Fruit Garden Tasks To Do In June

Tags

fruit growing, gardening, jobs for june, june gardening tips, recycle works, recycleworks

If you’d like to look after your fruit garden, then here is a list of jobs that may be applicable for getting out in the garden in June:

• Pinch-prune figs. By pinching out the growing point of new shoots, this encourages a heaver crop of fruits
• Thin out fruitlets of apples, pleases, peaches and plums this month to ensure that those that remain have room to swell.
• Move citrus trees outside and gradually acclimatise them to the higher levels by opting for a shady spot for the first two weeks.
• Peg down strawberry runners if you’d like to propagate from your stock.
• Thin out new shoots of raspberries to ease congestion.
• Cover ripening cherries with sheets of clear polythene during wet weather as this prevents the fruit skin cracking.

Then you can reap the benefits of your hard work and enjoy eating your produce!

Are Your Runner Beans Stringy? Don’t Despair – Turn them into Runner Bean Soup!

Tags

cooking runner beans, gardening, Gardening with children, gardening works, grow your own, how to make soup, recipes, recycle works, runner bean recipe, runner bean soup, soup recipe, stringy runner beans, vegetarian recipe

At this time in the harvesting calendar runner beans can be past their best and it is certainly the case on our allotment at the moment.  But having taken the time to grow them and then pick them, I was determined to find a recipe that would turn stringy runner beans into something delicious. 

If y

• Chop the onions and in a large saucepan fry them in some olive oil until they turn clear
• Wash the runner beans and remove the stringy edges with a potato peeler
• Chop the beans and then add the beans and their seed pods to the onions
• Peel the potato, chop into chunks and add to the saucepan
• Add a sprig of mint torn into small pieces
• Cook gently for a few minutes
• Add the vegetable stock – use enough to cover the vegetables
• Simmer gently for around 20 minutes
• During the cooking add the milk
• When all the vegetables are cooked add the remaining mint and then blend in a food processor
• Add more vegetable stock or milk if the soup is too thick
• Reheat the soup if necessary and add a dollop of sour cream to each bowl along with some croutons and a sprinkling of freshly chopped mint

Let Us help You Get Ready For May With These Top 10 GYO Jobs

Tags

garden, gardening, go, jobs, may, tips

May can be one of the most busiest months in the garden or on the allotment so here are our top ten jobs for you to be getting on with during May:

• Plant tomatoes in greenhouses either directly in the soil or place two in a grow bag. Make sure they have plenty of support!
• Harvest asparagus spears if the plants are over two years old.
• When you leeks are pencil-thick, transplant them in to 15cm deep holes.
• Sow spring cauliflowers and winter cabbages in 1cm deep drills.
• Plant your main crop potatoes and earth up around the shoots when they are 10cm tall.
• Thin out your gooseberries by removing every other one.
• Sow different varieties of salad leaves every three weeks for a constant and fresh supply.
• Place a cloche over early strawberries to help them ripen early.
• Watch out for carrot fly – they’ll be about and ready to strike.
• Be prepared for late frosts. Even in May we can still get them!

Gardening Works – In Harmony With Nature

Jobs For The Fruit Garden In June

Tags

fruit, fruit growing, gardening, gardening works, jobs for june, june gardening tips, recycle works, recycleworks

If you’d like to look after your fruit garden, then here is a list of jobs that may be applicable for getting out in the garden in June:

• Pinch-prune figs. By pinching out the growing point of new shoots, this encourages a heaver crop of fruits
• Thin out fruitlets of apples, pleases, peaches and plums this month to ensure that those that remain have room to swell.
• Move citrus trees outside and gradually acclimatise them to the higher levels by opting for a shady spot for the first two weeks.
• Peg down strawberry runners if you’d like to propagate from your stock.
• Thin out new shoots of raspberries to ease congestion.
• Cover ripening cherries with sheets of clear polythene during wet weather as this prevents the fruit skin cracking.

Our Own Gardening Works Recipe for Fresh Tomato Soup

Tags

cooking tomatoes, cooking with tomatoes, gardening, gardening works, grow your own, how to make soup, how to make tomato soup, recipes, recycle works, recycleworks, soup, tomato soup, tomato soup recipe, tomatoes, vegetable soup, vegetarian recipe

We’re huge fans of freshly made soups at Gardening Works.  Like a lot of traditional cooking, soup making is so easy, but is often forgotten in these days of convenience.  …But as soon as you’ve tried your own you won’t ever want to open another tin. 

I like to make a huge pan of soup on a Sunday evening and then the family help themselves for a healthy lunch or after school snack.

With a glut of tomatoes just around the corner, this recipe produces a lovely creamy soup, full of flavour…….. But don’t forget the bay leaf as it really adds a little something to the mix.

Ingredients
Knob of butter
1 clove of garlic
1 bay leaf
1 onion
1 medium potato
1 lb fresh tomatoes
dash of tomato puree
1 pint vegetable stock
quantity of milk

What to do

1. Chop the onion and gently fry in the butter until clear
2. Add a clove of crushed garlic, mix and fry a little longer
3. Peel and chop the potato and add
4. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add
5. Add in the bay leaf and stock
6. Simmer gently for 20 minutes
7. Allow to cool
8. Remove the bay leaf
9. Blend until smooth
10. Add milk as desired to obtain preferred thickness
11. Reheat before serving

Serve with crusty bread or my children’s favourite – cheese on toast croutons!

…And it’s always worth remembering that food tastes one hundred times better if you grow your own!  For all your Grow Your Own needs visit our website at Gardening Works

RHS National Gardening Week Is Next Week – 13th to 19th April 2015

Tags

2015, gardening, gardening works, gyo, national gardening week, recycle works, rhs, rsh

Potting Table With Shelf

National Gardening Week was launched by the RHS to get the Nation Growing.

The benefits of gardening are felt by people of all ages and abilities and from all backgrounds, gardens promote a sense of purpose, and an escape from daily routine as well as providing valuable habitat and food for our wildlife and insects and of course good, home-grown, healthy fruit and vegetables for our table.

Throughout next week there are lots of Gardening events across the country organised by communities and groups as well as the RHS have a look at the National Gardening Week website for events near where you live.

It has been said that Britain is a nation of gardeners and I couldn’t agree more so what better way to celebrate gardening by getting involved with community groups, young peoples organisations e.g. Cubs, Brownies and with Schools and share your passion, experience and knowledge of this truly amazing pastime.

Dust off your trowel, put on your warm wellies and a good pair of gardening gloves and get gardening.