Seasonal Eating in April - Thank Goodness for Spring Greens

Last week I wrote about the ice and snow, and how everything is well behind in the Bridge Cottage garden because of the extended winter we are having. Thanks goodness for spring greens! Thank goodness too that we planted up the greenhouse in the autumn, or 'back end' as it is known as round here.

Just as we are all getting thoroughly sick of the winter, and longing to see some sunshine and get the growing season under way, we have been blessed here in the Bridge Cottage greenhouse with purple sprouting broccoli, small but very tasty cauliflowers, curly kale, cavelo nero kale, kohlrabi tops. spring cabbage, rainbow chard and rocket.

We have learnt our lesson over the years, and now sow seeds in the late summer ready to plant in the greenhouse once the last tomatoes have been cleared. It is such a joy to be able to go out in the cold across the frozen garden, to find new life and spring greens waiting to be picked fresh for the dinner table in the greenhouse.

Planted in the autumn, these crops will lie fairly dormant over the British winter, then spring into life giving you early crops in March right through til when the veggie garden is in full production. We don't have a heated greenhouse, and even in Northumberland, in the north of the UK, early spring crops grow very well indeed under glass.
This juicy rainbow chard is delicious cooked as spinach, or in a rissotto. When young and fresh, the leaves can be added to a salad alongside baby spinach leaves and rocket.

Those of you who have been followng the Bridge Cottage Way blog from the beginning will recognise this old 'Vax' cleaner from the post I wrote about reusing plastic containers as planters. Here it is again, full of chives and was brought into the greenhouse over winter. It is now springing into life giving us fresh herbs to add to salads, omelettes, and other dishes.

We've also now got plenty of fresh parsley, and now that the greenhouse is warming up during the day, it is growing really well.
I managed to freeze plenty of basil and parsely last year so have been kept well stocked with herbs over the winter, but wth those supplies now dwindling, I'm very glad to see the parsley growing well again.

Even though there are greens growing well now it's still far too cold in to put any seedlings in the greenhouse, and I'm holding off sowing any til the weather warms up. This does mean that the growing or our own veg is now about a month behind compared til last year. I guess we'll just have to wait. There certainly isn't any point in sowing seeds when it's -7 at night as it was this weekend.





Don't forget of course the food that can be foraged for. and round here we now have lots of wild garlic. Mix it with rocket, swiss chard leaves and parsley, and you will have a wonderfully flavoursome salad, or make soup or pesto. I wrote about wild garlic last year with tips or what to do with it in this post:
 Food for Free, Wild Garlic






As I'm try to reduce supermarket shopping as much as possible, these early crops of spring greens and wild garlic not only save me money, but keep me out of the shops, and keep packaging and airmiles out of the picture, which has to be good news.

Thanks for reading.

Happy Easter everyone.

Ice and Snow at Bridge Cottage

This was the view from my bedroom window as I opened the curtains this morning. High winds, snow and sub zero temperatures have meant that winter is continuing its icy grip here in the UK well into March. This time last year, we had a warm spell, and the greenhouse and propagators were filling up with seedlings and the growing season was well under way. Not so this year.

 Thursday was a one of those beautiful sunny yet frosty mornings, and I took a tour of the Bridge Cottage garden with my camera to get some photos for this week's blog.
As you can see, even the snowdrops are bending and drooping in the ice.
Once they have finished flowering and of course the ground has defrosted enough to avoid having to use a pick axe to break the ground, snowdrops can be lifted and divided. This is called 'planting in the green', and this time last year I moved some snowdrops into the front garden which took very successfully. Unfortunately the Front Garden Project which I started the year writing about, is currently on hold, waiting for the Spring to arrive!

We have lots of clumps of snowdrops here, some of which have a beautiful double petal, and grow wild along the riverbank in the garden. I love to take my cup of tea out here for a break during the day. The sound of the water never fails to delight me, and I have made myself a promise to do this every day for a five minute meditation.
I don't know about you, but so often I forget to pause awhile amongst the business of the day and just 'be' in the garden, rather than hurtling hell for leather through all the jobs that running a home, small business and family entail. I must do it more!

