More snowdrops for this Monday's Vase

Last night we had rain, rain and more rain, and winds.  I was therefore very pleased that yesterday just as it was getting dark I went out to pick a few snowdrops to today's vase. This is being linked into Cathy's weekly In a Vase on Monday Post. 

At the end of January some of the early snowdrops seem to be earlier than they were last year.  Other snowdrops seem to be a little late, or at least I hope they are late and have not succumbed under the stresses of weather or insects, or the S &S gang!

Looking out from the conservatory at breakfast on Sunday I asked Mr S which snowdrop particularly appealed to him.  He pointed out  three types  at present out,  close to the conservatory, which he liked and Galanthus Bertram Anderson was one of them.  This is a  early impressive large flowered snowdrop with a large strong green apical mark on the inners. These are on the left hand side of the arrangement.

On the other side is the early flowering double Mrs Beatrix Stanley. They are quite distinctive in the garden with the pointed outer petals and the tiny green apical mark reduced to just two dots either side of the notch on the inner petals. When I look out at these double snowdrops the thinner pointy petals remind me of canine teeth. I received these originally as a couple of bulbs from Anna in 2019, and six year later I have a few good clumps. 

Some interesting silvery patterned leaved of Cyclamen hederifolium  provide a little foliage. The morning's local news showed examples of severe flooding and landslides in the county and the garden soil is looking decidedly flattened and soggy, but thankfully no damage.

Attempting to capture the 'King of the Birds' in coloured pencil

 With wind and rain, and scones for afternoon tea what better way to spend a Sunday than attempting to capture A Wren in coloured pencils.  Lots of improvements to be made if I have a second go at this topic.  I followed Linda Hampson's tutorial but changed the scale and the backing for the picture.

I've already spotted several problems, but then if a beginner like me could do this the first time, it wouldn't be such a challenge!

Last week I attempted the Highland Cow.  I started this hobby only recently and am enjoying it.

I found the tutorials on line and through The Old Kennels website.  Linda Hampson is the tutor.

Crassula 'Buddha's Temple' has top billing for Six on Saturday - 25 January 2025

You would think that gardening stands still during January, however it was not all quiet and again I am joining Jim for this weekly rendezvous.  If you would like to join the format is well explained over on The Six on Saturday's leader's anchoring post. 

1. Just over a week ago, I went to a recording of GQT with friends, over in the next town of Shepton Mallett where local galanthophiles will be drawn to their annual snowdrop festival next month.  A double episode was recorded and during the week, I listened to the latest programme.  

Q – Is there a plant with an amazing structure or pattern that you think would make a great building? (33’39”)

Matthew Pottage –Crassula 'Buddha's Temple'

Hearing this has prompted me to show you the current status of my Crassula 'Buddha's Temple'.

I was given the original plant  about fifteen years ago, and every so often take offsets to grow on for myself or give away cuttings.  What I am particularly excited about is that the taller of the plants in the left hand pot is developing flowers at the very tip.  This is the first time I have had flowers on a Crassula 'Buddha's Temple since 2014!

2. Rocky Mountain up on the Mendips is where they have a very good Fruit and Vegetables seller twice a week to one side their car park.  Having got my provisions I then sauntered into the plants area.  We wanted  something to replace the plum tree that I had recently removed.  The birds had been missing a shrubby landing platform near to the bird bath and I had sort of settled on something like a crab apple or maybe a sorbus.  Having examined different varieties and considered the plusses and minuses, none of the trees the nursery had appealed to me.  However I feel in love with a fine specimen of  a 'Wedding Cake Tree'.  I have been admiring them in local gardens and at £59 a bit of a treat, but I cannot remember if I bought myself a birthday present!  Cornus controversa 'Variegata' was introduced in about 1880 by Veitch’s Nursery of Exeter. It will have variegated leaves and hopefully planted with plenty of room for future growth, will be ideal in later gardening years as it requires little attention once it gets growing.  I see it as being underplanted with spring flowering plants.

