Happy Valentine's Day

There's a whiff of both spring and romance in the kitchen at Pear Tree Cottage!!

An old pewter teapot

Genever Tulips

A Valentine's rose!

Looking Emptier!

Not much left now!

A freshly mulched Woodland Border

I can't even remember if this is the 3rd or 4th Saturday we've been emptying the compost bay but it seems as if we've been doing it forever!  The trouble is; pushing full loads means an uphill journey every time as the compost bays are at the bottom of the garden and it weighs so much heavier than wood chip (which is the only other medium we use as a mulch in this garden.)  Anyway, more progress was definitely made this week and the borders and hedges are not only looking better for it but, more importantly, will 'do' better for a good mulching.  We reckon about 4 or 5 barrow loads remain and we plan to weed the top lawn border and rose borders before they get their share of mulching. We had planned to do this so much earlier but, it's just been far too WET. It was tricky mulching around Snowdrops and Hellebores in full bloom but, we neither trod on nor buried any! Triumph!

Winter Job - Rustic Labels

 A nice idea spotted on Pinterest. Cheap, practical and nicer than plastic!

Re-using breakages.

I took this shot outside the greenhouse - for no particular reason!  As the saying goes: waste not, want not!  The Victorians had a machine specifically designed for grinding down broken clay pot pieces and they would mix it in with various potting mediums.  It looked rather like an over sized and old fashioned mincing machine - the sort that clamped to edge of a table top. They knew a thing or two about recycling even back then!  As for me (and lacking such a machine) I break them down and use smaller pieces for drainage in other (unbroken) clay pots!  Our rule being: Absolutely NO plastic pots allowed other than inside the greenhouse or cold frames!

Recycling PTC style.

While the storm rages outside...

Grapevine awakening.

New toy made light work of these.

.........there are only 2 places to be. Either the kitchen of the greenhouse!  Having checked to make sure that the greenhouse hadn't blown away, I retreated to the relative calm and safety of the kitchen.  Having said that, I spotted signs of life in the greenhouse - the grapevine is showing a couple of new shoots. Back in the kitchen, I had the perfect excuse to play with my new toy!  some bread rolls, a Canterbury Tart (courtesy of Mary Berry), some rustic savoury red pepper tartlets and a few cheese straws (using the left over pastry.) The largest of my pastry cutters just wasn't big enough so the cases were all cut using a knife - hence their rustic appearance and one really dainty tartlet!

It's now become very trendy to give these depressions names and the latest has been christened "Storm Imogen."  Maybe someone who gives machines names shouldn't grumble!

All thanks to another storm!

Prairie Mush

Even on a dry day; what's to like?

It's that time of year when, after the world's wettest winter that I wonder what the UK prairie planting fanatics' gardens are looking like!  Even those who promote not cutting down dead stalks and seed heads (leaving them for the birds to feed on or the frosts to dust in a picturesque manner) must be having second thoughts!  Surely, their garden views must be a brown, wet and soggy mess?  I know what you're thinking! When the winter storms end (if they ever do) and the new spring growth starts to peep through, everything looks fresher and full of hope. What I don't understand is exactly what winter pleasure is there in a UK prairie garden. Our winters can be long, wet and gloomy - the very time we crave colour and interest in a garden. Having scoured Google; there are no pictures of UK prairie gardens on a dark and wet winter's day. Come to that; no pictures of anyone's anywhere else in the world.  No pictures of flattened brown mushy stalks smashed down by high winds and persistent heavy rain. However, I did find this one and I'm still not convinced that it's thing for the average UK garden!  It's even taken on a dry sunny day!! I'm not usually controversial here so, tell me. Am I missing something?

Baking for Borders!

My new kitchen toy!

Heavy rain and strong gales definitely stopped play in the garden today so, border work was swapped for baking and I took my new kitchen toy for a test drive! There's something peculiarly comforting about baking on a day when the weather is particularly filthy and rain can be heard beating against the windows.

Of course, it's silly to say that having this fine beast to help in the kitchen isn't amazing but, I'm tinged with a little sadness at selling such a faithful old friend! Anyway, I started off with cheese scones for lunch and, as you can see, even Paul & Mary would have been proud! 

I'm posting a picture of the new beasts's predecessor and he's now being offered for sale complete with attachments on EBay at Kenwood Chef so, feel free to have a look.  As stated on EBay, my only reason for the change was to go for a bowl with bigger capacity.

Good home wanted for Kenneth (note the missing eaten scones!)