Three weeks ago we have one of those lovely  Sundays when the sun was shining and the birds were heralding the start of the new growing season. My husband cleared and dug over the Bridge Cottage veggie patch, and we talked about what we'd be planting where, to ensure good crop rotation.
He covered the patch in the foreground with fleece to help warm up the ground in readiness for peas and beans. It's traditional here in the UK to 'Plant your Peas on St Patrick's Day' which was last weekend, but with these arctic conditions all that seems long way off!

 Whilst hubbie was in the garden digging, I was getting carried away indoors, planting seeds in the propogator. Oh dear, when will I learn? With the first signs of Spring and a warm day, away I go, sowing seeds will nilly. Now they're all huddled in the propogator, getting leggier by the day and wondering why the heck they were brought to life when it's -5 outside. I get so excited about the new growing season that I just can't help myself! You'd have thought by the age of 50 I'd have learnt to hang on a bit until Spring really is here, and the seedlings can be safely transferred to the greenhouse without the risk of freezing or dampening off. Hopefully I can give them enough light and warmth to keep them going until we get some warmer weather, but in the meantime NO MORE SOWING SEEDS TIL THE WEATHER WARMS UP!

The rhubarb that a couple of weeks ago burst through the ground with deep pink buds, full of life and vigour, is now looking frost bitten and sad, bent over by the weight of ice and cold. Last April I wrote about rhubarb in my 'Sesoanal Eating in April' post, and started with a rather dodgy photo of me holding a huge bunch of freshly picked rhubarb. I fear we may have to wait a little longer this year!

 It doesn't matter what time of year it is, or what the weather throws at us, there is still such a beauty to be found outside. Even though we can't get on growing things and preparing the gound for summer, we can still appreciate the awesomeness of nature. This photo may not help me win any gardening awards, with last year's debris still on the gound, but I think it is beautiful. The red Cornus bush and Witch Hazel tree (which was planted when we lost our dear Border Collie, Meg) looked so splendid in the morning sunshine. I would like to leave this thought with you. Even though we cannot get on with the jobs in the garden, we can take a cup of tea outside, have a wander around and appreciate the wonder and beauty of nature.

Thanks for reading.

Next week I'll be continuing the Seasonal Eating thread with recipes and suggestions of what we can eat in March/April to ensure that we are using as much locally grown and as less transported food as possible.

'Make and Do Together' with Daisy Green at The Shipley

The idea behind the 'Make and Do Together' series of posts, is about making things together, and in the past I've talked a lot about getting our kids away from screens and getting outdoors. Here are links to 'Make and Do Together: Three Easter Activities' and 'Make and Do Together: Gardening with Children' if you're looking for inspiration for things to do over the upcoming Easter holidays. As I was pondering what to write about this weekend, I thought I'd change tack slightly and write about the group of people I was amongst on Saturday who were indeed 'Making and Doing Together'. We were with Daisy Green Events at The Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. UK.

I love working with the Daisy Green girls, and it is made even more special when the event is being held at The Shipley. As a designer, there is something very special about setting up my stall amongst beautiful paintings and inspirational design pieces. Indeed, I was not disappointed, as this time my stall was near some gorgeous glass pieces which oozed onto their plinth like dissolving Moomins.
I was setting up shop alongside a lady called Sue, who made appliqued textile pieces of exquisite quality. I thoroughly enjoyed my day chatting to Sue, in between talking to visitors to the Daisy Green' Spring Market. Indeed, the sun even made an appearance and an impression of Spring that day, although following a night and day of snow and sleet it would seem Spring is a long way off from Bridge Cottage.


Behind me was the lovely Laura Parkin and her loom. Laura is a Northumerland based Woven Textile Designer specialising in unique Handwoven accessories such as scarves, purses and textile covered jewellery. Laura and I first met at a Made in Newcastle market in Gosforth, and I admired her work then.
I love meeting up with fellow artisans at such events, swopping contacts and giving advice about events we've attended.

Sarah, from Flip Knit Stitch was there too! Sarah writes her own blog, and works very hard at her business. She is often at the same events as me, but packs in so many more too, with regular appearances at the vibrant Tynemouth Weekend Markets.

Further down the hall, I recognised another couple, not from their faces, but from their name, Posh Wosh, as this is a business I follow on Twitter. Indeed, there were other businesses there who I was able to put a face to from a Twitter name.




I was also able to put a face to a name, at the stall selling beautifully scented hand poured candles that is Crafty Sheep.

