Onions take quite a long time to grow, I’ve found. They look architectural in the veg bed – someone described them as like giant chives. My brown onions have been disappointing – just brown stumps at the end of their stalk. However the white onions have been a delight. Big juicy round bulbs. It seemed a pity just to use them in various dishes, so I thought they deserved a longer life by making Onion Marmalade with them.
This is a simple recipe based on 2:2:1 with only four ingredients but has produced a wonderful rich caramelised jam.
Ingredients
1 kg sliced onions (I used white)
1 kg white sugar
500 ml white vinegar
3 tablespoons sea salt (less if you use table salt)
Combine sugar, vinegar and salt in a heavy based large pan and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Bring to the boil and add onions. Bring back to the boil.
Reduce and simmer, stirring occasionally until jam thickens and goes a rich golden caramel. This may take 3 – 5 hours.
Skim off any scum and allow to sit for 15 – 30 minutes.
Place in clean sterilised jars and seal. Store in cupboard. I made 6 small jars.
White Cosmos in the circular front bed – much softer than the cornflowers
It’s rewarding wandering through the garden. It’s just over a year since I first started planting, even though I’ve only been here permanently for two months. The garden is now starting to develop its own character.
My favourites for now are:
Physostegia (Obedient Plant) in white, pink and lilacZillions of cherry tomatoes about to burst into colourClimbing purple King BeansPink Yarrow – just beautiful and a lovely cut flower. I hope I can propagate thisIndigofera Australis – it flowers frequently and prolificallyMy David Austen St Cecilia roseMystic Spires Salvia
There’s still heaps to do – the front still looks pretty bare. I know the trees I’ve planted are very young and because it hasn’t rained since Christmas means everything is incredibly dry, with the grass crisp underfoot and straw coloured. I think I need a little copse or woodland in the front. Once the horrible old privets come down, it will look even more bare.
All along one side of my property, next to the old high galvanised iron fence, is overgrown privet. It’s seriously overgrown and in some places almost reaches the power lines.
I was surprised when a local told me it was once a neatly trimmed hedge regularly maintained by the school boys as part of their gardening duties. I suppose it stopped being trimmed when the nuns moved out in the ’70’s and now has become an unattractive leggy mass of shrubbery.
This has long-since finished being anything like a hedge. Unattractive “leggy” bushes with straggly growth up top
The fence would be very bare with it removed and I’m not sure how tough I would need to be to kill privet that is so established. I’m sure I’d need masses of weed/plant killer to have any impact. I also know that it provides protection for birds and lizards (particularly the bluesy) so am keen to retain some of their environment. Instead, I’ve been experimenting to see if I can pull it back to something like its original design, with enough success to tempt me to take it further.
Last summer’s experiment seems to have worked. Hope the rest of it ends up something like this.
Last summer I had a bit of a trim of one section and cut it down heavily. It has now reshot with gusto and after a few trims looks like it will happily go back to being a more structured hedge. This weekend I’ve decided to abandon the lopping saw for the local handyman and a chainsaw. One of the biggest headaches is also removing the branches so a trailer helps here. I’m betting more than the two estimated trips will be required!
I’m not brave enough to see it all go at once, but I think we should make inroads to at least a third for now.
I planted potatoes back in August – proper certified seed potatoes, eight varieties. I planted them in potato sacks and religiously followed instructions. It was exciting to see the first green tendrils poke through and I kept topping the bags up with straw as instructed. Up until early November they looked incredibly healthy. Until…
Until the two soul-destroying heavy falls of hail mulched them, followed by those nasty little sucking insects. Anyway, a recovery plan has helped get most of the bags looking reasonable again but they still haven’t flowered. Under instruction and many words of encouragement, I have dug out one of the bags and found 8 small potatoes (250g to be precise). I hope these are more than I originally planted but fear they may be the same ones! Royal Blue.
Needless to say, the potato planting efforts have been a disappointment. I’ve put a lot of care into them for little return. The bags have also not been an outstanding success and look as though they are tearing the first year. This was the sickest looking bag, so I’m hoping for a little more from the others but am not overly optimistic.
On the other hand, some of the veggies are being wonderful. Probably one of the things better than picking, cooking and eating your own veg is being able to give them away. I have a lovely neighbour who has made me feel part of the community from day one and always seems to appreciate some home-grown veg (or she is being extremely diplomatic). A small mixed tray including harlequin carrots, lady finger eggplants, zucchini, cherry toms, onions and capsicum looked cheerful on a hot summer’s day.
I won’t give up on potatoes but will definitely adjust my expectations and approach. Something tells me that the self-sown ones from the compost that have popped up in one of the garden beds may provide better results than all my efforts.
