Streamside News…Winter ‘20
2020 has been quite a remarkable year to date...and the weather too has been newsworthy with some of the hottest days ever recorded in the UK and some very long spells of fine weather which has mostly had an extremely positive effect on our gardens and outside spaces, during a time when we valued them more than ever before. We are pleased to forward your Winter Newsletter from Streamside Horticultural Association which we hope will give you help and advice for the season ahead.
STREAMSIDE ROUND UP OF 2020…
What a mixed year 2020 was for Streamside.
The downsides..... When the nation was locked down in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, we had to take the unwelcome decision to close the Association in line with government guidelines. This meant we were unable to have our annual sale in May of summer plants which is always hugely popular with our members. Of course, we were unable to sell our broad range of gardening sundries which we know many of our members rely upon to keep their outside space looking as good as possible. In addition, we had to postpone the outings that were planned for the year which had proved to be very popular and had already produced high numbers of ticket sales.
The upsides.... Led by committee member Anne, we reopened for trading as soon as government guidelines were relaxed, putting into place the appropriate social distancing and sanitising measures needed to offer our members peace of mind. We managed to source some great plants to sell to our members when we reopened and were delighted to welcome many new members who had discovered gardening for the first time during the lockdown. As well it was good to see our loyal members returning to support the Association. As a result we experienced some record-breaking days in the amount of sales transactions.
In our aim to give as much value to members as possible, in 2020 Anne has introduced some exciting new products into our range - all very competitively priced - as we endeavour to become your “one stop shop” for all gardening needs. These include some great tools, propagating equipment and bird feeders - to name just a few.
We also launched a new website - www.streamside.store - which contains lots of information about the Association, and is a good reference point for all. A huge thank you to our member, Dylan, who has set up and maintained the website for us. He has done a great job and we are enormously grateful for his time and help.
We have a new logo (which Dylan designed for the Association) which will now feature on newsletters, the website, and other communications from Streamside.
The signage outside of the trading hut has been updated to include the new logo and website address
STREAMSIDE LOOKING FORWARD TO 2021 ...
We will continue to follow government guidelines relating to the Coronavirus pandemic, but all being well will reopen for the 2021 season on Sunday 7th February. Membership will remain at £2.00 per year.
We hope that next year we will be able to reorganise all three outings - Penshurst Place, Great Dixter and Wisley – which we had to cancel in 2020, for new dates in 2021. We will communicate news on this when we have it and details will similarly be on the website at the appropriate time.
We plan to hold sales of plants and bulbs at various times of the year and will advise members of the dates when sales will commence as soon as we can confirm them.
We are revamping the garden border to the right of the trading hut, and would welcome plant donations from any members who may have some excess plants they no longer need or want. We would particularly appreciate any plants that do well in shade (but this is not exclusive) - if you have anything appropriate either now, or will have something in the coming months please contact Cora on 07771 700626, cmsevents@btinternet.com
THRIFTY CORNER...
Some everyday household products can be used to give your garden a boost, why not try one of the following:
Epsom Salt – Epsom salt is a good fertiliser as it is made up of magnesium and sulphate which are both vital plant nutrients. Epsom salt is good for vegetables and houseplants in particular. Take one tablespoon of Epsom Salt and one gallon of water and mix in a watering can. Use to water plants once a month.
Coffee Grounds – coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, magnesium and potassium which are all important plant nutrients. They are also acidic and help to maintain the acidity of the soil. Coffee grounds are a good plant food for roses, rhododendrons and blueberries. Spread out coffee grounds and allow them to dry completely, then sprinkle lightly around the base of plants.
Eggshells – eggshells are made up almost entirely of calcium carbonate – the main ingredient in agricultural lime. Save your eggshells and allow them to air dry, then place in a blender and pulse until they are a fine powder, sprinkle around your garden.
Vinegar – the acetic acid in vinegar works to increase the acidity of the soil. Use in place of houseplant fertiliser or rose food. Take one tablespoon of white vinegar and combine in a watering can. Use to water plants and repeat every three months.
SEASONAL RECIPES USING PRODUCE FROM YOUR GARDEN…
Winter root mash with buttery crumbs – serves 10
Ingredients
650g parsnips , cut into even chunks
650g swede, cut into same size chunks as the parsnips
142ml tub soured cream
1 rounded tbsp hot horseradish
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
butter, for greasing
For the butter topping
50g butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
50g fresh white breadcrumbs (from about 4 slices)
a small handful thyme leaves, plus extra for scattering
25g parmesan - coarsely grated
Method
In a large pan of boiling salted water, cook the parsnips and swede, covered, for about 20 minutes until tender. Drain well, then mash them together using a masher or food processor until reasonably smooth but still with a bit of texture. Stir in the soured cream, horseradish and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon into a buttered shallow ovenproof dish and put to one side.
Make the topping. Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the onion for 5-6 minutes, until gorgeously golden. Mix in the breadcrumbs and stir to brown and crisp a little. Season with salt and pepper and add the thyme. Take the pan off the heat. Spoon the mixture casually over the top of the mash. Scatter over the parmesan. (Can be made ahead to this point and kept covered in the fridge for up to a day. Or can be frozen for up to a month.)
