How to revive a chilli plant

Spring has (kind of) sprung and I’m still trying to rouse my tired old chilli plants from their winter slumber. I’ve been ‘overwintering’ last year’s plants (overwintering in this case meaning ‘not throwing them away’) and having no greenhouse or warm poly tunnel in which to tuck them up, they have had to fend for themselves in the less than ideal position of my kitchen windowsill, exposed to drafts, fluctuating temperatures and lack of sunlight. They are in a very sorry state indeed – a picture posted on Twitter of the desiccated stalks of my Basket of Fire plant received shrieks of horror from gardeners and chilli lovers alike. Oh the humanity!

Having to listen to Nick bang on all year about his lovely new greenhouse and his free range chillis that frolic behind steamy windows* was particularly tough. Stuff him, AND his chillis.**  There was no such luxury for my plants, who lived like caged birds, perched indoors on their north facing windowsill. They occasionally coughed up a chilli fruit, but output was disappointing.

This year shall be different – I’m going to pamper my plants from the get go and they will love me for it and shower me with flaming scarlet gifts. But before they do, urgent action is required to bring my fiery friends back from the brink.

Here’s my three step recovery guide for knackered old chilli plants.

 

1 Prune
Dead leaves and damaged stalks blighted my poor plants, so a (severe) haircut was in order. A snip here, snip there. Looking better already! To be honest, this is a job that should be done before tucking them up in bed for the winter, but better late than never. A short back and sides will help divert the plant’s energy away from maintaining manky foliage and back into growing a healthy stem and root system.

2 Re-pot
Tip them out of their (undersized) plant pots and into something larger. Whilst not entirely root-bound, my chillis clearly need re- housing. A good soaking of the plant pot will help release steadfast plants. I’ve repotted mine with a mixture of John Innes no.2 and general purpose compost, which should hopefully do the trick.

3 Feed
My poor plants have been starved of nutrients, so they need a feed. Chilli plants love a seaweed based fertiliser so I’m treating mine to a spot of Envil’s SeaFeed Xtra. This fertiliser has a particularly high seaweed content (5% – others can vary between 1-3%), so I’m hoping for good things. The chaps at Envil recommend giving plants a liberal spraying of SeaFeed every week or so, and that’s what I’ve been doing. Initial signs are good, with shiny green leaves appearing after only a few days of treatment.

It’s now late April, and despite temperatures being a tad on the low side for my delicate indoor peppers, they have started to perk up. Hopefully I have avoided a capsicum catastrophe and my precious plants will live for another season.

There shall be chilli beer. Viva la chilli!

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Reader offer!
Fancy giving the SeaFeed a go? Envil are offering 10% off the total order value.
Go to https://www.bio8.co.uk/p-101/seaweed-fertiliser
and use the following discount code
THIRSTY10

 

 

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* “Oooh, I’ve got so many lovely lemon Ajis, they are literally tumbling out of my greenhouse door. I’ve got piles of them. PILES!”  

** A simple stuffed chilli recipe. Perfect for Aji Lemons…

1. Slice your chillis lengthways, then remove seeds and pith.
2. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil, add chillis and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
3. In a bowl, mix together equal amounts of cream cheese and grated cheddar. Add a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce.
4. If you fancy, sprinkle some shredded bacon on top.
5. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400° for five minutes.

The post How to revive a chilli plant appeared first on Two Thirsty Gardeners.

from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2017/04/revive-chilli-plant/

German beer and barbecues: a food matching guide

It is now 501 years since Germany’s celebrated beer purity laws were first passed. The Reinheitsgebot decreed that any drink labelled beer had to produced using only three ingredients : barley, hops and water. Yeast was added later, bringing the total up to four, while a bending of the rules permitted wheat beers to become a legal product. Despite these restrictions German brewers produce beer styles as varied as any other country.

With summer rapidly approaching, BBQs are being dusted down and fired up ready for sizzling season and at many of these meaty feasts it will be clean, crisp German lagers and hefeweizens that will be poured as liquid accompaniment.

With help from brewing aces Krombacher, we take a look at four of the most popular German beer styles and suggest what grilled food to accompany each variation of barley, hops, water and yeast. Consider it the fifth ingredient to the pure German booze…

Krombacher Pils

On a sunny summer’s day, with a barbecue’s fiery embers and smokey wafts adding to the heat of the occasion, few beers are quite as rewarding as a chilled glass of proper German pils. Krombacher’s version is typical of the style: light and golden, with a thin ribbon of sweetness running through a crisp, dry body which crackles with peppery spice and bitterness. It’s the daddy of BBQ beers and, as such, at its best matched with the staple of hot coal cooking: the beefburger. Each clean malty swig works seamlessly with the hearty gnawings of charred meat, simultaneously refreshing the palette and soothing any sun scorched heads.

