I got this postcard in the post today and I was glad I was on my own because there was a gasp for air from me. I was stocked by how beautiful it was. In this picture there is so much that reminds me of the joy of my life. It still amazes me how art can do this to us, take our breath away and bring so much joy. The fruit in this picture are not perfect but I know the taste they give and that feeling of ripe pear juice running down your arm as you eat it. Thank you Peter for such a perfect card.
We have picked most of the dwarf French beans from the row now. I grew one that was new to me but I found to be a very good doer on our soil, it is B. aiguillon, the seed came to me from my friend in the Netherland Laura. I have a large bowl of them in the fridge, I will par-boil them tomorrow and freeze them for the winter. It is always useful to have such veg ready for the winter symposium. This is a way of making sure they hold their flavor.
I have said it before but I was reminded today that it is important that we sometimes get away from our place of work. Today was just one of those days for me, I went up to London to see some art but also have lunch at Honey& Co, two maybe three years ago my sweet friend Shira gave me a book from this place and it has taken me this long to get up there for a meal. It is always great to see other ways of using vegetables. I have to say the food was perfect and I was reminded of my life in Jerusalem when I ate the falafel, we had a great place up the road from our apartment in Jerusalem. Thank you Jonny for a special day.
I have Kyle staying this week so I made use of her. I sent Kyle into the fruit cage to pick the redcurrant’s, with this heat that we are having they are going over very quickly and so I was happy to see them picked. I am not going to have the time to make jelly this week so we are going to get the juice out and them freeze the juice, I just have to remember to measure it so I will make sure I have enough sugar when it is time to turn the juice into jelly.
Today the Amaranthus got the final thinning out and I have put the support on as they say that we are going to get rain this week and I do not want them to fall over. I have run twine down the row wrapping it around each plant and placing canes along the way to give the support. I have to say they are doing very well with this warm dry weather. I also want them to be looking good when Jonny’s Mothers Antonia comes in the next ten days, I want her to know I have done well with the seed she gave me. I am pleased with them so far and think Antonia will be the same.
Kate came and spent the night the other night on her way home to the Netherlands. Kate was a very good reason to pick the first of the fennel. I have to say I was very much reminded of just how much I love it, it really does taste like a high summer vegetable. I went and got some fish filets and we had these two things with baked beetroot, just perfect. We had a bottle of sparkling wine which I do sometimes enjoy with a main course, it did all seem to work well together.
At this time of the year GD becomes like the rest of the world, there is a great need for water and everyone wants to control it. Of course I am the same as everyone else. It is very hard to see plants that you have grown start to look stressed. The artichokes are going to need to get some water very soon. I have water on the sorrel now and may need to get up early and get the water on the artichokes before the others come in. I can then have a morning swim which I am very much enjoying, it is one thing I miss in England, the lack of time in the water.
We got back to the tomatoes today, with this heat and sun I really wanted to open them up to get the sun on the fruit. I do always lift the lower leaves on the plant to keep the soil and leaves as far apart as I can and then I do cut off some off the upper leaves just to open the plant up a bit. Air movement is very good for plants as it is for us, I sleep with an open window as much of the years as I can. In this heat all windows open, lots of leaves are off the tomatoes.
With the change of temperature we have had to get the lettuce out of the ground and into the front porch to start to sell, and today is our friends day so maybe some of them will want to take one home. I also had a local college horticulture group here for a tour today so I gave them each one to take home for their night’s meal. The pumpkins and tomatoes are happy to have the heat, I am not so good in it, time for a swim next door.
I do like to see a lady with a few good diamond on and this weekend we had a few in the house. One of the ladies is known for hers by me but I did not think about the damage they can do on a glass when washing up. One of my glasses now has a diamond cut in a line around the inside, it is going to now be my special glass that reminds me of Linda S. There are not many friends that can sign your glassware in such a way, it must be a good diamond. Thank you for all your help and for leaving something to remind me of you and put a smile on my face.
Great Dixter Vegetable Garden 