It's Christmas Time, The Blackcurrant Harvest Has Begun
Hello friends,
Christmas is closing in on us, and the biggest way I can tell is that our blackcurrant harvest has begun.
When we moved into our home in October 2019, we noticed that we had a big blackcurrant bush in the back yard, and every year around Christmas since then it has supplied us, and the local bird population, with a huge harvest of blackcurrants.
The harvest has started early this year, after I spotted some overripe blackcurrants splattered on the ground in front of the bush over the weekend. So I grabbed a container and started picking.
It wasn't long before I'd picked a whole container worth of juicy ripe blackcurrants. After a good wash to remove any detritus and bugs, I placed them in an ice cream container for freezing. I tend to bulk freeze blackcurrants, and then bring them out in autumn to process them into other stuff. The first black currant harvest was 475 grams, so I think it'll be a good harvest over the next month.
The harvest is usually so bountiful, that between us and the birds, there is still a lot of blackcurrants left on the bush, so this year I plan to pick more than what we need for the year, freeze it away, and then use them to swap for other produce in our local produce swap Facebook group. We don't have space for apple or pear trees, so it's a good way for us to have access to other fruit in autumn.
This is the last blog post for 2023. Hubby and I go on holiday this Friday, and after a rough year health wise, I really need a good break to rest and recuperate over the Christmas break. I still plan on taking photos and videos for the blog over that time, and will begin posting again sometime in January.
I hope that you and yours have a wonderful Christmas and New Year break.
Have a wonderful day.
Julie-Ann
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Spring Is Here
Hello friends,
Tomorrow may be first official day of spring, but out in the garden, spring is definitely already here. I thought I'd share with you what's happening here in the garden right now.
Daffodils: In my opinion the more tiny or frilly a daffodil is, the cuter they are. And they look even better when they're in a bucket.
Crocus: A number of crocuses are flowering in the garden, but I don't know what varieties they are, they were planted by a previous owner,
'Roses: My hybrid tea and floribunda roses have burst their buds, but as yet my new damask roses and climbing roses are still slumbering.
Blackcurrant: My huge blackcurrant bush has bust its buds as well, and it won't be long before it starts flowering. Its fruit is usually ready to harvest the week between Christmas and New Year.
Apricot: My two year old dwarf apricot tree has burst it's buds, and has started flowering. We will have more frosts between now and October, so I don't know if we'll get any fruit. I'll try and remember to put frost cloth on it in the meantime.
Rhubarb: My rhubarb plants have started to grow, I really do need to finish their garden bed. Hubby started "fixing" it last autumn, and it still isn't finished...
Quince: My quince tree has also bust its buds. It's still too small to carry any wonderful fruit, but I'll still be happy to see it flowering this spring.
Elderberry: Our self-seeded elderberry plant that grew all on its own in our garden has burst its buds as well. Elderberry shrubs grow wild all around Dunedin and Mosgiel, it's technically a weed, but I love popping out in the garden to collect elderflowers in late spring, and then elderberries in autumn. I love getting free food.
Plum: The plum street growing out on the street outside our home is now flowering, and its petals are like pink snow blowing all around. I love spring blossom.
Do you have signs of spring in your garden yet? I'm loving the longer, sunnier days...and I can't wait for summer to get here.
Have a wonderful day
Julie-Ann
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