh1KVPxpO3t7fn6DDWQji7hzlpNtTUehKqIhpZ2hQCI60Y2Um4Bt0hxRe0OQsH2GzAdngZB8YOqVUSnFkWb32YIV9n09XHwGgZ3D9auMg/w640-h480/E685C5A4-463F-4100-A181-AE36C4209CC5.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYDhynO8LShyhOCaLY8TwfY0f20qmuQnzYsAc_e9TGI6M-VUCzQM9AMnEcCw7IfwOR1z6rhSBqlTmitky1F0e0TmnWvhRhXVSmplVNgcihH66OMD5JzwJQqEahyphenhyphenD8bxNTlEJg1g2PmYM/s2048/671B4442-1516-4258-BBDC-BE132065AB04.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYDhynO8LShyhOCaLY8TwfY0f20qmuQnzYsAc_e9TGI6M-VUCzQM9AMnEcCw7IfwOR1z6rhSBqlTmitky1F0e0TmnWvhRhXVSmplVNgcihH66OMD5JzwJQqEahyphenhyphenD8bxNTlEJg1g2PmYM/w480-h640/671B4442-1516-4258-BBDC-BE132065AB04.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>It was quiet with only a few couples here and there, other guests who were staying here. All the day visitors had gone, leaving us feeling quite spoilt to have the place to ourselves.</p><p>Back indoors, it was time to eat. We sat and relaxed in the sitting room as we waited for our table....and then it was time to eat in the rather grand dining room, full of guests talking quietly, as we were all served attentively with nothing being too much trouble.</p></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div>Smoked salmon starters went down well and then chicken and duck as our main courses. Lots of vegetables and we couldn't manage puddings. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_EAWBx6DuwetYg4xZasCA7hnZJ4IRDdKquuw88ofSI2fN2hGEZBjUTQXTuipPAYinUqxcR1EGpwMLtqfq3UMGH3VeGk_3b7ZmBsakXWcOJ66YXyj91YT4gDrviATg9TZj-9Kj10rqtE/s2048/558BF4CC-4F41-4D94-A3D1-969F2A6B31C3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_EAWBx6DuwetYg4xZasCA7hnZJ4IRDdKquuw88ofSI2fN2hGEZBjUTQXTuipPAYinUqxcR1EGpwMLtqfq3UMGH3VeGk_3b7ZmBsakXWcOJ66YXyj91YT4gDrviATg9TZj-9Kj10rqtE/w640-h480/558BF4CC-4F41-4D94-A3D1-969F2A6B31C3.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><p>An early night for both us and we were back for breakfast early the next morning. When I say breakfast, this was a feast. Continental pastries, fruit platters, porridge, eggs Benedict, full English breakfast with vegetarian and vegan options too, plus copious refills of coffee, tea and fruit juice.</p><p>We virtually staggered to the castle afterwards in time for a private tour for hotel guests before the day visitors arrived. </p><p>The castle is oh so atmospheric with precious treasures belonging to its most famous inhabitant, Anne Boleyn. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_Iug_K1r1VWUGQeuYpmgfcx0mG_okaoV-Om8Nm55X6m1ll1oIZptztWouN8pisCYy0U_G6wQ_TxvFFcezbkNvPQ7N-34Wpq7_PH_tHLMGmtta5dhs7_Aqh8Lx6teM1KF28PdRvriezM/s2048/67E7987A-EB29-4DBA-A9F3-4714BC8D7C71.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_Iug_K1r1VWUGQeuYpmgfcx0mG_okaoV-Om8Nm55X6m1ll1oIZptztWouN8pisCYy0U_G6wQ_TxvFFcezbkNvPQ7N-34Wpq7_PH_tHLMGmtta5dhs7_Aqh8Lx6teM1KF28PdRvriezM/w480-h640/67E7987A-EB29-4DBA-A9F3-4714BC8D7C71.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>This was Anne’s personal Book of Hours,beautifully illustrated and with colours still so vivid, but there is also a poignant inscription by Anne herself. "Le temps viendra" - the time will come.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6dwoVnDxlMyftwZVbID2yygktx7zsIfq2to12EVfDmBGL1Y7ChebAKehpq0cb_ekahHtHdF-MY944T0X84AVi4h-7ATc9xQa5Z9ZtTwyfUpTfz58IRSqTD_6WtaKauNobbKtynxyG1M/s2048/14792320-EF1B-4174-AD91-A88749EF8E5E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6dwoVnDxlMyftwZVbID2yygktx7zsIfq2to12EVfDmBGL1Y7ChebAKehpq0cb_ekahHtHdF-MY944T0X84AVi4h-7ATc9xQa5Z9ZtTwyfUpTfz58IRSqTD_6WtaKauNobbKtynxyG1M/w640-h480/14792320-EF1B-4174-AD91-A88749EF8E5E.