On the grill in late summer, along the Swedish west coast.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson & CM Cordeiro 2019

Spring is often the more colourful season, with trees coming back to life and flowers blossoming. Bees are a delight to sit and watch as they make their rounds around the garden flowers. Come late summer and early autumn, the garden tends to take on a more varied hue of green. We’ve managed to change that some over the past few years by growing different types of garden friendly vegetables. Or at least, Swedish west coast garden friendly vegetables. The Swedish west coast has relatively shallow soil with rocky soil beds that need clearing out before planting. So we built a few sand boxes and experimented some to see which vegetables felt at home in them. Carrots were a hit a few years ago. This year’s harvest is also interesting with garden sweet peas, Västerås cucumbers (great for pickling) and different types of lettuce. A small harvest of tomatoes also seems on the way. Most delightful are the herring wood barrels filled with rainwater. We use them to water the plants, “indoors-outdoors, can-can”.

It rained a couple of days ago, so these herring wood barrels that we use to collect rainwater filled up nicely.

Small tomato harvest on the way.

Sage.

Different varieties of lettuce in the box, with garden sweet peas growing on the bamboo lattices.

Meanwhile indoors, small cat, snacking. This one has spent the entire summer outdoors it seems. His first full summer out, and he seems to love it. An outdoor cat that loves to sleep in sometimes. Will catch and eat all sorts of insects and brings home gifts to his human friends.

Big cat, in armchair. This one had an unfortunate accident and spent about 10 weeks in early spring lost outdoors. A kind neighbour brought him home to us, for which we are grateful. This one’s an indoor cat that loves to stroll around the garden sometimes. Butterfly watcher only.

Garden sweet peas.

Västeråsgurka, harvested. To be pickled.

Rosehip or nypon. In Sweden you can buy nypon soppa, a thick cream made of rosehips. Else, you could also grow your own and harvest in autumn.

Calendula or ringblommor. One of my absolute favourite flowers to brew into a tea, together with a couple of sage leaves.

Rosemary.

Starting up the grill for the evening meal.

Meat in marinade.

From garden box to table.

Dinner.