Up the track and turn left.

New Life

2009-03-31T03:13:00.000-07:00

Well here I am, determined to get a March blog in after weeks of non-activity. I have been busy however, with my grand-daughter who arrived in February. A sleepy, non-feeding baby, who had sustenance dribbled into her with a syringe and flatfly refused to put on any weight until very recently. We are all a lot happier now, baby included.

New life seems to be surrounding me here at the moment. Great fat sticky buds, pussy willow, that special zingy green of the weeping willow over the pond and of course, tadpoles, birds making nests and seedlings pushing their heads through the soil.

I have planted out a few seeds but there is still an ill wind in this part of Dorset and the soil in the vegetable garden feels claggy and cold, so I shall wait until Easter before I plant the majority of my seeds. I have been told on good authority that parsnips grown in long tubes or root trainers can be successfully transplanted and I will give this a go this year as sporadic germination last year. I have 100 red onion sets started of in pots to put out and nearly as many dwarf french beans, and when the purple sprouting brocolli has finished there will be room for carrots and beetroot. The celariac was a great success last year, but I grew far too many for one person so I hope it makes good compost.

In the house I have set up an Easter twig tree, last years cornus trimmings painted with F & B Parma Gray, using up the tester pot. I still hang some little blown eggs on the tree that came from point of lay hens many years ago, they are tiny, speckled eggshells, carefully stowed away each year. I am looking forward to Easter this year, for once I am not working so hope the weather will be warm enough to perhaps eat outside and enjoy the garden.

Chicken owning friends have been presenting me with boxes, or even better, old buckets lined with straw, of eggs of all shades and sizes. I remember when I used to keep hens, the wonder of the coming into lay season, hardly knowing what to do with such an abundance. I have nearly perfected the Beer and Chocolate cake recipe from Delia Smith which has gone down well in exchange for the eggs and lemon curd will be the next on the list, I use the whole egg when I make this preserve, but I know some folk only use the yolks to get a very deep yellow curd, but then you have the faff of making meringues to use the whites up. I think an omelette and salad produced from your own fowl and veggie patch is the best meal in the world.

2009-02-05T03:33:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about families a lot lately, I guess because mine is about to change with the arrival of a grandchild soon. A lot of friends have lost parents this last 12 months, we are all orphans in our 50's and 60's. It is quite strange being the senior adult in the family and not having anyone alive who can remember you being born or growing up. Added to being an orphan, also being widowed and a pensioner puts me in a position I would never have thought about a few years ago. There a many members of our family to be introduced to the new baby when they arrive. This will be done with photographs and stories when they are old enough to understand. I particularly want this baby to learn all about their Grandfather, my late husband, who was still young when he died, I do not want him to be a shadowy figure that my grandparents were to me, I know little about any of them, they died before I was born and were never really spoken of. I want this Grandfather to be spoken about and referred to so maybe a sense of family history can be felt by it's youngest member.

Like the rest of the country, the snow is still laying here, we always seem to be the last to say goodbye to it, living on the side of a hill, and a 12 hour power cut did nothing to enhance the situation. I spent the day hand sewing and have completed a quilt and curtains for the nursery.

In the greenhouse I have inspected the Delphiniums that I grew from seed last year. They are all in 2 litre pots under the staging and have new shoots coming through much to my delight. There are 45 pots of Delphiniums, about the same of Verbena and then a few Hollyhocks and Foxgloves to be planted in the borders for Spring, whenever that may be. I have been picking flat leafed parlsey which has overwintered in pots in the greenhouse, certainly cheers up some homemade soup or a risotto, but the snow novelty has worn off now and I want to start planting seeds for summer crops. I have planted red onions sets in individual pots, ready to transplant to the raised beds when the weather improves, I find the birds and worms have a field day with these when planted directly into ground.

We are making plans for Shrove Tuesday and then it will be a countdown to Easter, we will have some warmth by then surely.

Looking forward

2009-01-23T07:15:00.000-08:00

Today is dry and bright, but bitterly cold in my part of Dorset. The fields and lanes are flooded after torrential rain and the wind is cutting and buffeting. My garden is in drastic need of attention, a cut and burn policy needs implementing, there are nearly 30 bags of garden rubbish awaiting removal to the tip where it will be turned into compost, and sold back to me I dare say. I have all the garden plans in my head but putting them into action takes longer, I garden alone, which I love, but making and sticking to a decision I find difficult.

I see the Seville Oranges are for sale in the greengrocer, so I bought 4 lbs. this morning to turn into little pots of sunshine, a jar always seems to be well received by non-marmalade making but marmalade eating friends who say the pure Seville preserve without lemons or sweet oranges added is the best of all.

I am helping my daughter prepare for the birth of her first child, my first grandchild, today we bought curtain fabric for the nursery, a lovely lemon colour. The nursery is sunny and bright with a wonderful view across the valley from me, the house is waiting for this new arrival, the family are all waiting, Grandparents, parents, uncles and great aunts and uncles, what a lucky child to have so many loving family members ready to welcome her/him into a large extended family.

The wind is howling and finding every draught in this house so I think it is quite in order to light the woodburner, start cutting out the curtain fabric and sew and think about this little person who will soon join us.