Fresh, homegrown Blueberries are possible! Blueberries are superfruits with special health giving benefits. They can be grown in the ground or in containers, on the patio, & will make a great gift or Christmas present for the gardener who has everything!
Click this link to buy a blueberry plant.
blueberry
Soil for blueberries should be:
- acidic
- sandy
- well irrigated
Nutritional value of blueberries:
- high in fibre
- calcium
- vitamins A and C
- more antioxidants than many other fruits and vegetables
Blueberry bushes:
- make an attractive low growing bush
- grow to about 180cm (6 feet) tall, depending on variety.
- some varieties require another variety for pollination.
- have ripe fruit from late July into August.
- will fruit 1 year after planting.
- ideal for growing on the patio in a large container filled with ericaceous compost.
- are covered in masses of sweetly scented creamy white flowers in the Spring.
- have leaves which change to an delightful crimson colour in Autumn.
Health giving properties of Blueberries:
- the highest antioxidant activity of any fruit
- improve night vision
- help halt the ageing process
- improve memory loss
- improve balance and co-ordination.
Click this link to buy blueberries.
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Celeriac and apple mash
apples
We had this yesterday during a conference at Chatsworth House. It went well with the beef cobbler – and would be the perfect accompaniment for game.
Ingredients for apple and celeriac mash:
2 Bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 small celeriac – about 500g, peeled and cut into chunks
knob of butter
Caster sugar to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- Add the apple and celeriac chunks to a large pan of boiling, salted water.
- Boil for 8-10 minutes until tender.
- Drain.
- Mash, until smooth, with a potato masher or ricer, adding the butter and some ground black pepper.
- Taste and add a little caster sugar if the mixture is a bit tart
This recipe for apple and celeriac mash is a quick and easy recipe, ideal for the colder months.
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brussels-sprouts
The GBVC is wanting recipes using Brussels sprouts.
TopVeg loves sprouts steamed for 15 minutes – & can’t really beat that – but do let us know if you have a mouthwatering sprout recipe.
Sprouts are ready in the garden now, and should last for several months, so we could do with some variation!
Brussels-sprout-row
It is all for a very good cause – Royal Navy Commanding Officer Wayne Keble OBE who is in charge of the illustrious HMS Bulwark, has dared to suggest that sprouts should be banned from the captain’s table – he actually called them the ‘devil’s vegetable.’
The Captain added “One of my roles as Commanding Officer is to ensure that we are fit and healthy and that we have a healthy lifestyle, moderate our alcohol intake and make sure we are not overweight.”
But, sprouts fill that role – as they are full of fibre, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and iron- just what his 390-strong team of sailors and Royal Marines need.
The GBVC is hoping that some tempting recipes will change the Captain’s mind – & hopefully win him over to sprouts. So recipes for Brussels sprouts are wanted for a good cause; please send them in!
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tomato-patio-planter
This tomato patio planter will hold quite a collection of tomatoes, providing delicious salads as well as a charming feature on the patio.
Teamed up with tomato seeds and tomato fertiliser, the tomato patio planter makes a great gift for the gardener or a welcome Christmas present.
Click this link to buy the tomato patio planter, with seeds and fertiliser for £28.99.
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The Greatest Gardening Tips in the World
Greatest Gardening Tips in the World Book
is a book:
- with loads of ideas for banishing slugs, snails, aphids, ants, cats and squirrels, etc…
- full of cartoons and fun ideas for saving money
- with innovative tips for making plants healthier in the garden
- by Steve Brookes
- costing £5.99
This book will make a welcome gift or Christmas present. Click this link to buy the book 
Greatest Gardening Tips in the World
paper potter
This paper potter converts old newspapers into plant pots – truly green recycling!
- easy to use – a good job for cosy evenings by the fire
- a good family activity
- seedlings ready to plant out, can be transplanted straight into the garden
- newspaper pots are bio-degradable & will rot down allowing the roots to grow into the soil
Click this link to buy a paper potter, which makes an ideal gift or Christmas present for a gardener.
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Gloria Bonde grows beautiful scarlet runner beans every year in a window box with a curved trellis rustically made of dogwood twigs that curves over the window box window.
Gloria says “They are so easy to grow. They have a beautiful red bloom.”
runner-beans-in-flower
Beans are so attractive and both flowers & beans come in many shapes & sizes . The new midwinter broad bean has beautiful flowers in shades of pink & red and seeds that are red, or that turn purple at maturity.
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It is important to choose a wheelbarrow that is fit for your needs:
- where will you be pushing it to?
- what sort of ground will you be pushing it over – gravel, bogs??
- will the barrow fit down your narrow passages, or through your gates?
- what will you be carrying?
- what capacity would you prefer?
Choose a barrow:
- that suits your needs
- that you can handle easily – try them out
- with the number of wheels to suit your purpose - two-wheeled barrows are easier to push and balance with a heavy load
- narrow tyres are easy to move down narrow paths
- wide tyres are better for heavy loads and will be easier to push over soft ground
- deep bodies are easier to balance & hold more
- plastic bodies are lighter and won’t corrode, leak or rust
- sunlight makes plastic bodies brittle, but metal bodies are easily scratched, rust & leak
- stainless steel bodies will keep in good condition for a long time, but will be heavier
- wooden handles are more comfortable to hold, metal handles are cold in winter
Visit a garden centre when you choose a wheelbarrow, and try several out, then go home and consider the options before making a decision.
There are so many gifts that we would like to receive, so we have made a list of Christmas presents for gardeners!
electric propagator windowsill
Watering can from £12.00
Wheelbarrow £27.99
Electric windowsill propagator £39.99
Garden bag & toolkit £24.99
Paper potter £12.99
Secateurs £14.99
Basket of British apples & pears with £10 gift voucher £24.99
Christmas cactus £24.99
Gardening gift vouchers £5
Book – The greatest gardening tips in the world £5.99
Blueberry plant from £9.49
Baby potato collection £10.99
Please come back and visit us, as we will keep adding to this list of gifts and presents for gardeners!
