Thumbelina and her Giant Sunflowers

Toward the end of August, the sunflowers in our garden had grown to such a tremendous height that they towered over me like I was Thumbelina in the land of the giant flowers.  I have always loved these brightly coloured flowers that seem to add warmth and happiness to any place they happen to bloom in, but it was after watching the Edible Garden's Alys Fowler grow sunflowers with such enthusiasm to attract bees and other beneficial insects into her garden, that I felt inspired to do the same.

Transforming our Freshly Harvested Figs into Caramelised Semi-Dried Figs

With our harvested figs taking over all our kitchen worktops, it was time for an action plan, so we decided to experiment with drying or dehydrating the fruit in an attempt to extend their rather limited shelf life (and hopefully be able to use our dining table again!).