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><p>Henry VIII may have married her but he also ordered her execution and later, he gave her family home to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleeves. </p><p>Hever Castle isn't the largest castle in the country but as the saying goes, size isn't everything, and it does have a priest hole, a ghost, a wonderful collection of portraits of Plantagenet and Tudor Kings and so much more. </p><p>It was at the beginning of the 20th century that Hever Castle and its 125 acres of gardens were transformed by the new owner, William Waldorf Astor. The richest man in America, he spent the equivalent of a billion pounds today in restoring the castle itself, building new wings and completely changing the gardens and grounds.</p><p>From the castle you can see our bedroom in the Astor Wing, so close to the original castle </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cpCvKtj519VhyphenhyphenPe1PpDLWK2HM1kS67GTYLoJqU4448eok2m-tQEOzlu1gwOwl3eInrh_i-q99FIEPaxzNcFdsF8tIK7lB0hsVfXyd-XZD2wIPMe6VfhAvq6FHPdMuERlmksgL1bSJTI/s2048/1F3A0526-1303-4C74-8382-479FD5AEDA57.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cpCvKtj519VhyphenhyphenPe1PpDLWK2HM1kS67GTYLoJqU4448eok2m-tQEOzlu1gwOwl3eInrh_i-q99FIEPaxzNcFdsF8tIK7lB0hsVfXyd-XZD2wIPMe6VfhAvq6FHPdMuERlmksgL1bSJTI/w480-h640/1F3A0526-1303-4C74-8382-479FD5AEDA57.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div></div><p> The courtyard for hotel guests is a lovely area to sit and read a book in the early afternoon, or drink a gin in the early evening and chat with fellow guests.</p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhNu15PYjdfkbb-TVCzUqJ17mnUzvs33I4cM8fNheqSrLa_MFOs6G7NYTuTNFhKP2IWEl2KKky8aTspdjjruzBLJUr9sfYCW5tBFBUyYrOVC0QklywhvkWSKqsRfsxDGk_GL8rz4SVMM/s2048/AC2A3F4A-6FAD-4142-9D8F-1670E00EFFA6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhNu15PYjdfkbb-TVCzUqJ17mnUzvs33I4cM8fNheqSrLa_MFOs6G7NYTuTNFhKP2IWEl2KKky8aTspdjjruzBLJUr9sfYCW5tBFBUyYrOVC0QklywhvkWSKqsRfsxDGk_GL8rz4SVMM/w640-h480/AC2A3F4A-6FAD-4142-9D8F-1670E00EFFA6.jpeg" width="640" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><br /></div><p>As well as creating the extra wings, William Waldorf Astor employed 800 workers to dig and create a lake and create the most spectacular gardens.</p><p>These days, there isn't a huge staff to maintain them. We were lucky enough to meet the irrepressible Neil Miller, the Head Gardener who only has a team of eleven gardeners, and some volunteers, yet manages to create, refresh and enhance the acres and acres of ground</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWHs5BcF5xPgp1xv-PnvC923tT6vEJ3Hd_jQQl-s7igMt1gca8z-eujbwTJn_-4ofw0BlwZHLUZ2zGNuwNa70tQ2BWFH7MrJ7veJjJCQISj4VqP9bOs_Isgb2ljQ2BBWfwYd2MIYmP_A/s2048/FE68F899-1488-4890-9D71-F27DE2C19E8C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWHs5BcF5xPgp1xv-PnvC923tT6vEJ3Hd_jQQl-s7igMt1gca8z-eujbwTJn_-4ofw0BlwZHLUZ2zGNuwNa70tQ2BWFH7MrJ7veJjJCQISj4VqP9bOs_Isgb2ljQ2BBWfwYd2MIYmP_A/w480-h640/FE68F899-1488-4890-9D71-F27DE2C19E8C.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Some of the gardens are high maintenance too, such as the rose garden, containing 4000 rose bushes,</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDw4-H5RmNV6Y7T8JwAWux5jS5YX3ttJin9xMRnoPs4ysS4i426KRgM5TGWTwNNNpwDVjMW87F1geXMBK1AQaM6TvfLpFCtqwp_d1llbPPG7LrJDiWxusE0ZH27uZGub_2tGVfvpZ7DQ/s2048/68C5030E-2A6D-48DF-852F-D8113F89DC83.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDw4-H5RmNV6Y7T8JwAWux5jS5YX3ttJin9xMRnoPs4ysS4i426KRgM5TGWTwNNNpwDVjMW87F1geXMBK1AQaM6TvfLpFCtqwp_d1llbPPG7LrJDiWxusE0ZH27uZGub_2tGVfvpZ7DQ/w640-h480/68C5030E-2A6D-48DF-852F-D8113F89DC83.