What have you done in the garden today? Part 9

[Jimmyneutronsforehead]

Welcome to part 9.

We love hearing about all of your gardening adventures, purchases, tips and tricks and very worthy boasts about what has gone well for you, as well as all of the behind the scenes bloopers.

We're well into the growing season, after a long wet and windy start to the year and a fast and hot spring.

We also love hearing about what you've made from your garden forage.

We are just about out of peony season, but this recipe was beautiful especially in a sponge cake, mixed in with a glass of lemonade and with my morning yoghurt and oats.

Wipeywipey's peony jam (soft set, syrupy) recipe:

I removed the petals and steeped overnight with 1 mug water per flower head, squashed the petals through muslin in the morning (no longer than 12hrs). I did a rough recipe of 1 good mug of sugar to every 2 medium heads, and 3 tablespoons of lemon. It is a wonderful golden magenta colour and tastes a lot better than it smelled when steeping and cooking (quite woody).

for a firmer set

per 1 head of petals, 1 cup of water
Steeped in freshly boiled water for 10 minutes- a large French press works
Brought back up to a boil on the hob
Add 1 cup of sugar per head of petals (or a full bag if you use 4 petals), reduce to a simmer and gently mix in the sugar until dissolved
Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Add 2 Tbsp pectin powder, seived in slowly
Bring to a boil again for a minute or 2
Let cool just enough to jar up safely without burning your hands.

We are also out of magnolia season, but if I can find the magnolia syrup recipe for drinks, mead and wine, I shall post that once I've found where I got the recipe from or the book I wrote it down in. It's very similar to Wipey's peony recipe, with optional additions like ginger and spices.

Please feel free to share any of your garden favourites ❤️

I usually do a bulb lasagne with tulips but I don't ever plant them until very late October/early November. They are usually pretty successful and I try and buy tulips that are either Darwin or Triumph type bulbs as they seem to have the strongest stems. I no longer buy doubles, despite how pretty they are as if you get a lot of rain, they droop.

I will be planting some dwarf daffs in the next couple of weeks but I am definitely not going to buy any more than what I already have as I am cutting down the amount of pots and tubs I have done in the past.

My arthritic, painful thumbs are going to thank me for this.

should have mowed again yesterday
rain today
looked at buying some irises.
need to plant bulbs

I had a lovely morning yesterday lifting and dividing things in the place I volunteer. Despite the rain, it’s amazing how dry the soil is even eight or nine inches down.
Then mowed the lawns at home which was hard going as it was so wet, a trip to the tip to dispose of grass cuttings then I sat down and ordered some dahlia tubers to be delivered in spring while the varieties I’ve liked this year are still fresh in my mind. Ordered a few other things too, Geum Totally Tangerine, alliums, dwarf daffs.
I don’t think I’m going to bother with tulips this year. Last year was so wet, those that did come through didn’t last long.