We’ve had some lovely tea parties. We’ve had hot days under the shade of the gazebo, as well as a chilly day and one very windy day both sending us inside to the dining room. Bookings are still available in January for teas but I have decided to take a break from the market for a month to catch my breath. I have made so many cakes I’ve started calling out flavours in my sleep. I have also met some really lovely people both at tea and at the market. I truly appreciate all the amazing comments and support from everyone.
Alex ploughed the vegetable garden and my new flower beds for me so I’ve laid some stepping stone paths and started planting. The paving stones are just set in the soil so that they can be easily removed if we need to plough the ground again. It's much better for the soil and the worms not to use machinery but if we had forked it by hand we would have been there until next Christmas. Working as always on a tiny budget I have planted the flower beds with plants out of our collection. This is no fancy nursery selection, it is cuttings we have taken and plants we have rescued along with some seeds I’ve collected and grown over the years. I found some $2 bargains at our local diy store and my sister Daniela gave me four clumps of peonies from her garden as well. Reusing, recycling, working with what we have (plus scoring the odd bargain) is very important as it saves us money and is kinder to the environment. I have also planted 4 tea bushes (camelia sinensis) in the vege garden. I plan to fill the gaps with herbs like chamomile and peppermint to create a little tea garden.
Parts of l'orto may be looking a bit bare but others are producing well. It's great to see the rewards already and keeps our enthusiasm up for next summer.
We have been extra busy this month because Daniela has opened a pop up shop at The Tannery called Bombo. Her philosophy is the same as mine: reuse and recycle when you can and if it’s new it should be sustainably produced and natural. Daniela is a designer and stylist and she often helps me style the tea tables. You can find vintage and vintage inspired home wares and clothing at Bombo to style your own tea parties at home. She will be opening her full store in the New Year so more on this next month. www.facebook.com/bomboltd/
We didn’t have any lambs this year as we sadly lost our old Suffolk ram Albert. He had become quite frail so we decided the kindest thing was to call the vet in. He was a terror in his day, he used to chase and head butt us if we didn't keep an eye on him. He sent mum flying across the yard once, it’s amazing how strong they are.
We did have some fawns though. Just look how adorable this one is.
Meanwhile back in the kitchen… Christmas cakes and more Christmas cakes.. Plus one of the many cheesecakes, a flower cake, and a couple of cakes I call 'garden style' as they are completely covered with flowers and foliage.
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