Cornus controversa 'Variegata'

I am pleased that I did not delay as the weather turned much wetter, once storm Eowyn hit land. Luckily we we sheltered but friends higher up on the Mendips lost roof tiles.

3. Several gardens ago I grew a Viburnum bodnantense which was invaluable during early spring, and I just happened to walk past a rather nice small specimen.  I did not recognise the variety but Viburnum bodnantense 'Charles Lamont' at £8.95 will hopefully provide some winter colour and scent.  I'm not sure yet where to place it, and for now it has been potted up into one of the larger patio pots. The selection is named in honour of Charles Lamont (Assistant Curator at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh), who crossed the hybrids V. farreri and V. grandiflorum in 1933. For more details and comparison  go to the The Biking Gardener.

Viburnum bodnantense 'Charles Lamont'

4. I've shown these ferns growing in pots many times before, and they are just outside the door I use to access the garden.  This is one of three pots, which over the years grow more and more moss and more 'crowns' on the fern stump.  This oldest one has about five, but just look at the small fernling growing from the hole on the right. 

5.  The different snowdrops are having their moment and this week features Galanthus gracilis 'Vic Horton'.  It is the second smallest snowdrop in the garden and very easily recognised on account of its twisting grey leaves and the flowers have a small olive coloured ovary.  You can see the markings when the flowers open as they did when I brought them indoors.

Galanthus gracilis 'Vic Horton'. 

6. Even with the storm having brought winds and rain, , the low growing cyclamen coum are undamaged.  Some of the paler cultivars and pretty leaved coums are trying to catch up with the darker earlier ones carpeting some of the Conservatory border.

There still a few discoveries to be made in the garden and tasks such as repotting cuttings to be made, so hopefully I shall be joining in with Jim again next Saturday.

Galanthus gracilis in a Vase on Monday

It took a bit of determination to go out and pick a few bits just after lunch, but here I am joining in with Cathy's weekly In a Vase on Monday.

On this very dark dismal and damp day the snowdrops show up in the garden.  One of the smallest snowdrops is Galanthus gracilis 'Vic Horton', and I had sufficient out this early flowering variety to be able to pick a little posy.  The leaves of this snowdrop are small and narrow with a little twist in them.  

This is a distinctive snowdrop not only because it is so small about a quarter of the height of Galanthus Colossus shown last week, but also with narrow glaucous leaves with a twist in them.  With two mark one below the ovary and a pair each side of sinus.  The ovary is more of an olive green.  Alongside the snowdrops in the very small vase, are pieces of the little shrub Lophomyrtus x ralphii 'Little Star'. The little three sided cut glass antique vase is half the height of the vase shown last week, was probably designed to hold a little bunch of violets.  

On the mantle shelf behind the snowdrops is an abalone and I have placed the two birds.  

Tomorrow is book club day when a few ladies meet for lunch and discuss our book for the month.  I have really enjoyed 'A Terrible Kindness' by Jo Browning Wroe.  An excellent debut novel. 

Wild Farmed Bread Flour Loaf

 When I saw this flour in offer at my local Waitrose I bought a bag to try.  At first view with a protein content of 10.8g per 100g given on the packet, I was dubious about what rise this strength of flour would give.  

This was a longish rise loaf recipe, and the dough was very elastic and a joy to knead.  If anything the rise was far better than I expected, such that for this size of loaf tin I would reduce the weight by 10%.  However since I rarely make a white loaf but do mix various grain flours together, I will be confident using my own blend using this flour for my sourdough loaves.  I just hope my local store will continue to stock this flour and hopefully wholemeal too. 

I recently made such a loaf using YQ Wholegrain from Matthews Cotswold Flour, which is 100% UK wheat and local to the millers.

"Milling and Grain Provenance: YQ was the brainchild of the late professor Martin Wolfe, who bred this rockstar grain at the Wakelyns Agroforestry Organic Research centre. In 2002 he created a special population of wheat. Today Matthews sources this population of wheat from one of our local farmers only 3 miles from the mill."

I have yet to use the white equivalent from MCF and when placing my next order with them, will be sure to order some of Heritage Fifield Light to try out.