 I must say, I've recently discovered what a fantastic resource Twitter and social media in general is for small businesses and local communities, both for networking and support, not to mention sales. It's been a steep learning curve, but an enjoyable one for me, and over the last couple of years. I've began to get to grips with Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and have opened my Etsy shop.
That might sound a tad hypocritical when I'm banging on about getting kids off screens and doing things together as a family, but I assure you, I don't sit there for hours on end with three screens going all at once!

 It was through Twitter, and in particular, #Northeasthour that I met Gavin Forster photography who took this, and a whole patch of other superb photograhs of my upcycled jumper coats.

Back to Saturday and the Daisy Green's Spring Fair. We had a most enjoyable day, with many interesting folk visiting and as ever a very high standard of work being exhibited. It is always so reassuring as a designer maker when others like your work, and spend time to chat to you about it. I came away that day with the lovely warm, fuzzy feeling that comes with mixing with like minded, creative people and knowing your are in the right place in more ways than one. I hope to be back at The Shipley very soon with my fellow 'Makers and Doers'

Reduce Out of Town Spending: Shop Local!

"Cute as a puppy's nose, handsome as Clark Gable: is this the nicest market town in the known universe?"
            Asked the Guardian newspaper in its article recently about moving to Hexham, in the Tyne Valley in the North East of England.

I for one love living in the Tyne Valley near Hexham. The scenery, with Hadrian's Wall on our doorstep, is stunning. Northumberland, as a county has diverse yet magnificent scenery, with wild, open beaches at the coast, fabulous countryside inland and towns full of character and history. I consider myself very privileged to be living in such a beautiful place.
 

Hexham is indeed a beautiful market town, steeped in history, with its Gaol House and Abbey surrounding the Market Place, and quaint independent shops along its streets. Like many towns in the England/Scotland border area, Hexham suffered from the border wars between the kingdoms of Scotland and England, including attacks from William Wallace who burnt the town in 1297. The tales of the Border Reivers are well documented, and Bastle farms and houses still stand today that were designed to keep the animals downstairs, families upstairs and be fortified against the marauding hoards. 

Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Hexham was a centre of the leather trade, particularly renowned for making gloves known as Hexham Tans - now the name of a vegetarian restaurant in the town.

However, despite its magnificence and historic bakckground, we have a problem in Hexham in our town centre, and I expect this is the case in towns all over the land.

To quote the Specials: 'This town, is coming like a ghost town. All the shops are being closed down'

This of course is something of an exaggeration, but it certainly does seem that the recession is biting, and the High Street shops are struggling.

 Recently the Hexham Bike Shop closed down which was very sad to see as it has served the local community well. They not only mended and serviced local bikes, but led weekend mountain bike rides, and were very much a hub for local bike enthusiasts.

Another small, independent shop selling outdoor and sports gear has also closed its doors this week. 

I host a pop up shop in Hexham every month, selling my upcycled clothes, soft furnishings and accessories and I really enjoy this. I love being a part of Hexham town centre, and this week I have learnt about and indeed joined a vibrant group of business owners who are actively working to change the downward trend.

The Hexham Business Forum is working hard alongside its members to breathe new life into the town centre, and most importantly, to encourage local shopping. It has launched the Hexham Loyalty Card which offers discounts and special offers to its holders from a wide range of local businesses and shop in Hexham and the surrounding area. I for one have just joined the scheme, and will be offering folk a ten per cent discount at the Pop Up Shops I hold for my business, The Woolly Pedlar, every month at the wool shop, Woolaballoo in Hexham.
There are many fabulous small shops in Hexham selling a diverse range of goods. Gaia is just one example of a small business run by a lovely people. Mary and Keith are the shop owners of Gaia, which is a wonderful source of ethical and fairtrade products from round the world. They are typical of the many business owners who are keen to work together to breathe new life into Hexham, and are actively encouraging the Shop Local movement. Hexham Farmers Market is a vibrant, bustling market where local producers sell their locally grown or homemade produce, and is in the Market Place twice a month on the second and fourth Saturday of the month. I could go on and on, naming the wonderful small businesses of Hexham, but let us now look at why local shopping is such a good idea.

