Preserving Our Abundance

SURELY the perfect home garden fruit tree or vine would crop over an extended period. Instead we typically get short-lived abundance then find ourselves torn between a certain pride at such production and guilt that we don’t preserve more of it in some way for another day.

At least this year, because my district has suffered drought since September, we’ve had no problems dealing with any excess (reduced and sadly under-sized due to the lack of water) – it’s helped feed our farm animals!

Andrew Steens has a more creative use for excess crops – making wine (see page 28). He calls this an addictive pastime and it’s one that combines well with his edible gardening skills.

Marilyn Wightman preserves produce in other ways. She even puts some ornamental fruit – crab apples and japonicas – to good kitchen use in delectable jelly jams (page 13). These will provide tantalising traces of summer’s scents and tastes in the coming winter.

Having good paths make gardens more enjoyable in cold wet weather. Our DIY expert Mark Rayner provides ideas for easy and inexpensive options (page 14).

Flowering plants are important, too, for brightening dull winter days. Abbie Jury surveys the first to flower of the camellias, while Jacqueline Sparrow discusses a distinctive native climber rescued from extinction by a single specimen (page 25).

And though the summer growing season is over, there’s still plenty to do – we bring you lots of tips and tasks for edible and ornamental gardening.

Susie Longdell,

Editor.