Galanthus Colossus for In a Vase on Monday - Wash Day posy

Just a little posy is on offer this week as I join Cathy and others for In a Vase on Monday.

Inevitably after hanging out the washing,  a quick peer round the garden revealed some strong tall snowdrops tucked in at the far corner. To add to the vase nearby the  leaves on the Mahonia 'Soft Caress' seemed just the right shade of green, and inevitably a few blooms from the Cyclamen coum could also be spared. 

Galanthus Colossus in a Vase with Cyclamen coum

Discovered by Caroline Elwes at Colesbourne Park and variously known as G. 'Colesbourne, or G. 'Colesbourne Colossus', this snowdrop is probably twice the size of last week's offering. 

Today just happened to be wash day because the weather forecast yesterday evening said it was going to be fine today.  I didn't really think I would post today, however when I had hung out the washing after breakfast: who wants to have breakfast looking out at washing hanging on the line, if it is just a question of timing? I think there used to be a saying called 'Wash Day Monday' but now we have automatic washing machines, no planning is necessary, but looking out for fine weather means the washing hopefully a good blow and dries nicely. 

By lunch time after I returned from spending the morning with my knit and natter friends the snowdrops has opened out.

Six on Saturday - Keeping up appearances

We have had a few very cold days and  nights and wonderful bright skies.  As the garden is almost in the state of suspended animation, I really expected not to post this morning.  However looking out the window over the back garden changed my mind. 

Keeping up appearances as in making an appearance for Six on Saturday and  not in the sense of the sitcom. Have I pretended to be a connoisseur or plant expert with 'collections'? If I have, then from now on this will definitely not be the case.  I just love being out there, and to be fair today has been tricky but even with a very small garden, the sun rise this morning galvanised me into action.  For fancier plants, better gardens and plant wisdom that I can muster several SOSers will be huddling in with this comments and links over at Jim's.  We often even have 'exotic' postings and from the Southern Hemisphere and maybe even someone reading this would love to join in.  Jim's blog is where to find out how.

1. On the windowsill are two pots of the succulent Crassula Ovata Gollum. The much  larger ones are in the conservatory on a console table as they are now too large to sit on the windowsill.  The larger ones are moving on in the spring and these are the 'successors'. 

Crassula Ovata Gollum

Looking out of the window to take that picture of the sunrise, there below stands the roof of the Conservatory, or is it a greenhouse? 

Most of the succulents are packed in there and gradually more borderline hardy plants are being moved in.

2. One of the pots of  Tropaeolum tricolor has been brought it just in case the temperatures fall too low.  The other pot is in the shed.  Although several tubers were planted I seem to have only a couple of shoots come up.

Tropaeolum tricolor

3. Another succulent has recently come into flower. Looking up 'The String of Buttons' flower some of the plants have a good pink colour, these are definitely smaller and less significant.  There seem to be several different forms, showing diversity. Without setting up a black background it was almost impossible to get a reasonable view of the plant and flowers.

Crassula perforata in flower

Crassula perforata flower

4. I donned all the warm gear and went on a little scout round the back garden and noticed these fine cyclamen leaves.  It was from a random self seeded corm found when I was planting out the Sorbaria sorbifolia Sem last year.  Until it flowers I haven't an incling whether it is a Cyclamen coum or perhaps a C. cilicium.  Even then I may have to ask!  If you know, I look forward to reading your thoughts in the comment section.

5. The auricula are quite hardy and are sitting around the edge of patio taking in the sunshine.

6. The snowdrops weren't bowed down this morning so I guess the temperature did not fall much below -1C.  These are G. Bertram Anderson. They are a classic looking snowdrop and nice and big.

and although I have recently shown Galanthus Godfrey Owen, this is a second group bulking out nicely.  My friend Brenda gave me a couple of bulbs and last year I moved the bulbs to the conservatory bed, as I moved a fern to its old place by the bird bath.