I avoid large shopping malls and supermarkets like the plague, which makes local shopping an easy choice for me as I hate them! I love getting my fruit and veg from Hexham Market. It is often locally grown, fresh as fresh can be, and comes without packaging, plus I enjoy the chat and banter with the stall holders. I get my meat from the local butcher, where he chalks up on a board, which farm my meat has come from, so I know exactly where my meat is from. (Definitely no horse meat there!) Let us consider in more detail, why we should choose to shop local.


1. Local shops sell a great range of products at affordable prices (and even cheaper with a local loyalty card such as Hexham Loyalty Card). Many folk get out of the habit of shopping locally, and are pleasantly surprised by the range of products and gifts available locally.

2. Shopping locally saves you money. This is particularly important living in a rural area, with fuel costs so high.  Money is saved in travel, parking costs (which are much higher in the city) and delivery costs.

3. Shopping locally retains communities This is so important! People don't like losing shops and services in small towns and villages but don't always equate this with how they spend their money. Shops will only survive if people spend locally.

4. Shopping locally retains disctinctiveness and avoids clone towns. Many town centres look the same, with franchises and multinationals. Independent shops, such as we have in Hexham, create a distinctive shopping experience and stock different products. Independent shops and the Farmer's Market keep traditional local products alive.

5. Shopping locally helps save the environment. We are all aware of the impact that CO2 emissions have. Local shops often stock a higher percentage of locally sourced goods, and of course this is what the Farmer's Market is all about. This means a reduced distribution time and customer journey times, which will help reduce our global footprint.

6. Shopping locally creates jobs. Shops in town centres and local villages create local employment and self employment, which means more money is being spent in the local economy. Evidence shows that for every £10 spent in an independent shop, £25 is generated for the local economy.

7. Local charities benefit. Sole traders and independent stores are more generous in their support for local charities, carnivals, schools and community events. Supporting local shops means financial return for the community.

8. Better customer care and service. Numerous surveys show better customer care and service as traders survive by reputation and repeat business.

9. Local shops are for everyone. Keeping local shops is especially important for the elderly, vulnerable young people and those without transport. Keeping shops open by buying locally helps the whole community.

10. Shopping locally saves services. Private, voluntary and public sector services cluster round shops. The loss of high street shops means a reduction in services. So, as shops disappear, so do hairdressers, vets, dentists etc.

So, I implore you, before you get in the car to go to Tesco, the Metro Centre or whatever your local equivalent is, have a good look at your shopping lists and consider what could be bought locally. By changing just some of your shopping habits, you are doing a lot to help local businesses and your local community survive and prosper.

I'll leave you this week with some words taken from Margaret Mead, the Anthropologist:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;

 indeed its the only thing that ever has"

Shop Local!

Oats - are you getting yours?

February can be such a cold, dark and dismal month. We're waiting for the Spring, and although the days are beginnng to get longer, with daylight now lasting til nearly six o'clock, it's still cold, damp and dark outside. I originally thought I'd write this week's blog about comfort food in the form of homemade puddings. I see Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall wrote this, with his article  'The Proof of the Pudding' a few days ago in the Guardian.

 Hugh writes about how we can get through dull and dismal February by cheering ourselves up with homemade comfort food at its best. The article gives recipes for family favourites such as steamed syrup sponge pudding and chocolate souffle. I started the week off on Monday with this Bridge Cottage favourite, Chocolate pudding, as seen here, with the intention of cooking a good pudding every day to bring you good folks photos and recipes in this week's blog. I quickly realised that this was not in the family's best interest. Several of us here at Bridge Cottage, myself included, are trying to lose weight so I'm sorry if you're disappointed, but this week is not about homecooked puddings! You can go to Hugh's recipe page if that's what you're looking for.

 This week I shall be writing about Oats.  They are a firm favourite in the Bridge Cottage kitchen as they are cheap, very healthy and incredibly versatile. Oats are nutritious wholegrains that contain the soluble fibre beta-glucan that has been shown to lower cholesterol, making it a heart healthy food. Oats are also a first class carbohydrate which is vital to give the body energy and they also add to the protein intake. Oats are low on the glycemic index, meaning that they are absorbed and digested slowly, therefore helping you to feel full for longer. Oats also reduce hypertension or high blood pressure. As they are high in fibre, they are easy to digest, which also aids bowel health. If this wasn't enough, oats contain thiain, folic acid, biotin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin E. They also contain the important minerals zinc, selenium, copper, iron, mangenese and magnesium. Phew! that's some inpressive list. so what do we do with our oats here at Bridge Cottage?

