Tag Archives: soil association

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)

the green roof – where to start?

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We are often asked by clients to explain the ins and outs of going about the construction of a green roof, so when we were invited to write a guest blog for Notcutts we thought we would put a few key points on the subject down on virtual paper.

So, fancy building your own green roof, or finding out the basics of what it entails? well, you can read our guest blog for Notcutts here!

(image of our own butterfly pavilion – complete with thyme green roof)

When do you take your Christmas decorations down? And what do you do with them?

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There is always confusion with when you are supposed to take down Christmas decorations after the seasonal festivities.

According to the Christian tradition, the tree, decorations and cards should be all packed up by Twelfth Night – January 6th – lest your house be filled with misfortune for the coming year. If you miss the date, you are supposed to keep everything up till next year. Fine by us we say – we love having a living tree inside.

But really, whenever you take your decorations down, there are a load of ways to ensure that nothing goes to waste.

If you have a real tree, you will need to look for Christmas tree recycling points, which are run by most councils and positioned in various public locations such as designated areas within parks. Brighton has a range of locations for Christmas tree recycling which is great. Some councils are even offering to pick up undecorated trees from outside people’s houses this year to go for recycling. The trees are collected and shredded for compost so nothing goes to waste.

If you are not lucky enough to have a designated recycling point near you do not despair – many councils will accept them as green waste at recycling sites – ring to check before you make a trip.

If sending your tree away for recycling is simply not an option, you can still make use of the tree at home. Branches stripped from the main trunk can be used to protect expanses of exposed earth in the veg patch from cats and birds, and the trunk can be used as a pea pole or plant support. With all the little notches from the branches it makes a great climber pole.

And do not forget your cards – many councils will pick them up in your curbside recycling boxes, or you can take them to points for recycling at many high street retailers – The Woodland Trust teams up with shops such as Marks and Spencers to ensure that recycling points are spread around in January. And as well as the card being recycled, retailers pledge to plant trees for every 1000 or so cards which are processed.

Everyone wins.

(image via The Woodland Trust)

best picks from the eco sales – the All Waste Kitchen Composter

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At this time of year you will probably be all too aware of the amount of food waste that builds up in our kitchens. Many of us have become pretty good at putting our waste onto the compost heap, but cooked food is not the best of ideas as they can attract rats.

Therefore cooked food is mostly wasted and sent to landfill.

One alternative is to purchase an in house composter, such as this All Waste Kitchen Composter, which can take around 2 weeks of waste food, and with the help of a bacteria rich activator bran, can turn the waste into the beginnings of good compost and liquid feed in another 2 weeks.

Now available with a 29% reduction at the Ethical Superstore for £29.75.

best picks from the eco sales – the Ecological Calendar 2012

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The calendar is a very traditional gift at this time of year, but there is one which we guarantee will be very different from those you will be used to receiving.

The Ecological Calendar 2012 guides you through the seasons with four, illustrated metre long panels which track the sun, moon, tides, planets and star positions, along with brilliant notes on all manner of ecological and sustainable matters.

We always have one of these in the studio, and we guarantee that it will change the way you look at the pattern of the year.

Available at the Ethical Superstore for £6.49 – a saving of 40%.

best picks from the eco sales – the paper seedling pot maker

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We are taking a few days off, with the studio being back up and raring to go on 3rd Jan, so we thought we’d leave you with a small series of posts on our pick of the best buys in the post Christmas sales. Ethical, beautiful, recycled, upcycled, unique and energy saving.

Got some money this Christmas? The next few posts will give you a purchase suggestion – one per day.

Today’s suggestion comes from the excellent Cox and Cox and is a great small purchase, ready for the forthcoming spring. If you are green fingered in any way and you do not own a paper seedling pot maker you are missing a trick.

Use old newspapers to make pots (ideal for a rainy day) for your seedlings, then compost them when you are done. No more storing of plastic pots.

A bargain – 50% off at £5.25 each.

our top ten presents you can find at a charity shop near you now!

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It seems as though our post yesterday on buying your extra glasses from your local charity shop was extremely well timed as according to a recent survey by the Charity Retail Association and as reported on the BBC yesterday afternoon,  charity shops are seeing a welcome boom this Christmas.

An estimated 40% of us will look at charity shops for our stocking fillers and other presents this Christmas, for a variety of reasons.

