Eight happy thoughts meme

I've been tagged by Fiona, The Cottage Smallholder to list eight happy thoughts. This week my thoughts are focussed on keeping illustration projects on schedule, but I try to take a break at lunchtime, today I recorded my "happy thoughts". . .



The rules for this meme are as follows:
When tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post these rules, and list 8 happy things about yourself. At the end of your list, you must tag and link 8 other people . . . here are eight bloggers who generously share their happy thoughts on gardens, creativity and food . . .

Sand to glass, word cafe
Spirit Cloth
Louise @ home is where the heart is . . .
Petunia's Garden
The Illustrated Garden
Fan My Flame
Quu's Garden
Maninas: Food Matters

It's a peckathon!

I've been trying to take a special photo of the under-gardeners to use on a Christmas card. They weren't being co-operative, so I had to resort to bribery!


The card is to send to EACH with a Christmas gift. Since May, the under-gardeners have been producing one egg each every day (well . . . they do have the occasional day off), this means that there are many more eggs than Cliff and I can eat, so we supply boxes of eggs to family, neighbours and friends in return for donations to EACH. Today the under-gardeners sent £100 to the children's hospice at Milton near Cambridge.
Thank you everyone!

Weather forecast . . . -5C tonight!

Get out the hats, mittens, scarves, winter coats, thick knitted jumpers, boots . . .

It's getting chilly!

Herbs

On this posting I will record the herbs & edible plants and flowers which I grow for their scent and flavouring.


BASIL
Violetto (Italian seeds – Semeurop)
20.04.08 sown in seed tray in heated propogator in the greenhouse

Foglia di Lattuga (Italian seeds – Magnani Sementi)
20.04.08 sown in seed tray in heated propogator in the greenhouse


CORIANDER
(home saved seeds)
15.04.08 sown in a long row outside in the vegetable garden


DILL
(Mr Fothergill's seeds)
01.04.08 sown in a short row outside in the vegetable garden


PARSLEY
Gigante d'Italia (Thompson & Morgan – The Taste of Italy seeds)
01.04.08 sown in a small seed tray in the frost-free greenhouse
08.05.08 largest seedlings planted outside

and also in a short row outside in the vegetable garden
germinating under glass cloche 07.05.08


SAGE
(Thompson & Morgan seeds)
01.04.08 sown in a small seed tray in the frost-free greenhouse
04.05.08 pricked out into cells


SORREL
Buckler Leaf (Thompson & Morgan seeds)
01.04.08 sown in a small seed tray in the frost-free greenhouse
looks like Broad Leaf Sorrel to me!!!!!


THYME
Old English (Thompson & Morgan seeds)
01.04.08 sown in a small seed tray in the frost-free greenhouse
04.05.08 pricked out into cells

Fruit

On this posting I will record varieties of fruit in the garden, with updates and notes about how well they are growing (or not), harvesting, flavour, etc


STRAWBERRIES
'Gariguette' early, superb flavour
'Cambridge Favourite' mid-season, heavy cropper
original plants from Ken Muir, stock increased by growing some of the runners each year

BLACKCURRANTS
one original bush planted by a previous owner of the garden - variety unknown
all other bushes are cuttings grown from prunings
very large fruit, heavy cropper

REDCURRANTS
one original bush planted by a previous owner of the garden - variety unknown
all other bushes are cuttings grown from prunings

RHUBARB
'Victoria' young plant bought from Oakington Garden Centre 08.02.08
planted in a newly dug bed next to the green house door

Vegetables

On this posting I will record varieties of vegetables planted in the garden, with updates and notes about how well they are growing (or not), harvesting, flavour, etc


ASPARAGUS
(1 year old crowns from Ken Muir 2000)
21.04.08 the first two asparagus spears are visible, about 20mm high!!!
first cut 03.05.08
stopped cutting end of May


BEETROOT
Crapaudine (Vita, French Seeds)
sown outside 29.04.08


BROAD BEAN
Bunyard's Exhibition (Unwins Seeds)
sown outside 21.11.07
about 60% germination, shoots 3cm 31.01.08
some seedlings transplanted to infill the rows 04.02.08

Crimson Flowered (home saved seeds, originally from the HSL*)
sown in pots in the greenhouse 03.02.08 all germinated and grew rapidly
no frost this week 04.03.08 put outside to harden off
planted out 08.03.08


BROCCOLI
Purple Sprouting
sown summer 2007 and planted out, much too late, September 2007
Only two plants survived. Tasted very good April 2008


CARDOON
established plants in the vegetable garden originally grown from seed
as these are decorative rather than productive and they are now huge woody plants I decided to dig up all but one plant (note: really MUST blanche stems next autumn)
09.04.08 transplanted the two largest young side shoots with good roots into the circular rose bed – I hope that they make huge feature plants visible from the studio
smaller side shoots potted up to grow on as small plants for the mixed borders or for sale!


