The Bridge Cottage Garden - The Bridge Cottage

Recycling Plastic in the Garden

July 23, 2020/0 Comments/in The Bridge Cottage Garden, Outdoors, Sustainable Living/by Sue Reed

We all now know that we should be reducing our plastic waste, and recycling plastic in the garden is one way of doing this. When I wrote about this back in 2011, on the old Bridge Cottage Way Blogspot site, we were just learning about the tragic byproduct of the plastics industry that is the phenomenon known as The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This vast expanse in the North Pacific Ocean, in fact, twice the size of France, had become the largest landfill in the world and was made up of plastic. Every year it kills millions of seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals.

Recycling Plastic in the Garden

David Attenborough brought the nation’s attention to the dreadful sea of plastic in our oceans in his programme, Blue Planet, and this brought the issue of plastic waste to the mainstream. We’ve been trying to reduce our plastic consumption here at Bridge Cottage for decades. There are many ways to reduce plastic consumption around the home, and I’ll write later about our experiences with Plastic Free July 2020, but for the time being, let’s concentrate on ways to reduce plastic in the garden, and specifically here with planting.

If you visit any garden centre, you will see rows and rows of plastic plant pots, and plastic seed trays, and folk with armfuls of these, eager to start the new planting season. But ask yourself, is all this new plastic really necessary?

Before we carry on, let’s address the debate on the issues of growing food in recycled plastic. Can we still call ourselves organic gardeners if we grow food in plastic? Is plastic safe to grow food in? What about all those chemicals it leaches into the soil?

Recycling Plastic in the Garden

I’m talking about Bisphenol A (BPA). All plastics leach chemicals. Some plastics are harmful and can leach toxins into the soil, especially when heated or exposed to sunlight or prolonged periods of time. BPA is not found in food-grade plastic, and therefore these containers are deemed safe to use as the chemicals they leach have low toxicity levels and the amounts leached are very small.

You can check to see if your recycled container is safe to use by looking for the symbol on it – there will be a triangle with a stamp on, and numbers 1,2,4 & 5 – (see diagram) are safe to use.

Food Grade Plastic Labelling

Tetra packs used for plant-based milk and fruit juices can make great planters. Crops such as runner beans and sweet corn that have long roots love a chopped off Tetra pack. Toilet roll inner tubes whilst not plastic, are also a great recycling hack for growing sweet peas. Just pop the whole kits and kaboodle into the soil when it’s time for planting. The tube will biodegrade and the root remains undisturbed. No plastic needed there, my dear!

Recycling Plastic in the Garden

Plastic containers that have fruit such as grapes in even have plastic lids that can be used as mini propagator. Larger containers such as sweet or biscuit boxes are great for sowing lots of big seeds in. I used this ‘Celebrations’ tin for broad bean seeds one year.

Recycling Plastic in the Garden

Don’t forget to wash the containers well before use, and put some holes in the bottom for drainage, taking care not to put holes in yourself!

I add a double layer of newspaper to any clear containers to stop the light getting through to the roots. The paper can be planted in the garden as it soon rots down.

Recycling Plastic in the Garden

Once you’ve sown your seeds, you’ll need to label them, and a plastic lid, yoghurt or crème fraiche pot comes in very handy here too – just cut it into strips and write on with permanent marker pen or wax crayon.

Recycling Plastic in the Garden

Don’t forget, once you have planted your seedlings in the garden, wash and dry the containers and store away in the shed for next year.

Going completely plastic-free is very hard, and I guess a step too far for many, ourselves included, but here is one way our plastic kitchen waste can be recycled.

By recycling your food-grade plastic pots to sow your seeds in or make plant labels, you are doing your bit to help the environment. You will also save money and space in your recycling bin!

Remember the ‘Buyerachy of Needs’ which encourages in the first instance, to use what we have?

Sustainable Living. The Buyerachy of Needs by Sarah Lazarovic

As ever, we’d love you to share your thoughts, either by leaving a comment here or one our social media pages, where this article will be shared.

You can find the Bridge Cottage Way on Facebook Twitter and Instagram.

You might enjoy some of the writing and ideas in other section of this website, as we look towards leading more sustainable lives by growing our own food and creating dishes in line with seasonal eating, or head to our handy ‘Month by Month’ guides to find out what is seasonal and on topic:

Many thanks for reading.

With Facebook and Instagram algorithms being fickle friends at times, be sure to get all new posts from The Bridge Cottage Way by signing up for the mailing list here. This will go our four times a year, around the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the Spring and Autumn Equinox. We of course will not share your details with third parties, and you have the right to unsubscribe at any time.

