Gooseberries

I picked the gooseberries! And a few stray strawberries!

Emma's Blackcurrants Jam.

Ooh I was lucky enough to be given a big bag of freshly picked blackcurrants last night when were at some friends' house for dinner...

Remove the stalks and wash the blackcurrants and put in a large pan.

  I used 1.5kg of fruit, cover with 1.25l of water and simmer for 20 minutes until the skins have broken.

Add the juice of 5 small lemons and 1.5kg of sugar..I used jam preserving sugar. Bring to a boil at 220F using a thermometer. I boiled mine for about half an hour testing every 5 minutes for a setting point by scooping a little out onto a cold saucer and seeing if it wrinkled when pushed around. Be careful not to burn the jam.

Pour into sterilized hot jars and seal immediately.

7 jars and a little pot of tasting jam!

Label when cool.

Karate grading.

Different coloured belts for different grades, all ready!

The Senseis discuss the students' performance...

The belts all wrapped and waiting...

The only blue...5th Kyu.....

Garden roses.

The roses are enjoying the current heat.

I can't remember the name of this, but it's a lovely shade of pink and smells wonderful.

New Dawn rambler...tiny yellow buds opening to cream petals.

Campanula..it flags in the heat so I keep chucking a bucket of water over it to keep it perky.

View over the Shibden Valley after hay making.

I had to stop the car as I was driving over Queensbury to take these, the view looking down to the Shibden valley is amazing from there.

Vase of roses

Gorgeous pink roses in my Rob Ryan vase.

Iris

I'm thrilled to bits! I planted a mixed assortment of bulbs and 2 Irises have come up and flowered.