Hello everyone.
It has been another sunny week here in this small corner, but there have also been a few cooler breezes and some rain showers on Thursday, which were very welcome.
As the temperatures have been lower than we have been used to over the last few weeks, hubby has been getting on with constructing the rest of the raised beds nearest the decking.
The last bed was much more of a challenge, as is usually the case with a project. After the rain on Thursday, hubby was able to lift the old turf, but the ground was very compacted underneath, and we have quite heavy clay soil. He started turning the ground over and found a metal spike for a rotary clothes line. It took some time to dig that out, and it must have been there over 25 years, longer than we have been in this house. Having removed that spike, almost next to it, he found another one. This was of his own making for a rotary line we put in over 20 years ago. Hubby had set that in concrete, never to be removed!! It took a sledgehammer and a heavy-duty jackhammer drill to break it up. Then he had to fill the crater he had made. At least now the ground has been properly turned over, and once the compost and manure are added, any new plants should have a good start in our garden.
I have not done any digging this week, but instead I have been busy buying plants. A friend of ours had recommended two new garden places to visit - one has great air conditioning in the cafe and a good selection of plants to tempt. Then further down the road was a wonderful nursery, again with lots of very good plants.
I'm afraid I came away with several plants for my new garden beds.
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| French Lavender |
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| English Lavender |
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| Anemone |
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| Choisya(Mexican orange blossom) |
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| Hebe |
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| Santolina |
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| Geum |
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| Chives |
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| Oregano |
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| Rosemary |
Once they have all filled out some more, they will be perfect. I still need some other plants, but I think a good start has been made.
This week, my tomatoes have started ripening. At first the colour change was slow, but now there are lots of ripening tomatoes that I can start picking and using.
D is on holiday at the moment, so I am missing my baking partner. This week, I found a new helper to bake with. Hubby usually stays out of the baking zone, but the chance of cookies at the end of the day encouraged some practical support. These were the cookies/biscuits we made.
It was a very easy recipe that I adjusted to the ingredients I had to hand.
Here is my own version.
It was a very easy recipe that I adjusted to the ingredients I had to hand.
Here is my own version.
Traditional Sugar Biscuits
350g/12oz plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
115g/ 4oz butter
225g/8oz caster sugar (I used granulated sugar)
1/2 tsp vanilla essence (or essence of your choice)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
Topping
A mix of crystallised sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling on top
Method
1. Sift the dry ingredients together except the sugar, and set aside.
2. Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat to mix well.
3. Add the flour mix alternately with a spoonful of milk until a soft dough forms. ( You may not need all the milk). Wrap in cling film and chill for about 45 mins.
4. Heat the oven to 180℃/350℉/Gas 4
5. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3mm/ 1/8 inch. Cut into rounds with a floured biscuit cutter and transfer to a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon topping. Bake for 10-12 mins until golden brown. Allow to cool and enjoy.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone, and have a good week ahead.
B x
Lovely photos. The tomatoes 🍅 look fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your weekly visits, Linda. I'm glad you liked the photos from our garden. The tomatoes are starting to be picked every day now. Nothing tastes as sweet as a freshly picked tomato staight from the vine and warmed by the sun. I'm looking forward to this years crop.
DeleteIt's always exciting to have a new space in the garden to fill, I love to see what other people plant. My hubby made brownies for us this week.
ReplyDeleteFour new garden beds gives me quite a lot of space to play with. I'm trying to plan carefully, so that there is something of interest all year round, with pleasing colours/scents and that the wildlife will also benefit from. A tall order, but that is my hope.
DeleteBrownies are delicious and never last long here. Hubby and I will try baking another sweet treat this week, just in time for D to enjoy when she gets back from her holiday.
A lovely selection of new plants, it's always fun visiting new nurseries and making a few purchases. This is the first year I haven't grown any edibles and now I'm seeing everyone's tomatoes ripening I'm lamenting that decision. I don't think anything tastes quite as nice as home grown.
ReplyDeleteHomegrown and sun ripened fruit and veg always taste good in my opinion. I can be impatient and wish things would grow more quickly but it is always worth the wait. This year has been a very busy year for you, maybe next year you will feel like trying one or two things.
DeleteI wonder if any new plants will find their way to this corner during the week?