Over the last year I’ve planted – well I was going to say 30 or 40 roses, but after looking on my blog, where I endeavour to keep a record, it’s well over 50.
I’ve had little experience with roses in the past so this has been a steep learning curve and one that I’m sure has caused distress to some of the new roses. First lesson was to keep clear of bare root stock. I nearly killed half a dozen that are now recovering in my rose nursery/graveyard. Some won’t make it back. A few have struggled, probably due to a combination of position, soil and lack of water. But I’m learning and things are on the improve.
Mme Isaac Pereire starting to peek over the wall
Mostly the roses have been a big success and I’m just starting to see their potential. The rear of the front wall bed has been filled with old fashioned climbers and ramblers, with the plan that they will tumble over the ash brick fence onto the footpath side. Whilst I love my old ash brick wall, it does look a little bleak and plain from the footpath side. This should make a stunning show for much of the year for passersby. The roses planted over the last six months are now just beginning to peek over the wall. Whilst it is very hot and dry here, the roses seem to be enjoying the weather and are having a flush of flowers.
Cecile Brunner working her way up the Grotto
The Grotto roses are not disappointing and are growing strongly with the Cecile Brunner and Pinkie winding their way up the Grotto at an impressive rate.
The original old roses have enjoyed the attention and some are showing good signs of new growth. The Fairy roses continue to be stellar little performers and are rarely out of bloom. The Good Samaritan signature roses I have planted have also taken well to their positions and regularly flower.
I didn’t really know much about the different rose breeders but David Austin roses have quickly become a favourite with their beautiful old fashioned petalled blooms, delicate colours and reliability.
I’m probably getting near the end of putting in new roses (until/unless I build new garden beds) but am keen to include some Rugosa or rosehip roses for added interest.
Young standard Icebergs flanking the front entrance are flowering wellThe original inhabitants, including this Papa Meillard, seem to be flourishingCrepuscule – still a favourite
The Convent veg beds are flourishing and I need to harvest crops regularly. The spinach is going well. I don’t actually remember planting it and have a feeling it may be coming from seeds scattered by locals who tend to regularly contribute to my garden beds.
Lots and lots of fresh old fashioned spinach
Anyway, today was Spinach Day and lots of picking happened for a spinach slice which turned out very well – served with garden salad on the side.
Pretty simple recipe:
lots of freshly picked spinach
5 eggs
block of feta cheese
lots of grated mature cheese
Filo pastry
grated nutmeg
Butter and olive oil
salt and pepper for seasoning
Chopped and ready for wilting – a really big saucepan
Melt a knob of butter and sauté lots and lots of chopped fresh spinach (stalks included) until wilted
Lightly beat eggs and combined with crumbled feta, grated cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper
Add drained wilted spinach mixture
Lightly oil baking dish
Lay filo sheets in baking dish – brush each one with butter/oil – use 8/10 sheets
Spread spinach mixture over the top
Top with more sheets of filo, each brushed with butter
Place in preheated oven (approx 200 degrees) for 30/40 minutes
Making use of the strawberries while I can. Hopefully I’ll get different varieties of berries soon (if I can keep the bugs at bay). In the meantime, at least I’m preserving a sense of berries for future guests. Hopefully I can gather enough for some jam soon.
Recipe
Blend berries
Dissolve 1 cup of sugar with one cup of water
Bring to the boil and boil for a few minutes
Cool syrup
Stir in blended berries
Put through a sieve. Don’t force as liquid will be glunky
Pour into sterilised bottles
I’ve labelled mine and put into the fridge to be on the safe side
Whilst tidying up the end of various flowers, I decided to make the most of the seeds they had produced. It seems a good approach to harvest seeds of flowers and plants that have done so well in this area. It should come in handy next time around instead of buying new seeds and may be useful as gifts or giveaways.
So far I have cornflowers, love in a mist, parsley, coriander, hyssop, cosmos, hollyhocks, mustard lettuce, Queen Anne’s Lace and, of course, one of my favourites with their glossy black seeds – aquilegias.
Of course, they may not grow, but it’s been fun and rewarding getting a little more value out of the plants and planning their next generation.
In a touch of serendipity, during this process my Christmas present arrived from my daughter overseas – a timber planting box for seedlings with lovely little seed envelopes. Much nicer than my cliplock plastic bags.
Now I’m here full time and tending the gardens, they are responding well. Other than hail, there have been other set backs including very dry weather and hordes of tiny flying insects that seem to invade the plants. Locals tell me these are unusual (but to get used to different challenges each year). Even the most avid permaculture people are encouraging to spray so I’ve succumbed with a Pyrethrum insecticide.
