Gluttony

I’m running out of ideas: but this one came to me. Cherry cordial.   I was tempted because the recipe didn’t call on pitting the fruit first.   But actually when you have to cut each cherry in half first you might as well go all the way and pit too.   But it turned out to be quite a tasty addition to the store cupboard.   Very sweet and a sickly colour, but hey. It used up a kilogram of cherries nicely. And two apples in case you are wondering what the pale bits are in the bowl.

And I managed to pick almost all the cherries without having to use a ladder. Just reached up to the branches and collected the fruit.

Today was one of those I think I’ve overdosed on antihistamines day. Slow and sluggish and having to constantly remind myself what I wanted to do.

First up was to plant out the geraniums I brought from London and the ones I spentc a fortune on at the local garden centre this morning.   Abundance is what you need; and it’s what I don’t have. I need to plant up six large planters so there are missing bits. I will have to scour markets and such over the next few weeks and see if I can fill the gaps.

Mind you, the vines are so rampant up at the terrace that the planters are almost obscured by verdant growth.   I hacked away at the vines to reveal the view, and removed some of the whippier growth around the base where the planters need to strut their stuff.

Then I wandered round a bit in a daze. I noticed that I have plenty of ready compost in one of the bins.   So I decided to put it to use: under the wisteria tree.   I was going to call it a shrub, but it’s so huge that a tree is feels.   And underneath the bed I’m going to have to think what to do.   In spring it’s fine with all the wonderful Mount Tacoma tulips, and narcissus.   But now there’s a gap before the nasturtiums take off and the red hot pokers (can’t for the life of me spell kniphofia) do something more than sulk.

Actually I gave so many of my nasturtiums away to the village this spring that I’m a bit short. Must remember to sow more nasturtium seeds next year.   And it’s possible the pokers don’t like this blazing sunshine for only half the day.   Shade and drought tolerant plants.   I must go to the books and internet to do a bit of research.

I then realised that another place calling ouf for mulch is the onion and garlic bed.   Not the onions; but the squash and pumpkin plants that are dotted throughout the bed.   They are growing but not thriving.   I have lifted a few of the onions and garlic around each plant to see if they are ready.   They are not. But it’s a start.   There is a tale that you plant the onions on the shortest day and lift them on the longest.   But mine are titchy and are either going to bulk up for another few weeks. Or just remain small.

I just have to console myself with the wonderful glut of beans and peas. Dinner last night (I’m writing this early Saturday morning) was a feast of broad beans, peas, fresh herbs, fresh garlic and onions. Served on a bed of rice. Divine.

Oh yes. And I pruned the thyme on the steps after flowering.   I should have done it early in the morning while all the thyme was scented and oily.   But no. I forgot. So the kilos of cuttings I now have won’t be as scented for the herbes de provence I want to make. Ah well. That will teach me not to do my research before I reach for the secateurs.