Galanthus Godfrey Owen

It just goes to show that placement affects the time of flowering.  These are about three weeks behind my other clump which has been growing in a sunnier and warmer spot by the edge of the seating circle. I tried my hand at drawing Galanthus Godfrey Owen, and hopefully I shall find more candidates during the next couple of months. 

Looking at the garden critically this past week, has made me realise that some plants would do well to be moved to different places, but just now is not the time to put this into action! 

The Perfect Cobb Loaf Using 'Rock Star' flour

I've been a member of Bake with Jack's Homebaker's Club for some time now.  You would think I had nailed everything around breadmaking over the decades I have been baking, but still there is the element of learning, testing and tasting bread that enriches my life.

Sourdough takes three day for me, but when there is need for a loaf in say five or six hours, and you want just a good loaf, baking a Cobb Loaf fits the bill perfectly.  This is the second or perhaps the third time I have used YQ Wholegrain from Matthews Cotswold Flour, and this is definitely the 'Rock Star of Loaves' to have fresh and also makes excellent toast. 

 I tweaked Jack's recipe but followed his technique.

7g Fast Action Yeast

350g Room Temperature Water

375g Matthews Cotswold YQ wholewheat stoneground flour

150g Matthews Churchill White 

8g salt

1 dessert spoonful malted barley syrup

20g rapeseed oil

Following kneading of around ten minutes, two rises of 60 minutes, with a degas and made back into a ball for the second rise,  and a final rise of about an hour is about right for the lowish temperatures in the house this winter. 

The YQ flour is strong enough to make for good shapes along with the Churchill Bread Flour, and the flavour is excellent.

 "Matthews Stoneground YQ Wholegrain is a dark wholemeal flour, with a beautiful rich nutty taste. Perfect for sourdough breads, cakes, pastries and all-purpose baking. YQ ‘Yield & Quality’ is the rockstar of wheat populations. It is produced from a diverse, resilient populations of wheats. Use this flour in wholemeal recipes for it’s unique taste profile. These genetically diverse wheats are grown using a low input farming model which supports the regeneration of the soil, minimises use of chemicals and increases biodiversity. "

Attempting to capture Snowdrop Godfrey Owen

 I was itching to sketch Snowdrop Godfrey Owen.  This is a first sketch before learning or even knowing how to capture white flowers.  If I persevere, this time next year they should be a far better drawing, perhaps a botanic type, and as with this one in coloured pencils.

Galanthus Godfrey Owen first sketch.

In a Vase on Monday - Some of the white stuff

 For this first post of 2025, I am joining in as usual with Cathy, with Best Wishes for 2025.

We missed out on the white stuff, whereas up on the Mendips I believe they did have some snow or else Bristol Airport would not have been closed. Here on the south facing slopes the snowdrop bulbs are early, and I have two clumps of Galanthus elwessi Godfrey Owen with the one higher up the garden catching more sun is a couple of weeks ahead of the few bulbs growing in the conservatory border.

To accompany the blooms I have a little spring of Pittosporum Tom Thumb, and leaves of both the almost black Ophiopogon planiscapus Nigrescens and the stripy Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Little Tabby'

Galanthus elwesii Godfrey Owen is a little different and therefore easy to spot snowdrop as it has six outer petals.

and six inner petals...which have a small green marks close to the edge with some paler green smudges near the base of the inner segments.

I bought this little round bevelled edged mirror after seeing a similar one several years ago on IAVOM, and during the few years I have had this one, it has really been worth while for using under vases with flowers that hang down.

All the decorations came down yesterday and with a friend we enjoyed a slice of Pinza di Pane, with a cuppa and also a glass of Madeira, with all the festive decorations put away, this is a lovely small fresh arrangement now in the middle of the dining table. 

12th Night - Why not start a tradition which involves cake as they do in Venice?

 Although I am lucky enough to have a fair  number of recipe books, I can't help myself but want to see what inspiration other books may hold. When I read that Jane Swayne a local chocolatier gains inspiration for some of her flavour pairings from The Flavour Thesaurus, I ordered the more flavours version by Niki Segnit, and being reminded that the book was due back as someone else had requested it, I decided to have a quick dip into it on 11th Night.

