Summer feels a long time ago as the winter weather bites even harder. How I long to be warmed by the sun, kissed by the moon and surrounded by the wonderful scent of the lavender in the garden. Walking in the paddock today I'm hoping for another bumper crop from the fruit trees. Last summer the peach, fig, pear, plum and apple trees gave us an abundant crop of fruit. Jay and myself made peach and pistachio confiture, peach and lavender sugar confiture and the most delightful tasting dessert sauce, which went very well with vanilla ice-cream.
The freezer is full of figs and I'm looking forward to making ice cream, drying the figs and of course making the obligatory confiture. During last summer we made sublime sourdough bread, unfortunately my starter has died and I am having to make a new batch, which brings with it new hope and aspirations for the coming year.
The potager is sleeping and I cannot wait to be able get going and start to grow our vegetables. I am enjoying poring over seed and plant catalogues and reading my trusty allotment gardening books, what excitement awaits! I am planning our next building project, the chicken coop and pig pens, getting ready to welcome our new members of the family in the spring time. Not too sure how our two Jack Russell's Penny and Justice will take to these additions?
Only six weeks to go before spring starts to arrive, there are signs throughout the garden as the bulbs are pushing their way through to herald the beginning of warmer weather.
I will leave the last word to Albert Camus, "In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer" How very true!
