Monthly Archives: August 2017

Perennial chard – A sequel

Posted on August 19, 2017 by

In 2015, I published a blog post entitled ‘Perennial chard’, which has had more hits than any other. Now, I don’t know why precisely people are searching this topic, except from the occasional search term suggesting they are curious to … Continue reading →

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The forgotten crop

Posted on August 17, 2017 by

I’ve been so preoccupied with the melon plants by the back door, watching as fruit after fruit has failed to germinate and then dropped off, that I completely forgot about the chilli plant on my bedroom windowsill. Until this morning, … Continue reading →

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Momentum from cycling

Posted on August 14, 2017 by

Last time we went to Clumber Park, off the A1, I noticed that you could hire bikes and, as we don’t currently have any of our own, this seemed an appealing way to spend a summer afternoon. It was certainly … Continue reading →

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Mowing the lawn 

Posted on August 12, 2017 by

Today my dad asked if I would mow the lawn for him. Now, this is a first for me and I was somewhat surprised to find that it is hard work cutting grass. Or rather scything is possibly comparably easier … Continue reading →

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Eaten

Posted on August 11, 2017 by

There isn’t much to report on the garden front at the moment. We are eating tomatoes and the first runner beans are nearly ready.  On the other hand, the courgettes, cucumber and butternut squash are struggling. Nice therefore that we … Continue reading →

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Bergamot

Posted on August 7, 2017 by

The final herb to be planted outside in the ground is bergamot. It can be used to flavour boiled sweets or as a hair rinse, although whether I ever use it as such or, indeed, am able to remains to … Continue reading →

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Sweet cicely

Posted on August 6, 2017 by

Today at Old Sleningford Farm (it was the volunteer workday), I asked if I could take some sweet cicely seeds. It is said that its leaves can be used to sweeten rhubarb instead of sugar, which would be fantastic. Rhubarb with fewer … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, herbs | Tagged , | 6 Comments