I start the day with a bowl of porridge made from a handful rolled oats and a third of a pint of water that has been steeping overnight. It isn't vital to steep your porridge overnight, but I find it swells the oats making them quick to cook, plus it gives you a nice big bowl full. This now only takes a minute or two in the microwave or in a pan on the hob. I do try to avoid using the microwave as much as possible, but I hate having a porridge pan to wash.

I add fruit to my porridge, and then when this is all cooked, add a dollop of yoghurt to make it creamy.

Today I cooked some peeled and chopped pear and a few blackberries from the freezer with my morning porridge.

 Other family members make theirs with milk and no yoghurt - it's just a question of taste. As a child, I was brought up on Ready Brek and golden syrup in the seventies, which set me up for the day's schooling, but did nothing for my teeth! Nowadays we know about the harm that sugar does, and so I try to encourage the kids to use fruit and a teaspoon of honey rather than golden syrup or brown sugar, but these sugary toppings are still their favourites!

I cannot thank the Bridge Cottage garden enough for providing a bountiful harvest of raspberries last year. This, along with the blackcurrants, redcurrants, apples and blackberries has meant a freezer full of delicious fruit to add to my porridge all through the winter months.  My supply is just coming to an end, but I see the rhubarb is poking its head through the ground, so it won't be long until we have fresh rhubarb again. Some folk like to 'force rhubarb' by placing a large bin or lidded terracotta jar over the crowns. The lack of light forces the rhubarb skywards and you have tender young, pink rhubarb stems ahead of the season. The good folk at Gardener's World show us to how to force rhubarb in this article: How to Force Rhubarb.

We have a 'Daddy breakfast' at weekends when my husband gets the frying pan out, and last week he made oatcakes following the recipe in The River Cottage Handbook no 3.  which is all about Bread. This is a fantastic book, and one we use a lot. He followed the recipe for Staffordshire Oatcakes on p170. These are oaty pancakes, and not to be confused with Scottish Oatcakes which are a biscuit. (there is also a recipe for these in the book)

Here's the recipe for Staffordshire Oatcakes taken from the River Cottage Handbook:

Staffordshire Oatcakes

Makes 10 - 12

225 g wholemeal flour

225g fine oatmeal

500ml warm milk

500ml warm water

5g powdered dried yeast

10g salt

a little sunflower oil.

Whisk everything together, except the oil, in a large bowl until smooth. At this stage the batter will seem too thin, but it will thicken as the oatmeal swells. Cover and leave for at least an hour, until the batter is really bubbly and frothy.

Heat a large, heavy based frying pan over a medium heat, then grease it with a scrunched up piece of kitchen paper dipped in oil. Give the batter a good whisk then pour a ladleful into the pan, tipping and swirling the pan so the batter thickly coats the base. 

Cook for a couple of minutes, during which time the surface will become pocked with holes. Flip over and cook for a further minute, then remove from the pan. Wrap in a clean towel to keep warm. Cook enough oatcakes then leave the rest of the batter in the fridge or freezer for later.

Serve with breakfast - they go really well with a 'full English' - eggs, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms etc

Flapjacks are another firm favourite in the Bridge Cottage kitchen, and make a great energy giving snack for the kids when they come in from school. Here's a basic flapjack recipe that I've used for years, and always go back to. It's from Rose Elliott's Vegetarian Cookbook which has been a well used cookbook in this family for over twenty years. It has since been revised and is sold as Rose Elliot's Complete Vegetarian

Flapjacks

If you use ordinary rolled oats for this, the flapjacks are crisp; if you use jumbo rolled oats they come out gooey and toffee like. Personally, I prefer to use a mixture of both.

Makes 15 pieces

125g dark soft brown sugar

125 g butter

1 slightly rounded tablespoon golden syrup

175g rolled oats

Set the oven to 190 degC, gas mark 5. Melt together the brown sugar, butter and golden syrup, then stir in the rolled oats. Spread into a greased swiss roll tin, and bake for 10 - 15 minutes until golden brown. Cool a little, then mark into slices. Remove from the tin when almost cold. (They tend to stick if you leave them to be completely cold)

  You can play around with what you add to your flapjacks too. I love apricot and stem ginger, or cranberries and chocolate chips, or sunflowers seeds and raisins - the possibilities are endless.

