It’s the summer and we’re actually getting some decent weather for once. My family are visiting my garden this weekend, and I’ve been thinking of some ways to keep all the members, who range from two years old to 85 years old, entertained.

Naturally, I’ll introduce them to my chickens, who live in a coop from Eggshell Online. They are friendly little birds and the many children of friends and family who have already visited my garden all love them. They are specially friendly chickens and I’ve worked hard to tame them so that they come running when I call, or shake a tin of food. I have 10 chickens at the moment, and whenever I have guests I always make sure that I’ve saved enough eggs to give each guest a little box from my hens. I have already grown used to the daily blessing of fresh, warm eggs in my hand as I walk away from the coop. But guests still see it is one of the loveliest take home presents. Guests also get a little hand-tied, homegrown bouquet from me as a token of my appreciation. Shouldn’t they be giving me gifts? No: their presence is the gift.

The hens also provide the eggs for the cakes that I always serve family and guests when they come round. I like to offer a range of cakes for guests, including one sponge, one fancy sponge, one fruit cake, and one clever loaf. The fancy sponge can be something like cardamom cake, and the clever loaf an earl grey cake. Cakes make people happy and eating them is not (or at least should not be) a solitary activity. We all spread ourselves out over the lawn to eat them, and chatter and joke as we do.

We also play garden games in the afternoon, from giant pick-up-sticks, to human statues and hide-and-seek. I am trying to create a sufficiently flat and well-seeded lawn for croquet next year, but that’s a bit of a pipe dream at the moment.

Article in association with Eggshell Online.

 

 

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