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Right now may seem like an uninspiring time with regards to gardening and spending time outside. However, sowing a few seed packets now can lead to fruitful returns in the Summer months. On our February grow list is the following. Tomatoes, Aubergines, Scarlet Kale, Black Nasturtium, Chilli, Lettuce. Chard and Ammi. All of these seeds are sprinkled over peat free seed compost in trays or pushed into little coir pots filled with the same peat free compost. You could direct sow the Chard and Lettuce into pots you will keep them in. A lovely terracotta pot filled with cut and come again lettuce leaves on the kitchen table makes a brilliant, edible centre piece. As does a pretty coloured pot filed with the bright, rainbow hues of Swiss chard. Other great, edible pot fillers for window sills and kitchen tables are peas - plant in well watered compost in a pretty low bowl and harvest the pea shoots as they pop up. Pea shoots are delicious in salads and can also be used to garnish cocktails and mocktails. Leave them in light, sunny spots and once big enough to be transplanted. This is where the fun begins… As the days warm up and the threat of frost has gone, you can begin to put together back garden pots that all not only bring colourful joy and pollinators but that can be used to provide easy and quick Summer suppers. Bright and cheerful mixes such as Nasturtium Jewel Mix and Scarlet Kale will create a rich, Persian carpet colour palette that you can enjoy both visually and nutritionally. Nasturtiums add peppery hits to salads and the bloom, also edible make very pretty decorations for most dishes, sweet and savoury. Kale, as it grows taller in the late Summer and early Autumn can then be cut sporadically and used in warming Autumnal dishes or even warm Winter salads. We’ve listed below some of our favourite patio pot mixes and plants below… Jewel Garden inspired pots. Nasturtium - all colours and varieties… Nasturtium come in beautiful soft buttermilk yellows to velvety, nearly black to bright vitamin C hued oranges to deep reds. Scarlet Kale and Cavalo Nero. Edible and structural. Edible beauty at its best. These beautiful brassica add a taller, deeper coloured undertone to support the brighter pops of colour sharing its pots. Calendula ‘touch of red mix’ These pretty plants will reseed readily and its petals can be used to decorate salads and other dishes. You can also you the dried heads to infuse oil that is very good for your skin. Smaller patio fruit trees are a nice addition to a jewel planting scheme. Appletini is a fun variety with tiny, bright red fruits that are sweet in flavour. Red Drumhead cabbage - striking, bold deep red globes look great underplanting more flamboyant blooms. Swiss chard ‘Bright Lights’ and Ruby Chard. To be planted at the back of borders and in the centre of pots for a fountain of glowing traffic light coloured stems. Tumbling tomatoes, courgettes, chilli, peppers and aubergine can all grow in a warm and sunny spot outside. Adding these to containers with bright flowering blooms will create a tumbling, rich looking pot or planter…useful too for quick supper ideas. Herbal and Nurturing pots. Herbs have uses in the kitchen and the medicine cabinet. This duplicity is to be celebrated. Plant Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Bay, Oregano, Mint, Lemon Balm and Chamomile (to name just a few) and enjoy in both culinary and medicinal ways. Rosemary is very good for your memory and Oregano and Thyme have antiviral properties, a win win we say. Structural and theatrical pots. If you have a small space you do not need to diminish the size of you pots. Just a handful of large pots with striking planting can create a feeling of privacy and seclusion. Plant Globe Artichoke or Cardoons for drama and height. Olive sit well with Artichoke and Cardoons as they both possess that grey green leaf colour. Other good plants for this are Angelica, which can be found in a typical grass green hue and a deep Burgundy colour. If you really want to get the absolute most from your space whilst adding a bit of height and colour you could pot up some smaller rootstock fruit trees. You can enjoy blossom in the Spring and then fruits in the Autumn. During the winter months you can enjoy the silhouettes of the bare trees and even decorate with some twinkly lights to feel festive. There is much more than this the can be done for gardens with small patios or spaces. Blousy and bright tulip bulbs planted in Autumn pay dividends in Spring. Lasagne planting means you get long life from a small pot. Layer mini egg hued crocus on top of Tulip who sit on top of later flowering Allium. Enjoy big bursts of joyous colour from Dahlia planted in late Spring. These will bring heat and warmth in the late glow of Summer. Your edible garden will keep giving. Remember to collect and save seeds and freeze or preserve and gluts! We will leave you with another way to use Nasturtiums if you choose to grow them in your garden this year, we hope that you do… If you love Capers and want a homegrown alternative, give nasturtium seed pods a go. These are often called 'poor man's capers', but they are far from poor in flavour and are a pretty good (if not better) version. Let your flowers go to seed and carefully pick off the unripe, green pods. Pickle them in a brine mix, easily found on the Internet or in a good pickling book, and pop them in a jar in the fridge. We hope you enjoy a Summer of beautiful, edible pots!