Bake (190C/gas 5/ fan 170C) for 35-40 minutes if doing from cold, 25-30 minutes if not, or 1 hour 30 minutes – 1 hour 45 minutes from frozen (put foil on top, and remove it for the last 10 minutes) – until golden and crisp on top. Serve scattered with a few more thyme sprigs and leaves.
Winter Greens Puff Pie – serves 4
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion , chopped
2 garlic cloves , crushed
Generous pinch of numeg
400g mixed winter greens (eg kale, cavolo nero or Savoy cabbage, any large stems removed and roughly chopped)
200g mascarpone
30g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, grated
½ lemon , juiced
320g pack puff pastry
1 egg , to glaze
Method
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion with a pinch of salt and gently fry until softened, so around 8-10 mins. Stir in the garlic and nutmeg, cook for a minute, then add the greens along with a splash of water. Stir until wilted, so around 3 mins, then stir in the mascarpone, parmesan and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season well and tip the mixture into the base of a 20cm pie dish.
Unroll the puff pastry and brush the edges of the pie dish with water. At this point, you can do what you want with the pastry – you could lattice it, crimp the edges, add decoration, or just stick it on as it is. Seal it to the edge of the pie dish, brush with the beaten egg and bake for 35 mins until risen and golden. Allow to cool for 10 mins before serving.
SOME THINGS TO DO IN YOUR GARDEN THIS SEASON……
There’s no denying this is a comparatively quiet time for the garden, but there are still a few jobs to consider doing now which will ensure your garden, allotment or outside space looks good now and in the coming months
December
Fruit and Veg
Mulch celeriac with straw for protection against the hardest frosts.
Continue to harvest Brussels sprouts, leeks, parsnips and swedes.
Check stored fruit and discard any that have begun to rot.
Sow onion seeds in modules filled with peat free compost.
Brighten up winter salads with nourishing sprouted seeds grown on the windowsill
Check fruit tree ties and loosen where necessary.
Rejuvenate large, mature clumps of rhubarb by lifting and dividing into several sections ensuring that each one has at least one strong shoot bud and lots of fleshy roots.
Weed fruit cages now that harvests are over removing fallen leaves and other debris to avoid the spread of pests and diseases.
Cut back grapevine side shoots to one or two buds to improve fruiting and to keep their vigorous growth under control.
If your brassicas were affected by club root disease this year add lime to the soil over winter to help deter the disease next year
Flowers
Cut sprays of flowers like sarcococca and winter jasmine for scented indoor displays.
Sow alpines, the cold weather will break the seeds’ dormancy and they should germinate during spring.
Clear dead leaves from the base of permanent container displays.
Check buds emerging from forced hyacinths and when they have reached 5cm long bring them out of the dark.
Snip back the stems of young sweet pea seedlings as this will encourage development of more shoots from the base.
Take root cuttings of verbascum and primulas.
Check hellebore foliage for dead, brown patches which indicates the plant may be suffering from leaf spot, remove any affected areas and destroy immediately.
Move deciduous trees and shrubs that are wrongly positioned.
Protect tulips from mice using wire mesh.
Miscellaneous
Wipe clean and bundle up garden canes for next year, any that are brittle and snap easily should be discarded.
Grit slippery paths.
Construct and repair tripods for climbers.
Give the birds a tasty treat by leaving out any stored apples that have started to rot.
January
Fruit and Veg
Sow chilli seeds and keep in a controlled temperature of 18 – 25 degrees centigrade to germinate, early sowing gives the plants to time grow to a good size, which will help achieve a good harvest.
Take hardwood cuttings from gooseberries and currants.
Continue to plant fruit trees and bushes when the ground isn’t frozen or saturated.
Sow early leeks, carrots, lettuce, onions and summer cauliflowers under cover.
Set out seed potatoes of early varieties to chit in a light, frost-free place.
Plant onion and shallot sets under glass for planting out in the spring.
Prune autumn fruiting raspberries by cutting back all stems to the base.
Force rhubarb for sweet, early crops by covering a dormant rhubarb crown with straw then put a dark bucket over it to exclude the light.
Check stored produce and remove any that is starting to rot,
Flowers
Remove old hellebore leaves to reveal emerging buds.
Sow sweet peas.
Prune climbing hydrangeas away from windows and gutters.
Perennials with hairy leaves are sensitive to wet conditions, so remove and soggy stems or leaves covering them.
Check stored dahlias and throw away whole mouldy tubers or cut off any mouldy parts.
Start sowing some of the slowest growing annuals now to fill your garden this summer.
Prune wisteria to maintain shape – remove any whippy stems, select and tie in branches needed to make the framework of the plant, and trim back laterals shortened in the summer to two buds.
Take root cuttings from Japanese anemones and Oriental poppies.
Miscellaneous
Repair supports for climbing roses and clematis so they can withstand any gales.
Open vents of the greenhouse in the middle of the day if the weather is warm to reduce humidity.
Tidy, sweep and clean your greenhouse making it less attractive to pests and diseases.
Consider any changes that could improve your garden and draw a ground plan, then calculate how many plants will be needed to fill the space.
Get machinery serviced and sharpened.
Test soil so that you can make good plant choices – some prefer acid and others alkaline soil.
The next newsletter will be emailed in January 2021
We will re-open for business 7th February 2021 – if there is any change to this we will email members and put information on the website – https://www.streamside.store/