27 Oct 2019
What to do with quince? How about spiced?
From the moment I discovered the edible fruits of flowering quince (Chaenomeles japonica), I desperately wanted to try the perfumed real thing - the fruits of the quince tree Cydonia oblonga - without any idea of what to do with them. As ever, I've found out by doing it.
Labels:
edible garden,
plot to plate,
quince,
Recipe
Posted by
Caro
at
16:25
Seasonal recipe - Swedish Pickled Beetroot
~ the first beetroot I grew ~ |
So there I was, glancing through the titles on the bookshelves of the new family I was babysitting for when I spotted an intriguing title. 'Swedish Bakes'. Who doesn't love a cinnamon bun? I prised it off the shelf and settled down for a good read.
There were many very, very tempting recipes to be found but the one that really spoke to me (not literally, that would be too weird) was not a bake but a pickle. For beetroot.
Posted by
Caro
at
16:20
8 Oct 2019
Goji Goji Go!
My plant of the week :) and why you should grow them ...
This is another of my £2 supermarket 'twigs' - the Goji Berry, occasionally known as Wolfberry or Duke of Argyll's tea. Residing in a middle sized pot and parked just inside the shade edge of the lime trees in the Car Park garden, it has (over several years) grown to be a single lengthy arching stem with two straggly branches, a few leaves and no fruit. Pretty pointless, I'm sure you'd agree.
Last autumn however, it wheedled its way back - not so much into my affections as into whatever piques my interest. It bore fruit. Or rather, a fruit. One tiny glowing red berry shining through the autumn gloom. So, naturally, I was expecting greater things from the plant this year.
This is another of my £2 supermarket 'twigs' - the Goji Berry, occasionally known as Wolfberry or Duke of Argyll's tea. Residing in a middle sized pot and parked just inside the shade edge of the lime trees in the Car Park garden, it has (over several years) grown to be a single lengthy arching stem with two straggly branches, a few leaves and no fruit. Pretty pointless, I'm sure you'd agree.
Last autumn however, it wheedled its way back - not so much into my affections as into whatever piques my interest. It bore fruit. Or rather, a fruit. One tiny glowing red berry shining through the autumn gloom. So, naturally, I was expecting greater things from the plant this year.
Labels:
edible shrub,
Fruit,
goji berry,
permaculture
Posted by
Caro
at
22:42
14 Sept 2019
Catching up with myself
I feel an explanation is warranted.
This year, with the Blog of the Year winner’s trophy sitting on a nearby shelf at home, I’ve been shamefully neglectful of putting time aside to write. Sometimes, the muse just disappears or there’s little to tell; but this time I actually have a few good reasons for my absence here.
Labels:
butterflies,
Car Park Garden
Posted by
Caro
at
18:31
29 Aug 2019
15 Practical and beautiful ideas from The Skip Garden
While writing about the imminent closure of The Skip Garden in Kings Cross, I felt a twang of nostalgia looking back through the seven years of photos that I'd taken during my visits. It's a garden that I'm familiar with, and it hasn't changed much over the past four years, but I still get a buzz of excitement as I head towards the gates.
There's always something new to see, small or large - whether it's bird boxes made during a workshop, different crops in the skips, fresh ceramics, or a parquet floor patio made from scaffolding boards. Totally inspiring, unexpectedly beautiful.
This year the chicken house/coop had gone, in its place stood an intriguing incomplete new structure and newly built empty wooden planters waiting to be filled. I assume the planters were destined for a local business as the gardeners are hands on in the local community. There were also several planters of herbs by the kitchen patio - I love a herb patch and looked to see what was thriving in the sunshine. And immediately added it to my list of practical and beautiful ideas from The Skip Garden that I'm sharing below.
There's always something new to see, small or large - whether it's bird boxes made during a workshop, different crops in the skips, fresh ceramics, or a parquet floor patio made from scaffolding boards. Totally inspiring, unexpectedly beautiful.
This year the chicken house/coop had gone, in its place stood an intriguing incomplete new structure and newly built empty wooden planters waiting to be filled. I assume the planters were destined for a local business as the gardeners are hands on in the local community. There were also several planters of herbs by the kitchen patio - I love a herb patch and looked to see what was thriving in the sunshine. And immediately added it to my list of practical and beautiful ideas from The Skip Garden that I'm sharing below.
Labels:
container garden,
food growing,
ideas,
Skip Garden,
upcycling
Posted by
Caro
at
17:46
28 Aug 2019
Return to The Skip Garden
I, We and The Planet.
Those five powerful words underpin the work of Global Generation, the charity bringing youth, community and enterprise together in London. Why am I writing about this? Well, with everything that's happening in the world today, those words seem particularly relevant - and I visited their flagship Skip Garden in Kings Cross last week.
I make an annual pilgrimage to the Skip Garden - it's a short walk from where I have my car MOT done and the kitchen café serves a fine coffee and freshly-made food. But it's all about to change, again.
Those five powerful words underpin the work of Global Generation, the charity bringing youth, community and enterprise together in London. Why am I writing about this? Well, with everything that's happening in the world today, those words seem particularly relevant - and I visited their flagship Skip Garden in Kings Cross last week.
I make an annual pilgrimage to the Skip Garden - it's a short walk from where I have my car MOT done and the kitchen café serves a fine coffee and freshly-made food. But it's all about to change, again.
Labels:
community,
grow your own,
Kings Cross,
Skip Garden,
Story Garden
Posted by
Caro
at
21:00
13 Jun 2019
How to use fresh calendula to make a soothing oil
Let me say right now that I've only just made this for the first time because it sounded so lovely. Calendula (pot marigold) has so many uses; not only is it a cheerful, pretty flower with edible petals, it's also a good companion plant in the garden deterring hornworm (the caterpillar that may eat/destroy tomato plants) and it's known to be beneficial for skin complaints. Combine it with the moisturising and antioxidant qualities of olive oil (or sweet almond oil) and you have an effective natural remedy for cuts, grazes, sunburn or for soothing dry skin.
Posted by
Caro
at
11:01
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