 Friday, February 05, 2010 by Barbara Pleasant (3 comments)
Historically, a dowry is the booty a bride brings to a marriage, which might be money, fine linens, or a good milk cow. This tradition may take many forms. A few years ago, I entered a new relationship bringing along a cold frame and adjustable tabletop plant light. But in hindsight, Roger had me from the start. On my first visit to his house, it was hard to take my eyes off of his glowing three-tiered plant shelf, perfect for houseplants in winter and veggie seedlings in spring. It began to feel like a very good match. Read more...
Categories: Growing Indoors |
 Friday, January 29, 2010 by Jeremy Dore (3 comments)
Q: When is a weed not a weed? A: When it is the most valuable salad crop in winter! Last year I set myself the challenge of growing salad all year round which was fine for most of the year but much more of a challenge in winter. When temperatures are hovering around freezing nothing much grows. However, there is one amazing plant that can provide fresh leaves when others are dormant: lamb’s lettuce (also known as mâche or corn salad). Read more...
Categories: gardening winter salad |
Friday, January 22, 2010 by Barbara Pleasant (0 comments)
It’s only January and we’ve used up the last of our stored bulb onions, which would be sad if not for shallots. As I bring a bowl of these chestnut beauties up the basement steps, my mouth starts to water, because I know what lies ahead. A slow simmer in butter or olive oil transforms shallots into a dream version of caramelized onions. Whether I’m chopping and cooking shallots for risotto, pizza, or some incredible sauce, I cook extra to sprinkle with sea salt and eat straight from the pan. They are that good. Read more...
Categories: gardening organic shallots |
Friday, January 15, 2010 by Jeremy Dore (4 comments)
It has been an exceptionally snowy winter this year for much of Europe and America and this can have a big impact in the garden. Many late crops are still over-wintering and, whilst the snow can transform your vegetable patch into a beautiful winter scene, it can also cause problems for plants. So, what are the options for protecting crops from damage due to wintery weather? Read more...
Categories: gardening snow winter |
Friday, January 01, 2010 by Barbara Pleasant (2 comments)
The unspoiled freshness of a new year feels a little like spring, so it’s a great time to start thinking about your 2010 garden. Taking time to envision the season ahead is an important first step, which can be quite enjoyable and help lead you into a truly inspired season.
Thinking too much about your past successes and failures will probably come automatically, and it’s not very useful during the envisioning phase anyway. Instead, try imagining your way through these guidelines. They work for me. Read more...
Categories: gardening new year |
 Friday, December 25, 2009 by Wendy Holloway (6 comments)
Italy has a well deserved reputation for culinary excellence combined with a deep appreciation of great-tasting fresh produce. So what better place to get inspiration for a Christmas feast than the country where beautiful food sourced from local markets is treasured and savored? Wendy Holloway has spent the last 14 years introducing people to the wonders of Italian cuisine through her cookery school and gastronomic tours in Rome. In this special guest article, she guides us through the essential components of a truly Italian Christmas and will be answering your questions about Italian cuisine in the comments below... Read more...
Categories: Italian Christmas |
Friday, December 18, 2009 by Barbara Pleasant (0 comments)
When snap peas were introduced to the modern gardening world in 1979, some folks were impressed enough to predict that they would one day rival tomatoes in garden popularity. This hasn’t happened, but most American gardeners do favor snap peas over traditional shell peas (English peas) or snow peas (the latter are called mangetouts in Europe, which is French for “eat the whole thing”). The reason for snap peas’ popularity is all about productivity. You can feed four people with one pound (450 grams) of snap peas, but you will need to shell out twice as many shell pea pods to obtain four nice servings. Delicate snow peas (mangetouts) fall somewhere in between. Read more...
Categories: Gardening, peas |
Friday, December 11, 2009 by Jeremy Dore (15 comments)
'You are cordially invited to a free lunch for up to 5000 people' reads the headline on the website Feeding the 5000. On December 16th 2009, campaigners are going to turn several tonnes of ‘unwanted' fruit, vegetables and farm produce into a spectacular lunch of soup for passersby in London's Trafalgar Square. The aim is to highlight the unbelievable waste of food in affluent countries. We live in a society that has largely become disconnected from the land that sustains us and I believe that gardeners have a role to play in reversing this alarming trend. Read more...
Categories: gardening campaign waste |
Friday, December 04, 2009 by Barbara Pleasant (6 comments)
Ornamental shrubs enhance a landscape with their textures and colors, season after season, and blueberries can work similar wonders in an edible landscape. Native to moist, acid soils in North America, various types of blueberries have been improved to the point where some type of blueberry can be grown in almost any garden. In addition to producing delicious berries that can make you healthier and smarter, blueberries look good in every season of the year. Spring flowers give way to clusters of purple berries in summer, and the leaves turn bright red in the fall. In late winter, the twigs often turn shades of red and purple, bringing subtle color to a snow-covered garden... Read more...
Categories: Gardening perennials blueberries |
Friday, November 27, 2009 by Jeremy Dore (2 comments)
Gardeners are, by and large, quite practical types and few of us like to receive gifts that we know will just sit on a shelf somewhere. Yet, buying the perfect gift for a gardener can be quite a challenge for friends and relatives who don’t garden themselves. With that in mind, here’s my guide to the ‘gardener’s most wanted’ gifts this year. Send a link to anyone you know who might be struggling to buy for you this season, or add your own ideas for great gifts as a comment... Read more...
Categories: gardening gifts |