Scotney Castle children's events

 As the weather is so inclement at the moment, I'm looking around for other activites to keep the children amused. I found this activity at Scotney castle and forgot how much I loved and missed the place, despite it being on my doorstep. It appears to be a whole host of activites for children arranged around the theme of 'seeds' and they are free! (apart from your basic admission charge) and run for the whole of March.

Anybody in Kent or Sussex should definitely pay a visit at least once as it's a truly magical location, very hidden like a forgotten world. There is a lovely little rocky grotto, vast landscaped gardens, a stately house and a tumbledown moated castle. I'm sure there's a plethora of information on the internet about the history, so look it up! Spring and Autumn are the best months for the garden in my opinion.

Berry Meringue Pie (with added garden rhubarb)

As the afternoon turned colder today, I felt like baking something sweet. I turned to Nigella for inspiration, and checking against my cupboard ingredients this recipe for Redcurrant Meringue Pie seemed to fit the bill, although I replaced the ground hazelnuts with almonds and the berries for some local farm shop summer berries and the first of my garden (semi-forced) rhubarb. I have to say it was delicious with a dollop of cream on the side!

Berry/Rhubarb Meringue Pie
Serves 6

Dough
100g plain flour
25g ground hazlenuts/almonds
15g caster sugar
75g softened butter
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon iced water to bind
21cm flan dish

Filling
250g rhubarb/berries
30g unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornflour

Meringue topping
3 large egg whites (previously separated)
160g caster sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar


1.Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. To make the dough, combine the dry ingredients in a food processor and briefly mix. Add the butter and egg yolk and blitz for a minute, then slowly add water to bind to a loose dough. Remove dough and wrap in cling film, chill for 20 mins. Roll out the pie dough, cover a 21 cm pie dish with it and chill again for 10 minutes. Blind bake chilled crust for approximately 10 minutes, until cooked but not browned. Give it some time to cool down before you add your filling.

2. Meanwhile, place your berries/rhubarb in a pan with some sugar, a little orange juice if you wish and a little water if necessary. Cook until slightly syrupy, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.Mix the egg yolks with 150 gr of the sugar, the melted butter and the corn flour. Add the egg yolk and flour mixture to the cooled fruit and stir in well, try not to break the berries down too much. Put the berry mixture into the baked crust and spread evenly. Cook the pie for 15 mins until the berry mixture is set.

3. While the pie is cooking, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, add half of the sugar and continue beating until you have a firm, shiny meringue. Add the rest of the sugar and the cream of tartar. Spread the meringue over the hot berry mixture, completely covering the fruit. Sprinkle a little sugar over the meringue and return the pie to the oven for about 10-15 minutes checking until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature, if you can wait that long!

The best laid plans....

I thought I might share with you some of the plans I have made from my plot and how they have evolved during the past month. I have attempted to employ some crop rotation here, you will see my plot revolves around 4 basic beds, a,b,c and d. There areas that remain unchanged are the fruit beds, asparagus bed, strawberry/rhubarb bed and composting area. We are not allowed sheds or any buildings at all on our plots, so I have not incorporated an area for that purpose, although I do include an area specifically for the children. This year I will be making a bean tepee covered in creeping flowers and runner beans (I have to say I have no love for eating runner beans, they are just for coverage and donation!)

Original first draft plans for 2011, showing crop rotation. This sketch show what I grew last year and what should replace it.

 

 Basic Plan for 2011

Revised plan

 Redesign 27/02/2011

  As usual when I plan, I discover that I have been frivolous with my seed purchases and not stuck to my original idea, meaning I never have enough space. I get too excited! This year I will plant my brassicas like broccoli, sprouts, etc where the peas and beans are once the early varieties have finished. Goodness knows where the red cabbage will go!

March

A fleeting glance through window pane,
Led me to belive we had respite in rain,
but walking forth from door to car,
I reliased we were by far, a month away from spring.

