On a Monday in May the Nettles they did sway.....
Yes its all about the Nettles for us this month, we have been obsessed with all things Nettle as we will be holding our annual community festival NETTLEFEST on Sunday 10th May.
Annie and myself have been rummaging around the undergrowth at Salop drive checking on Nettle availability....we needed have worried they are growing in abundance, plenty for everyone to sample!
Nettlefest is a Community festival to celebrate the ultimate local and natural resource that is the Nettle! It is also for Urban sustainability, skill - sharing, community and fun
We will have Workshops including a Nettle workshop making Soup and Soap, talks, kids activities, Holistic therapy, Stalls, Food, Free Seedbank, Art, Storytelling and Music....Also the word on the street...come down and find out whats happening locally
If you would like to have a stall, participate in any way or be a general volunteer please get in touch we would love to hear from you.
You will also find more info on the Nettle and events pages on this website. By way of a countdown to the event, i am going to do a short blog post each day this week bringing you more details of what will be happening on the day itself.
I have also made a Dandelion syrup which has the most beautiful flavour and i also had the added bonus of creating a very pleasing Dandelion Vortex during the making of it!
DANDELION SYRUP
250 Dandelion tops
4 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 Lemon
1) Remove flower heads from stems
2) Put in a large pot add the Lemon juice and water
3) Bring to the boil then simmer with the pot covered for one hour
4) Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to steep overnight
5) Drain the liquid and return to the pot
6) Add 2 cups of sugar, bring to the boil then simmer uncovered for aprox 1 and a half hours or until desired consistency is reached - stir occasionally
8) Store in a sealed container in the fridge.
I am also continuing to track the growth of plants in my own garden and have filmed it again this month as i am finding the films a useful resource and i am also enjoying seeing the garden blossom as more and more as we head further into the year.