So it's going to be hard to write this one without it ending up being a small novel. I'll do my very best not to waffle........but I'm making no promises! So, what shall I begin with? ah, yes, the plum wine.
A few weeks ago I finally bottled my plum wine. All 3 bottles! Yep, out of a gallon initially made I ended up with half a gallon which made the grand total of 3 bottles. People had warned me that you get a lot of sediment in making plum wine but I wasn't prepared for how much. Still, it's made a good wine and I'm pleased with the taste and the look of it. I will make more in the future but
a) I'll make a much bigger batch and
b) remember to add more sugar (the initial tasting revealed an extremely sharp wine, so I added an extra 5ozs of sugar and went through the fermentation process again; making a total of 5 'racking' sessions)
It's slightly sweet, not too sickly though, and has a pale peach colour. I usually like my wines dry but this isn't a bad drink at all! Slightly thicker - if that's the right word - in consistency than the elderberry I made last autumn, which apparently means it has a higher alcohol content. When I tip the glass there's a little delay in some of the liquid sliding back down; something to do with evaporation and surface tension? Yeah, that's getting far too technical for me too.Next on the list? I think I'm going to have a go at making carrot wine. I've made wine from berries and fruit...now it's time to have a go at the root.
I began this blog mainly to keep a record of the development of my garden; alongside that I'll occasionally ramble on about other things - usually around the subject of outdoor spaces - that I feel like sharing. So here's some ramblings about some places I visited whilst away. I'll get to the status of the vegetables towards the end - something to look forward to.
During the two week break I did nothing in the garden. Instead I took time out to visit various family members. I did have a slight guilty feeling about not using the time to crack on with jobs outside, which lasted around half a day before being pushed firmly to the back of my mind. Sometimes it's not just work I need a break from.
First stop - Northamptonshire branch of the family; my younger brother and his girlfriend. We took a picnic to Stowe gardens, a National Trust property near Silverstone. If you've never been it's definitely worth a visit. Although you pay an entry fee into the gardens, the parkland is free....oh and don't forget to take a picnic. Your food will definitely taste better in these surroundings! It's full of lakes, rivers, fabulous old trees, temples, ornate stone bridges, spectacular views...no, scratch that....... vistas is a better word to describe the vast open landscape of rolling hills, wide paths meandering through ancient woodlands and broad riverbanks where groups of families and friends sit chatting, eating or play games together.
A bottle of the plum wine had travelled with me and we opened it during an impromptu music session one afternoon. I swear we played so much better after a couple of glasses each!
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| Surely, this has to have been in a film? |
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| Mr. Darcy will be appearing out of the water, any second now |
A few days later I was in Exmoor with more family members, staying in a holiday cottage. Lynton, Lynmouth, Dunster and the moor itself were all part of the itinerary. I've never been to Dunster before and was seriously impressed with the castle and grounds which stands overlooking the town (you can see right out to the coast from its battlements). Not to mention the town itself (not a mobile phone shop, MacDonalds or Tescos in sight!) which has numerous places to eat and the best triple layer Victoria sponge cake I've tasted in a long time.
Oh and the second bottle of plum wine came to Exmoor and went down well with a large chocolate birthday cake. It seems to go with everything!
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| Dunster town viewed from the castle |
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| Dunster Castle and the coast beyond |
The first thing I did when I returned home was to plant out all my vegetables, except the tomato plants, in the raised beds. The leeks, sweetcorn, cauliflowers, broccoli and brussel sprouts are planted out with mats around the bases of the brassicaceae to prevent cabbage root fly getting in. I've also sown carrot, parsnip, red onion, beetroot, peas and dwarf bean seeds and sadly resorted to sprinkling slug pellets (safe to use around children and pets) sparingly in between all the plants. I try not to use chemicals in the garden but broken egg shells and crockery only do so much to keep the pests at bay.
Two weeks on and there are signs that things are growing. The peas were the first to show but now I can see tiny leaves along the rows of carrots and beetroot. It looks like I'll have to do some thinning out soon too.
The leeks, sweetcorn, broccoli and brussel sprouts seem to enjoy being in the beds, however the cauliflowers aren't looking so happy...............wait for the bad pun......................... they're hearts just don't seem to be in it! And I mean that literally, joking aside.
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| Beetroot popping up |
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| Mind your peas in queues! |
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| The leeks are doing well... |
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| ....as are the sweetcorn but..... |
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| .....the cauliflowers? not so good |
