February 2017 Issue #138

Hello,

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

1) Get over it
2) Eco gardening tips
3) Pickled Spicy Beans

It was very exciting going to the first Star Wars movie wasn’t it? Almost as exciting as planting my first seeds as a child… 5 peas in a row… I could barely sleep!

Eco gardening tips

• Get over it
  I do like this new fad expression "Get over it." It's perfect for us gardeners. Why? Because us gardeners might be perfect, but NOT our gardens. More likely is the fact that we can't have everything the way we want...
  
  

  Your spinach bolts to seed because the weather's too hot... get over it.

  Too much shade or not enough room to grow everything you want... get over it.

  Time is short, back hurts, soil to claggy/sandy... get over it.

  And so on. Trial and error is the way with gardening, although you can learn the basics from others. But remember your own little patch is different from mine and the neighbours, so... get over it and enjoy what you have!

• Celery leaves anyone?
  Yes you can eat celery leaves. I use them as a flavour boost when I make stock or chop them fine for salads and sauces. A great tip is to spread the leaves on a baking tray, put in very low oven until dry, cool, then crumble and mix with salt for your own celery salt.


• Horror hedges
  It seems a low-down way to get even with neighbours is to go high, with a hedge that is. In Britain there are an estimated 100,000 plus hedge disputes at any one time!
  
  

  Arguments over height, light and views can go on forever and get so out of hand that they end up in court or worse... there are a few murders on record!

  Contact Hedgeline for help in high hedge fights; and to read about disputes over other peoples’ shoots and roots see Allotments and Community Gardens.

A week by week and zone by zone growing system

Want to know: WHAT vegetables to plant; WHEN to plant them; and WHERE to plant them?

GroVeg Garden Planner is your answer. Click here for a 30 DAY FREE TRIAL!

Pickled Spicy Beans

Preserves are delicious and handy to grab. The simplicity of this one for beans makes it a winner. Enjoy as a healthy snack or add to salads, a veg platter or serve alongside dips and crackers. Thanks to Wendyls.co.nz for this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups yellow beans; green beans are fine but they will turn yellow when pickled
• 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)yellow
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup filtered water
• 1 tsp sea salt.

Method

• Trim ends off beans and cut them into equal lengths that will fit into a clean 500ml jar.
• Place the dill, garlic, red pepper flakes and peppercorns into the bottom of the jar. Turn the jar on its side and tightly pack the beans in.
• In a medium saucepan combine apple cider vinegar with water and sea salt. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for 3 minutes, then cool slightly.
• Pour vinegar into the jar with the beans. then put on lid and keep in fridge. Leave for at least 24 hours before eating. Will last for at least a month or more in fridge and flavour will intensify over time.

Preparation: 20-30 minutes.

Serves: Makes one jar.

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Live, love and garden.
Megan

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