Hello Cecilila! I have missed being here, in fact in the community of all your wonderful posts and sharing. Sigh. Anyway, hello! I love reading the gardening tips. They encourage me so much. I am getting ready to try again with the lettuces in France...but the snails are atrocious! (Giant and ever-present.) Do you have advice regarding snails? How to kindly fend them off? Hope to catch up on my Kitchens Garden reading today. xxx
As I read this, my arms and shoulders are burning comfortably. The Husband and I have spent the last two mornings pruning and chipping and clearing gutters. The chooks are beyond ecstatic with the mounds and mounds of leaves and wood chips, the garden beds are relishing the litter from the gutters, we're both covered in green ant bites (vicious little buggers, but no lasting harm), and I must transplant some of my turmeric roots now that the leaves and flowers are over. The banana stems have their protective bags on to keep the rainbow lorikeets and the fruit bats off them, and I'm checking daily for ripe passionfruit. Still too hot for tender greens and beans, though...
Oh wonderful! You are getting things in order. I wonder if turmeric would grow out here. I saw a banana tree in the garden centre the other day - imagine my surprise! How many bananas do you get from a tree?
Turmeric dies back to just the root, so I don't see why it shouldn't be OK, so long as you don't let it get wet. Just leave it in the ground, maybe some straw over, but well drained. Bananas: you get a whole stem, the hands ripening successively down the stem, but only one crop and then the plant dies back, but not before it sends out shoots for the next generation. The old plant can be chopped up for mulch, but fell and drain it first, it's full of water. With the new shoots, keep the healthiest one with the pointiest leader leaf, and it will turn into your next tree. If you buy three in the first instance and plant them in a circle, and throw garden refuse into the middle, that will help nourish them. I'd recommend getting a small variety, like Ducasse; the trees stay small, the fruit is small and you're never overwhelmed by either.
So delightful. I look forward to trying the yummy recipe. I loved the reminder to be authentic, to support those in harm's way now, and to share earthy joy along with it all. I enjoyed seeing the small gardens there and the garlic in IL. It's still early in Minnesota, but okay for some spinach seeds in pots. Daffodils are starting to show yellow. Thanks!
My husbands mother in iIlinois said to throw the lettuce seed into the last of the snow. Your spinach will do well I bet! And daffs! Gorgeous. I hope you show us a little of your church garden too - that seems me to be the essence of christianity; growing and sharing food. Happy Thursday, Hans!
Will do. Getting more soil next week, and plants a few weeks later will go outside. Eating and sharing food is a good spiritual practice indeed :). Thanks so much!
Hello Cecilia, I love your town garden in Melbourne. It’s so different from your gardens in Illinois, but very like our gardens here in Wellington New Zealand.
Today is Anzac Day a thoughtful day and we remember all those who gave so much for the rest of us.
I’ve never been a gardener But over the last year I have grown all the herbs I needed and today I have planted some vegetables in pots. Already I feel as if I am doing something for the planet on which we live. As we say watch this space who knows what I might plant next. Thank you for the encouragement.
First of all, how charming are those pastry "top hats"?
Your recipe reminded me of the apple sponge pudding my aunt used to make in Trinidad, though we didn’t have fancy top hats back then, just a dollop of cream if we were lucky!
We are immigrants, Cecilia.
Thank you for writing this. For seeing us. For reminding us we’re not alone.
love to read you every day, it's always inspiring and calming, especially living in the states at this time and in between protesting, calling and writing as needed. thank you
One of these days I am going to attempt cooking something like these pastries. I raise the garden, and my wife does the cooking. She now has some raised gardens (after I put in some last year) but she doesn't want me to bother them (I will weed them from time to time) because she wants to do them herself. she does have potatoes and squash growing nicely.
