a purple phase

We are going through a purple phase. The artichokes are flowering, the verbena is attracting the bees alongside the fading lavender and we’re eating purple meals. The problem is that though the vegetables are growing fast (I turn my back for a moment to find the courgettes have doubled in size and the runner beans

harvest 2013

Harvest has started and for once, we’ve started with the wheat because the oilseed rape is late this year due to the pigeon damage earlier in the year. The grain store was swept out, the tractor and trailers checked over and the weather forecast consulted even more frequently than usual. Last week Bill did a

the sun has got his hat on …

… hip, hip, hooray * and the week has rushed by in a blur of summer sunshine. Ruby red raspberries picked every day and infused in gin. Lazy suppers with  barbecues over an old fire grate  and salads of vegetables just picked from the garden. Rose Petal Jam made with the last of the roses.

on the farm this week

This week we’ve had sunshine, sunshine and more sunshine! A quick walk along the farm track shows how quickly the crops are ripening. The wheat in Gardeners Field is just beginning to turn from green to golden. The countdown to harvest is beginning with trailers checked over, barns swept and paperwork prepared. The pods on

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