Winter gardening: five tasks for tip top soft fruit

Winter is a great time to be a lazy gardener. The growing grinds to a halt – weeds and all – and there’s nothing much to do until spring is on its way.

But on occasions, even in winter, we’ll need an excuse to get out of the house* and there are only so many logs that need chopping. For those moments it’s the soft fruit that usually receives our attention.

Like most of us, winter is the soft fruit’s dormant period. New bushes should be planted during this inactive spell and there’s work to be done with existing plants. Here are five soft fruit tasks we’ll be performing in good time for the arrival of spring.

Hack back autumn raspberry canes

There are two types of raspberries: those that fruit in summer, and those that hang on until autumn. The summer varieties (including ‘Mailing Jewel’ and ‘Glen Ample’) need a little care when pruning; autumn’s canes (such as ‘Autumn Bliss’ and ‘Polka’) simply need hacking to the ground during winter. Guess which we prefer? We’ve abandoned all summer raspberries, opting for the easy life instead. So in January or February we’ll roam among the bare canes with secateurs, snipping each one of them at the base. Job done.

Prune soft fruit bushes

Unfortunately, pruning soft fruit bushes needs a little more attention than the razing of raspberry canes, but unless you’re a perfectionist it doesn’t need to be as complicated as some guides will make out. Our established gooseberry and blackcurrant bushes will feel the thrust of a pruning blade this year, with the starting point for both being to remove damaged or diseased branches.

We then have a divergence of tasks: the plan for the gooseberries is to cut out a few of the older stems, allowing space for new ones to power through this year, and make sure we leave in place a mix of stems that are one to three years old. These will then be chopped back to half their length.

The blackcurrants are a little different in that fruit will only appear on the stems that grew during the summer just departed, so we’ll say goodbye to the older ones.

Finally, both bushes will be thinned a little if there is any overcrowding going on.

In reality we’re just as likely to chop all of our soft fruit at random… and the chances are they won’t suffer much as a consequence.

Mulch with garden sweepings

Over the course of winter the garden will gradually turn into what some observers might class as “a state of untidiness”. We like the general unattended decay and so does the wildlife. But every once in a while even we cave into pressure and gather up unruly clumps of fallen leaves and collapsed flower stems.

Rather than shovel this goodness straight into the compost, much of this garden matter will be scattered around the soft fruit plants with any bigger pieces being first broken up. Here their continued decay will slowly feed nutrients into the roots, ready for the spring growth, and they’ll provide a layer of warmth and protection to give the plants a leg up later in the year. And those friendly soil-enhancing bugs are more likely to set up home in their vicinity.

Remove and mend the netting

The vigorous growth of our blackcurants have led to a few branches bursting through the protective netting. Careful removal is required to avoid damaging both the bushes and the nets but, inevitably, holes will be expanded.

Although we won’t be putting the netting back up until the fruit has set, now is the perfect time to mend any holes and replace any bits beyond repair. We take a lot of care over this particular task: half arsed netting can allow animals to sneak their way in, or get trapped in untidy net overflow, and perish. And when you’ve got a million other gardening jobs to fulfil in summer, fighting with sheets of netting isn’t much fun.

Take hardwood cuttings

Fancy some free fruit bushes? Then use nature’s powers of multiplication to propagate new plants from old wood. We’ve not tried this before but it looks easy so this winter we might just give it a go.

Here’s what we’ll do…

We’ll snip off some hardwood stems. Pencil thick, the experts say. We’ll then trim these into 25cm-ish sections with a bud at the top and bottom of each section. We’ll fill a big pot with soil and plant these sticks 10cm deep at a similar distance apart.

And apparently that’s it until next winter when planting them out will be added to our list of soft fruit winter tasks.

*Phrases like “isn’t it time you sorted out your booze collection” usually send us scuttling to the back door

Note: Yes, they are strawberries growing in the photograph. In winter. Seasons, huh…

This is a sponsored post

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from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/11/winter-gardening-five-tasks-tip-top-soft-fruit-prune/

Beer (and curry) of the week #98. BBNo 55/01 Double IPA

We were contacted recently by a PR company, asking if they could send us some curry to try. The answer to this question was – and always will be – a resounding ‘yes’ (followed by a ‘how fast can you get it to us?’ email, typed out to the reverberating, gurgling sound of an overexcited intestine).

