This week we hosted a GIY get together, before which we had to undertake some serious tidying, as nature has been busy in the last few weeks. The sun shone, and some 20 people came and we spent a very pleasant evening swapping plants, stories and cake. Highlight of the evening (for some) was the chance to sample Electric Daisies – pop rocks, mild anaesthesia, chilli heat and uncontrollable salivation all in one tiny package.
One of James Wong’s introductions, I believe (amongst many others). It was fascinating to meet others who were quietly experimenting with all manner of unusual edible plants, and to talk to William who has a small food forest growing in his back yard somewhere near Saintfield.
A week of sun means that all the veg has gone mad, and we’ve plenty to eat. The challenge now is finding recipes that use what we have growing at any particular time, but it is lovely to be able to wander into the tunnel and snack whenever you feel like it.
The challenge here is certainly keeping everything on the go – looking after a baby, (re) building two things at once, looking after the animals, and maintaining the plants and the land, is a real challenge, and absorbs every last minute of time. Having read Rebecca Laughton’s excellent book ‘Surviving and Thriving on the Land’, we’re aware that there’s a fine line between the two sometimes, and we’re hoping to be on the thriving side come next spring..
