Googling Gooseberries

Kingston Lacy, near Wimborne Minster in Dorset on Saturday.  Two and a half hours drive away but I'm attempting to fulfil my husband's desire to visit every National Trust property in the book.

The rain held off for our picnic although the air was damp and humid and  a thousand tiny flying black insects wanted to share it with us.

In the Japanese garden

they were holding a tea tasting ceremony

which we walked past but didn't partake.  I usually try and keep moving in public places now,

 avoid too much eye contact....never quite sure what Robin might say to an unsuspecting member of the public - or their child or dog.

In the walled vegetable garden fennel and 

its fronds.

 Paths between the beds lined with Calendula marigolds and

rows and rows of new sweet peas twisting round bamboo canes - butterfly fragile.

In the rose garden...magenta and 

 pale gold.....and in the long blue and white border  by the house -

Agapanthus for my uncle H in Canada 

and for my grandfather - in memory of Knysna, SA.

Supper when we got home - a celebration of the first broad beans, the first green beans -  all from the farmers'  market - ours at the allotment are a long way off.

Today was my favourite kind of day - no appointments - husband in the company of dear people morning and afternoon. I spend some of it in the hot sun at the allotment, weeding, picking, breathing.

Come home in time to make lunch with bags so heavy I contemplated leaving them behind and going back with the car to collect them. But I'm too impatient, can't wait, so lug them all the way -  which isn't that far -  only about 8 minutes -  and unpack a box of strawberries, two boxes of red currants, two huge lettuces - one floppy, one crisp, eight stems of perky asparagus, five globe artichoke heads, a fat bundle of slender pink rhubarb and the heaviest of all  - nearly 4 kilos of gooseberries.

Now I have the happy task of deciding what to do with them. My allotment neighbour who has even more of them than us suggests jam, chutney, cordial, sauce, crumble, fool and freezing them. Up to now I haven't loved gooseberries  - all that sugar required to make them edible.

 But they look fit to burst with such juicy promise that I'm going to put my prejudice aside and Google gooseberries.