Many thanks to All you Gardeners.

Some of the flowers in Autumn I had intended to share and uploaded but never got around to posting them, Here in a slide show.

Back on the Plot.

Sweetcorn near the composting bins. Under the wire gridding on the soil to protect from foxes digging up, are planted, Parsnips, Beetroot and Spring Onions. Under the green cloche is the Winter Cabbage.
Tomatoes in one greenhouse
Cucumbers and Sweet Peppers.
The Middle Cloche has Brussel Sprouts and Purple sprouting Broccoli. And the nearest the bottom Cloche has Broccoli and Spring and Summer Cabbages.
Broad beans are the greenery you see, and under the wire are French beans, and Peas, that are just starting to sprout.
Furthest away is leeks, then onion set from Seeds, then onion Sets, and Shallot sets.
Kidney Beans, starting to climb the poles, being sheltered from the wind by the netting. Kidney beans are very susceptible to Frost and cold winds. If planting the seeds outdoors, you should not plant in the soil until around the 13th May, this gives the late frosts time to pass before the plant starts pushing through the ground.. These were started in the green house and later planted outdoors.
My Apple Tree I grew from seed, now has Apple’s that have set on the branches. I did a Happy Dance when I saw this. 🤣

May Delights

Bluebell wood
In the Home Greenhouse the Begonia’s are sprouting, and will soon be able to be put outside
A new Pink Dahlia in bloom Grown in a pot in the greenhouse
Aquilegia’s and Iris’s
Snapdragons
Flag Iris’s in Bud
Ferns and Yellow Welch Poppies with the Magnolia
Gifted Lilies of the Valley
The Clematis has been in full flower too, enjoying the Sun.

Biscuit enjoying the Sun.

Apple Blossoms and Creations.

Lettuce
Onions and Shallots and Broccoli and cauliflower under the netting.
A Darker Pink Apple Blossom from my home grown seed
New Apple Tree, You can clearly see the darker shade of blossom against the back drop of the other apple trees

The Greenhouse at home as also been busy, as Hubby re-potted the Begonia tubas and a couple of new Dahlia tubas as well which are now beginning to sprout

Begonias
A Dahlia well and truly sprouting and wall pots filled with compost ready for new plants.
Fox in Watercolour
Singing Bird Bead Work

Where did March go?

Trenches dug, then horse manured, and potato’s planted.
Leeks.
Broad beans and Leeks back in February

Kitchen Medicine:

Brassica Family

The Brassica Family is now also sprouting well in the greenhouse. You can see from my last post how these are growing. I have already spoken about the health benefits of cabbages.

Broccoli is another vegetable with lots of health benefits. It contains many vitamins, along with antioxidants, and its a good source of fibre helping the digestive system. It can also help in reducing inflammation, along with keeping blood sugar stable, and strengthening the immune system. Below is the purple flowering variety we grew last year. The net was to keep the pigeons from eating it.. They know what is good for them too 🙂

Purple Flowering Broccoli

Apples: I was also thrilled to see Apple tree is beginning sprouting, on my newest addition to the plot. I grew this young apple tree from a pip in an apple… Well I grew around 6 seedlings, but this one grew the best the others didn’t survive.

Here you see the rows of potatoes, behind a young apple tree that I have grown from seed. Which seems to be loving its new position in the allotment. Photo taken 2023.


This one stood on my landing window sill for nearly two years getting stronger before I planted it in the allotment. I think this has to be 5 years old now from seed to the branch you see below. I am hoping this year we may get a few apples, and it will be interesting to see if they are similar to the apples I bought which I took the seeds from.

I have two smaller Apple trees which bare apples. I have sprayed them with a mixture of Bicarbonate of Soda, a little sunflower oil and a few drops of washing up liquid.. This helps keep mildew forming on the leaves, and pests at bay. Recipes can be found on line for organic home made sprays to protect your plants. I use this recipe regular… For One litre of water I use two teaspoons of Bicarbonate of Soda, One tablespoon of either Neem Oil, or I used sunflower oil, and around 10 drops of washing up liquid ,which is around half a teaspoon. Put into a large spray bottle and shake well before spraying. You can find recipes on line I quickly found this one on YouTube Recipes may vary slightly.