Krombacher Hell

Another golden lager but with fewer bitter and spicy hop notes, this beer allows the subtly sweet grain flavours to take the lead. It’s a very summery drink, with fresh grassy notes turning to straw as if bleached by the sun while sipping. To appreciate this beer’s delicate charms it’s best matched with the lighter flavoured foods that emerge from the grill: perhaps a vegetable kebab full of healthy fresh goodness or a piece perfectly cooked chicken wrapped in a crisp, smokey skin.

Krombacher Dark

Krombacher Dark has all the beery goodness of the brewery’s lighter coloured beers but contains some richer roasted flavours through the use of darker malts. There’s a more prominent treacly sweetness in this beer, so if you’re considering a barbecued dessert (such as grilled banana), this is the bottle to open. It also works well with meats slathered with sweet, sticky coatings, such as spare ribs dripping with BBQ sauce, with those stronger malty notes standing up to the food’s extra assault of flavour.

Krombacher Weizen

The crisp, tangy notes of a hefeweizen are set off a treat with two of food’s bad boys: salt and fat. Bavarians often take advantage of this combo by munching their local sausage speciality, the veal and pork ‘weisswurst’, alongside their weizen, but it also works particularly well with a proper British banger, spitting with fat and slathered in mustard. Keep a nose out for the weizen’s banana and clove aroma and enjoy the hints of fruity bitterness as you effortlessly move between porky bite and wheaty mouthful.

Krombacher  beers are available from Majestic, Beers of Europe and Noble Green Wines

This is a sponsored post

The post German beer and barbecues: a food matching guide appeared first on Two Thirsty Gardeners.

from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2017/04/german-beer-barbecues-food-matching-guide-krombacher/

An interview with… Val Bourne, the natural gardener

We are big advocates of organic gardening down on our allotment. Excluding a half-opened bottle of pea-pod wine, the only filthy chemicals you’ll find lurking in our shed are the ones used to help scrub the grunge from our brewing vessels. Furthermore, our allotment is an open house for all creatures, great and small; deer come from miles around to snack on our sorrel*, wasps sip from our pints of cider** and slugs merrily nibble at our beetroot plants.***

We are always looking out for new, environmentally sound gardening practices to unleash on our veggies, so we were more than happy to receive a copy of Val Bourne’s fab new book, The Living Jigsaw. By encouraging a wide natural diversity of birds, bugs and mammals to help create a balanced ecosystem, Val teaches us that it is possible to maintain a healthy, productive, chemical free garden. It’s a lush tome, no doubt about it. Val’s beautifully penned prose is accompanied by photographs taken in her own chemical-free, envy-inducing garden, inviting the reader to dip in and out of the pages like a bee supping nectar. It’s essential reading for those wishing to work in harmony with nature – and as a gardener, that should be your number one priority.

Eager to learn more about natural gardening, we hopped over the wall of Spring Cottage, swatted brushed our way through clouds of happy butterflies and quizzed Val for more sagely advice

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Was writing ‘The Living Jigsaw’ a labour of love, or were there times when you resented it from stealing away precious gardening time?
It was a labour of love, because a lot of gardeners want to be organic because they’re concerned about wildlife so writing this book about the way I garden (without using any sprays or chemicals including garlic sprays or soft soap) is very timely. Gardens are important spaces for wildlife, whether they’re in the town or city, and it’s possible to have a lovely garden that benefits wildlife. I’ve spent many years observing my garden and I wanted to pass this information on. And Chris Packham’s foreword catches the spirit of my book.

How do you feel this book ranks amongst your (many) others?
It’s my eighth book and it’s an extension of The Natural Gardener, published in 2005, and written about my Hook Norton garden. The move to Spring Cottage in the wonderfully named village of Cold Aston, high in The Cotswolds, prompted this book and it’s definitely my most important book so far because it has new things to say.

‘The Living Jigsaw’ is beautifully photographed by Marianne Majerus. Did you have her on call for the wildlife shots? (“Come quick, Marianne, there’s a hawk moth in the border!”)
Marianne came four times and captured the garden four times, in each season, but I did the insect photography. I went out every day and tried to photograph as many insects as I could, although I failed with some. Beetles were too fleet-footed for me. The Best Beloved also helped and our favourite photo (taken by him) is of lacewing eggs hanging from a scabious. Actually we have more pictures in the book than Marianne.