Growing Herbs

July 14, 2020/0 Comments/in The Bridge Cottage Garden/by Sue Reed

A guide to growing herbs and some suggestions for their uses from the Bridge Cottage garden and kitchen.

Growing Herbs The Bridge Cottage Way

A herb is a plant, flower or leaf that is grown for culinary, medicinal or beauty uses.

Herbs can be grown in pots, on a windowsill or in the ground, and will thrive in a sunny, sheltered position. They will provide you with delicious and nutritious flavourings for your cooking, for teas and have been used for medicinal uses for centuries.

Herbs can be divided into two groups:

Annuals which should be planted yearly, and include tender herbs such as basil, parsley, marjoram, coriander, borage. Sow basil and coriander every few weeks to give a continuous supply throughout the growing season. Collect seeds before composting plants at the end of the year.

Perennials will, with a little tender loving care, keep giving every year. Just snip off leaves when you need them. These include herbs such as mint, lemon balm, sage, chives, thyme, rosemary, oregano, fennel.

Basil as a companion plant to tomatoes

Sow tender herbs such as basil in a greenhouse, or on a sunny windowsill. Basil is a great companion plant to tomatoes both in the saucepan and in the greenhouse or on a windowsill. We’ve found that growing basil in containers is better than in the ground. We are careful not to over water basil and pick by removing the larger leaves. Basil freezes well, as does parsley, and you’ll be very grateful of frozen herbs in the depths of winter.

Mint, loved by us for mint tea, is a spreader – along with its friend, lemon balm, it is best grown in a pot if you don’t want it taking over. We’ve just noticed the mint we brought back from Morocco and planted in the ground is now growing in our farmer’s field. I hope the cows like it!

Lemon balm grown in a tyre to prevent spreading

We grow our lemon balm in a recycled tyre and find this help to prevent the spread. As well as mint sauce to go with roast lamb, mint is super in a Taboulleh in raita with curry, or combined with its friends lemon balm and nettles, in a refreshing herbal tea. There are lots of varieties of mint – we love chocolate mint which smells of After Eights.

Thyme is a wonderful herb for use in cooking, added to herb salt, and saved for medicinal uses. Whenever the family have a sore throat, I pipe up ‘thyme tea’ and brew it with honey for sore throats and colds. It is easy to grow and will do well in pots of in the ground. There are lots of varieties, and a container display of different thymes can be very pretty.

Chives grown in a recycled container

Chives are really easy to grow and will come back year after year. They are a good container herb if space is tight. We once grew chives in a recycled Vax! Snip a few chives to go into a potato salad, and don’t forget to pickle the flower heads – delicious!

Rosemary

Rosemary is another perennial herb to grown and this one seems to like the sunny position we’ve given it against a west-facing wall. It’s July as I write this, and on Gardener’s World last week, Monty Don told us it was time to take rosemary cuttings, so that’s a job for the weekend, and I’ll write a piece about that in the next couple of days.

How to take Rosemary Cuttings by Gardener’s World.

Parsley is slow to germinate – I had read that you should pee on it to help germination, though I’ve never done it! Parsley should be grown annually, although a late sowing will overwinter in the greenhouse and provide another flush before going to seed in Spring.

Purple Sage

Sage will keep growing, and benefits from being pruned in the Spring. As its stems are hollow, avoid cutting it back in winter, or the cold with travel down the stem and kill the plant. Sage is wonderful made as a tea and can help with menopausal hot flushes. It is also excellent for coughs and respiratory infections. We cook a sage and squash risotto in the autumn when squash are in season. Sage is a good herb to dry for use over winter, or pop into bags in the freezer. Sage and onion stuffing for chicken tastes so much better when it’s homemade, rather than from a packet!

Talking of seeds, don’t forget to collect your seeds, not only for growing herbs the following year but to use for cooking and tea. I adore fennel seeds any collect from this plant every year, keeping a jar handy for fennel tea and cooking. I have been told that adding fennel seeds to dishes with beans or lentils can help prevent excess flatulence!

Borage

Borage is a wonderful plant to grow and can be added to tea or strewn amongst salad leaves. Borage for bravery! It is an annual, although will self-seed, so only grow it where you are prepared for it to pop up every year. Borage is a great plant for adding to the comfrey feed bucket along with nettles, to provide a nutrient-rich feed for fruiting plants and hanging baskets – see the post on Making Comfrey Feed.

Fennel

Other posts you might enjoy if you are growing herbs:

As ever, we’d love you to share your thoughts, either by leaving a comment here or on our social media pages, where this article will be shared.

You can find the Bridge Cottage Way on Facebook Twitter and Instagram.

