Green Metropolis

Apologies for my absence over the last week or two and for not being able to respond to comments as usual .. I'm hoping to be back to something approaching usual service soon!

Meanwhile, I thought others out there might be interested in Green Metropolis, which is a site I just started using for recycling my vast collection of paperbacks. Basically, you list your available paperbacks as available and if someone wants to buy one then they pay Green Metropolis £3.75. Of this, £3 goes to the seller (who then posts the book on to the customer) and a donation is made to the Woodland Trust. Sellers have the option of donating any money they make to the Trust as well, which is what I intend to do. Its a great way to buy paperbacks, too, because a new one is £6.99 or £7.99 in the shops so you can get a used one in excellent condition for half the price and save some trees!



I've been listing my first batch of books this week and found the site very easy to use - quick and helpful and efficient - you just type in an ISBN and the database does everything else for you. So if it sounds like it might be of interest, I'd recommend popping on over and having a look.

Chicory

Continuing the 'blue skies' theme, the first chicory flowers opened yesterday.. I haven't grown this herb before (you may remember I bought one from Herbal Haven at the Capel Manor show) so it was with great delight that I found it in all its glory.

Dave from Osage and Orange posted a beautiful piece in defense of chicory a while ago, in which he mentioned that the flowers only open for a day. So I grabbed the camera immediately! The plant has thrown up a very tall spike which has many many buds, so although the two blooms from yesterday may not last, I am hoping for more to come.

Blue Skies

We've had fair weather and blue skies this week and I'm reminded how soothing it is just to look at the sky and the clouds drifting by. I've been in need of calm and fresh air .. so here is a little post dedicated to cool, blue, fresh air and calming skies.



Vervain just coming into flower, silhouetted against the summer sky.



Sky-blue borage blooms against slate roof tiles.

Garden Update

Just an update on what's happening in the garden today... some purple-podded mystery peas



and a lovely bowl of heritage dwarf french beans for my tea tonight!

Summer Solstice

Today is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere .. the longest day. The day when the sun which warms and energises us reaches its finest hour in our part of the world. Many cultures have revered the sun, often as a powerful 'Father' figure.. and it feels appropriate that we celebrated Fathers' Day last Sunday, in the same week. And many religions have some kind of festivity or celebration around this time towards the end of June.

I am in the habit of having a little barbecue in the roof garden one evening around the time of the longest day, and hope (weather permitting!) I might be able to do this over the weekend. Usually a very simple affair using one of those little disposable barbecue trays. I just enjoy being able to sit and eat outside in the evening, and stay for a while enjoying the light and warmth. Its a great opportunity to appreciate the garden in its full flower and be grateful for the sun's energy which brought it all to life.



Astronomical explanation of the summer solstice

Twenty facts you didn't know about the summer solstice

Produce

I am happily harvesting produce from my little vegetable garden in the sky. Granted, there is no danger of my vegetable-growing supplying anything like our total household requirements! But that was never the point of the exercise.. rather to be involved with the life-cycle and changing of the seasons. But at present, I'm finding that there's nearly always something fresh to add to each meal: a strawberry or two to slice on top of my morning cereal, a sprinkling of radish and spring onion to garnish my lunchtime salad and a handful of carrots to enjoy with my main meal in the evening. And this is just from a couple of window box containers.. which means anyone anywhere can grow their own fresh organic veg!