LandScape - Life at nature’s pace
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Life at nature’s pace
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May / June 2014
Peonies | Garden of many rooms | New potatoes | Cherries | Make a cork boat | Beeswax soap makers | Donkeys | Early butterflies | Grasmere
A garden of many rooms Sweet soaps made by bees The beauty of the Lake District
May / June 2014
Issue 15 | May / June 2014 | £3.99
SUMMER SOFTLY AWAKENS
Fastigiate yews either side of the doorway frame the view into the wildflower meadow that underplants the apple and pear trees in the orchard. Blue hardy geraniums complement the Purbeck stone walls.
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A garden of many rooms From formal planting to a wildflower meadow that’s a riot of colour, this Dorset garden is a successful blend of opposites
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t takes a very special garden to stand out on the peninsula of strikingly beautiful land that makes up the Isle of Purbeck in south-east Dorset. The landscape is full of wildflowers, ancient quarries and the remnants of prehistoric field systems. The garden at Eastington Farm blends perfectly into this setting of flower-rich, clifftop grassland. It is a stone’s throw from the sea, thrashed by salt-laden winds from the south west, and on stony, alkaline soil. The owners, Rachel and Allan James, have created a garden that flows effortlessly from formal to informal and back. “I have areas of formality directly around the house, but towards the boundary the planting becomes looser and more natural. This helps the garden blend in with the surrounding landscape,” explains Rachel. A sequence of contrasting garden rooms have been created that are unified by an existing pattern of walls around the house. The couple have worked with the blue-grey colour and texture of Purbeck stone in the walls, paths and buildings. ›
Rachel and Allan James in the wildflower meadow.
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New potatoes Mouth-watering morsels, full of flavour and goodness
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ith their thin, wispy skins and waxy texture, new potatoes mark the start of the early summer harvest. These young, small, potatoes are sweeter than their fully-grown counterparts. Their sugars have not yet converted into starch. They retain their shape when cooked and sliced. This makes them particularly suited to summer salads. The birth of a royal A new potato is one that is harvested before reaching maturity. Good varieties include the knobbly ‘Pink Fir Apple’, chestnut-flavoured ‘Rattle’, finger-shaped ‘Anya’ and ruby red ‘Roseval’. The best known variety is the Jersey Royal. These first appeared on British tables in 1879. They were known as the international kidney potato. Robert Fenn of Sulhampstead in Berkshire, a part-time potato breeder, is credited with having first raised them. Jersey farmer Hugh De La Haye is deemed to have introduced them to Jersey. In 1880 he showed friends a large potato he had bought. It had 15 eyes, points from which new plants sprout. He cut this potato into pieces. He planted the pieces in a field, above the Bellozanne valley near St Helier. Most produced large potatoes. Only one grew kidney-shaped potatoes, with a paper-thin skin. He named this the Jersey Royal Fluke, later shortened to Jersey Royal. Today this Jersey variety is protected by European law. It has to be grown on the island to bear the name. Health benefits They are rich sources of immune-boosting vitamin C. A medium potato (150g) with its skin provides 27mg.
This is almost half of the recommended daily intake for an adult. In the 19th century, English and Spanish sailors ate potatoes to fend off scurvy. This potentially fatal disease is caused by lack of vitamin C. Potatoes are also a rich source of vitamin B, folate and minerals such as potassium, magnesium and iron. The B vitamins in potatoes can also protect arteries. Vitamin B6 reduces levels of a molecule called homocysteine. This is involved in inflammation and the furring up of arteries. Potatoes are particularly high in molecules called kukoamines. These help lower blood pressure. They are also rich in high dietary fibre. This helps to support the digestive system. Storing new potatoes Thin-skinned potatoes such as Jersey Royals are best stored with mud on. They are only washed before use. The mud helps to retain their natural moisture. Unwashed potatoes last longer as the dirt protects them from bruising and general deterioration. Store in a cool, dark and well-ventilated spot. New potatoes should be used within a few days of buying for the best flavour. Preparing and dressing Some dishes require the removal of the skin. Varieties such as Jersey Royals need only to be scrubbed prior to cooking. Salad potatoes and other thicker-skinned varieties are best peeled after boiling. It is preferable to dress new potatoes as soon as they are cooked. This allows them to fully absorb the flavours. Boiled potatoes can be simply flavoured with chopped mint, butter and salt. Alternatively, warm potatoes can be coated in a spoonful of mayonnaise and sprinkled with chives and spring onions. ›
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Bright and beautiful Drifts of delicately-stitched butterflies dance their way across a swathe of fabrics
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he perfect symmetry and bright colours of the butterfly bring a touch of summer to a range of home furnishings. Simple stitches are worked together to create textured and delicately detailed motifs. Once the butterfly design has been mastered, it can be sewn at any size and in any colour desired. This technique can be employed to update a variety fabrics including cotton, linen, silk, hessian, wool and tweed. Two strands of embroidery floss are threaded through the needle at all times to add texture and impact. Four different stitches are used. Satin stitch creates the outer edge of the wings and body. A split stitch is used to make the antennas. Long and short stitches decorate the inside of the wings and French knots create the spotted detail on the wing and around the edges.
French knots embellish the outer edge of the butterfly’s wings.
A perfect place to perch. This group of butterflies in different sizes and patterns rests gently across a pillow, painting the garden in a burst of bright colour.
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A flight of butterflies scattered on a tote bag.
Stitch Instructions Step 1. Download the butterfly templates (see below). Use a photocopier to make them as large or as small as required. Trace the butterfly outline on to the chosen fabric with a fine washable pen. Step 2. Using a No. 9 embroidery needle and two strands of DMC embroidery silk, stitch a band of satin stitch on the outer edge of each wing. Step 3. Stitch the first band of long and short stitch on the inside of the satin stitch edge. Step 4. Stitch the second and/or third bands of long and short stitch, up through the stitches in the first band on the inside of each wing. Take each stitch to touch the edge of the body. Step 5. Stitch the length of the body shape with satin stitch. Step 6. Make French knots on each wing to create the spot details and on the outside of the wings where needed. Step 7. Stitch two tiny lines of split stitch from the head to create the antennae and finish each line with a French knot.
Download template Details of how to do the required stitches, full instructions and templates can be found at www.landscapemagazine.co.uk
A single butterfly perched on the corner of a towel can used to create a summer themed set.
Gradually decreasing in size, a formation of butterflies transforms a plain cotton placemat or tablecloth.
• Project: Nicola Jarvis Photography: Richard Faulks.
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The bees’ bounty Derek and Elizabeth Ready harvest beeswax which they use to make into a gentle soap
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The resourceful donkey has been a favourite with the British since the invading Romans brought it over in 43AD.
faithful and true It takes a lot to earn this intelligent animal’s respect, but its affectionate nature makes it worth working for
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Grasmere is one of the smallest lakes in the Lake District. It covers 0.62sq km, reaching a maximum depth of 70ft.
The poet William Wordsworth made Grasmere and the surrounding area his home for 51 years. Grasmere’s narrow streets with Helm Crag in the background.
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The stone cottages of Grasmere village.
beside the lake, beneath the fells The Cumbrian village of Grasmere has been home to poets and a destination for visitors for 200 years
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Jul / Aug on sale 4 June
Coming next issue
Photography: Alamy; GAP Photos; Food & Foto
HEAVENLY HYDRANGEAS
THE JUMPING JACK RUSSELL PLANTING A WHEEL OF HERBS
SWEET HEDGEROW FRUIT RECIPES A message to new
readers from the Editor
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