Ash Arch

The garden has quite the little forest of volunteer ash trees and saplings.  They are starting to become a bit of a nuisance to tell you the truth, popping up in cracks between the cement and wall.  I’ve cut down a few of the smaller ones, and am half thinking that perhaps we’ll need to get serious to thin out some of the patches they have taken over.  But in the mean time, I’ve been cutting some of the longer lower branches that are pushing out and clogging borders.

Silly me, I’ve tossed countless branches into the trash, but this year I’ve been using some to hold up my tomatillos (lots of flowers, but still no fruit!) and tomatoes.  And this got me thinking about what else I could do with them.  The little branches are quite bendable, while the thicker bases can be quite strong and stable.  So bending them into an arch seemed quite easy and logical.

So… here’s my first attempt at any sort of garden structure construction with branches.  It may not be the prettiest arch in the whole world, but I’m totally happy with it.  I’ll leave it  hanging for a week or so to dry and then hopefully it’ll be easy to put in the garden.  I’ve a wee clematis already in the garden that could grow up one side, and I may plant another one to grow up the other side too.   Or I may leave it in the stairwell landing and grow a jasmine on it, if they can survive 10 degree C or colder winters, as it gets REALLY cold out there in the winter.  I’m not sure yet but we’ll see if it holds it’s shape once I take off all of the twine that’s currently holding it together.

Wordless Wednesday – 2 July 2014 – Radishes…

Wordless Wednesday – 25/6/14 Ripening

Mint tea anyone?

I deeply loved my Emma Bridgewater Great Britain teapot.  It was a little bit of retail therapy one day shortly after my daughter was born when my hormones were particularly prone to large swings.  Normally, I’m too cheap to buy a £50 teapot, but that day, I NEEDED it, and to hell with anyone who tried to stop me.

It was our beloved teapot for about 2 years until my husband dropped a glass on the pot.  The lid shattered, so for a few months we were using a small plate over the top to keep the steam in.  Then slowly we started noticing cracks in the teapot itself.  First little ones, then great big swooping cracks that got stained by the tea inside.  We tried to ignore the cracks, but eventually the cracks got too big and salts started leaching out of the outside.  Lord only knows what leached out into our tea, but let’s not think about that!  So, it sat empty on our counter for a while, as I just couldn’t bear the thought of throwing it in the bin.

After a looking at a few videos on how to drill a hole into pottery, I decided to just give it a go.  I don’t have the fancy diamond bits talked about, but instead just used a regular masonry bit that I had already.  It worked like a charm!

My lovely cousin Jodie gave me some mint cuttings when I crashed at her place for the Observer’s Ethical Awards earlier this month.  No, I didn’t win, but the two of us had a really nice time at the ceremony and got to chat with some cool and amazing folks.  The highlight of my night was talking to Anne (don’t call her Annie) Power.  She is an amazing woman, and a total inspiration for never getting complaisant with one’s life.  But back to the mint.  After a week and half in water there were some nice roots sprouting.  Sprouting roots?  I’m not sure that’s the correct botanical term…

Anyhow, here’s the glorious transformation in its entirety, and now my kitchen windowsill basil has a little minty friend.  The whole process from drilling to watering-in took about 15 minutes, and I am kicking myself for letting that little upcycling job sit and linger for so long.

Elderflower Apple Vodka

June rolls around and so does my hay fever.  Going for a bike ride with the kids along the bike path is fabulously fun, but I could not do it in June without a good dose of Loratadine.  I was fine all day, riding, picking elderflowers and throwing rocks into the Water of Leith.  But once we got the flowers home and I started pulling off the flowers for my vodka liqueur, no dose of loratadine was going to hold back my super sneezes.  But no pain, no gain eh?

I should have been more greedy with my elderflower picking, but my kids and I picked about 6 heads of lovely little white flowers.  Most recipes call for 10-20 heads per 1L of alcohol, so we’ll see how things turn out in a fortnight or so.  To round out the flavours and boost the interest, I threw in a half of an apple too.   The hard part is going to be the waiting for infusion and dissolving of sugar.

I added the apple to push the liqueur all the way to the top, eliminating any air bubbles.