CARROT
Autumn King
sown outside 11.03.08 under glass cloches.
Hopeless! Maybe one seedling?

29.04.08 another go now the soil is warm and moist – two short rows sown outside.
success!


CHARD
Bright Lights (Johnson's 'Cook's Garden' Seeds)
sown outside 29.04.08


COURGETTE
Gold Rush (Johnsons Seeds)
sown in pots in the greenhouse 29.04.08
3 plants planted out 31.05.08

Nano Verde Di Milano (The Taste of Italy, Vita Sementi Seeds)
sown in pots in the greenhouse 29.04.08
3 plants planted out 31.05.08



CUCUMBER
Marketmore (Mr Fothergill's Seeds)
sown in pots in the greenhouse 04.05.08
excellent germination


FENNEL
Finale (Organic Gardening Catalogue)
sown in a seed try in the heated propogator in the greenhouse 29.04.08


FRENCH BEAN
Climbing
Lazy Wife (home saved seeds, originally from the HSL*)
seed more than 5 years old
sown in large cells in the greenhouse 20.04.08
old seeds - no germination

Veitches (home saved seeds, originally from the HSL*)
seed more than 5 years old
sown in large cells in the greenhouse 20.04.08
old seeds - no germination

Mrs Fortune's (seed swap with Rebsie of Daughter of the Soil)
sown in large cells in the greenhouse 20.04.08
11.05.08 planted out around large rustic wigwam

San Antonio (HSL* selection 2008)
sown in large cells in the greenhouse 20.04.08
only 4 plants planted out 11.05.08

Poletschka (home saved seeds from HSL* selection 2007)
sown in large cells in the greenhouse 05.05.08

Borlotti (?) (climbing bean with red striped pods, seeds originally from Anna Pavord)
sown in large cells in the greenhouse 12.05.08 old seed - fingers crossed!


FRENCH BEAN
Dwarf
Royalty (seed swap with Matron of Down on the Allotment)
sown in large cells in the greenhouse 20.04.08
planted out 05.05.08

Emperor of Russia (HSL* selection 2008)
sown in large cells in the greenhouse 20.04.08
planted out 05.05.08

Negritos (HSL* lucky dip packet 2008)
sown in large cells in the greenhouse 20.04.08
planted out 05.05.08

Fagioli Nana / Bush Bean Creso (Vita Sementi/Thompson & Morgan - The Taste of Italy)
sown in outside in a long double row 05.05.08

Vermont Cranberry (home saved seed originally from HSL* 2007)
sown in outside 12.05.08


KALE
Dwarf Green Curled and Rubibor (Organic Gardening Catalogue)
sown summer 2007 and planted out, much too late, September 2007
the plants are still small but there were enough leaves to pick for our dinner on Valentine's Day 2008. The rest picked for Easter Sunday lunch 23.03.08

Cavolo, Tuscan Kale (Vita Sementi Italian Vegetables)
sown in a heated propogator 04.02.08
germinated quickly, seedlings 10mm - moved out of the propogator 09.02.08
24 seedlings transplanted to cells 26.02.08 the remaider will be eaten as micro-greens
14.03.08 potted on into 8cm pots – I'm hoping large strong plants will do better when planted in the veg patch.
01.04.08 pots transferred to a large plastic cloche on one of the vegetable beds
planted out in vegetable garden under netting 20.04.08
crushed eggshells scattered around plants to deter slugs


LEEK
Musselburgh (Unwins)
sown in a deep pot in frost-free greenhouse 12.02.08
11.03.08 germination just started

Lyon (Unwins, Heritage variety c.1881)
sown in a deep pot in frost-free greenhouse 12.02.08
11.03.08 germination just started

Porvite (Autumn Giant 2) (Thomson & Morgan, RHS Award of Garden Merit collection)
sown in a deep pot in frost-free greenhouse 12.02.08
first to germinate
11.03.08 full pot of seedlings


LETTUCE
Black Seeded Samara (HSL selection 2006)
sown in a seed tray in the greenhouse 20.04.08
08.05.08 largest seedlings planted outside
and the rest 13.05.08

Bronze Arrowhead (HSL selection 2007)
sown in a seed tray in the greenhouse 20.04.08
12.05.08 largest seedlings planted outside

