Monday 20 April 2015

While I was washing the kitchen floor


plum blossom

gooseberry flower
blackcurrant flower

Egremont Russet
Ribston Pippin

pear blossom

I took that last photo just an hour ago.  It was such a lovely warm afternoon here, and the early evening had that wonderful still quality you get in summer.  Birds singing, the sun sinking, and tranquil hazy air that just makes you stand and gaze for a while.  I tried to capture it in the picture, but it didn't really translate.  Maybe you need the sounds and smells as well.   There's a robin in the photo, you can just make him out beyond the pond.  He's been in and around the garden all day, singing his heart out.

Down at the allotment there is plum blossom.  A total of two whole flowers.  Although the tree is young I had far more last year.  I can't imagine where the blossom is.  One of the pears in the garden is the same.  There was a good crop last year, and this year one solitary sprig of blooms.  I might have expected it of a pear, they tend to be a bit biennial, but the plum is a surprise.

The picture with the river in the background is another thing I tried to capture but couldn't really.  It's on the way to the plot, and the river looked quite blue and still, like a lake.  You'll have to take my word for it.

I picked the first of the asparagus on Friday, and we had it for lunch.  Quite delicious.  There'll be some more by now.  And every few days from now until the summer solstice.  People will be complaining by then.  "Not asparagus again."  But that is the beauty of seasonal eating isn't it.  Eat it again and again until you can't stand it any more, then none at all for ten months.  By which time you can't wait for the first exquisite taste.

The tiny flowers of the gooseberry and blackcurrant are opening.  Bees are abroad and also a surprising number of wasps.  This is also the time of year you have to put up with an overload of apple blossom photos.  I just can't help it.  I don't photograph daffodils or snowdrops or primroses to excess.  But apple blossom I can't resist.  Possibly because I walk past it several times a day.  Wait until the bees find it.  Then you'll have bee on apple blossom.  Possibly even two bees on apple blossom.  The two trees I grow next to each other, in the hopes that they will cross pollinate each other, have different colour buds.  The Egremont Russet is a deep bright pink.  The Ribston Pippin is paler, more subtle.  Oh alright, I'll shut up about it all now.

Monday is my day for restoring order to the house.  I dust and hoover, clean the bathroom, wash the kitchen floor, you get the drift.  While I was washing the floor today there was a jaunty knock at the door.  I opened it to find a government minister on my doorstep.  He's our local MP, so it wasn't entirely unexpected, but nonetheless it was all quite exciting.  I grilled him lightly on a couple of topics, but really all I could think was, "I listen to you on Radio 4" and "Thank goodness I washed the front door yesterday".  Other half is not impressed with politicians (I'm easily impressed by just about anything) and when I told him what I'd been thinking he said something like, "Have you seen what you look like though".*  What, it was cleaning day, I always wear the jumper with the hole in it and the security blanket cardigan.

* Just to clarify, this is what my other half said to me afterwards, not what the MP said!  And yes, I am used to it.  CJ xx

39 comments:

  1. I would love to eat some of your freshly-grown and -picked asparagus. It sounds wonderful. You can do a lot with asparagus. I used it as a pizza topping this weekend and it was surprisingly good. I love knowing what you do in your daily life, right down to what you wear for cleaning house. I just noticed a tiny hole in my shirt about ten minutes ago. It's only about a month old, so I'm annoyed, but I'll keep wearing it. Nobody ever accused me of being a slave to fashion. :)

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  2. Ooh fresh asparagus - yum - and I envy you your russet tree; they're my favourite apple. It's funny, I was just looking at our plum tree yesterday and thinking that it seemed to be rather lacking in blossom too - maybe it's a nationwide thing? Have a lovely week. xx

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  3. A security blanket cardigan? I am just about to fall off my chair with the giggles:) you are funny CJ. I usually clean on Saturday morning, in my pj's or nothing at all (the shower cubicle only I should say).
    I can live with apple blossom photos, with or without bees. As a matter of fact I have been watching my apple tree with eagles eyes, the buds are still closed. We can swap apple blossom pictures (I have no idea what kind of apple tree I have, I am a bit ignorant in this respect). Have a lovely week. xx

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  4. Your garden looks beautiful in the last photo - I am full of envy (and possibly inspiration) as I'm really not a gardener, but I would love my garden to look as cared for as yours.

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  5. Your garden looks beautiful in the last photo - I am full of envy (and possibly inspiration) as I'm really not a gardener, but I would love my garden to look as cared for as yours.