Daydreams of curry trucks pulling up outside TTG HQ and hose-ing in chicken dhansak through the letterbox quickly evaporated when a small package arrived through the post, containing the building blocks necessary to construct a Japanese katsu* curry. One pack of rice, one pack of Japanese breadcrumbs (panko) and a pack of curry sauce.

This kit-form katsu required a bit of basic cheffery to knock it into shape. Nothing too taxing though – just the attendance of a sliced onion, a few pieces of chicken and a familiarity with the basics of hob-based, deep fat frying.

Now unless you count a few games on Cooking Mama (and the unfortunate incident when I miss-timed the oven and served the kids ‘sushi fish-fingers’) my previous experiences of Japanese cookery have been few and far between. Despite my culinary shortcomings, the katsu curry construction was easy – I even managed to overcome my fear of frying and successfully cooked the breadcrumb-coated chicken without setting the house ablaze, or Jackson Pollock-ing my flesh with scalding oil.

Behold the results below…

Tada! One nicely presented (if not entirely photogenic) katsu curry, ready for gobbling. But what booze to serve with this piquant dish?** For the answer, I took to Twitter.

Now, as we are all too aware, ‘asking the public to vote for things’ hasn’t particularly gone that well of late, but fortunately, our sensible Twitter pals avoided a Trump/Brexit style reaction*** and fed us some sensible results.

It  was a resounding victory for the IPA, blazing a blue trail ahead of the second most popular choice – lager. A few folks voted for pale, whilst no one was foolish enough to plump for the porter wildcard.

There were a couple of likely IPAs giving me the glad eye from the beer cupboard shelf, but I decided that the only thing that would satisfactorily slice through the fiery Japanese spices would be an American style double IPA. Specifically, a Brew By Numbers*** Double IPA, straight outta’ Bermondsey.

Fortunately, for all concerned, the match was a good ’un. My crudely constructed katsu sauce was a smooth, gravy-like affair (not a million miles away from a chip shop curry) that wrapped and caressed my bread crumbed chicken in a soft, piquant blanket. The curry packed a decent amount of heat, but not with the initial up-front fire you can get from an Indian curry – this was more of a slow-burning, forehead-beading warmth. The double IPA’s clean, citrus-y bite providing a fine foil to the dish, and whilst undeniably hop-forward (BBNo have dry hopped this one four times) its hoppiness is quite restrained – certainly not an eye popping hop-monster that you might come to expect from this style of beer.

I did, however, make one tiny error in my beer/curry equation. Partially number blinded by the big black digits on the BBNo beer label, I overlooked the most important number of all.

The ABV.

A BBNo Double IPA weighs in at a lusty 9.2%. That, combined with an enormous*****, mid-day katsu and a ‘bit of a sit down’ in front of Homes Under The Hammer, and there can be only one outcome…

Sweet, sofa-bound dreams of curry trucks and hops.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

The lowdown

Brewery: Brew By Numbers, Bermondsey, London
Beer name: 50/01 Double IPA
Strength: 9.2%
Hops used: Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe

Brew By Numbers rotate their range quite a bit. The Double IPA above came from an unknown source, and had been lurking around in my beer cupboard for a while, hiding behind a brace of feisty Somerset perries for safety. It’s worth checking their site often, to see what they’ve recently cooked up.

 

The curry lowdown

Make: Yutako
Curry name: Katsu
Strength: Medium

Available from: Morrisons

 

 

* Katsu is short for katsuretsu, the Japanese word for cutlet.
** Admittedly, there’s a rather big clue in the photograph, but bare with us…
*** “Screw your guys, we want change! We vote for petrol! Give petrol a chance! What’s the worst that can happen…?”
**** Not to be confused with ‘painting by numbers’, the popular painting system favoured by retirement home dwellers and the artistically inept.
***** Turns out the pack I used makes enough curry for six helpings.

 

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from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/11/beer-curry-week/

How to Clean Double Glazed Windows

Investing in double glazed windows is a worthwhile cost, providing increased thermal efficiency that will make significant savings on your heating bill in the long term. Maintaining your windows is essential to ensure they last for years, minimising the damage caused by wear and tear, weather effects, and other outside elements.

We’ve listed some of the top tips to keeping your double glazed windows clean for best results below.

You will need:

• A soft cloth
• Non-abrasive cleaner or warm soapy water
• A cup of white vinegar to keep windows streak free

Cleaning your windows

Remove any large items of debris to avoid scratching the glass, then use your cloth soaked in the cleaner or water to wash the windows. Adding the cup of white vinegar will help avoid streaks forming as the windows dry, creating a sparkling finish.

