I didn’t bother with sugar, lemon juice or cinnamon in top. I don’t like the taste of cinnamon. Really best made with zwetschgen plums but good luck with finding them in the shops. That’s why we planted 3 trees of that variety 11 years ago. it took a while but now we have a good supply. Just off to the orchard to pick some more

For a plum cake

Apparently this recipe is published in the paper every “fall” – of course they mean autumn! The plums are falling early this year and I will need to pick them quickly before I lose them

With thanks to the bees

Remembering that in its short but active life each bee will only make one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey. We treat each spoonful with great respect and gratitude.

See Dr Google’s description below. We are seeing many such holes and bees around The Gables this year

In the UK, miner bees, also known as mining bees, are a group of solitary bees that nest in the ground, digging tunnels and chambers for their young. There are over 224 species of solitary bees in the UK, with many belonging to the mining bee group (Andrena genus). They are important pollinators and are generally harmless, with their stings not being strong enough to penetrate human skin.