Which books have inspired your own gardening?
I don’t think many books have inspired me, although Margery Fish’s A Flower for Every Day introduced me to some new plants such as hardy geraniums, pulmonarias and astrantias. They’re commonplace in gardens now, but in 1965 when it was published, they weren’t grown. Beth Chatto’s plant descriptions in her catalogues were also inspirational. Twenty words that really captured a plant.

If you could swap gardens with anyone, whose garden would you choose?
I would never swap my garden!

When was the last time you did a proper jigsaw puzzle and what was the picture?
It was probably The Gruffalo, which used to be a favourite of my grandchilden – India, Ellie, James and Jess. I’m hopeless at sitting still!

Snails and hostas. Can both truly co-exist in a garden?
HRH Prince Charles has a National Collection of Hostas at Highgrove and they are not massacred because there are plenty of predators around to clean them up. Ground beetles are the best predators. One lady, at a talk, said but he has nine gardeners – well it’s a big garden. They don’t stand guard at night.

We attract clouds of wasps when we press our cider. Is there a natural way to discourage them?
Plant nectar-rich plants such as crocosmias and kniphofias, ones that flower in August. For most of the year wasps are brilliant predators and they collect small creatures and take them back to the nest for the larvae. They’re rewarded by sugar droplets – it’s only when the nest is empty that trouble begins.

It’s not always easy to follow the path of natural gardening on council owned allotments. For instance, our carefully managed, insect-friendly nettle patch (grown for nettle beer) is considered uncultivated by the allotment inspectors, therefore in breach of allotment rules. Do you think councils need to be more tolerant in this respect?
Of course. Verge mowing is a total waste of time in most cases, a mad exercise in neatness. We have to have wilder areas, including nettle patches on allotments, to sustain and shelter insect life. They are wildlife-friendly allotments!

Chelsea, Hampton Court, or Malvern?
Malvern all the way!

Tell us a great gardening tip.
Don’t be neat freak every where. Have some undisturbed areas on the edges of your garden so that hedgehogs, voles and other small creatures have shelter. Avoid gaps in your borders – create a leafy canopy using a wide variety of different plants with different shapes of flower in a wide range of colours.

What are your three ‘desert island’ vegetables?
Leek Oarsman F1
Parsnip Gladiator F1
Beetroot Alto F1

After a hard day working the garden at Spring Cottage, what beverage do you reach for?
Sorry lads, I only drink tea and water!

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The Living Jigsaw is available now.
Published by Kew, £25.00

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*Not entirely happy about this.
**Or this. Not sure I like wasps.
*** WILL YOU PLEASE, PLEASE JUST GET YOUR DIRTY, SLIMY, MOLUSC FEET OFF MY LOVELY VEG!!!!! 

The post An interview with… Val Bourne, the natural gardener appeared first on Two Thirsty Gardeners.

from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2017/04/interview-natural-gardener/

Bench Marks: Westminster wooden bench on trial

We’ve got grand designs for the allotment. Construction is underway for a giant hop dome to straddle the currently fallow area next to our shed, which will host our newly acquired hop collection. We’ve got Mount Hood, Kent Golding, and Challenger, along with a cutting taken from Nick’s own, home-grown Target hop – all of which will climb majestically over the structure, creating a serene, shady space under which to reside.

It promises to be an impressive sight when ready, and is sure to court admiring glances (and the odd letter of complaint*) from our neighbouring allotmenteers. Plans for the area underneath the dome are still a bit hazy (raised herb bed? Bar? Hammock?) but some form of seating is as given – and something considerably more elegant than the crude plastic chair that currently resides on the allotment.

Step forward then, ace bench-makers Sloane & Sons, who recognised our seating plight and sent us over one of their Westminster garden benches to trial.

The Westminster is a handsome bench of teak, featuring elegant angles and a gentle arching backrest. Straight out of the box, it required minimal effort to assemble – a nice touch is that all visible joins are made with dowel pieces instead of screws, making for a clean, sturdy finish.

Three things we particularly like about this bench.

• It’s enormous – enough to seat five people** at least. Certainly big enough to have a kip on, should we ever lock ourselves out of the house. And It’ll be perfect for entertaining if, for instance, Alan ever pays us a visit. We can sit and shoot the breeze, maybe talking about the time when we appeared on his show, and how he thought to himself that we were probably the best guests he’d ever had on. All three of us could sit there in comfort, with enough space around us for it not to feel too cramped and socially awkward.
• The armrests are vast, enabling a whole flotilla of drinks glasses and bottles to be racked up without fear of spillage.
• The teak used is taken from a sustainable source, and will require minimum maintenance. We’ve got at least 8-12 months before it needs slathering with oil.

