tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46248476474119205492024-02-07T01:12:10.490-08:00Growing WildGrowing & exploring in the west of Scotland.
Inspired by a rumbling tummy, fueled by white wine.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-66693929924304956832011-11-10T04:54:00.000-08:002011-11-10T04:54:32.752-08:00A Christmas wish list....Lots of Winter plants which I think would survive a West of Scotland winter, and cheer up the grey drab garden throughout the darker days.....
Scabiosa japonica 'Blue Diamonds' (Pincushion 'Blue Diamonds')
Anemone de Caen
Christmas Rose
Winter Aconite
Winter Jasmine
Edelweiss
This window bird feederUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-72860035055931472632011-11-04T05:40:00.000-07:002011-11-04T05:40:37.762-07:00Confused garden?!
Just what season does my garden think it is? If you thought I was mad when I said before that my garden shows little regard for the time of year and how is ought to be behaving, then read on.
Bit late for Gladioli isn't it? Only bloomed this week. And in my bedroom my extraordinary hibiscus burst into one solitary bloom this morning - usually a good omen. Let's hope so Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-33748208834047928182011-11-01T05:16:00.000-07:002011-11-01T08:29:51.700-07:00Pumpkin MuffinsI kept it simple and just carved the one pumpkin this year, I think I was too overwhelmed by the choices and dazzling designs on my previous post! In the end there wasn't much time left over to go wild with Halloween displays, and I knew that ultimately with it falling on a wet and cold Monday this year, there would be few Trick or Treaters calling by. Hence I am also left Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-21276329703672564682011-10-29T08:44:00.000-07:002011-10-29T08:44:38.524-07:00The Hallow'een CollectionI'm BACK!!
Do forgive me, I've been a bit preoccupied with finding new jobs, entertaining visiting family, having the cold, dreaming up business ideas so I can become rich and stop job searching, and generally being busy with an increasingly demanding and cantankerous almost 2 year old.
I will also admit to falling out of love a little with my garden and being more than a little pissed off at Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-46926358268785348802011-10-01T02:56:00.000-07:002011-10-01T03:08:06.407-07:00Medicine Woman - Ayrshire styleOne of the things that make up for our horrid winters in Scotland, is the sheer enjoyment of watching the change of the seasons. I think that's why Spring and Autumn are my favourite times of the year. As well as looking forward to the annual Eurovision Song Contest party every Spring, and my birthday falling in Autumn!
I wish I could say that the reason I've been so quiet on Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-34093103512907979342011-09-13T05:14:00.000-07:002011-09-13T05:19:17.455-07:00Blogging in a stormCONDITOR HORTI FELICITATIS AVCTOR
Or more simply put - "Those who plant a garden, plant happiness".Isn't that grand! I love it. I think I'm going to inscribe it across the arch of my shed, since I doubt I'll have anything grander to display it for a while yet!This month I've started planning what improvements I'd like to make for next year's garden, and started choosing what plants I Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-57634031490410362432011-09-07T11:21:00.000-07:002011-09-07T11:25:40.999-07:00Test the pH of your soil for freeIf, like me, you've wondered how to find out if your soil is acidic or alkaline without having to splash out on a test kit, read on.
All you gotta do is take some soil from your garden and put in a clean container. Then, add a half-cup of vinegar. If the soil bubbles or fizzes, it's alkaline.
If there's no reaction, try again with a fresh soil sample into a second container. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-27000214206667259002011-09-05T06:30:00.000-07:002011-09-05T12:11:13.332-07:00Let the jam making season BEGIN!I'm going to need a larger storage area for all the jams I'm making this year. I hope everyone is practising their 'happily surprised' faves for opening their Christmas presents this year- as everyone's getting jam!
Last week I decided to make the most of the squillions of Rose Hips locally and try turning them into jam.
