Summer, my friends, is drawing to a close here in Middle England. The garden looks weary, the fruit and vegetables are in glut mode, and the sun sets much earlier. This is something I have just noticed. The sun.
And I am sick to death of watering things.
Hah. Now that is not something you would have thought I would say, given my love affair with the garden, is it? Well, I am sick of All The Watering. Especially when the flowers are looking way past their best and all I want to do is yank them out by the roots and put them in the compost bin and greenery collection bin. And usually this does not happen till a little later. (That last statement meant that I had to go back through the annals of history, aka my sidebar, to check on the state of the garden each year. I got rather caught up in all the posts and have just emerged, 2 hours later.)
Now where was I.....
Things have been moving along here at RCR - David is coming home at the end of the week. Diana has been away for a few days. The blackberries are ripening in the hedgerows. Telephone conferences which last over 3 hours have been happening. Aquazumba classes. Aquarobics classes. Meetings. Appointments. Deadheading. And a whole lot more.
Down at the allotment, my long expired cucumber seeds (Use before 2009) have exploded all over the place, and the cucumber mountain has been growing by the day. So yesterday, I googled how to freeze cucumbers. I never, for a second, thought you could. Well, you can. So, I peeled and sliced and added an onion to the mix, and did what I was told to do - salt, cover, wait, drain, mix vinegar and sugar, cover, bag, freeze. Who knew. Apparently they stay crisp and taste great.
I will let you know in mid winter.
The apples. Well, the large pot had to be hauled to the hob yesterday, and in went a huge pile of sliced apples. It was actually really nice to be on the conference call where I could wander round the house and stir the apples, and make coffee and toss out the dead flowers etc etc. I am hoping to get a couple of bags of apples from a friend soon. They freeze so well, and what a delight it is to have the freezer this year! I am making excellent use of it. If you could just see the pile of courgette bags.......
On the creative front, I have finished making the daisy squares at last. Now begins the sewing in of all the ends, and then it will be joined together. I am delighted with the colours so far. I also played with the squares while on that conference call. In the sun.
I did a great deal while on that conference call.
Missy starts school in a week or so. She is going to real school. Big School. I look at the photos and she is all long legs and gangliness at the moment, and she will love school, and making friends, and learning all sorts of things. But where has the time gone? She turns 5 next February. They start school unbelievably early here in the UK.
Ah well.....
7 comments:
I cannot believe she is five! How time does fly.
We're harvesting tomatoes and the last of the green beans here. I do love fresh green beans. It's too bad they aren't available year-round.
Our tomato plants are looking very scraggly from the ground about halfway up. I fear they are not long for this world.
Thinking of doubling the size of the garden next year, now that I have the infernal rabbit/squirrel thing figured out. Of course, when next year gets here it may be a different story altogether.
Hoping you are well!
Sounds as if you have been most busy! Can't help smiling when I think of your putting all that food by. Missy in school next week? Wow. Time really does sail away. My grands are in school today for Day One of the new school year. Too soon in my opinion, but no one asked me!
How can she be five already.....and in school???
The garden does get a little tiring at this point. I will be interested in reading about the frozen cucumbers this winter.
l know just what you mean, having had visitors last week, the only patches of colour in my garden were apples and tomato's. l wonder what it's like to live in a country that has no real seasons. l always find l need the autumn/winter to wind down, rest and plan.
No, she is not 5. She is 4 1/2. Yes she is all legs but she has had a wonderful summer, plenty of fresh air, eating well. She loved her adventures with moregranny.
Hard to believe she is old enough to start school already - seems like just yesterday she was a new-born. Enjoy the time - and the winding down of summer.
She is still in Early Years foundation Stage which is exactly the same as at her preschool. So the main difference will be getting to know new adults and eventually working up to full days instead of half days.
Ann
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