Early June Posy

A little larger and more open than a posy perhaps, this is my bunch of flowers picked yesterday on the 31st of May.  So today this is on my window sill at the front of the house, with gentle light filtering through the various blooms.  Its been fairly nippy, but the garden is non the worse for it.  The cool weather and rain, but also days with good light,  has meant some flowers are hanging on for a good month.

Self seeded Aquiligia, known also as Granny's bonnet in pink and purple, Blue and White Centaurea Montana Alba, Phuopsis Stylosa, Lily of the Valley, Purple Erysium Bowles Mauve, seed heads of Muscari, Airy light flowers of Saxifrage umbrosa Variagata, also known as Variegated London's Pride, and Dicentra Eximia commonly called Fringed Bleeding Heart and some of their leaves, together with with strawberry leaves.

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The bees forage, this one is on Centaurea Montana Alba, and it is very nearly 'full house' as they have been very busy.  Even the larger canes are being filled and the Mason Bees are starting to use the in between spaces.  I shall look out for more bee houses for next year, but I know not to get ones with too narrow canes nor ones that are too large.

I was about to dead head some Muscari, and could not resist keeping the  'succulent looking' seed heads for the arrangement.

and on closer inspection the flowers of the Variagated London's Pride were charming,

This is Phuopsis Stylosa, also known as Caucasian Crosswort, which I bought last year, and which sounds like the name of  an embroidery stitch.   I love the flower heads and the whorls of leaves.  It was very heavily scented when crushed with a smell not altogether pleasant during the spring, but as it has matured and flowered there is no scent, so with fairly long stems, this is a winner as an unusual cut flower, as far as I am concerned.

 I am suffering at the moment, suffering from a surfeit of plants.  I have been out of control, and really there are too many pots hanging around.  I've therefore decided to sink some into the gravel, and see how things go.  This means than you have to use the stepping stones going down the garden for fear of treading on a little treasure.  Also I am reducing some of my larger clumps of perennials.

Most of the conservatory plants are also now outside for the summer.

Mollarca iii

Life back from holiday continues apace, and I keep meaning to post just one more time on Mallorca, with short entries for different trips.  I thought by entering a draft in date order that all the Mallorcan entries would have followed each other, but no...

More angels

 

These were in the chapel at La Granja

And this one somewhere on the first story of a building in Palma

We set off for La Granja on the 1st of May, a Friday, and did not realise that this was a bank holiday and the bus was on a limited schedule.  The bus from Palma stops just by the Country Estate.  We had planned to leave earlier and spend some time in the pretty town of Esporels.  However as we had to stay longer,  we had a walk into the upper parts of the Estate, watched goats gamble on steep rocky slopes and caught a display of amazing horsemanship, and horse ballet.

Its a museum of Folklore, with lovely antiques, and interesting displays, well worth spending the day there.  The grounds have lovely places for picnics with fine views of the valley.  We had a great lunch in the cafe along with dozens of cyclists on their tour of the Island, open air with great views of the garden.  You can stop off and go to the cafe without paying the entrance to the Estate.  Sadly all the tickets for the house and banquet were gone, but we had the snacks option and really enjoyed tasting the locally produced preserves, meats, wine etc.  We could hardly in fact do it justice as we had had lunch before!

In the grounds, apart from the lovely gardens, water features, and fine buildings,  there was an interesting water mill, with the grinding stone above.

With a long history or spinning and dyeing there were some interesting looms, but I felt some of the baskets had been filled with 'artificial fibre yarn' not at all suitable for weaving!

In one of the rooms, the one used for ironing, clothes sewing etc, in the corner was this little stove, which used to heat the irons.  I remember these irons being used in Mauritius when I was little, and even where homes had electricity, when the supply was interrupted after cyclones, they still came in handy.

On another day we walked along the Coast to Fundacio Pilar I Joan Miro.  On the way back with my inbuilt sense of direction, always in tune when I want to get back for a good ice-cream and coffee at Fillippo's, I found a short cut, which meant using these steps.

The buildings are really interesting, and I left Mr S at the cafe enjoying a drink, whilst I explored the gardens.

 In the main Moneo Building there was a very clever use of thin sheets of stone to help filter the bright light.

I loved this tapestry

and this sculpture, which on close inspection used parts of an old discarded plastic dolly, obviously now cast in bronze.

In the Centre of Palma we visit The Palau March, which was only built in 1939, but what an amazing space.  It contains so much of interest,

from Modern Sculpture, to antique fans,

boxes,

maps, beautiful embroideries with goldwork

 as well as offering great views of the Palace next door.

We visited the Almudaina Palace which is truly magnificent, but with no photography allowed.  Their tapestries are alone worth the entrance.  From the terrace where there are great views, and there are some quality cacti  displays.

We visited other places, a long bus ride, took us to Andratx on Market Day.  We walked up to Santa Maria, where we were disappointed to find it closed, but looking back the view was worth the walk.

We love to go at a time when we know the early spring flowers would we out and we were not disappointed.  Great to see plants growing in the wild, even on stony ground like this lavender

nd now for a few more, no names....

I even manged a sketch or two inspired by what I saw, but not exact copies!

Mr S wants it noted that he went into the pool and swam round the island even though the water was very cool.

With a lot more to see and do, we shall most definitely be returning.

