The Prettiest Fish and Chip Shop Ever... (plus Usk Castle and Giant Hogweed)

Adorned with gorgeous and colourful hanging baskets and planters, this fish and chip shop in Usk, Monmouthshire, South Wales is without doubt the prettiest I've ever seen.  Not only that, the food is apparently excellent, whether you take out or eat in.  OH and I have yet to taste its delights, but with fish like red mullet on the menu, it won't be long before we do!

Usk is a very attractive market town, but we visited last week because we discovered that privately-owned Usk castle is now open to the public.  It was a(nother) wet day in Wales, but we managed to have a good old explore (accompanied by the owners' friendly dogs for part of the way!) and to take some photos before rain set in with a vengeance.

The Great Keep, originally the Gate House, built c.1170.  (See one of the owners' aforementioned dogs bottom right.)

The Great Keep again, with OH grinning maniacally down at me.
Or perhaps laughing hysterically at my hair, which in damp conditions swells to enormous proportions and resembles a windswept haystack crossed with a well-used Brillo-pad.  Why on earth did I move to the wettest place in mainland UK...?  And before you ask - no, I'm not posting a pic!

 The Garrison Tower, built c.1209.

The Garrison Tower again, with Giant Hogweed and OH (still laughing at my hair, no doubt!). 

The plants have been fenced off, and for good reason.  The notice attached to the fence states Giant Hogweed contains toxic sap that causes severe burns and blistering which may last many months.  Even when the burns have died down, skin can apparently remain sensitive to light for years.  The notice goes on to advise that affected skin should be thoroughly rinsed with cold water, and sunscreen of at least factor 35 applied.  All this was news to me and sounds horrendous, so I'll be avoiding Giant Hogweed like the proverbial plague!

Chickens in the Town Gaol.  I wonder what he(i)n-ous crimes they committed...?!

The Gatehouse (photographed from inside the Outer Ward).  

Out of the picture to the left is a large marquee, used for weddings and other functions.  I imagine it's a very popular venue, as the view across the valley (out of the picture and to the right) is fantastic.  I couldn't get a decent shot, sadly, due to worsening rain, so you'll have to take my word for it. :)

So, despite the weather and my nightmare hair, we had a great time.  Even if you're not into history, Usk Castle is well worth a visit.  The views, as I've mention above, are spectacular, and the castle grounds, which have long been part of the prestigious National Gardens Scheme, are a gardener's delight.  Next time we go (in sunshine!) it's the plants I'll be photographing, so watch this space. :)

A Brand New Honeysuckle for Small Gardens

Before this wet and wild weather hit South Wales with a vengeance, I cut down a straggly and very ugly Lonicera Japonica 'Halliana'. About four years old, and against a north-west facing fence behind a Rugosa Rosa 'Hansa', this honeysuckle has never done well. The plan was to replace it with something else entirely, but then I came across a newly-introduced and very gorgeous honeysuckle - L. japonica 'Princess Kate' (pictured left, and named - you've guessed! - after the dazzling Duchess of Cambridge).  A very hardy evergreen variety with variegated leaves of an unusual shape, and pink-tinged yellow flowers, I couldn't resist! Plus, it grows to a height and spread of only 7 feet, so is perfect for smaller spaces.

OH isn't convinced it'll do any better than the deceased 'Halliana', nor is he convinced that it will be fully evergreen, but I've decided to plant it a few feet away from the old honeysuckle site in the hope that extra light and sun will do the trick.

But before I can put my gardening hat on again, I'll need to wait for the weather to calm down. I was out in torrential rain and 70mph winds earlier, picking up blown-over apple-trees in pots from the deck and anchoring them to the balustrade. I'm still drying out now! So until it improves, I'll be searching for a Clematis Montana to grow up the trees in the hedgerow at the bottom of the garden. Gardening online isn't quite as therapeutic as the real thing, but it's a close second!

Carrot-sized Radishes...!

Forget those tiny half-bite radishes, and grow some you can really get your teeth into! And if you think these are big, you should have seen those we dug up the day before!

This the German salad radish, Raphanus sativus 'Ostergruss Rosa'. Not only superb in salads, but the perfect nibble to go with your glass of beer.

