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Category: Spice Mix

by Rekha

Curry Powder (Make Your Own)

Curry Powder is so versatile, can be used in so many recipes and not just in Non Veg dishes like…

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Posted on December 6, 2018

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Lamprocapnos spectablis simply makes you say 😍😍💕💕; flower is commonly known as "Bleeding Hearts" 💘

#dicentra #seasonal #flower #woodland #heart #love #fridayflowers #sayitwithflowers
Overwinter onion (from seed) explained Pic 2: The Overwinter onion (from seed) explained

Pic 2: There are specific hardy onion varieties which can withstand outdoor conditions. We tend to molly cuddle these varieties in the greenhouse, why?! There's no need! That's why they are called overwinter variety. And I am no exception to that either!

In my experiment 2 'hardy' varieties grown, both in module trays, later potted on and kept 'safe' from all outdoor elements whilst the other batch of the same varieties were direct sown and had to weather the harsh winter conditions, including roots in sodden soil!
To my surprise 1 variety did well under cover whilst the other, did very well out on the plot.
Pic 2 is the variety that did well outdoors called 'Senshyu Yellow' with firm swollen basal stems ready to be grounded (see story) as soon as they were dug out.

Moral to my post: try/experiment and see what works for you and your soil environment and above all grow what you like to enjoy eating.

Pic 1:#throwback #photo

#outdoorliving #growyourveryown #onions #simpleliving #experiment #crops #goodtoknow #hardyplants 
#gardentips #tips
Today garlic got grounded🌱 Garden tip: If you Today garlic got grounded🌱

Garden tip:
If you haven't a garden ruler, use a trowel as a 'measuring guide'. Did you know such hand tools are all roughly 12" or 30cm in length, and that's the distance I use between rows when planting out garlic, and the metal working part, be it trowel or fork is roughly 6" or 15cm which I use as distance between plants within rows. 

Tomorrow is another day and overwinter Onion seedlings are next in the planting out queue.

#didyouknow #handtools #garlic #plants #simple #gardeningtips #growyourown
So how many Costoluto fiorientino tomatoes can fit So how many Costoluto fiorientino tomatoes can fit on a 1 metre plank?

#tbh #growyourown #summerscene
#lineup #photography #summer
#throwback #tomato
My allotment's A to Z herb bed From: Borage, Bas My allotment's A to Z herb bed 

From:
Borage, Basil Mint, Calendula, Camomile (in my hand German Camomile and not a perennial, but a happy self-seeder), Chives, Comfrey, Cutting Celery, Fennel seed, Garlic Chives, Lemon Balm, Lovage, Morocco Mint, Nasturtium, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Sorrel and Walking Onion (I use as spring onions). 

Wait until my annual herbs like chervil, coriander, dill, parsley join the herb hugging hands🤗

Garden Tip:
You don't need much space to grow your own herbs, even pots by your back or front door can hold many herbs. They really don't mind sharing the space. Mint is invasive so contain it and keep it contained as I've done for the past couple of years with bottomless pots, it's not the roots that creep, it's the stems. So keep the creeping stems within the bottomless pot. 

Happy herb hug 

#herb #hugs #happyplants #favourite #allotment #land #growwhatyoueat #gardentips #tips #happyplace
The potting greenhouse is ready for some seed sowi The potting greenhouse is ready for some seed sowing action 🌱. Notice the 2 tupperware containers crammed with seed packets. Its going to be all systems grow from now on. 

Have a good week and see you all next weekend 👋🏼

#gardener #letsgrow #seedsowing  #pottingbench #greenhouse  #recycle  #window
It's bean a while, getting ready to sow pole and r It's bean a while, getting ready to sow pole and runner beans.

That's just one of my jobs. Here are some other tasks I will tackle this month:
*make comfrey and nettle plant feed
*plant out onion seedlings as well as garlic
*sow parsnip and carrot seeds (direct sowing)
*dress with fish,blood and bone and mulch with homemade compost around all soft fruit shrubs
*plant out cabbages and cauliflower 
*plant potato seed  in tench formation 

What are your plans for this month?

#april #garden #task #greatoutdoors #growfood #recycle #reuse #newspaper #gardeningtips
Why do I practice crop rotation? *To prevent buil Why do I practice crop rotation?

*To prevent buil-up of soil pest and disease
*Help prevent depletion of nutrients from heavy feeding plants
*Rotated crops produce higher yield
*Rotation results in healthier soil. 