Baby Wild has a wee cold, so my intentions started outUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-67652309506781536342011-09-05T04:25:00.000-07:002011-09-05T12:13:57.274-07:00Award winning flowers!I won First place! Yay!I was intrigued when the local town, which is not exactly renowned for beauty, community spirit or show gardens, was putting on it's Annual Agriculture & Flower show in the community hall. I had to go and see for myself, so I decided to enter it too. It doesn't take much to entertain me these days! It was a bit farcical when I showed up. Obviously they haven't had a newUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-8103356634157143202011-09-03T12:11:00.000-07:002011-09-03T12:11:57.866-07:00Growing colour combinations
It's taken me a whole week to get around to write this post - am struggling with work, toddlerdom, and the general 'stuff' that needs done daily! So forgive me for being a bit lite on posts these days....
Last weekend we went to Kelburn Castle (again) for the Vikings. We had a great time. Check out our photos of the roaring Vikings on the other blog. But this was the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Largs, Ayrshire KA29 0BE, UK55.7713431 -4.846154100000035230.364027600000004 -64.611779100000035 81.1786586 54.919470899999965tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-33191920593933954292011-08-27T12:10:00.000-07:002011-08-27T12:10:05.201-07:00Radish Beer Snacks, anyone?Not so sure what to do with the amount of Radish pods, or nuts as I think of them for some reason, I have amassed since it was suggested that they'd make good beer snacks! Even I can't drink the amount of beer that would be necessary to wash this lot down! Check out all these health benefits of eating radishes, but I'm still gonna need tastier ideas here... I've tried cooked Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-52035569448731051782011-08-21T03:27:00.000-07:002011-08-21T03:27:39.479-07:00Growing Wild in AugustIt's the start of mushroom season!.. Check out this Scottish website for advice
Cep; I really want find some Cauliflower fungus; Chanterelle; ring Champignon; Field mushroom; Giant puffball; Horse mushroom; Parasol mushroom; Shaggy Cap; Wood Hedgehog a mushroom with teeth!
Black mustard
Blackberry in milder spots, not here in western Scotland just yet
Elderberries
Hazelnut
Heather flowers Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-56882470522262310612011-08-17T00:56:00.000-07:002011-08-17T00:56:10.943-07:00Pea shooterBaby Wild loves the peas growing in the garden so much, she calls them "sweeties"! Every time she sets foot outdoors she makes a break for them screaming for help to pop open the pods she tears from the bush. I am proud that at such a young age she appreciates the value of growing our own and understands where some veggies come from.......
But she's destroyed one of the bushes!&Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-34424272938651931102011-08-13T04:48:00.000-07:002011-08-13T04:48:27.690-07:00Garden progress - August My garden has really come into itself this month. Most flowers are in full bloom, making me realise that I need to do some research into what I can grow to fill the gap between my spring bulbs and mid summer when my garden was so bare! All my herbs are in bloom too, making the front garden gloriously fragranced.
It's also a little wild though! I am regretting Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-49102122537123766812011-07-30T12:32:00.000-07:002011-07-30T12:32:12.458-07:00Loving the sun in the garden My toilet roll experiment for growing the carrots in has failed! They're as bent and curly as ever! But I don't think Baby Wild cares, apparently they're "YUMMY"!
And don't get her started on the peas. We had a full on tantrum today when she could no longer reach them, despite having eaten what seemed like her weight in them. I really underestimated the support they would Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-57422260607098997672011-07-28T02:59:00.000-07:002011-07-28T03:09:25.197-07:00July notesIt appears I am still not learning how to be patient with my garden. I have sown to much and now having a bit of a time taming sections, fixing broken supports, giving away gluts of lettuce to neighbours to make way for the next batch and eating bolted veg! On the plus side the front garden is really starting to come together and needed taming following the hot weather we've been Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-20279990413986836262011-07-18T02:35:00.000-07:002011-07-18T02:53:15.736-07:00Raspberry feast! We went foraging yesterday in Spiers Garden, Beith in the sun and found hundreds of ripe raspberries to gather!