In the Pine nut section Niki describes a cake she and her husband enjoyed in Venice called Pinza which is traditionally eaten on twelfth night, and probably more often too.   Although there is no recipe for Pinza di Pane given there I soon found a version given on Nigella's site.  Sadly the library system does not feature Cinnamon and Spice by Emiko Davies whose recipe it is and who was a guest writer on the site.

Pinza di Pane

There was enough time yesterday evening to make this equivalent to a bread pudding: after all what is not to like about a bread pudding? Apparently there are many versions of this some using polenta or other grains.  As I was making this I was reminded of the Polenta Shortcake I made back in 2020.

Most of my cake tins have loose bottoms, except for a couple of 7 inch sandwich pans.  As I had halved the recipe and substituted many things, it fitted perfectly.

As I had just 120 grams of stale seeded sourdough left in the bin, I selected the other ingredients around this.  For the techniques I followed Emiko Davies, including the baking times, which as it was wet turned out to be just right for the smaller amounts.  To help ease the cake out I base lined the tin with baking parchment.

Starting off with120g Stale Bread soaked in 230ml milk, whilst the 75g of sultanas were soaking in some of my prized Mauritian Vanilla Rhum, I prepared all the other ingredients halving the amounts in the recipe.  Oh no I didn't have an orange so I got out some lovely candied orange peel chopped it fine and added that.  The little dried figs were a beautiful site cut into think slices. Although not given in the recipe I sprinkled a few pine nuts over the top just before they went into the oven.

Today after we have cleared the house of decorations and I have undone the wreath and stowed away the willow base in the shed for another year, what nicer thing will it be to sit down and enjoy a slice of Pinza de Pane and a little glass of Marsala from Sicily, as a fitting end to 12th Night.

Trial drawing of an apple

Following one of the monthly tutorials from Linda Hampson at The Old Kennels, even before I have the listed pencils, I had a try at a pencil drawing of an apple.

and tried to add a water drop but didn't have a milky pen to give a good reflection at the top of the drop.  Even though this may be lodged in file 13, I learnt a lot.  When I get the right equipment, I shall have another go.

Six on Saturday - Even when it is freezing

 Happy New Year to all my gardening friends.

At last we are having cold weather, and it would have been easy to settle down, and just concentrate on making some lovely home made bread and soup, but knowing the gang will have convened this morning, I went out to brave the cold.  These is plenty of time to do all of these. Jim our hero is the first of course to post each Saturday and the rest which may include you, are led by his example.

1. The first thing I went out to do was to put fresh water in the bird drinking bowl aka as bird bath.  I was unable to remove the ice, but hopefully some warm water on the top will mean when I have finished writing this, I shall be able to shift it.

2.  The soil is in the 'heaved' position I know that when it thaws it will collapse down, and a sure indicator of the temps are whether the snowdrops are bent over or not. . By the afternoon or with the warmth of a little sun, they will be standing up again. I showed this snowdrop a week ago, yes there are other special snowdrops up, but am saving them for another week.

Galanthus Godfrey Owen 

3. If it has 'frost' in its name, and it hasn't yet been shown, now is the time, don't you think?  Just by Godfrey is Heuchera 'Mint Frost'.  Frost or not the foliage is lovely but I have yet to see what its flowers are like.

Heuchera Mint Frost

I've also just noticed some crocus noses showing.  

4. Around the base of the roses the cyclamen coum give that little spot of brightness, and can easily be seen from the house which is a bonus when you don't necessarily want to go out...

Unlike the C hederifolium from which I collect seed to share or sow myself, I leave the coum seeds to the ants to disperse, and then maybe choose better forms to transplant.

5. It is certainly the doing of ants which has led to Corydalis cheilanthifolia finding its own position up the stone wall. It is doing so well there with probably half a dozen plants up the wall that I have removed the ones on ground level.

6. Down in the shady border even though it is still winter, there are stirrings as evidenced by this little bit of yellow.

Yellow Hellebore

I had a real chuckle reading my SOS sister's post today, what a turn of phrase she has.