Apley Walled Garden progress

Parsley springs into life

Phil Allen, Head Gardener of Apley Walled Garden, has just sent me these photos of the first potatoes planted only yesterday. Picked early, the potatoes are small, firm & waxy. When left to mature, it’s a large kidney shape which are great for boiling.

Parsley has been grown in Britain at least since the 17th century. The flat leaved varieties have a slightly lighter & sharper flavour than the curly sorts. Not only is it beneficial for humans, but it was commonly thrown into fish ponds if the fish became ill & sheep were fed it to cure them of liver fluke !

Available this week are baby mizuna leaves, red leafed spinach, carrots, Red Boar kale & parsnips.

Also coming through, but growing to order for The Creamery Café’s head chef Martin for Easter are: rocket, mizuna, radishes, rhubarb, pak choi, coriander, red amarynth leaves, red & green leaf spinach.

Phil also grew to order this delicious list of vegetables for Mothers’ Day last Sunday (so now of course they’ve now all been eaten up !): rocket, mizuna, radishes, rhubarb, pak choi, coriander, red amarynth leaves, red & green leaf spinach. As well as thyme, Creamery chef Martin made a rosemary cake & needed extra for cooking with lamb, so ordered 1kg of rosemary – that’s a lot of rosemary !