My kitchen garden has been a busy somewhat wild space again this year. A space of solace and slug related rage. Foxes, occasional rodents too. The downside of living opposite the common is that when word gets out about the tomatoes, they come and explore. And I shriek. They are a garden pest, and I despise them. But I love my garden, so I will persist. I have only seen one, but one is too many. 

If you are still here after the dreaded R word, let’s talk details. This year I put down 3 wonky wooden raised beds (2 metre square and 1 metre long but narrower). In these I planted tomatillos for salsa verde and other as yet unimagined things. They are a curious vegetable (or are they too a fruit?), secretive in their green hoods, maybe it is a stiff veil. I planted five plants, purple and green, and they stand strong and deliberate, all reaching now almost all 5 ft 3 of me. Continue reading

Let’s get this garden started! Although it never really stopped, it has been chugging away all year long. My garden has been producing a variety of joyful greens all winter (beet greens, rhubarb chard, kales and cabbages), then beautiful bright yellow flowers from the greens in Spring. Spring woke my lemon balm, which burst into action and is now an irrepressible force, contained for a while in its terracotta pot but now like a shrub dotted with small white flowers demanding a new larger home.

My chicory plant, almost 3m tall!

Edible chicory flowers

A tumble of edible chicory flowers

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Spring is here, the sun is shining, the pollen as always has jumped in sneakily behind. I love it when the clocks change. Every day I check the time of sunset and plan my day around the light. I love seeing that time creep forward a couple of minutes every day as we approach summer, to jump an hour is pure joy. I am like a Bisto kid on my walk home by gardens cheerful with yellow floral hedges and the occasional magnolia tree scenting the air brightly. 

Cavolo nero flowers

The birds in my garden are back. They wake me way too early, I forgive them for that knowing that they are cheerfully hunting down and chomping on snails and slugs. I make them fat balls with lard and nuts and seeds. They are my most important visitors and I want to keep them happy. I watch them through my window while I work, and see them rescue shreds of old plants from last year which they use to build their nests. I left them there because I never moved them, mainly, and also because I heard they were good for cocooning butterflies to latch on to. I like them too. Bees come for the gorgeous bright yellow cavolo nero flowers. I will plant more borage for them, and also some clover and other plants that will make them sleepy with happiness.  Continue reading

Hold on to your hats! 2016 was a bruiser, and 2017 looks to be even more intense. Brexit. Trump. The horror of all of the wars and the refugee crisis. I don’t feel there is much to celebrate, but as always, life can be bright even in the shadows and we need to focus on that. We need to try and maintain hope for a better future while not losing sight of everything around us, in an effort to make it all better for everyone, not just ourselves. I know you know that, but I need to keep reminding myself. 

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So it is hard to get your paws on edible flowers, isn’t it? Not so. Did you know that cauliflower is a flower (well, that makes sense, look at the name), and broccoli too? Edible flowers are just for decoration also, right? Not so. The best of them have excellent flavour and where you will find them will surprise you too. Continue reading