Win, Win, Win!

Achieved in 2016 just by opening the garden gate....

....and a bit of hard work!

This little garden - all alone in deepest rural Worcestershire has raised the grand total of £1450.17p for the National Garden Scheme this year.  They give to the caring charities and don't have huge numbers of executives on fat salaries unlike certain cancer charities we know!  Of course we couldn't possibly do this if it wasn't for a husband who gives me too much encouragement and help and Chris who does a zillion things including lighting 100's of candles (please save all your jam jars for next year!) and a band of dedicated and hardworking volunteers who give up their spare time to slave away making us cakes to sell, serving teas to visitors and washing up  for hours on end!

WELL DONE TEAM PTC!

Win, Win, Win!

Achieved in 2016 just by opening the garden gate....

....and a bit of hard work!

This little garden - all alone in deepest rural Worcestershire has raised the grand total of £1450.17p for the National Garden Scheme this year.  They give to the caring charities and don't have huge numbers of executives on fat salaries unlike certain cancer charities we know!  Of course we couldn't possibly do this if it wasn't for a husband who gives me too much encouragement and help and Chris who does a zillion things including lighting 100's of candles (please save all your jam jars for next year!) and a band of dedicated and hardworking volunteers who give up their spare time to slave away making us cakes to sell, serving teas to visitors and washing up  for hours on end!

WELL DONE TEAM PTC!

Little Helpers in the Rain!

Should have used a bigger barrow!

Scooping the silt out of the culvert was a pretty messy job but made even messier with the rain and messier still with a team of 3 little helpers! Water, mud and wheelbarrows - the 3 biggest and best attractions!!

Washing muddy hands for the umpteenth time!

We bucketed out the water and, with a long handled scoop, filled 3 or 4 wheelbarrows full with silt and disposed of the contents down in Cato's Corner.  Having done that, Chris retrieved a wheelbarrow full of pebbles which Elissa and I washed - each one individually!  Definitely the world's messiest job! Afterwards, the sun came out and we had a bonfire.  Yes, of course were soaking wet and covered in mud but, who needs toys?  Result: the submersible light in the culvert looks really pretty at night again and everyone had a ball!

Chris teetering over the edge!

 

A VERY Rainy Saturday!

Couldn't get on with any seasonal jobs today!

A Fine Vine!

Vitus coignetiae also known as the Crimson Glory vine grows up Highgrove which is where this specimen originated. I took this photo before the leaves begin to turn and hope to remember to take another for purposes of colour comparison as it's so striking in autumn. It really softens the architecture and whilst Chris has shown me how to take out tiles and insert homemade lead hooks, for some reason, I really feel unsure of getting the tile back in place. Shame really as it's in dire need of more hooks. Courage!!

Vitus coignetiae - Crimson Glory Vine

Miniature but Mighty!

The Myrtle bloomed in time for open gardens. Just what's needed for a twilight garden opening as these tiny blooms shone out like stars. Don't you just love these miniature balls of fuzz? Traditionally, every British royal bride has a sprig of Myrtle in her bouquet. Whilst a Mediterranean native, this variety: communis is relatively hardy and this particular specimen has been in a pot on the west side of the house where it has thrived for 6 or 7 years quite happily with little or no attention.

Myrtus communis

Aga Dried -V- Sun Dried!

The first of the Apache's

Drying on the Aga

Here we have some Apache chilli peppers grown in the greenhouse which I am harvesting as they ripen and drying them on the Aga. Their rating on the Scoville scale is between 70,000 & 80,000 shu.  Now that's quite a lot of heat when you consider that a Jalapeno has a rating of a mere 10 - 20,000 shu.  Of course there are far hotter varieties and at the the other and hottest end of the scale is the Carolina Reaper which weighs in at a hefty 1,569,300 shu! When fresh, Apache's are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants.  They also make ideal decorations when dried, threaded and hung up.  I might eventually get around to alternating some with Bay leaves and hanging them in the kitchen with the odd one finding its way into a beef chilli on a cold winter's evening!