For some it is to support those in need, for others it is the search for something unique, vintage or retro and for others it is all about saving money.

Personally, we are huge supporters of our local charity shops in Brighton and Hove as we are always on the look out for something a little different – both for the studio and our clients, as well as at Christmas.

Do not forget that a little bit of imagination can go a very long way when selecting a potential present from a secondhand outlet, and on this day – predicted as the busiest time for shopping in the year – it could be the perfect solution to that problem present you are looking for. Here are our top ten charity shop buys:

1 – Pairs of beautiful sherry glasses can be paired with a small bottle of homemade, or shop bought tipple.

2 – A candlestick given a bit of a polish can be teamed with a couple of long candles – all wrapped in tissue they will be very well received.

3 – Beautiful silk scarves in modern and retro patterns are available in almost every charity shop and for very little money indeed – press them very gently and wrap lovingly in tissue paper and place in a box – they will look much more precious.

4 – Vintage bone handled cutlery is often seen in varying styles in charity shops – buy a bundle of forks and knives and tie them with short lengths of ribbon in bundles. Silver plated cutlery is also often found in their original boxes and is a great present.

5 – Brooches are a brilliant stocking filler buy – many are crammed with rhinestones and a small, plain box will set them off a treat.

6 – Books are often read once and given to charity shops – trawl the shelves to find a hardly touched copy, or why not look for a vintage classic? One of my favourite buys was a very old hard backed copy of Treasure Island which I bought for 50p. It did not matter to me that it had an inscription in the front at all – it added to the history.

7 – Old pudding basins are often seen at this time of year (charity shops save them throughout the year and get them all out at Christmas). They are brilliant gifts for a foodie and perfect teamed with a special edible treat.

8 – Giving flowers to someone this Christmas? Why not team them with a lovely cut glass vase? If a bit grubby, give it a light scrub with some bicarbornate of soda and it will gleam.

9 – Linen is a lovely gift – especially for someone who likes vintage styles. Check teacloths, table cloths, napkins and even bed sheets for holes, odd smells and stains (they may not shift), press with a steam iron and layer with tissue paper (unbleached if you can find it).

10 – Know someone who has to wear a tie to work? Your charity shop will be inundated with them – new, old, vintage, polyester, silk, comedy, tasteful and probably even musical, so why not buy them five – one for each of the working days in the week.

So – there is our top ten readily available present ideas which you can find at your local charity shop. Panic ye not – come over to the secondhand side.

(image via the Guardian)

go British nuts this Christmas…

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We know that each family has their own traditions each Christmas, and one huge that we love is the annual nut purchase.

Many people only think to buy a selection of mixed nuts at Christmas, when they appear in the fruit and veg aisles, encased in bright red netting. This is such a shame, as a nice nut is a thing to behold.

As the healthy brother of the large tin of sweets, a lovely bowl of nuts will look fantastic as an edible addition to your eco and natural Christmas decorations as well as being a tasty little treat.

But what are the  British nut options for this time of year? Surely they are all imported?

Well, for some, yes. But there are a few nuts which can very much be sourced from the UK, and are quite delicious…

The walnut can be found relatively happily growing in the UK, growing to quite majestic sizes and statures into a stunningly beautiful tree. British grown walnuts are farm grown, often organically and can be found both bare or still encased in their lovely shells. British walnuts are lovely and sweet and are a great addition to your nut bowl.

Chestnut are synonymous with Christmas – well, what else would we be roasting on our open fires? Fortunately, chestnuts are another nut which can be sourced very easily from British growers (or even foraged for yourself if you get there before the squirrels and maggots). They are best roasted on the open fire, or in a hot oven – remember to score them first or else they will literally explode – and sprinkled with a little sea salt they are wonderful.

The last, readily available British nut for Christmas is the lovely cobnut. Very similar to the hazelnut, these are our favourites, and were traditionally grown in Kent, although they are now grown further afield in the UK. Early in the season they are available in their ‘green’ form – creamy and delicious, they are the perfect sweet snack. Later they are available in their dried form and look just like their relation the hazelnut. They are brilliant lightly toasted, crushed and added to the top of your ice cream with a little honey…

So – three British grown nuts for you to enjoy this Christmas, and if you really get the nut bug, here is where you can buy the bare root trees to grow yourself – the traditional Kent cobnut, the majestic walnut, and the toasty sweet chestnut.

 

(cobnut image from Fruit Forum)