Bunyard's Matchless (HSL selection 2008)
sown in a seed tray in the greenhouse 20.04.08
08.05.08 largest seedlings planted outside


LIMA BEANS
Chestnut lima Bean (picked up from the path at Clumber Park!)
sown in a deep pot in the greenhouse 12.05.08
germinated, but leaves damages and distorted


MICRO-GREENS
I'm experimenting with growing herbs and vegetable seedlings for salads

21.02.08 Nabiças(Portuguese greens)/Cavalo Cappuccio Rosso (Red Cabbage)/Rocket/Sorrel sown on vermiculite in a seed tray in a heated propogator.
11.03.08 not a great success, only the rocket has grown and is rather weedy!
only the sorrel seedlings looked really healthy – tansplanted these to cells 20.04.08
the other seedlings composted!

21.02.08 Red Orach sown on vermiculite in a small plastic tray in a heated propogator
moved to the green house bench and growing well 11.03.08
not a success – I think sowing on vermiculite needs much warmer moister conditions!


ONION
Red Baron (loose sets, Oakington Garden Centre)
planted outside 12.02.08

Sturon (loose sets, Oakington Garden Centre)
planted outside 12.02.08


PARSNIP
unknown variety (saved seeds)
sown in small modules in frost-free greenhouse 12.02.08
14.03.08 no germination – could be they needed cold to trigger germination?

Avonresister (Unwins seeds)
seed chilled in fridge for 2 weeks – sown in modules 27.03.08
08.05 08 no germination – I give up!

Tender and True (Suttons seeds)
seed chilled in fridge for 2 weeks – sown in modules 27.03.08
08.05 08 no germination – I give up!


PEAS
Purple Podded (home saved seeds, originally from HSL* member Chris Knight)
sown in cardboard tubes and a deep plant pot in frost-free greenhouse 26.02.08
12.03.08 all germinated, 2cm tall
moved to a plastic cloche in the vegetable garden 25.03.08
the pot grown seedlings planted out around a 2m wigwam 27.03.08
cardboard tube grown seedlings didn't grow as well as those in the pot – might this be due to fungicide in the cardboard? these remain under the cloche.

Carouby de Mausanne (The Organic Gardening Catalogue)
sown in a deep plant pot in frost-free greenhouse 26.02.08
12.03.08 all germinated, 2cm tall
moved to a plastic cloche in the vegetable garden 25.03.08
planted out around a 2m wigwam 27.03.08

Golden Sweet (home saved seeds, originally from HSL* 2006)
sown in a deep plant pot in frost-free greenhouse 12.03.08
good strong young plants with roots emerging from bottom of the pot
moved to a plastic cloche in the vegetable garden 09.04.08
planted out around a 1.5m wigwam 24.04.08

Victorian Purple Podded (HSL* selection 2008)
sown in a deep plant pot in frost-free greenhouse 12.03.08
good strong young plants with roots emerging from bottom of the pot
moved to a plastic cloche in the vegetable garden 09.04.08
planted out around a 1.5m wigwam 21.04.08

Clarke's Beltony Blue (seed swap with Rebsie of Daughter of the Soil)
sown in a deep plant pot in frost-free greenhouse 12.03.08
good strong young plants with roots emerging from bottom of the pot
moved to a plastic cloche in the vegetable garden 09.04.08
planted out around a 1.5m wigwam 24.04.08

Carruthers' Purple Podded (seed swap with Rebsie of Daughter of the Soil)
sown in a deep plant pot in frost-free greenhouse 12.03.08
good strong young plants with roots emerging from bottom of the pot
moved to a plastic cloche in the vegetable garden 09.04.08
planted out around a 1.5m wigwam 21.04.08

Salmon Flowered (seed swap with Rebsie of Daughter of the Soil)
sown in a deep plant pot in frost-free greenhouse 12.03.08
good strong young plants with roots emerging from bottom of the pot
moved to a plastic cloche in the vegetable garden 09.04.08
planted out around a 1.5m wigwam 21.04.08


PEPPERS
Red Chili Peppers (seed from a neighbour's plants)
sown in a heated propogator 04.02.08
pricked out 12.03.08
potted up into larger pots 25.05.08

Guindilla Blanca de Vinagre (Clemente, Spanish seeds)
small white (pale green) peppers for pickling in vinegar
sown in a heated propogator 04.02.08 – none germinated, old seed?