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_AINLdK3So02TewC6HMjCK1Mk1VPhKrvrSgmWNJlzVPAeT3hTflj-CpYJp0LQX1NYlv4ILE1KzBofQMGjy85g9gALpmqXoP_lGHK7gicLxzGUIKSOrHP74R60hEnu5TWyxGCK1FIRxA/s4032/7A8009FF-8B7C-47C1-8537-3C98AF6E73B8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_AINLdK3So02TewC6HMjCK1Mk1VPhKrvrSgmWNJlzVPAeT3hTflj-CpYJp0LQX1NYlv4ILE1KzBofQMGjy85g9gALpmqXoP_lGHK7gicLxzGUIKSOrHP74R60hEnu5TWyxGCK1FIRxA/w640-h480/7A8009FF-8B7C-47C1-8537-3C98AF6E73B8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAV1PscRpfHGuOlbXzMmeRtvbPoQRKlqaiRlb1sCx2OHJHp9Lib3MPiSgbVLZTyVp4nlPfoiX9T6z_tzMJdA_gKaHX8dL4uuMfGqLDZ4aKc52Q0ZUp8gVrX4HL6kPLerEzThlUPjXnybI/s2048/29118585-BF30-47F6-A49B-462DD654F1BF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAV1PscRpfHGuOlbXzMmeRtvbPoQRKlqaiRlb1sCx2OHJHp9Lib3MPiSgbVLZTyVp4nlPfoiX9T6z_tzMJdA_gKaHX8dL4uuMfGqLDZ4aKc52Q0ZUp8gVrX4HL6kPLerEzThlUPjXnybI/w640-h480/29118585-BF30-47F6-A49B-462DD654F1BF.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></div><br /><p></p><p>the more formal Italianate Garden and the wonderful and very different Pompeian Wall, but we loved them all.</p><blockquote><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhD50TnG3TxdPlZ38L42S2sW0YpSx6eIrmZHUT2ys62jFNNMo-8Zk__0povayDb4swPx9wP8_IlFLqj2qBmac3QgwZoXgVH0wYdYgNgsihyZ0snW1k3PiWeR9vSglYb-4cCc75U-n7_c/s2048/4207190A-FD18-4E10-AD87-C80C33794073.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhD50TnG3TxdPlZ38L42S2sW0YpSx6eIrmZHUT2ys62jFNNMo-8Zk__0povayDb4swPx9wP8_IlFLqj2qBmac3QgwZoXgVH0wYdYgNgsihyZ0snW1k3PiWeR9vSglYb-4cCc75U-n7_c/w640-h480/4207190A-FD18-4E10-AD87-C80C33794073.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></blockquote><p>Whether you visit Hever Castle for the day, or for a night or two, there's something for everyone no matter how young or old you are. Mazes, a children's play area, a couple of cafes and you can even go boating on the lake.</p><p>A two night stay though was a wonderful experience. We cocooned ourselves in a different world, a world where we felt safe and pampered. A place where we not only felt as if we went back in time, but where we had time to chat, to read and to have drinks with other like-minded people, such as Sam and George who love history, historic houses and gardens. </p><p>For me, the best part of each day was first thing. Walking out into the gardens in the early morning light, breathing in the scented air, and being totally alone. Wandering around the knot garden amongst the herbs, walking over to the lake, sitting there watching the ducks and swans gliding on the water, and totally losing track of time and the outside world.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbW1bAj6VYU35aFrmgAsoKDZ4ruGK5ueqNebYLm9XG87tSYB6N4-SCGXQ2oIlcScIQBxplwBLJF9mWjn_Lk6Ajg_r4BG75Xg1wbn-_zECKG-PECVgfn_6FH2nKH8dXensxxdYm9ZXRc5o/s2048/1099C579-D679-4EAA-A8A5-1BAC9B5D9B51.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbW1bAj6VYU35aFrmgAsoKDZ4ruGK5ueqNebYLm9XG87tSYB6N4-SCGXQ2oIlcScIQBxplwBLJF9mWjn_Lk6Ajg_r4BG75Xg1wbn-_zECKG-PECVgfn_6FH2nKH8dXensxxdYm9ZXRc5o/w640-h480/1099C579-D679-4EAA-A8A5-1BAC9B5D9B51.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoR9b_VKHDMwozxZ3epWBt4Z97aI9OqMCHZDBuAZUkwGOfe-Qcvu_yIv_5MJNLAPaRvCtO_kpEN1yXXVKkyiPCO10btokKsT4BalhYZATIAQcl-z16Cm7iSsAvHx-Ynh79XGtkQ5c10oE/s2048/D3AF671C-1A33-4AAA-B4E8-2D70953D41D1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoR9b_VKHDMwozxZ3epWBt4Z97aI9OqMCHZDBuAZUkwGOfe-Qcvu_yIv_5MJNLAPaRvCtO_kpEN1yXXVKkyiPCO10btokKsT4BalhYZATIAQcl-z16Cm7iSsAvHx-Ynh79XGtkQ5c10oE/w640-h480/D3AF671C-1A33-4AAA-B4E8-2D70953D41D1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Meanwhile Mum couldn't get enough of going into the castle itself when it was so empty and she could wander around to her heart's content. There are lots of stairs and she could only use her rollator on the ground floor, but the very helpful guides ensured that she could get everywhere in the castle safely and at her own pace. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgAv059Vz1D3M9HMESfuyzrXcsc7qnnk0_QnRXDLIzfX9Qm2pKMdNJ3LroW9rq80VjPdBGEXfNWwyZAeKZz6e7rTZH0Wmp_8Buj0jurJdmFyScPiusNMlB8Sftu9nJN8CATGBBkIR7xI/s2048/8DA2DCB3-065D-48AB-9ED4-F50B6A92B615.