glean GARDENING
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Wight Stars CIC
presents an amateur production by arrangement with
THE REALLY USEFUL GROUP
MEDINA THEATRE
FAIRLEE ROAD, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT, PO30 2DX
FRIDAY 27TH JUNE 2014 7.30PM Evening Performance
SATURDAY 28TH JUNE 2014 2.30PM designed by Adam’s Dezine Shop
Matinee Performance
SATURDAY 28TH JUNE 2014 7.30PM Evening Performance
SUNDAY 29TH JUNE 2014 2.30PM SUN Matinee Performance
ADULTS - £8.50 CONCESSIONS/CHILD - £6.00 BOX OFFICE: 01983 472465
Ticket collection from Wight Stars office; DOWNSIDE CLC, FURRLONGS, NEWPORT, PO30 2AX
Welcome... It’s good to see that summer is finally arriving! We have some treats in store for you in this issue, including seasonal foodie favourites for May and June in the form of strawberries and asparagus. Marie-Clare Thompson shows you how to create a delicious Panna Cotta with Strawberry Sorbet on page 15, which you can enjoy outside during the warmer evenings. We are also joined by new contributors, Amber Beard for gardening, as well as Judi Craddock who gives you some essential body confidence tips. Eve Lester also discusses her beautiful tipis - perfect if you want to add a touch of glamour to camping this summer!
Claire Claire Sells Editor Ps. Don’t forget to click on the adverts to take you straight to the advertiser’s website!
Contributors Art Direction, Marketing, Graphic Design, Features and Advertising Claire Sells gleanmagazine@outlook.com Contributing Features: Marie-Clare Thompson, Wendy Taplin, Judi Craddock, Amber Beard Photography: Front cover image kindly supplied by Marie-Clare Thompson Social Media links: www.facebook.com/ gleandigitalmagazine https://twitter.com/GleanMagazine Website www.gleanmagazine.co.uk If you would like to get in touch with any of our column writers please do so via the email address provided, with their name in the Subject Line
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Tea Huggers teas are hand blended and packed in the UK. The range will be available from today in stores across the UK and online at www.teahuggers.co.uk
GARDENING
Contents
glean
FEATURE Eve’s Tipis
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SHOPPING Glamping Essentials
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FASHION & STYLE With Love Betty
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MUSIC Pete Richardson ~ The Rainbow Mandrills
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FEATURE Five ways to boost your body confidence by Judi Craddock 10 BEAUTY Glamping beauty 11 CREATIVE Liz Cooke Flags 13 CUISINE Marie-Clare Thompson 15 ANTIQUES Wendy Taplin 17 GARDENING Your Garden - The New Fashion Accessory by Amber Beard
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To advertise in the JULY/ AUG 2014 issue of glean please email: gleanmagazine@outlook.com Deadline: 5pm, Friday 27th June 2014
FEATURE
Eve’s Tipis
Eve’s Tipis developed from a passion for camping in general, but in particular for tipi living after a friend allowed us to stay in their tipi one summer. We fell in love with the whole idea of tipis and eventually bought our first lodge from Wales. I then wondered about the possibility of renting it out for holidays, mainly to justify (and regain some of) the purchase price, then the festival scene developed on the Island and I approached the organisers about tipi hire. We very quickly established ourselves as ‘Boutique’ accommodation providers and began to grow as demand increased, also offering tipi holidays in a variety of locations both on the Island and in Devon. Our busiest time for rentals is April to September, but the winter is taken up with new bookings for the coming season plus maintenance and replacement of equipment. Tipis look so comfy when filled with soft rugs and cushions, so I began to offer this option for hire, with the help of a friend who has created some lovely designs for tipi interiors,
including soft romantic drapes for wedding tipis. Over the years I have met quite a few famous people, but very often do not recognise them or realise who they are until I am told afterwards. Some of them seem to welcome the fact that I have absolutely no idea who they are and are happy to chat without fear of being hassled for
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an autograph! The best part of the job is being able to stay in a tipi at festivals in so many different locations and giving others the opportunity to share the experience. The work can get very busy at times and does have it’s stressful moments, but probably the worst worry is in making sure that nothing gets damp or nibbled by mice during winter storage! Together with my family, I hope to be able to enjoy operating the tipi hire business for many years to come, but however many festivals and events we cover we always aim to treat each of our customers as individuals on a personal level. Together with the friendly crew we have made many new friends along the way and I owe a great deal of thanks to many friends and family members who have helped make Eve’s Tipis a success. If you are interested in finding out more information regarding hiring the tipis, contact Eve either on 07721 016601 or via the website: www.eves-tipis.co.uk
SHOPPING
Glamping Essentials Aubrey Rose Royal Blue Walking Umbrella £30 www.cathkidston.co.uk
Quick Pitch Tent £34 www.woolworths.co.uk
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Hunter Womens Hunter
Original Tall Wellington ÂŁ64.99 www.getthelabel.com
Anthony Worrall Thompson Travel Cooker ÂŁ34.00
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Prices correct at time of going to press
www.woolworths.co.uk
FASHION & STYLE
With Love Betty
Hi Gemma, thank you so much for agreeing to take part in an interview! Your shop is lovely, definitely worth ladies checking it out for vintage fashion. So, tell me, have you always wanted to work in fashion? I think the idea of working in fashion has appealed to me since a young age. I can remember always wanting to dress up, sitting with my grandma watching her sew or knit, she is an amazing seamstress and then when I was old enough I used to customise my own clothing. After completing work experience at Topshop at the age of 15 then getting a job there at 16, I think it was safe to say I would continue to work in fashion!