Hello Cecilila! I have missed being here, in fact in the community of all your wonderful posts and sharing. Sigh. Anyway, hello! I love reading the gardening tips. They encourage me so much. I am getting ready to try again with the lettuces in France...but the snails are atrocious! (Giant and ever-present.) Do you have advice regarding snails? How to kindly fend them off? Hope to catch up on my Kitchens Garden reading today. xxx
As I read this, my arms and shoulders are burning comfortably. The Husband and I have spent the last two mornings pruning and chipping and clearing gutters. The chooks are beyond ecstatic with the mounds and mounds of leaves and wood chips, the garden beds are relishing the litter from the gutters, we're both covered in green ant bites (vicious little buggers, but no lasting harm), and I must transplant some of my turmeric roots now that the leaves and flowers are over. The banana stems have their protective bags on to keep the rainbow lorikeets and the fruit bats off them, and I'm checking daily for ripe passionfruit. Still too hot for tender greens and beans, though...
Oh wonderful! You are getting things in order. I wonder if turmeric would grow out here. I saw a banana tree in the garden centre the other day - imagine my surprise! How many bananas do you get from a tree?
Turmeric dies back to just the root, so I don't see why it shouldn't be OK, so long as you don't let it get wet. Just leave it in the ground, maybe some straw over, but well drained. Bananas: you get a whole stem, the hands ripening successively down the stem, but only one crop and then the plant dies back, but not before it sends out shoots for the next generation. The old plant can be chopped up for mulch, but fell and drain it first, it's full of water. With the new shoots, keep the healthiest one with the pointiest leader leaf, and it will turn into your next tree. If you buy three in the first instance and plant them in a circle, and throw garden refuse into the middle, that will help nourish them. I'd recommend getting a small variety, like Ducasse; the trees stay small, the fruit is small and you're never overwhelmed by either.
Sounds fantastic. I think I might!
So delightful. I look forward to trying the yummy recipe. I loved the reminder to be authentic, to support those in harm's way now, and to share earthy joy along with it all. I enjoyed seeing the small gardens there and the garlic in IL. It's still early in Minnesota, but okay for some spinach seeds in pots. Daffodils are starting to show yellow. Thanks!
My husbands mother in iIlinois said to throw the lettuce seed into the last of the snow. Your spinach will do well I bet! And daffs! Gorgeous. I hope you show us a little of your church garden too - that seems me to be the essence of christianity; growing and sharing food. Happy Thursday, Hans!
Will do. Getting more soil next week, and plants a few weeks later will go outside. Eating and sharing food is a good spiritual practice indeed :). Thanks so much!
I am eager to develop a puff pastry from my sourdough starter. This reminds me to work on it. 💚
huh. Keep me abreast of your discoveries. I have not made pastry with a starter before! sounds delish.
I will! So far I’ve been able to make delicious rolls, bagels, biscuits, cookies, and chocolate cake, with my starter. :)
PS the tarts lost their hats in the fan oven! Note to self.
Hello Cecilia, I love your town garden in Melbourne. It’s so different from your gardens in Illinois, but very like our gardens here in Wellington New Zealand.
Today is Anzac Day a thoughtful day and we remember all those who gave so much for the rest of us.
I’ve never been a gardener But over the last year I have grown all the herbs I needed and today I have planted some vegetables in pots. Already I feel as if I am doing something for the planet on which we live. As we say watch this space who knows what I might plant next. Thank you for the encouragement.
First of all, how charming are those pastry "top hats"?
Your recipe reminded me of the apple sponge pudding my aunt used to make in Trinidad, though we didn’t have fancy top hats back then, just a dollop of cream if we were lucky!
We are immigrants, Cecilia.
Thank you for writing this. For seeing us. For reminding us we’re not alone.
I wish you the best weekend ahead.
love to read you every day, it's always inspiring and calming, especially living in the states at this time and in between protesting, calling and writing as needed. thank you
One of these days I am going to attempt cooking something like these pastries. I raise the garden, and my wife does the cooking. She now has some raised gardens (after I put in some last year) but she doesn't want me to bother them (I will weed them from time to time) because she wants to do them herself. she does have potatoes and squash growing nicely.