Euphorbia - or Wood Spurge
I love euphorbias, so much that I'd love to have a whole garden of them, well perhaps even a large area.  Why?  Well, they're easy, there are one for every area of the garden, they don't require much looking after.  Also, once established they provide good ground cover and spread over the years - and there are such wonderful colours.  

E.Griffithii - one of my favourites

Here's some information about them which was taken from The Guardian newspaper recently:
"Euphorbia suit every situation from desert to bog, formal courtyard to wild woodland. With one or two exceptions (see below), euphorbia are dead easy. They are also terrific value in the garden, the colourful bracts lasting many weeks.

E.Fireglow

In fact, this family has only one bad point – an irritant sap that bleeds from the plant when it is snapped. Wear gloves when handling euphorbia, and be careful not to touch your face or get it in your eyes.

For the Mediterranean patio

The acid lime E. characias and blueish subspecies 'wulfenii' are upright evergreens from the Mediterranean. Both look marvellous with paving – perhaps because so many seem to grow out of solid rock – and equally good in borders. The stems produce foliage the first year, then chunky, yellow-green flowers the following spring. New shoots spring up from the base, so there is fresh growth every year. The species grow up to 5ft tall and wide, and have given rise to many excellent cultivars, includingE. characias 'Lambrook Gold' – hefty, with whopping golden heads (1.2m); E. characias 'Black Pearl' – elegant clumper, with sultry, dark brown eyes (90cm); E. characias 'Portuguese Velvet' – really good form with blue-grey felty leaves (50cm x 75cm); E. characias 'Humpty Dumpty'– dwarf form, 30cm high. Sadly, some of the most handsome forms are short-lived – I have wept to see 'Black Pearl' keel over after five splendid years for no apparent reason – but they seed about when happy, so you'll have another.

For patio pots
Seek out E. 'Diamond Frost' (above), with clouds of airy white flowers and frondy foliage. Usually sold as a bedding annual, it is, in fact, a tender evergreen perennial and can be overwintered in a greenhouse or on a windowsill.

For the rock/dry garden

All the above thrive in hot, dry sites, but primeval-looking E. myrsinites (below) is a show-stopper, with trailing stems of blue-grey fleshy leaves and lime flowers in spring that turn delicate pink as they fade (10cm, up to 1m spread).

For woodland or dry shade
All forms of E. amygdaloides enjoy shade and humus-rich soil, butE. amygdaloides var. robbiae (30cm), with shiny rosettes of dark green, leathery leaves, romps away in the darkest, driest shade, lighting dark corners with bright lime bracts in spring. For lighter shade, chooseE. 'Whistleberry Garnet', with rounded clumps of red-edged leaves.

For the bog garden
Though not evergreen, E. griffithii 'Dixter' and 'Fireglow' deserve a place in every garden with damp soil. Dark green leaves are flushed red in spring, then turn red and yellow in autumn, following the brick-red summer flowers. 'Dixter' is smaller and neater (70cm); Fireglow is brighter, especially in full sun.

Big and bold
With gleaming, white-ribbed leaves and huge, fragrant, amber bracts,E. mellifera can reach 2m round, but may be hacked back in spring to new growth produced from the centre. Described as half-hardy, it has survived lows of -12C in my garden. A warm, sheltered corner is ideal.

If you want a purple one...
E. amygdaloides purpurea (below) looks so tempting in the garden centre in spring, with apple-green bracts on plum foliage. Spurn it – it is a martyr to mildew. Likewise, mahogany-coloured E. dulcis 'Chameleon', which is prey to rust. Go for sturdy 'Blackbird' (50cm) with red-black leaves on red stems and orangey bracts from April to June, or 'Redwing' (70cm), which flowers earlier and longer, over purple-flushed leaves that darken in winter.

Aftercare

Euphorbia look best if allowed to sprawl at will, but if space is limited, you may need to support the floppier ones. The evergreens require no routine pruning – simply tidy them up when they start to look tatty. Deciduous ones should be cut down to ground level in autumn. New shoots will emerge from the crown in spring. The biennial forms such asE. characias produce new shoots from the base each year. Cut out dead stems in winter. They are not fussy as to soil, but most prefer good drainage.

