Stray Gardener: Blossom Beginnings

The Stray Gardener is written by Rudding Park’s Kitchen Gardener, Fiona Slight.

Fiona has worked in horticulture for over 30 years in the UK and abroad, and specialises in growing fruit and vegetables for fine dining. 

 

April is the month of abundant blossom. It’s the month to get out and about and enjoy the wonderful colours produced by so many different trees, shrubs, plants and bulbs. Not only that, blossom signals the start of the growing season. Those beautiful flowers are not just beautiful for the sake of it, they need to attract insects in to begin the process of pollination.

In Japan, the Hanami festival is hugely popular and involves people holding parties beneath the flowers of Sakura trees (Cherry) when in full flower. They even have blossom forecasts to ensure no one misses when the flowers are at their best. Depending on the weather conditions, cherry flowers tend to only last one to two weeks, so it’s so important to take time to admire blossom in the spring as it can be gone as quickly as it came. Of course, once it’s gone, you then have the anticipation of how much fruit is going to be produced later in the year, ready to be harvested.

Alongside Cherries in their many forms, Blackthorn or Sloe, is one of the first native trees to produce their flowers, and many hedgerows surrounding the Harrogate area start to turn white with their blossom. Damsons and plums, closely follow their blackthorn relative, again with wonderful, delicate white flowers. These are fruit trees worthy of a place in anyone’s garden. If the flowers don’t get damaged by a sharp, late frost, they go on to produce an abundance of fruit useful for puddings, jams, and gin!

Cherry blossom and damson blossom

Alongside these beauties come Pears and Apples. The UK has hundreds of Pear and Apple cultivars and not only do the fruit differ from one cultivar to another, but so do the apple and pear blossom. If you get the chance to visit an orchard with many different varieties, take the time to look at them closely to really appreciate the differences in petal colour, shape and even the fragrance that comes from them. There are several local gardens such as Harewood House, Beningbrough Hall, Harlow Carr, Newby Hall and of course Rudding Park Kitchen Garden, that have good collections of apple and pear trees well worth looking at more closely.

Apple blossom

Apple and pear blossom are both edible too, but I always find it really difficult and time consuming to pick, knowing that I am potentially taking away a beautiful apple or pear to be ready later in the year; I find the process of thinning out Pears and Apples very difficult too, even though it does mean the fruits will be larger and of better quality!

Back into the hedgerows later in May and June and you find Hawthorn and Elderflower coming in to their own. Hawthorn flowers are also known as the Maytree and once played an important part in May Day festivities. Elderflower especially is another fantastic edible plant we can use, with the flowers being used for cordial and champagne. The scent from an elderflower on a warm June day can almost be too much, with the powerful, heady scent of nectar packing a punch.

Get yourselves out there and have a look at the gorgeous spring blossom this year, its well worth the effort!

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Hot tub industry bubbles up as lockdown eases

The hot tub industry expects to see another boom as the national stay-at-home order is lifted, and firms in Harrogate are already getting booked up.

As of March 29, the rule of six was reintroduced, allowing two households or six people from different households to meet outdoors.

Since people have been allowed to share their gardens with friends and family once more, hot tubs have been in huge demand.

Hot tub hiring businesses have become a big part of garden entertainment.

Bubble & Chic Hot Tub Hire in Harrogate was only established last month after owner Janie Carr decided to change career due to the pandemic.

Since its first booking on March 25, inquiries have not stopped. Ms Carr said:

“I posted an advertisement on a Facebook group on Thursday and by Friday I was inundated with bookings for the next four months. I even have full bookings for August bank holiday already.”

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However, starting a new business during the grip of a pandemic is not without its challenges. She added:

“Lockdown has massively impacted the garden entertainment industry as I have been unable to get stock to hire out. A particular gazebo I use to put over the hot tub has been out of stock for months and others seem to be out of stock or have long delivery times.”

Harrogate Hot Tubs has encountered the same issue, with products to clean the hot tubs increasing in price. But this hasn’t stopped the Jacuzzi boom.

Paul Underwood, owner of the business, said:

“We had around four bookings in January 2020, this January we had over 100. Lockdown has definitely increased business for us, almost six-fold.

“We’ve had to turn down over 100 bookings since January as we’re fully booked, but we are expecting to see a further increase of bookings in summer with people maybe not wanting to go on holiday.”

Stray Foodie recipe: watercress is a hard act to follow

Stray Foodie Lockdown Recipes are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years.

“I’ll be bringing you some of my favourite recipes each week. I’d love to see how you make the recipes your own – let me know by using #StrayFoodie or tagging @thestrayferret in your social media posts.”

