It has been ages since I last posted on this journal. Despite the drought, the flowers have bloomed and all the buds have turned to fruit, in record time. I’ve raced through gooseberries, freezing the early cooked crop and eating the later, larger dessert berries straight from the bush, shared with the hens; picked daily handfuls of jostaberries for my breakfast; luxuriated in the greengages, especially slightly caramelized on tarts; and am now daily retrieving damsons.
Much of my blond, dessicated garden has been left to take its chances, I can’t justify watering, but my lighter pots get plonked in the overflow rainwater butt or ones I can’t lift get doused with washing up water. I have watered the salads in the veg beds, but have raced to keep up before they bolt. Every day, I thank the gods for my produce, especially as the daily egg nestles comfortably in my hand, thanks to the Speckled Sussex. I’m waiting with bated breath for her pullets to start to lay, but am sure one is a cockerel…..(Update: he most definitely is, and has luckily found a home at Doddington Place).
In the welcome cool of the house, I watch Gardener’s World (a damp world in the South West) where everything is a month behind flowering prettily, or else is regularly watered, and seems more than a world away. All gardening programs are made at BBC Bristol and telegardeners tend to live in that part of the country, so seem remote to me – heaven knows how Scottish viewers must feel.
A chance to visit us here comes with The Whitstable Food Festival (whitfood.co.uk) on October 6th& 7th, with a tour of the garden, a word about produce past and still to come, some seasonal nibbles and a cocktail from Katy at Mighty Fine Foods. Would love to welcome you.