The biting wind and chilly air,
Withdrew my breath with sudden care
as birds tallied in the flapping gale
I felt betrayed by March's wailing song

Precipitation stops play

Ok, to start you off, today was supposed to be fair and mild, but turned out fairly rainy, wind and coldish. So not to be put off, I decided to sort out my seed situation in the greenhouse, and rectify any indoors that had become leggy. Here is my list of what I did today.

1. Sowed:
Pea Waverex Petit Pois
Pea Jaguar F1
Celeriac Prinz
Kohl Rabi (giant and purple)
Tomato Sungold (only 16 seeds in packet!)
Leek Jolant
Onion Golden Bear F1

2. Potted up:
Sprout Red Bull
Golden Leaf beet
Leek Autumn Giant (only about 20 germinated as they were 4 year old seeds)
(not quite sure when to pot up red onions?)

3. Limed the compost heap
4. Finish pruning in the garden

Notes. Icelandic poppy have germinated, as have sweet peas. Need to sow more sweet peas and broad beans.

Double headed primula

I found these little beauties in one of our local garden centres, and though they were absolutely perfect, like pretty frilly petticoats. Just the job to lift the spirits on a gloomy day!

Red onion seeds germinating

Digging doldrums

Went to the plot today to try and break the back (or mine) of the digging. I simply have to get it done before my tummy gets too huge (being pregnant). I only had one bed left to weed from scratch, plot c. I turned the soil over, but there was no way I could weed it properly, it was waterlogged. I feel a bit down hearted as the soil is still really heavy clay, despite a good going over last year with manure and compost, I need a ton of the stuff! Anyway, I'm not asking for violin strings here, I did achieve a fair amount. Having turned over and weeded a bit, I made a new salad bed with some old wood I picked up from mum's house.

After that I planted my garlic as the roots were poking out of the bottom of the pots.

I think that managing the plot will be a lot easier now most of the hard work is done, I just need to nurture those seeds ready for planting out later in the spring

I'm also really excited about making some living tepees for the children at the back of the plot. I'm going to plant runner beans around them, and train morning glory or nasturtiums around them, perfect dens for hiding in! I'm also including more boxed in areas with paths as children love to walk around different 'rooms' of a garden. Revised plan coming up shortly!

What to do when the rain pours

I'm suffering terribly from pregnancy brain, basically a temporary form of dementia due to baby draining all my resources! This means I make mental plans to do things with my plot, make sowings etc, then utterly forget the next day. That's why this post will be a rambling mental note of what I need to do and have done over the past week.Apologies that it isn't better formulated.

Have sown:

Golden Leaf beet
Red sprouts
Asters
Leeks
Red onions
Two varieties of broad bean, express eleonora and claudia (in pots)

Germinated and potted up:
Koralic tomatos (8)
Ceur de bleu tomatoes
Echinacea white swan

To plant out:
Broad beans
Garlic

Last Monday I visited the plot and covered the sown seeds of carrots with fleece as it was looking to turn colder, but having visited today I cannot see any that have germinated (it's been two and a half weeks) It may just be too cold and wet right now.

Strangely there was a large hole dug in the middle of my strawberry patch. I couldn't work out what could have done it, it looked as though a dog had been digging up a bone! A badger perhaps?

Birthday treats

I had a lovely birthday spent with family. I was very spoilt and did very well this year, including some gardening treats that will be very well loved over the coming months....including my asparagus shears (Sheffield steel no less!) and pruning shears.

I also received a book which seems really interesting, it's a Flavour Thesaurus, which pretty much is what it says it is!

...and to top it off, a little pair of Echinacea (White Swan) seedlings have appeared in my propergator since I was away.

Honey Wine, is Mead the next big thing?

I've been hearing a few comments recently about the resurgence of mead as a tipple. I guess this comes off the back of cider and perry. I've never tasted mead myself, and am curious to, especially since it triggers a memory of seeing a large casket of mead in my friend's farm house as a child, I always wanted some of it!

For those of you who don't know, Mead is fermented honey and is reputed to be the most ancient alcoholic beverage, with sources being dated back to 7000BC! It was famously used to celebrate victorious soldiers in unruly feasts, even Edinburgh takes it's name from Mead, meaning Dyn Eidyn or Mead Hall.

