Still playing in the garden as can be seen on this Six on Saturday

This Saturday it is fairly warm with 25 C in the shade, I must be getting used to the temperatures.  At least it is cooler in the evenings, and beautifully fresh in the mornings.  Mornings pretty early is when I love to be in the garden.  I think next week will test us.  

As usual just as I am still playing in the garden, we are still all linking to Jon The Propagator with our Six on Saturday.

What I have noticed in this hotter weather is how oranges are a bright pop of colour in the garden and my eyes do a little game of joining the dots of 'orange'. At certain times of the day the oranges really show up very nicely.

1.Alstromeria Indian Summer is now in its stride. I have it growing in a pot and had put a division in the garden, but I think it is only lurking if not dead there.

2. Orange coloured Geum which I bought as a small plant outside a cottage, name unknow, so if anyone recognises it and knows the name, a comment regarding that would be most appreciated.  The slugs and snails are shunning this one.

3. It is not so for this plant: Helenium Moerheim Beauty, which has its lower stems and leaves dreadfully nibbled.  It does act as a go to plant for checking and despatching slugs and snails from the garden. A geum will probably replace this plant. 

4. The tumbling tomatoes, given to me as young plants by Eileen are now ripening, and looking quite decorative in the garden.

5. Growing in its pot and  still in the same soil as last year, yes I am hanging my head in shame, is Dahlia David Howard. 

6. Achillea  which may be A.Terracotta which has a well baked biscuit colour and silvery olive coloured leaves is fading under the strong sun, but otherwise it is holding up very well.  I do like the smell.

It is too hot to sit and write more...off to continue the Deckchair Gardener and keep sensibly cool with my feet in cool water.  

Home Made Hot Green Pepper Sauce

I do like pickles, sauces and condiments. I love to make most of mine, but I do enjoy food markets, delis and being inspired by good chefs when we eat out.  Last year we picked up some excellent sauces made by Chef Antonio Paladino who also runs an enterprise promoting aquaponics.  Some time ago he came and gave our gardening group a talk on the topic.  He uses much of his produce to make into gourmet items, and we really enjoyed his Red Pepper Sauce and a Spicy Green Pepper Sauce.  I even kept the bottle with the label on in my empty jars cupboard to remind me of it.  

I happened to have picked up three large green sweet pepper at the market on Wednesday with a view to 'recreating' this sauce.  I trawled the internet for a recipe, but just could not find one which matched my expectations.  I was a little despondent but then pulled myself up by my own bootstraps, a saying my mother used to use.  I have made sauces before, for instance this favourite roasted red pepper and chilli sauce, of which the recipe is over on my other blog.

Using the ingredients listed on Antonio's bottle, I went ahead and imagined the best techniques.  I did not think roasting would suit the flavour.

I took the three large peppers, washed them, and then destalked, deseeded, and cut it into chucks.  Then I used one and a half medium sized white onions, and chopped them up, together with two small green chillies per large pepper, deseeded etc. With about a tablespoon of oil, and with the lid on' the lot was then slowly braised for about ten minutes.  At that stage it was late.  Why do I start these things late at night? I just turned off the heat and walked away.

The following morning, I  chose three  cloves of my new season garlic, added that to the onion and peppers, and slowly braised for a further fifteen minutes checking that nothing was browning or catching.  How much vinegar or sugar to add?  I decided at first to add just about enough to come up half way amongst the peppers, and cooked for a further ten minutes, with the lid off.

Just how much sugar and salt to add?  The best way is to taste, so I allowed the mixture to cool down after they had a good blitz with my hand held whizzer.  Had I a food processor then I would have used it and probably also sieved it.  No I do not wish for that contraption, or to wash a sieve afterwards.  I also felt it could be a tad hotter, so a further two small green peppers, were added and the whole cooked for a further ten minutes, before having a final blitz. with a little virgin olive oil. about 1 tablespoon full.  I suppose each pepper has a level of heat, and each person knows their own favourtie heat setting as far as sauces are concerned.

