Jethro , Steve and Jos Leaving their flat in Bournemouth on the first leg of their marathon cycle ride to Africa. Next stop Poole ferry terminal where they boarded the Condor Ferry to St Malo. Finally I waved them off as the ferry sailed out of the Harbour through the narrow channel by the Sandbanks chain ferry. Fantastic weather for their cruise to France ...Bon Voyage Guys ! and good luck.
PS They are raising money for an Educational Charity in Africa...check it out and see their progress at
www.cycletoafrica.co.uk

Elderflower Cordial time of year again!
Recipe:- Elderflower cordial.
Making this drink is a special seasonal ritual that celebrates the changing seasons, the coming of summer and natures’ bounty. The tartaric acid can be hard to find so I try to get several years supply when I locate a source.

24 large elderflower heads or equivalent in smaller ones. Nice and fresh, shake off as many insects as possible!
1 sliced lemon
1 sliced orange
3 lb sugar
2 oz tartaric acid
3 pints water, boiled and cooled.

Mix together in a large bowl, cover and leave for 48 hours, stirring occasionally
Strain through a sieve lined with muslin to remove the drowned insects and bottle.
Keep in the fridge and don’t keep for too long or it will start to ferment.
Dilute to taste.

You can remove the elderflower heads from the strained residue, and make marmalade with the left over orange and lemon slices…delicious as it has the added flavour of elderflowers.

Broad beans started off in the greenhouse but now planted out with a cloche to protect them from the strongs winds we are having at the moment. They will be our first green crop of the new season, and we will plant more later hopefully to freeze for the winter 

Pulsatilla vulgaris ( Pasque flower) a native wild anemone that has lived very happily in our alpine sink for many years. Pasque means Easter so this one is a little early ( or Easter is late as it is a movable feast) 

Kingcups aka marsh marigolds, Catha palustris . The first flowers to bloom in our pond, they are jusy giant buttercups really, but a real joy. There are usually huge patches of them growing wild in the watemeadows at Harbridge...so i will have to go and look for them on my day off.

 

New arrivals at the garden centre

 

A perfect spring day here today...luckily my day off! 

 

Spring has arrived! A day out at Wisley putting my new camera through its paces . The images are untweaked....Just What Picassa decided to do with the raw files


 

 

These double snow drops are in bloom in the garden today, with their double petticoats and raised up outer petals they look like they are twirling in a lively dance. The ordinary single snowdrops seem much more demure!


 

Key Haven trip on Dads Birthday. Little birds look a bit col and grumpy!

 

Bewick Swans at Ibsley...numers have just gone about to 12 ...due to cold weather further North perhaps. 

Went to Poole harbour on my day off...very quiet, windless and rather grey but nice reflections of the water birds