Vintage Trug

Very handy & very lovely! Here is a new addition to our vintage collection, an extra large trug which is great for all kinds of jobs or just as great at looking good in the house full of magazines or kindling.
Click here to view full details.

Mothers day gift ideas

Forget it at your peril!  The boutique has some great gift ideas & gift baskets for mothers day, what better way to start the new growing season than with a gardening gift!

We also have eco friendly hand made gift cards which have flower seeds attached which you can plant & grow.

The Yellow Book!

The Yellow Book! The national garden scheme release this book each year, full of people who open their gardens for charity, now over 3,700 gardens open up to the public either by appointment or on a set day of the year.

The book is broken down into regions & is really simple to use. My favourite last year in our local area was 'Cotherstone' as it is a group opening, pretty much the whole village opens its gardens & allotments to the public, a couple of gardens serve tea with fruit cake & Cotherstone cheese (spent a lot of the day there) & some sold plants & flowers. Only £4 entry for the day, & if the sun is shining it couldn't be a better day out.

You can grab the book from most supermarkets & book shops or from amazon for £6.99 inc postage.

Happy reading!

At the allotment..... in the beginning!

After having our names down for three years we were offered an allotment on a site close to where I grew up. The plot had not been tended for about 3 years and there was no structure to it at all, so basically we had rented a small field full of couch grass and other weeds, which has a tendency to get water logged on one half, but I didn't want to wait another 3 years so we went for it!
The half which gets water logged we have left for now to see what happens throughout the year, it's a big plot so that's fine, the couch grass (I was devastated to find) needed digging out as it's the only way to get rid of it without using chemicals, the ground was very compact (full of buttercups, a sign of wet, compact ground) so it was hard going at times.
We only got the plot in the summer of 2010 & it has been hard work, but this spring I feel hopefull that our hard work will pay off, it is getting easier all of the time & is starting to look like an allotment!
Here are a couple of 'before' pictures,
Helen

Rhubarb,Rhubarb,Rhubarb!

The rhubarb plant at the allotment only went in last year, so it's in its early stages, thought I'd have a go at forcing it & see how it got on, this is it after just 3 weeks so it seems OK, there was enough to make a batch of rhubarb scones so I was pleased (though I should have let it be really for a while longer)

Found this recipe in Living Etc magazine....

(Makes 10)

250g rhubarb, trimmed & chopped

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

300g plain flour, sifted

2 teaspoons baking powder

110g caster sugar, extra

125 ml milk

125 ml single cream, plus extra to serve

Preheat oven 180/ gas mark 4. place the rhubarb, sugar & vanilla in a small bowl and toss to combine.Set aside.Place the flour, baking powder & extra sugar in a large bowl & make a well in the centre of the mixture.

Gradually pour in the milk & cream and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, add the rhubarb mixture & gently bring together until a smooth dough forms. Roll out the dough until 3 cm thick. use a 5 cm square cookie cutter to cut out 10 squares. Place the scones on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve with extra cream & a  lovely cuppa!