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="2048" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgAv059Vz1D3M9HMESfuyzrXcsc7qnnk0_QnRXDLIzfX9Qm2pKMdNJ3LroW9rq80VjPdBGEXfNWwyZAeKZz6e7rTZH0Wmp_8Buj0jurJdmFyScPiusNMlB8Sftu9nJN8CATGBBkIR7xI/w640-h492/8DA2DCB3-065D-48AB-9ED4-F50B6A92B615.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2zgRhtb98NeezZ5MO3kkzHfU4aOm7PwCRZVjTStim4lw9CYDzD3-WiWmpBIcZUjDbg3fRpYdPK6_vLgvTVv58-xwoh_NSLFWy0lg2F-mdJoki1EJCMcOsPIP-Oc-YxijZyY5D3zKpsY/s2048/EBB6D028-A292-4BFC-A4CD-413BA283867D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2zgRhtb98NeezZ5MO3kkzHfU4aOm7PwCRZVjTStim4lw9CYDzD3-WiWmpBIcZUjDbg3fRpYdPK6_vLgvTVv58-xwoh_NSLFWy0lg2F-mdJoki1EJCMcOsPIP-Oc-YxijZyY5D3zKpsY/w640-h480/EBB6D028-A292-4BFC-A4CD-413BA283867D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>So, we loved our time at Hever Castle. The acid test mind you, is would we go again? For both of us, the answer is an unequivocal yes. I would love to see the tulips in Spring, apparently, there's thousands and thousands of them.<p></p><p>Meanwhile, there are other adventures to plan. Mum has now achieved her childhood dream of visiting Hever, and over the years, we've ticked off her fancy to see Salzburg in the snow and her ambition to cruise down the Nile with a trip to the Valley of the Kings. </p><p>Where though, can I take a gregarious, lively minded, 91 year old on a trip next?</p></div>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-42540101907034074492021-06-18T15:58:00.000+01:002021-06-18T15:58:13.305+01:00Foodie Friday and lunch at Charnia Kitchen in QuornI've just come back from walking the dogs and I'm feeling rather hungry.<div><br /></div><div>That's because I'm thinking of exactly two weeks ago when three of us went to lunch at a place none of us had been to before. Charnia Kitchen in the village of Quorn is a relatively new addition in the north of Leicestershire and we were so pleased we found it. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbCRO2zwjXwWEmAgqmweicfQYCvVDFui6GBOoVkxU4sk2HU8TBOcMlUthwG8oyrw6mp1mblIxIFNj72-yoefQx0iTHqSCObmUXZF21SEU3kfRCM91O4IvCp49XGcKWEYCDmOwq26IfM4/s2904/AFF37DA8-3489-48A4-B806-C469A1FD546E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2904" data-original-width="2877" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbCRO2zwjXwWEmAgqmweicfQYCvVDFui6GBOoVkxU4sk2HU8TBOcMlUthwG8oyrw6mp1mblIxIFNj72-yoefQx0iTHqSCObmUXZF21SEU3kfRCM91O4IvCp49XGcKWEYCDmOwq26IfM4/w634-h640/AFF37DA8-3489-48A4-B806-C469A1FD546E.jpeg" width="634" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFhLNUg5S49kru3y7gbuF-fIE5AVV5eedjkN1E0mvoloEXrLH3tnl8hnmHpeCMP9qwPM-mlWtlWl19Ac9wem6x01TEKmq-U-5hXPBHJ4Nj2cZoIQjS4dnWUV9Yp5P9aQb3gjxM0WV4I4/s3495/804723E3-9FF1-4CD7-9A69-092A5BA6E9EF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2621" data-original-width="3495" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFhLNUg5S49kru3y7gbuF-fIE5AVV5eedjkN1E0mvoloEXrLH3tnl8hnmHpeCMP9qwPM-mlWtlWl19Ac9wem6x01TEKmq-U-5hXPBHJ4Nj2cZoIQjS4dnWUV9Yp5P9aQb3gjxM0WV4I4/w640-h480/804723E3-9FF1-4CD7-9A69-092A5BA6E9EF.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Laura and I always have a lovely time when we meet up, there's nearly always food and wine involved, and the only time there's silence is when we are eating. Our third member of the group was Bam Bam, she doesn't talk much and didn't order any lunch, preferring to eat snacks from a copious selection which came with her. and she made it quite clear that I wasn't going to have any of those thank you very much. </div><div><br /></div><div>She's Laura's adorable daughter, who has been out to lunch and more press launches than I have in the last year.