Posts by Leigh Russell
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Capture: Spring is Like a Perhaps Hand, in reply to Nora Leggs,
or Rocket Home Science : ) ?
Nora and Ian, that's very funny! :-) And True!!!
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Capture: Spring is Like a Perhaps Hand, in reply to Jos,
Here’s my gardening blog:
Jos, that's great! I've added your site to the side bar of my At Home Chronicle, under the heading "Sites of special interest". Too busy thinking and working stuff out to write much of late, but hope to download some of my cogitations and discoveries there soonish! :-)
You're quite right about using rocket in stews and such - it's very tasty.
By the way, it's my firm belief that mint is nearly as overlooked as rocket in terms of its value in the kitchen. Try a generous amount of that in your next cheese and tomato sandwich, and I just know you will crow with delight! And I have a superb recipe for gooseberries which includes cooking them up with mint. I call it Gooseberry-licious.
I envy you the mild climate up there for gardening ventures, but do enjoy Otago's weather in other ways.
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Capture: Spring is Like a Perhaps Hand, in reply to JacksonP,
Celestial magnolias, Jackson!!!
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I just love all these photos – glorious - thank you, everyone!
Vegies can be beautiful too. Yes, the carrots are back in the limelight – two of my excellent plants have finally leapt skywards and burst into flower. A few others still remain for eating – still tasty and tender, but I’m guessing not for much longer…
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Capture: Spring is Like a Perhaps Hand, in reply to Jos,
and rocket flowers
Hi Jos, did you know you can eat the flowers as well as the leaves? They have a nutty flavour - rather good!
I cut my row of rocket back a couple of days ago - it had provided us with greens all winter long and was 'getting away' - tall and flowery.
From the huge mountain of cut off plant I harvested a kilo and a half of leaves, which I steamed lightly, put into portion sizes on a large flat trays, slid the trays inside large snap-lock bags in the freezer, and hey presto, we have rocket for dinner whenever we feel like it. Rocket is a fabulous green veg. I can't think why other people don't cook with it as it is delicious! When I was feeling tired and hungry a day or so ago I popped one of these pre-steamed portions into the pot with some baked beans - yum! The beans have never tasted so good! I'm always thinking about how to live better on less, and count the use of rocket as a particularly valuable and delicious discovery.
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Capture: Spring is Like a Perhaps Hand, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,
Did some one mention lady birds?
Hi Sofie, what a beauty!
In response to your earlier mention of Spring cleaning, I can't resist posting this photo! It originally appeared with my article on the virtues of cleaning! Please don't fall into the error of imagining me to be any kind of paragon in that department - far from it. I have my moments of it, but a great acreages of space in between! :-) However, the spring light certainly does show up the need for it!
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Capture: Spring is Like a Perhaps Hand, in reply to Russell Brown,
Some pictures from New Brighton, on a sparkling spring Sunday.
Oh those glorious Canterbury skies! Down here in Otago skies are beautiful in a different way. Yesterday we were told to expect thunderstorms, and although none eventuated the clouds were busy doing all kinds of things…
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Capture: Spring is Like a Perhaps Hand, in reply to Joe Wylie,
We pay ’em back in planarians.
Joe, that's a fascinating website! :-)
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Capture: Spring is Like a Perhaps Hand, in reply to Joe Wylie,
This is what I recall – the little pom-pom shaped ones with the feathery foliage.
Okay, I see, thank you. And hello Islander. Could be a good idea to locate some of these older books and have a look through them. I read somewhere that Marigolds are good hosts to ladybirds which I am always glad to have around, partly for their charm but also for their aphid hoovering capabilities. I always have stinging nettles too, which are such remarkable plants.
One herbal I do have which is rather special is Murdoch Riley's "Maori Healing and Herbal" - a wonderful tome with no end of odd and unexpected stories in it. I've never used it as a guide to making anything, just love the anecdotes and knowing something more about the plants.
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Capture: Spring is Like a Perhaps Hand, in reply to Joe Wylie,
companion planting of marigolds in an area where the wise old locals swore that wireworms made growing spuds next to impossible worked like a dream
Joe, how brilliant, thanks for the tip! I have hundreds of marigolds growing all over the place here. I'm not sure what a miniature one is. Mine are like the one above...
