The dry weather and sunshine has produced a ripe crop of squash rather early this year. The orange, yellow green and blue globes were not ready to harvest until October last year but already the plants are dying back, revealing the ripe fruits that will keep us going in pumpkin soup all winter!
It is important to let winter squash fully ripen before harvesting and storing so that they develop a tough outer skin that will protect them from drying out as well as diseases. Once properly ripe they can be stored in a cool, dry, frost free place and they should last through until spring.
We have grown some decorative varieties this year like the tiny ‘Munchkin’, the aptly named ‘crook Neck’ and a variety of ornamental gourds for our autumn and winter crafts as well as some tasty varieties such as the blue-skinned ‘Crown Prince’ (the best flavour of all in my opinion) and the surprising ‘Tromboncino’ – this one is a ‘vining’ or trailing squash that produces long curled summer squash that ripen to a pale orangey pink rather like a long bent butternut. This year we also tried climbing them up an archway and they have produced magnificent long, straight fruits, the benefit of these is that the bulbous end
that contains the seeds is small compared to the main part of the fruit which is easy to peel and can be used like a courgette when young and like a butternut squash when ripened. They keep fairly well too. Why not try something different next year!
This half day course will teach you some basic weaving techniques through the creation of a hanging fatball bird feeder. These make great gifts and are an attractive garden feature.
Come along and have a go at eco-printing techniques. You will experiment with leaves, flowers and rust combined with plant based dyes on cotton and paper samplers. You can bring your own T shirt or household lined to work on too. You will go home with some unique prints and an understanding of the materials and processes involved so that you can go away and experiment at home.
To book a place on this course use the ‘Buy Now’ button below. This is a secure PayPal transaction but you do not need a PayPal account to use it. We will send you confirmation and further details when we receive your booking.
You will then look at short rotation coppice as a management principle and explore techniques for sensitive woodland management to improve the health of your trees, diversity of species within the woodland and for harvesting timbers for different applications. The afternoon session will include practical skills for coppicing hazel woodland.
The course is also a good basis for future courses covering coppice crafts, hurdle making and cleft fencing.
Come along and learn the art of making animal sculptures out of willow. Make a majestic stag’s head to take home.
This Zinnia flower clearly demonstrates a ring of tiny flowers opening, they usually open concentrically, one ring at a time to help avoid self fertilisation and spread the flowering period. Check out the Rudbeckia in the feature image too, see if you can spot the true flowers!
Le Jardin Creatif 