I love that you have named your shop after your 1972 Volkswagen Beetle, she certainly is a beauty! Thank you, she is my absolute pride and joy. It felt very natural to name my vintage boutique after her, she’s very classy. What gave you the idea to start With Love Betty? Why in particular vintage clothes? I worked at Topshop for 10 years, working my way through school, Sixth Form and then completing my fashion degree at Southampton Solent University. After university the natural progression was to move to London to work in the fashion industry, but I decided to take a year out and travel the world for six months with my boyfriend. It was whilst I was away that I decided I didn’t want to move to London, I wanted to do something for myself based on the Isle of Wight. We came across a small vintage shop with a coffee shop in a small town in Australia - I fell I love! I realised we had nothing like this on the Island and my idea grew from there. What inspires you? People, I love to see how other people style a piece of clothing. I could sit in a cafe in London and people watch all day. I love the fact that a young girl will come in and try 5
on a blouse and then an older lady will try the same blouse but style and pair it with something completely different. I’m also obsessed with fashion/lifestyle blogs, Instagram and Pinterest and I believe it’s important to inspire others, I try to upload inspirational images daily either on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. It’s amazing how many people have enquired about an outfit that I have posted only a few days before. Trends also have a influence over me when handpicking the pieces. However, vintage is about being individual and wearing something unique that no one else will have, so I keep in mind colours/prints and shapes in trend for each season but use them only as a guideline. What’s been your best find? Anything you’ve found hard to part with? Oh my gosh so many pieces! Before I opened I posted a sneak peak picture of a heavily embellished bead & sequin top from the 60’s. It was absolutely stunning and extremely heavy. On the day of my opening I had girls rushing in to purchase it, it was hard to say goodbye to that one. Very recently I had a simple black 1960’s shift dress with an embroidered trim, unfortunately it was a little to big for me, otherwise I may have had to keep that one!
Any treats in store for the festival goers this summer? I recently went on holiday to Thailand and came back with some amazing embroidered shoulder bags and rucksacks from the 1990’s, I’m saving them for the festival season, they will brighten up any outfit. My bestsellers over the festival season is Levi’s shorts and dresses, I will definitely have plenty of those in store. Any further plans? For the moment I’m really happy with the progress With Love Betty is making but in the future I would love to move to a bigger shop and have a coffee shop incorporated into the boutique, just like the vintage shop I fell in love with in Australia. Thanks for the interview, Gemma, how can our readers contact you? I’m on Facebook, that seems to be the most popular way people contact me, just search WithLoveBettyiow or the best way is probably just to pop in store, I’m situated at Watchbell Lane in Newport. For people not situated on the Island I also sell via the ASOS marketplace, check me out on there by visiting my website. www.withlovebetty.com www.facebook.com/ withlovebettyiow Gemma@withlovebetty.com 6
MUSIC
Pete Richardson Pete Richardson and I were Friends on Facebook, but we had never actually met in person. I was certainly aware of his formidable musical talents, but it wasn’t until a local radio interviewer suggested that I researched an article about Pete and his band, The Rainbow Mandrills, that I found out more about this gifted musician. Pete was diagnosed with M.E. (Myalgic Encephalopathy), which left him bed bound. However, with some determination, he started to be able to move his hands to pluck guitar strings, whilst gradually getting stronger and more able. He found his passion through music and began songwriting. With the support of family and friends, Pete started to recruit musicians who could perform his songs for an album release - Obelisk & Dome, under the band name The Rainbow Mandrills (inspired by the animal of the same name, the most colourful mammal on land): “The style of The Rainbow Mandrills is eclectic. I’m a big music lover with a wide selection of tastes. The topics can range from love, to cosmic spacey-ness, to the essence of our soul and spirit is beautiful, under our layers we have built up on this life’s journey.”
