Of gardening and other things

I need to get this writing thing flowing again... so I've decided to reintroduce the blog routine. We'll see if I keep it up, hah !

Most on my mind these days is the fine weather we've been having for over a week now (very sunny and warm for May) and the enjoyment of my new garden. We moved in June last year so this is the first spring I am really experiencing in this garden. I decided to consider everything I do as an experiment and to not get upset if some things don't turn out as well as expected. Our orchard has bloomed as it ought to do and the two apple trees that had died were removed in winter and replaced by baby peach trees I received from a German friend. It will be a few years before these trees yield anything worth mentioning of course... I am currently waiting for our berries to ripen (raspberries, red currants and some gooseberries). Next will come the sour cherries, then early apples, prunes, more apples, pears, quince, and finally, walnuts. I have recipes lined up for jams, chutneys and jellies... want to try apple butter too !

I started a small vegetable patch as well, added several big pots to it, and so far have sown or planted cherry tomatoes, paprika, radishes, cutting salad, rocket, zucchini, pumpkin and runner beans. Some of my seeds were probably pretty old so I may have to start over for the radishes and salad... but things are definitely growing.

In front and at the side of the house I have also planted/sown flowers. I did not like the garden much as it was so I dug out what was in the flowerbed by the side of the house (2 afternoons of sweaty labour) and put in seeds of multicoloured flowers. We'll see what grows and what doesn't ! My daughter is in charge of watering the flowers.

The daughter has been doing well and has recently graduated to "real" horseriding lessons (she used to ride shetland ponies). She's now doing a series of private lessons that ought to allow her to start group lessons on bigger ponies after the summer. She's ambitious and I can already tell she'll be a much better rider than I ever was (I only started when I was already in my thirties). It makes me happy to see her enjoying this !


I had a particularly bad winter health- and emotionwise, so I am glad to announce that things have settled down a bit (although they are far from "happy") and that I am able to cope with life again, much better than a few months ago...

Will try to keep this up, reporting on progress with house and garden and on various other things that run through my mind !