If you are really adventurous you could try making some of your own

Or alternatively try one of these small producers:

http://www.cornishmead.co.uk/
http://lindisfarne-mead.co.uk/
http://www.vitiswines.co.uk/vitisshop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=209

I'm sure it won't be long until you find some in Waitrose!

Feb Weather outlook

It's looking pretty dry but chilly over the next week or so, with hard night frosts and cold days. The following week seems to be remaining cold but more unsettled with wind and rain. Neither are particularly condusive to planting out, so I think I will hold off for now. In two minds over what to do with my broad beans now as the bed will have been covered for a couple of weeks soon, I think wait to the end of next week and see if it's really cold still.

To do:

Sow celeriac at end of Feb
Sow hardy/half hardy annuals
Sow red cabbage
Sow kolrabi
Sow tomatoes
Sow onions (yet to arrive)
Sow oregano, parsley and chives
Sow sweet peas
Sow broad beans outside?
Sow carrots inside in toilet rolls

Get more manure
Get hold of some old wood to edge up beds
Buy fleece
Buy general all purpose compost
Buy seed sowing compost (Westland JI no.1)

So plenty on the list even if I'm not even on the plot! Problem is I only have one small propergator inside and not much space for seed trays, so this will have to be staggered over the next few weeks.

Monthly weather outlook here from BBC.

Risky planting

I got rather carried away yesterday in the warm spring air, and began some planting of seeds on the plot. This was rather precarious as we could well still have a return of winter which could jeapardise everything. I was counting on my closhes being here by now, but my Kings Seeds order is being rather tardy.

I have planted Amsterdam and Sugarsnax carrots, Spinach (a mistake, I didn't realise how fussy it is compaired to perpetual spinach...) Jetset onion sets and a few parsnips to make up a short row of carrots. Well if it doesn't work, hey ho, start again!

Signs of life: Comfrey

Rhubarb

Strawberry

Digging new raspberry bed

 Progress, right side ready for action

Making Marmalade

I have never done this before, but since my foray into jam making last summer was relatively successful I thought I'd give it a go. Now I think we are coming to the end of the Seville Orange season, so you'll have to grab some soon if you want to get cracking!

I took the recipe from the Guardian Gardening Blog, reproduced here, with some slight alteration to suit my style:

SEVILLE MARMALADE
(makes 2kg)
1 kg Seville oranges
1 lemon
1.5 kg sugar
1.25 litres water

Wash the whole fruits and place in a heavy lidded casserole or saucepan that will fit in the oven (with lid). Add water and bring to simmer. Cover before placing in a 180 C, Mk4 oven. Poach the fruit for two-and-a-half to three hours, by which time the skins will be softened.

Using a spoon, lift the fruit out of the liquid into a colander over a bowl and leave to drain. When the fruit is cooled, cut each in half and scoop out the insides with a spoon to leave just the peel, placing all the flesh, pith and pips in a muslin bag or a large piece of muslin over a bowl which you can gather into a bag. Collect all the juice as you go and add it to the poaching liquid.

 Measure the poaching liquid and make up to 1 litre with water if needs be. Place the muslin bag (or jaycloth in my instance!!)  in a pan with the poaching liquid and bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Leave till cool enough to handle then squeeze the bag to get as much of the liquid as possible from the pulp. Discard the bag and its contents.

 Chop the peel into thin strips and add to the preserving liquid. Add the sugar and stir over a low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid is clear. Turn up the heat and bring to a rolling boil until it reaches setting point. (Setting point is when a dollop of the syrup on a cold plate, readily forms a skin when you push your finger across the surface. This takes me around 20 to 30 minutes.)

 Turn off the heat and leave to stand for 15 minutes then stir to distribute the peel. Pour into hot, clean sterilised jars, put waxed paper circles wax side down on each one and seal immediately.

I have sent my husband to buy some fluffy white bread so I can test it properly, but on first inspection, it's really rather good! I only got 5 jars out of this recipe which doesn't seem like much though.