You might enjoy some of the writing and ideas in other section of this website, as we look towards leading more sustainable lives by growing our own food and creating dishes in line with seasonal eating, or head to our handy ‘Month by Month’ guides to find out what is seasonal and on topic:

Many thanks for reading.

With Facebook and Instagram algorithms being fickle friends at times, be sure to get all new posts from The Bridge Cottage Way by signing up for the mailing list here. This will go our four times a year, around the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the Spring and Autumn Equinox. We of course will not share your details with third parties, and you have the right to unsubscribe at any time.

Drying Herbs – The Bridge Cottage Way

July 3, 2020/0 Comments/in The Bridge Cottage Kitchen, The Bridge Cottage Garden/by Sue Reed

Homegrown herbs

Drying herbs can save you money and provide a good amount of flavoursome ingredients for the kitchen and medicine cabinet. Herbs that you have grown or foraged can and should be used when they are at their seasonal best. However, herbs can be preserved for use throughout the year by drying, and can then be used in your cooking, made into herbal and floral vinegar, herbal salt, and teas.

By growing, foraging and preserving your own herbs you will be living a more sustainable lifestyle by reducing transport costs and the need for single-use plastic and throw away packaging. You will be able to grow them as organically as you can, and will be assisting the biodiversity in your garden.

Head over to the Bridge Cottage Garden page to find out more about growing herbs.

Rule number one is to pick your herbs on a dry day. The less moisture there is to dry in the leaf and stem, the quicker your herb will dry and retain its properties. A damp or soggy herb will only slow the process down.

Drying herbs in an airy place

There are two ways of drying herbs:

Air Dry

Tie your herbs in small bunches, with a loop knot that tightens as they dry. Be careful not to try in too large a bunch, or the air will not be able to circulate. Hang out of the way in a light, warm and airy room or out-side undercover, but not in direct sunlight.

Avoid hanging in a kitchen and not in a bathroom as steam is not going to be helpful.

drying herbs on a surface

Dry Flat

This method is good for petals and herbs that have been removed from the stem. Removing from a stem helps your herbs to dry quicker, and this method can be good for herbs such as mint, lemon balm, comfrey.

A wicker basket is a useful tool here, as the gaps in the wicker help the air to circulate around your herbs.

A sheet of paper in a warm and airy room will work, and herbs can be raised on a cooling rack.

I’ve doctored an IKEA hanging rack, by cutting away the back, and hand this in the wardrobe in our spare room, with a window open a touch.

Your herbs will take anything from two days to two weeks to dry, depending on the moisture content and drying conditions.

Herbal tea mix of dried mint, lemon balm, rose, elderflower and lavender

Once herbs are dry, and brittle and can be scrunched, place in clean jars and label for use.

Electric dehydrators can also be used, but we try to save on using energy where we can.

We also freeze some herbs for use in cooking – parsley and basil in particular.

Elderflower and mint tea

You’ll not be sorry you went to all this effort when you can reach for tasty herbs to use to make a cuppa or to flavour your dinners in the depths of winter.

As ever, we’d love you to share your thoughts, either by leaving a comment here or on our social media pages, where this article will be shared.

You can find the Bridge Cottage Way on Facebook Twitter and Instagram.

You might enjoy some of the writing and ideas in other section of this website, as we look towards leading more sustainable lives by growing our own food and creating dishes in line with seasonal eating, or head to our handy ‘Month by Month’ guides to find out what is seasonal and on topic:

Many thanks for reading.

With Facebook and Instagram algorithms being fickle friends at times, be sure to get all new posts from The Bridge Cottage Way by signing up for the substack newsletter. This will go our four times a year, around the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the Spring and Autumn Equinox. We of course will not share your details with third parties, and you have the right to unsubscribe at any time.

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Tying up Unruly Peas, Mangetout & Broad Beans

June 29, 2020/0 Comments/in Uncategorized, The Bridge Cottage Garden/by Sue Reed

Mangetout in the Bridge Cottage Garden

It’s June, and the crops are growing well in the Bridge Cottage garden, but I have unruly beds of broad beans and mangetout that have grown to be taller than me in places and are starting to waft and wave. If we get a windy day, they will snap, so I thought I’d better get them fettled.

First, the tops were nipped out. This will stop them getting any taller, help them to bush out, and the tips, lightly steamed are delicious to eat.

Pinch out the tips of broad beans and mangetout

If growing broad beans, pinching out the tips will also help to deter blackfly. These are very tasty, lightly steamed.

