Ingredients 150g Brown Self Raising Flour 50g Ground Almond 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder 225g Golden Caster Sugar 2 Eggs ½ teaspoon Almond Extract 150g Melted Butter 350g Cooking Apples, peeled, cored and diced into chunky pieces 25g Flaked Almonds Instructions Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a 20cm deep loose-bottomed cake tin. Sift… Continue reading Apple and Almond Cake
Why Willows and Drains do not Mix…
A video on why willows and drains should not be too close together…
Blackberry and Apple Upside down cake
This is a superb cake for early autumn. It sort of helps ease the passing of summer and reminds one why the seasons change. Blackberry and apple is a classic combination and wrapped up in a super moist sponge they take on an extra dimension. Really good with ice cream or custard, but if you… Continue reading Blackberry and Apple Upside down cake
Using Copper foliage in the garden
And why it is it copper anyway? Contemporary gardeners often use dark colours…look how the ‘Queen of the Night’ tulip has become ubiquitous, and the black grass Ophiopogon planiscarpens nigrescens pops up in urn plantings or as a contrast to pale paving. There is something fascinating about the pool of shade that sombre colours cast… Continue reading Using Copper foliage in the garden
Copper Beech – a hedge for all seasons
Copper beech is one of the most elegant hedges available to the British gardener. It has all the qualities of green beech hedging; it grows almost anywhere where there are reasonable light levels and where the ground is not waterlogged. Beech is a true British native and as such it is happy growing across the… Continue reading Copper Beech – a hedge for all seasons
Deadheading Daffodils
Daffodils and Narcissi are undoubtedly among our most cherished and adored spring flowers, and they form a large part of our collection of flowering bulbs. The cheery flashes of bright canary yellow along our roadsides and verges heralds the start of spring and tempts us with summery thoughts of the sunshine to come. In the… Continue reading Deadheading Daffodils
Cornus sanguinea Midwinter Fire
Dogwoods, members of the Cornus family, are often the unsung heroes of the winter garden. Although there are exceptions, in summer they tend to be unremarkable. This is because they are covered in foliage when daylight hours are longer and their crowning glory is their bark which can only be seen when the leaves… Continue reading Cornus sanguinea Midwinter Fire
Bramley Apple and Almond Pudding Cake
This decadent cake is a brilliant way to use up any Bramley apples left over from the season. Serve warm with crème fraiche or even custard if you fancy, it will soak into the rich sponge and balance the tart apples Serves 8 Ingredients For the apples: 2 large Bramley apples, peeled, quartered and cut… Continue reading Bramley Apple and Almond Pudding Cake
Honey fungus: The tree killer
Honey fungi, Armillaria, are a group of parasitic fungi. They attack trees, shrubs and woody perennials, and are one of the most destructive fungal diseases in the UK. They are also among some of the biggest living organisms in the world, their underground networks often covering many miles and living for up to a thousand… Continue reading Honey fungus: The tree killer
Living sculpture: Topiary plants a little less ordinary
Shrubs trained as topiary are at home in any garden. From a cottage setting where intriguing forms nestle casually between flowers and vegetables, to a much grander scheme where repetitive shapes are rigid and regimented, topiary can be both charming and formal. And let’s not forget that when you trim your humble garden hedge, you’re… Continue reading Living sculpture: Topiary plants a little less ordinary