Birthday buys

So I'm having a birthday this weekend, and this year I asked for money so I could buy some lovely gardening presents for myself (hmmm). This is what I got from the fab Sussex Country Gardener:

A windowsill propergation kit (with heated mat) to start off all those seeds just a little earlier

A copy of the Royal Horticulture Society's 'Grow Your Own Kitchen Garden Year' Jam packed full of marvelous info if you kitchen garden or veg grow on a moderate scale. Tells you what to do when with lots of handy tips along the way. Perfect for this time of year.

A copy of John Harrison's 'The Essential Allotment Guide'. More of a general overview of the allotment as a hobby, with valuable information on every aspect along with a bit of history and perhaps psychology thrown in too! A great bedtime book for dark winter nights.

6 Glen Ample Raspberry canes. Yes I already have about 12 raspberry canes yet to get going properly and I know we may be moving house BUT! Glen Ample are a fabulous variety that produce the BEST flavoured jam, so when I spyed them, I just had to have them.

Sundries, some cow parsley and ox eyed daisy seeds, a pink compost scoop and a pink pair of gardening gloves,

I'm very happy with all my new toys!

Dwarf apple

I'm thinking of extending my fruit patch to include a dwarf apple or pear tree. I've done some preliminary research and found that the variety Lord Lambourne looks particularly appealing (no pun intended!) as it's got the crisp sweetness of a Braeburn but a slightly earlier crop in September. I also found this pear, variety Lilliput which would look very sweet in a patio pot. I've always loved the idea of having an espalier, but that I would have to do at home as my allotment is far too exposed with no available walls to train a fan against. If I ever go as far as to buy an apple, this article is particularly helpful with advice on pruning every year.

Clay boots

I've got some seriously claggy boots after a weekend digging and manuring the plot! Managed to get all the muck down with the help of my cavalier husband, and now my bean and potato bed is pretty much ready for planting, perhaps after a couple of weeks rest under cover. It's still really windy, and there's been light rain both days which has reminded me of my water issue. Last year we were able to use an old water trough used to feed cattle in the field next to the site, until the ballcock got wedged and it began to overflow. Complaint came through from the other allotment holders in the site opposit that the water trough might be connected to their supply, forcing their bills up. So now it's been cut off, and our plots have no supply, don't even get me started on how unfair this is! it means I now have to walk about 800 metres to carry water back to mine, er hem, mustn't grumble... you can read the article here

So due to start planting on Tuesday, broad beans and carrots!

Pics of progress:

Saturday, covered area is mucked and covered ready for beans and peas...

Sunday, dug roots bed in foreground and potato bed to rear, potato bed has been mucked as it is very, very soggy clay still even though it was cultivated last year. Roots bed hasn't been improved aside from a little sand, although I may add some blood fish and bone before planting.

I love this photo, looks like a painting!

and as night draws in, I cannot resist a very dark pic of some piles of muck, I don't know anyone else who could get so excited about horse manure! but it's like alchemy, you just wait in months to come I'll show you what gold this muck has turned into...

WIld Wind

'Wild Spirit, which art moving everywhere;
Destroyer and Preserver....' Shelley


There's a really blustery wind blowing, and fine rain, which prevented me from attempting work on the plot today. Instead, I took refuge in the greenhouse and planted seeds, in an attempt to feel industrious.

Red Onion F1 Kamal seed (Suttons) bought today
Sutton Broad Bean
Broad Bean Express Eleonora
Tomato Cuor de Bleu (B&Q Italian variety)
Tomato Koralic

Chitted some first early potatoes that I found in B&Q, I think they were 'foremost'.

I also bought some seed trays and dithered over whether to buy a heated propergator now or wait two weeks till my birthday. Decided to wait and do some research. I got a clear plastic cover for my delicate seeds as a temporary solution.

I really can't wait to get going on the planting now. I'm still waiting on a big seed order from the other day to get going on leeks and broccoli. My greenhouse is pretty sheltered so I can get away with using it to harden off young seedlings without heating it. I just bring them indoors if it looks like a particulary cold night.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to get my manure to the plot that I picked up on Tuesday. I have also got a new free source from a lady I met at my son's nursery, she has stables just up the road, so that is a real result!

