A brief burst of warmth have kick started the bees’ activity at Hen Corner and when she hasn’t been running Easter courses, Sara Ward has been decamping bees into new homes. Plus a last minute competition for free tickets to the Ideal Home Show!
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Sara’s appearance (on TV) reflects a wider shift we’re seeing across homes and gardens.
More people are looking for ways to make their living spaces work harder for them – from creating beautiful outdoor areas to growing herbs, vegetables and even keeping hens. It’s all part of a growing desire to live more sustainably while getting more enjoyment from our homes. -
When the production company who make the ITV show ‘Jimmy and Shivi’s Farmhouse Breakfast’ got in touch to say:
‘We feel that it is important for Shivi Ramoutar to show how food is also being produced in creative ways in her hometown in London.’
We invited her over to Hen Corner, of course!
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Sara Ward is living her best life, occupied with sprouting vegetation and reawakening honey bees.
This is her best time of year, she says, when everything in nature is coming to life. -
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
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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…
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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.
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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…