 

This common Brassica I always feel is somewhat overlooked, yet it has amazing health benefits and is packed with nutrients. It is high is antioxidants and its taste outshines lettuce when used as a salad base.

We love to use watercress as a great base or accompaniment for many of our dishes, especially this time of year when spring is in the air but the temperature is still a little contrary!

We have a great fondness for wild watercress which is super healthy and can be found by streams and water edges with slow flowing water. Always check that it is wild watercress and wash thoroughly!

This week’s recipe is for a watercress mousse. Not only is this a delicious way of serving this great leaf, it also lends itself to many green additives: as you will see in the photograph, we have put it with artichoke, spring onions, asparagus and added a little pickled dragon fruit for interest! It sits in a chilled watercress soup/ sauce. This list of things you can build on with this dish makes it both very versatile and very healthy.

Watercress Mousse

To serve 4 small starter portions you will need:

Method:

Wizz the watercress with the white wine and water liquid in your food processor.

Fold in the light cream cheese.

Add the salt and mustard powder and then the mayonnaise.

Soften 2 leaves of gelatine, add them to your mixture.

Leave to set in your round moulds.

Watercress Soup / Sauce

You will need:

Method:

Sweat off the shallot and celeriac in the olive oil and cool.

When soft, blitz with the watercress.

Add a pinch of nutmeg.

Add the liquid and yoghurt.

Correct the seasoning and chill.

This is served cold and is simply delicious with the mousse that sits in the centre of the bowl.

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Harrogate councillor’s country home plan deferred over concern it’s too big

A Harrogate councillor’s second attempt for final permission to build a countryside home has been deferred because she could not prove why it needs to be so big.

Conservative cllr Margaret Atkinson was first granted outline permission to build the four-bed property opposite her existing home in Kirkby Malzeard in 2019 and has since made two failed attempts to secure a final go-ahead under a reserved matters application.

This is because the proposed home is classed as an “agricultural workers’ dwelling” which brings with it rules on size to ensure it can be affordable to any future owners. Cllr Atkinson’s plans include four bedrooms, a living room, dining room, kitchen, sunroom, an office, storage and two-bay car port.

A report from council planning officer Emma Howson said the plans were “considerably larger” than guidelines allow and that no evidence had been provided as to the 276 square metres of floorspace is needed.

This, however, was contested by an agent for cllr Atkinson who at a meeting last week accused the council of being “overly oppressive” in recommending the plans for refusal.

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The recommendation was not supported by members of the planning committee who instead voted for a deferral to allow time for more information to be brought forward.
Cllr Zoe Metcalfe told the meeting last Tuesday.

“We need to have the whole picture,.We need to know exactly why they need a larger dwelling and come back to committee with that information.”

Cllr Stuart Martin, the mayor of Harrogate, also said he was “disappointed” that all of the facts were not brought forward for committee members to make a final decision. He said:

“I’m certainly not opposed to turning these plans down once I have the full facts in front of me but I would like to see the information and justification first.
“If the information doesn’t stack up, I will absolutely vote against it.”

Liberal Democrat Cllr Pat Marsh added:

“If we allow this to go through we will cause all kinds of problems in the future and it will look even worse when we know who the applicant is.
“There are so many policies against this that I do not see how we can actually approve it.
“If we are going to say there is a need for this then let’s make sure what is built there is an agricultural dwelling, not something that is much larger and grander.”

Cllr Atkinson – who represents the Fountains and Ripley ward – is a member of the planning committee but is not allowed to debate or vote on her own proposals.

Her plans will be brought back to another meeting in the coming months.

Only two new covid cases in district in past twenty four hours

Figures published by Public Health England show that there were only 2 new cases of covid in the Harrogate district in the past 24 hours.

There have been no deaths of patients who tested positive for coronavirus reported at Harrogate District Hospital.  The total number of people who have tested positive for covid in the district since the start of the pandemic is 7,597. The number of patients who have died in the district’s hospital stands at 178.

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The 7 day case rate in the district is now the lowest it has been since August last year.  The most recent data (up to April 3) showed that Harrogate has a rate per 100,000 population of 11.2.

Selby has the highest average 7 day rate in North Yorkshire at 50.8 whilst the England average is 36.1.

 

Just two more covid cases in district

The daily number of people testing positive for covid-19 in the district has stayed low at just two cases in the past 24 hours. There have been no reported deaths of patients who tested positive for covid at Harrogate District Hospital.

In total 7,592 people have tested positive for the virus in the Harrogate district since the start of the pandemic.

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The 7 day daily rate of infections per 100,000 population is 11.2 in the Harrogate district – recent data up to April 1. The average rate in North Yorkshire is 31.6.

