This is another beautiful work group activity. Harvesting elderflowers to dry for our new tea for kids which will be called Tea Party. I'll post the label design once it's ready. Many of us also made a fizzy drink out of the fresh flowers. It's important to use the European elderflower. Here's the recipe -
Elderflower Sparkler
3 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups hot water
4 large fresh elderflower heads
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
juice and pared rind of 1 lemon
4 litres of water
Mix the sugar with the hot water. Pour into a large glass or plastic container. Add all the remaining ingredients. Stir well, cover and leave for about 5 days.
Strain off the liquid into sterilized screw-top glass or plastic bottles. Leave for a further week or so. Serve very cold. Tastes good mixed half and half with fizzy water.
Check out the work of this intriguing artist. Makes me want to try making little scenes to photograph.
Alex Mcleod
This is the beginning of my attempt at photographing the honey bees on flowers. It involves lots of holding still and trying to be invisible. This purple flower at the bottom is creeping charlie. The pale purple is thyme and the pink is a rose from the climbing roses on our porch. I was so thrilled to catch the bees on the roses today. It's been raining so much lately I was afraid the roses would finish blooming before we got any sun.
I've started selling bouquets of flowers at the Green Barns Market in Toronto. They're $5.00 each and are either wildflowers, garden flowers or herbs. Hazel is holding a herbal bouquet with chive flowers, chamomile, mint, oregano, and lovage. They're going over well and it's lots of fun to see how they change each week.
