From Pest....to Pesto!

As previously mentioned, the community garden is overrun with garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata, more commonly known as Garlic Mustard (and also  Jack-by-the-hedge, Hedge Garlic and Poor Man's Mustard amongst others). 

You can recognize garlic mustard by its toothed, heart-shaped leaves and white flowers. When you crush the leaves, they smell like garlic.

While it's nice for the orange tip butterflies (garlic mustard is the main food source of the larvae), it's not so nice for the native plants that are being bullied out by this highly invasive species.

The Friends of Cuthill Park will have to make weeding of this pest a priority but it won't be easy as it ready self-seeds and seeds are easily spread on clothing and by animals.

On the positive side, Garlic mustard is edible and highly nutrious so we were delighted to discover this recipe book From Pest to Pesto.  Click the link to open a PDF.

Do feel free to help yourself!

Ship Shape Work Day

The weather forecast was miserable for May's work day but the showers didn't put off our seven volunteers who decanted the cockle shells from the two tonne bags and wheeled them to the community garden to form a ship shape.

Our new upright barrows were bought from Lidl with vouchers they gave us and proved invaluable today.  We also used them to transport loads of weeds to the compost area. 

Parts of the garden are overrun with dock and garlic mustard - both very invasive.

However, garlic mustard is highly nutritious and much loved by foragers who eat most of the plant, including the spicy tap roots - see Garlic Mustard Pesto recipe here).

We carefully weeded in between the apple trees, minding out for the newly planted strawberries and sunflower seeds.  The brightly coloured stems of the chard look magnificent alongside the fennel fronds and the aquilegia.

While we worked, a blue tit ventured in and out of one of the nesting boxes and there were a few orange tip butterflies (who feed on the garlic mustard).

Despite the drizzle, it was a pleasant day with lots of chat and some laughs along the way.  And of course, the moment we packed away our tools and locked up, the sun came out!  Thank you Celia, Felix, Jan, Josie, Louis, Martin, Rachel and Jazz the dog.

Join us next time, Saturday 14 June, between 11 and 1.