Sunday 7 September 2014

A walled garden and an orchard

Some of the nicest things for us grow-your-own gardeners - a lovely sheltered walled garden for salads and vegetables and fruit trained against the walls and an orchard for apples, plums, pears and bees.



Inside those walls there's a perfect microclimate for vegetables and fruit.  The walled garden at this local country park is a really good size, and split into four quarters.  Two of the quarters are given over to visitors - there are benches and tables in one and trampolines, deckchairs and playhouses in the other.  The other two quarters have fruit and vegetables respectively, the walls have fruit trained against them.

This is the vegetable quarter.


This is the gold standard for carrots I think.  I shall aim for something similar next year.  No rabbits in the walled garden though, it does help.




Some of the fruit was good, but some of it was suffering similar problems to mine at home, maybe four miles away.




The biggest boy spotted this comma butterfly with its distinctively shaped wing edges.  They used to be rare, but there are far more about now.  They overwinter as butterflies, and their shape allows them to camouflage themselves as a dead leaf.  If you look closely you can just make out the white comma-shaped mark on its wing that gives it its name.


Beyond the walled garden is the orchard.  I was after some plums.  I made a little plum jam the other day, and it was so divine I'm feeling the need to make more.  There were none to be had though.




We found plenty of apples, all of them different varieties.


We made an interesting discovery.  You can buy fruit pickers, long sticks with a special cage type thing on the end, for picking high up apples and pears.  We don't have one.  But, we do have crutches.


As it happens, they work perfectly.  I've made a note to pick all of our home fruit in the next ten days before the crutches are returned (hopefully) to the hospital.  In case you were wondering, you're not really supposed to pick the country park fruit in large quantities.  It's okay to pick up windfalls, and we only picked a handful of apples that had been left high in the trees.  I shall be looking up apple recipes this week.  Any suggestions?


There's always lots of inspiration at the country park.  I love it there.  All of that space, not too much plastic or artificial stuff.  Animals, food production, views, walks.  It never disappoints.

All in all it's been a quiet weekend here.  A hint of football, a bit of baking, a smattering of homework.  The middle boy had to write about six emotions he had had this week.  He got stuck after the first two, "I was angry when my brother kicked me in the neck", and "I was annoyed when I had to do my homework".  I suggested "I was sad when I was not allowed to go out as I hadn't finished my homework" and "I was happy because my mum is so very wonderful".  He looked at me as if I was ridiculous and said very emphatically, "Happy and sad are rubbish words, Mr F says they are".  Who knew?  When I was at school I was told never to use "got" and "a lot of".  Maybe there's a list somewhere.

So I was going to wish you all a happy week, but instead I'll plump for interesting, joyous and exhilarating.  Unless that's more stimulation than you're after, in which case maybe you'd prefer satisfying, peaceful and content.  Have a good one anyway.  I can say that can't I?

33 comments:

  1. At my school the forbidden word was 'nice'. It's stuck with me to this day. I can't even eat the biscuits without a tinge of guilt..

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  2. i loved the tour of the walled garden, and rubbish about those words being rubbish, sometimes happy and sad are just what they are happy and sad.
    I am going for peaceful this week.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  3. We weren't allowed to use 'love'. I use it all the time now because I can.

    Maybe my curd recipe would use up some of your apples http://www.anniecholewa.com/2012/08/apple-curd-and-windfall-jelly.html ?

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  4. What a beautiful garden. Thank you for sharing the pictures. I wish I could be there right now and my small garden is gently and decidedly decomposing.
    I may have been the only three year old in the Territory of Hawaii (yes, damn, I am that old) who knew the word "vulgar". My English grandma set the rules...it was vulgar to announce at the dinner table that you were full. We were encouraged to say, "I have had an ample sufficiency." And horrors, never refer to your stomach as "belly." She was one of a kind and dearly loved!

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  5. Dear me, I'm still reeling from ellen's comment: "I have had an ample sufficiency" !!! (Why not "sated"?) Grandma sounds like a peach. :)

    I think happy and sad are dandy words. What in the world would Mr F prefer in their stead? I felt perplexed when I read his opinion of them.

    What a glorious walled garden; that last photo is a stunner. I hope those crutches are returned right on time!

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  6. What a neat place, reminds me of the book the Secret Garden. The best apples on my tree are n the very top.. the ones down lower are all covered with scaly patches. I am always worried that I'll be eating worms with them.. since we don't use sprays. Did you know what is worse than finding a worm in an apple you're eating? Finding HALF a worm.. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  7. Would love a walled garden like that... it's wonderful. That 'beware of bees' sign is great, I need one of those in my garden it would be fun! :o) x

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  8. Miss Matthews, my English teacher, would score through any work with "got" or "nice". I still struggle with "nice" now. I wonder if our teachers realised that they would still be having an effect on us now? Enjoy your week. x

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  9. A walled garden is on my wish list (as is a bathroom with an open fire!) And what a beautiful, well organised veg/fruit plot that is - can I say it looks very nice??

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  10. It makes me so "sad" that we can't just be "happy". I think I disagree with Mr. F. Those aren't rubbish words at all. LOL

    Have a wonderful week. :-) Glad to hear your son may be off his crutches soon.

