Little Green Space
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Little Green Space |
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LITTLE GREEN SPACE Originally published in the Peak Advertiser on 19 April 2010
I’m feeling a bit flowery this month, not least because the garden is
finally waking up after our very long, cold winter. The snowdrops have been around for a while and are gradually being joined
by daffodils, hyacinths and tulips. The lungwort by the pond is in full
flower, and even a few cheery yellow primroses have begun to show their
faces. A few days ago I saw the first bumblebee and the first butterfly
– four weeks later than our first sighting last year, which shows just
how late spring is. Cut flowers This year I’ve decided to supplement the flowering shrubs, bulbs and
perennials in our garden with a few annuals grown from seed. It’s not
something I’ve ever done before – I’ve always been too focused on
producing crops for the kitchen. But I like the idea of having a supply of cut flowers for the house, so a
few of my seed trays and a corner of the greenhouse have been reserved for
the cultivation of flowers. There are many varieties of flowers to choose from, so a happy afternoon
was spent browsing through seed catalogues – Sarah Raven’s (www.sarahraven.com)
is a good choice – and scouring the seed packets at our local garden
centre in Two Dales. Eventually I settled for cosmos, zinnias, dahlias and
sweet peas, which should all produce fabulous cut flowers. Now, those concerned about the nation’s food security may well throw up
their hands in horror at the thought of sowing frivolous flowers where
edible crops could grow. But in fact there are several environmental
advantages to growing your own flowers. The first and most obvious benefit is that if you buy flowers from the
supermarket, you can cut your carbon emissions by growing your own.
Although seasonal, British-grown flowers are sometimes available, the vast
majority of blooms are flown in from places like Another benefit is that flowers are not just pretty faces: some are
actually crops themselves. Marigold (calendula officinalis) and nasturtium
flowers can be a colourful addition to a salad, violets can be used in
desserts and sunflowers produce delicious, nutritious seeds. Be careful, though, if you plan to sample edible flowers. Make sure you
identify them exactly, as many flowers are poisonous – if in any doubt
leave well alone. You should also ensure that no pesticides or other
chemicals have been used. Butterflies and bees Many flowers that are great for cutting, such as echinacea, nicotiana and
verbena bonariensis, will attract beneficial bees and butterflies to your
plot, ensuring that your food crops are pollinated. Flowers will quickly
bloom again as soon as you cut them – in fact this makes the plants
thrive, and in some cases, such as sweet peas, the more you cut them the
more they will flower. The result is a garden full of
plants that will flower their socks off all through summer, providing a
long-lasting source of nectar for all those insects we want in our
gardens. With this in mind, we included some annual seeds when we planted a bee
and butterfly garden in the grounds of We worked with the infant class to plant over 50 nectar-rich shrubs, as
well as some bulbs and annual flower seeds. With 21 children all getting
their hands dirty, what could have been a daunting task was completed in
just over an hour! By the summer the plants will be in full bloom,
attracting a range of insects. Rhubarb and custard It’s great that the April sunshine has brought a riot of colour into the
garden at last, but in the vegetable patch we’re still in the “hungry
gap” – the time when the last of the winter crops have been harvested,
but the spring sown crops are still nowhere near ready. Although there is
a little kale left, and the purple sprouting broccoli is still going
strong, there’s not a lot to eat on the plot just now. One plant that is ready to harvest is rhubarb, and last week we enjoyed
our first rhubarb crumble of the year. In fact, it was our first
home-grown rhubarb crumble ever – you have to wait a whole year after
planting before you can pick any of the succulent stalks, so having
planted a couple of rhubarb crowns last year, we have been very patient
indeed. You don't need a big garden to grow rhubarb. My dad has some in a
big pot on his patio, and has been enjoying 'home grown' rhubarb crumbles
and pies. So,
if you fancy some rhubarb crumble in April 2011, get planting now – and
make sure you cut out and keep this recipe: Rhubarb,
pear and ginger crumble (Serves 4) 300g
rhubarb, cut into 2cm chunks 2
large conference pears, peeled, cored and chopped into chunks 2
pieces stem ginger, finely chopped 2
tablespoons caster sugar 1
tablespoon orange juice 200g
plain flour 100g
butter 100g
granulated sugar Put
the rhubarb, pears and ginger into a saucepan with the caster sugar and
orange juice and simmer gently for about seven minutes until the fruit is
soft but not too mushy. Pour into an ovenproof dish. Rub
together the flour and butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, then
stir in the granulated sugar. Alternatively, if you have one, whizz the
flour, butter and sugar together in a food processor. Sprinkle the crumble
mixture over the cooked fruit and press down lightly with a fork. Bake
in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot with custard or
ice-cream. Penny at
Little Green Space |
