I always think that we're just the latest in a very long line of "keepers" of this house and its lovely garden. I feel very priviledged to live here and often wonder about the previous owners over the last 250 years.
If I had time, I would love to research the history of the house. I know that it was a working farm until the 1930s with the 2 cottages over the road belonging to the farm and lived in by farmworkers. Our neighbours' house is built on what was originally a cowshed. Next to them still stands a very derelict farm building. The original farm had a lot of acreage, some of which still remains around us and is farmed by a local farmer, the rest was sold off and new (in the 1930s to 1960s) houses were built and now form the larger village in which we live.
In our garden stands a very old Mulberry tree.
Tree surgeons have told us that the tree is at least as old as the house, which means that it's at least 250 years old. If that tree could speak what stories would it tell I wonder ?
Why does it have a very large, old, rusty chain embedded in it ? Did the numerous farmers over the years tether their horses to it ?
I wish there was someone who could answer all of my questions. But sadly I can only glean snippets of information from various sources until I have enough time to visit the local records office and village church to try and find out the story of our lovely old house.
Mulberry trees, of course, produce lovely mulberries.
But I have no knowledge of this particular fruit apart from the fact that mulberries look very similar to raspberries, but are much bigger. Sadly, the wasps seem to be able to get to the fruit long before we do and so this year's bumper crop has been half eaten by the wasps. But, there is still a fair bit of fruit on the tree and I would love to know what I can do with the fruit. Can it be frozen ? I wonder what it would taste like with the wild blackberries that we've been picking from the hedgerows ?
Any information would be greatly appreciated !
And this is Grace's pumpkin patch ... surrounded by Fort Knox to keep the rabbits out ! Honestly - they've got fields of stuff to eat and are obsessed with getting into our little pumpkin patch. Watch this space for progress on the pumpkin !
Sarah x
3 comments:
i love your house. it so nice ...
I grew up in a tree with a very large mulberry tree, which is still going strong. It is in an area associated with the Huguenots, who were great silk weavers and of course silk worms feed on mulberry leaves, so it may well be an original Huguenot mulberry tree (or so I like to think!).
The tree was struck by lightning many years ago and so now it grows bent over at a right angle, supported on metal stilts. Rather than being a difficulty this was very fortunate as it meant we could reach the fruit very easily. I would say that you can use it any way you fancy. My favourite is raw, eaten straight from the tree, but my uncle stews and bottles the fruit in syrup and stores it in large Kilner jars so we can all have it throughout the winter. Crumbles and summer puddings both work well too. Just be sure to pick and eat the fruit only when they are almost black in colour - any earlier and the flavour is slightly sour. Sorry this has come rather late, after the mulberry season - I've only just found your blog.
Great site, I think we all can learn something from your post.this is fantastic looking blog..and I love the way you write!I hope you pick up the blog again soon. I have blog about home gardening too, same like you, I love gardening so much.
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