Broad Bean tips

Sharpening the ends of hazel poles to make stakes

Sharpening hazel poles for stakes

We coppiced a hazel tree in the winter, and so have these beautiful hazel poles to use. You could also use garden canes, but I like the rustic feel of the hazel, and am not a fan of going to garden centres unless I have to! Tim used an axe the sharpen the ends to make them easier to drive into the ground.

Beds of mangetout, peas and broad beans in the Bridge Cottage Garden

Placing the supports around the crops, I used natural twine, and wound it around the poles, skirting the broad beans and mangetout at three different height levels.

A job well done! Now my broad beans and peas can continue to grow without the risk of falling over or getting too tall.

Mmm, mangetout are delicious

We had a little visitor to Nanny and Grandad’s garden today, and she thought that her first taste of mangetout, freshly picked was ‘delicious’ 🙂

Are you growing peas, beans or mangetout?

Have you had your first harvest yet?

As ever, we’d love you to share your thoughts, either by leaving a comment here or on any of our social media pages, where this article will be shared.

You can find the Bridge Cottage Way on Facebook Twitter and Instagram.

You might enjoy some of the writing and ideas in other section of this website, as we look towards leading more sustainable lives by growing our own food and creating dishes in line with seasonal eating, or head to our handy ‘Month by Month’ guides to find out what is seasonal and on topic:

Many thanks for reading.

With Facebook and Instagram algorithms being fickle friends at times, be sure to get all new posts from The Bridge Cottage Way by signing up for the mailing list here. This will go our four times a year, around the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the Spring and Autumn Equinox. We of course will not share your details with third parties, and you have the right to unsubscribe at any time.

Make your own Organic Comfrey Feed

June 29, 2020/2 Comments/in The Bridge Cottage Garden/by Sue Reed

comfrey

We cut down comfrey to make our own organic comfrey feed here at Bridge Cottage at the end of May or beginning of June to make a feed for our tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, dahlias and clematis, hanging baskets and indoor pot plants. this process then continues throughout the summer, as comfrey if fast-growing.

Comfrey is an excellent source of potassium, an essential plant nutrient for flower, seed and fruit production. Its leaves contain 2-3 times more potassium than farmyard manure. The comfrey root grows very deep, tapping sources of potassium in the subsoil that would not normally be available to plants and thus makes comfrey a superb plant for the organic gardener who is looking to use homemade, organic means of fertilising crops. We also add nettles to the mix, as they contain nitrogen, which is important for leafy growth

Other plants to add to the comfrey feed bucket are nettles, rich in nitrogen and borage.

Cutting comfrey with shears

We like to leave the cutting of comfrey until the bees have had their fill of the nectar from the flowers, which here in Northumberland is around the beginning of June. It might be earlier if you are in more southern climes.

We grow Russian comfrey, but be warned – this is very invasive, so unless you have a big plot, you might like to look for the Bocking 14 variety which is easier to tame. Bocking 14 is also higher in nutrient content than the wild comfrey. See if you have a local plant swop group or find someone with a big clump who is happy to divide it for you. Once established, this is a prolific plant, so finding some shouldn’t be a problem.

Cut the leaves using shears and wearing gloves, about 5cm from the ground. You can be brutal, and this plant will soon grow back, allowing you to do another cutting from it later in the year.

Comfrey feed drips into container under bin

Comfrey feed drips into the container under the bin

There are two schools of thought when it comes to making the feed. If you are a fan of Gardener’s World, you may have seen Monty Don adding comfrey leaves to a bucket of water and letting that steep. It produces a less concentrated feed, is easy to do, but boy, does it stink! Use approximately 1kg leaves to 15 litres of water. After about 4-6 weeks this can be strained, and the leaves put on the compost heap. It can then be watered directly onto your plants.

Another method is to make a concentrate. Use a container with a hole in the bottom, or a bokashi bin. Place the leaves in the bin, chop with shears, and then press own with a weight. (we use a couple of bricks in a bucket) and allow the leaves to rot of their own accord, catching drips of this precious black liquid, which should be used sparingly. Use in a ratio of one-part feed to ten parts water.

Organic Comfrey Feed

Feed your crops:

tomatoes/peppers in pots – feed 3 times a week
tomatoes/cucumbers in greenhouse beds – feed twice a week
indoor and outdoor pot plants/hanging baskets – feed once a week

Feed tomato plants with comfrey feed as the first fruits set

Other uses for Comfrey:

Composting

Place cut or bruised comfrey leaves in alternate layers throughout your compost heap. Their decomposition will encourage bacterial action causing the heap to heat up and speed up the composting process.

Mulch

Use as a mulch. Chop up comfrey leaves with grass cuttings and place a 5cm layer on the surface of the soil around all plants. This will slowly rot down to provide nutrients and act as a mulch to keep in moisture and help control weeds.