The citrus are very ‘distressed’ and will be a focus for attention over the next few weeks
The downside has been that the hail hammered the olives and citrus which appeared to be covered with baby fruit, as well as my white muscat grapes. I won’t see much there this year. On the other hand it was wonderful to go to the garden each day and pick fresh salad for my parents.
Cucumbers so far. I also have planted lebanese cucumber seeds as a back up plan
As usual, I’ve way overplanted. The cherry tomatoes are the dominant plant this Summer. Whilst they had been stripped bare with the hail, it seems like they have all come on well and I’m now heavily pruning laterals to keep under control. Some are fruiting (enough for daily consumption) but I think in a few weeks I will have a glut and preserving will be on the agenda. I have struggled with the cucumbers. Despite buying many punnets, they all seemed to disappear into nothing within a few weeks. I’ve been told that this was the work of the tiny flying insects and pumpkins and potatoes have suffered the same fate within the area. Well, I now have a few different cucumbers and am looking forward to a taste test.
The carrots are a delight – all different colours and so perfect. The brown onions still just look like blobs at the end of the stalks, but the white onions are gorgeous and so milky juicy. My butter beans are going gangbusters – we had plenty for Christmas Day and I’m still picking and storing them. My favourite is probably the lady finger eggplants that look like black dripping jewels. The zucchini are also growing, although you need to keep an eye on these sneaky little creatures – if you miss picking them, they grow into monsters. Last night my daughter and I had ratatouille using my own onions, capsicum, zucchini and eggplant. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough tomatoes yet but it was still rewarding.
I have an artichoke – not sure what to do with it yet. I also have rhubarb which I haven’t used before. The beetroot is looking healthy, the chokos have just kicked into gear and may start climbing their wire frame shortly. The kiwifruit also seem to have survived and are now showing signs of growth.
The potatoes (all nine bags) have been a disappointment. Between the hail, the bugs and a novice planter, they have gone from magnificently green to deathly and now showing signs of improving, however I will count myself lucky to find the original potatoes, let alone any new ones.
Berries – lots of green growth. Let’s see if we get more berries now the bugs are under control
I also had greater hopes for the berry bed – I’ve had some fruit – enough for sorbets and ice-cream, but had hoped for much more. However there is a huge amount of growth and now I’ve sprayed, maybe I will see more.
Anyway, it’s exciting to see the changes everyday and I value every inch of garden to see what it can be home to.
It’s been barely a year since the first plants went into the garden (which was many months before the property officially became mine) and after all these years, I’ve still astonished and delighted by how a garden changes with the seasons.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be clearing out some of the shaggy growth – predominantly the sweet peas, which will give the salvias space to come into their own, and the cornflowers which are now all over the place and looking worse for wear.
Two harsh hail storms in less than a week have done their damage, predominantly with the leafy veg. I’m removing damaged foliage as well as some of the plants that are now pretty much finished – the broad beans (after freezing over 4k of beans) have been replaced with heritage carrots and leafy greens. The fennel has been removed (it was like uprooting a tree!). Next on the agenda is celery, which was a tad disappointing.
Cherry tomatoes are coming good
The cherry tomatoes, which I now have so many varieties of now, thanks to supplements received via Diggers, seemed to have survived the hail onslaught and are being tempted back to growth with spray supplements of Seasol, Powerfeed and Charlie Carp. The Salvias all look like being the next series of stars as it appears to be their “time in the sun”. The berry bed is going crazy with new growth and the begginnings of berry crops. These are currently being collected for a mixed berry sorbet. This bed was fortuitously protected from the hail by the bird net that had been erected a day earlier.
The garden appears to be enjoyed by all the dogs. Roxy has always joined me whilst Tango has has her frequent “visits” with us. Popcorn loves the space but at present also needs company, so having me in the garden is best of both worlds for him.
Anyway, we are close to saying farewell to the first Spring at the Convent, and it has been an enormous one, with participating in the Kandos Gardens Fair and permanently moving our lives here to Kandos.
Salvia Madrensis managed to survive and thrive through the frostsBuddleia close to flowering for the first time
................... for lovers of ice cream. Your free on line magazine for sweet frozen treats. Recipes, inspiration, artisanal ideas for your delectation.
Onions take quite a long time to grow, I’ve found. They look architectural in the veg bed – someone described them as like giant chives. My brown onions have been disappointing – just brown stumps at the end of their stalk. However the white onions have been a delight. Big juicy round bulbs. It seemed a pity just to use them in various dishes, so I thought they deserved a longer life by making Onion Marmalade with them.
CONVENT AND CHAPEL 