November 2019 Issue #171

Hello,

What fun that we both love gardening. Thanks for joining me.

1) Spoilt birds
2) Eco gardening tips
3) Sage and Honey Cough Syrup

Cheep truffles. I love chocolate truffles… mmm the nuts, the melty creaminess. Now a NZ farm, Topflite, are producing truffles for birds. This strikes me as funny! Made with all natural ingredients, vegetable fat, ground peanuts, grounds wheat and berry flavouring, CHIRPS!

Eco gardening tips

• Storage hint
  Here's a popular way to store the likes of potatoes and kumara (sweet potatoes) that you want for winter use. Put bracken or fern around and between each layer of your produce. These leaves have anti-fungal properties and as long as you keep the storage area cool and dark, this should ensure a long supply of your garden goodies.




• First make your path
  Garden designers say: Make your garden paths first then do your planting. I'm doing just that in my new home and garden. Also try and make your paths wide enough for safe use. People apparently topple over trying to negotiate narrow paths… and don't forget a wheelbarrow needs space to race.




• Peas'n beans
  You can sow broad beans and peas, in winter areas, say end of November, if you haven't got them in during Autumn. You'll get a welcome early crop in spring/summer. If it is extremely cold, sow into small bio-degradable containers, such as peat pots, toilet rolls, large citrus skins or avocado shells. They'll have a good start.

Fresh and flowery porcelain mug with lid.

One of the many unique nature themed gifts for you.

For your garden or home there are lots of fabulously useful and decorative products to bring joy to you and those you love.

See for yourself, have a browse HERE

Sage and Honey Cough Syrup

Courtesy of Ariana, who says: "This is such a simple and effective cough syrup. Sage has strong healing and antiseptic properties, and a batch will keep forever because honey is an excellent preservative."

Ingredients

• 1 cup or more of fresh, organic sage leaves
• 1 cup or more of raw honey
• A clean jar or glass container that can be sealed tightly and can hold at least 340gm (12 oz). Mason jars are good.

Method

1. Trim the sage leaves from their stems, then wash and dry them thoroughly.
2. Pack the leaves into your glass jar, and pour the honey over.
3. Stir it up with a clean spoon and close lid. Each day for the next week, open jar and give it another stir.
4. (Optional) Remove the leaves, pressing all of the honey out of them. You can decant into a bottle that is easier to pour, or just leave it in the jar and spoon it out as needed. You can also keep the leaves in the jar and pull one leaf out at a time for cups of tea.
5. Administer the honey (without leaves) medicinally in teaspoonfuls for sore throats and coughs, or stir a spoonful into a mug of warm water with a squeeze of lemon as a soothing tea.
6. Store sealed in the fridge. It will last for a long, long time as honey is an excellent preservative.

Preparation time: 10-30 minutes

Live, love and garden
Megan