The album has been recorded at Bad Cow Studios based in Carisbrooke on the Isle of Wight and Pete is currently busy making videos for the songs, featuring lots of time lapses. The band are currently unsigned and Pete would very much like to get sponsorship to fund the printing/pressing of the CD, the sponsor would also receive advertising space on the CD cover or on a forthcoming band video in return. He also would like to source any unusual or interesting Ethnic instruments that could be used for his musical projects, especially a Sitar or Hammered Dulcimer. Details of how to contact him can be found at the end of this feature.
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The (all Isle of Wight based) Rainbow Mandrills are: Singer ~ Joe Tranæs (19) Driffield from East Cowes, busks. Singer ~ Georgie Elkins (19) from Sandown. Currently at Bournemouth University. Guitar & Writer ~ Pete Richardson from Alverstone Garden Village (not as young as those two!) Guitar, Bass & Engineer ~ Carl Perkins from East Cowes and the Man at Bad Cow Studios Saxophone ~ Gary Plumley, Isle of Wight Sax legend currently touring around India. Piano ~ Tom Barker (18) from Carisbrooke. Drums ~ Chris Austin from The Wight Hot Pipes Drums ~ Ollie Grant. Currently at Leeds University. Extra members: James Goode (Harmonica & Didgeridoo from second line-up) Brad Barnley (Singer), Imogen May (Singer) and Hannah Giblett (Harp, future album collaboration).
GARDENING The Rainbow Mandrills Obelisk & Dome Debut CD Track listing 1/ Dome 2/ Wildfire Wild Dreams 3/ Cosmic Leaning Dreamers 4/ A Cosmic Mind Trip 5/ A Peaceful Dove 6/ Baffled 7/ Let us All be Beautiful 8/ Perfectly Clear 9/ Peaceful Touch 10/ Share Our World Tonight 11/ Arms Around 12/ Will You Be Ready? 13/ Together Again 14/ Obelisk Bonus 15/ Wildfire (Bad Cow Vocal Version)
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• • • • •
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Pete was born in Shirley, West Midlands in 1979 Moved to the Island in 1986 In 1990 become Ill with the condition M.E. In 1991 was left bed bound and not able to move his limbs By 2001 was able to move hands enough to pluck the strings on a guitar From 2002 onwards started writing songs
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By 2010 was getting stronger to leave the house with help of others Youtubers worldwide helped me make some music together via the internet (Matt, Tony, James Griffin, Sassy, Whippet Beans and Megan) Relearned to walk in 2012 Aimed to get other musicians to perform the songs so they could be recorded
Check out The Rainbow Mandrills by clicking on the following links: https://www.facebook.com/TheRainbowMandrills http://www.badcowstudios.co.uk/
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• • •
Friend travels from Romania to assist with the project 2012/2013 Found various singers and musicians to record debut Goal for 2014: release the album, aim to get better and be able to play a live gig with The Rainbow Mandrills
FEATURE
Five ways to boost your body confidence by Judi Craddock (Heart Your Body) There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about body confidence and body image. One of the most prevalent is that the way you think and feel about your body, known as your body image, is determined by what your body physically looks like. Let me clear this up: your body image has nothing to do with what you look like, and everything to do with your mind. Being body confident is about being comfortable in your own skin. True body confidence comes from thinking about your body in an accepting and kind way, whatever its size or shape. Body image research has shown that improvements in body image are experienced when individuals work on creating a healthier perspective on their bodies. There are a number of ways that you can begin to create a healthier mindset about your body. Here are my top five strategies for boosting your body confidence: Focus on what you like about your body Get into the
daily habit of identifying what you do like about your appearance rather than obsessing about what you don’t. Every day when you look in the mirror, find something that you like. Watch the language you use about your body when talking to yourself or others. If you are constantly using negative and unkind words, you will feel bad about your body. Replace negative language with a kinder, healthier voice. Imagine what your own best friend would say to you. Avoid comparisons not only with other women but media images. Every woman is different and unique, so don’t compare. Take an objective view of images that you see in the media, since most have been altered. Making comparisons with unattainable images of beauty is damaging to your body image. Look inwards to appreciate those skills, qualities and attributes that make you uniquely you – these things are far more important than purely physical appearance. Focus on how your body feels, not how it looks
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imagine all the great sensations that you can experience with your body – the warmth of the sun on your skin, the rush of endorphins after exercising, and the energy you get from nutritious food. Remember that your body is far more than an object to be looked at, and can make you feel amazing. About the author Judi Craddock is a Body Confidence Coach and an advocate for positive body image. She is the founder of Heart Your Body (www. heartyourbody. co.uk) and Peppermint Style (www. peppermintstyle. co.uk) helping women to love and accept their bodies through body confidence coaching and personal styling. For hints and tips on having a better body image, you can read Judi’s body image blog, become a fan on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.
