Friday 5 March 2021

This and That

 Last Fall I brought a few Geraniums in to spend the winter on the closed in porch.  Two were beyond saving but the other three are now pruned and back on the porch waiting for the nights to warm up before I can put them out. I was especially glad that the Vancouver Centennial one survived and looks quite okay.


 Something else I did today was to make peach/orange jam. Or maybe because of the oranges it would be a marmalade? I did use the entire oranges but since they weren't organic I cut the peel off first, boiled it a while, then strained it before adding it to the rest.  The peaches were some of the ones we bought and froze last Summer.

I'm rereading Elizabeth and her German Garden, a book my middle son gave me for Mother's Day 2018. I know this because he wrote in it, not because I have such a good memory.
I think I'm enjoying the book even more than I did when I first read it. I especially like how she refers to her husband as the Man of Wrath. The book is semi-autobiographic and apparently the author really did have a strained relationship with her rather stern husband.   If you've read the book I'd love to hear what you thought of it.

Thanks for coming by,  G.M.




23 comments:

  1. I will be watching to see your geraniums in full bloom before very long. This made me think of my grandmother’s beautiful red ones which she wintered over inside every year. Your marmalade looks delicious and so pretty in the little jars with red-checked tops.

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  2. I would like to read that book, as my first husband was a very stern and unloving German! I bow to your ability to overwinter plants! That is hard to do. Now you have geraniums that are going to bloom their heads off this year!

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  3. Your geraniums will be blooming before long! :)

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  4. It looks like your geraniums fared well over the winter. I had to give one up that I had overwintered for several years when we sold the house because I had no place to keep it. Your jam looks absolutely wonderfully tasty and pretty in the jars.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  5. So glad that your plants have survived. The jam looks so tasty. I haven't come across the book you refer to but will now look out for it.

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  6. It is not easy to bring the Geraniums over the winter. But there is some "green hand", who knows what to do!

    The marmelase looks delicious! Fine idea to bring orange and peaches together.

    Some books become better and better, when we read them more than one time. I also have such books, which I read after one or twe or three years again - -.

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  7. Your geraniums look really healthy. I kept some in the greenhouse over winter and they don't look too good I'm hoping they may pick up a bit.

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  8. Roger would love the peach/orange jam.....I have not read the book. Makes me wish I had. The geraniums appear to be awaiting warmer weather anxiously.

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  9. I love Von Arnim and recently started reading German Garden for the second time myself. She makes me laugh out loud. H.G. Wells called her the most intelligent woman of her time.

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  10. The marmalade sure looks good. The geraniums look like they did well over the winter. You have a nice weekend too. :)

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  11. I've not read that book, I'm putting it on my list of books to read. I started to purchase a new geranium this past week, but passed it by. I love them but the last few I've had didn't do well for me so I settled for begonias instead!

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    1. Geraniums didn't do well for you and I on the other hand cannot keep Begonias alive. Plants are strange that way.

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  12. My overwintered geraniums are just showing a few flowers. They are a lovely scented variety. Your marmalade/jam looks delicious.

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  13. I've never made peach/marmalade jam, but it is so tasty, and yours looks delicious! Always feels good to use up and put up what we have! The book you are reading sounds quite interesting! We are enjoying the beautiful sunshine we've had for the past few days :)

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  14. Tom had poor luck with his geranium cuttings this winter, but we still have a few, and some of the old plants.
    Your jam sounds good.

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  15. The jam looks so good! Have a nice Sunday!

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  16. Many years ago, Elizabeth and her German Garden came into my possession and I so wish I hadn't let it go again. I would love to re-read it. One thing I remember was her description of doing their laundry - I think it was once a month? It sounded horrendous :)

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  17. You are amazing with flowers. I could never keep a geranium alive through the winter. I could never whip up a batch of preserves as easily as you do either. Both look so pretty. Sounds like a good book, but I've never heard of it. Wish I were more of a reader.

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  18. sounds like an interesting book! I am glad for your flowers! so lovely about the jam you made also! (I am writing a comment back to you on my newest blog post FYI) :)

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  19. My geraniums are dead!
    I think I will also make some jam, orange one.

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  20. I have read that book and still have it in my Kindle. I remember enjoying it (it was a long time ago!), but I also remember thinking she was sort of a self-centered person. Don't remember the details. ;) That jam/marmalade looks great!

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  21. A vida é feita todos os dias, não espere a sexta-feira ou o feriado para ser feliz. Cada dia da vida vale a pena ser bem vivido, pois cada dia pode ser especial.

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  22. GM, I'm happy your geraniums made it through. I have only one, and it seems to have found a spot on our enclosed front porch for the winter that made it very happy. It bloomed the whole time! It's now back on the back porch in the air. I'm quite happy with it.
    Yes, I read Elizabeth and Her German Garden a few years ago. I LOVE the movie "Enchanted April" which was made from her book of the same name. It's very good. I also liked the garden one. Her Man of Wrath husband died, and then she remarried, and I think her second marriage was much worse! Ah well. Her books are rather fun and tongue-in-cheek, but I think her life was rather difficult. But it's a lovely book. You've made me want to go back and reread it.

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