I thoroughly enjoyed my Saturday at the launch of Richard Unsworth’s new Garden Life store (on a grand scale!). And the longer I stood at my table of goodies, surrounded by huge tubs, Moroccan pots, terracotta jars and many other temptations from Richard’s extensive travels…..the more I started wishing I could bring them all home!
As for me on my stall, it was, as always, such a delight to have the opportunity to spread the gardening bug…..especially the Kitchen Gardening one! I took along the tray of beans I harvested the weekend before, the pods now drying out, so turning from their coloured form into shell-like rattles, encasing the seed for next season’s sowing. I also took the very first Jerusalem artichokes of the season, and parted with half a dozen or so beauties to a young couple who had never eaten them before. I hope they followed my cooking instructions & reckon they (and we) would most likely be the first people to have enjoyed the taste of Jerusalem artichokes in the Sydney basin this new season!
Otherwise, my most delightful visitor was a dear little 7 year old, who departed with a scoop of leaf Amaranth seed, as well as one of fennel and several bean pods containing coloured seed to sow in spring. Her eyes were out on stalks when I explained that the tiniest black Amaranth seed would turn into the giant flower displayed on my plant stand, and that a Jerusalem artichoke tuber would become a 3 metre high stalk topped by the yellow daisy flower in my display (see top image).
I don’t think it gets more fun than that :) ….well, especially with Martin Boetz & his Cooks Co-Op produce stand next door!
We’ll next enjoy this vision at our Open Garden here at Glenmore, on 2 & 3 May!