After a cold wet spring, it’s wonderful to feel the sun on our backs, watch the bees fly to their favourite flowers and start to gather in the fruits of our labours.
This week has been especially hot, making it hard to sleep at night, but as long as everyone has a chance to find shade and a gentle breeze – we are all happy. Our veg patch at home has an automatic watering system that sprays the whole area with cool water for 20 minutes each dawn and dusk – this was a necessity whilst we were on holiday and is still a welcome treat for the growing crops. Whenever we have the chance, the hens are out to free range allowing them to find cool spots to dust bath beneath shady shrubs and peck at the early windfall apples. We have regular visits from a young fox cub so need to ensure that everyone is safe and plays fairly.
Back in March I was really rather worried about the bees, but they have had a fabulous season.
The one colony that survived the winter on the allotment was brought to the home garden and has subsequently been split three times to become a total of four colonies and we’ve already harvested honey from two of them. The first swarm that I collected back in early May has produced two boxes of honey and has been split to create a new colony. The acid test for the bees is to see whether the colony at the allotment can successfully produce a new queen, this has been the downfall of that site as an apiary over the years – new queens going out to mate and not returning. If they are successful then we are in for a beautiful honey as the bees have been busy foraging amongst the bountiful blackberries.
After many years of the grapevine sprawling across a fence and falling over the compost bins, we have a new support which is allowing many, many, bunches of grapes to hang free with good air circulation.
I’ve already cut back the branches without fruit to force the growth into developing grapes and then I need to strip back unnecessary leaves to allow the sun to ripen them. I’m starting to think that all the water in the ground, from previous months of rain, has been rather good for the fruit this year.
Talking of fruit
I may be found cursing brambles in every garden that I grow in – remember my broken rib last year? But all is forgiven when the berries are bursting! We have high blackberry bushes along the allotment path, as well as cheeky runners on the less neat areas of my plot and, thanks to the bees, we have literally buckets and buckets of fruit to forage. Last week I made this tart with a sweet shortcrust pastry, vanilla creme patissiere with blackberries on top glazed with a light raspberry jelly – it was a real hit with the family.
We have three apple trees in the back garden, and anther couple on the allotment.
These make the perfect camouflage for the Green Parakeets that are so dominate in west London. For some reason, they seem to prefer the eating apple (we think it’s similar to a cox) rather than the bountiful cookers (we think they are Bramleys) and haven’t seemed to have found the later ripening October apples that are intertwined with jasmine and ivy on the hedge between us and next door. The parakeets peck at perfect apples high up on the tree which subsequently fall down to feed the fat pigeons on the lawn. If only the cats were a bit quieter and quicker in stalking the pigeons, I might be happy with this arrangement as I’m rather partial to wood pigeon marinated in red wine and garlic…
Whilst our bakery is closed for the summer, we are passing on our skills over a variety of courses.
This batch of beautiful bakers joined us recently on our Introduction to Scandinavian Baking course, we make a whole variety of buns, bread and crackers – most of which I can’t pronounce, but I promise are absolutely delicious!
- Solbullar – Sun Buns
- Kardemummabullar – Cardamom Knots
- Grotbrod – Oat Porridge Loaf
- Froet Rugbrod – Seeded Rye Loaf
- Knackebrod – Sourdough Rye Crispbread
New dates open for bookings are: Tuesday 15th October and Tuesday 5th November
Coming up at Hen Corner:
Thursday 8th August Where Does My Food Come From? (Family Course)
Tuesday 13th August Introduction to Making Bread
Wednesday 14th August Cheese Together (Family Course)
Thursday 15th August Bees For Children (Family Course)
Saturday 17th August Full Day Bee Keeping
Wednesday 21st August Introduction To Making Cheese
Tuesday 27th August Introduction To Pickles & Preserves
Thursday 29th August Full Day Bee Keeping
Watch out for some favourite courses in September:
- Making New Cheese
- Full Day Making Sourdough
- Introduction to Making Bread
- Introduction To Making Cheese
Don’t forget – if you’ve been on a course before, email for your 20% discount!
Other news:
- We are starting to harvest thick and fast from both the garden and the allotment – I’m keeping a tally of all that’s gathered in and hope to beat last year’s £4,200 of home grown produce.
- I’m very honoured to have been asked to judge the cookery classes at the Kew Horticultural Show on Saturday 24th August
- We’re looking forward to joining the team at Gardener’s World Live – Autumn at Audley End House from Friday 30th Aug – Sun 1st Sep
Jobs for the week:
- Bottle up more honey – it’s selling fast
- Pick all the greengages from the plot – before the squirrels get them
- Muck out the chickens before I scoot off camping for a long weekend…
I love these long sunny days – as long as there’s a little shade to be found (and a cool drink to hand).
Enjoy the sunshine!
Sara
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