Monday 22nd August 2022: A fairly nondescript kind of day as far as the weather went, not too hot, not too cold, not too sunny, not too rainy. We did have a tiny smattering of rain but nothing worth writing home about, could have done with a bit more to be honest. Once the morning jobs were done and John had gone to work I started cutting flowers for an order today. Where I have been occupied elsewhere for a few days the flowers have been blooming all over the place and so I cut extras. I made up a couple of jam jars and some small bunches to go out for sale in the flower shed. I then spent the morning processing the apples I picked a while back, the tomatoes that have been piling up in the kitchen and some figs that my sister gave me. The apples were stewed and some were frozen, one lot I put in a jar and will keep in the fridge to use up fairly soon. The tomatoes were softened then sieved and I have a nice jar of passata and a pour and store bag of tomato juice that will be frozen for soups. With the figs I made an apple and fig jam, it made about 2 and a half pounds of jam but as I am slightly worried about the setting point not being hot enough I think I will keep those in the fridge too. Once that was all done and washed up I made up the bouquet being collected later and then Sam arrived with the children as the farrier was coming to do the horses and he wanted to come earlier than originally arranged. They all left, the flowers were collected and then John arrived home, he discovered that George and his tap turning on antics had struck again. This time is was the tap by the hard standing, the hose goes into the duck pen and so it would have gone unnoticed if it wasn’t for John going out to todo the feed round earlier than he usually does. I think I will have to do a tap round after he has been every time 😝 just to make sure he hasn’t turned any on. got the dinner made, washed up and then john went out to rake up the grass he cut the other day, me, well I was too tired to do much else.
Thursday: Ooops sorry lost a few days 😂 Not even sure I can remember what exactly I have been doing this be honest. Mostly the usual day to day stuff. Yesterday evening I cut a lot of flowers for a big order of bouquets and posies 🥰 and this morning I spent a couple of hours making them up for collection mid morning. After that as I was already in flower mode I did the final bits to the table flowers and the bridesmaid posies for the wedding next week. I am also still drying flower petals for the confetti, hopefully there will be enough, I do like the idea of fresh petals though, they look really pretty when first harvested. I had the twins while Mia went swimming late afternoon and oh yes it rained 😁 Just as I was about to put the washing out this morning I could hear it on the roof so I didn’t bother and then about an hour later we had proper rain, not a downpour but enough to freshen up the garden.
I can finally let you know where my time and thoughts have been spent this last week, we have a new grandson 🥰 Oscar was born last Friday but it wasn’t straightforward and he was in the HDU until today when he was discharged to come home. Charlotte had a long and difficult labour too and was also a little unwell after. It has been a rollercoaster of a week with emotions up one minute and down the next but luckily we have world class hospitals and staff in Oxford and today they have all come home to begin life as a family together x x
Friday: It’s been really quiet here today so I took the opportunity to pootle about just doing this and that. A bit of flower cutting for drying, sorting out the freezer (discovering forgotten delights) some reading up on various subjects, looking at ideas for flowers both fresh and dried. One thing I came across were corn dollies. Of course I have seen them before and we used to make them when I was in primary school but that was a very long time ago and I was sad to read that the craft is on the endangered list of heritage crafts here in the UK. At one time every rural school probably would have a corn dolly making session for harvest time but not any more it seems. I find it really sad that we are losing our traditions, I know there are groups out there that keep them alive but what about day to day folk, they don’t even know about half of them. Compared to other European countries, which seem to be rich in traditions that they still practice, we have either been diluted or diluted our rich heritage ourselves 😢 If anyone out there still makes them I would love to know and love to see your creations x
Sunday: I have been terribly bad at the blog this week 🙃 Yesterday was a very busy day starting with plenty of gardening, filling up the last couple of raised beds we repositioned. They are now all planted with perennials such as different types of hydrangeas, hibiscus, roses, agastache, aster, should look amazing next year 😀 George and Lucie came for an hour mid morning and so they ‘helped’ Grampy get a few wheelbarrows full of woodchip to put on the new pathway between the beds. Once Sam and Mia came back from riding I went with them round to Charlie and Maccas so they could all meet their new cousin Oscar. Back home for a bit before going round to my nieces at 4pm for her 21st birthday celebrations which went on into the evening, a great time was had by all at the ABBA themed party 🎉
Today we went out after getting the morning jobs sorted, I was determined to find the two plants that I have on my ‘want’ list. Success today at a nursery rather than a garden centre 😀 we did stop in at another garden centre on the way home and had some breakfast. I did some more planting up, John did some garden tidying and the rest of the day was more relaxed, a film, the Grand Prix, nothing too taxing. I completely forgot it is a Bank Holiday tomorrow, an extra day with my labourer at home, bonus 😂
frieslandfarm (flowers) 