Spring shoots

From the dark, comes light

Sowing and Harvesting guidelines

A useful resource for this time of year.
See here.

Forcing Rhubarb

This hasn't particulary interested me until now, but this year I'm curious to try it. Not sure if I will fork out for a fancy terracotta pot, but if I don't and use a bucket, I'm pretty sure my little boy will kick it around the garden! So with my birthday money I may buy one, but it's another thing to add to my ever growing list....
My Tiny Plot has an article on forcing.

Lady Muck

Finally got my hands on some of the black stuff, after much trouble searching locally, I managed to locate some big bags for 70p from a livery stables. Had quite a bit of trouble loading into my boot, in fact I'm going to have to return on Sunday for the rest. I can't actually get it onto my plot without hubbies help at the weekend, and for some reason I'm rediculously excited about doing that! What is wrong with me???

Jobs for February

Courtesy of the Guardian Allotment Blog page

Lathyrus chloranthus Sweet Peas, The Scent of Summer

As we all know, sweet peas benefit from being planted around now. If you are looking for something different, these are a beautiful lime green, long stemmed variety that would look stunning indoors and out (if you love green flowers as I do!)

Lathyrus chloranthus [Lathyrus chloranthus]

Seed Inventory

Right here we go:

From Victoriana Seed:

Beetroot 'Burpees Golden'
Broad Bean 'The Sutton'
Celeriac 'Prinz'
Kohl Rabi 'Purple, Green & Giant Mix'
Pea 'Waverex' (Petit Pois)
Chives
Oregano
Parsley 'Italian Giant'
Potato, first earlies 'Sharpe's Express'
Potato, second earlies 'Cosmos'
Potato, early maincrop 'Desiree'
Icelandic & Oriental Poppy Seed Mix

From King's Seeds:
Leek 'Jolant'
Sunflower 'Pacino'
Brussel Sprout 'Red Bull'
Broccoli White Sprouting early
Climbing French Bean 'Cobra'
Tomato 'Sungold'
Courgette 'Early Gem' F1
Courgette 'Jemmer'F1
Winter Squash 'Blue Kuri'
Pumpkin 'Conneticut Field' (for kids)
Carrot Early Nantes (should have been Flakkee, not sure if this is their error)
Lettuce 'Tom Thumb'
Lettuce 'Mixed Leaves'
Cabbage 'Red Drumhead'
Onion 'Golden Bear' F1


I had some other flower seeds from Victoriana, but they are not showing up on the original order, so will have to check in the greenhouse next time!

Japanese Wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius)

 This has caught my eye, something I've seen cropping up (pardon the pun) a few times, the Japanese Wineberry. It's supposed to be delicious and looks like and unripe blackberry, worth a punt!

Japanese Wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius)

 

Kiwi 'Issai' (Self Fertile)

 I've always fancied growing a Kiwi, but the pollination issue puts me off. This variety looks very hardy and is supposed to survive in freezing temperatures, and it is self pollinating! Wonderful. Looks wierd too.

Kiwi 'Issai' (Self Fertile)

 

Weeding, Digging and a shopping spree

Well yesterday I ordered the remainder of my seeds, along with two closhes, one clear plastic and the other fleece. I'm anticipating growing my early carrots and perhaps chard under these to get them off to a good start. I'm going to write a list/inventory of all the seeds bought this year, as I've got quite a lot!

I went to the allotment this morning as the sun was shining and the bird singing. Managed to weed and dig my roots bed and edge it with planks, so it's pretty much ready as and when. I did notice some small shoots or seeds that had germinated, which means the soil must be quite warm, despite the frosty nights.

I added some home made compost to my strawberries and planted a rogue bit of rhubard I found discarded by the hedge (it was shooting so I stuck it in!) Apart from that, just started digging my peas/beans bed and tidied up the paths, there is still quite a lot of couch grass around the edges. Managed to gain a couple of feet of growing space as a result!

Forgot to add, saw a couple of wireworms, many huge fat worms and a couple of centipedes! Last time I went I dug up a large green grub, no idea what that was though.