Category Archives: seasonal local organic wild

REVISIT – sweet violets – the most beautiful edible flower for Spring?

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Despite the snow, there are a few plants which are beginning to come to life and remind us that spring is surely on its way.

One such plant is the stunning Sweet Violet, which we wrote about last year and is just starting to get going…

March 2012…

A few weeks ago we posted about the earliest edible flowers available to pretty up your plates and this weekend we spotted our favourites – sweet violets, or to give them their proper name, Viola odorata.

There is a large bank near our studio which sits right on the edge of a road, by a bus stop, which is completely smothered by a blanket of sweet violets which fills the air with the most amazing scent each March.

Given their demure size, the scent they produce is actually quite incredible, with a little bunch happily scenting a whole room.

The blooms are also wonderful added to spring salads to give a bit of colour, but our favourite way to use them is to place a single bloom on a chocolate violet flavoured cupcake – the dark brown icing really making the blue purple of the violet sing out. Or, as pictured to the left here, they can be crystallised and added as decorations (these cakes were vanilla with violet extract flavoured icing)

Sweet violets are a great addition to a garden and as they are happy in both full sun or semi shade there will almost certainly be a place that they would love.

Plus, as well as the standard violet coloured sweet violet, you can get white varieties too, which, if colour is not your thing, would be a brilliant alternative.

Get them here or here.

(top image from crocus)

the ‘Back to the Future’ style indoor garden light

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We all have films, or even series of films which we remember fondly from our youth for a variety of reasons. For us, one of the ‘classics’, and one which we can quote from quite happily is the epic ‘Back to the Future’ series where marty mcfly skips between the past, the future and then the past again in a time machine Delorean.

We of course wanted to build a time machine, or a hoverboard (still working on this one) or any of the large props which featured in the Back to the Future series, but the second, ‘future’ film actually featured a whole range of ‘gadgets’ which have almost become part of our daily lives as we increasingly live with technology.

But there are still a few gadgets which are yet to be created (food rehydrator anyone?) and we were very interested to see the newly launched ‘Babylon’ light from Toronto based designer Ryan Taylor which seems to be partially inspired by the domestic kitchen indoor garden in the second film, which is called down from the ceiling when required.

Babylon Light, Ryan Taylor, Back to the Future, Garden, lighting, aluminum, light, plants

The futuristic pendant light can be used to grow all indoor plants, but it is particularly suited to indoor kitchen gardens where herbs can be grown and be on hand for all culinary purposes.

The body of the light is constructed from powder coated aluminium and is relatively minimalistic which suits the lush greenery which becomes the focus of the striking piece.

It is still in very early stages, but we think that this type of relatively low tech interior greening could be the start of a continuing trend for 2013.

(image via Inhabitat)

REVISIT – early edible flowers

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When planning all of our landscape (or internal planting schemes) we try and make sure they are working as hard as possible for our clients. Multi functioning spaces and companion planting is right up there on our lists, as is edible planting.

For some schemes this is the planning of a vegetable bed, or orchard, or nuttery, or even greenhouse schemes. For others a smaller focus is required, with edible planting being planned into vertical green walls, green roof areas and in the simplest forms, planters and window boxes.

There is something very comforting about being able to wander into your garden or lean out of your window and pluck something to add to your meal, make into a tea or even just garnish a sunday chocolate cake.

And even though it is still pretty chilly outside there are a few plants which are producing the most stunning, and edible little flowers, right now, and are available very readily from all garden centres.

Primroses usually flower in the very earliest parts of Spring, and here in Brighton we already have ours out now. The palest of yellows, the primrose flowers are brilliant candied (coated with egg white and dusted with sugar and left to dry) or added to salads and onto cakes just as they are. They are great as edible additions to anything where a touch of Spring is required.

Violas have to be one of my favourite of the edible flowers and we make sure we always have a good selection of these beautiful little plants around. With the huge wealth of colours available there is always going to be something to suit your own scheme, and they are just wonderful atop the darkest of chocolate cakes as a naturally coloured decoration. I particularly like the bi-coloured flowers, but everything from white to darkest purple black are available so really, take your pick.

Pansies are the bigger and brasher cousin of the delicate viola, but the flowers can be eaten in exactly the same way. Try adding a single bloom to top a cupcake, or to float on drink. Petals can also be torn into salads to add a great bit of colour and interest as well.