In celebration of #EarthDay we wanted to talk a little about our impact on the planet, the plans we have to help more and some top tips for greener gardening. Read more about the Green Chater. This highlights the things we are striving to promote and projects we are working on to lessen our carbon footprint and impact on global climate change #climatechange. One of the points we find ourselves talking about often is ‘Peat Free’. April is peat free #peatfree month! Many customers know that it is better to buy peat free compost but often do not know exactly the reason for this. Here’s a little bit about why it is vital to try to buy peat free compost. Peat has been used in compost for years because of its rich nutritional benefits that make it perfect for growing. However the peat used for compost is dug up from peatlands. Peatlands are formed over thousands of years as plant material slowly builds up over time in waterlogged landscapes. The UK has an estimated 2.6 million hectares of peatland. Peatlands are also environmentally important because they supply more than a quarter of the nation’s drinking water. They also help prevent flooding by storing water and are rich in botanicals and wildlife. The flora and fauna found in these wetlands is now becoming endangered. Peatlands are also very important because they absorb and store carbon therefore reducing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. This is key to fighting climate change. When Peat is dug up for compost it releases the carbon and methane it is storing into the environment. These greenhouse gases are then contributing to global warming. Right now peatland degradation is so fast that we are releasing more carbon than the peatlands are able to store. It is said that only 13% of UK peatlands are now in a near-natural state. What can we do to help? There are now so many amazing alternatives to peat based compost. For example clever farmers in the Lake District - Daylefoot, have created a wonderfully rich and beneficial compost using products that would otherwise be wasted. They harvest the invasive bracken in the hillsides and the wool left over from the sheep herds they graze on these hillsides and make compost! Other organic ingredients such as comfrey (a gardening super feed) are added to the mix to create a wonderful, organic alternative to peat based compost! We highly recommend trying this when growing and potting up your own flowers and vegetables this Spring. Here at Leaf we stock only peat free compost (Dalefoot included) #peatfreecompost and other fun and sustainable compost alternatives such as coir. For Peats Sake! Is a brand we love for its sustainability and eco awareness. It is also a lot of fun and a great way to get children involved in potting up seedlings or sowing seeds. For Peats sake! Is a tightly packed coir brick that expands when water is added. These bricks are packed up in recycled packaging and made using what would again, only be a waste product. Everything is considered - the water used in creating the product, the packaging and they are extremely handy - no more huge bags of compost to carry! A very neat option. “Our compost is made purely from a super renewable resource, coconuts! The discarded pith of these coconuts, that would otherwise go to waste, is turned into our ultimate growing medium. We and our suppliers do our best to minimise the environmental footprint using innovative technologies to preserve the state of the natural environment coconuts grow in.” https://www.forpeatssake.co.uk As well as peat free we are always evaluating our own methods. We use only green energy. We are buying from as many UK suppliers as possible and will continue to source as locally as possible, hopefully increasing the number of UK suppliers every season. We are constantly working on our recycling and reusing what we can here at Leaf. We also offer a plastic pot recycling service should you need to pot on your seedlings soon. We are currently involved in tree planting schemes and a rewilding project! More information on this to follow...

Join us for some festive cheer. Mulled wine, mince pies, Christmas trees, fire pits and sparkle!

These ancient plants have fascinated scientists for many years. Moss - much overlooked but ever present, bridging the gap between worlds and beautiful in its own wonderful way. Moss is not like other plants. Occurring on every continent on this planet, these patient, non-vascular, flowerless plants reproduce with spores, much like mushrooms. ​ They belong to a group called Bryophytes in which liverworts and hornworts also live. They do not have roots and instead cling to rocks, branches and buildings using rhizoids, which are small hair-like structures whose main function is to anchor the plant in its chosen home. ​ Incredibly resistant, moss can be moved and rehoused easily. It can be revived with a little rainwater and with 15,000 to 25,000 known species it can be seen in many forms and hues of green, rust reds and acid yellows along with other colours. ​ Surviving extreme cold and blistering heat, moss is a true survivor. The first to venture out of the water and the first life form to resurface after fires or other natural disasters willingly encouraging other forms of life to follow and pioneering new and unusual landscapes. Their sponge-like qualities are not just pleasing to the eye and fun to squish but actually play a very important part in the environments they live in. They soak up rainfall and help keep moisture in the earth below them. They also create humidity, enabling other plants around them to thrive in areas such as marshland and woods. The study of moss (and liverworts and hornworts) is called Bryology. These ancient plants have fascinated scientists for many years. They date back to 450 million years ago and are the second most diverse group of plants in the world. Some mosses have adapted to very low light conditions and are even found growing in caves. One of the best-known cave mosses is Schistostega pennata, also known as Dragon's Gold. This perfectly named moss shines an emerald green colour. It has adapted to cope with the minimal light and it is these adaptations that create the luminescence. Protonema are thread-like structures that grow from a moss spore. Inside the protonema, the chloroplasts gather together to receive the maximum amount of available light and the lens-shaped cells help to focus the light. The reflection of light from these chloroplasts is what causes the green luminous glow. There is a natural monument to this amazing, glowing moss in Hokkaido, Japan, where you can visit and see it growing and glowing in a cave.

