My sister sent me a picture to ask if I could identify this plant that was growing in her garden, she was wondering if it was a pepper plant.
I did recognise it straight  away it was Datura stramonium  common name "Thorn Apple" or "Devil's Apple"it is a very distinctive plant, once you've seen it you will not forget it.
In 2004 I did a course at the Botanic Garden on the Isle of Wight for the 'Certificate in Plantsmanship' . One of our assessments was to write about a plant family and the one I choose was the Potato Family (Solanaceae). The reason for choosing that family was that it has such a diversity of different plants, from important food plant to very toxic. D. stramonium being one of the poisonous ones, and the pepper plant a food crop. So my sister wasn't that far of at least she had the family right!

I've  looked the essay up and posted it, maybe you find it a interesting read, or you might fall a sleep....

To Clean or not to clean....

Well actually that is an easy one, not today.
Still knackered after Isle of Wight Festival 3 days on.... God what a great weekend despite the mud, just a great excuse to meet up with mates and meeting new ones, and to have great time, so glad I got the wellies that I ordered in time, didn't we need them too!
Wasn't that interested in the line-up this year but so enjoyed Jessie J, even more chuffed that my 15 year old daughter loves her. Positive vibes that's what we want and Jessie oozes them by the bucket! She rocks.

My daughter in jeans jacket on some nice person shoulders!

Oh and we had Madness too, well that was a trip down memory lane, the countless times I've seen them live in the early days, still such fun. A mate text me backstage to come down and say hello to Suggs. Well what do you say? So I didn't.

I don't want to wish the summer away, what summer I hear you say....but roll on BESTIVAL!!!

How to start?
Don't know why but thought it time to write down bits and pieces. I sometimes look back on things that I have grown, made or cooked in the past and can't remember how I did it. So maybe this is a good way of writing it down, and who knows it could be a good way to get in touch with like minded people and share receipts and ideas. I think I'm running away with my thoughts now.
My grammar isn't as good as it should be, another good reason to start blogging.

This year the garden is a mix of good & bad things. All the rain has made the slugs and snails come out by the MILLIONS, it's the 1st time ever I've used slug pellets around some of my bedding plants and vegetables. The borders look great, I've never seen them so full bursting with flowers. But the fruit cage isn't doing so well, the strawberries could do with some sun now, they are all getting mouldy and so are the courgette plants, their fruits keep rotting off. I pruned my white and red currants a bit to hard last year, lovely new growth but not one currant. Lots of black currants so have to do something with them. Raspberries still very tiny and far from ripe. Last year I made jam on June 20th, didn't happen this year.
Tomatoes and chillies all good, already got some ripe tomatoes and chillies.

Today was finally a dry morning and I went out into the garden to pick some elder flowers  (Sambucus nigra) for making Elderflower Cordial or presse (if you're posh)
This cordial is lovely with sparkling mineral water on a hot day, really refreshing. I save some little plastic water bottles, poor the cordial in them and freeze the bottle's, then take them out when I want them and keep a bottle in the fridge. This way it doesn't go off so quick.

Elderflower Cordial


25-30 elderflower heads (remove as much of the stalks as possible)
5 oranges sliced
2 small lemons sliced
2kg sugar
100 gr citric acid monohydrate (can buy this at the chemist)
2 litres of boiled but cooled water


Clean bucket


Boil the water and let it cool. Place the elderflowers, sliced oranges and lemons in the bucket and pour in the water just to cover the blossom. Place a loose fitting plate or lid on top of the bucket and leave it somewhere cool and dark for 2-3 days.

Strain the water from the flowers through a fine sieve into a large saucepan, measure the volume of the juice and add approx. 750 gr of sugar and 1 tablespoon of Citric Acid per 1 litre of juice.

Heat the saucepan gentle, do not boil, stir until the sugar has dissolved completely.

Pour the liquid in the clean little plastic bottle's.

                                                                     Enjoy