cordial greetings

Elderflower cordial, that is. Most years I make a refreshing elderflower champagne which is a lovely and mildly alcoholic summer drink but this year I'm having a go at a cordial instead.

elderflowers growing at the bottom of the garden

I'm lucky to have elder growing at the bottom of the garden but the hedgerows hereabouts are also laden with gorgeous white flowers so no shortage of raw material. Now, If only I had my own lemon tree!

There are plenty of recipes on the internet but I'm going to use the one on the BBC Food site. It uses citric acid as a preservative which is fine as I want to keep the cordial to dilute when I want with sparkling water.

Everything on the plot is looking as it should do at this time of year, most things having caught up in the recent good weather. We are starting to harvest crops and have had the first carrots, onions and peas, in addition to a steady stream of new potatoes and salads.

some of our first carrots, grown in a plastic flower bucket.

The ladder garden that I cobbled together last year has been pressed into service as a home for lettuce.

ladder garden leaning against an apple tree

Last year it had spring onions and radishes but I have them in small pots dotted around the garden this time. Vertical gardening is a great way to make use of spare bits of space in order to maximize cropping potential. I'd still do it even if it wasn't for the simple reason that I love messing around and making things. Most of the materials I get for nowt or for a knock-down price which is an even bigger incentive for a Yorkshireman!

For those of you unfamiliar with our motto, here it is:

     Hear all, see all, say nowt;

     Eat all, sup all, pay nowt;

     And if ivver tha does owt for nowt

     Allus do it for thissen.

Translations are available via the internet!