Baby Wild wasn't much use at the gathering process however, she gobbled everyone she picked, leaves and all! We had set off with hopes of finding some mushrooms following the earlier downpour. but all I found was this ugly looking specimen below. I'm not sureUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0Barrmill Rd, Beith, Ayrshire KA15, UK55.740229799999987 -4.62853110000003255.735053799999989 -4.6332211000000321 55.745405799999986 -4.6238411000000319tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-70269630097533123372011-07-10T15:51:00.000-07:002011-07-10T15:57:05.901-07:00How June faired....
June faired well, it was a mixed bucket load of weathers, which overall seemed to please the garden. My moods seemed to match this, swinging from happily pottering and weeding to full on panic gardening and sowing of seeds all over the place scared that I'll never have anything to harvest!
So there was quite a lot to record here this month, in the hope that eventually I shall make Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-67207767253283098672011-07-10T08:23:00.000-07:002011-07-10T08:23:23.321-07:00Growing wild in JulyLots of mushrooms starting to appear including Cep,Chanterelle, Field mushroom, Giant puffball (you GOTTA check out the link for that one!!), Horse mushroom, Parasol mushroom & Shaggy cap if you know where to look.
Sea beet
Green walnut (this link actually takes you to one of Fergus Drennans articles with lots of great wild recipes). I'm not actually sure if I would recognise Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-732380829715352202011-07-03T03:15:00.000-07:002011-08-06T06:09:08.265-07:00WOW Wild Rose Jam
Get your shoes on, grab a bag and hit the hedges - the wild roses are in full bloom and my but they taste fine! A great way to pass half an hour with a toddler too, I may add, who loves the permission to pick flowers for once. I know it's a bit early to be thinking about Christmas, but I am making this jam in batches and hiding the jars from myself so that I can give them as gifts Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-80800924169092314132011-06-21T15:00:00.000-07:002011-06-21T15:00:19.721-07:00Happy Solstice!And there was me wanting to post you an update on my garden, how it's looking, what's growing at last, what we've eaten already... the war on slugs.......
But it is hasn't stopped PISSING it down here for so many days that there's not much to show but grey skies, hundreds of weeds, no bottle of blossom cordial etc etc....
Sigh.
Bear with me. I shall be celebrating Solstice another day! :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-15069471589805628142011-06-20T14:46:00.000-07:002011-06-20T14:46:58.431-07:00Strawberry Moon Harvest
We've been munching our way through all the baby radish thinnings, leaves and all
and rocket, and all the spicy leaves - can't get enough of them
and started hanging up come of the herbs to dry for use later in year when not so abundant
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-41208472862034730932011-06-17T08:11:00.000-07:002011-06-17T08:37:04.400-07:00Wild recipes for JuneThere are so many recipes that I am dying to try out this month - the eldferflowers are nodding at me, the wild roses are making my grotty little town actually smell sweet, the wild strawberries are starting to come out, and I'm counting the days to another visit home to Ireland to try out some more seaweed recipes over the Solstice.
Problem is, it's raining every time I want to go out and pick Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-16426762401353379962011-06-12T09:38:00.000-07:002011-06-12T09:38:33.253-07:00Sow a lot, reap a little?A thought occurred to me today - maybe having the slowest growing garden in the west of Scotland is a good thing? Whilst all the neighbouring gardens around me start to fade, mine is only just beginning!
Finally, the poppys I sowed at the end of spring are starting to grow, and those I cheated and bought are actually in bloom! My peonies have grown, but I suspect have no intention to flower thisUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624847647411920549.post-53707374949794026342011-06-12T09:33:00.000-07:002011-06-12T09:33:48.215-07:00Toilet Roll Carrots
Step one - save a pile of empty loo rolls & stick them in the ground
Fill with lovely soft seed compost & slow release food
Pop in some carrot seedlings & water
This is my approach to getting carrots to grow a proper root this year - no more little orange stumps for me.... if my plan works! ha haUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0