June 08, 2010
June 2010 Issue #57
Hello,
What fun that we both love gardening. Thanks for joining me.
1) Move with the groove
2) Eco gardening tips
3) Mango Magic
"It is the month of June, the month of leaves and roses, when pleasant sights salute the eyes and pleasant scents the noses."
~Nathaniel Parker Willis
Mango seasons
Winter's here where I live in NZ. I have a friend from US visiting and missing her summer and we got talking about what foods define the seasons for us. I certainly miss the summer mangoes I used to slurp in Australia, and I remember one of my all times easy and rave desserts... it's at the end of this e-zine for you.Cyril, an old friend who grew up in QLD, Australia, said that when he was young the mangos were everywhere, and the toilets at Bowen Park — instead of Male and Female signs, had Mangoes and No Mangoes.
Gotta move with the groove
To move with the times, I've done a groovy new look to the website. There are just a few pages changed over so far, including the Q&A which I've improved. A block of contributions and questions vanished somehow, so apologies to those readers! Do have a look now at...Garden Jokes, Quotes and Poems.
Eco gardening tips
- Off with their heads:
Nip the growing tips out of your broad beans and it will cause them to thicken up and be able to stand any wind a bit better. Broad bean tops make a good green vegetable steamed like spinach. -
Settle down:
When setting up your no dig garden with all the layers, it is best to then let it settle down for 3 weeks or more.
Why? Firstly because you might think you have a nice deep bed to plant in and really it's a lot of air! This can be a problem if you have layered the bed on a hard pan so when the layers start to settle and rot, there might not be enough room for some roots to grow before hitting the hard pan.
Secondly, sometimes the layers can heat up to decompose, and if you planted tender seedlings in there, they will get cookled!
-
Boil a weed:
Remember last newsletter I suggested doing a bit each day in your garden rather than a massive confronting task all at once? Well Annika writes to say that every time she boils the kettle for coffee, rather than waste that hot water, she pops out and pours it on a weed in her pathway.
Mango Magic
I've tried this with papaya and it's still magically good and healthy.
Ingredients
- 2 mangoes, nice and ripe
- Squeeze of lime juice (approx 1 small tspn, or use lemon juice)
- Dried coconut, to sprinkle on top
- Pecans or walnuts, chopped, to sprinkle on top
Method
- Cut mangoes from their pits and scoop out flesh.
- Use blender or food processor to blend with lime juice until smooth.
- Put in serving dish or small individual dishes, and cover top with dried coconut and chopped pecans.
- Serve. Can be made ahead and chilled in fridge, but best to use same day. Dollop some whipped cream or yogurt on top if liked.
Preparation: 10 minutes
Serves: 2 people (or 4 if you just want a little dessert to finish a meal)
Happy gardening,
Megan