The Cottage Smallholder

Celia's old walled kitchen garden

To write a blog for five years is something to be applauded. But to create a blog as inspirational and well written as Celia’s Purple Podded Peas blog takes true talent.

“I keep on thinking about what I would have done with all that time if I hadn’t been writing my blog,” mused Celia, “but then I wouldn’t have met other bloggers, or been discovered by galleries and so much more.”

Blogging is a social activity. In most cases it’s a celebration of being human in its broadest sense. Celia combines a wide range of activities and interests on her blog. She writes about her art, chickens (the under-gardeners), cats (the studio assistants), garden, travels, cooking, knitting, discoveries, triumphs and disasters – the list goes on and on and is far too long to detail here. If you haven’t yet visited, you can check it out here.

Celia’s blog is constantly surprising just as Celia is in real life. That’s why I climbed into The Duchess this morning and motored over the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk border to celebrate her blog’s fifth birthday today.

Su who writes the excellent blog Su-Living On The Edge was already sitting at Celia’s kitchen table when I arrived. The three of us had a marvellous afternoon, making videos for Celia’s, guzzling superb squash and apple soup, munching cheese scones, gossiping and giggling.

The shallow dragonfly pond

In between Celia squeezed in a live interview on radio Suffolk. Needless to say she was great.

I made the first video which is still lying on the cutting room floor. My finger over the lens took a starring role in many shots and that along with the shaky hand holding – what was in that cup of tea? – meant that the video could never, ever be released for public consumption.

the fairy fences (my monika) along the raised bed. Chicken proofing par excellence

Celia’s videos were a much more professional affair. You can check out the kitchen garden tour (take 2) here on her blog. As the videos were uploading from her iphone we indulged in tea and birthday cake. I wonder if Celia made a wish when she cut the first slice? I do hope that she wished for a long life for her blog.

I saw new things in Celia’s walled garden. A marvellous Grecian style hedgehog house made out of old paving slabs and a beetle condominium fashioned out of logs (check out the wild wood video tomorrow). I also learnt that two weeds that we have in our garden are edible – fancy a salad Danny?

But best of all I discovered that water forget-me-nots are a haven for newts. We have a very soft spot for newts in our garden so we’ll be investing in some plants as soon as possible.

Thank you Celia for a wonderful afternoon. You’re a good friend and blogging brought us together. And Happy Birthday Purple Podded Peas Blog – I can’t wait to celebrate the day that you reach double figures on your 10th anniversary.

PPP's 5th birthday cake

A quick Google tells D what an appropriate present might be for a 10th.
Traditionally Tin/Aluminium or modern day (US) Diamond. He is already setting aside a stock of empty beer cans!