Blackcurrants

I was delighted with the first significant harvest from our four blackcurrant bushes. Last year they had just been planted and we collected a very few berries but today I have 3lbs worth and these made up into 7 jars of jam, plus a little extra which we sampled in a sponge cake with cream.

Haylage

Arrived home to find that we had had rain of 'biblical proportions' as a local friend described it! This didn't do the hay any favours and it ended up getting wrapped to make haylage, which like silage preserves itself by a fermentation process. Puss came to survey the result and didn't seem impressed with the black aliens in her field.

Summer wedding

Makes a lovely change from summer weeding! I travelled down to Somerset with eldest son Tom for the wedding of my nephew James and got a chance to catch up with my brother and sister. I was surprised to find I co-ordinated so well with the event's colour scheme!

More jam

At the moment our nearest supermarket is selling local strawberries at a reduced price, so I've been using these and supplementing them with my own alpine strawberries to make more jam. It's been a revelation working in small batches and just using a saucepan instead of the preserving pan. It also helps that I have a collection of jars ready and waiting and now tonight I've been designing and printing suitable Hill Farm labels.

Haymaking

Finally the weather looked settled enough to cut the grass ready for haymaking. Of course as soon as this was done we had a deluge ... but the wind has dried it again and today the twizzler came.

Plant combinations

The wind earlier in the week caused my foxgloves to collapse amongst the red cabbage to truly stunning effect. Whilst I spend time working out my planting combinations nature manages to excel with seemingly no effort.

Supports

Dave is fixing up wire supports for my 'The Generous Gardener' rose from David Austin as I hope to eventually train it right across this wall. Something else we saw done superbly at Felley Priory!

Nacreous sky

Tonight we have nacreous clouds forming in the sky. I believe the rainbow like effect is caused by ice crystals refracting the light as the sun starts to drop down to the horizon. My menfolk are watching football but I would much rather be watching the sky!

Sparrowhawk sighting

This is the first sparrowhawk that I've seen at Hill Farm. I had to use the internet to identify him but the yellow eyes appear to provide definite confirmation. Not a welcome visitor when so many baby birds are around.

Breakfast

A pretty, and pretty tasty breakfast this morning making use of our little alpine strawberries and our omni present borage! I can't believe we've reached July already ....