It was believed that the woman ruled the household in homes and gardens where rosemary grew abundantly. By the 16th century, men were known to rip up rosemary bushes to show that they, not their wives, ruled the roost.
Kale Nero Di Toscana turns out to be exciting vegetable No 37 in the top 75 exciting veg.
At long last I have grown a pumpkin for Halloween. All I need now is a broomstick and a cat!
Last year, Dan Pearson wrote that this grass was, "bright enough on a sunny winter day to erase any melancholy in an instant." I bought one, divided it into three smaller ones and planted them.
My carefully planted crocus bulbs have been dug up and rearranged by a local squirrel.... no idea what will come up in February now!
I ordered 100s of crocus bulbs during the summer and this morning I planted them in the front lawn.
I finally had a few hours to catch up in the garden today and started by raking up all these lovely leaves for next years leaf mould. Who needs the gym?
Is that your Godson and neighbour offer to mow your lawn!
There is a crisis at the Veg Plot.
Having discovered the preserving powers of vodka, I have set about filling a cupboard full of preserved raspberries and damsons.
All my cabbages, kale and sprouts resemble sails on the Black Pearl.
Is one of the recipes in Sarah Raven's book. Family & friends will all be receiving a jar of this for Christmas because I have loads of pears.
At last we have had some proper summer evenings where I can get in the garden after work. Yesterday I spotted a Speckled Bush Cricket on the Heuchera.
Last Friday night, Spouse and I went on a 'Bats in Bodenham Night'. We saw loads of Noctule bats in the Orchards, Common and Soprano pipistrelle bats in the meadows, followed by Daubenton's over the river. There was bat pooh in the church porch (I now know how to identify bat pooh) and one Natterer's bat.
I think the mushrooms in the lawn are edible ink caps but am not tempted to try one after reading that,"Consuming Coprinopsis atramentaria within a few hours of alcohol results in symptoms including facial reddening, nausea, vomiting, malaise agitation, palpitations and tingling in limbs. Symptom severity is proportional to the amount of alcohol consumed and can occur if even a small amount of alcohol is consumed up to three days after eating the mushrooms."
Spouse has bought me a book on bread to expand my range.
The weather continues to be rather dull, unlike the veg plot which is looking rather glorious.
The Stockton Bury cosmos planted with asparagus combination has been a brilliant success and even looks good on a wet summer Saturday.
Valentine Warner cooked up some very lovely looking ravioli on tv tonight using hedgerow herbs including cow parsley (AKA wild chervil). He cheerfully informed his audience that all the wild herbs were in season now. All the cow parsley round here is over but the hemlock is out.
