Computer update, I’m typing this on my old laptop, waiting for parts for the main machine, and hoping I can salvage some of my old files, I’ve found some but suspect many old photos are gone. I know I said last time that they are only files and on one level they are, but I MISS them. Or maybe I just miss the concept of them, after all the memories are still there; I don’t need any physical manifestation to re-live them.

We went up to Kent last Friday, I had a medical at work and #2 daughter was free for lunch, anyway I left Yvonne at Bluewater (Shopping Mall) with Naomi and went to the Doctor. On my return I found them for lunch.

I was surprised after a year in the country just how busy the mall seemed, and how noisy, and how I found that I hated it. And Yvonne thought the same, after a year in the country it seemed so alien with everyone rushing around. When we lived 20 miles from it, it was a place to go on a rainy day; it’s lost its appeal now, I had trouble coping with it all, and found myself longing for open fields. Everyone was dressed and acting in roughly the same way, and seemed too busy to be enjoying themselves.

It was so nice to get home, take the dogs out and potter in the garden, my early strawberries have finished fruiting and are putting out runners. I read that the plants should be moved every three years so I’m catching new plants in pots of compost, once they have good roots I’ll cut the runners and pot them on. Next year I’m growing them in troughs and baskets, it’s easier for pest control and will free up space for other things.

We have a huge Comfrey plant in the front garden; if you chop it all down it grows back in a matter of weeks. The leaves are great added to the compost bin, and you can also make a superb plant food. You need a large container with a lid and a tap, some chicken wire and a heavy weight.

Scrunch the chicken wire up into a ball and place it in the container covering the base. (place it so that the leaves do not block the tap) Cut the leaves off the plant, roughly chop them and place on top of the chicken wire. Put the heavy weight on top and put the lid on, now ignore it for about 6 weeks.

If you turn the tap on after 6 weeks you will get a thick brown, rather evil smelling liquid. Dilute this 15:1 and water your fruit and veg with it. It has more nutrients than some fertilizer that you can buy.

You will find that you get more than you can use, it makes a great gift for gardening friends that don’t have the comfrey plant. And by the time you have the first batch made, the plant has grown back and you can start again.

I've made the Pea Pod wine as well, 4 lb of pea and broad bean pods from the garden, it's good that I managed to use the pods, because I think I got more pods than peas and beans in the end.

Here they are boiling away, with added orange and lemon rind, it's fermenting in the airing cupboard and should be ready for Yule,it's a pity that you have to wait so long. Hopefully by next year I will be drinking this years. Next to come will be Blackberry, one of my favourite fruits.