Apple Tree from seed now hopefully will blossom and set apples. It now has many more branches than the photo above.

Signs of Spring

The Daffodils too are beginning to bloom, as they bring their yellow delights of sunshine into our spring gardens.

A lone daffodil showing the way.

Broad beans and leeks

Sage

Sage

Sage Google Images.

Sage: Salvia officinalis~ Common Sage is a herb which was used often in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome right through the middle ages to this present time.

Properties of Sage: ~Tonifies both  Yin and Yang~ Neutral to slightly warm~

Sage strengthens the lungs, it is therefore very good for Coughs, Colds, and Flu .especially if the symptoms include a Sore throat.

In Fact Sage is one of the best remedies for Throat Infections ,used as a gargle or tea, or in the form on an essential oil massages over the throat.

In the last century Sage was used frequently to help those who suffered from Tuberculosis, Especially if their symptoms included night sweats. It is thought it may strengthen the immune system.

Today Sage is recommended for excessive sweating. It also has astringent properties helpful when there is Chronic Diarrhoea.

Sage stimulates the adrenal glands if taken as a tea or in the form of essential oil rubbed over lower back. This is also helpful in strengthening weak of flaccid limbs.

The presence of Oestrogen-like substances also means that sage has beneficial effects on the female reproductive system, Increasing fertility. And is also helpful with sweating and hot-flushes during the menopause.

Also an infusion of sage, or the massage oil, perhaps with some Rosemary and nettle, can be rubbed into the scalp to help counteract hair loss.

  • Note: Because Sage tends to encourage menstruation, Sage should not be taken as a tea of used in the form of essential oil during Pregnancy or if periods are heavy, although it can be used as a flavouring in food, also during breast feeding it can discourage the flow of milk..

Preparing and Using Sage: To make Sage Tea, infuse a pinch of dried Sage or 1-2 leaves of fresh Sage, torn and bruised, in a cupful of just-boiled water. Flavour with a little Lemon and honey if you like.

The strong flavour of sage means you need to use it sparingly in the kitchen, Sage compliments Onions and also apples when used in savoury dishes.

I often use dried sage and boiled onions with fresh breadcrumbs to make a sage and onion stuffing, to add variety I also sometimes add chopped mushrooms to the mixture.

  Smudging With Sage.

Many of us also know about the powerful cleansing  that sage can provide when we use it for smudging.

There are different kinds of sage that can be used, I like to use White Sage, (Salvia Apiana).  I think this is the most popular kind for this kind of use.  But there is also Common Sage, (Salvia Officianalis), and Blue Sage, (Salvia Azurea.)

I use it to smudge out negative energies and it can also clear out negative thought patterns, and clear our aura’s energy space.  It can also be used to cleanse objects.

 Many still do not understand that our thoughts are energy and negative energy can collect to form dark pockets of energy not only around ourselves but in dwelling places and on objects too.   This type of Sage is mainly  found growing wild in the USA, and some parts of Mexico.

The Native American Indian Tribes would burn sage revering it as a sacred plant, and  use as cleansing and in ceremony often in shells, and the smoke which is white, would represent the wind

For more information about Smudging There is a nice little book on Smudging  called

The Smudging and Blessing Book: Inspirational Rituals to Cleanse and Heal. By  Jane Alexander

Happy Gardening 

New Year, New Start.

August Sunshine -Thoughts.

August delights
Embroidery Tablecloth: — It takes thousands of stiches to weave a design.. Just think how many thousands of years we have all been weaving in the collective.

Strawberries in July.

Blue star flowers and bird bath
This is the second flowering in June, it is one of two Hyacinths which have flowered now twice .. Sorry the photo blurred.