Tuesday 30 July 2013

GORGEOUS NEW HYDRANGEA.....and
CHERRIES IN SEASON.


PHOTOS: SOPHIA HOME







Hydrangeas.....one of my absolute favourites.
Usually quite 'purist' in my taste for these bountifully, beautiful, frothy delights......the length of our back deck area is underplanted with quite a number of Hydrangea 'Annabel' which this year have established in to a sea of stunning white, softening the hard landscaping and creating an uplifting glow at night.





However, I could not resist this beautiful pink and white Hydrangea 'Macrophylla' from our local farm shop at the weekend.  Large pale pink petals, delicately edged with darker pink....which almost 
look hand painted.  
I shall enjoy its loveliness inside for a while, before planting outside in the Autumn.








My route back from our local farm shop takes me past acres of beautiful cherry orchards, one of several fruit crops that Kent, the 'Garden of England' is well known for.  As with most good things, cherries made their way to England via the Romans (many a Roman road had cherry trees along its length, sprouted they say from stones spat by marching legions!), their cultivation was continued first by monks, then after the dissolution of the monasteries, by the large estates.  King Henry VIII ordered cherry orchards to be planted in Kent, where they enjoy well drained soil and a sheltered climate. These are a sight to behold in the Spring, with acres of stunning blossom.  Their fruiting season is short.....often only two weeks.....but a number of 'pop up' cherry stalls can be found at this time, on the edge of the road, or in the case of our local one down the lane.......set up in the orchard itself where it is always such a lovely seasonal tradition to drive in and pick up a punnet of these dark, delicious treats.




So sweet and juicy.....they rarely last long before being eaten...but if you can resist consuming the lot before even getting home.....then a cake seems a lovely way to capture the short lived 
cherry season!








This is a recipe form Rachel Allen's cookbook 'Bake'.....I love Rachel's recipes and have several of her books.....when it comes to cakes and puddings, it is usually to her that I turn to 
for inspiration.




Today, to celebrate the cherry season, I would love to share her 'Cherry Crumble Cake'......delicious, and perfect to double up as a dessert with creme fraiche or whipped cream.....

CHERRY CRUMBLE CAKE

350g (12oz) juicy, ripe fresh cherries (weight after stones have been removed)
150g (5oz) self-raising flour
pinch of ground cinnamon
50g (2oz) caster sugar
1 egg
30ml (1fl oz) milk
100g (3.5oz) butter melted
Icing sugar, for dusting

For the crumble topping:
25g (1oz) plain flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
25g (1oz) caster sugar
25g (1oz) butter, cubed

20cm (8in) diameter spring-form/loose bottomed tin

Preheat oven to 180 degrees (350), gas mark 4.  Butter the sides of the cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.  Remove the stalks and stones from the cherries using a cherry pitter if you have one, to keep the fruit whole, otherwise cut them in half and discard the stones.  Set aside.

Sift flour and cinnamon into a bowl, add sugar, mix together and make a well in the centre.  Whisk the egg, milk and melted butter together in another bowl, then pour into the dry ingredients and combine with a wooden spoon or whisk.  Beat well to make a thick, smooth mixture, then spoon in to the prepared tin and spread evenly.  Scatter the cherries over the mixture and gently press them in with the back of a fork.

To make the topping, tip all the ingredients into a bowl.  Rub in the butter with your fingertips to make a crumb-like mixture and scatter the topping over the cherries. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Leave in the tin for 10 minutes until cool enough to handle, then run a knife around the edge and remove from tin.  Allow to cool and dust with icing sugar.


Yummy.......Bon appétit!

I hope you are having a lovely week....

Sophia xx



Friday 26 July 2013



HAPPY FRIDAY!
SO NICE TO BE HOME.....AND ANOTHER FRIEND'S INSPIRATIONAL GARDEN...

PHOTOS: SOPHIA HOME




Happy Friday everyone!
How has your week been?  Certainly HOT here in the UK!  Temperatures topped 34 degrees while I was in London for a few days this week, and without the cool breeze that we are usually blessed with here at home, being positioned on a hill, it was a scorcher!  However, with plenty of ice cool drinks and 'cool' thoughts, I survived the heat and had a lovely few days staying with my daughter and youngest son who share a flat in town.

Photo: Sophia Home

Exploring, interiors research and shopping were a real treat, as were the delicious meals and time spent catching up with the busy lives of all three of my children.  On Wednesday afternoon, I visited the beautiful 'Chelsea Physic Garden' which is an absolute gem of a garden dating back to 1672 and a real oasis, right in the heart of Chelsea, and I look forward to sharing my pictures of this with you next week.  The interior and antique shops of Pimlico Road were another highlight.....one of my favourite areas of town.

So in all, a great few days and I have certainly had my 'urban fix' for a little while......but it is always so lovely to come home!

***


'Hole Park', Rolvenden, Kent...