Glamping Beauty Going to a Festival this summer or simply want to feel fresh and pretty whilst outside? Here are a number of products that come in handy!
Paul Mitchell Dry Wash Express Dry Waterless Shampoo ÂŁ18.95 http://www.salon-success.co.uk/
Sparkle Toothy Tabs http://www.lush.co.uk
Batiste Original Dry Shampoo www.batistehair.co.uk
Tigi Bed Head - Oh, Bee Hive! Matte Dry Shampoo http://www.bedhead.com
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Fire Starter
Posey Rosey
Cheeky Kiss ‘n’ Tell lip and Cheek Tints www.urcheeky.com
Neal’s Yard Organic Facial Wipes 25/pk http://www.nealsyardremedies. com/organic-face-wipes
Topshop Grunge Sticks www.topshop.com
Unkempt
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Go Go
CREATIVE
Liz Cooke You’re obviously a very creative person! How did you come up with the flags idea? Flags have kind of happened to me by chance! I’m an artist first and foremost, with a degree in Photography, and spent many years working freelance as a photographer/ illustrator in London. After having children here on the Island I started working in events, running a kids area at IOW festival, and, knowing of my arts background, they asked if I could make them some flags. It kind of snowballed from there. What’s the best thing about the flag business? There are so many things I love about making flags. From the initial design process, to the peaceful construction of them in my offgrid studio in Chale, with the sun illuminating all my rolls of fabric. I think the best thing though has to be when I get to see hundreds of them flying in sunshine and light winds, with lots of people walking beneath them having fun. And the worst? The worst thing is probably the repetition of process whilst making a set of flags. I make every single one myself, and have done hundreds.
Each one has so many processes to turn it into a flag - cutting, pinning, double-sided seams, edging, reinforcing, tunnels and eyelets – that it alternates from feeling meditative to feeling robotic! I’m not keen on huge storms coming through when we have a massive flag installation in place either. Where do you get your inspiration from? No place in particular, as an artist I’m always looking intensely at the world around me. It might be the landscape, a set of colours, an image or an idea that inspires me. The more flags I make the more it opens up possibilities of more complex designs. Future plans? As far as flags go, to keep creating new designs and maintain creative relationships with our existing clients as well as developing new ones. We’d love to do some festivals in Europe. As an artist I have sketchbooks packed with ideas I’d like to develop in the future –it’s just a matter of finding the time! What made you decide to follow the creative path?
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I knew from very young, about 10 years old, that it was a creative path for me. I went to art school and then starting working professionally as an artist. Nothing else has ever really had a look in – with the exception of some part-time teaching of photography to supplement my income. So, where can we look forward to seeing the flags then? IOW Festival, Rhythm Tree Festival, No Mans Land Festival, Ventnor Fringe Festival, Robin Hill, Blackgang Chine, Chale Show with more to be confirmed. liz@lizcooke.co.uk www.lizcooke.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/pages/ Liz-Cooke-Flags/110436062434765 Image supplied by Liz Cooke
GARDENING
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CUISINE
What’s in season? May & June by Marie-Clare Thompson from Isle Cook
May - Asparagus It would be remiss of me not to mention what is arguably one of the most celebrated arrivals on the British food calendar. Best eaten without too much messing, enjoy it while you can as it’s only around for a short while in the UK.
