MAGNOLIA SOULANGEANA

Magnolia soulangeana is a wonderful tree, often planted in pride of place in front gardens.  But watch out - eventually it will grow huge and they’re not easy to keep pruned.  Nevertheless, it’s hard to beat - for the ‘springtime’ feeling it brings, if nothing else.

EASTER TREATS

                         

I look forward to putting up the ‘Easter tree’ as much as the Christmas one.  I’m not sure when I started this - or why - but I love watching the Blackthorn branch that I bring inside instantly blossoming once it’s in a vase of water.

At last the purple sprouting broccoli is ready after 10 long months battling caterpillars, pigeons and the ravages of a very hard winter.  I shall savour every mouthful and ignore complaints about tough stalks (it doesn’t have tough stalks, at least not until the very end of the season....)  The great thing about this crop is that you harvest it when not much else is around and that includes caterpillars that have a habit later in the season of lurking among calabrese stalks and only coming to light once you’ve served them onto a plate, lightly steamed within the florets.  Yummy.