Autumn Fruits

 Nature is truly amazing....despite the drought the Jacobean lilies on the left, which are so stunningly elegant,have appeared as well as the paintbrush lilies below and the bees love them. Their flowers appear first and then the very broad green leaves, beloved of the snails, appear next. We had only a sprinkle of rain on Wednesday but it was enough to wake a few things up. I have started to harvest the walnuts now as they are splitting their skins and dropping the nuts on the ground when there is some rain to encourage them on.

 Everything needs cutting back now and it isn't easy to know where to start. Probably anywhere is alright. The lavender bushes have been done but the succulents are another matter. I would like to propagate some of them as they are so hardy and survive our dry climate reasonably well. the snow-in -summer has been earmarked for a ground cover in the rose garden. We are trying to make a list of roses we both can live with...I like perfumed ones and Brian wants ones that look good to him, doesn't care about perfume....we will see!!

 Yesterday we went and had lunch at the Currant Shed. It is a lovely setting with the charming cumquat trees all like small umbrellas against  a background of vines and tall trees. The food was very good we found, I had the saltbush lamb and Brian the dry aged beef with a glass of Hoffmans shiraz/cabernet, they no longer have their excellent merlot unfortunately, but the shiraz was great. The bill was not to be sneezed at but we have to remember to keep the local places going and keep people employed.

Today I took photos of all the fruit our place produces. The Kalamata olives on the right are looking plentiful but wont pick them till they are that lovely deep purple and that may not be till June or certainly late May.I do them the easy way, soak them in rainwater and change the water every day for a fortnight. Then put them in flagons with bayleaves and origano and a brine which is closed off with olive oil. Change the brine after a fortnight or so and then they sit there till needed and they will keep for a year if they are not eaten before then .

 The quinces on the left are being eaten by the parrots but there are plenty left for us to make quince chips with. I brush the fur off the quince cut them in eight portions and cook them in the same sugar solution I do sticky figs in. Cook them in a big pot for and hour and let them stand till the next day. Bring to the boil again and cook for another hour and let them stand. Drain the chips in a slotted spoon and put them on trays of a dryer and dry for aprox 18 hours. It all takes a bit of checking to see if they are the right consistency. Roll in caster sugar and keep in jars.
Everyone loves them and it is easier than paste.

Brian's pumpkins have been a bit of a disaster this season as were mine. I cannot seem to grow the Queensland blue pumpkin which I think is the best pumpkin, only one year have I been successful with them. At least Brian's butternut pumpkins have produced a fair number the photo on the right shows only portion of the patch. His JAP pumpkins which were so good last year came to nothing this year...JAP stands for Just Another Pumpkin...... at least I will be able to make pumpkin soup and scones and.......