From April 12 (a week tomorrow) restrictions ease further:

 

Increase in day trippers means good business for Masham

The car park at Masham was full yesterday as the town saw an increase in walkers and day trippers as people were allowed to travel afield for a day out.

Market stall holders said business picked up this week and they are expecting it to get much busier still after April 12th when camp sites and caravan parks can re-open.

Masham’s car park filled up

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Raymond Worsdale who runs a food stall told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s been very busy today -we’ve done alright. People are starting to get going after their injections.”

Alison Hope who owns No12 Greengrocer said the support from local people has been fantastic and trade was starting to pick up:

“We’re looking forward to having more stalls after the 12th April. It’s Easter weekend and people are feeling a bit more confident to come out. We have been really lucky”

The Sunday Times recently included the market town in its annual Best Places to Live guide.

Masham was one of nine runners-up behind Ilkley in the north-east of England category. No other town or city in the Harrogate district was selected.

 

 

£500,000 contract awarded for Springfield House upgrades

A covid-delayed project to refurbish a former Harrogate Borough Council office has taken a step forward after the approval of a £500,000 construction contract.

The council vacated Springfield House, at Harrogate Convention Centre, when it moved all of its operations to its new £13m civic centre at Knapping Mount in 2017.

The office has since been let out to businesses.

A planned refurbishment of the upper floors was due to start last year but hit delays as access was restricted during the convention centre’s use as an NHS Nightingale hospital.

At a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, councillor Graham Swift, deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development at the council, said he had been “thwarted and frustrated” by the setbacks.

He added that he welcomed the awarding of the £501,815 contract to York-based Lindum Group Limited after a competitive tender process.

The works will include new office spaces, a refurbished space for convention centre staff and a business incubator scheme which provides mentoring and support services for entrepreneurs starting out in business.

The ‘digital incubator hub’ will be funded through £540,000 through the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and is expected to make the council around £49,000 a year.

This is according to a report which also said the other office spaces would generate around £40,000 a year when fully let.

Speaking about the Springfield House plans, councillor Swift said:

“I have been thwarted and frustrated with this project which we would have liked to have implemented over 12 months ago but as the project was up-and-running when then found ourselves in a covid environment.

“This is an essential project for the district and the sort of project other people are investing in too. I know Crescent Gardens is gathering momentum and other developers in town are keen to take advantage of what is going to a fluid but important space in the market for small start-up businesses to grow.”

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It comes as plans to transform the council’s former Crescent Gardens headquarters into offices and a roof garden restaurant have been formally submitted.

Harrogate-based property company Impala Estates bought the site in January last year for £4m. Its plans also include creating a gym, as well as turning the former council chamber and mayor’s parlour into meeting rooms.

Killinghall man jailed after driving at pursuing police car

A thirty one year old man has been jailed after a police chase in which he twice drove at the police car that was pursuing him.

Gary Bowes sped through Knaresborough and Harrogate at more than double the speed limit, York Crown Court heard. He ignored road signs and shot over junctions in residential areas including Stonefall Avenue in Harrogate.

The court heard how at some stages, Bowes was driving at speeds of up to 50mph in 20mph zones. When police finally caught up with him, he ran off but was soon caught.

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Bowes was arrested and charged with dangerous driving. He admitted the offence, which occurred in the early hours of May 5, 2019.

The court heard that Bowes, of Ripon Road, Killinghall, was subject to a community order for previous offences at the time of the incident.

Defence barrister Ben Campbell said luckily there were few motorists and pedestrians around at the time of the relatively short chase. There had been no injury caused to anyone or any vehicles, including the police car.

Mr Campbell said Bowes had battled drug and alcohol problems and that his criminal record was “not to his credit”.

However, judge Simon Hickey said despite the “powerful mitigation” and the delay in the case reaching court, it could only be an immediate prison sentence for such a serious case of dangerous driving.

He told Bowes: “You completely ignored many road signs, road junctions and speed bumps, (travelling at) 40mph to 50mph in 20mph zones.”

Bowes was jailed for 10 months and slapped with a two-year driving ban.

Daily new covid cases in district stays low

There were only five new cases of covid in the district reported today by the NHS.  No deaths were reported at Harrogate District Hospital of people who tested positive for the virus.

Currently 7,588 people have tested positive for coronavirus since the start of the pandemic – 178 have died at the district’s hospital.

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The 7-day rate for covid in the Harrogate district is now 14.3 (latest data up to March 30).  It is the second lowest rate in North Yorkshire, behind Ryedale which has a rate of 12.6.  The England average stands at 46.8.

The last recorded death at the district’s hospital was on March 29.