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  6. Publish as many apple blossom photos (with or without bees) as you like! They're gorgeous and a bit more special because to me they seem more fleeting than daffodils or snow drops. I have a security blanket cardi too, wouldn't be seen dead outdoors in it, not even to put the bins out!! MP was probably pleased that you engaged with him, amongst all the talk of voter apathy xx

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  7. no complaining about Asparagus (which also happens to be my favorite photo today). Roast it, steam it, stir-fry it. yay!

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  8. Well, I think I will never tire of your photography, in general, and your blossom photos in particular, CJ. I have been having fun getting to know you through your blog since Teresa Kasner introduced me to your blog not long ago. Today you have shown me many blossoms new to me, and I especially admire Egremont Russet. It is delightful thinking of your cleaning attire while interviewing your local MP :) but cheers for you for focusing on the important task of letting your opinions be known!

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  9. Oh my .... the local MP was quite cheeky. He should have told you that you looked as lovely and fresh as your nice clean door.

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  10. Your photos of those blossoms!!!! How delightful are they!!! And you are so right about eating the same thing over and over...kinda wish everyone would follow the seasonal eating as to keep crops from being shipped all over the planet just because folks here in Chicago want watermelon in the middle of winter. I enjoyed your shot of your garden CJ...I was thinking of taking a shot of my back garden from my upper window this year so that I can watch it evolve over time. Glad you were able to share your ideas with the MP...did he really say that?!!? You are far better than me with your cleaning! Wishing you an outstanding week! Nicole xo

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  11. Well if our local MP (or anyone for that matter) arrived at the front door without notice, I'd probably still be wearing my pink fluffy robe and ugg boots! I generally don't get dressed for the day until I actually need to leave the house. Enjoy your lovely Spring, it looks gorgeous over there x

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  12. I am sure your MP wasn't bothered by your cardigan. That asparagus looks delicious! I wish I had that growing in my garden!

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  13. Ha, yes I think I'd probably be thinking thank goodness I swept the floor! We live in a marginal constituency so we keep having lots of important politicians to our town, although not to my house, I was in a coffee shop last week when our local MP, she has a cabinet post, came in, I pretended not to notice her!!
    Your photos of blossom are stunning! I can imagine that warm, still, evening air
    Caz xx

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  14. I'm very excited by the apple blossom! it looks like you are working your little well there. X

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  15. So blossomy chez vous! Our plum tree has had masses of blossom this year, unlike last. It's over now - such a short spell of glory. I envy your asparagus, but I know what you mean about seasonal eating. We used to get an awful lot of salmon during the fishing season. I used to whinge about it as a child.
    Weekends are my cleaning time, since I'm at work all week. Somehow there's just as much to tidy up now that our children are at uni/travelling. I also adopt Christina's approach to the shower cubicle! No politicians here yet thank goodness. It feels like we've only just had the wretched independence referendum and now it's back to the tennis/slanging match.

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  16. I seem to be getting a lot of Jeovah's witnesses knocking at my door at the moment... and lots of calls telling me I've been involved in an accident in the past two weeks (!?) or do I want solar panels...

    No flowers around here. Too many footballs.

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  17. I love your apple blossom...if only we had a tree in our garden. We're considering getting one suitable for a container... no sign of nay MPs or candidates round here...they'd only find me in yoghurt covered jogging bottoms anyway!! xx (btw I dont think I'd tire of asparagus!)

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  18. Don't apple trees have wonderfully important names? And that asparagus, my! It looks wonderful.

    As for the MP arriving during cleaning day, I am frequently made aware (by the pitying looks of the well-heeled) that I have been into Waitrose AGAIN looking like a person who lives in the woods. Not being a teenage girl or a follower of fashion I am lucky that I'm not forced to worry about it :o) Have a lovely week my dear xxx

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  19. Our plums do tend to be biennial.. The blossom is lovely at the moment and the bees are making the most of it. We had lots of ladybirds on the jostaberry and the way they were performing should have lots more, :)

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  20. In my dreams I will have asparagus. When I have a veggie garden that has enough room. And enough light. Enjoy!

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  21. Thats's so funny Cj ! I was just thinking how rude of the MP to speak to you like that !!
    Our apple blossom is just about to go ta-dah as well and I shall probably have to take lots of photos too ( They wont be half as good as your photos mind ! )
    Have a lovely sunny week
    Kate xx

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  22. I know what you mean about apple blossom, any kind of blossom actually, it's there just waiting to be photographed and it's hard not to. I'm hoping that planting my two apple trees in the ground recently doesn't set them back at all, they've no blossom as yet. Mick had the day off work yesterday so my Monday restoring order routine has been put back by a day, it's busy busy here today, beds stripped, washing machine going and sheets on the line drying, in between everything else.

