Lovely Sunday Morning

It's a beautiful day, sunny with a light, cooling breeze.

I was tying up tomatoes before breakfast. A nice job - easy, not too long, with a feeling of a job well done at the end of it.

I then picked autumn raspberries which I had with my breakfast sitting in a deck chair in the garden.

Saw what I think is a Gatekeeper butterfly, which I have never seen in the garden before.

Then off on my bike and picked blackberries, and it is still only 10.30 with the rest of the day to enjoy!

Asparagus pea: weird!

I got some asparagus pea seeds from the the Organic Gardening catalogue (though they weren't organic). Pretty red flowers and small, winged pods that are picked before they are more than 3 cm long.

Only half my row came up, but they survived the slugs, and I picked a handful today. Had them with onions, courgettes (from the garden), runner beans (first picking from the garden) and pasta as a chunky soup. Not impressed, don't think I'll bother again. Also used a stock cube, but rather salty.

Had it with sour dough bread from the new Organic Lea stall off the Leytonstone High Road. I am pleased that sour dough is getting easier to find.

Autumn autumn raspberries

The autumn crop off my autumn raspberries are just producing.

I had a large handful on my breakfast cereal this morning. 

Will have to fertilise them well next spring, having had two crops of them this year.

Vertical gardening in small spaces

Article on the Telegraph website - pity there weren't pictures with the links

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/plants/vegetables/8655257/Grow-your-own-edible-urban-jungle.html

Later: I've just been in and clicked on some of the links - not as useful as I had hoped, unfortunately!

Vertical gardening in small spaces

Article on the Telegraph website - pity there weren't pictures with the links

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/plants/vegetables/8655257/Grow-your-own-edible-urban-jungle.html

Vertical gardening in small spaces

Article on the Telegraph website - pity there weren't pictures with the links

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/plants/vegetables/8655257/Grow-your-own-edible-urban-jungle.html

focaccia bread

Yesterday I made focaccia bread using the recipe in August's Country Living magazine. It worked well, I was pleased with it.

I used white as the recipe instructed but plan to try half-and-half with wholemeal next time. I also used quick yeast instead of two risings. I would have had time for two risings yesterday, but if I make bread in the evening after work I don't, so the quick yeast is all I have in the larder cupboard.