POTATOES
International Kidney (seed potatoes from Oakington Garden Centre)
planted 17.04.08

Ratte (seed potatoes from Oakington Garden Centre)
planted 17.04.08

Nicola (seed potatoes from Oakington Garden Centre)
planted 24.04.08

Pink Fir Apple (seed potatoes from Oakington Garden Centre)
planted 24.04.08


ROCKET
Rucola (Ortaggi, Italian seeds)
sown in a large pot in frost-free greenhouse 12.02.08
germinated amazingly quickly - 5cm tall now 11.03.08


RUNNER BEAN
Salford Black (home saved seeds, originally from the HSL*)
sown outside around giant wigwam archway 05.05.08


SALAD LEAVES
Lattughino da taglio misto (Magnani Sementi, Italian seeds)
sown in a large pot in frost-free greenhouse 12.02.08
11.03.087 excellent growth.


SHALLOTS
Pikant (loose sets, Oakington Garden Centre)
Planted outside 13.02.08


SQUASH
Marina di Chioggia (home saved seeds)
sown in pots in the greenhouse 04.05.08
one plant planted into 'Three Sisters' bed 31.05.08

Winter festival (home saved seeds)
sown in pots in the greenhouse 04.05.08
one plant planted into 'Three Sisters' bed 31.05.08

unknown round dark orange variety, with grey-green central boss (home saved seeds)
sown in pots in the greenhouse 04.05.08
one plant planted into 'Three Sisters' bed 31.05.08


SWEETCORN
Honey Bantam (Thompson & Morgan Seeds )
sown in pots in the greenhouse 08.05.08
excellent germination
17 plants planted into 'Three Sisters' bed 31.05.08


TOMATOES
Marmande Temprano (Clemente, Spanish seeds)
Sown in a small pot in a heated propogator 26.02.08
pricked out into modules 24.03.08
potted on into small pots 14.04.08
05.05.08 moved outside during the day to harden off (greenhouse too hot!!)
11.05.08 4 plants planted in a large tub in the courtyard

San Marzano (Semeurop, Italian seeds)
Sown in a small pot in a heated propogator 26.02.08
pricked out into modules 24.03.08
potted on into small pots 14.04.08
05.05.08 moved outside during the day to harden off (greenhouse too hot!!)
11.05.08 4 plants planted in a large tub in the courtyard

Liguria (Magnani Sementi, Italian seeds)
Sown in a small pot in a heated propogator 26.02.08
pricked out into modules 24.03.08
potted on into small pots 14.04.08
05.05.08 moved outside during the day to harden off (greenhouse too hot!!)
11.05.08 4 plants planted in a large tub in the courtyard

Sub Arctic Plenty (HSL lucky dip packet 2006)
Sown in a small pot in a heated propogator 26.02.08
no germination – old seed?

Salt Spring Sunrise (HSL lucky dip packet 2007)
Sown in a small pot in a heated propogator 26.02.08
pricked out into modules 24.03.08
potted on into small pots 14.04.08
05.05.08 moved outside during the day to harden off (greenhouse too hot!!)
11.05.08 4 plants planted in a large tub in the courtyard

Madame Jardel's Black (HSL selection 2008)
Sown in a small pot in a heated propogator 26.02.08
pricked out into modules 24.03.08
potted on into small pots 14.04.08
05.05.08 moved outside during the day to harden off (greenhouse too hot!!)
11.05.08 4 plants planted in a large tub in the courtyard
2 plants, one with 'potato' leaves, planted in pots in the greenhouse

Golden Jublilee (seed swap with Matron of Down on the Allotment)
Sown in a small pot in a heated propogator 26.02.08
first to germinate
pricked out 12.03.08
potted on into small pots 14.04.08
05.05.08 moved outside during the day to harden off (greenhouse too hot!!)
11.05.08 4 plants planted in a large tub in the courtyard


*HSL = Heritage Seed Library

A nice dile-emma we-e have here, that calls for all our wit, for a-all our wit!*

The ginger studio assistant's dilemma . . .

He popped out in the rain to (you know) and returned to find alien beings called 'plumbers' clanking about with tool boxes and bits and stuff on the other side of the cat flap!

What should he do?


Answer:



Caption: ______________________________________________


* with apologies to Messers Gilbert & Sullivan

A Potato Pagoda for Freddie

I'm not one for dressing up a baked potato, so when I was invited by Freddie and Charlotte to join The Great Big Baked Potato Challenge I wasn't inspired. But as my systematic advance through the tidal wave of work in my studio was going well and on schedule I had time to be creative with my supper of baked potato and Sunday leftovers before I go to the Tai Chi class.



Here's how to make a Potato Pagoda . . .

