When is an artichoke not an artichoke?When it’s a sunflower!Unfortunately a totally inappropriate vernacular is the least of the problems of the Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus).It has a reputation as a garden thug and according to the gardener John Goodyer, the 17th century gardener and botanist, quoted in Gerard’s Herbal “Jerusalem artichokes: which way soever […]
artichokes
Vegetable Garden
The potatoes are in sacks under the bench in the shed, the garlic neatly platted and hanging above, soon to be joined by the onions which are drying in the polytunnel. There are boxes and boxes of jam and chutney and both freezers are full to bursting point. Autumn has definitely arrived, complete with the […]
Brown and crispy round the edges
This is not a description of my garden not my home-made biscuits. So I am going to whisper this we’ve hardly had any rain for almost 3 months. I’m not sure what constitutes a drought, but my garden and the surrounding machair are parched. Now I know people on the big island have a surfeit […]