It’s essential that you only use a soft cloth – an abrasive brush can scratch or damage the appearance of the glass. Some people also opt to use a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment on their window frames, which is an effective method to clean up any dust and debris that may have gathered there.

Tougher stains

For tougher, more stubborn stains, a PVC solvent or uPVC cream can be an effective method to tackle these areas. Always make sure that the cleaners you are using are suitable for the windows to avoid damaging the seals and compromising your double glazing.

This article was written by Abbey Glass, a double glazing based in Sheffield. Abbey Glass can provide quality materials and a professional installation service scheduled to your convenience.

The post How to Clean Double Glazed Windows appeared first on UK Home Improvement Blog.

from UK Home Improvement Blog http://www.ukhomeimprovement.co.uk/how-to-clean-double-glazed-windows/

Why Coloured Radiators are Growing in Popularity

On our blog today, we’re here to give you a little bit of interior inspiration regarding coloured radiators.

Yes, we have many talents here and interior design with a good-eye is one of them! Prepare yourself for a discussion on colour, style and how your radiator can help transform a room.

We believe that radiators shouldn’t just be a metal thing that you hide behind a sofa.

When you look at our catalogue, you can see that our ranges of radiators are innovatively designed with style as well as efficiency. Due to the fact that every home has a different personality, we provide a wide spectrum of radiators that has the ability to suit your individual taste. The choice is endless!

A common question: How can I make my radiator something ‘that ties the room together’ rather than ‘that old metal thing on the wall’?

Try this – next time you’re looking to buy radiators, why not try something a bit more adventurous? Get rid of ol’ rusty in the corner and invest in a BRIGHT COLOURED RADIATOR to add a fresh change to your room.

Several of our radiators come in an interesting palette of colours – here are just a few options that you could choose from to help brighten the place up.

Bisque Blok Radiator

This aluminium radiator of Italian design is sure to add an interesting splash of colour to your living space. Simple and sophisticated, this unit comes in a vast range of colours to excite and inspire any home decorator.

As you can see in our catalogue, the selection of colours for this model is incredibly diverse, from subtle blues to bolshie reds and crisp greens. Just imagine a bright burst of yellow to greet guests in your living room, or perhaps a calming blue to help you wind down in your bedroom?

A stylish radiator for all looks and moods. Check it out!

Aestus Koloris Single Glass Panel Wall Mounted

This wall mounted radiator model has a gorgeous, sleek glass panel design in an assortment of vivid colours. From zesty Chili Red to Green Grass, add a bold POP to your home.

Not only are these heaters stylish and slick in aesthetic, but the glass front panel means that it has an incredibly high heat output.

Not JUST a pretty face!

Bisque Archibald Electric Towel Radiator

Nothing feels as good as getting out of the shower and wrapping yourself in a hot towel straight off the radiator…

The Bisque Archibald Electric Towel Radiator offers you a stylish way to keep your towels warm in your bathroom. Coming in a wide range of colours, this quirky clothes hanger design is a fun way to bring colour in your bathroom.

Aeon Abacus

Now we’re talking! For people who want something fun and artistic in their homes. This stainless-steel abacus inspired radiator is a kaleidoscope of colour and would be a feature in any room, perfect for general fun lovers and children’s nurseries. Can you believe this is a radiator? Looks more like a work of art!

The coloured abacus globes also come in silver and gold designs if you are looking for a different effect.

Now that you’ve seen some of our coloured radiators, and the different incarnations they come in, it’s time to start exploring Designer Radiator Direct – this is only the tip of the ice berg , Their catalogue of radiators is filled with interesting, stylish units that could help transform your home. Happy exploring!

The post Why Coloured Radiators are Growing in Popularity appeared first on UK Home Improvement Blog.

from UK Home Improvement Blog http://www.ukhomeimprovement.co.uk/coloured-radiators-growing-in-popularity/

Tips and Ideas for Commercial Kitchen Design for Small Kitchens

Commercial kitchen design has a direct impact on the performance of a restaurant/café across a number of different measures, including efficiency, safety, and profitability. Good design will take account of many aspects of commerciality, from staff safety and ergonomics to food production and the efficiency of foodservices equipment.

