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Autumn/Winter 2009 Newsletter

Be Prepared

At this time of year it is only natural to start thinking about settling down indoors and preparing to keep warm and cosy for the winter. We batten down the hatches and in a way we prepare to hibernate. There are, however, plenty of jobs to do before we can settle under that duvet!

Winter herbs?

Winter is not traditionally when we think of fresh garden herbs but by choosing the right herb you can ensure a supply of fresh herbs throughout Christmas.

Herbs such as basil and coriander which thrive in sunny warm conditions run out of steam in the winter, however hardy woody evergreens such as rosemary do very well when planted now.

Halloween fun

When you choose your squash or pumpkin to make your Halloween lantern, carve the face into the surface of the pumpkin and then you can plant the inside with ornamental grasses given the impression of sprouting hair! Any ornamental grasses can be used but try "Uncina rubia" and "Nigrescens" for a spikey lively effect.

If you're entertaining at Halloween a great way to dress up the garden is to cut out huge "bat" and "witch on a broomstick" shapes out of black polythene. These can be hung on shed or house walls or up against trellis creating an eerie silhouette and adding to the atmosphere. They can be easily rolled up and stored for next year’s celebrations too.

Autumn treats

Stocked up with apples from your tree? Lucky enough to get your hands of some tasty pink forced rhubarb (often found in the shops around early December)? Why not try this tasty crumble recipe and warm the family up at dinnertime? (Just before you send them into the garden to clear up the leaves!)

Tasty crumble

You will need:

Turn oven on to 190°C / gas mark 5.

Place your chosen fruit in an ovenproof baking dish. I prefer to cook the apple in a little sugar and lemon juice, however if using rhubarb you can put it in the dish raw, chopped into small pieces with a little brown sugar and vanilla extract added.

Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl and add the cold-diced butter. Rub the butter into the flour by hand until you have the appearance of a rough oatmeal texture. Stir in the sugars and mix in the chopped nuts if using them. Scatter the crumble mixture over the fruit. (Don't add the topping until you are ready to put the dish into the oven. You can prepare the dish way in advance as long as you keep the fruit and the topping separate until the last minute.)

Bake the crumble for approx 35-40 minutes or until lightly golden on the top.

Serve with vanilla ice cream, cream or custard and enjoy!

Circles in the sand/ Dry Country/ Japanese escape

Many of our customers have so much in common. They want something that has an immediate impact, is easy to maintain and which allows them to use parts of the garden previously inaccessible. One of our recent gardens suffered from a very steep incline towards the rear of the garden and the terracing effect we created in the new "dry garden" breaks the severity of the incline and draws the eye to the range of materials and grass like plants. An almost Japanese feel was brought into the garden with the use of sweeping circles of decking which almost float across the gravel weaving in and out of the Acers/Japanese maples.

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