Thankfully I made an elderberry gin in September, so was able to enjoy a splash of that over ice today.   I’m all about eating in season, but the joy of preserving and liqueurs is that I don’t have to feel guilty about enjoying flavours that are half a year from my local season!  I might finally crack open my pickled nasturtium pods, now that I think about it!

 

Top 10 Eco-friendly Father’s Day Presents

Father’s Day is fast approaching, and I still haven’t purchased anything for my own Dad, nor my husband!  Yikes.  But the good news is that I’ve narrowed down the options.  Some are in my price range and some are my dream presents for when I win the Lottery!  A girl can dream.

Please leave a comment with your favourite idea for an Eco Father’s Day present!  I’ll have an anniversary and birthday to shop for in the next 2 months!!

 

Green Wall Planters

I heart vertical green walls! Every time I see them, I drool.  I have a strong feeling that the skill needed to plant and maintain these is fairly sizeable, but I suppose one has to start somewhere right?

http://www.gardeners.com/buy/green-wall/8587295.html?start=86&cgid=GiftsforGardeners_Cat

http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/vertical-wall-planter-pid9283.html?Aff=GPL&gclid=CjkKEQjwwbCcBRCxvJn9-N6dorwBEiQAVriOiosiuwQ5E1nI4_YwI7fT27KPBtAqpPydRRa0oaj7PNjw_wcB

Cool Indoor-Outdoor Modular Cylinder Planters

 

Shiitake Mushroom Growing Kits

My mushroom hating husband is starting to turn a corner after reading about the amazing health benefits of eating shiitakes.  Since I have to “hide” the mushrooms in our organic veg box every week by puréeing them into pasta sauces or soups, it would be great if slowly I can start to use these little brown guys chopped or whole instead.  I have a feeling if he grew his own mushrooms, he’d be must more inclined to eat them in larger bites.  The kids, probably not but it should be fun for the whole family at any rate to see these sprout and grow.

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/shiitake-mushroom-growing-kit/

http://www.smithymushrooms.co.uk/shop/best-sellers/shiitake-mushroom-kit/

Not shiitake but I really like the packaging and ethos of this kit.

http://espressomushroom.co.uk/shop/pearl-oyster-kitchen-garden/

 

Language classes

I’m a big fan on  not giving “things” that require energy to make and just sit there waiting to eventually be thrown away.  So things that are consumable are usually my go-to option for gifts.  But learning a language is much much more than a gift.  We’ve been trying to teach ourselves Italian for 6 months now, but I think it might be time to get help from a living human being, as the books and CD’s from the library can only get us so far.  Any google search for your city will pop up a boatload of options.  I am seriously thinking about popping into this language cafe in Edinburgh.

http://www.yaketyyak-languagecafe.co.uk/index.htm

 

Mirra Office Chair
This is obviously my dream present.  But if you don’t have a tiny weeny pocket book like I do, and are in the market for an office chair, then this should surely be on the top of that list. The chair is Cradle to Cradle certified, looks lovely, and it feels like you are sitting on a cloud!  Or at least it’s what I imagine sitting on a cloud would feel like.   I’ve been pining over this chair since 2003 when I helped organise a talk by the amazing William McDonough, in Nashville, and I got two of these chairs donated for door prizes (I know, nice prizes huh?).   One day, one day…

£850 in the UK – ouch! http://www.johnlewis.com/herman-miller-mirra-office-chair/p332673

$550 in the states  http://www.sit4life.com/products/Herman-miller/Mirrareg-chair/26

 

Bike Safety

At least one of us managed to keep their exercising New Year’s resolution.  Since my hubby cycles to work and I don’t fancy being a widow, I am a VERY big fan of all things related to cycling safety and high visibility.  I have a roll of the reflective tape, and can say it’s brilliant for putting all around on the bike, through loops on backpacks, on helmets etc.  But I came across these stickers below that look super cool too.  I’m half thinking of ordering them and letting the kids go nuts with them on daddy’s bike!  And these wheel lights are just cool for any age really.  My son’s friend has them on his bicycle and I’ve been trying to track them down for about a year now.  So may have to get two pairs of these for matching father’s and son’s bikes.

