Landscape Nov-Dec 2014

LandScape - Life at nature’s pace

www.landscapemagazine.co.uk

Wild flavour of pheasant The valley of living history

Nov / Dec 2014

Issue 18 | Nov / Dec 2014 | £3.99

FROST AND FLAME

Spindle trees | A frosty garden | Pheasant dishes | Cobnuts | Bellows maker | Chopping firewood | Scottish wildcats | Atlantic seals | Ironbridge

Weaving threads of tartan

Nov / Dec 2014 £3.99

Life at nature’s pace

With a white coating of frost over its bright four-lobed seed capsules, Euonymus europaeus ‘Red Cascade’ brings a flash of colour to the winter garden.

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Spindle tree seed capsules split open to reveal the bright orange nutrient-rich seeds.

Setting the garden

ablaze

Thanks to its flaming fruit and leaves, the spindle tree provides a feast for birds during the coldest month and a visual treat for gardeners

W

ith the approach of winter, spindle trees start to set the garden ablaze with the colour of their fruit and foliage. These shrubs, botanically known as euonymus, shake off their previously plain appearance, as the leaves burn red and purple. It is, however, the bright, jewel-like fruits that gleam in misty hedgerows. In spinning cascades of pink and orange, they create droplets of pure, bright colour amid the drab branches of other deciduous shrubs. These fruits persist like hot embers long after the foliage has fallen.

A feast for birds The fat seed capsules are divided into four plump symmetrical lobes like miniature lanterns. These split to reveal glossy orange, rounded fruits that descend from their covers and spin in the breeze.

As they ripen and become more prominent, the colourful seeds provide a valuable food source.

Persisting well into winter, birds feast off them through the coldest months.

The birds are attracted by the orange fleshy seed coat, with its high-calorie nutrition. Inside the coat the true seeds remain intact after being eaten. Because of this, they are able to make their way through the birds’ digestive tracts to be ›

Spindle trees have a symbiotic relationship with birds, whereby their seeds pass through the birds and are scattered to grow away from the parent tree.

A deciduous shrub, Euonymus europaeus grows in hedges and on the edge of woodland in the wild.

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caring for apple and pear Trees Winter is the time to prune apple and pear trees in the garden, to ensure a good crop of fruit

When the tree is leafless there is a clear view of the framework.

P

runing fruit trees in winter will make sure they remain productive in future years. Doing this now encourages vigorous, healthy growth next spring. Newly-planted trees can now be pruned to create the desired long-term shape. The shape of established trees can be altered to make sure it is pleasing on the eye as well as fruitful.

Clear view of branches The work is done in winter because the tree is dormant, fruits have been harvested and leaves have fallen.

Only the skeleton is left, making it easier to see which branches are to be removed. This is essential if the tree is old, overgrown or covered in leaves in summer. Pruning no later than the first week in March ensures new buds have yet to burst, regardless of the part of the country the tree is in. Apple and pear trees that are not regularly pruned develop a congested network of branches. These cross over and rub against each other, restricting airflow through the tree. When this happens, there is a greater risk of the tree developing fungal diseases, such

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Spur-bearing varieties These are trees that produce fruit on short stems called spurs. To prune, a third of the growth on the main shoots made in the previous growing season (the youngest growth at the ends) is cut back. This encourages more sideshoots and fruiting spurs to develop on the shoot. Fruiting potential is increased and the span of the tree is kept to a manageable width. Long sideshoots growing from the main stem are cut back to five or six buds from the base.

This keeps the tree fruitful without spreading too far.

Established pear trees produce a large number of spurs which are thinned when they get congested.

Tip bearing varieties These bear fruit on the tips of shoots.

Growth made on the end of the main long shoots in the previous year is shortened back to the nearest strong leaf bud. Lateral shoots less than 12in (30cm) long are left unpruned to develop further in the next growing season.

Thin, straight shoots growing from older branches are a result of drastic pruning the previous year.

If two branches are growing in the same direction, one is removed.

as powdery mildew and scab. It also makes picking the fruit difficult. Regular pruning encourages the development of new branches and sideshoots, with the potential to produce more fruit.

