Issue September - October 2016 (2024)

Home//Landscape Magazine/September - October 2016

LandScape magazine is a breath of fresh air, capturing the very best of every season. Every two months, join us to: - Celebrate the joy of the garden - Learn simple seasonal recipes - Enjoy traditional British crafts - Wonder at the beauty of nature and the countryside The magazine is a haven from the pressures of modern living; a chance to slow down... and most importantly, a reminder of the good things in life. Take time to appreciate everything that nature creates and inspires.

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in this issue

IN THIS ISSUELife at nature’s paceDear reader...LIKE MANY PEOPLE who are fortunate enough to live in the country, I have friends who, every year, have a glut of apples. This is good news for me, as my ancient apple tree struggles to produce more than a couple of fruits, whatever I do to prune or care for it.Instead, I am given bags and bags of windfalls, to turn into apple jelly. There is always enough to last both the apple owners and me until this time next year. Jellies are so easy to make – no peeling or coring, just chopping the apples into quarters then cooking.I use an old brass jam pan, inherited from my grandmother. I didn’t realise how lovely it was until one day I decided to give it a really good…1 min

RegularsStar LetterSaving a honeybeeI was interested to read the editor’s letter in the May/June 2016 issue regarding the honeybee. Recently, I also found an exhausted bee on my conservatory floor. I put a saucer of sugar water down and lifted the bee onto the edge where it began to drink. Worried how it would get up the slippery side of the saucer, I laid a folded paper hankie like a ladder so it could climb out. When I returned the bee had gone and the hankie was covered in little black pinpricks, the bee’s footprints, where it had climbed the ‘ladder’. Such a little thing to have done, but I felt as if I’d won the lottery!Barbara Allan, Essex…1 min

RegularsReaders’ LettersMaking memories togetherMemories of my own happy childhood came flooding back when I watched my grandchildren revelling in picking plums from an orchard in Norfolk. It was one of the highlights of their holiday, yet a simple and relatively cheap experience. We ended up with two full buckets of plums, far too many, but the enjoyment on their faces was worth it.Kathleen Clark, HertfordshireReading for recoveryRecently, I was admitted to hospital and spent nearly a week in isolation with nothing to read but a copy of LandScape. I was inspired, and lay planning a new area of my garden. I have continued to read the magazine and am enjoying not only the beautiful gardens but the wide range of topics. Thank you for brightening an otherwise frustrating time.Ani Colebrooke, NorfolkHave…3 min

RegularsOur LandScapeSEASON OF CONFLICTFrom late September to November the UK’s largest land mammal, the red deer, goes in search of a mate. Called the rut, this period sees mature stags seek out the female hinds for mating, often leading to conflict between competing males. To establish dominance, stags will perform elaborate displays including roaring and parallel walking. This allows them to assess their rival’s size and strength. Fighting also occurs, with the victorious stag securing mating rights with the hinds. Calves are born between mid May and mid July after an eight-month gestation.FACES OF THE SUNCultivated for their cheerful blooms and useful seeds, sunflowers, Helianthus annuus, flower well into the autumn months. Cutting stems of different varieties creates a vibrant bouquet. Sheaves of goldenrod, Solidago canadensis, and Rudbeckia laciniata, provide a…3 min

In the gardenRICHES WITHIN FOUR WALLSWRAPPED IN THE warm, red brick arms of a Georgian walled garden, flowers of every hue dance in tightly-packed linear beds. Under the early autumn sun, verbena and lupins persist alongside seasonal classics such as dahlias and rudbeckia. Spiky, silver-tinged sea hollies contrast with deep red and yellow varieties of sunflower. Other rows teem with fluffy stipa, miscanthus and pennisetum grasses, while wall-bound side beds of shrubs and bee-friendly flowers frame the colourful space. The light breeze carries a mingling of the sweet scents of these late-flowering blooms. The lazy, drunken buzz of bees and the instantly-recognisable call of a wood pigeon punctuate the air.The walled garden is part of the 17th century Birch Estate, sitting in beautiful rolling countryside five miles south-west of Colchester, in Essex. Today the two-acre…10 min

In the gardenEFFORTLESS HARVESTIN A LOW-LYING Somerset village, a fertile kitchen garden is filled with ripening crops. The three-quarter-acre plot is a dense mass of colours and textures. The air is full of different aromas, from the rich undertones of celeriac to the fragrance of the earth, compost and soil.The garden at Homeacres, in the village of Alhampton, near Shepton Mallet, is flat and exposed to wind. At night, cold air collects above it, with the last frost usually in mid-May. The soil is loam over clay.Four years ago, it was overgrown pasture, with a 35ft (10.6m) windbreak of spruce trees on the western boundary. In December 2012, Charles Dowding moved in. Today, it produces 30-40kg of salad and seasonal vegetables, harvested twice a week for local restaurants, residents and shops.Time-saving gardenCharles is…8 min

Issue September - October 2016 (2024)

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