Baking for Halloween

Last year, our first Halloween in Somerset was marked with utter disappointment by general malaise on lack of preparation on my part.  We nearly had tears from a little girl...but remembering this, I am prepared.  

Ghosties with a sprinkling of frost  icing sugar following my recipe previously used.  These are rather short and then I realised that they have ground almonds, so will have to check with visitors that they do not have allergies.

and Bourbon Bats...Ice crystal eyes need to be added before baking, I discovered this in time for the last batch!  This recipe has given a more robust biscuit, so next year will made bats for everyone!

Last week, we had one of the most amazing sunsets...wouldn't be great if we had one again this evening. 

I have carved out the pumpkin, and checked that the flashing cycle lights are charged, ready to set by the front door this evening.

Pelargonium Coriandrifolium update

After a year this 'lacy' leaved Pelargonium has put on growth, but hasn't flowered at all this year.

This Pelargonium myrrhifolium v coriandrifolium did flower last year with about a six individual single large blooms.  

Pelargonium ardens

I have a couple of recently acquired Pelargonium ardens growing in free draining medium in terracotta pots.   As I helped set up the website for the Henton Gardening Club, and then the Facebook group for members, I was impressed by the photograph by one of our members of Pelargonium ardens which we used as the banner picture.

At the Kenilworth gardening club, each year we had a growing a plant from a small plug challenge, and when I suggested this to Sally Gregson, she bought in some recently propagated Pelargonium ardens plantlets.  Some of the members bought one or two...I had two.

My two plants, now that they have regrown their leaves,  are slightly different as to their leaf arrangement.  On one plant they are well balanced, on the second the leaves have varying length stems, and each has yet to flower.  However I was not even put off as during the very hot period this summer, they shed their leaves. I have read that they can have a dormancy period, and when a few weeks ago the hot temperatures abated, and I had moved the plants to a cooler area, fresh leaves started to grow from the small surface root crown.  With cooler night time temperatures at the moment, should they look like falling below 5 C I shall move them to a sunny windowsill.  They will not doubt go into a 'winter dormancy', requiring a little less watering.

They are quite tricky, but I shall nurture them in the expectation of flowering when they are ready!  I shall 'injure' the growing point of the less well endowed plant and hopefully this will encourage branching.

Pelargonium hybrid sidoides x reniforme “Burgundy”

In the conservatory there are three species or near species, is there a term for this, pelargoniums:


I've placed the pot in the shade in order to get a better picture

I have been 'nurturing' Pelargonium hybrid sidoides x reniforme “Burgundy”' which I first acquired from my friend and plantswoman Janet a few years ago.  I have two plants in the same pot, and this year it has been outside, until recently.

In the conservatory, sitting on the side table, with its silvery grey green velvety leaves, it shows off its long flowering stems along which the very dark crimson black flower clusters grow sequentially along the long lax stems.

To get the detail of the blooms, I set the flash, which shows up the black markings near the centre.

Finding out more about this plant has been interesting...the best part is that they can tolerate low temperatures if kept on the dry side.  Unless it is going to get very cold, I feel happier knowing that they will not suffer if left in the conservatory overnight.

In a Vase on Monday - M and XCII

When I see an Iceberg Rose it reminds me of my mother, who grew this in difficult conditions in the tropics.  The long pointed rose buds were the brides' favourite.  The button holes and brides bouquets would be kept in the fridge until the last moment, and often taken straight to the Church.

In two of my previous gardens I had a very floriferous climbing Rose Iceberg, and it amazed my mother when she counted the number of blooms on her visits.  Its not surprising therefore that one of the first rose trees I bought for the new garden this year was a climbing Iceberg rose tree.  I hope it does as well as the wonderful specimen I saw in full flower the week before Christmas when I first moved to Somerset.  The french name for this rose is Fee de Neiges, which mean Fairy of the Snows.

During the Summer, when I was first setting out the back garden, I bought a couple of Grace Roses, and they are already establishing themselves very well, and both currently have around fifteen rosebuds each.  In my last garden I used Grace for a Vase on Monday in mid December.

According to the BBC, Friday was the coldest October day for 10 years.  We did wake up on Saturday to find the top of the car covered with a wonderful ferny pattern of crystals, but the back garden protected by the stone wall, still has the nasturtiums in full flower, and nothing else hit down or blackened by frost.

As a result of this, I am able to pick a stem of Fuchsia and bronze fennel leaf for my vase today.  The cyclamen leaf, itself a frosty silver colour, finishes off this end of autumn arrangement.

The reason why I have called this vase M, is that M is the Roman Numeral 1000.  As I enjoyed counting the Iceberg Roses, I find other numbers, figures, counting, and statistics interesting.....I love probability too....On Saturday I bumped into a friend coming out of the Cathedral and one the topics in just five minutes that we touched on was that I wanted to brush up my Roman Numerals so that I could quickly read the dates on monuments.  So it was highly probable that I would choose M as the title of my post this week.

This is my 1000th post on my blog. With over 141 thousand visits, and one post alone getting nearly 25 thousand hits, all I can say is that I can't admit to the time I have spent writing since this blog started in 2007.  I wouldn't even want to calculate that.  All in all it has been a lovely experience, to keep records, share and explore interests, and along the way make friends, and reconnect with ones made years ago. Here is to the next M posts!!!!

This is my ninety second In a Vase on Monday....XCII

In her post Cathy explains the festival of All Hallows.  In Mauritius for "La Fete des Morts" people remember their loved ones who had died, visit their burial plots and place flowers on them.  I remember it to be a rather sad quiet day as a child, a day of mourning or of quiet reflection.  Maybe with changed times, there is more of a festive air, and like many places, commerce has made this into an occasion where consumption is encouraged.

In some countries there are festivals full of joy and merriment:  On a more joyful and coloured theme,  and for a glorious seasonal pumpkin coloured display do go and see what Cathy has posted, and other links to this week's IAVOM contributors.