Cheesy but true good life post

It was a beautiful day here in the mountains on Friday. We had the luxury of knowing at least a day of good weather was on the way. On a day like that I am determined to spend the day in the garden. And that's exactly what we did. 

Lunch was homegrown lettuce, french beans, and broad beans, a friends rocket and eggs and the tuna was from Aldi. (Lidl's tuna is much better)

The dressing was garlic, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar and an olive oil that we brought home from Spain.

Washed down with our very first attempt at homemade elderflower champagne. 

I wasn't sure what to expect from this drink. We only made it about 3 weeks ago. About 7 bottles. One of the bottles exploded in the shed even though we were letting the gas out every other day. Another bottle didn't seem to be fermenting as much as the others, which is the one we stuck in the fridge and had while sitting in the sun. It is sweet and floral and still fizzy, and absolutely lovely.  

One of the jobs for the afternoon was picking the soft fruit. Redcurrants like dangley earrings will be used for their pectin content in the strawberry jam fest that i am planning for the wetter weather that is forcast for next week.

Great blackcurrants this year, i'm thinking these might be infused in vodka, as the raspberry vodka that i normally make is under question, because the raspberries look half the height they usually are and i'm not sure that they will crop well this year.

The blueberry bush is a great plant. Laden with fruit at the moment, our four bushes enjoy our acid soil and will be picked  several times in the next month, as you can see they don't all ripen at once. Once they have offered up all their fruit, then the foliage goes flaming red and are wonderful to look at. These berries rarely make it into the house. If they do, they are in such small numbers they are snaffled out of the little bowl in the fridge before i can ever do anything with them.

This year I am determined to make a blueberry pie or at very least a batch of muffins.

I'm blaming the strawberries.

Strawberries on a shelf suspended from polytunnel crop bars.

Right so, today is the day that i take the plunge and write my first blog post. Monday 14th May. It has been on my mind for a while, to blog or not to blog?  I'm sure it will be quite a commitment, i'm not so sure i'll keep it up. Being an avid reader of blogs, I get great enjoyment out of my many favourites. All of them bookmarked under their various specialities, thrifting, reselling, gardening, crafting, style and being frugal and I love to call in on them regularly. Its far better than picking up a magazine, and its the perfect way to spend an evening when the big man wants to watch football.

Oh the anticipation!

I  like the idea of keeping a diary, and i hope going public with it will help to motivate me. There is a lot to do this year. I live a very fortunate life and perhaps this is also a way of reminding myself just how lucky I am. This morning i walked into my polytunnel and the sight of the strawberries sealed the deal. These plants were all donated to me from my Mum, a fabulous plant and flower gardener, but only a dabbler in the fruit and veg stakes. She enjoyed a season or two from the initial plants then i adopted them over winter and set upon bringing the runners to life. The big man strung up the sturdy shelf with wire, from the polytunnel ceiling  and now my free strawberry plants can fruit away without a slug or vine weevil in sight. The best bonus is that whatever variety these strawbs are, they have fruited several weeks ahead of my own 'Aromel' strawbs. Next year these plants will be at their best, and i could well be making jam in April.  They are to be my first blog picture. Because those strawberries from my mum,  in all their emerging redness reminded me that i am indeed living the good life.

The polytunnel, which is only just over a year old, is a regular source of happiness. From trays of sturdy seedlings,

Lupins, spring onions, nasturtiums, cosmos, and lobelia.

 to rows of ready to eat lettuce.

Rocket, green and red salad bowl, beautiful cos and more rocket.

An army of tomatoes just waiting for a little hint of proper summer.

Gardeners delight for cherries, Moneymaker for volume, Roma for sauce and
Sungold  for golden sweetness straight off the plant.

The Clematis Montana Grandiflora  is one of a collection of plants waiting for the big garden overhaul before it finds a final  home.

Pure white and perfectly formed clematis.

So a productive morning in the polytunnel with only the radio for company, potting on a load of seedlings from modules into pots. Planting out others from trays into the polytunnel beds. Everything given a really good drink and all are happy again for another little while.

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