Food Swap

About a month or so ago, a friend hosted a food swap at her house. Six of us turned up and it was lovely lovely lovely. I took elderberry champagne (made from the bush in the garden), a tonne of lettuce and rocket. I returned home with bread rolls, cake (I ate the biscuit there), two green courgette plants, two cape gooseberry plants, radishes, broad beans, green tomato ketchup and a jar of chutney. Aren't people clever!

Now there is another swap being arranged for September, at peak picking time. Unfortunately our garden is not offering much in the way of picking, or it seems that way. I keep watching Gardeners World on telly and feeling somewhat glum about our garden in the light of their amazing creations (where on earth do they find time?). It is not a good mindset. Positively, we are eating courgettes of both colours, raspberries, carrots and potatoes, which is a whole heap better than nothing. But I am still in a quandary over what to offer at the upcoming food swap. Husband's beer is still flat despite resuscitation attempts (he blames to ancient barrel seals), so can't take any. The blackberries round the corner might hold the answer. In muffin form.

Ooo, on the subject of blackberries, there's a pear tree and a grape vine growing outside the local school. This year we shall be foraging without shame! (But keep it under your hat or my food swapping pals will be swiping the harvest!)

It having now been half an hour since Reginald fed and been upright, I shall risk putting him down to sleep. It's 02.30 and bed calls.

Reginald makes his debut

At ten days past his due date, Reginald decided he would be born. Surprisingly, he did actually turn out to be male. I have until registration on Wednesday to convince Husband that Humphrey as a third name would be simply smashing.

All has been fairly quiet on the garden front. This evening (rather, yesterday - time flies when holding a reflux-y baby upright at odd hours) we ate the first and only cabbage with a heart. The outer leaves were lace, the middle layer contained many many slugs, but the wee heart was perfect.

On the subject of slugs, the other evening Husband spotted a large hedgehog in the garden. Hurrah! Might explain the mysterious poo on Bed A and the lack of slugs (other than under the netting). Haven't seen a hedgehog for years, so very pleased to have a local. Husband got excited and went to get a camera to capture the moment. Of course the hog had scarpered by the time he returned. We will have to be really careful about using any slug pellets. Although I only put a few in the netted bed when plants were just getting established and haven't since, there's still a niggle of guilt. What if Mister Hedgehog had ingested some?

We are eating raspberries, a few courgettes, strawberries and blueberries (well, Toddler is), potatoes, carrots, the two cucumbers and a cabbage. We are not eating French beans. Next year I am growing runner beans, which are far less fussy, even though Husband isn't a big fan. Stick 'em in stews and he won't notice.

Right, is it safe to put the little chap down without more sick? Need to get a sling for daytime wearing as the Ergo infant insert really doesn't seem comfortable for him. I digress. Zzzz...

Ah ha!

In the process of making our 2012 family album, we came across this photo of the garden taken from scaffolding up to fix the pointing:



September 2012

We've got rid of the bed where the path now is, and the box lumps went to form a hedge between the square bed and the lawn. Otherwise it's pretty much as is, with some further alterations planned for autumn/winter 2013.