Beloved Lavender

Summer is almost gone, but the fantastic scent of lavender is still alive in the flowers we had cut and dried and it will be preserved in nice fabric bags for the next season and beyond.

The north wall of the Queen's Orchard has a colourful border of lavender in different shades of purple-blue, light blue, lilac, and also pink and white flowered spikes.

Each variety shows different characteristic in shape, colour, and also scent.

Hybrid varieties of Lavandula angustifolia such as "Grosso" can have longer spikes and a very strong scent, other varieties are shorter or have a lighter fragrance but they can be richer in colour as "Peter Pan" and "Hidcote" with their dark purple flowers. But if you are looking for some unusual colour you can have a look at the hybrid "Edelweiss" with its white spikes, or at the "Rosea" variety, the one with pink flowers, that also presents a quite sweet honey-like aroma.

Better be sure the variety you chose has the right characteristic you are looking for before plant it into your spot, anyway lavender is a gorgeous plant and can show its best in any kind of garden, from a formal bed to a country cottage border: for sure bees (and humans) will love it.

Last but not least: Lavender is also good for cooking, and we have a "lavender recipe" for you from the Pebble Soup's blog, enjoy it!

Lavender biscuits aka Cookies à la Lavande

Ingredients

125g butter (soften)

175g flour (sieved)

75g lavender sugar* or caster sugar with 1 small tablespoon lavender

2 drops of vanilla

Method

In a bowl mix the butter and sugar until fluffy (use a hand-mixer or fork)

Add the lavender sugar and the flour, mix it all together

Leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven 200C = 180C fan = 400F = Gas mark 6

On a floured board, flatten the mixture and use a shaped cutter or a cookies press to make shapes.

Place the biscuits on a baking tray covered with baking parchement

After 8 minutes take a look and cook a little longer if necessary up to 12 minutes no more.

*Lavender sugar. To make your own, requires patience (a month of) but it's worth it, and makes nice presents. 1 tablespoon of lavender per 100g of caster sugar, seal in jars and leave for a month. Sieve it before using if you don't want the bit or use as such.

Strawberry Time

It's time for strawberries picking!

We have been busy every week since the beginning of June choosing the reddest, freshest, and juiciest strawberries from one of our raised bed around the formal pond.

The garden strawberry is a very easy plant to grow even if you don't have a large space, a pot on your balcony can be a suitable home for it. Direct sunlight exposition and daily watering are the best ways to grow this plant and get its sweet and pretty scarlet fruits.

Actually strawberries are not just red! We have white berry plants with just tiny red dot seeds on the surface of each fruit. This special quality of strawberry has smaller fruit than a common strawberry and it is know as "Pineberry" because of its pineapple-like flavour.

If you feel inspired by this tasty fruit why you don't try one of the recipes of  Pebble Soup' s blog?

Rhubarb-Strawberry Meringue Pot

Ingredients

450g rhubarb cut into 4cm/1½in chunks

Golden caster sugar

About 10 strawberries halved & tailed

2 eggs separated

Method

1. Put the rhubarb in a saucepan sprinkle over 50g/2oz of the sugar and stir together. Cook for 20 minutes until tender.

2. Allow to cool slightly. Stir in the strawberries then the egg yolks. Divide the rhubarb mixture between four 175ml/6fl oz ramekins. Put on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 10 minutes until lightly thickened.

3. While the rhubarb is cooking, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Sprinkle over half of the remaining sugar and whisk again. Gently fold in the rest of the sugar. Pile the meringue on top of the rhubarb to cover it completely and swirl the top. Return to the oven for 10 minutes until the meringue is puffy and golden. Serve immediately.