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxRmkUM9UKYrf5sf2y7ttT91QVgDxNdx5jp2_4J3HBy8rgFKPi7iCiqbK3bFUmp65fRtPAovFAPoQzlcARzDwgZxgAbvcSTfuO0xekpAzBf0F6rWeJfn1ANsYxFvdK7gIrCqcBa2h-rg/s4032/78A61451-D637-4EC5-BBB8-F1525973B22C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxRmkUM9UKYrf5sf2y7ttT91QVgDxNdx5jp2_4J3HBy8rgFKPi7iCiqbK3bFUmp65fRtPAovFAPoQzlcARzDwgZxgAbvcSTfuO0xekpAzBf0F6rWeJfn1ANsYxFvdK7gIrCqcBa2h-rg/w640-h480/78A61451-D637-4EC5-BBB8-F1525973B22C.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So, what was on the menu, and what did we try? </div><div><br /></div><div>Wine first, and as it was a rather warm day, we ordered a few glasses of Cantina di Negra from Verona which were just right - chilled with peachy undertones and very moreish.</div><div><br /></div><div>The menu is a mixture of light lunches for those for fancying quick bites such as jacket potatoes, avocado on toast, toasties, eggs benedict and that sort of thing. </div><div><br /></div><div>There's also a comprehensive list of starters, then mains such as five-spiced duck breast, roast salmon to chateaubriand steaks. </div><div><br /></div><div>We decided to try the set lunch menu ...eyeing up what seemed a 1970's inspired selection of dishes.</div><div>Laura's eyes lit up when she saw her starter, a prawn cocktail with a Marie Rose sauce, and the oohs of delight as she started eating confirmed that it had hit the spot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>A tomato and mozzarella salad with pesto dressing was my choice,...</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgllmU1Bx4IfP4v0Gv6kPxEQnIqT5554RBCmNE2MnbTARbVRuGgTnEAklQX0pXtvae3KBm8r67ZZ4TKODb9dmESnXmcZ8kZPIRIOiwoCPW_nT5n7NxubcHleG83XPtTfBBCYZmD3xp4o/s2048/58CCFA81-2E02-4EE0-9815-76526AA70FB1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgllmU1Bx4IfP4v0Gv6kPxEQnIqT5554RBCmNE2MnbTARbVRuGgTnEAklQX0pXtvae3KBm8r67ZZ4TKODb9dmESnXmcZ8kZPIRIOiwoCPW_nT5n7NxubcHleG83XPtTfBBCYZmD3xp4o/w640-h480/58CCFA81-2E02-4EE0-9815-76526AA70FB1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>So, both starters prettily presented, now it was time to test the mains. Laura loved her seared lambs liver, mashed potato, fried onion and red wine gravy. Bam Bam was being fork fed tiny morsels of everything, and relishing every bite too.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXgEaT-p0waK3QnEcKKF3zeZ0kl_WaZ_tgGGKyYajt_XjtgurL0oLxs7Vie7FUi4sGbk-3oLLhyphenhyphenWRl-PdEN8O3bsiezpZ5P2Z19PC3ENQrYq3VkMjKi5BgDGghghvzyiTCg4k0nOi9xZo/s2048/DAE21B8A-D881-4A27-852C-4D100E9CDE23.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXgEaT-p0waK3QnEcKKF3zeZ0kl_WaZ_tgGGKyYajt_XjtgurL0oLxs7Vie7FUi4sGbk-3oLLhyphenhyphenWRl-PdEN8O3bsiezpZ5P2Z19PC3ENQrYq3VkMjKi5BgDGghghvzyiTCg4k0nOi9xZo/w640-h480/DAE21B8A-D881-4A27-852C-4D100E9CDE23.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I was busily devouring the mushroom fricassee with mashed potatoes which I'd ordered. When was the last time you ate a fricassee? I was in France back in the 1990's in Normandy at a Chambre D' Hote on a cider farm. Happy and delicious memories, but I really enjoyed these mushrooms sauteed with onions, enveloped generously in a cream and brandy sauce. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvnSyiauDzt2eo8-7fbl5DeRSvLOOn_Iit_K6jb-iZTkVjs8R5eBZjryfpcOykFGHsBCYM-CjPwXSe8nQl-6hYn7B090k1D9Wb0lmK5DCfyUVom6m_3VfHGb0ntne1nZFHHPet-gUjkc/s2048/6AE6C3FF-5CBF-4B4A-958E-71D38EFF09E8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvnSyiauDzt2eo8-7fbl5DeRSvLOOn_Iit_K6jb-iZTkVjs8R5eBZjryfpcOykFGHsBCYM-CjPwXSe8nQl-6hYn7B090k1D9Wb0lmK5DCfyUVom6m_3VfHGb0ntne1nZFHHPet-gUjkc/w640-h480/6AE6C3FF-5CBF-4B4A-958E-71D38EFF09E8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The mashed potatoes were a perfect foil, alongside the seasonal vegetables. Even so, there was plenty of creamy goodness left, and I was reaching for my dessert spoon to taste every last drop. Yes, I may have been greedy but Martyn Pepper, the General Manager was immediately at the table with a few slices of bread to help mop every last bit of cream. Which I did.