Gradually tasting I found about a dessert spoon of white granulated sugar per large greenpepper, and about a whole teaspoon of sea salt for the whole lot was perfect.  I did however feel there was something missing.  The original condiment used white malt vinegar, but I used my local Cider Vinegar.  I added the juice of a lime and its zest. It all needed just a little more cider vinegar to get to the right consistency, and another few minutes simmering.   

Oh my!  Perfect!  Everything was thoroughly heated before the bottles were filled and sealed.

 I don't have sufficient bottles at the moment, so a little sealed jar was filled.  

I can't quite say this is a recipe, but I think there are sufficient guidelines for this to be recreated.  We are going to visit the Farm as part of the Food Festival, and there will hopefully be other lovely sauces to buy, and maybe I will just be able to gather any hints.

Celebrating the last of the peas and Colin's Apple 'Molasses'

 Yesterday, very early, before the sun came round, I decided that the peas would probably not survive the several days ahead when we have very hot wall to wall sunshine, heat and no rain.  We've been having picking from the mangetout for several weeks, just from a shortish row, and also from another so called dwarf pea but which much have been 1 metre tall at least.

I often 'celebrate' the first of the veggies, and I thought why not the last of the peas. I sorted out whatever I could from the clearings which yielded a few salady snippings which will garnish a salad today, a few mange tout to be used again for dinner to day.  I did all this 'mindfully' appreciating the beauty and the colour and the produce a very small patch can yield.

Some pods has escaped picking and would be hardish, so I decided the peas could be added to a slow cooked dish and I just happened to have pork belly slices in the fridge.  Some onion, chopped celery and carrot together with an assortment of garden herbs made up the dish.

The greatest flourish was as a result of trying to work out what I could add in place of cider, which was not available, and really it was too hot to go out shopping.  I just used water but for the last half an hour when the top was removed I brushed the edges of the pork with Colin's preserve.  The inspiration came from a dish that we had at a Palestinian Pop up in Wells where pomegranate molasses finished off  a dish which included slow cooked lamb.  Imagine 'Apple Molasses', this jar will be used as such rather than on toast!

When Colin and Julie last visited, bringing with them a couple month's supply of apple juice and apple cider vinegar, they brought a little jar of a preserve which Colin makes. Julie tried to explain what it was and said don't worry if we don't like it it was his sort of 'jam'. We love it that now Colin and Julie stop by and have a chat and tea and cake, before they return to the farm.  We talk about food, gardening, knitting etc etc. It is just such a relaxing way to sit in the garden and talk with friends.

I think Colin's preserve is almost pure boiled down apple juice or maybe it is cider.  It will sure to be a great topic when we next meet. It must be over a month since they visited, and the jar had been brought out for our toast a couple of weeks back.  It was unlabelled but had been put in the cupboard, next to my 'vintage' lime marmalade also unlabelled. and had been brought out as that to the table.  It was tangy like a lime marmalade but not set firm, and went beautifully on home made sourdough toast.  We even discussed how the lime peel has gone so very soft and was now imperceptible, in fact melted into the matrix.  Several days down the line, it was toast again, and having spread my slice and having had a bite, I quickly grabbed the jar away from the jam and marmalade monster aka Mr Stasher.  I had realised this rare and wonderful preserve was from the Combens.  Oh Joy!  I have a new special ingredient to experiment with. I must try to barter another jar out of  Colin! Of course if he reads this he may well have added this to farm produce and can be something we can purchase, Anyway they are coming to dinner soon, and I am not sure whether to do this dish or one with lamb?

Oh yes, the peas were a lovely addition and well worth the effort to sort through the 'straw' and find the peas. 

In a Vase on Monday - Cooling greens

 One can have all the riot of the exuberant colours of summer, but when it is hot I find calming refreshing greens attractive.  No doubt Cathy will have bright colours or else friends from around the globe so do go and have a look there. However just having peeked in on Cathy's anchoring post, she too has gone for a cooling arrangement. On our mantel shelf now devoid of antique clock which we have given away, I have more room to move the arrangement around. It is hot too hot to garden, except very early in the morning, or last thing as the sun goes down and the back garden is in the shade.