Cut a wedge shape out of the baked potato and carefully scoop out the cooked flesh from both pieces. Stir fry mushrooms, cooked guinea fowl (chicken will do fine), shredded fresh ginger and chopped spring onion. Gently mix in the potato flesh and season, I used my favourite Japanese 7-spice 'Shichimi'. Cook through and season with soy sauce. Fill the potato skin and the wedge with the mixture and balance the wedge on top. The calligraphy on the plate was intended to read 'Tai Chi' - but it probably doesn't!

And after that deliciously warming supper it's time to go to Tai Chi . . . Step-back-and-repulse-the-monkey . . . The-golden-cockerel-stands-on-one-leg . . . Box-the-tiger's-ears . . . I feel calm, balanced and grounded :)

Backstage

Behind the display on my stand at Saturday's Arts & Crafts Fair in Reach Village Hall, my supply of small change was efficiently tidy and I was sustained by the delicious (and nutritious) flap-jacks and the unbelievably delicious mulled fruit juice*.

Thank you to everyone who came along!


LATEST NEWS:
In two weeks time on Saturday 1st December I will have a stall at the Arts & Crafts Fair in Saffron Walden Town Hall.
So if you're in the area why not get in the festive spirit in this historic market town - lots of lovely shops, delis, cafés and the traditional market in the square outside the Town Hall.


* The girls in the kitchen told me it was equal quantities of apple juice and orange juice with some thinly peeled orange and lemon skin (peel? zest?) and sachets of mulling spices. Heat through and serve. Other versions they recommended use black grape juice with the apple and orange and an orange studded with cloves, cinnamon sticks and fresh ginger.

Celebration treats!

The under-gardeners are one year old this week (we don't know the exact date they hatched - but they were 17 weeks old when they moved in). Today we enjoyed an enthusiastic lunch time gardening session which involved me digging ground elder roots from the border near the Dragonfly Pond and the under-gardeners pouncing on any unsuspecting creepy crawly that had been disturbed.

Afterwards I decided they deserved a special birthday lunch . . .



Director's Notes:
Never work with animals! The corn was all set up ready and then Phoebe decided she just had to lay an egg (sigh!) so I decided to do some more gardening with the other under-gardeners until she'd done. Almost an hour later and rain clouds threatened - so I checked the hut and Phoebe is sitting there playing with bits of straw. I gently lifted her out (no egg yet) and herded all four hens towards the veg garden and the film set. Just as they got to the garden door the regular flight of Apache helicopters arrived for their daily low-level fly past - good timing chaps! The hens froze and backed out of the veg garden. Eventually got them calmed down and back on set - this was a one-take movie!

Christmas Arts and Crafts Fair

I've been busy getting everything together for my stand at next Saturday's Christmas Arts and Crafts Fair at Reach. I will be selling Festive Tree Decorations, gift tags, hand bound notebooks , framed and unframed prints and cards.

Emma has been working hard planning this event and has invited a fantastic range of talented artists and makers to take part. So as well as my prints and designs and Emma's beautiful silver jewellery there will be baskets, indigo dyed textiles, photographs, pottery, stained glass, paintings and much much more! And if you can come along you get to enjoy some of Cambridgeshire's best home baked cakes and biscuits accompanied by steaming cups of tea or mulled wine - all in the lovely renovated Village Hall right in the heart of the historic village of Reach at the end of the ancient earthwork, The Devil's Dyke. A local legend is that the Devil came unannounced to a wedding at Reach church and was chased away by the guests. In anger the devil ran away and formed the groove of the Dyke with his fiery tail!

STOP PRESS . . .
opening soon - my online shop - details on the blog very shortly.

Fireworks display

The English love to discuss the weather and 2007 gave us lots to talk about . . . 'Summer' was in April; May to the end of August was . . . er . . . well . . . let's put it politely . . . dull and wet; but now the garden, and countryside, is putting on a cracking early November display with dazzling bursts of colour - a fizzing zingy end to the gardening year.

Clockwise from top left:
• wild bullace trees in our boundary hedge
• red flower spikes of polygonum amplexicaule and wisteria leaves
• a cactus flowered dahlia
• cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'
• spindle berries (euphorbia europeans)
• fuchsia 'Thalia'

Kicking up leaves

The summer is over,
The trees are all bare,
There is mist in the garden
And frost in the air.
The meadows are empty,
And gathered the sheaves,
But isn't it lovely
Kicking up leaves.

John from the garden
Has taken the chairs,
It's dark in the evening
And cold on the stairs.
Winter is coming
And everyone grieves . . .
But isn't it lovely
Kicking up leaves.

by Rose Amy Fyleman 1877-1957