We've been growing these for a couple of years now, and they really are delicious. Fast and easy to grow, they're always the first spring veg we harvest, along with early salad leaves. In a few days, we'll be sowing again for a summer crop. If you haven't grown them before, give them a try - you won't be disappointed!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

Views through the back windows at approximately 9am:

Well HELLO, big boy!

Meet Carl 'Big Boy' Carrot, fresh from my veg patch, and complete with carefully maintained punk hairdo. When not entertaining Mrs Carrot, he loves nothing better than reclining on a bed of kitchen paper in the warm autumn sun. He remains blissfully unaware that a pan of boiling water will be his ultimate doom, and that his large appendage will almost certainly drop off as he softens.

So enjoy it while you can, my orange friend. We're rooting for you.

Apple trees in pots on patio or deck

In January 2009, two apple minarettes arrived, dormant and packed in straw. After taking advice on what types of apples we could successfully grow in our particular part of the UK, we'd chosen the varieties Red Windsor and Sunset (pollination groups A and B respectively, for harvests in early and mid-autumn). Equally excited and nervous, we planted them in large pots using John Innes No.3. Knowing we'd have to repot and cut back root growth every 2-3 years, and mindful of drainage and deck-cleaning issues, we set the pots on wheeled trolleys.

In the first year, we had little blossom and therefore little fruit. And what fruit did appear was destroyed by what we discovered were codling moth. Not that we should have allowed the trees to fruit at all in their first year, but we couldn't resist! We'd learned our lesson, though, and that autumn both trees were protected against these wee beasties by wrapping codling moth traps around each slender trunk. It was only in the following spring that we realised we'd forgotten to wrap the traps around the tree stakes as well. Duh!

So, convinced that codling moth would win the day again, we watched in trepidation as masses of scented apple blossom appeared and disappeared, and fruits began to swell. We fed the trees with tomato food at two-weekly intervals, just in case all was well, and prayed.

Thankfully, our prayers were answered: the Red Windsor apples in the photo are almost ready to harvest and look fine. Phew! The Sunset fruits look good too, and we'll be harvesting those in late September/early October. (Of course, now I've said that, something unforeseen is bound to happen. Watch this space...!)

Bumblebees Have Smelly Feet (and other facts)

Yes, it’s true - they produce oily secretions to inform other bees which flowers have already been visited. Amazing creatures, but not just because of their smelly feet!

Albert Einstein apparently said that humanity would die out in four years without them. A terrifying thought, isn’t it? But he was almost certainly right. Bees, the most important pollinating insects, are crucial to the entire ecosystem. Agriculture – and therefore our food supply – depends on them, so no wonder their recent dramatic decline has become a cause for global concern.

So what’s responsible? Habitat loss, pesticides and disease. Also, our recent poor summers have accelerated this manmade decline. In 2008 alone a third of all bee colonies in the UK were wiped out. One third.

It’s pretty clear, then, that bee consciousness is vital. We all need to put out the welcome mat.

The simplest way to do this is to plant bee-friendly plants and flowers to encourage bees into our gardens and neighbourhoods. If you don’t have a garden, a windowbox or a hanging basket by the front door will do nicely. It’s amazing how much you can squash into them!

We should also reduce the use of pesticides in our gardens, by companion planting, using other green methods and products, and encouraging beneficial insects and other creatures. (If on the odd occasion pesticides are unavoidable, it’s best to apply them in late evening, when bees are less active.)

Installing bee houses (bamboo for solitary bees, or boxes for social bees) is also helpful – google to see where to buy or how to make your own.

Those of us with adequate space can set up a hive or two to help the honeybee. You don’t need to live in the country to do this – all you need is the right conditions. And think of all that free honey – one hive can produce up to fifty jars in a season! And if you don’t have space, why not adopt a hive?

I hope I’ve convinced you that all of us can do something positive to halt the bees’ decline, and also have fun in the process. After all, what could be nicer than relaxing in the garden amid the soporific buzzing of bees – all busy wiping their smelly feet on your welcome mat.

© Rosie Rose

(The Bees wrist key fob in the above photo is available here.)