</div><div><br /></div><div>We couldn't manage a pudding too, so decided to go out into the sunshine and finish our drinks. There's a colourful outside space behind the restaurant, full of relaxing chairs and benches and a few groups of people were drifting in for drinks and afternoon teas which have to be booked in advance. </div><div><br /></div><div>Such a relaxed feel, and none of the *you've had your lunch and now bugger off" attitude which some restaurants have after a long, lazy lunch. Mind you, Charnia Kitchen is open from 8am for breakfast and stays open until 11pm.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OXqv60uBBwUb_DIjjdvX3DqLQndnOrDw14PEUYiFvZVJ9DyLMIoSZcOa_Ns-HKTLn6_88kKXe0p1bKnDXNmIvq5HIgbiKdbdkhLtbqy_wzpmt3NBhwAHRjwN_nj6-uSu7sMGZi3MYVY/s2048/6368E2D0-2CF3-4D87-BC93-E0384402EFE4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OXqv60uBBwUb_DIjjdvX3DqLQndnOrDw14PEUYiFvZVJ9DyLMIoSZcOa_Ns-HKTLn6_88kKXe0p1bKnDXNmIvq5HIgbiKdbdkhLtbqy_wzpmt3NBhwAHRjwN_nj6-uSu7sMGZi3MYVY/w640-h480/6368E2D0-2CF3-4D87-BC93-E0384402EFE4.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The afternoon tea does look inviting, served imaginatively with copious sandwiches, cakes and what not. A brief look flashed between Laura and me and I knew we were both thinking the same ...perhaps, lunch, go for a walk and stay for afternoon tea next time? </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtx77D1xG-kLG8uOz_ZvOHnxbfPsnZitatdgMkfirYFMOYwIXZogf0WMfsnCN74Ba5LKM5Iksh0nMJrMqrEEg9w5seM7Za06IjF7F7ab3FGgsuC1QZN8KneGIWk1qoxdnkM4oUZYPvG8o/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtx77D1xG-kLG8uOz_ZvOHnxbfPsnZitatdgMkfirYFMOYwIXZogf0WMfsnCN74Ba5LKM5Iksh0nMJrMqrEEg9w5seM7Za06IjF7F7ab3FGgsuC1QZN8KneGIWk1qoxdnkM4oUZYPvG8o/" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>There will of course be another visit here, we both agreed on that. Charnia Kitchen serves delicious food, beautifully presented and I like the attention to detail both in the food and service. Gleaming glassware and cutlery, and Martyn Pepper, the General Manager, was friendly and attentive, without being intrusive and looked after all three of us very well. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_T3m-hqEwdw4kdEBBgEKNHBlyAH4JJJdfDJyoEfRE_pGF0ZIetiAIh_3i9RXt4hwFClgWnfqnxZvbekRke2k1rCc4Cfm0LUD2Fu3ml4-HENKGYRzeI6yGFjib198OKz9WgpPulvPbOYA/s4032/6AB56E90-F9BA-493D-B96E-29AAD9773197.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_T3m-hqEwdw4kdEBBgEKNHBlyAH4JJJdfDJyoEfRE_pGF0ZIetiAIh_3i9RXt4hwFClgWnfqnxZvbekRke2k1rCc4Cfm0LUD2Fu3ml4-HENKGYRzeI6yGFjib198OKz9WgpPulvPbOYA/w640-h480/6AB56E90-F9BA-493D-B96E-29AAD9773197.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />We paid £12 each for our rather retro set lunch which we both thought was an absolute bargain, plus the wine. </div><div><br /></div><div>We drove off happily. Bam Bam, who is an absolute delight, was dozing in the back as we discussed the meal and how much we enjoyed it, The only question mark was- did the menu need a few more summery dishes on it? Yes, we decided, and we're both very much looking forward to tasting some on our next visit. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238817249519560240.post-75092275290969251522021-03-15T17:26:00.001+00:002021-03-15T17:26:58.684+00:00 Days of sowing seed more successfully <p> </p><p>We're in the middle of the magic month which all gardeners have been waiting for. The month of annual acts of faith and hope in the future. Yes, the yearly seed sowing jamboree is officially underway. </p><p>Of course this year, many started their seed sowing early. Being at home in lockdown and a few days of warmth and sunshine prompted lots of early activity and I started my first sowings in mid-February of beetroot, sweet peas and peppers.