New beginnings and warmer days ahead. This year, Spring Equinox is on Sunday March 20 and now, more than ever, this day feels so very worthy of recognition and celebration. Equinox means equal day and equal night. It literally translates as ‘equi’ (equal) and ‘nox’ (night). It’s a moment where the Earth’s equator on its axis passes the same plane of the sun’s equator, making the day and night equal in length. This happens twice in each year. More importantly, it symbolises the beginning of spring and new beginnings. Warmer and longer days are ahead, green shoots are showing, and an awakening is happening. As new life springs forth and the sun warms us, we can set intentions for the year ahead. Plan a herb or small veg patch if you have not previously. Buy a new journal and make lists of things you’d like to do this year – big and small. Write letters to friends, re-awaken friendships and reach out. Be inspired. Breathe in the new, spring air. With all this new life and some new dreams in mind, here are a few of our favourite things to plant, sow and eat during these fertile and energy-boosting spring days. ​ Sow some seeds - why not peas! “If you don't like peas, it is probably because you have not had them fresh. It is the difference between reading a great book and reading the summary on the back.” ― Lemony Snicket, ‘Shouldn't You Be in School?’ Planting pea tips Peas are the perfect seed to sow with Spring Equinox in mind as they are little powerhouses. They develop from humble seeds to winding shoots and tendrils to deep green pods that swell, full of goodness. Green represents prosperity and the swollen pods of peas are often used as a symbol of fertility. Choose organic or heirloom varieties if you can. There are many ways that you can grow peas, some gardeners recommend soaking your pea seeds before planting, others recommend well fertilised soil but the truth is you can pop peas in the ground or in pots, and they germinate quickly and easily. Your only real struggle will be to stop everything else trying to eat them before you! Birds in particular love pea shoots and flowers, and mice will feast on seeds if given the chance. Plant in a good pot of compost or a veg bed that has been weeded with topsoil that is loose enough for you to create two drills, around an 2.5 to 5cm deep. Sow peas around 10cm apart, cover the seeds and water well. Remember to give the peas something to climb up, pruned twigs from prickly bushes will help deter birds a little but you may also need to net your peas. They like a sunny spot that is a little sheltered from the wind and rain, and, if your timing is right, your shoots will appear after the last frosts. Cut them as little pea shoots if you enjoy micro greens or let them grow and the blooms will turn to pods that fatten and sweeten. Then you can enjoy the therapeutic process of harvesting and podding your own fresh peas. Peas are packed with a surprising number of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. They are also high in micro-nutrients, vitamins, fibre, protein and minerals. We recommend eating them raw and straight from pod before their natural sugars turn to starch and lose their sweet flavour. Plant a perennial Here are some of our favourites for flowery joy this summer. Scabiosa ‘Butterfly Blue’ ~ a pretty perennial that bees and bugs love. Did you know that bees see in UV so blooms in shades of blues are the perfect for pollinators. Achillea ‘Moonshine’~ understated but a perennial that should definitely not be overlooked. It’s related to the hero herb yarrow, which has many healing properties. Achillea is not only a drop of golden sunshine, it’s good for pollinators. It can be cut and dried, and holds its golden hue so looks stunning in dried arrangements in the autumn and winter. Geum ‘Mrs J Bradshaw’ ~ just because Geum are full of joy! They have brightly coloured blooms that will brighten borders and bring much-needed sunshine on grey days. A taste of spring Enjoy the process of preparing and gently cooking a delicious spring risotto with a divine flourish of mint and truffle oil. Recipe from the Fernery. Minted Pea and Asparagus Risotto 2 tbsp olive oil 300g bunch asparagus, stalks finely sliced, and tips reserved 1-1.25 litres fresh chicken or vegetable stock 350g risotto rice 200ml dry white wine Bunch fresh mint, finely chopped 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Grated zest and juice 1 lemon 200g frozen peas 50g butter 75g parmesan, grated 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped Bunch of spring onions For the purée 200g frozen peas 100g spinach 2 tbsp rapeseed oil Juice 1 lemon Large handful fresh mint leaves Method For the pea purée, put the frozen peas in a heatproof bowl and defrost by covering with boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and transfer to a blender or food processor and whizz with the spinach, rapeseed oil, lemon and parsley until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large, heavy-based pan and gently cook the chopped white part of the spring onions, celery and asparagus stalks until softened (about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, put the stock in a pan and gently heat until hot but not boiling. Keep warm on a low heat. Stir the rice into the vegetables to coat the grains in the oil, then cook for 1-2 minutes more. Pour in the wine, bring up to a fast simmer and cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Start adding a litre of stock a ladleful at a time, stirring often, only adding more once the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. (This should take around 20 minutes.) Meanwhile, make a salsa. Chop the reserved green part of the spring onions and mix in a bowl with the mint, anchovies, 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon zest and juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the rice is still hard after it has absorbed a litre of stock, stir in a little more. As the rice is starting to become plump and tender, about 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir in the asparagus tips, peas, and pea purée, then cook until the rice is tender. Stir in the butter and parmesan, taste, season and serve with the mint salsa for drizzling over. Can be finished with fresh pea shoots drizzled with truffle oil. ​