Garden Diary: September 2018

Bountiful, generous September…

Despite the lack of rain our little quince tree has been so laden with fruit that I’ve harvested them early to avoid the branches breaking under their weight. Basketfuls have gone to friends and neighbours and now our kitchen is filled with their sweet fragrance.

I’m planning to make a batch of membrillo for eating with Christmas hams and cheeses but they are also delicious simply roasted with meat, made into jelly or baked to eat with ice cream and yoghurt.

Art has taken precedence over my garden this month as I’m working on a series of portrait studies.  A great deal of trust is involved on the part of a sitter in agreeing to such a high level of scrutiny and it is a real privilege to be allowed to simply stare. My aim is to make a likeness and, when and only if magic happens, to express the inner ‘essence’ of the sitter. It’s a challenge I don’t underestimate.