Indoor Winter Harvest

We are in the midst of winter and not much is going on in the Bliss garden. The Viburnum Bodnantense Dawn is in flower and fills the garden with a delightful scent, the Winter Jasmin is doing its best to cheer up a bleak winter's day with its golden trumpets.

And there is of course the stalwart Viburnum Tinus, bless its brave little heart, about to burst forth in flower but apart from that, it's a bit dull outside.

So we turn indoors for our garden entertainment. Let's go to the conservatory where there is much to delight a gardener's heart.

 I have 3 citrus trees overwintering in my conservatory and they are such a fount of joy as they flower and fruit pretty much year round. Both my orange and kumquat tree are full of fruits so it's time to harvest them and turn them into

marmelade. I make about 7 to 8 pots a year. Not a vast production but enough to keep me in marmelade all year round. And of course there's nothing better than spreading your very own homegrown &made marmelade on a hot bit of toast. Yum!

Another useful plant I grow in my conservatory is Aloe Vera.  Not everything I grow is for eating; from my Aloe Vera plants I harvest 1 leaf about once a week and spread the contents of that leaf all over my face, neck and hands. Aloe Vera is added to many a skin care product because it is so very good for human skin. I go one better and use pure Aloe Vera. If you want to have a go at growing and harvesting Aloe Vera be my guest as they are so easy to grow but, please pay attention,  do NOT rub the stuff all over your face before trying a bit on the inside of your elbow. Wait 24 hours to check if you are not  allergic to it and then, and only then,  you can put as much Aloe Vera goop on your face as you want.

About  a year ago I bought 1 Aloe Vera plant and now have 5 of them. They grow like the clappers and produce babies by the bucketful. I love taking a bath after I'd put on a face mask of pure Aloe Vera as it's utter Bliss!

For my regular visitors:

It can't have escaped your notice that I haven't been blogging regularly these past few months and my visits to yours and other blogs  have been few and far between. Not by choice but of necessity as I haven't had much time on my hands lately. Both my aged parents are not very well and need a lot of extra care and attention. My mother has Alzheimer and is trying to cope with a body that doesn't function as well as it used to after suffering a minor stroke. My dad was rushed to hospital last November with an severe infection of bladder and kidneys. Shortly before Christmas we received the news that my dad also has cancer (prostate) and has to have an operation soon as the major artery in his belly is about to burst. Not good news as I'm sure you'll agree.

copyright 2011 Y.E.W. Heuzen