Sunny days

The last couple of days have been absolutely glorious, real spring sunshine with a warmth that gets the washing on the line perfectly dry!

Today I planted my garlic and red onion sets, a little bit late, but hopefully they'll produce something, it was just so good to get outside and working away in the garden again.

Yesterday two friends came round to organise our application for the Perthshire Open Studios event which we're taking part in again this year. Between the three of us we'll have a really varied selection of work, from painting and photography to textiles and ceramics, plus we've decided to do a produce table as we should all have spare cut flowers, veg and eggs, something for everyone hopefully!

What I really enjoyed yesterday was having the support of others and not the usual "having to do everything myself, therefore it gets done at the last minute in a bit of a panic". I think that's why I've enjoyed doing all of the fairs over the last couple of years with Katie, the company and the shared responsibility makes all the difference, even though we are both separate businesses yet working together.

I really hope this great weather continues, wouldn't it be wonderful.......

L x

Plum harvest

Even though it is a fairly grotty evening tonight, after walking the dogs I just had to go and pick all of the plums from our plum tree. The jewels dangling from the branches were calling to me, plum crumble, plum jam, and I've even found a recipe for plum sorbet with sloe gin, so we shall see how far they go.

You see this is the first year we have had any fruit on our trees so it is quite a momentous occassion. We have watched with envy as our neighbours have harvested plums and apples every year since we moved here! It makes me smile, in the particulars for our house the grassy meadow was described as a paddock/orchard, with a cherry, plum, pear and apple tree planted, all of which were fairly unhealthy looking specimens to say the least. So this years crop was a complete surprise, it just goes to show that even the plum tree at the bottom of the very boggy garden can bare fruit!

Plans are afoot now to plant a cooking apple, eating apple (our current tree is baring one fruit at the moment!) and a cherry. I think we shall purchase them all from here as there are some locally native species available.

Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post, it's great to get your feedback as it's all these little things that can help make a good business a great business.

L x

The veggie garden in flower

Seeing as I've found my blogging mojo again (yeah!) here are some photos I took earlier this week of the veggie garden. After a few days of rain the weeds will no doubt be appearing pretty quickly again.......

Runner beans.....

Broad beans.....

Courgettes......

peas........

the first cornflower........

Californian poppies adding a splash of orange.......

It's been a funny week, lots of time spent glued to the computer putting together leaflets on our courses and doing a bit of P.R. At last I spend the whole day out in the workroom today and it was bliss. Some samples are off in the post, winging their way down to London, so fingers crossed they are magazine worthy.......

Right, off to walk the dog and pop in on some friends for a glass of wine. Have a great weekend.

L x