I've sectioned my plot in 4 and work on a 4 year cycle, growing specific groups of crops per each section
Section 1: Root crop 
Section 2: Brassica 
Section 3: Legumes
Section 4: Allium

The way I rotate the next year is everything moves down in these sections mentioned above, so root crops take brassica section and so on and finally Allium takes on root crop section.

I don't practice no dig but practice organic sustainable growing. My own made compost is added just to the growing area and not added to create no dig beds (because I can't make enough to cover bigger sections). 
I grow my own manure (green manure) which is dug back into the soil prior to growing the next crop minimises the need to purchase farm yard manure. 
I make my own plant feed or only purchase organic seaweed feed.

Practice any way of gardening. There is no right or wrong way, the main thing is grow your own gives you exercise, a sense of mindfulness, well-being AND the satisfaction of accomplishment by growing organically, even if its a few tomatoes or chillies or spuds knowing that no chemicals have entered your harvest. 

I've written a couple blogs (link in profile) on crop rotation and grow your own manure, that will help explain further why I practice what I practice.

#growyourown #crops #rotation #sustainableliving #wellbeing #mindfulness #practice #growing
#food #gardeningtips
Greenhouse greening up 💚 Next weekend all thes Greenhouse greening up 💚

Next weekend all these get planted out? Why wait? I need to start the hardening off process, meaning, they need to adjust to outdoor conditions. I'll either move them all out outdoors during the day and back in at night OR move them all into the coldframe and open shut the coldframe lids. 

Either way they will get climatised and so the sudden shock of cosy greenhouse conditions is minimised. 

Let the plot planting party begin 😁

#springtime #springplant #planting #greenhouse #plants #sow #gardeningtips #green
For healthy plants indoors, give plenty of light, For healthy plants indoors, give plenty of light, air and base heat. Give water and feed in ABSOLUTE moderation. And not the other way round. 

Oh and my impatient moment.... I cannot wait to get them in the greenhouse!

#gardening #tip #gardenadvice #takecare #plants #indoorplants #healthy #growyourown #food
Red Veined Sorrel herb slowly showing glimpses of Red Veined Sorrel herb slowly showing glimpses of the name it takes.

Sorrel is an old fashioned herb and more commonly used in France. I have its other sibling 'ordinary' Green Sorrel which I use when making a vibrant green sorrel soup, and it will be interesting to see how this variety fairs. Is it just picturesque beautiful or will it ultimately give me broth brass in the kitchen too!

Both are perennial, and young tender leaves give a lemony notes when added to salads.

#new #plant #sorrel #beautiful #attractive #gardeningtips #kitchentips #simplemeals #spring
It's time to sow Salsa Verde ingredients. 4 simpl It's time to sow Salsa Verde ingredients.

4 simple ingredients will help make a vibrant refreshing authentic spicy salsa. You may have seen this when I made it on Gardeners World😉
Tomatillo seeds need a good grounding. Don't be fooled by the size of the seed. Make sure they have a good 1cm layer laid upon it otherwise a shallow sowing will only result in floppy seedlings. But keep point to remember is you will need 2 or more plants for successful cross pollination.
Coriander seeds love each other's company and you can sow them in modules too and pot them on. They hate root disturbance which together with even a small.pwriod of drought will send plants to flower.
Shallots, you might have already seen, I'm growing these and currently doing very well in the coldframe. Soon planting out will begin
Serrano peppers I discovered their flavour 2 years ago and jalapeño, for me, is no substitute! They are a "semi thick" walled pepper giving both the spice and the crunch.
Will you be joining me in the sow along? And we can make the salsa together later in the year too🙌🏼

#salsa #verde #mexicanfood #refreshing #sowseeds @sowseedsltd #gardeningtips #goodfood #simplefood
Onions may be the one of the cheapest veg to buy, Onions may be the one of the cheapest veg to buy, but...

Grow your own onions organically and not only is it satisfying to learn where your food came from but you've nurtured and looked after your crop knowing fully well not a single bit of chemical or pesticide went into that bulb under your care.. 

Grow simply; eat simply but above all eat seasonally. 

#simplethings #satisfying #nature #seasonal #onions #noairmiles
Harvest came home The last of the PSB and Kale jo Harvest came home

The last of the PSB and Kale joined the first of the wild garlic  and forced rhubarb. Purple Sprouting Broccoli takes forever to grow but its worth the seasonal wait. Now what to make for dinner tonight. Any suggestions?

#harvest #seasonal #broccoli #kale #wildgarlic #ramsons #colours  #vibrant #gardeningtips
Basil Babies🌱 From giant 'Mammoth Lettuce' var Basil Babies🌱

From giant 'Mammoth Lettuce' variety to tiny leaves of 'Piccolino' I growing several varieties this year. 
By starting them in line with tomato seeds gives each other perfect companionship when final planting.