They grow well with...
The bigger, more sculptural forms look good with architecture – against steps or walls, or in corners of courtyards. E. mellifera is a superb statement plant. I grow E. myrsinites in a river bed garden with E.'Redwing', golden Libertia peregrinans and blue and gold grasses. E. griffithii 'Fireglow' looks marvellous beside water, with bronzy rodgerias and red-flushed astilbes, but will serve in any hot border, while E. 'Whistleberry Garnet' associates well with ferns, hostas and the dark-patterned leaves of Geranium phaeum."

http://gardenerstips.co.uk/blog/gardening/euphorbia-euphoria/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/305.shtml

Carrot and Cheese Pasta Bake

4 medium leeks, sliced
1 kg carrots, grated
6 cloves garlic
1 cup fresh basil
8 eggs, lightly beaten
100ml milk
400ml double cream
Seasoning
12 sheets instant pasta (500g pasta shapes)
350g grated cheese, plus 50g Parmesan for the top

• Par boil leeks and garlic.
• Add carrots and cook 20 mins
• Drain, reserving stock.
• Combine cream eggs, pepper, add a little stock.
• Cover base of dish with half pasta, then half mixture, half cheese, rest of pasta, rest of mixture, top with cheese.
• Pour the egg mixture over
• Cook 170C* for about 40 mins
• Serves 10.

Vegetable Lasagne

4 oz butter

 4 oz flour

2 tins tomatoes

1 onion

1 pepper

cucubits 

herbs, pepper

2 tsp mustard

8 oz grated cheese

20 sheets lasagne

Serves 10

* http://www.onlineconversion.com/cooking_gasmark.htm

In 1828 Coenraad van Houten (see above)invented a machine to extract cocoa butter from cocoa beans (see:http://exhibits.mannlib.cornell.edu/chocolate/houten.php)and the world, especially women, hasn't looked back since!He doesn't look too happy at having his photo taken, does he?
So it is Mr van Houten we have to thank for the base of this luscious pudding . . . CHOCOLATE . . .

Chocolate Pots


250g milk
250g double cream
1tsp good quality cocoa powder
7 oz dark chocolate
1/2 stick cinnamon
1/2 vanilla pod
6 egg yolks


To serve:
spiced biscuits or biscotti

1. Heat cream and milk with cinnamon stick and vanilla pod until it boils.
2. Pour mixture onto the egg yolks and whisk until all is combined.
3. Strain through a fine sieve.
4. Pour onto the chocolate and mix well.
5. Divide the mix into 9 small pots or ramekins and place in roasting tray.
6. Add boiling water so it reaches halfway up the dishes.
7. Cook at 130C for 40 minutes
8. Remove from the oven and cool in the fridge for at least five hours.
9. Serve with spiced biscuits

Serves 9

Thank you to Mark Tilling, Chocolate Master 2008, for the recipe, see: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/4435415/Chocolate-recipes.html

My Honey Lemon Chicken recipe


6 skinless chicken thighs
1 oz butter
3 fl oz lemon juice
1/2 lemon, sliced into
4 oz honey
4 sprigs rosemary
2 medium onion
20 small pieces of potato
Chicken stock cube, dissolved in water

Method:

• In large pan brown chicken pieces, add onions and cook.
• Add lemon slices, rosemary, potatoes, pepper. Mix together the honey and lemon juice and pour over the top.
• Pour in stock one third up the side of the tin. Put on lid or tinfoil.
• Cook at 170 for an hour, remove lid and cook another twenty minutes or so.

Serves 6

Elizabethan Pork
Presumably only for rich Elizabethan as the peasant probably survived on leaves and twigs!  It's interesting to realise that food at that time was so interesting, there was an increase in the range of foods, available, the exotic and mysterious East and from the New World. Decoration was incredibly important at that time, especially for feasts and banquets.  Most foods were cooked over an open flame, although the rich had other methods of cooking, such as spit roasting.  Communal ovens for the less well off increased the range of dishes.  Other Elizabethan recipes will be found at: http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/old-elizabethan-recipes.htm


Serves 8



2 lb pork, cubed
4 tbsp oil
1/2lb onions (sliced)
3 garlic cloves
1.5 oz flour 
15 fl ozs red wine
1 level tsp mace
1 level tsp medium hot curry powder
1/4  level tsp cayenne
1 level tsp celery seeds
1 sprigs - marjoram, thyme, sage, rosemary - or more
4 oz stoned ready to eat apricots
4 oz large stoned raisins
4 oz large stoned semi dried dates
Finely grated rind and juice 1 lemon
2 small dessert apples, thickly sliced, put into juice of 2 oranges
2 level tsp soft light brown sugar
To garnish: 4 oz walnut halves, orange strips

Method:

1. Brown pork in oil in frying pan, in batches
2. In same pan, brown onions 
3. Add flour, wine, then garlic, mace, curry powder, cayenne pepper, celery seeds, s&p. 
4. Add herbs, together with apricots, raisins, dates, lemon rind and juice and orange (juice only)
5. Put pork and sauce into casserole and cook 2 hours, stirring occasionally
6. Add water to make to correct consistency (cold if you wish to put in the fridge)
7. Serve garnished with marjoram sprigs, walnut halves and orange strips

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/National-gardening-week

Westcountry Embroiderers at RHS Rosemoor

Today we went on a expedition to RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) Rosemoor to see the Westcountry Embroiderers' Exhibition, "Seasons in Stitch" (http://www.westcountryembroiderers.co.uk/news/) which was excellent and well worth the 130 mile round trip.  Incidentally, it's on until 29 April.

