gardening – Page 4 – Ciaran The Gardener

Rose Petal Cordial – Recipe

Roses, there is no other plant with so much symbolism attached to it, war of the roses, symbol of love and Shakespeare quotes… Roses in the garden can be a pain, not just the literal ache when a prickle, not a thorn,gets stuck in your flesh. Roses have prickles not thorns, thorns are modified shoots whileContinue reading “Rose Petal Cordial – Recipe”

Pickled Elder Flower Buds – Recipe

Pickled Elder Flower Buds Elder flowers open in succession, so even now while there are flowers in full bloom there are further flowers still to open. The flower heads when harvested at the green bud stage are delicious pickled, a bit like a substitute for capers. Collecting the flower heads Snap off unopened flower heads.Continue reading “Pickled Elder Flower Buds – Recipe”

Green Elder Shoots – Recipe

Green Elder Shoots in Brine This is an old recipe, and an odd one. While elder flower coridals and elder flower ‘Champagne” are becoming more widely known, I bet not many people are trying out the new green shoots! In spring and early summer the common elder, Sambucus nigra, produces very vigorous strong green shootsContinue reading “Green Elder Shoots – Recipe”

Changing Perspectives – Show Garden Bloom 2012

Grafitti covered walls, dumped and battered old washing machine and litter strewn ground greet the visitor, not the typical welcome for a visior to a Bloom garden. Between the concrete blocks there are glimpses of a brighter place, a more colourful and welcoming place. This was a show garden that took the visitor on aContinue reading “Changing Perspectives – Show Garden Bloom 2012”

Jane Mc Corkell’s My Garden is a garden for everyone -BLOOM 2012

Maybe it’s the economic climate, maybe people are more nostalgic when times are hard and we reminisce with our rose tinted glasses as we look back on the days that were better. Some of my favourite show gardens at Bloom have a touch of the past about them, where the simplistic design relies on aContinue reading “Jane Mc Corkell’s My Garden is a garden for everyone -BLOOM 2012”

Stuffed Red Mustard Leaves – Recipe

Last year we sowed red mustard leaves, Brassica juncea ‘Osaka Purple’, in neat rows in our salad bed in the vegetable garden. This year it is coming up all over the vegetable gardens and beyond. The large floppy red leaves are mottled green and the flowers are yellow and typical of the cabbage family. ItContinue reading “Stuffed Red Mustard Leaves – Recipe”

Spruce Shoot Jam – Recipe

Spruce trees are a common site in the west of Ireland, not just as part of the alien forestry that covers much of the land, but also you see groups of old trees close to houses, derelict old cottages and lived in houses like ours. That is exactly what we have close to our house,Continue reading “Spruce Shoot Jam – Recipe”