Welcome to the SRT blog No. 92
11th March 2022 – Welcome to our blog post No. 92
Catherine spotted the ‘lesser celandine’ flowers in bloom on the Northchurch site – so Spring is here!
- Its the floral equivalent of the swallow: both reappear around the same time and herald the coming of spring. In fact the word ‘celandine’ comes from the Greek chelidon meaning ‘swallow’ and it traditionally first blooms on 21st February making it one of the first woodland flowers of the year. This also gave the lesser celandine the name ‘spring messenger’. Aptly enough, the Victorians used it to symbolise “joys to come”.
- Despite sharing the name, it isn’t actually related to the greater celandine. Lesser celandine is a member of the buttercup family. Greater celandine is related to the poppy.
- Wordsworth’s favourite wild flower wasn’t the daffodil – it was lesser celandine. He wrote no less than three poems about it.
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At Hemel Food Garden Dan & Marc sowed some pea seeds in February….they were very excited to see how much they had grown and to plant their own trays out in the allotment yesterday.
Teamwork…. Katie helping Dan.
After the effort of preparing the old potato patch to make separate areas for the team to plant what they grow, the first plants went in this week. Beans and onions went in together and a large bed of carrots were sown directly in the soil.
Then rows of spinach and radish were planted between the garlic on the main allotment pace. And the first beetroot went in. Awesome teamwork!
The soup making team produced a leek & veg soup plus potato & broccoli. Both for sale in the Sunnyside Up Cafe.
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Scott and Tim helping to make lunch.
Clare & Becca working on the quiche trial in preparation for the Northchurch event next month.
Plus, making lots more homemade jams and chutneys for then. Volunteer – Angelina double stirring!
Roxy and volunteer Lesley tying in blackberries.
Michael H sweeping the poly tunnel and Suru and Annette weeding some more in the fruit area.
Beautiful crocus and daffodils on site.
The team have been busy making Mothers Day gifts to sell on the market stall yesterday in Berkhamsted High Street. Homemade bath bombs using Sunnyside grown lavender.
A great team effort making, packaging and selling.
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Litter picking off site this week for some of the Northchurch team – Georgie & Bismallah.
Ian, Nigel & Michael on some contract work in Northchurch – first of the grass cutting already. Jo & Taylor collecting straw supplies for the animals
Chloe, Harry, Ian & CJ on site grass cutting.
Continuing with the Northchurch path creation. Prepping the path bed to receive the self binding gravel.
Look how well the seedlings are doing. Coming along nicely and still a month to go before the big Event in April.
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Until next week……..
The Lesser Celandine : Wordsworth
There is a Flower, the Lesser Celandine,
That shrinks, like many more, from cold and rain;
And, the first moment that the sun may shine,
Bright as the sun himself, ’tis out again!……………..