December - endings and beginnings.
Wishing you a cool (but not cold) Yule!
So we are counting down to the Solstice (and yes, I suppose Christmas too, but it’s the Solstice for me). I don’t love this time of the year - the lights and parties are a nice distraction, and I know that the garden needs time to rest and hibernate, but I miss the excitement of new growth, flowers, seeds. And I don’t love love getting myself all wrapped up to go out, but once I do, it’s all good. Time outside is great any time of the year. And time inside cuddling these two scamps - which now have names - Pierrot (white, male) and Shadow (black, female).
On my excursions out during the pitiful few hours of daylight I have seen lots of evidence of bulbs waking and peeping up through the soil. My ranunculus in crates in the tunnel in Coole are thriving - now I need to make sure that they don’t dry out!
Seasonal Activities
Indoors, I have been cooking and baking and preserving. I have lots of pumpkin and squash, and I made a salsa with an Uchi Kuri squash, and a load of green Rococo peppers that had to be harvested before they started to go mouldy. Unfortunately peppers don’t really ripen once they are off the plant, but these ones even have a kick at the green stage. I don’t really follow a recipe for salsa, but I can tell you that I used onions, squash, tomatoes, chillis, cider vinegar, treacle and some chipotle powder. It was a big hit at the Cuige Christmas party.
I also made a “Faux Gras” - its a fois gras taste-alike , but with a much lower carbon footprint, and without the cruelty. If you’d like to try it, here’s the recipe. A fab gift for vegetarians and vegans, the recipe as written makes a lot, so get some cute jars and distribute widely!
I had a few requests for my Mince Pie cookie recipe, here’s a link to my last years December newsletter, scroll down a bit to see the recipes - there’s vegan and vegetarian versions.
Coole Meadow
Not much going on in Coole Meadow - the grass is all cut and composted, and few new trees were planted - I acquired a few oak from an event in Ardee Bog. One of them is a Holm Oak, I’m excited to see how that grows in the midlands.
The event in Ardee Bog was one of many organised by More Trees Now who are spearheading an interesting model to get more trees planted. Originating in the Netherlands, they identify places where tree seedlings are growing (and potentially unwanted), harvest those seedlings carefully, heel them into a holding area, and then give them away to people who would like to plant trees. This is a faster process than growing trees from seed.
I have to admit I was a bit sceptical at first about the model - my forest is using a continuous cover approach, so I want those young trees to be there waiting for a chance to grow. However, bogs and trees do not do well together - one of the marks of a successful bog rewetting initiative is an absence of trees. So removing the trees from Ardee bog made lots of sense. (Spot me in the video - orange hat!) And since then I have been spotting tree seedlings in lots of places that could be harvested. (Free trees - yay!)
For the event that I was at, most of the trees went to Siolta Croi, where they will be well minded, and then distributed to the public for free. It was a lovely day out, great community spirit, met some lovely people - Fiona the bog owner in particular. Great to be able to participate in such events. Thanks Aideen for getting me involved!
Also in Coole, we have covered an area with cardboard, manure, and then black plastic. We will leave all that for the worms and invisible friends to break down. Come end of March or thereabouts we will plant spuds in there. I have found most success with the first and second earlies - less blight and ready to harvest before the weeds win the battle. I particularly enjoy “Purple Rain”, though it’s tricky to stop singing as you are planting and harvesting them…
Workshops
The three wreath workshops that I hosted in the Refill Mill were a delight! As usual the creations were as unique as the owners, and we chatted on a diverse range of topics, while drinking tea and admiring our handiwork.
Flower Farming
I did a big job pruning back my hops - they are such a lovely addition to autumnal arrangement, but they will take over if they are not managed firmly. They share an inhospitable space - between a wooden fence and the tunnel - with some 3 cornered leeks. So it’s surprisingly productive, and those 3 cornered leeks, while invasive, and a lovely source of greens this time of the year. I like to use them for pesto made with walnuts, rapeseed oil and any hard cheese (e.g. pecorino).
Learning
I tipped up to Donabate where Susan from the Vintage Rose Company runs a lovely wreath workshop. I decided to treat myself to someone else’s wreath experience in the interest of learning, and having a lovely time! I spent almost a full day, was very well fed, and here’s the result of my efforts, I’m delighted with it. And it has already survived one fall off the door, so its pretty strong too!
I’m also looking forward this Earth Charter course - beginning in January. Last years Haumea course was fantastic, and this one will be even more relevant.
Upcoming events
2024 workshops
We also have some workshops in the calendar for next year. If you are gifting experiences rather than stuff, here are some options for you! A great last minute gift.
Back by popular demand :
Sourdough Bread making - February 20th
Eco cleaning for beginners - February 13th
Fermented Foods - February 27th
Dried Flower Crowns - March 12th
I’ll finish with some music as always - here’s the one I’ll be humming next year when I am planting my potatoes…
Wishing you all a peaceful 2024.