I had one self seeded Love in the Mist  grow and its seed heads fit into the scheme nicely, and hopefully will end up as dried flower material, ad will the self seeded poppy heads.

Rather than waiting for the colour to appear in the Sedum spectabile Autumn Joy I love to use the stems in arrangements. There are still plenty to flower and be a source of late summer nectar. On the plus side for us, there is no pollen and this vase will probably outlast the week. 

Scant Six on Saturday

 It is too hot, I am too tired, and quite honestly in this heat and sun, the pictures are not coming out great.  I daren't join in with the usual Six on Saturday, as I will be excommunicated for good. But it will be worth visiting non the less, so do use the link. I have changed my mind, I am going to join in with 'borrowed' pictures from a few gardens we have  visited over the last two or three weeks.

1. I did get out and do a job I had been meaning to do early this morning.  I divided a viola. I acquired Viola pedata in 2021.  It came through the winter well, but has failed to flower well this year.

Viola pedata 2021

I felt it would not improve, and emptied it out of the pot, and washed the soil off to see if any pests had been eating the roots.  None were evident but the central main root appears to have rotted off.  However there were quite a few side shoots which had developed with one or two roots on the strongest ones.  Since these plants are not too easy to find and fairly pricey for a small plant.

When a little plant appeals to me, I will try my very best to propagate it to save it, and not knowing if I am doing the right thing, using my instinct I separated out some of the more vigorous side shoots. I removed all the big leaves, and planted them in fresh gritty soil.  Some I put in a shallow pot, and when they start to grow away, then they may getting planted out around the garden to experiment as to their favourite position.  The three with best roots I planted in a taller long tom style of of pot, and if they take they may well make the shed shelf next year. 

Gardeners live in hope, sometimes take risks, and I am a believe in having a go.  I'll give an update as to whether this succeeds or fails. 

2. Our visit to Monmouthshire as a delight as we visited two gardens.  The first was Wyndcliffe Court Gardens. One plant that stood out for me was Pimpinella major rosea. All by itself by a stone column on the patio it was the perfect backdrop for this little pug.  He just would not get out of the picture, posed and then trotted off the moment I had finished.

3. Nothing better than a bit of water in the garden, so why not a small lily pond, with arcing vine above?

4. Veddw Gardens a short way away, took full advantage of its location, and with its many smaller gardens enclosed by neatly trimmed hedges, had many ideas to inspire gardeners with acres or even a small plot.  

On reflection the meadow was glorious!

5. We love the Newt and went twice in in as many weeks, once to visit the Roman Villa which really should be done on a visit separate to viewing the gardens.  From the most fanciest of orchards to tranquil gardens, cottage gardens and colour themed ones, and fruit and vegetable areas, the only thing they lack is a good rockery area with choice alpines.  Of course that may be on the agenda.  Their Japanese garden is  also a must see with so much attention to detail, With a farm shop as well as a separate gift shop with far more to entice that one could afford in one visit, I never come back empty handed.

 

 

So much of the work is really hands on, and I love the fact that during all the times we have visited, it has been so peaceful with a lack of noise from motorised machinery. Here in the formal orchard, two gardeners are cutting back the Santolina. Walking round this curved wall garden the various herby underplanting only add to its beauty.

6. I picked up The Deckchair Gardener by Anne Wareham owner and maker of Veddw Gardens.  She and her partner Charles Hawes who very graciously welcomed us and gave us a preliminary talk do most of the gardening I understand, but also take a lot of shortcuts to allow them time to pursue other activities. I think that will be my style of gardening for this weekend.  We were to have visited my friend Brenda today as she and many other gardeners open their gardens in Stogumber, but Mr Stasher is well under par, and we have both been overcome with the heat.

Take things easy if it is hot where you are, wear all the protection you can, and if possible stay out of the sun during the hottest hours.