The July Garden

The wisteria is flowering again and smelling wonderful.

Lettuce is enjoying the shady corner.

Gatekeeper butterfly on a hebe.

My flower of the week: Buddleia Black Knight.

Strangely I haven't seen any butterflies on it.Nasturtiums

The marguerite that originated from my paternal grandmother's garden.

I have forgotten the name of this astillbe. I bought one plant 18 years ago and have divided it and spread it throughout the garden.

Clematis Minuet rambling over Photinia Red Robin.
Love-in-the-Mist self-seeds everywhere.

At the allotment I have risked uncovering the Asparagus Peas (we have rabbit problems). The pods are beginning to form. I think that these are pretty enough to grow in the flower garden.

I have just about finished picking the raspberries and blackcurrants. The glut has been put in the freezer. The mice are eating the strawberries!! I haven't seen the snake again since OH saw her in the compost heap. We think there are eggs in there so we will leave it alone for a couple of months. Courgettes are doing well as always! Last night I thinly sliced some baby yellow ones and added to our egg pasta and sugar snap peas for the last minute of cooking. I stirred in green pesto and sprinkled with basil leaves and parmesan. Jay announced that he loves the courgettes like that. I feel blessed that I have children who like fruit and vegetables, but then I have given them a variety of both since they were old enough to eat them.

I spent the first half of this morning baking and these cakes are cooling in the kitchen at the moment. I have to keep a close eye on Maurice as he is a cake thief!

This is my usual drizzle cake but instead of lemon I have drizzled it with some homemade elderflower syrup.

Lavender Shortbread. This is the first time I have made this using the Rivercottage recipe.

Banana Crunch.

This is a family recipe that I loved as a child (still do) and my children love it too.

8 oz butter or margarine
8 oz rolled oats

8oz granulated sugar

8oz plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 large eggs, beaten
2 - 3 bananas, depending on size

Greased baking tray

1. Melt fat in a large saucepan.

2. Stir in dry ingredients.

3. Combine mixture with the eggs. Stir well.

4. Spread half of the mixture over the base of the baking tray. Thinly slice the bananas and arrange evenly over the mixture. Cover with remainder of mixture.

5. Bake in the centre of the oven at 180'C for approximately 20 minutes, until golden brown and risen.

6. Cut whilst hot and leave to cool in tray.