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  23. It's good to see all blossom at this time of year, it's just a shame that it's often rather fleeting. As always an enjoyable read and lovely pictures. Flighty xx

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  24. I've just had a boiled egg with asparagus soldiers for a late lunch. Delicious. It takes me about 10 minutes to cycle home from the allotment so I reckon I ate it about 17 minutes after cutting. I planted my asparagus (25 crowns) in 2002 and 2003 so it will be asparagus almost every day here until midsummer. But it's so versatile and quick to cook and needs minimum preparation I just love it. And I too took loads of photos today of the apple, pear and plum blossom against the bluest blue sky. I agree it is a beautiful spring. Off to sit by the pond now with a cup of tea and a home-made raspberry muffin. Mmm aren't we lucky to have allotments?

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  25. I love your photos of the blossom - so pretty. I can totally understand why you can't resist. On the subject of blossom, I was only thinking the other day that there seems to be a shortage of flowers on our plum tree, but like you, last year was a bumper crop. Maybe the trees need a breather for a year!

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  26. I love this story! At least the MP thinks you are a hard working woman which you are and so maybe listened to you a bit more. Your photos are beautiful, hard to capture things just perfectly isn't it? Yummy asparagus, I love a few please.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  27. What a lovely start to the week, I'm surprised you got any housework done with so many distractions! The blossom is wonderful and well ahead of the trees here! Sarah x

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  28. Oh, I love when everything is blooming and don't think I could get tired of pictures of these beautiful flowers! I think it's so wonderful that you grow your own vegetables. I'm sure they taste better knowing where they came from. Hope you're having a great day, CJ, and enjoying the nice weather!

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  29. i love all those photos- you have transported my to warm spring days, soft air, and the blossoms! please keep up the blossom p*rn for those of us down here entering a Tassie winter ... and i agree with you on the seasonal eating; that was how we all felt about green beans!
    enjoy your cleaning and your beautiful surrounds.

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  30. OH blossoms! Beautiful. It's wonderful to be out in the garden in the springtime. I love the smell of it!

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  31. How amusing! I love the photos of the different types of blossom too; it's tempting to take so many photos of blossom at this time of year as it's such a transitory thing. Love the little robin. Judy.

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  32. Haha how funny. I hate getting unexpected visitors while I'm having a cleaning day. I look positively terrible on those days. However I can't say I've EVER washed my front door !! I do live in an apartment so I guess that's my excuse). Beautiful pictures as always CJ.

    Alex x
    www.myfroley.com

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  33. Nice garden! My plum tree is only a few years old and fruited for the first time last year (absolutely masses of plums) but this year only three flowers :/

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  34. I have a security blanket cardigan as well! What a perfect way to describe it, ha! I wear almost daily and my mom pointed out the other day that it is stained. My other half is always joking about it saying "Is that a new sweater?"

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  35. Your beautiful words and blossoms are inspiring and remind me of lovely Spring days. Your garden looks lovely and your photographs are always wonderful, the asparagus looks delicious. I don't like it when people call in unexpectedly when I am wearing my old house cleaning clothes. :)
    xoxoxo ♡

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  36. oh that pear blossom is gorgeous. my pear tree I planted died........ now I've seen the blossom I may need to buy a new one x

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  37. Lovely blossom photos, isn't it a wonderful time of year when everything is coming into flower and growth :)

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  38. You're eating asparagus already!?! Crikey, and I was only just jumping up and down at the appearance of ONE spear a couple of days ago. (It hasn't grown anymore since and is still the only one.) I have loads of blossom here on all the fruit trees except the plum tree. There was blossom, in fact it was the first out, but recent winds blew it all away whereas the other blossom was only just opening. I'm resigned to maybe a handful of plums this year - as long as those don't just fall off with the June drop!

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  39. How funny, MPs and people like that always tend to come round just when I'm at my worst (badly dressed, or stressed and flustered for some reason...), and then I never know what to tackle them on until after they've left... I can see that your garden is way ahead compared to mine, we only have some damsons flowering now, and the apple buds are only just visible. Though the goldfinches or bullfinches have found some already and they have been damaged :-( Hopefully there are enough still to come!

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