Photo by S. Arrowsmith

It would appear that we have our very own garden Robin. Happy Christmas!

Photo by S. Arrowsmith

It’s all been very quiet in the garden this autumn. Some mulch got put down, mainly to stop the cats digging up the new bulbs that we put in. And as I write this I am wincing slightly because there are still some that need to go in the ground and are currently malingering in the kitchen by the back door. Every time I get determined, we have another frost and I abandon ideas of digging. It would appear that I find it all too easy to procrastinate. Fair weather gardener me.

Photo by S. Arrowsmith

When I moved to Cambridge I brought with me several plants in pots, including a pot of Japanese Anemones that hadn’t flowered for four years. Last November I took them out, divided them into three and planted them out. And this year they flowered their hats off!

Photo by S. Arrowsmith

This swiss chard, ‘rainbow lights’ didn’t get eaten when it grew bigger than salad leaf size. I discovered that growing pretty veg is no guarantee of taste. I imagined that something this beautiful would taste amazing. It didn’t, it has a very strong soapy flavour that isn’t to my taste. At least it looked splendid.

Photos by S. Arrowsmith

It is amazing what can happen in a few short weeks. The first picture was taken at the beginning of August, the stuff growing over the frame is a variety of runner bean called ‘Painted Lady’ which I chose to be decorative as well as edible. It was actually my third sowing of due to the slugs and snails helping themselves (see events in May), I’m afraid I resorted to slug pellets. The second picture was taken today. I have eaten a few and can report that they are delicious - sliced very finely, boiled for 5 mins and tossed with a little butter and black pepper.