TRY IT: • Steamed or grilled with butter or olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. • With a few shavings of parmesan. • Or for one of life’s ultimate indulgences - with hollandaise sauce or a poached egg. HISTORY Originating in ancient Greece, Asparagus has been grown in England since the sixteenth century. NUTRITION Asparagus contains more folic acid than any other vegetable. It is also a source of fibre, potassium, vitamins A and C and glutathione, a phytochemical with antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties. FACT Asparagus is one of a variety of ingredients including mushrooms, cheese and meat which contain glutamic acid or glutamate. First discovered by a Tokyo professor early in the 20th century, the distinctive flavour that it produced was named “Umami” or the fifth taste as it was different from the other four tastes of bitter, sour, salty and sweet. Umami literally means “delicious essence” and has been described as the savouriness of something.
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TIP - Remove its woody stalks by holding with one hand and gently bending with the other. The stalk will naturally snap at the right point, leaving you with a tender stem. WHAT ELSE IS IN SEASON: VEG: asparagus, broccoli, carrots, jersey royal new potatoes, lettuce & salad leaves, new potatoes, peas, radishes, rocket, samphire, spinach, spring onions, watercress. FRUIT: rhubarb HERBS: basil, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, oregano, mint, nasturtium, parsley, rosemary, sage, sorrel, tarragon MEAT: lamb, wood pigeon FISH: coley, crab, haddock, langoustine, plaice, prawns, salmon, sardines, sea trout, shrimp, whelks, whitebait
CUISINE
June - Strawberries Panna Cotta with Strawberry Sorbet (Serves 4)
For the Panna Cotta: 2 x 2g leaves of gelatine 300ml double cream 115g caster sugar 100ml full-fat milk 50ml buttermilk Veg oil, to grease Soak gelatine leaves in cold water. Pour cream into a pan, add sugar, heat gently, stir till sugar has dissolved. Bring just to a simmer, and then take off the heat. Squeeze out the gelatine, stir it into warm cream mixture to dissolve. Pour through sieve into a clean bowl and stir in the milk and buttermilk. Grease the inside of 4 small ramekins and divide the mixture between them. Cool and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. To turn out, put the dishes briefly in boiling water and then invert on to plates. For the sorbet: 250g strawberries 125g caster sugar 120ml water juice of half a lemon
Put the sugar in a saucepan with the water and bring to boil. Once sugar has dissolved, set aside to cool. Rinse and hull the strawberries and blitz in a blender till smooth. Add the lemon juice and stir into the cold sugar syrup. Pour mixture into an ice cream machine to churn until frozen. STRAWBERRY FACTS Strawberries are members of the rose family and the only fruit that wear their seeds on the outside.
The word strawberry comes from the Old English words “streowberie” or “streawbelige”. There are a few theories about how they got their name. The “straw” bit could come from the straw that was used to keep 16
the strawberries fresh, or it could come from “strewed”, which means to spread wide. WHAT ELSE IS IN SEASON: Do try and get down to your local farmers market or greengrocer and take advantage of one of the most abundant months in the British calendar... VEG: artichoke, asparagus, aubergine, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, carrots, chillies, courgettes, fennel, french beans, garlic, jersey royal new potatoes, kohlrabi, lettuce & salad leaves, mangetout, new potatoes, onions, pak choi, peas, radishes, rocket, runner beans, samphire, spinach, spring onions, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, wild nettles. FRUIT: apricots, bilberries, blueberries, cherries, gooseberries, greengages, peaches. HERBS: basil , chervil, chives, coriander, dill, elderflowers, oregano, mint, nasturtium, parsley, rosemary, sage, sorrel, tarragon, thyme. MEAT: lamb, wood pigeon. FISH: cod, coley, crab, haddock, halibut, herring, langoustine, plaice, pollack, prawns, salmon, sardines, scallops (queen), sea bream, sea trout, shrimp, squid, whelks, whitebait.