</p><p>I was so driven to sow something and I had run out of the seed compost which I trialled last year and was very impressed by. Foolishly I nipped into a local DIY and garden centre not far away and quickly bought the only seed compost I could find. Well, it was cheap and on special offer. Two small 12 litre bags I thought, would do the trick for right now.</p><p>When I opened the bag though, I was so disappointed. It was clumpy, with large strands of baler twine, hair, large twigs and goodness what else. I had to sieve it to get rid of a few stones and the other offending bits before use. </p><p>I'm not going to name what product I bought, but I've learnt my lesson when it comes to buying compost. You get what you pay for. Dalesfoot Wool Compost for Seeds is what I trialled last year , and yes it may be more expensive to buy, but the germination rate was virtually 100 per cent across the board.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6FX_Ju04FbrjNW-kXRS4uHRiXtHE_AQKfFuTMztKe8LaIj8JJnvXFT-l47SBJhvdrDHX_fE4omidxISK0F7OqLMc2z-Kp46xLhL96RodRtUjY73w2Ux77kbd1bVB4QONnufSzLO00xMk/s2048/IMG-0038.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1886" data-original-width="2048" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6FX_Ju04FbrjNW-kXRS4uHRiXtHE_AQKfFuTMztKe8LaIj8JJnvXFT-l47SBJhvdrDHX_fE4omidxISK0F7OqLMc2z-Kp46xLhL96RodRtUjY73w2Ux77kbd1bVB4QONnufSzLO00xMk/w640-h590/IMG-0038.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The compost is a fine-textured mixture of wool and bracken from a farm in the Lake District, and I didn't need to water my seeds so often. I was so pleased with this, but apparently there's a new version which has just been brought out with added comfrey. Comfrey's benefits are well known, giving high levels of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen, so I can't wait to try some and compare the two bags of peat free compost. </div><div><br /></div><div>I've also been paying closer attention to the way I sow my seeds and transplant the seedlings in the last year. I've always been a "stick my finger in the compost and lob a seed into the hole " type of gardener but not now.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm using a dibblet. I'd never heard of one before...a dibber yes, but not a dibblet. Here it is...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb5hKsEOACY2kxBGGPWv9v8JWaQzlmKoXPcWVZ4UxeqlnszPMITqSmxW7Ev0IQIDDDYSiof3Acoa8x-jl-f9gY3OZVFkOHJ3CTMTMXCzNLPlrbIFdxPuNXhyphenhyphenlWUDRXIUtnJ-GbztkYG2U/s2048/dibblet+%25284%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2041" data-original-width="2048" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb5hKsEOACY2kxBGGPWv9v8JWaQzlmKoXPcWVZ4UxeqlnszPMITqSmxW7Ev0IQIDDDYSiof3Acoa8x-jl-f9gY3OZVFkOHJ3CTMTMXCzNLPlrbIFdxPuNXhyphenhyphenlWUDRXIUtnJ-GbztkYG2U/w640-h638/dibblet+%25284%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This one is made of beech and made to last. It's hand turned and has graduating rings of one cm each so that you know exactly what depth to sow seeds and transplant tiny seedlings. It may be a small item, but as they say, good things come in small packages. </div><div><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWdOXz9t2jpOtS2TKDHW3tDAdu4nfkw2MzowlTzDeb8ATGXaHIwOO-A1KZjKZda99j4wkPVFwVn_fr6nrf8i6rdjRAR-LwOr9jafjhwxzLO8HzS1exJeBbsEwtLaoU5bUTmWRrsb4Y78/s2048/useeds1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWdOXz9t2jpOtS2TKDHW3tDAdu4nfkw2MzowlTzDeb8ATGXaHIwOO-A1KZjKZda99j4wkPVFwVn_fr6nrf8i6rdjRAR-LwOr9jafjhwxzLO8HzS1exJeBbsEwtLaoU5bUTmWRrsb4Y78/w640-h480/useeds1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>So far so good, but previously I've had trouble transplanting the seedlings to bigger pots or outdoors.