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  11. I'd love a walled kitchen garden.

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  12. I'll have a content week please. and I wish one for you in return.

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  13. You can say good, but not nice, a very bad word apparently. What a fabulous place, I'd love it there. Those trained fruit trees are beautiful, attention has even been paid to the entrance gate.

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  14. I said something was "nice" and was reprimanded by my daughter for using a boring word. That's me told.

    I have a thing about walled gardens, they enchant me. When I win the lottery I'll have a flint farmhouse in West Sussex with an AGA and a walled garden. :-) xx

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  15. Yes, 'nice' was not allowed at school for me either. I love the shot of the Comma. They are gorgeous aren't they? We saw a pair of Choughs last weekend at Cape Cornwall. They were hassling a Kestrel that had caught a mouse. I almost fainted with joy, and told the lovely NT parking lady. She said they were on Chough watch,and she would log it! Not sure why I wanted to tell you that, only that your eldest boy was so keen to see them earlier in the summer. If you visit next year, he may well get lucky!
    Leanne xx

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  16. It seems that all us gardeners have a thing about walled gardens. I like to see the carrots when they're lifted, I bet they're amazing.
    Good photos, and I had to smile at the scrumping device. I'll be happy with a satisfying, peaceful and content week which has got off to a good start helped by a bright and sunny day. Have a good week. Flighty xx

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  17. I love that garden, it looks almost enchanted to me, especially with that beautiful gate. Thank you for sharing, it looks like a beautiful place to visit. I laughed about the "feeling" words, I can just picture what my son would include in that assignment. I agree about being told which words to write, especially when they involve feelings. Feeling "happy" (just simply happy, no dressing-up necessary) is integral to my everyday life!

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  18. I always think walled gardens are such magical places! Your made me smile picking fruit with the crutches. I remember as a child my Dad having a fruit picker which had a linen bag at the end of it . Sarah x

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  19. The garden seems like the perfect place for just about anybody to visit. I'd stop by the trampolines for sure. I'm curious about the list of rubbish words too, but I'm guessing everyone has their own anyways.

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  20. Rubbish words?! Geez - the world needs more happy people! The garden looks fantastic! It is great that your boys are so interested in nature - the comma butterfly is a great find. Glad to see you're putting those crutches to good use! We actually have one of those apple pickers.

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  21. That beware of bees sign is freaking me out! I have no idea why his teacher said he can't use happy or sad. I guess maybe he wants more descriptive or unique words for that meaning. "I was exuberant because my mother is so wonderful!" Haha

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  22. That last photo has the most amazing colors in it!! What an amazing place!!! And such a gift to be able to visit it and see all of this goodness! A great week to you friend!! Nicole xo oh and the plum jam sounds fantastic!!!

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  23. I am guessing that Mr F did not want them to use happy and sad, (auto correct just changed that to ahoy and sad!!) as he wanted them to be more creative. Children take their teachers at their word and probably won't use them again, ever!

    I do love a walled garden, wouldn't it be fantastic if we all had room for one and of course an army of workers to tend to the damn thing.............

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  24. Good to know the experts grow manky brown apples too.

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  25. Oh my gosh, that's the prettiest garden ever!! This is seriously amazing!
    I'm dreaming of the day that we can grow our own fruits and veggies!

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  26. I love how you found another use for those crutches! You guys are so smart to use them to pick the fruit. It looks like a lovely place to spend the day. Also, I laughed when I read what your son said he felt annoyed having to do his homework. I'm sure the teacher gets a lot of those:) Hope you're having a wonderful start to your week, CJ!

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  27. Fabulous photos - but the one which struck me most was the one of those wonderful gates - that tree!!!!! How marvellous! And what a great facility you have there, a truly magical place, lucky you.

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  28. CJ, you made me laugh; lovely post! And that garden; I'm lost in awe and envy… though I take some consolation in knowing it must take a huge amount of labour and upkeep. Those gates though; just beautiful. And can I join those admiring your innovation in your crutch-come-apple-pickers; genius! :-)

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  29. i had a teacher who was against the word 'nice' and "interesting' because they were both bland/vague or a cop-out ("oh, that's nice") for when you couldn' think of anything specific to say.
    that's an amazing garden. what an inspirational place. and kind of consoling too, when i saw that brown-rot specimen.

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  30. Oooh that country park looks like a fab place to visit... I love walled gardens, I find them magical... it must have been my literary diet of Frances Hodgson Burnett as a child! I think Meh! To your son's teacher, happy is a good word! x

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  31. Beautiful sunshiny pictures, and I LOVE the gate to the walled garden. What a beautiful September we're having so far this year.

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  32. That looks like a lovely park, and I do love a walled garden... and it's dahlia time! Late summer flowers are always so bright and cheery.
    As for apple recipes, if you just do a big batch of compote/puree it's pretty versatile as you can have it with Greek yogurt, freeze it and make Nigella Lawson's damp apple and almond cake (lots of eggs and sugar but no fat).
    S x

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  33. That looks a fantastic place - I'm a bit obsessed by walled gardens. ;) Hope you found something to do with your apples. I don't think you can beat a crumble personally. :)

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