That's veg and herb ticked off, as for the flower companion marigold and tagetes grow unaided without any indoor heat,  in the unheated greenhouse.

These 3 plants give each other perfect companionship. 

#basil #companionship #madeforeachother #tomato #marigolds #tagetes #gardeningtips #newbie #gardener
How do you dry your chilli harvest? Here's one wa How do you dry your chilli harvest?

Here's one way to dry them. Hang the bunch upside down in your kitchen and the natural air flow around them will help dry them out naturally and beside they look kinda nice too😉

Variety: Bird's Eye

#tips #harvest #howto #goodtoknow  #gardening #gardenideas #chilli
Tickle time😁 swipe* If like me you have seedli Tickle time😁 swipe*

If like me you have seedlings indoors,  every now and again move your hand  around ALL seedling plants to mimic outdoor growing conditions. This also helps minimise pests like aphids and white flies settling on the plants. 
These pests love still conditions so by agitating the air around them minimises the risk. 
Or you could have a fan directed at the plants gently blowing around the plants every so often.

Oh in pic 1, my covo kale cutting arrived thanks to @snewland97 and they've joined Mango, Tamarind and Aubergine on the windowsill until I take the cuttings into the greenhouse at the weekend

Happy Tickling😅

#tickle #time #happyplants #gardeningtips #indoorplants #sunshine #sunnyday
Colourful sprouting microgreens, grown on kitchen Colourful sprouting microgreens, grown on kitchen tabletops. Quick to grow and even quicker to snip those grown in trays. 

During this 'experiment' what they all require (with the exception of Sweetcorn) is 2 minutes of your attention DAILY, by either rinsing out with cold water twice daily varieties that do require soil to grow in and those grown in sterile compost needs this media to be kept moist at all times. Good light is required but not necessarily direct sunlight. 

Sweetcorn Shoots 'Royalty' needed a little "hiding". Once they were sown and watered in, I placed the seed tray in my kitchen cabinet, the one I use the least, this made sure all light was excluded. My only mistake, I used a normal seed tray. So the second time round I used an empty plastic grapes punnet this allowed the corn roots to anchor in well. Delicious shoots and tastes just like eating corn kernels. From sow to harvest 10days. 

Alfalfa: presoaked seeds were placed in a glass jar with a piece if muslin cloth tied to the ream. Jar placed so it receives bright day light. Within 24hrs I noticed the growth and kept the rinsing regime up. Once harvested, in order to keep the freshness, kept in fridge for up to 3 days
Soak to Harvest 5 to 7 days. 

Beetroot 'Micro-Leaves': requires soil to germinate as I failed miserably trying to in a jar. Again presoak to trigger germination. Keep growing media damp at all times.
Sow to harvest 7 to10 days. 

Fenugreek: this sprouting greens was the fastest to germinate and produce a fresh crunchy nutty flavour shoots. Follow grow regime as Alfalfa 
Soak to Harvest: 5 days. 

Pea Shoots 'Serge': a smaller pea variety and so are the peas. I grew these in a deep recycled plastic grape punnet and presoaking prior to sowing is a big advantage for a swift growth. What even better you can get 3 harvests from the same stem, as long as you leave the basal leaves on. But I found the further harvests made, the sweet pea taste lessened as the plant grew older. Still tasty nonetheless.
Sow to 1st Harvest 10 days. 

Continue reading in first comment...

@sowseedsltd
Colour in the greenhouse: Green 💚 By the end o Colour in the greenhouse: Green 💚

By the end of next weekend, I don't think I'll have room under the staging tables or the floor or be able to move around in the greenhouse 😅and I've only just got going.

#happyplace #myviewtoday #calming #views #green #plantsofinstagram #goodweekend
Onion and Garlic update Pic 1: sown early Feb ind Onion and Garlic update

Pic 1: sown early Feb indoors and as soon as the first seedling showed signs of germination; seedtray was moved into greenhouse to continue growth. I have not touched, pricked or prodded them. Quite literally left them alone.They are growing happily and I won't touch them until planting out. Straight from this tray into the ground. A good old fashion way of space, pots and compost saving technique from "back in the day" that I will be using. 

Pic 2 are an overwinter onion variety that were started in September 2020.

Pic 3 are Garlic plants moved out of the greenhouse and waiting to be planted out.
 
#backintheday #technique #oldfashioned #trial #onion #growyourown #gardeningtips #gardening
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