Planting Tulips for Spring… But My Husband Had Other Ideas!

Planting tulip bulbs for spring should have been simple… until I along with my husband, went shopping and turned my carefully planned colour scheme into a bit of a pick & mix surprise! 🌷 Welcome back to Welsh Farmhouse Garden, where I'm working through my November gardening jobs, planting tulips around our fruit trees and preparing for a colourful spring here in West Wales. This week I'm also repairing some old drawers I've used this year as planters in the polytunnel, making our little bog garden more wildlife-friendly following a lovely subscriber's suggestion, and enjoying a few unexpected visitors! Mealy the cat gets herself into trouble, our chickens are never far away, and we even have a little bird to rescue from the farmhouse fireplace! Then we're heading into the kitchen to make a traditional Welsh favourite — Bara Brith. It's a deliciously moist, fruit-filled tea bread, perfect with a generous spread of butter and a lovely cup of tea. I hope you'll enjoy spending another gentle week with me at our Welsh farmhouse. ❤️ 🌷 TRADITIONAL WELSH BARA BRITH RECIPE Bara Brith means "speckled bread" in Welsh, named after the dried fruit scattered throughout the loaf. It's a much-loved Welsh tea-time treat, made by soaking dried fruit in strong tea overnight, making it beautifully moist and full of flavour. This is the modern, easy-to-make tea-loaf version, rather than the older yeast-based bread. Ingredients 400g mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants and sultanas) 300ml strong hot black tea 100g dark brown muscovado sugar 250g self-raising flour 1 teaspoon mixed spice 1 large egg, beaten A little honey for glazing (optional) Welsh salted butter to serve Method 1. Place the dried fruit in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the hot tea, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Cover and leave for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, so the fruit absorbs the tea and becomes plump and juicy. 2. The next day, preheat your oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional / Gas Mark 4. 3. Grease and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with baking parchment. 4. Sift the self-raising flour and mixed spice into the soaked fruit mixture. Add the beaten egg and stir until everything is thoroughly combined. There's no need to drain the soaking liquid. 5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and level the surface. 6. Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until the loaf has risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 7. Allow to cool on a wire rack. If you fancy a lovely glossy finish, brush a little warmed honey over the top. 8. For an even better flavour, wrap the cooled loaf and leave it for a day or two before slicing. Serve in thick slices with plenty of salted Welsh butter and a nice hot cup of tea. Absolutely delicious! Store in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze individual slices to enjoy another day. Thank you for spending some time with me. Your lovely comments, suggestions and encouragement mean so much, and I really enjoy sharing our little corner of Wales with you. If you enjoy gentle gardening, wildlife, traditional farmhouse cooking and the changing seasons, we'd love you to join us. New videos every Friday. With love, Tracey 🌿 #WelshFarmhouseGarden #PlantingTulips #BaraBrith