Looking back over the year of edible growing at The Hidden Gardens

As ever, we have had an interesting season growing some of our old favourites such as wee ‘Sungold’ tomatoes and juicy cucumbers, as well as trying out some unusual varieties, trialling veg to see if they like our Glasgow climate, and giving everything the taste test.

Highlights have been eating grapes straight off the vine in October, cooking sweet potatoes at our shared volunteer session, and trialling heritage lettuce varieties as part of a ‘Garden Organic’ members experiment.

The Hidden Grapevines

We are very pleased with our dahlia tubers, but they are looking so cheery at the moment that we haven’t had the heart to dig them up and eat them, so can’t comment on eating value!

Paula

Dawn Chorus at The Hidden Gardens

We didn’t see this guy at the Dawn Chorus this year, but he’s pecking around the Gardens so often he’s practically staff!

It’s traditional to wash your face in the dawn dew on the 1st May, but hardy volunteers and staff, joined by Alan Wood from Starling Learning, got a thorough wake up with wind and rain on our annual Dawn Chorus event.

It was all worthwhile when we heard and saw 13 different kinds of birds, some who were just visiting like the flock of Swallows, and some more familiar garden residents such as Blackbirds, Starlings and the noisy but tiny Wren.

We were left with lots of snippets of info: Long Tailed Tits aren’t Tits, and Dunnocks used to be called Hedge Sparrows even although they’re not Sparrows.

After sharing a lovely breakfast and hot cuppa we were ready to get on with the day, and The Hidden Gardens had added 2 new bird species to our list (swallow, lesser black backed gull).

Paula