Garden in May

I like making a note of the seasons, and every year it is different.  I love to mark the first picking of the red climbing rose which is usually the first to flower in the garden.  Etoile de Holland this year is doing very well.  With careful pruning in early March, when I picked off every leaf to avoid any black spot, and good feeding, together the grey squirrels not having the buds as their  snack of choice, the plant is now in full flower.  It keeps on flowering all year, with flushes often going up till Christmas.

The first roses were picked around the 15th of May. The colour is rich, the flowers huge, the bud shape beautiful, and the scent most fragrant, so much so that if you put them in a room, close the door, then re enter a few hours later, you cannot but smile and know that no artificial room scent can come close to this.

Each year at the WI in January, we pass round a list for us to fill in our names agreeing to undertake various 'tasks', and back then I thought of volunteering for the Chairman's Table Flowers and Birthday posies, and chose May.

For the Chairman's Table I chose a simple bunch of Lily of the Valley, and in the end why gild the lily, over fifty stems and a few leaves.  Afterwards I offered these to our Chairman, and a couple of days later received a really charming email from Kaye.

For the birthday posies: red roses, lily of the valley and a few more blooms.  I like to pick the flowers first thing, and stand them right up to their necks in a bucket of water, then arrange them later.  There were four birthdays, and I made an extra one in case we had any visitors with birthdays that month.  After making them, I stood them on the front window sill.

Of course like a child, I marvel at the drops of dew, as I walk down the garden early ...I always have

Monkey Buns

Another bake from the Facebook Group Challenge:  for the second half of May it is Monkey Buns.  When I 'have' to make something, so many things go through my mind beforehand.  Yes I really love pecan nuts, love cinnamon, love enriched buns, but also Mr S doesn't like cinnamon, or, so he says, and there are so many buns all stuck together, 24 of them!

When I realised that I had invited a near neighbour Lita and a new neighbour Dave from several doors down,  to come and see the garden and choose some plants for theirs, I realised this bake would be just the nicest thing to have with coffee on Sunday morning.  What a coincidence, Dave who moved in recently just happened to have worked with Lita several years ago, and are now neighbours.  Small world!

Sunday morning was an early start as my dearly beloved was going out for a full day on a hobby course on airbrushing at Pendon and I was up at six.  So I calculated that the bake would be out of the oven by 11 am just right!  I hoped they liked cinnamon and nuts too.

Even the enriched yeasty dough, with eggs, and vanilla and butter filled the house with enticing aromas.  I followed the recipe, and after the first rise, started by making first my four equal portions

then the smaller 24 balls were made into 'tight' balls.  With Jane Mason's explanations, I have now mastered the action, and got through the lot quickly.  Yes no flour on the work surface is the key to getting perfect tight balls.

I decided to toss the balls in the sugar and cinnamon which was not covered in the recipe, as well as sprinkling it between the layers together with the nuts, which was.  I think next time I would roll the balls in some of the melted butter too, then they may be easier to pull apart.  However first time round on a recipe I try not to depart too much from the instructions.

After the final rise, on went the butter, now the smells were just divine, and this was before the baking.

With Lita and Dave, and I, that would be at least 6 buns gone.....

but I did not count!  Later I gave more away to another new neighbour, and there were about 8 left when my hero returned home.  Of course he wanted a taste, and more than one was enjoyed.  I wrapped them up in some foil, and gave them a gentle warm through.  Again he was surprised that he liked the cinnamon.  I think his dislike of cinnamon comes from over cinnamoned pancakes when the spice is uncooked.

The last four were sliced up, layered with sultanas and a few more pecans, with egg and milk mixture and transformed into a delicious bread and butter type pudding.  No extra butter, but a good sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon on top.  To 'cap' it all,  the desert was served with a dollop of double cream and a drizzle of maple syrup.  Was I getting close to making something akin to my favourite pecan plaits?

Goodbye to Uncle Colin

Whilst we were on Holiday, my dear Uncle Colin passed away.  Just shy of his 90th birthday, he had  been very poorly for the previous few weeks, and was looked after very well at home.  So my home coming was subdued, and I have been thinking about him since then.  Today I went into the garden, thinking of him and Aunty Doreen, and saw that the Lilly of the Valley was ready for picking.  I came back from their home a few years ago with a variety of plants, and this one has grown very well.  So this is the time to pay a small tribute to him.  Thank you for all you love.

Uncle Colin lived in Lincolnshire all his life, which was full and interesting, and very happy.  Well as far as I know, I shall correct this if not, maybe he went overseas for his military service.  When I was young and living in Mauritius, I started up a pen friendship with his daughter: my cousin Christine.  I guess now we would be friends on Facebook or such like, but in those days, letters were the standard and that took longer.  I remember a little brooch I received one year, made of hazelnuts into a little red squirrel as a Christmas Present.

When visiting their home on family visits to the UK, and later when I was at school here, and also in more recent years, I was always made most welcome.  Uncle Colin had the characteristic traits of the Greenfield boys/men:  tall, handsome, hard working, loyal, good gardeners, and also with a great sense of fun.  He loved the country, wildlife and country walks.  He always was a good listener  and last time I visited and stayed  I was so impressed with the way he was coping.  He had patiently taught birds to come and feed from his hand, taking out raisins each morning after breakfast.  He even made us all salmon sandwiches, just the way they like them there: brown bread, tinned salmon, vinegar etc..delicious.

I also remember now the time we bumped into each other in Lincoln in 2009.  No more chances of this now, but I shall always remember him when I see or smell Lilly of the Valley.