Jam, Jelly, Raspberry and Relish

This past week we have had variable weather and I have been harvesting and tidying up the flower beds in both my home and the Artful Garden. Quite a lot of the summer bedding plants are still flowering so I am reluctant dig these up until they get destroyed by frost, which in Cumbria could happen any time.

Radiating purple asters

Small Asters 

Bistort Spires

Bonny Blue delphinium

The nasturtiums are still thriving.

Nasturtium jewels

I collected the Kentish hops from my trellis and have hung them up on the beam in my kitchen. This year I have a longer garland with more hops.

A hop garland with a beautiful aroma

This white foxglove is beautiful.

Foxglove bonnets

I am picking several punnets of raspberry's every other day. I have made raspberry jam and hot tomato relish with the last of the peppers and tomatoes from the greenhouse. Also I made rosemary and mint jelly. crabapple jelly and damson cordial all with ingredients from the garden.

Glowing crabapple jelly

Damson cordial  - yum

For the first time this year I am making wine. My Victoria plum wine is in the demijohn and I have started making some damson wine. It is very much a case of experimentation as all the recipes for wine making differ in the process and ingredient quantities using the same amount of fruit.

Bubble bubble

Whilst on my trip to Glasgow last week we visited the Royal Yatch Britannica.

The binnacle compass is very regal.

Royal binnacle can you see the crown?

This is the 1930's ocean racing yatch the Bloodhound that won many races and several of the royal family are experienced yatchmen. 

Racing yatch

All the bedrooms on Britannica have single beds except for one room where there is a double bed that Prince Charles asked to have on his marriage to Princess Diana.

The Queen's bedroom

The crew bedrooms represent your rank.

Captain

Officer

Seaman

The state dining room was superb. It took 3 hours to lay the room out for a banquet, all the cutlery and glassware was measured to ensure it was in the correct position.

Come dine with me

The engine room was immaculate.

This was meticulously clean

Yes you can get a daimler on a royal yatch as long as you have a winch and pulley system and a few centimetres of storage room to spare.

Maybe we should have bought a mini

There was a hospital and a dentist surgery on board the yatch.

Just lie back

The laundry room was fascinating, shirts were changed several times a day.

Steaming up

How about this for a shirt press?

Press on

In this years Cumbria in Bloom competition Kirkoswald won several trophies and the Artful Garden got a mention as 'the fun garden on the corner.' There is a lovely picture of Boozy Floosie on the Kirkoswald in Bloom website. Boozy is running to Ravenghyl Stores in Kirkoswald for some liquid refreshment.

Search for 2013gallery.koinbloom.co.uk and look at the summer photos 

Looby Loo and Charlie Barley have decided to have a change of scene. 

Looby Loo and Bobby Barley relaxing after an afternoon of eating apples

Unfortunately the Ooh La La Bird has migrated  as she had a serious neck and wing injury caused by torrential rain. She hopes to return. 

This cloud looks as though the edges are torn.

Ragged clouds