I'd love to post photos of some of the amazing creations from the exhibition but may then be breaching copyright.  However, this link gives a flavour of the standard of workmanship of WCE members: http://www.westcountryembroiderers.co.uk/galleries.php?id=3.

After lunch we had a sortie around the gardens and, although a little disappointing as it's very early in the season, still found lots to look at including the following:

unusual log found in the woods

camellias

mahonia?

allium?

I can't remember the name of this - any ideas?

interesting path

I thought this was solely an indoor plant but it's flourishing at Rosemoor - in a shady habitat

camellia











Before we left today we joined the RHS. there are many benefits from belonging: admission for two to their four gardens, admission for one at their partner gardens; discounts to other shows; informative monthly magazine; hotline for advice; discounts in their shops; access to certain seeds and others. (http://www.rhs.org.uk/search?cx=partner-pub-6402928726328738%3ampzwff-w8oa&cof=FORID%3a9&ie=UTF-8&q=membership&sa=SEARCH)

Poisson d'Avril

aPRIL aNTICS at the aLLOTMENT

Today is April Fools Day* (Poisson d'Avril in France) and I was trying to think of something outrageous to say on here but what we read in the newspapers is often far more unbelievable than anything I could cook up.  So, back to the allotment blog:


The April rain, the April rain, 
Comes slanting down in fitful showers, 
Then from the furrow shoots the grain, 
And banks are fledged with nestling flowers; 
And in grey shaw and woodland bowers 
The cuckoo through the April rain 
Calls once again. 
(From: April Rain by Mathilde Blind 1841 - 1896)


March was very dry, we spent many days up at the allotment clearing and preparing seed beds for sowing after our Easter holiday up in Derby/Scotland.   


We also cleared where the old shed and compost heap area, hacking away at brambles, stinging nettles and other weeds. We also removed large sheets of corrugated iron and other debris from under the ground.  Some bits may come in handy, the rest were burnt in the incinerator on a still, dry day.


However, I did risk planting a few lettuce seeds, in case they survive being ignored for our ten days' away. Also planted were shallots, onions, as well as early and maincrop potatoes.  


The broad beans, leeks and onions planted in the autumn are coming along well and we're picking spinach and broccoli (both flowering heads and leaves).


On the fruit side, the raspberries are sprouting, along with other berries and the strawberries are also coming into leaf.


It's frustrating having to water the plants in March and April, knowing that as it hasn't rained much for several weeks, the water in the butts will run out very soon.  

Background - broad beans, then leeks and spinach and broccoli in the front

 Broccoli, spinach and onions

 Broad beans

View of the front half of our allotment with 'new' shed 

and water butt, with overflow tank

15 April: Back from our break up in Derby and Edinburgh to find it has rained - but it would be difficult to tell as everything is still rather dry.

We spent the afternoon hoeing, picking broccoli and spinach, cutting grass edges and started digging one of the beds.


Guess what we had with our roast dinner tonight? Yes, broccoli and spinach!


27 April: In the past week I've planted beetroot and Swiss chard at the allotment and runner beans in the greenhouse at home. Have dug over some areas at the allotment and composted the green manure.  


It's really time to plant more seeds but its so cold, much colder than usual at this time of year.  For instance, today it's 10C when the average for this time of year is more like 14C to 16C.  It's been raining nearly every day and been blustery, so not the best weather for gardening or allotment.  Tomorrow is forecast to be 100% rain, so may stay in the house!


We bought some hanging baskets and flowering annual plants to put at the front of the house to make it look inviting for prospective purchasers.  I just hope they don't blow away!


End of April: The weather's been appalling for the past three days - gales and rain, with winds up to 70 mph recorded nearby at Berry Head (http://www.berryhead.org.uk/main.cfm?main=9).  The hanging baskets have survived - just - all credit to whoever planted them!  The wind's been so fierce that the rhubarb has blown over and the stalks broken.  
All very dispiriting, but gardeners are a hardy lot and are quite willing to keep going, even against the odds.


* Talking of April Fools' Day: On April 1, 1698, several people were tricked into going to the Tower of London to "see the Lions washed".^[5]