Of course there are many more recipes for using oats, and I would love to hear of any favourites that you or your family have - feel free to leave a comment and tell me yours! 

Many thanks for reading this week's blog and following The Bridge Cottage Way. See you again next week, with an update on how my upcycling of textiles as The Woolly Pedlar is going.

 

 

The Front Garden Project - Planting for Bees

Since I wrote the first installment of the Bridge Cottage Front Garden Project , the last four weeks have been a constant battle with the cold, wind, rain and snow, and no work whatsoever has taken place outside. However, there are at last signs that Spring is stirring itself into action.

The first brave souls to push up out of the frozen ground and desplay their delicate petals are the snowdrops. I love seeing the first snowdrops and see them as a sign that Winter is beginning to ease its bite, and Spring might just be round the corner.
We've got masses of snowdrops here in the Bridge Cottage Garden, and on Sunday I plan to visit Howick Gardens near Alnwick, Northumberland to see their impressive Snowdrop Festival.

With the snowdops, wallflowers and primroses are also coming into flower, which has set me thinking about what I will plant in the front garden this year. I had a birthday recently, and was delighted to get several packets of seeds from my brother, which will be ideal for the front garden. I'm also going to rummage through my seed box and see what seeds I have left over from last year, and what seeds I managed to save from last summer's flowering plants. I wrote about saving seeds last year in 'Handy hints for Saving and Growing Seeds'

You'll see from this photo that the seeds packets all claim to attract bees. I thought it would be a good time to write about bees, so we can think about this summer's planting with the bees in mind.

We need bees and other pollinating insects as they are essential for the cropping of most fruits and vegetables. Worldwide, the bee and pollinating insect population is decreasing at an alarming rate. This has been put down to several factors, but most importantly, to the use of pesticides in farming.

The EU has recently proposed a ban on those insecticides that are linked to the decline of the bee population. This has been heralded as 'hugely significant' by environmentalists who say there is mounting evidence that pesticides are contributing to a decline in insects that pollinate food.
Three neonicotinoids, the world's most widely used insecticides, which incendently earn billions of pounds for manufacturers, would be forbidden from use on corn, oil seed rape, sunflowers and other crops across Europe for two years. The European Commission is also considering banning gardeners from using such pesticides.

Other reasons for the decline in the bee population include air pollution and the transformation of the countryside and rural areas. There is a call for farmers and landowners to plant key insect friendly flowering plants near crop producing fields.
We can do our bit too, and plant flowers and shrubs that attract bees and other pollinating insects, and avoid using systemic pesticides. Systemic pesticides such as 'Roundup' migrate to the entire plant as it grows and can be taken in by bees in nectar and pollen. There are a miriad of measures that can be taken to get rid of pests in the garden without resorting to harmful chemicals. We can plant flowers such as marigolds in amongst the vegetables to encourage the hover fly which will munch on aphids and is an important visitor to the garden. As aphids hunt by smell, planting aromatic herbs in amongst your crops can also help. Bob Flowerdew, writer of the Organic Bible and expert organic gardener writes in the Guardian about 'How to Keep Pests off your Patch' and gives a lot of very useful information.

There are many flowers and shrubs that you can add to your garden to encourage bees. The Royal Horticultural society has produced this useful list - Plants for Bees which is well worth having a look at.
 I can never get enough Lupins, and this border by the greenhouse is splendid! I shall be adding Lupins to the front garden to give some height and structure, as well as Foxgloves. Clumps of flowers in full sun are much better for attracting bees than single plants or those in shade. As the Bridge Cottage Garden is south facing, I will bear this in mind when planting and arrange my seedlings in clumps.
Lavender too is a great friend to bees and is amongst the seeds I've been given for my birthday, so we'll give that a whirl in the front garden. I've also got some Eryngium (Apline Sea Holly) and Echinacea Leuchstern (although there are many varieties you can choose from), both of which should flower right through to early autumn and ensure plenty of pollen for the bees.