Using edible flowers is not rocket science, just make sure you correctly identify ANYTHING you are planning on eating before you shovel it in. But take the time to experiment and these little additions really can bring a dish alive – plus from a horticultural point of view, the plant will produce more flowers for you, so a double bonus.

REVISIT – snow shows your garden structure

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So, some of us have had some snow, with a bit more on the way for a lot of us. But instead of cursing the white stuff, get outside and start to replan your landscape. Trust us – this works – as we highlighted last year…

Feb 2012.

We have all been shivering a bit in the cold over the past week, with the ravages of ice and snow blasting their way across the UK.

For some things in the garden, this is a really bad thing, with the early risers being caught out by the cold. Other things such as garlic will be really pleased about the drop in temperature. Most other things will not be that bothered. Life is of course a matter of balance.

But there is a very important function that snow (or even a hard frost) can bring to the garden in winter.

Structure.

If your garden does not have structure then it is really evident in the winter, when landscapes are blanketed in one singular colour. If there are not great bones in your garden you will be able to see the flatness easier now than ever before.

Do you have a good balance of evergreen shrubs, skeletal trees and shrubs with good form, arches, urns, statues, buildings or hard landscaping?

Take a step back. Take some photos. Pick out the ‘flat’ areas with a view to moving stuff in early spring, or positioning a new feature.

Now, some flatness can be great. Think of a beautiful, crisp section of lawn or a meadow. But the flat has to be balanced with the bones.

Get your structural bones right and your garden will literally stand up to all weathers and look beautiful come rain or shine, or even frost or snow.

 

(images by claire potter design)

choosing your Christmas tree

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We were out and about a lot this weekend and we could not help notice how many people have already got their Christmas trees up and decorated in their houses. We saw countless cars with bundled trees atop and there was a small frenzy in the Christmas Tree department of a local DIY store when we popped in to buy a plug.

So, even though we do a post each year about choosing and looking after your Christmas tree, we thought we would do it a little earlier than usual as the festive season seems to suddenly be all go.

You may never have noticed, but there is actually a small range of Christmas tree varieties available from most locations during December.

My Mum loves Blue Spruce, a friend of the studio swears by Nordmann Fir and we will only accept a scented and fluffy Douglas Fir. Each tree has a different personality, shape and scent, and there will undoubtedly be one which is perfect for you, so take a little time to research what will be best for your own style, space and budget.

We have a tradition at the studio where we go to the fabulous, Sussex based Wilderness Wood – a proper working wood with a Christmas tree plantation where you can reserve your tree from the first weekend in November, then collect it in December.

But not everyone is as lucky as us to have a fantastic plantation near them.

So, are there ways you can be sure to get a great tree, to suit your requirements AND is British Grown?

Fortunately, yes. The British Christmas Tree Growers Association is the trade association for those growing Christmas trees in Great Britain and Northern Island and their members are committed to producing top quality trees, nicely shaped and trained, perfect for your front room. Check out their website where you can find a list of those signed up near you.

Our key tip when you are choosing your Christmas tree is to remember where you are going to put it. This seems like an obvious thing to say, but many people completely misjudge the amount of space required for a Christmas tree, and end up sitting squeezed around it for period it is up. Measure the height AND the width you can fit into your room. The ideal height is about 30cm away from the ceiling, but more importantly, find a tree which will suit your needs and budget.

Also, do not forget that if you are placing a cut tree into a bucket (so you can give it the daily drink of up to 2ltrs water) the tree can be even higher than measured whilst sitting on the floor. Take this into account so you do not end up chopping the top off once you get it home, which ruins the shape of the tree. Make sure the bucket is big enough and very securely wedge the tree in place using logs, or even sand bags, which mould around the trunk and weigh enough to stabilise a big tree. If you do need to shorten the tree, always chop a little of the bottom.

Finally, do not be afraid to cut a few branches off the tree if required to make a nicer shape  - use the excess foliage to make a wreath, or use in a table decoration or even just place it in a simple vase.

(images by claire potter design and via wilderness wood)

can fishing be more sustainable with the use of good design?

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Fishing is an extremely complicated issue when it comes to sustainability. So much depends on your location, where you shop, the seasons. One report says we should not be eating cod, another source reports that is not that easy. There are of course, requirements and standards which should be met by any fish gracing your plate, but generally, sustainable fishing is a multi faceted issue.