The benefits of pruning The majority of apple and pear trees bear their fruit on stems and branches that are at least two years old. Many varieties produce fruit on very short stems called spurs, which are produced on old rather than young growth. There are exceptions called tip-bearers, which produce most of their fruits at the tips of the shoots, rather than on spurs all the way along the stem.

Examples of these are early fruiting eating apple ‘Discovery’ and popular cooking apple ‘Bramley’s Seedling’.

With a tree more than two years old, the first branches to prune are those crossing over another branch or heading towards another branch. These are cut right back to the trunk or branch they start from, making the cut flush against the stem or trunk.

The tree is now checked for any shoots that have been damaged or are showing signs of disease. Discoloured shoots or ones with split or cracked stems are pruned back into clean wood. The surface of the cut stem is pale, smooth and shows no sign of any blemishes. If the surface isn’t clean, it is cut back further, removing the whole branch if necessary.

Water shoots are thin, pencil-thick stems that grow from older branches, often in great numbers if the tree has previously been pruned hard. They quickly exclude light from the centre of the tree. The result is to shade the fruits, inhibiting their ripening, and restricting airflow. These stems are cut right back to where they start. They make useful plant supports, so are stored somewhere cold but dry indoors. ›

After pruning the tree is goblet-shaped with five or six main branches.

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Cobnut meringues Ingredients

125g cobnuts 250g golden caster sugar 4 medium egg whites, at room temperature 2 tbsp vegetable oil 4 drops vanilla extract 1 tspn white wine vinegar half a lemon whipped cream for serving Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Line two circular 20cm cake tins with foil. Grease the base and sides with the oil.

Toast the nuts in a pan, shaking occasionally to prevent burning.

When cool, break up roughly.

Rub the half lemon around the insides of a bowl to remove any grease, and leave for 5 mins. Place the egg whites in the bowl and whisk until stiff. Fold in the caster sugar a little at a time. Add the vinegar, vanilla extract and nuts.

Spoon the mixture into the two cake tins. Bake for 10 mins, then turn down the heat and cook for a further 30 mins. Let the meringues cool completely before using. Fill with cream.

Cobnut and chocolate tart

cobnuts

are a cultivated variety of hazlenut.

They can be eaten on their own but roasting, or toasting, enhances their flavour. They are best chopped just before eating as they do not keep well once cut.

Fresh cobnuts are best kept in the fridge. They are rich in vitamin E and calcium.

If cobnuts cannot be sourced, hazlenuts can be used in these recipes.

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Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Lightly grease a 23cm loose-bottomed baking tin.

To make the pastry, place the sugar and salt into a large bowl.

Sift in the flour and stir to mix. Dice the butter, rubbing it into the flour with the tips of the fingers, and lifting the flour so that it falls through the air. Once the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, add two beaten eggs and knead to make a loose dough. Do not over-work. Put into a plastic bag and refrigerate for aapproximately an hour.

Flour a surface and roll out the dough until it is 2mm in depth. Line the baking tin with the pastry, cover with baking paper and bake blind, weighting the paper with baking beans or dried peas, for 20 mins. Take the pastry from the oven, remove the paper and the beans, and brush with the third beaten egg.

Bake for 2 mins, then brush more egg over the inside of the pastry case to seal it.

To make the filling, lower the temperature of the oven to 130°C/gas mark ½.

Toast the nuts in a pan, shaking occasionally to prevent burning.

Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a bowl. Bring the cream and milk to the boil in a pan. Pour over the chocolate, stirring until all is blended. Whisk in the eggs.

Pour the chocolate into the pastry case and scatter the nuts over the top. Bake for 20 mins. Remove from the oven and the tart will continue to set as it chills.

Dust with icing sugar.