Buying plants is such a lovely pastime. It's surprising how quickly they fill out, too.
ReplyDeleteA garden centre or nursery is like a sweet shop for me! I would far sooner buy plants than clothes for myself these days. I only ever buy small plants and you are right how quickly they grow given a few years and the right conditions - sometimes a little too well.
DeleteLots of lovely new plants for your new beds. We certainly need to think about what will thrive in the warmer weather. Like you we are on heavy clay soil and lavenders, rosemary, chives and geums do well here, as do hardy geraniums. The biscuits look lovely, thank you for adding the recipe you used:)
ReplyDeleteI am trying really hard to choose plants that will survive in my garden, whatever the weather. It can be so disheartening to lose a plant because it was put in the wrong place or was just not the right plant. There maybe more plants added this week. 😊
DeleteSurprisingly there are still a few biscuits left from our baking. Will they still be here when D gets back from her holiday is debatable.
Those cookies look delicious! I can almost smell them baking :)
ReplyDeleteAnd your plants are so pretty. I have two lavender plants in my garden - the butterflies are loving them. X
The cookies were delicious and there are a few left at the moment. I'm looking for another cookie recipe to try this week with hubby.
DeleteThe plants should look even better once they start to settle in and grow. I'm looking forward to the scent of lavender all summer and I think the bees and other insects will love them too.
Wishing you a relaxing week x
It is hard to resist plants at a nursery isnt it!
ReplyDeleteI probably need to go to these places when I don't have my purse. 😂
DeleteThanks for the recipe. The cookies look delicious and how nice hubby helped with D. being away. I hope she is having a lovely time on her holiday. I enjoyed your tour of the garden. Everything is looking great. Those raised garden beds look excellent, a lot of hard work I'm sure especially with the archeological finds :) Maybe you will find more buried treasures. Happy week to you all. Happy August!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome, Denise. D has just arrived back from her holiday and had a lovely time. She may pop on to the blog to tell you about it next week. We have a number of raised beds in the garden and it does make life much easier to manage. No more archeological finds though. 😊
DeleteHope the week is going well for you.
Oh my such pretty plants!! Makes me want to run by the garden center! The lavender grows well...even in the clay soil? Perhaps I would have success with that here! Kudos to you hubby doing all the hard prep work - so you can make it pretty!:)
ReplyDeleteWe went to another garden centre yesterday and I was very good and came out empty handed this time. That doesn't happen often. Hubby worked very hard putting all the edges in the beds and then filling them ready for me to plant lots of plants. He does like to keep busy. Try a small lavender plant in your outdoor space if you can. They smell wonderful and the bees and butterflies will love you for it.
DeleteYour new plants look very nice, I think they will do well.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your sugar biscuit recipe.
I wish you a happy week and a cooler one.
All the best Jan
Thank you, Jan. The plants all seem to be settling in well but I will be keeping a good eye on them over the next few weeks.
DeleteThe sugar biscuit recipe was a new one to me but it has become a firm favourite and they were easy to make.
I'm looking forward to a slightly cooler weekend and I hope it is the same for you.
Your garden looks fabulous!! Hubby and I were just talking about maybe doing some raised bed next year. In part because I've had such a horrible time this year with rabbits and deer. Glad you've got some cooler weather which is always helpful for working in the gardens. The cookies look yummy.....I've be right over, safe some.
ReplyDeleteHi Sandra. I have found raised beds in the garden to be very useful. I have some at waist height which are good when bending is difficult for me and some that are just enclosed to stop soil spreading tttoo far. They can all have additional coverings to stop other unwanted creatures getting at the crops and flowers.
DeleteWe have a few days of cool weather before the next heat wave arrives.
Cookies have disappeared unfortunately but I'm sure it won't be long before more are made.
Enjoy your weekend.
I am glad you got some rain, although not enough to loosen up the soil. I imagine those cookies were a welcome reward for your hard work in the garden x
ReplyDeleteWe have had the tiniest amount of rain and a day or two which has been cooler but the heat is due to return soon. We have all been enjoying the cookies though. Still things to do in the garden but that never stops and hubby enjoys all the new jobs I find for him. 😊
ReplyDeleteHave a good weekend.