Island Life Magazine Ltd June/July 2012 | Page 106

Gardening with Tina Having squelched grumpily around my garden through April and May, I am now hoping that June and July will finally be dry enough to allow me to enjoy the light evenings and the beauty of early summer with at least one glass of Pimms on the patio. There is still plenty to do, but it won’t be long T in a H ug he s trai ne d as a profession al ga rd en er afte r leav in g school a nd spent a su m m er w orki in Tu sca ny as a n E ng ng lis h Ga rd en er. Sh e ha s a N at io na l D ip lo m a in Horticu lt ure. until we are enjoying the first fruits of summer. I can’t Seakale a great treat wait to share the first bowl Seakale is both useful and ornamental; this tough of strawberries, preferably native of coastal shingle was once a very popular early warm from a day in the sun vegetable, and is a great treat. The shoots of both leaves topped with a scoop of my and flowers are blanched by covering with a bucket in late mum’s divine home-made winter and are delicious, raw, lightly boiled or steamed lavender ice cream. and served with melted butter and a little lemon juice. Seakale also makes a very striking addition to the garden with intricately curled and crinkled purple blue leaves and dense heads of honey scented white flowers in late May. Do you have a qu estion? If you have a question, need some advice or even a suggestion for an article then please email: [email protected] Blooming delicio u s Flowers make a lovely additi on to a meal, crea ting a visual fe ast of colour. Som e have been us ed as traditional fl avourings such as roses and or ange flowers, whilst the peta ls of pot marig old Calendula offi cinalis were a saffron substitu te. Only eat flowers you ca n positively id entify. 106 www.visitislandlife.com