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XAFhMQe66TKlAkyZ9ZHOw8G-JZLdFW-IeM8UhPRYRHVqxfaGERPeq1gIlL5V_dLagDqgm2t3TKobDPA6W24VwMNfi9djwlxlkPbaaaWHMgv2w-kjq-voT1GFSHq_aiRAyG0E6oyZ6nY/s4032/IMG-2319.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XAFhMQe66TKlAkyZ9ZHOw8G-JZLdFW-IeM8UhPRYRHVqxfaGERPeq1gIlL5V_dLagDqgm2t3TKobDPA6W24VwMNfi9djwlxlkPbaaaWHMgv2w-kjq-voT1GFSHq_aiRAyG0E6oyZ6nY/w640-h480/IMG-2319.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I was always told that you must handle them by their leaves so that you don't damage the tender stems, when potting on. Well, that's never worked for me. My clumsy fingers ( including a couple which are slightly arthritic) always managed to crush either the stem or the leaves., or even both! <p>Until I was sent these seed cell trowels that is. Last year they made potting on seedlings or removing plants from seed trays to plant in the ground so much easier. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuepFZx66JdPtVh40TuDvfYyuLErZcVkIZBrla_TylmsNsyO2yyGgPtaT3M8cSRVFEsBUWlYNLBwv0ZGiMFU6f6ss3t02NYhjl8aSQdo_eHgD6xVXf-fsN9gmnTUX1ixzzyK2QyfuEWUQ/s2048/cell+tray+trowels+%25284%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1931" data-original-width="2048" height="604" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuepFZx66JdPtVh40TuDvfYyuLErZcVkIZBrla_TylmsNsyO2yyGgPtaT3M8cSRVFEsBUWlYNLBwv0ZGiMFU6f6ss3t02NYhjl8aSQdo_eHgD6xVXf-fsN9gmnTUX1ixzzyK2QyfuEWUQ/w640-h604/cell+tray+trowels+%25284%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They may be tiny, but they are beautifully made, strong and good to work with. They have certainly helped prevent damage to leaves and root disruption by my clumsy handed ways. That has saved the loss of many seedlings I can tell you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They would be ideal for house plant gardening too. Not that I have any house plants though as, like I've mentioned before, bringing a house plant into my house is like putting them on death row.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">http://thinkingofthedays.blogspot.com/2011/11/days-on-death-row.html</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That was a long time ago however. As the sun has come out this afternoon, I'm going into the garden to plant these beetroot and broadbean seedlings now. Using my little seed cell trowels of course..........</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHV1DuiDfaWrQ_UplwPV7Hbz16xjRAeA3287L2t96GXnxXzyBuA8osIw7LFqPXqr4z3NoxAip9blaED2zICGst0sKPrdU9mc8xcP2TjTrY9NYuHfKfmW52Nb4cn6Y3QDO8JWXuKtniek/s2048/IMG-2394.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1431" data-original-width="2048" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHV1DuiDfaWrQ_UplwPV7Hbz16xjRAeA3287L2t96GXnxXzyBuA8osIw7LFqPXqr4z3NoxAip9blaED2zICGst0sKPrdU9mc8xcP2TjTrY9NYuHfKfmW52Nb4cn6Y3QDO8JWXuKtniek/w640-h448/IMG-2394.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Note</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The dibblet costs £5.99 and seed cell trowels (£9.99 for the pair) are all made by Burgon and Ball. I've bought so many products from them over the years, for myself and as presents for friends and family, but these were sent to me for review. </div><p></p><p><br /></p><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_KTKXcGIEI1tAduYboyKxv_tAi6ffmoQ8te9Vam6pUZnPzVJQyyb9wwxTtvNmgnBbyfknu5yByDmxmst9pPsgPi_MwotutEgO8hVIhBP6Bhd5YKrlUErQwRo8nQOyyZvHSIF7a6rb3U/s2048/useeds1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFKrNbwHt7Kbaykx5uIR3_gHZjL_PcUlBIFa_wcTAoRRpdvZpuS7UwlU22I-qQDCpC2fxw3UTdjjUADdkadHt21szMBqRChfIQ0ICqCNInjWXO-qCDpeJ2EsFxqbhyOe8Y9oOtecJm7Y/s2048/burgeon+2%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div><br /><br /><p><br /></p><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Thinking of the dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04369739724991129358noreply@blogger.com0