A Bridge Cottage favourite is the self seeding Honesty which I've talked about before, when making Christmas decorations for the house. This is growing round the greenhouse and further afield where the wind has carried the seeds. I like the randomness that allowing self seeding plants to scatter their seeds brings. I'm not one for uniform rows, nor one for pulling up all weeds. Buttercups growing with honesty can look fab!

So while we are waiting for Winter to disappear, and Spring to return, how about having a rummage through your seed box and choosing some seeds from last year, or having a look at some of the seed catalogues. Personally, I like the Organic Gardening Catelogue, but I do have to be careful not to get carried away! If you have lots of seeds of one variety, how about organising a seed swop amongst friends? If you haven't managed to save seeds from last year, make a mental note to yourself to do so this year to avoid having to buy costly new packets.

A word of warning however, just because the temperature outside is getting above freezing, the sun making the odd appearance, and plants such as this Hellebore are now in flower, don't get carried away as I am prone to do, and sow your seeds too early. Even though the seed packets are telling me it's ok to sow from February, up here in the North of England, I need to make sure that it really is warm enough. They may well germinate fine in a heated propogator, but without a heated greenhouse they run the risk of dampening off and shrivelling in the cold. Patience is a virtue!

Over the next month, I'm hoping that we get some fine days to get out in the front garden and clear away some of the debris from last year. I'll report back on this in four weeks.

Thanks for following this week, and fingers crossed for some fine gardening days.

Knitting

As a girl, when visiting my Grandmother, I used to get asked, 'do you have your work with you?' She didn't mean my school homework, but some form of sewing, knitting or embroidery. I am lucky, and was brought up in a family where my grandmothers and mother taught me how to knit, embroider and make my own clothes. This has stood me in excellent stead, and as over the years I have made all manner of clothes, hats and scarves for my children, myself and for friends and family for Christmas presents. I always have some 'work' on the go now, and even sell some of my knitted creations online in my Etsy shop.

My grandmother crocheted what seemed like an infinite number of berets for me back in the 70s. As a young girl, I thought them to be hideous creations and would hide my brightly coloured bonnets and berets in a convenient bush on the way to school, only to be retrieved again on the way home! I wonder if my daughter does the same now?

Knitting and handcrafting is seeing a resurgence in popularity. There is a drive towards handmade that is sweeping the country, and I am very pleased to see this. Our maket town of Hexham now has a lovely wool shop, Woolaballoo, where you can not only buy super new yarn, both in store and online, but learn new techniques, attend courses, and even just pop in to get some help.
Knit and Natter groups too are springing up all over the place, where, for the price of a cup of tea, you can join other knitters, swop ideas and patterns and have a good get together over your knitting needles.

If you have been following the Bridge Cottage Way since the beginning, you'll have already met Kyle. It was he who planted the seeds in my head for the Bridge Cottage Way when he asked me how to make sloe gin for Christmas presents two years ago. I wrote about our gin picking adventures, and how to make it in the very first Bridge Cottage Way post: Foraging, Make Sloe Gin for Christmas. He also asked me to teach him how to knit, and here we are learning how to knit and purl so he can make something for his baby nephew.
     I was so pleased that one of the 'younger' generation wanted to learn how to knit, and it occurred to me, that we have a whole generation of kids and indeed adults who have not had these skills passed down to them. I've recently bought my daughter a simple beanie hat pattern and some gorgeous yarn with sequins in, and I intend to teach her how to knit. I probably should have done this years ago, but better late than never.

Knitting certainly has evolved since I used to knit my children little jumpers like this one on 2 needles when they were small. Since rediscovering knitting in my 50s I now find that knitting in the round, and knitting with circular needles are very much in vogue. You can get kntting instructions on the internet, on 'You Tube' like this lesson in 'How the Knit - the Basics' so you need never be stuck with a pattern, not knowing what the abbreviated instructions mean.
You can also download hundreds of free patterns from websites like Ravelry.
If the modern yarns of today seem expensive to you, you can always take a leaf out of my other Gran's book. She used to have crinkly balls of wool in her knitting basket than were obtained by unravelling old jumpers. Have a look in your local charity/thrift shops. You can often get wool very cheaply from them, and with a pattern like this jumper, you can use lots of little odds and ends.

So, if you don't know how to knit, get yourself some wool, find a knitter like me or your Gran, or go on You Tube or Ravelry, and find the pleasure that is to be had by making something for yourself or someone else.

Happy Knitting!