Wednesday 25th September - Planting Bulbs, Preserving Apples, Freedom and Coffee Mornings

I’ve been making the most of what is probably going to be the last of the warm weather; that’s if the forecast is correct.  I am sure we will get warm days but those when the thermometer creeps over 20°C will now be very few, until next spring and summer.  The time had come to get all the bulbs purchased this year either into the ground or in pots.  I like to have pots of bulbs either on the patio or can be slotted in the borders in the spring time.  Our evergreen Portugal laurel has been dropping leaves throughout the summer and now the berries are falling.  Added to this are the walnut, pear and greengage leaves and it won’t be long before the apple, fig and apricot shed theirs.  In our garden, raking-up leaves is a job to be tackled right through the year.

Peter has picked our russet apples both from the tree and windfalls on the ground.  The apples with no blemishes have been individually wrapped and put in a box whereas the windfalls have been used in a couple of blackberry and apple pies, others have been frozen and this afternoon I have bottled some, or as they term it in the US, canned.  I use the oven method and find it difficult to judge the timings, I use the oven method, for bottling apples.  My current batch has a layer of mushy slices on the top.  These won’t be wasted but used for apple sauce and I have a recipe I haven’t tried yet for an apple and cider cake which requires apple puree.

The beach is currently well backed with sand.  The students from Kingswood (Overstrand Hall) have been heading down there in the mornings between 7-7.30 a.m.  They followed us along the promenade this morning and when we were walking back home, along the cliff tops, we could see them (photo below) enjoying their freedom.  I wonder how many live in built up areas such as cities and towns and don’t have the benefit of many open spaces, particularly a beach.  I also wonder if children growing up in this area of Norfolk realise how lucky they are to live in an area, not encumbered by street upon street of buildings.

Good news for those who like to meet up at the Car Boot sales and enjoy some Pavilion refreshments.  The Car Boots may have finished but on the 10th October the coffee mornings will be resuming – details on the poster below.