By minimising the amount of movement around the kitchen, and the number of steps involved in the completion of a task, kitchens can increase both their productivity and safety. This is achieved by careful planning and consideration.

Three key factors determine good kitchen design:

1. Budget
2. Space requirements and capacity
3. The choice of equipment

Today, we are going to look at the methods involved in designing a viable and profitable commercial kitchen.

To Create a Viable Commercial Kitchen Design You Must Consider the Menu

The first step in the design process is to look at the type of food that you are going to create. Consider each dish from start to finish and document all of the various cooking methods, storage, and preparation requirements needed to make the dish.

You should map your entire menu in this way before deciding on the kitchen size, plan, or layout. If you are restricted to a specific space beforehand, and your menu is too complex, then you will need to drop some dishes off the menu in order to accommodate for this.

Make a List of All of the Catering Equipment Needed to Create the Menu

Once you have done this, you should have a comprehensive list of all of the equipment you will need to complete the kitchen. You can then set about working out how big each of these items needs to be in terms of capacity, and then set about finding these items from a kitchen equipment supplier. This will give you the dimensions of the various pieces of equipment, and this will in turn allow you to work out how big the kitchen will need to be (taking into account walkways).

Choose a Site for Your Kitchen

Now you know how much space you need, you can then set about choosing a site. This could be an existing kitchen, a kitchen that requires remodelling, or a kitchen that you construct from scratch.

Once you have chosen your site, contact your local HSE advisor to ensure that the space is viable for intended use. Otherwise, you might end up with an expensive project.

Take Note of the Precise Measurement of the Space

Next, you need to establish the precise measurements of the kitchen, taking into account the position of the windows and doorways, electrical sockets, piping and plumbing, and various drains (i.e. for washing machines, dishwashers, and sinks).

Ideally, you should use 3D modelling software to create a plan of the kitchen, with all of these existing fixtures and fittings in place. If you are having the kitchen designed professionally, then the designer will take care of this for you. If you do not have access to 3D software, then Architect paper is a sufficient, albeit time-consuming alternative.

Work Out How You Will Make Use of the Space

The first consideration should be flow and ergonomics. These refer to the way that people move around the kitchen and the safest manner of using the various features in the kitchen.

A commercial kitchen should function in such a way as to minimise the number of steps involved in creating the dishes, while at the same time maximising efficiency, safety, and productivity. There needs to be sufficient room for people to move around the kitchen safely, while ensuring minimum time wastage.

Contact a Relevant Architect and Building Inspector to Authorise and Implement Your Plans

The final step in the process is to ensure that your plans are workable and legal. To do this, you need to contact the Food Standards Agency for recommendations and advice. They will be able to direct you to the relevant people. It’s important that you have your plans assessed on a variety of conditions, including food, plumbing, electrical, and fire safety amongst other things.

We hope that you have found this article informative. Should you require further help and advice, please get in touch at garnersfse.co.uk

The post Tips and Ideas for Commercial Kitchen Design for Small Kitchens appeared first on UK Home Improvement Blog.

from UK Home Improvement Blog http://www.ukhomeimprovement.co.uk/commercial-kitchen-design-for-small-kitchens/

How to Choose the Right Size Skip for your DIY Project

For some home improvement projects, simply chucking your waste into the household bin isn’t the best solution. If you’re doing a big clear out, refurbishing a room, or undertaking an ambitious DIY project, hiring a skip for the day may be the ideal solution for quickly and cleanly clearing away your waste.

Benefits

You may be thinking that a skip is a costly investment for a simple domestic project, but that’s far from the truth!

Skip hire will actually reduce your waste disposal costs, providing a quick and easy solution to getting rid of your waste in one fell swoop. What’s more, a skip will ensure you comply with all waste disposal regulations when dealing with certain materials, providing a safer method of disposal and keeping your home and the surrounding area safe. Finally, skip hire allows you to lessen your environmental impact by selecting materials to be recycled instead of sent directly to landfill.

Why would I need a skip?

Skips are suitable for a range of construction and domestic wastes, including general waste, building materials, soil and more. If you are handling potentially hazardous materials, you should discuss your needs with us first to ensure you are not putting unauthorised materials in your skip.

What can go in a skip?