Leaf Mould Seed Compost

Add fresh cut leaves to your leaf mould heap. Their nutrient-rich liquid will be absorbed, making it a perfect medium for growing seeds and potting compost.

Planting Potatoes & Beans

Fertilise the bottom of your potato and runner bean trenches with a layer of comfrey leaves. As they break down, the plant roots will access the potassium-rich fertiliser.

If you master the making of an organic feed, your plants will love you and so will the planet.

Happy gardening 🙂

As ever, we’d love you to share your thoughts, either by leaving a comment here or on any of our social media pages, where this article will be shared.

You can find the Bridge Cottage Way on Facebook Twitter and Instagram.

You might enjoy some of the writing and ideas in other section of this website, as we look towards leading more sustainable lives by growing our own food and creating dishes in line with seasonal eating, or head to our handy ‘Month by Month’ guides to find out what is seasonal and on topic:

Many thanks for reading.

With Facebook and Instagram algorithms being fickle friends at times, be sure to get all new posts from The Bridge Cottage Way by signing up for the mailing list here. This will go our four times a year, around the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the Spring and Autumn Equinox. We of course will not share your details with third parties, and you have the right to unsubscribe at any time.

Why Bother? Gardening & Growing Food.

June 22, 2020/0 Comments/in The Bridge Cottage Garden, Outdoors, Sustainable Living/by Sue Reed

Growing Food in The Bridge Cottage Garden

Why do we go to all the bother of gardening and growing food? Indeed, a friend walked around our garden not so long ago and remarked, ‘this is my worst nightmare’. We have a large plot here, but whether you have a large or small garden, allotment or a few pots and a window box, growing food is, in our opinion not only rewarding and enjoyable but vital for the survival of the planet.

The taste of vegetables plucked fresh from the garden is incredible, not to mention the extra vitamins and minerals you’ll take on board compared to food that has sat on a supermarket shelf after making a journey halfway around the world. You will also be safe in the knowledge that your crops are free from pesticides, have not travelled for miles by boat or plane, and are not wrapped in plastic. you will also get outside, for fresh air and exercise. Studies have shown that gardening and getting our hands in soil is very good for both our mental and physical health. These should be reasons enough for all your hard work.

Growing Food in The Bridge Cottage Garden

You will learn to eat seasonally, in tune with the growing calendar, enjoying the excitement of crops as they become ready, and then just as you sicken of them, another crop will pop up its head up and off you go in the enjoyment of that. Through the Bridge Cottage Way, we will hold your hand as you plant your first crops, telling you when it is time to plant, and guiding you through the whole growing process.

In the section, The Bridge Cottage Kitchen, we will take our fruit and vegetables indoors and explore recipes for tasty meals as well as ways to pickle and preserve to help us through the winter months. As well as food from the garden, we will also be writing about foraging and collecting food for free.

We live and garden in Northumberland, which is at the centre of Britain. Haltwhistle, just a few miles down the road from us claims to be the actual centre of Britain. There is one heck of a lot of Scotland above us. We will be writing about what we are growing and when we are growing it. However, if you are down south or in warmer climes, then you may well want to do everything just a little bit earlier. You will be able to sow and grow without the risk of snow in June! The same applies if you are reading this further north – you may need to wait a while.

Growing Food in The Bridge Cottage Garden

We will write about all aspects of the garden, but with a particular focus on growing food. During lockdown there has been a surge in people beginning to grow fruit and vegetables for the first time. You might be visiting this site as a newbie, or like us, as old-timers who have grown food for decades. You are all very welcome.

You can visit the month by month section to find out what jobs need doing when, or use the search box on the home page if you are looking for a particular subject.

It’s time to pop out into the garden and pick some courgettes for dinner tonight, so we’ll say cheerio for now.

Happy gardening

Growing Food in The Bridge Cottage Garden

As ever, we’d love you to share your thoughts, either by leaving a comment here or one our social media pages, where this article will be shared.

You can find the Bridge Cottage Way on Facebook Twitter and Instagram.

You might enjoy some of the writing and ideas in other section of this website, as we look towards leading more sustainable lives by growing our own food and creating dishes in line with seasonal eating, or head to our handy ‘Month by Month’ guides to find out what is seasonal and on topic:

Many thanks for reading.

With Facebook and Instagram algorithms being fickle friends at times, be sure to get all new posts from The Bridge Cottage Way by signing up for the mailing list here. This will go our four times a year, around the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the Spring and Autumn Equinox. We of course will not share your details with third parties, and you have the right to unsubscribe at any time.