Monday 30 September 2013

If you go down to the woods today

You'll pass a small herd of alpacas, a few assorted large horned cows and you'll find lots of little fungi.






If only I knew exactly what I was looking at maybe I'd be making wild mushroom pasta right now.

We had a busy weekend full of all the normal things - football, books, a fast grocery shop, walking in the country park, more football and a bowling party for the eldest.  It was a bit rushed to be honest.  I'd like more time to just hang with the little people.  Everyone is a bit tired at the moment.  I've just held the littlest boy as he sobbed himself to sleep - he doesn't want to be in his new room any more.  He needs to be nearer to me in case he doesn't feel very well in the night.  He wants it all put back the way it was.  Oh dear.  Actually I want a few things to go back to the way they were - if only it was that easy.

I did a little garden tidying today while everything was nice and dry.  Underneath some dying peony foliage I found this little caterpillar and a cyclamen that I'd forgotten existed.



I do love these delicate little flowers.  This plant asks for nothing, quietly appears every year as everything else is dying, and blooms in an elegant understated way.  And the leaves, oh the leaves - beautiful.  Heartshaped and painted darkly, a perfect foil for the pale flowers.

I pulled up the borlotti beans in the garden, amongst other things.  Some of the pods were dry and contained the beautiful painted beans.  Some were still fresh, and the beans were a pale green.



I'll be making vegetable soup with a handful of them.  And maybe some houmus.  There aren't loads, so I'll be eeking them out.  The fresh ones are delicious, really worth growing.  I shall save some of the driest ones for planting in the spring.

I also found my new favourite salad ingredient, growing in between two rows of runner beans.


Delicious crunchy radish seed pods.  I planted a row of radishes between the beans ages ago, but they didn't really do very well.  However now there are these wonderful little pods to pick.  I know you can get a particular variety especially for the pods (rats' tail???) but these work just fine.  Other half ate them at lunchtime without even asking what they were!  Handy, if I ever feel the need to feed him anything suspect.

I do hope you have a good week.  I'm so tired I can't keep my eyes open, so it's off to bed for me.  Let us hope I am not required to be on call to the little people.  Sweet dreams.

25 comments:

  1. I hope you have a good night's rest after such an eventful weekend! It's amazing to see those alpacas so close! I always love your pictures, because they capture all the beautiful things around us. Sometimes I wish things could go back the way they were, too, but I'm sure your littlest will soon come to love his own room. Change is hard. Sweet dreams!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Kari for your sweet comments, they are so very much appreciated.

      Delete
  2. Oh! I feel for the littlest. I'm sure he will feel comfortable with the new routine and changes soon (something I have to remind myself of sometimes) and then he will love it and won't want to change at all. You find so many unique and photogenic treasures in your garden. It's great you (and your family) can utilize so many of them. And how cool is that alpaca? I hope you get the rest you need, CJ.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have to remind myself of exactly the same thing too. It's hard for me as well, to let go of this little boy. Together we will work it out!

      Delete
  3. Those speckled beans are so pretty. I didn't know what they were called. I think we have a different name for them here but now I can't remember what it is! Your poor little guy; it's so hard on everyone when they're having trouble. My son is almost unnaturally resilient but my daughter has some very emotional times and I feel for both of you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jennifer. It is heartbreaking to hear those sobs!

      Delete
  4. Oh, your tale of your little one sounds so familiar - hopefully with lots of cuddles and reassurance he will soon feel more settled.

    I had no idea you could eat radish pods. Do they taste at all like radishes?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Val. He's doing better now I think. The radish pods do indeed taste a bit radishy, and deliciously crunchy too. A bit like a sugarsnap pea in texture. I would use them in exactly the same way.

      Delete
  5. I sometimes wish things would go back to how they were too! Just a rewind button would be so good.

    Do you cyclamen self seed - ours crop up all over the place?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the cyclamen might have spread a little, but not much. They are quite neglected where they are and the soil is very dry and fairly poor. So I was really pleased to find them there.

      Delete
  6. It's so hard for little people to adjust to change sometimes, though I'm sure in time he'll love his new room. I find fungi fascinating but am hopeless when it comes to identifying it. I wouldn't dare eat any I found.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The cyclamen are so beautiful. They started popping up here at the end of July, but they are only now really coming into their own.
    Amen to the rewind button.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Apparently alpacas are like camels in that they bite, smell and spit! I always grow a few borlotti beans which, as you say, really are worth growing.
    I hope that littlest boy settles down in his new room. Flighty xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do remember you saying that about camels as well - it sounds as if it is from the heart Flighty, or from bitter experience maybe?! The littlest is settling down now, I think it was just a little wobble.

      Delete
  9. The borlotti beans look like little eggs! I remember the days of room change-arounds and the mixture of excitement at making the new room cosy and the guilt at the child in question changing their mind! I'm sure he'll love it in the end.xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They do look like little eggs. I can't stop running them through my fingers and looking at them. I'm hoping he will love it. I think he would miss it if it went back to the way it was.

      Delete
  10. Change can be very difficult for some children. Heartbreaking. What lovely surprise you had with the Cyclamen. I think they are very pretty. I might get myself a few trays from the garden centre. I hope you have a sleep fuelled week, CJ. Sending love frome the far South West!

    Leanne xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Leanne. Change is quite hard for this grown-up too I'm afraid!

      Delete
  11. Poor little man. And I hear you about the tiredness - I was in bed at half eight last night, just conked out. Onwards and upwards, eh ? :o)

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a shame after the excitement last week your son doesn't like his new room anymore. Hope he has more settled now. I wish there weren't dangerous mushrooms around too! I have never eaten radish seed pod.We usually pull them out before they reach that stage next time we will have to let them go to seed.
    Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
  13. I hope your littlest is more settled tonight. Our youngest has been full of tantrums and waking in the night and very overtired - it's all a reaction to starting school. Those dried borlotti beans are so beautiful. x

    ReplyDelete
  14. I would have loved to see those Alpacas!!
    Id also love to have a garden!!
    You're blessed xx
    Tammy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hopefully you'll have that garden one day. Maybe an English one...

      Delete
  15. I love your mushrooms - wish I knew what I was looking for too, but I'm not brave enough to take the chance. Great to spot and capture though.

    Nina x

    ReplyDelete