As every day is a little longer, and hopefully warmer, than yesterday, now is the time to start planning all things in the garden. If you dream of scrabbling for new potatoes or picking your own peas, now is the time to get ready.
Our column in this issue of Out & About Magazine focuses on planning your plot and presents our new course Growing the Good Life on Tuesday 24th February
The trouble with root vegetables is, they tend to be underground.
‘I planted way too many potatoes last year and, after their plants had died down, I completely forgot which were planted where and randomly discovered them as I was turning soil to plant out other crops’ writes Sara Ward, doyenne of Hen Corner in Brentford (aka a terraced house with chickens in the back garden).
She has learned the error of her ways and is planning this year’s planning with the enthusiasm and care that others might muster for an exotic holiday.
Now is the time for trying out something new, she says, Now is the time for making marmalade from Seville oranges. If you would like to breakfast like royalty, making two types of marmalade and a loaf of bread, she has the very course…
Christmas is a very busy time for us at Hen Corner, as we run courses on Christmas baking and making Christmas food gifts as well as the wreath-making course. Vouchers for our courses also make good Christmas gifts.
This month we are harvesting the vegetables for Christmas dinner, making festive wreaths and taking hardwood cuttings of currant bushes. There’s also our recipe for seasonal Leek Tarte Tatin.
When we ‘grow our own’ we save money, reduce our carbon footprint and enjoy both the time outside and the fruits of our labour.
I love winter. I love the cosy evenings, overnight frosts, twinkling lights, cheerful music and warming food. The colder days almost bring the garden to a pause and so we don’t feel guilty spending our weekend afternoons baking special treats or taking time out to meet with family and friends.
Our column in this issue of Out & About Magazine focuses on finishing the year well…
Now that the clocks have gone back and Half Term is behind us, we at Hen Corner are focusing on Christmas and it is all systems go, both on the production front – note the chutneys and preserves pictured above – and in terms of running courses, including Christmas wreath-making.
This month we are harvesting the last of the figs and the first of the brassicas, we’re cutting back the grapevine and collecting fallen leave to make mulch for next year.
When we ‘grow our own’ we save money, reduce our carbon footprint and enjoy both the time outside and the fruits of our labour.
While the days are still long and mostly warm, nature is on the home run to finish the season well.
Our column in this issue of Out & About Magazine delights in our autumn harvest and shares a recipe for our Courgette & Cumin Chutney…
This month we celebrate the changing colours of autumn and recognise that early morning chills are a whisper to tell us that the seasons are changing whilst darker evenings find us searching for cosy light.
Different seasons bring different responsibilities, but all with worthwhile reward.