STUFFED PEPPERS

• 8 sweet peppers
• 2-4tbsp oil
• 1 leek sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 125g long grain rice
• tomato sauce or chopped tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 125g coarsely chopped parsley
• 1tbsp thyme
• 2-3tbsp parsley
• 200g grated cheese
• salt & pepper
• 

1. Slice the tops of the peppers off at the stalk end and discard the seeds and membranes.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil and fry the onion and garlic for approximately 5 minutes. 
3. Then add the rice, tomato puree and bay leaf, stir everything thoroughly and add approximately 3½ decilitres of boiling water. Allow the rice to boil for approximately 15 minutes until cooked. Take the pan off the fire and remove the bay leaf.
4. Add the nuts, marjoram, thyme, parsley and cheese to the rice mixture and season.
5. Spoon the stuffing into the peppers, putting tops back on. Line the oven dish with nonstick baking paper and place the peppers in the dish. Add a little water and a dash of olive oil to the dish, cover the peppers with foil and bake in the oven set at 200ºC/Gas 6 for approximately 25 minutes.
6. Remove the foil and bake the peppers for another 10-20 minutes until they are soft

Taken from: https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/stuffed-sweet-peppers.html

CREATE A REAL EXPLOSION OF COLOUR

Brighten up a desolate patch of land with easy to make seed bombs*


Making seed bombs and throwing, concealing, digging or just gently placing them in places that could use a little love - think vacant lots and random patches of public dirt - is a fun and productive way to get your hands dirty and adds a little (or a lot) of beauty to your surroundings.

Seed bombs or seed balls were created by members of the guerrilla gardening movement: green thumbed city dwellers, all over the world, who have been beautifying neglected plots of land since the Seventies.


Seed bombs are simple constructions of clay (lots of that in our garden!), water, compost or potting mix (or even worm castings), and native seeds. 

They're cheap to make, and make for an enjoyable afternoon project.  You don't even need to consider yourself a gardener.
The seeds of native flowers and plants are the most desirable for seed bombing, as they will grow well without a lot of tending.  

They also won't crowd out other plants, disrupt bird and insect populations or do any other kind of environmental damage.


METHOD


1   Lay the clay, seeds and compost on a surface that you don't mind getting dirty.

2   Divide them into five parts clay, one part compost (or potting mix) and one part seeds.

3   Form the compound for the outside of the seed bombs by combining the clay and the compost.  The clay might be tough until you've warmed it with your hands, so don't be afraid to get stuck in.  Adding a drop or two of water can make it more pliable, but don't overdo it, rub it together until it has a gritty, dough-like texture.  The mixture should be malleable, but not too sloppy. 

4   Add the seeds and gradually work them in, using the same rubbing and kneading method as before.  Roll into a long sausage, then tear the mixture into pieces about the size of a nectarine and roll into balls.


You can plant your seed bombs while they are moist or let them dry. As long as they are watered the clay will break down and the seeds will grow.  In a few weeks' time you should see your seeds starting to grow into beautiful plants and flowers for everyone to enjoy!

See also: 
http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/how-to-make-a-seed-bomb/
http://www.redtedart.com/2014/02/12/how-to-make-seed-bombs-recipe/


*From an article by Anna Carlile in the Telegraph

STUDY EVALUATES FRONT GARDENS

The RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) has commissioned a new study to understand how front gardens impact both homeowners and passers-by.



Beginning this spring, the research is part of the Society's Greening Grey Britain campaign to encourage the nation to transform grey areas into living planted spaces.  


To undertake the research, RHS scientists have joined academics from the University of Sheffield and the University of Virginia (USA), employing a PhD student.

A major objective will be to determine how gardening affects the mood and psychological health of people who have not gardened before.  Plans to help measure this include greening paved over front gardens.  The project will also address the societal value of gardens by collating evidence of enhanced communication and engagement between garden owners, neighbours and passers-by.

In the USA, the work will parallel related initiatives with other PhDs in that country.

Alistair Griffiths, RHS Director of Science and Collections, said, 'We are seeking evidence that will help us make the case for gardening to local and national government, supporting what many of us instinctively know - that green spaces have positive impacts on our health and wellbeing.'


See also; https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=879