Ingredients For the pastry 330g plain flour 100g chocolate icing sugar (plus extra for dusting) 200g chilled butter 3 eggs pinch of salt For the filling 200g cobnuts, roughly smashed 400g dark chocolate 250ml double cream 150ml milk 2 eggs

Crunchy cobnuts Crushed or whole, this season’s cobnuts add both texture and sweetness to dishes

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by the fireside In a converted stable block, Ruth Devlin crafts leather and wood bellows that are both functional and beautiful

O

n a crisp, cold day in the heart of the Scottish borders, Ruth Devlin is lighting a fire in her stone crofter’s farmhouse. As the reluctant flames lick the kindling and paper, she picks up a pair of bellows and squeezes them together to release a blast of air. Soon there is a comforting fire blazing in the grate. Ruth is an expert at handling the bellows, which she makes by hand at her Berwickshire home.

“I find it very satisfying making something which is both useful and beautiful,” she says. “I enjoy the creative process, choosing the leather and hide for the pouch and experimenting with different colours, patterns and textiles.” Open shelves line the walls of her studio, containing lengths of different hides. The distinctive scent of fresh leather fills the air. ›

To burn, a fire needs heat, fuel and oxygen. Using bellows gives the fire a strong blast of oxygen-containing air, boosting the combustion reaction.

›

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Ruth’s workshop is filled with bellows in different stages of being made.

Many of her tools were inherited from her uncle, who also made bellows.

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Stag Antlers Fallen branches and a piece of wood from the winter store create an eye-catching plaque to go over a door

Two similar forked branches are selected and held to represent antlers. Any excess to requirements is cut away.

Materials • Knife for whittling • Saw • Pencil • Drill • 5⁄16in (8mm) bit • 5⁄16iin (8mm) dowels • Wood glue • Forked driftwood or seasoned windfall • Wood for plaque The cut ends of the branches are first whittled to form the ends of the antlers.

They are sanded to smooth the points.

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highland tigers As house cats curl up in front of

winter fires, Britain’s wildcats are living a more precarious existence.

These unique survivors of an untamed age are one of the rarest animals on the earth

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BRITAIN’S IRON HEART Ironbridge Gorge is a place of extraordinary natural beauty, with a unique geology that made it the birthplace and powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution

V

ery few places have influenced the history and culture of Britain as much as Ironbridge. Sandwiched between the Shropshire Hills and the town of Telford in the West Midlands, this narrow, steep-sided and tree-clad gorge is today a place of great beauty. But from the late 18th to the early 20th century it was the pulsing heart of British industry. During that period it was full of forges, foundries, furnaces and kilns. With its natural resources and the engineers and craftsmen who worked in the area, Ironbridge became the driving force of Britain’s Industrial revolution.

As winter draws on, this is a perfect time to visit. The contrast of bare hillsides and dark-brick foundries is a stark reminder of how nature and industry have coexisted here for centuries. Ten museums are dotted up and down the gorge and housed in original buildings. They preserve the legacy of those remarkable days as they tell the rich story of Ironbridge. Around the valley beautiful countryside of rolling fields and wooded hillsides remains, creating a striking contrast between the natural and manmade landscapes.

Created by nature Geography, and in particular the River Severn, was the reason for the gorge’s industrial dominance. Glacial action and Britain’s longest river have scythed their way through the landscape. These combined forces have carved out this two-mile gorge, exposing a cornucopia

of natural resources: clay, coal, limestone and ironstone. These provided everything needed for an industrial transformation.

For 200 years, those valuable commodities were mined, quarried, refined, worked, fired and shaped. The finished products were exported down the Severn to markets across the world.

In 1986, Ironbridge was one of the first seven UK landscapes to be designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Today it still wins UNESCO acclaim for being among the best-preserved and most-visited World Heritage Sites.

A river runs through it The Ironbridge Gorge runs from west to east for roughly two miles. Less than a third of a mile wide at its broadest point, it covers an area of around 640 acres.

Originally known as the Severn Gorge, the name was changed with the erection of the Iron Bridge. This structure was the first arch bridge in the world made from cast iron. It was one of the wonders of the 18th century world.

The bridge itself, and the small town that bears its name, sit at the centre point of the gorge. Several smaller valleys run off ›

An ostler carries hay at the Blists Hill Victorian Town, a living museum staffed by guides who wear the costumes of the day.

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Christmas on sale 29 October

simple nativity decorations

Coming next issue

sweet temptations to give and eat

rustic wreaths

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The beauty of plants in snow