Two parameters which should be tackled (and are being tackled by the River Cottage Fish Fight) are the issues of the quota system and the catching of fish regulated as being too small for the plate.

Currently, all species are caught together, which inevitably results in lots of by-catch, which is mostly thrown back, dead, into the sea. This is a quota system issue but it could perhaps be relieved slightly with good design.

The ‘Safety Net’ is a new design which has been developed by RCA graduate Dan Watson and has recently been awarded £10,000 by the James Dyson Awards 2012.

The premise is simple. The usual net has an open mesh which is designed to let smaller fish through, however this is not always effective due to the dragging motion through the water. Watson’s design opens this mesh with a  circular plastic ‘collar’ which houses LEDs to guide the smaller fish through, thus cutting down on the juvenile fish by-catch. A kinetic energy system linked to the collars ensures that the lights remain on throughout the trawling to guide as many smaller fish through to safety.

As well as cutting down on the by-catch, it is possible that the time wasted sorting the fish would be reduced, thus proving a much more efficient as well as sustainable system for the fishermen themselves.

The £10,000 prize awarded to Watson will be used to develop the design, so we will be very interested to see whether this system can be retrofitted to larger amounts of test trawlers and data can be produced.

Design can save the world.

(image via SafetyNet and Inhabitat)

November foraging – hawthorn ketchup

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Those of you who are familiar with this blog know that as well as being a passionate eco design and green fanatic, we are also foraging freaks.

The past few years has seen our interest in all things tasty and free escalate, and with a few good guide books and a few good and tweaked recipes, the larder has expanded considerably.

There are a series of books which we simply would now not be without, and it is the River Cottage Handbook series – most notably by Pam Cobin (Preserves) and John Wright (Hedgerow, Mushrooms and Edible Seashore) which have been the most carried around and used this summer and autumn.

But there is always one berry that we are asked about by fellow walkers when they see us picking – the Hawthorn. Many do not realise that you can eat the berry, or what to do with it.

So, in all it’s glory, here is the recipe for the Saucy Haw Ketchup – based on the recipe as found in the River Cottage Preserves book, by Pam Cobin

makes 1 x 300ml bottle

500g hawthorn berries (which you can still find clinging on for dear life on the bare branches)                                                                                                                        300ml cider vinegar                                                                                                               170g sugar                                                                                                                               1/2 tsp salt and ground black pepper to taste

First, strip the hawthorn berries from their stalks – we have found that running them through the tines of a table fork is the best way, or hold them between your thumb and forefinger and ‘roll’ them backwards – they should snap from their stalks easily, but make sure they don’t ping everywhere. Rinse them in cold water, then put them into a large pan with the vinegar and 300ml water.

Simmer the hawthorn berries for around 30 mins until the flesh is soft and the berries a muted brown. We give the berries and occasional squish with a potato masher during cooking to get them nice and soft. When done, remove from the heat and rub the mixture through a sieve, or put through a food mill, removing the stones and skins. Really work at this until you have a relatively dry mush left with each batch.

Return the hawthorn puree to the cleaned out pan and add the sugar. Heat very gently to dissolve the sugar then bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins. Season, then pour into a sterilised bottle with a vinegar proof lid (we use the cider vinegar bottles or the swing top small beer bottles)

Use within 12 months.

We have added a few variations to this recipe, including adding a bit of cinnamon, or other warming spice to give a bit of a twist.

This hawthorn ketchup is just beautiful – fruity with a slightly dry aftertaste – and it goes amazingly with parsnip chips. Or just chips. Actually, everything you usually put tomato ketchup on. Plus, in a nice bottle, this would make a GREAT addition to a Christmas Hamper – and something you would not be able to buy, so a double bonus (if you can bear to give any of it away…)

Cherry Plums – free food ahoy.

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July and August in the South of England herald the start of a glut of free wild fruit – with cherry plums taking centre stage.

Although strictly not a wild edible (cherry plums were cultivated many moons ago), they are very often seen in hedgerows and are used in large landscaping schemes due to their fast growing, hedge creating habit and their attractive flowers. We know a particularly large stretch near a supermarket which yields stacks of cherry plums each year.