Today I would also love to share with you, another friend's beautiful garden, a mile down the road from me here in Kent.
As my regular readers will know, I started a small gardening group earlier in the summer....a lighthearted series of get togethers planned with four other keen gardening girlfriends over the summer months.....to share our gardens with each other, and of course have a nice excuse for a coffee and a chat!
Last week, we met at our friend Clare's stunning home and garden. Clare lives at Hole Park, a beautiful country house which I have had the great pleasure of helping to redecorate in recent years.....an inspiring and very enjoyable commission which had the special added bonus of producing a lovely friendship with Clare and her husband and their family. Hole Park has a very special garden, which is in fact open to the public.  Designed by Clare's husband's great grandfather in the 1920's, it boasts fifteen stunning acres of formal gardens, surrounded by 250 acres of wooded parkland......it is a must to visit, if you are ever visiting our beautiful part of Kent.





Planted with extensive yews, broad lawns, old walls.....a series of 'rooms' unfold....






Vibrant borders and gravelled pathways.....

















Lead to quiet secluded vantage points....to sit and admire......







Beautiful statues.....





Ponds....





Croquet lawn overlooking the pool....




Ancient standard 'Wisteria'....








A peaceful place to sit and contemplate
 the beauty...



Intricate inlaid paved pathways....



and garden ornaments....



The formal structure complimenting and providing the perfect backdrop to a profusion of glorious summer shrubs and flowers....



My favourite part.....a sunken 'dell' with a pond surrounded by rich planting and majestic 'Gunnera'...





A cool retreat from the summer afternoon's heat!



After a very pleasant couple of hours private tour....it's back to the house for tea....



A very big thank you to Clare for allowing me to share just a few snaps of their beautiful gardens with you......but I do urge you to please visit these stunning gardens for yourself if you are ever in this lovely part of Kent.  Early spring brings a spectacular display of Daffodils, followed by the vibrant colours of the Rhododendrons and Azaleas.  Late April and May showcases the magical woodland walk with its sea of beautiful bluebells, and after the summer beauty, autumnal colours bring the opening season to a glorious end....truly a 'Garden for all seasons'.

***

Wishing you all a very happy weekend!

Sophia xx

Monday 22 July 2013




IT'S A BABY BOY!

CONGRATULATIONS WILLIAM AND KATE!

XX

Saturday 20 July 2013


BEAUTIFUL BLACKCURRANTS
AND A DELICIOUS CORDIAL...





This is the first year that we are enjoying our own lovely fresh blackcurrants from the fruit cage that my husband lovingly built over last winter.  I say 'lovingly' built, because it really was a labour of love......what I think set out to be a modest sized enclosure, soon grew in to quite an impressive wooden structure measuring 9 m's/12m's! He is still adding the finishing touches to it, and I shall share a picture in due course, but it is well on its way to producing enough fruit to start a 'pick your own' farm!  The blackcurrants sit happily along side red and whitecurrants, both cultivated and wild strawberries, raspberries, goosberries, honeyberries, blueberries and wineberries and figs......he even has a Kiwi tree growing which will 
 be interesting to watch.....I gather they can grow well in our climate, which I was surprised to hear! 





This morning I harvested our first precious blackcurrant pickings and turned the one kilo of these little black beauties in to a delicious cordial.....




Having read up on them, I learnt that we have been cultivating these little vitamin C bombs in this country since the 17th Century, and that they grow extremely well in our climate.  During the second world war, when other sources of vitamin C were scarce, almost the entire crop were sequestered by the government, turned in to cordial and delivered free to Britain's children.

British blackcurrant growers now grow 5,000 acres of blackcurrants, producing up to 30,000 tonnes of the fruit per year.  However, 95% of that crop goes towards making a certain well-known blackcurrant cordial, which is one reason you don't often find fresh blackcurrants for sale in the shops.  Some pick-your-own farms sell them, and you can often buy them frozen at the supermarket.  Failing that.....have a go at growing your own!


Blackcurrant cordial:

500g blackcurrants
275g sugar
250ml water
1/2 tsp citric acid

In a heavy based pan, simmer the sugar, blackcurrants and water gently for 5 minutes.
Using a potato masher, break up the fruit to release as much juice as possible.  Add the citric acid and simmer for another 2 minutes.  Strain the mix through muslin and pour the extracted liquid into a sterilised bottle and keep in the fridge.


Drink it diluted with still or sparkling water......





Or add a little to a tall glass of bubbles ....champagne, prosecco or cava....




To create the perfect 'Kir Royale'.....



             



Cheers!

Hope you're having a lovely weekend.....

Sophia xx






Friday 19 July 2013

FRIDAY FLOWERS....

All photos: Sophia Home








It's Friday.......hurray!
Temperatures still set for high over the weekend and in to next week too.....it's a shock for us Brits to have such glorious weather.....but we're not wasting too much time getting over that shock....we are embracing it with time outdoors, picnics, barbecues, visits to the coast and enjoying our parks and gardens....just making every minute of it!  I shall be enjoying the sunshine here at home this weekend....getting on with projects, and enjoying the peace and quiet, before a busy and fun few days in London planned for next week.





What does your weekend hold?




Whatever it is you have planned,  I wish you a very happy weekend, and share with you my 'Friday flowers'......trailing 'Petunias' on wirework shelves, above standard 'Marguerites'......





'Cosmos Purity'.....





         'Hydrangea Annabelle' beneath the deck....



Photos: Sophia Home







and 'Kiki'......always happy to 'pose' for the camera......especially on such a beautiful day!






*****

Sophia xx