February 2016, captured by Luisa Brimble…it’s long been a way of life…
Hello everyone,
As I carried out my daily watering routine and early morning kitchen garden inspection the other day, a passing thought occurred: as the long summer days journey towards yet another crop rotation, do you know? I’m not entirely sure anyone ever expected my Kitchen Gardening adventure to last! I’ve no doubt many thought my passion might be just a passing phase….
But I knew!
For the kitchen garden represents a way of life I’d long desired. My design career…has always been about making homes, creating nests for others; and has long been a complimentary partner to my own vision for Glenmore; one that oft’ aligns with the hopes and dreams of clients: that of a home with a kitchen garden at its core…baskets of produce, plates of food, delicious aromas wafting in the kitchen; family and friends with whom to share the bounty and the beauty.
When lovely Luisa captured this image above in 2016, I’d already been gardening for 26 years of which 5 had been devoted to running Kitchen Gardening Workshops (in those early days with dear Linda Ross teaching and me as sidekick, cook and of course gardener!). When I invited Linda to teach the Kitchen Gardening Workshops, there were none like it, and indeed finding someone to teach the topic was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Back then, I didn’t feel so well qualified to assume the role, and I SO wanted to get people on the right track from the outset – growing seasonal, organic produce: primarily for good health but alongside creating a garden of beauty.
By 2016 my own knowledge had burgeoned and along with the book, a new era ensued. As I look at the series of images Luisa captured that fine February morning (while I put on a clean dress for the occasion!) I realise my routine since (just as before) has not altered…my enthusiasm not faltered. Kitchen gardening is a way of life. My days are bookended by the beating heart of the garden: in the mornings I water, in the evenings I pick; from a place that provides routine and discipline, ensures a dose of daily exercise, fulfils a very human need to nurture and to connect with nature. It provides sanctuary in a hectic world and beauty beyond description. But in being a productive garden, it also has real purpose...its bounty filling our plates and guiding our diet.
These days my own practice of kitchen gardening has evolved to a place that is…perhaps a bit outside the box! It’s been the same for a very long while, and seems to resonate with attendees at Kitchen Gardening Days and visitors alike – where they can see and compare in real life, the traditional ways of growing alongside the wayward; and grasp an understanding of full cycle, natural sequence gardening; which equals seasonal, sequential eating.
How I would love you to join me on SATURDAY 01 MARCH for LATE SUMMER / EARLY AUTUMN in the KITCHEN GARDEN – it’s only fitting it should be the very first workshop of the year. I say late summer because…from both a growing and eating perspective, this is how the garden and the food on our plates will present. Autumn proper, doesn’t kick in for quite awhile, but this stage is fundamental in preparing for the season ahead – a pivotal moment. During the course of the day we’ll cover all the practical aspects as you might expect – they’re listed here on the booking page! But these ‘in the kitchen garden’ days are oh so much more!
I hope that simple equation I sent you a couple of weeks ago may resonate and coax you too, towards discovering a kitchen gardening way of liife, for I do believe it:
SOIL + SUN + RAIN = FOOD
= NUTRITION
+ EXERCISE
= HEALTH
Kitchen gardening in a nutshell!
How I hope you’ll join me for a burst of inspiration. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
With warmest wishes
Mickey
ps next week I’ll be releasing details of the second workshop of the year: SOIL TO PLATE, I AM FOOD with ANTHIA KOULLOUROS on SATURDAY 15 MARCH. If you are feeling the urge to truly incorporate good health (for you, your family, friends…the soil, the land and the wider environment) into your life as we embark upon this brand new year, you may want to attend both workshops…as they will be so very complimentary to each other.