Skips are suitable for a range of materials, although it is always best to check with your skip provider first:

• General waste
• Construction waste (e.g. concrete, aggregates)
• Soil
• Timber
• Metals
• Green waste
• Dry recycling

Skip Sizes Explained

For home improvement projects, it’s unlikely you’ll need a commercial-sized skip. We stock smaller skip sizes ideal for home improvements and renovation projects that can be delivered and picked up at your convenience. Skip sizes ideal for home DIY projects include:

3yd Mini Skips

Measuring 5’ x 4’, mini skips are ideal for smaller amounts of household or garden waste, capable of holding up to 25-35 black bags of waste. These skips can be used for a huge range of projects, from simply throwing out unused items while redecorating, to completely rehauling the look of your garden.

4YD Midi Skip

Midi skips measure 6’ x 4’3, so are more suited for large household or garden construction improvements, such as demolishing an old shed, renovating a large room or several rooms in one go, or a total spring clean or your garage and attic.

8YD Builders’ Skips

At 12’ x 5’6, builders’ skips are a popular skip size, ideal for large domestic renovations such as complete refurbishments, or garden landscaping.

 

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from UK Home Improvement Blog http://www.ukhomeimprovement.co.uk/how-to-choose-the-right-size-skip-for-your-diy-project/

How to make the perfect Old Fashioned cocktail

A few weeks ago Rich proudly announced a new series called ‘cocktail corner’ by publishing his recipe for the Martini. I knew nothing of this until he sent me the feature with the words ‘your turn’.

So here’s my first contribution – the dead easy ‘Old Fashioned’. Over to you, Rich…

The Old Fashioned

Brief History
For this recipe we’re traveling back to 1806 and the first documented definition of the word ‘cocktail’, which appeared in an edition of the weekly newspaper The Balance and Columbian Repository and was described as a mix of spirit, bitters, water and sugar. Over the decades this combination of liquids went in and out of fashion, so when their popularity rose in the 1860s they became known as ‘old-fashioned’ cocktails. 

The first known mention of a specific cocktail under the name ‘Old Fashioned’ was said to have been in Kentucky at the Pendennis Club. Although various whiskeys had previously been used to create similar cocktails, this first recorded version used bourbon. So it’s bourbon we’ll use in ours.

After a bit of an identity crisis the Old Fashioned is back in vogue, largely thanks to it being the manly booze of choice for brooding ad-man Don Draper in the telly show Mad Men.

How to make an Old Fashioned.

Difficulty level: Easy

What you’ll need:
2 oz bourbon whiskey
2 or 3 dashes Angosturas bitters
A lump of sugar
A splash of water
Ice

It’s worth getting a decent whiskey for an Old Fashioned as it does most of the work in the cocktail. We’ve chosen an authentic Kentucky bourbon, produced by Wild Turkey, that has been aged for 6 to 8 years in oak barrels.

Instructions:

1 Drop a lump of sugar (or half a teaspoon) into an Old Fashioned* glass and squirt two or three dashes of bitters onto, along it with a splash (teaspoon) of water.

2 Crush the sugar in the manliest manner you can muster.

3 Casually hold the rim of your glass and swirl in nonchalant manner for effect.

4 Add an ice cube or three and pour in the bourbon.

5 Give it another swirl, summon some sort of manly pout, and sip with furrowed brow.

Garnish options

You may have noticed from the photograph that our Old Fashioned is un-garnished. This is because no garnish was mentioned in that original cocktail recording. In 1833 nutmeg gets a run-out for Team Garnish and in 1895 an Old Fashioned recipe includes a ‘piece of lemon peel’.

Contemporary Old Fashioned cocktails often include orange peel or slices and sometimes they’ll insist on a cherry as well. This fruitiness likely comes from the prohibition era when such flavours were added to disguise the liquor. We’re using decent bourbon, and it’s legal, so no disguise required.

Variations

You can substitute the bourbon for any other form of American whiskey or be like a Wisconsinite and use brandy – in which case you had better call it a ‘Brandy Old Fashioned’. Heck, these days you can probably use whatever spirit you like and get away with it, but we would prefer not to go there. And nor will be performing another modern twist by substituting the water with a load of club soda. We want to taste the bourbon…

* The short tumbler used for various cocktails was named after the drink. My glass is probably a little bit bigger than a proper Old Fashioned glass, but you will notice other photographers have filled their glasses with more than the prescribed measures to make them look a little more photogenic. This is very much a short cocktail.

The post How to make the perfect Old Fashioned cocktail appeared first on Two Thirsty Gardeners.

from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/11/make-perfect-old-fashioned-cocktail-easy-recipe/