INTERIORS
Antiques at Doreshill Emporium by Wendy Taplin I thought this month I would ask one of my dealers at the Emporium to tell you their story... How we became Mr. and Mrs. ReLoving It - We cannot abide seeing perfectly good items being thrown out and wasted. We very rarely buy anything new. So when it came to furnishing our first home we rushed straight out and spent a small fortune on furniture which was all conveniently flat packed……… well not exactly! We did go out but instead of heading to a department store we hit the local charity shops, poured over the pages on our local classifieds website, and thumbed through the newspaper for house clearances and garage sales. In the process of furnishing our home with our second hand furniture finds and putting our own stamp on it, we discovered that we quite liked the sourcing of the furniture almost as much as we liked refurbishing, re-purposing and most of all reloving old and sometimes quirky furniture and decorative items. It’s the buzz of seeing potential in something often seen as rubbish to its original owner and so it began, a journey down a one way path! Very soon we had items of furniture coming in from a variety of sources
and it inevitably ended up stashed all over the place, but when we found a piece of furniture that still had some life in it we just couldn’t leave it, chairs, tables, shelving units, dressers, you name it we had it. The time came to find storage and to start to sell off pieces; it was at this point we discovered Doreshill Farm Emporium. It offered a perfect solution, we could clear all the items out of our house and have it in a retail environment from which we could sell and show off our now expanding skills and workmanship. So the transformation from collector to dealer was complete, right? Wrong! Once a collector always a collector, but now we’re collecting so other people can ultimately enjoy the finished article. Becoming part of the emporium has done more than help us free up space in our home, it’s given us a cost effective way of starting up a small business and the opportunity to discover more about what we like and what you, the end customer, wants with none of the traditional new business stresses. In addition being part of a team of dealers, all with specific and varying areas of interest, has provided us with a great educational source not only in how to
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most effectively turn a profit but also access to a wealth of knowledge in from varying areas of antiquing and collections. As well sourcing the furniture and then creating something unique out of it, we still have day jobs and two young daughters to keep us on our toes, and I guess that’s another huge advantage of being part of the emporium, it gives us the choice to take on as much or as little work as the rest of our life dictates.
Keep up to date with our latest stock and projects at www. facebook.com/ReLovingItIW See what else is happening at Doreshill Farm Emporium at https://www.facebook.com/ doreshillfarmemporium
glean
are looking for a Commission-based Sales Person. This vacancy is home-based and is on a self-employed basis. Please send email with CV and covering letter explaining why you think you are suitable for the job to gleanmagazine@outlook.com Deadline: 5pm, June 27th, 2014
GARDENING
Your Garden - The New Fashion Accessory by Amber Beard It used to be, in times gone by, that gardeners fell into two categories. There were the horny handed old men with flat caps on allotments wittering about their spuds and slugs and the ladies in trailing chiffon wafting amongst the roses with trugs on their arms offering tea and scones on the lawn. Gardening was something that other people did, it was a bit naff and a bit boring and was not the stuff of dinner party conversations. But now in these days of austerity and global awareness gardening has become one of the most fashionable of hobbies and Dig for Victory is in the air again. Everyone is at it, or so it seems, even if it’s only a window box full of herbs or a couple of tomato plants in a pot or some runner beans climbing up a balcony trellis and the waiting list for allotments is ever growing even in the most fashionable areas of our towns and cities. I have gardened ever since I can remember (but then I am not all that fashionable) beginning with easy to sprout cress and radishes as a small child, through to herbs during my college years which were in short supermarket supply then, to the many different varieties of fruit, veg and flowers that I now grow in
my garden plot. I have a potager of sorts, raised beds where I not only grow vegetables but also flowers to cut for my house and lots of herbs. The growing year begins with the choosing of seeds and my oh my the choice is endless. I um and ah, pick my favourites and then pick something that I haven’t grown before but want to try – this year it’s elephant garlic from our very own Garlic Farm here on the Island. For the fashionistas amongst you there are luscious Italian plum tomatoes, kaleidoscopic carrots, baby vegetables which never get bigger than the size of your thumb and of course the ever chic kale to grow. There is sorrel to be added to soft soups, lemon grass for Thai curries and Romanesco cauliflowers just to look at. Impress your friends with artichokes interspersed with lilies and alstromeria for an easy to grow but stunning blend of flower and vegetable. Or grow your herbs in beautiful planters made from old wicker baskets which you can buy cheaply from charity shops and line with plastic. There are a million and one different ideas. The chances are that you will never be self sufficient – that would take a field and an awful lot of time but you can certainly grow enough to keep you going for a meal or three with the odd glut to give 19
away or make into jam and chutney, something else which has gained marks in the fashion field of late. You will know exactly where it came from. From seed to plate. So go on. Get out there. Plant a pot or a box or a basket with whatever takes your fancy and enjoy watching it grow. Get digging if you have the room. It’s good for the soul. And terribly fashionable. Image supplied by Amber Beard
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