its been a year

Well more than a year.  I sat outside under the magnolia flowering and remembered from last year how excited I was to find it reaching over my fence.  There is something about getting to know the seasons in the same place that is good for my soul. It also helps in beginning to understand how my own particular garden grows.

I feel very pleased that the forget-me-nots I scattered under the snowball tree have come up.  One of the flowers I have loved since a child and a sign of spring.  I know there will be sticky seeds later but the soft blue haze now is worth it.  And 'bud burst' full of promise. This is the greengage which so desperately needs a prune.  Maybe next year.

A special bit of fun has been the tiny lemon tree in a pot that my sister gave me.  It has fruited liberally and I have picked one already for a chicken dinner.
                                        

  

So the year turns and I get to stay in my own home.  

birds

There is the first sense of spring despite the winter cold.  The rowan has a fuzz on its twiglets which will become the wonderful pink glory I saw last year.  And the cherry plums, although despised for their mess, are exquisite with blossom already.

I am best pleased by the forget-me nots that I planted at the base of the snowball tree.  They are just starting to flower and I hope for a blue mist in a week or two.

I have begun to count all the birds who visit and have collected pictures of the honey eaters I have seen.

As well as an olive whistler and the unstoppable wattle birds.

So its a day of small hope. A treasure to be held lightly and with joy.

still growing

even though i haven't written much i have been able to go outside and watch the changes in the garden.  useful as i learn what will work best and start to know where the sun shines and the wind blows. i even had some things to eat which felt a little as if i had a home.

There were also some flowers which made sitting outside with tiger a delight

i have not been very successful at keeping things going, although i have been growing kale for the winter. i am late to get anything done for spring and i'm not likely to manage much soon.  but maybe with a few seedlings and some luck i can have a front garden that makes the house look a bit happier.

My poor neglected garden

I have not written here for months, and although my garden has not been left quite untended, it has suffered from my inability to give it the attention it needs. It still grows and I still have hopes to create a lovely and happy place.

Today, for a change i will write about some cooking I have been experimenting with.  As I try to eat as well as possible without long hours standing, I have developed a few ways of making simple food that I can enjoy.

Tonight it was a very quick and easy Banana Cake.  Because it is cooked in a microwave oven it takes maybe 5 minutes in all to make.  When standing for long is a struggle this matters.

2 bananas,
2 eggs [or 3 egg yolks],
1 teaspoon of baking powder,
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon,
3/4 cup of ground almonds.

puree the bananas and add the eggs and mix well. Add the spice and baking powder, then stir through the almonds to make a batter.  pour into a 7 inch silicon sandwich pan.  place in the microwave and cook for 2-3 minutes.  the cake will rise but leave it to cook until it gives off steam.

remove from the oven and turn out onto a cake plate.  This is maybe more like a slice than a cake but very nice as a treat.  I added pieces of chopped crystalised ginger to this one which I rather liked.  You could maybe add a few chocolate chips, or some currants.

you could add any flour substitute to the mix ; wheat or spelt, arrowroot, cornflour or a proprietary gluten free flour.