And after the flowers, come the fruit – the size of a large cherry with the flavour of a plum in pinks, reds and golds – which for some strange reason the birds tend to leave alone. A walk along a hedgerow at this time of year can reward you with a basketfull of fruit for very little effort – check a couple of fruits for flavour before you fill your boots though as the sugar content and sweetness does vary from tree to tree.

But if you are looking for a very readily available hedgerow fruit for jams, pies, wine and even fruit vinegars you cannot go wrong – please take a good guide book to double check before you eat anything though and if you are not sure – leave it alone.

(image from claire potter design)

10 eco essentials for a great staycation camping trip

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Now we are in the thick of the summer break, our views are turning to the holidays, but instead of escaping to the sun, we enjoy camping in the UK – the staycation is a vacation at it’s best.

As well as reducing your holiday carbon footprint, staying in the UK means you do not have to worry about changing money, vaccinations and really, we have such a wealth of different landscapes there is definitely somewhere for everyone.

Even if cash is very thin on the ground, camping can be one of the cheapest holidays around – and you do not even have to go far from where you live. Just change the scenery for a few days and you will feel refreshed.

Fortunately, there is a massive range of great products for an eco camping trip, so if any of your kit needs replacing, here is our top 10:

1 – Tent – there are many bargains to be had on tents at the moment, with many online retailers selling them off at huge discounts, however, our favourite tent has to be this fabulous Bell Tent by Strawberry Hills. Or keep your eyes open for vintage bell tents on ebay.

2 – wind up lamp – you no longer have to worry about the batteries going in the middle of the night as you stumble around in the darkness. Wind up torches are brilliant, but shine a bit more light on the situation with this great wind up lantern.

3 – fire striker – we have one of these little gadgets and with a bit of practice you can start a fire in all weathers with ease by producing one of the 3000 degrees C sparks. It is small and light and safe to pack with no worries about leaking lighters.

4 – washing – one of the main gripes people have with camping is the (sometimes) lack of facilities. With this great solar shower, so long as you have some sun and water, you can have a short, but nice and warm wash.

5 – solar charger – for those of you who really cannot be disconnected from their technologies, a solar charger is a must and we love our multi adapter, collapsible Solio charger.

6 – sleeping bags can come in all sort of fabrics, including recycled fibres, but this stripy organic cotton one is really nice, and could even be used to cover the end of the bed in winter at home, so you get to use it for more than a few days a year.

7 – tablewear – should be light and relatively robust so nothing breaks on route or during use. These recycled plastic ones are great, or we use vintage enamel ones like these.

8 – solar fairy lights can look really nice around the tent – and help you find it in the dark. Our favourite ones come in a series of colours and string lengths from the Solar Centre.

9 – water bottles are really handy – these are great when you go for a wander as when you empty them you can collapse them down to save space. Brilliant.

10 – lastly, sometimes we all get a little tired with burnt sausages over the campfire, so we would take along this great book by Annie Bell which is packed with ideas for doable feasts.

However you do it, camping is the best way to spend a few days in the UK.

our favourite dual purpose bbq for small gardens

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As we are experiencing a little bit of a heatwave, we are revisiting a post from last summer – make the most of the weather and cool down your house by having a BBQ outside. The smell drifting in the warm air of an evening is nothing short of glorious.

But BBQ equipment tends to be large and cumbersome and generally not very pretty to look at. Fine if you have room to store it out of the way, behind something green and lush, but for those of us who do not have a great deal of room, the options are literally a lot smaller.

Bucket BBQ’s are now readily available, for little money, but again, they are not the loveliest of items to have in your eyeline when you are relaxing in your outdoor space.

We are also firm believers of making everything work hard for it’s existence, which is even more important in smaller spaces, so we were quite impressed when we saw this designer BBQ from London based Black and Blum.

The hot-pot bbq is two designs in one. Shaped like a terracotta pot, the top holds a space for growing items – your salad or herbs perhaps, but you can lift this area off to reveal a grill, with the base holding your charcoal. A double use item which looks attractive when in use or when in ‘store mode’ with the herbs on top (just let the grill cool down before you put the herbs back on)

Lovely. 

At £99 it is not the cheapest of BBQ’s, but in a small space we think it is better that you spend money wisely on attractive and useful items which have multiple uses so you do not have to clutter your homes with lots of ‘stuff’.

But, in the end, an outdoor cooked sausage still tastes great whatever you roast it on, so however you do it – get out there and cook this weekend!

(image via Black and Blum)