About me



I'm a half Finnish designer who has since taken a break to bring up my children. I used to work in Graphic Design, but now I prefer working with textiles and illustration. This blog is about my allotment and garden. I have been gardening for many years and grew up watching my mum and dad do the same. I began my allotment in Jan 2010 in memory of my father who passed a way just before then. I also love cooking and finding inventive and delicious ways to make my produce into meals. I'm growing with my experiences, and welcome any helpful advice! Sometime soon I hope to use my garden as inspiration for my art.

Sunday 19 June 2011

Summer by Christina Rosetti

Summer
By Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)


Winter is cold-hearted,
Spring is yea and nay,
Autumn is a weathercock
Blown every way.
Summer days for me
When every leaf is on its tree;


When Robin’s not a beggar,
And Jenny Wren’s a bride,
And larks hang singing, singing, singing
Over the wheat-fields wide,
And anchored lilies ride,
And the pendulum spider
Swings from side to side;


And blue-black beetles transact business,
And gnats fly in a host,
And furry caterpillars hasten
That no time be lost
And moths grow fat and thrive,
And ladybirds arrive

Before green apples blush,
Before green nuts embrown,
Why one day in the country
Is worth a month in town;
Is worth a day and a year
Of the dusty, musty, lag-last fashion
That days drone elsewhere.



Saturday 18 June 2011

It's all blooming marvellous

I'm my extremely incapacitated state (very heavily pregnant) I tottered to the plot today to do some harvesting. It's been about a week since my last visit, but wow what a difference since all this rain! Everything is lush and blooming, all the gaps filled , buds bursting, it's generally looking very heavy indeed. I almost feel like this is the end of my allotment journey this year, as I know when my baby arrives, time will be precious and I only really planned my plot to get me to this point. So far as I can say it's been a huge success this year and I'm really pleased with everything... (well perhaps not so much with the asparagus and rhubarb, but you can't have it all). So before I disappear into a pile of nappies, here are some pics of the plot as I left it.












Tuesday 7 June 2011

Broad beans, feta and chorizo from the Weald Smokery

It was a day of true celebration, I was able to formulate a meal around one of the star ingredients of the plot, broad beans. I have eaten many permutations of this dish in various restaurants, but it really is so simple to cook and tastes wonderful. On the way home from my allotment I visited the Weald Smokery for some chorizo slices and some beautiful local goats cheese with a lovely chalky flavour. All that was needed was a little walnut bread to soak up the pan juices and you have a lip smackingly good meal.

Just fry the chorizo in a little olive oil to release the juices, for about 5 minutes


Depod and wash your beans



Add to the pan with the chorizo and put a lid on so they steam gently in the juices
Meanwhile chop up your goat's cheese (or feta)



When the beans are just soft, add the cheese and stir so that it begins to melt, then serve with the bread



Perfect with a green salad and a glass of elderflower cordial or pear juice.

Fresh flowers

Popped to the plot today to see what I could harvest, everything looks fresh and lively now the rain has been. All the pea and bean pods are swelling and everything else seems to have sprung into flower in celebration.

Poppies


Potatoes


Courgette (Jemmer I think)


Sunday 5 June 2011

It's raining rain, allelujah

Yes at long last we have had an afternoon of continuous rain, who would have though I'd ever be so pleased to see it! Closhes off in celebration!

Curly carrots

Do they make your hair curl?
These were transplanted from my greenhouse...

Tasted good though