Words and pics by Jo Green, a former allotmenteer, forager, amateur herbalist, pickler and jam maker who squeezed her allotment greenery into her tiny garden.

Recently, I have started thinking of House and Garden in a different way. Maybe, we all have? With our fig tree I just used to delight in the fruit. Now I am looking up how the wood might burn. Not that I would ever chop it down, but when we prune it in November instead of composting the branches I will be adding them to the log pile.
Although , there are quite a few ‘old wives’ tales’ basically saying its unlucky to burn fig wood, there are equally many countering reports of the delicious scent of the wood in the fire.

Pics by Jo Green

I suppose my latent foraging spirit has been ignited by unfolding economic events. Also, while home educating (out of necessity not choice) I have become used to experimenting with the natural world to do various science experiments with our sons.
We live near an ancient walnut tree. The tree is near an abbey. As ink was made from walnuts in the Dark Ages and I like to think the monks gathered the walnuts as they fell to start the inky soup!

We scoop some from the ground, wait until the nuts and the outside skin turn black, then pop the lot into pan and boil then simmer for a few hours. Strain the gunk out and boil again for a few hours – cool and ‘Robertas your Aunt’ !
It was a bit stinky (though my husband rather liked it) so I added vinegar as I’d read that would ease the stench.
Ah well, as we held our noses we felt proud to be going through the same experiences as the monks probably were!