Reflective stickers  http://www.rydesafe.com/index.html

Reflective tape http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/self-adhesive-reflective-tape?bct=browse%2faccessories%2fsafety-bells-mirrors-reflectives-masks

Wheel lights http://www.johnlewis.com/colour-changing-bike-wheel-led-lights/p231306699

 

Mobile Phone Standby Reducers

I’ve gotta say this was the first present on my list initially, but after doing a bit of digging, it turns out that reducing energy from standby phone recharging is really quite small.  Turning off your microwave so it’s not on standby is a much bigger energy reduction, so I will probably pass on this item.  But for the sake of inclusivity…

Standby Saver Socket: http://www.nigelsecostore.com/acatalog/Standby_Saver_Socket.html

Interestingly, if you are curious to see a list of energy usage for various plugged-in items around your house, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab has compiled a table:  http://standby.lbl.gov/summary-table.html

 

Reclaimed Teak Bench

Our garden “bench” has been needing to see the inside of a dumpster (that’s skip for you Brits reading this) for the past 3 years…  It’s broken with rotting wood shards poking out on all sides, and whenever the kids go near it, we say “be careful with the bench, you don’t want to get a splinter!”  So, really it needs to be removed.  I’ve been on the lookout for a second hand bench to save some money and recycle a large item.  But so far I’ve not seen anything that fits our budget, taste and need for a quality item.  So, I’ve come across this website that sells reclaimed garden furniture from old ox carts and boats.  Super cool pieces and for the quality of the wood, I think they are quite reasonably priced.  I have a feeling one of these may be our wedding anniversary present this year.

Bench made from a boat  http://www.gardenfurniturecentre.co.uk/bali-bench-canoe.html

 

Man-fume

Who doesn’t love a good smelling man?  Perhaps more of a present for me though…

This £50 man-fume is made with organic essential oils from Aveda.

http://www.aveda.co.uk/product/5349/16614/Pure-FumeTM/Personal-Aromas/Aveda-Men-Pure-Formance-Aroma-Spray/index.tmpl

 

Organic Whiskey

As if our liqueur cabinet needs another bottle of whiskey.  But these bottles are organic!  How cool is that?

http://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/benromach-organic-whisky/

http://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/bruichladdich/bruichladdich-the-organic-multi-vintage-whisky/

 

 

 

 

Gardening Scotland

 

Lithodora Diffusa ‘Heavenly Blue’

Wow, what a weekend it’s been?  I struggle to say it has been a hot weekend.  But it has certainly been nicely warm at 19 degrees C.   Instead of working away in the garden today, pulling weeds that are nearly going to seed… I spend the day at Gardening Scotland.  I had no idea what I needed to buy for the garden, so just went to get inspired.  It turns out that hostas and alpines inspired me.   I bought two of each (Minute man and Whirlwind), and have already planted the hostas.  Apparently I really really like minuteman, as I came home and went to put my two new hostas near to my only hosta, planted about 2 years ago, and it’s exactly like the old one.  I haven’t a clue the variety name (Have a hunch it was Patriot), but they look indistinguishable to my untrained eye.  So I planed the new one on the other end of the garden.

Saxifraga gaudinii ‘Canis-dalmatiica’

I’ve had mixed luck with aplines in pots.  Theoretically they should be difficult to kill… But I think perhaps I haven’t been planting them with enough sand/grit in the soil?  Perhaps I’ve let them dry up completely?  Who knows, but anyhow, I’ll keep trying.  I was really really wanting to buy another plant, but given my success rates in keeping these guys happy and alive, I decided to be conservative with my pocket book.

The biggest purchase of the day didn’t even go to a plant…  I feel a bit embarrassed to say that, given the amazing peonies on offer (I was “this” close to buying a gorgeous red one called America).  Perhaps I should have packed a lunch, because my stomach got the better of me, and the opportunity to buy venison fillet was just too tempting.  So Tuesday night’s dinner is going to be amazing!   In a past job, we managed a research project looking at carbon emissions from farm vs wild deer, and it turned out that eating wild deer decreased GHG emissions. No, this cut of meat wasn’t wild, but certainly its carbon footprint is lower than beef.

 

They might be giants – Sequoiadendron giganteum

Many of my fondest childhood memories took place while spending summers camping in the northern California redwood forests.  Standish Hickey was our family campground of choice, and I long for the steep trail (known affectionately in my family as “cardiac hill”) down to the Eel River and wading into the fish filled swimming hole.