The bench will eventually move to its final position under the hop dome but, for now, it resides in my back garden until the time is right. We just need to work out how to transport it to the allotment – there’s no way this whopper of a bench will fit in the back of my Ford Focus.

We’re gonna need a bigger boot…

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For more fine benches, go here

 

 

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*The dome really is huge. Massive. Massively huge.

** It says it’ll fit three people on the website. We can’t speak for the good people of Burton-on-Trent, but there is certainly enough room to fit five whippet- thin West Country folks.

The post Bench Marks: Westminster wooden bench on trial appeared first on Two Thirsty Gardeners.

from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2017/04/bench-marks-westminster-wooden-bench-trial/

Remodelling Tweaks for Spring to Wake Up Your Home

It won’t be too long now before the last of the snow finally goes away and spring arrives. This is of course the time of year that many of us get the cleaning supplies out to give our homes a good spring clean. Why not take that rejuvenation a step further this year though by implementing a few easy spring remodelling tweaks and changes as well? Here are just a few ideas:

Replace Your Window Treatments – Welcome the spring sunshine into your home by replacing your old (and frankly rather dirty looking) window treatments with something fresh and new? The very simple act of replacing those tattered old cafe curtains in your kitchen with some sleek new blinds or elegant new sheer drapes can instantly update the space in a way you may never have imagined possible.

Give Your Hardwood Floors a Face lift – Hardwood floors are gorgeous, there are few people who would argue with that fact. They are also very durable. They do however occasionally need a little TLC that goes beyond a once over with broom. A professional sanding and refinishing can restore an older hardwood floor to its former glory in the matter of a day. and if you really feel like making a change you can have your flooring professional stain your hardwood floors a different color altogether, which will make them look like you just had brand new flooring installed.

Replace that Ratty Old Lino – For some time now you have been making a serious effort to ignore just how bad that torn old lino in your kitchen or bathroom really looks. But however many times you cover it up with yet another rug you know its there. Spring is the time of year that many flooring showrooms have some really great sales and offer some wonderful financing deals so it is a great time to finally bite the bullet and go shopping for new flooring.

The post Remodelling Tweaks for Spring to Wake Up Your Home appeared first on Subline Wind Chime.

from Subline Wind Chime http://www.sublimewindchime.com/2017/04/10/remodelling-tweaks-spring-wake-home/

Beer of the week #103: Porterhouse Brewing Co. Plain Porter

I originally planned to write about The Porterhouse Brewing Co’s Oyster Stout as a St Patrick’s Day beer review. The brewery kindly sent me four of their beers to try a few weeks before the annual Irish piss- up and an oyster stout seemed most appropriate for the occasion (hey, I could compare it to that better known Irish stout, Guinness).

But before March 17th came around my wife snuck in and pinched the bottle. She’s not known for stout drinking, but something about the oysters appealed to her and she guzzled the lot. It went down well, by all accounts, and as a result of her fishy beer experience has now developed a love of black beers, occasionally plundering more stouts and porters from my beer shelves.

Fortunately I’ve managed to keep my other Porterhouse dark – this Plain Porter – beer safely out of sight and am now ready to appraise their brewing prowess. Before moving to the beer itself, a word about the bottle. I’ve been told that the label in this photo is being changed, but the ring-pull-cap device is staying. Previous encounters with these peelable lids have resulted in an easy removal, and I like the look of them, but this one failed to work. Pliers were my eventual route to beer.

Onto the beer. It’s very dark but not as dense as its stouter relatives and it has quite a punchy aroma for a porter, with some fruity hop notes mixing it with the whiff of roasted malt. The first swig reveals a chalky dryness from the outset, with those roasted flavours crumbling onto the palette. Peeking through the rubble of dehydrated coffee and chocolate is that fruitiness first noticed by the nose. It’s a sharp fruit, perhaps raspberry or orange, but not as vibrant as you would find in a pale ale, instead a bit rustic and scorched around the edges. Before a more committed appraisal of the fruit characteristics is possible the hop’s bitterness begins to bite and, after not too many sips, it’s this bitterness that becomes the dominant flavour alongside the rich malts.

It’s a superb porter. Free from contemporary gimmicks and with all the traditional porter elements allowed to stand out with confidence. I’ve got two more Portehouse bottles to wrestle open with pliers – their Red Ale and Hersbrucker Pilsner – but what I really want to try next is that Oyster Stout.

Lowdown

Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Co., Dublin
Beer name: Plain Porter
Strength: 5%
Hops used: Nugget, Galena, East Kent Goldings

The post Beer of the week #103: Porterhouse Brewing Co. Plain Porter appeared first on Two Thirsty Gardeners.

from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2017/04/beer-review-porterhouse-brewing-co-dublin-plain-porter/