I would like my children to share in these memories, but sadly, the wee redwood groves in the UK have young 100-year old trees, and they usually come in clumps of 5 or 20 trees.  The Scottish climate seems like it would be perfect for redwoods, so I wonder why there aren’t more of them growing about here.

After a particularly strong hankering to grow my own redwood, I finally bought some Sequoiadendron giganteum seed.   Now, I should note that I have collected seeds from countless pine cones here in the UK, and tried my hardest to germinate them several times, including soaking seeds, putting them in the refrigerator, and never had even one hint of sprouting.  So, I figured buying seed would likewise be a waste of time and money.  Perhaps our young trees here haven’t yet reached maturity in their seeds?  Perhaps my pine cones were just duds?

19 May 2014 Sequoiadendron giganteum seedlings

20 May 2014 Sequoiadendron giganteum seedlings

 

However, I am SOO excited that a few of my store-bought seeds have indeed germinated!  I will now need to quickly find some nice homes for these wee fellas so that they can start to lay roots some place safe to grow into giants.  Fingers are crossed that they continue to grow and can be potted on easily.

19 May 2014 Sequoiadendron giganteum seedlings

20 May 2014 Sequoiadendron giganteum seedlings

Cinco de Mayo

Spring is in full swing in the garden and many of my perennials are about ready to burst open with blooms.  The veg plot is still just a dirt square, but there are three rows of carrots, beets and parsnips sowed, which should start to pop through in the next week or two.  There are a few tomatillo plants hardening off in my flat stairwell, so they should probably be put outside sooner as opposed to later to get them acclimated and ready to fruit.  The cucamelons have to be the word’s slowest growing fruit plant, but I am hoping that once they get to at least 2 inches tall they’ll finally start to take off???

If the weather holds, perhaps I’ll enjoy a margarita today in honour of Cinco de Mayo in the garden to enjoy the flowers.  Come to think of it, these flaming parrot tulips remind me of the swirling skirts of Mexican ballet folklórico dancers.  Hermosa!

Planting out the veg plot

It has taken me seven years to figure out how to grow flowers in Scotland.  I think that if the little old lady who we bought our flat from could see our garden now, she might not break down in tears.  Two years ago she certainly would have wept to see its decline, but now that I have figured out what is flower and what is weed, it is certainly on the up!

I tried to plant some cabbages and cauliflower in the garden about four years ago, but within weeks of planting out lovely little baby plants, worms and slugs destroyed any semblance of green.   Needless to say, this southern California girl that was used to sowing any sort of seed straight into the garden and watching it thrive with lots of watering, was depressed, downhearted and determined to NEVER plant veg again.

But, my recent Great Energy Race (GERace) efforts have made me more determined to finally master growing vegetables and fruit in the garden.  I have had a great bounty from my red currants, so this year as part of the GERace, I planted four different berries – tayberry, raspberry, blueberry and cranberry.  I’m pretty confident that we’ll have a lovely berry bounty this Summer and Autumn, but I also wanted to conquer my fear of growing vegetables!  So…

After definitely pulling a muscle in my back last weekend, turning the compost heap, adding the best compost bits to the newly cleared veg plot and turning the whole thing over thoroughly, I am started again in a big way to see if I can start to learn how to grow vegetables in the UK.  Lord only knows, it’s not as easy as in California.  But at least I never need to water anything here!

 

So, my windowsill propagator has been putting in lots of overtime and I have tried my very best not to spend too much on new seeds.  But for about £10, I’ve gotten myself quite a nice selection of standards like carrots, radishes and parsnips, and also some less common fruits like tomatillos, cucamelons and physalis (Inca berry or Cape Gooseberry).  And of course lots of herbs for the kitchen windowsill too.  I am really looking forward to harvesting and eating my efforts, but I am also not getting my hopes up too much.  I’ve already planted out a litte cucamelon seedling after weeks of frost free weather, only to see this week’s forcast for a late frost…  Oh well, hopefully my reused pasta sauce jar cloche will protect it.

 

I was totally inspired this week after watching Gardener’s World, so I have sowed a row of radishes with parsnips, in-between carrot seeds sowed a week apart.  We’ll see what happens.  I need to plant a bit more though, but I think that my two pumpkin seedlings and the other fruit will take up a fair bit of the plot, so I should conserve space for them.  I will try my best to wait until the end of May to put these little guys outside to avoid a late frost disaster.