Growing some gifted gem squash seeds

 Gem squashes have to be close to the most loved Southern African vegetables. 

They are just larger than a tennis ball, their outer skin varies from being quite firm to a little softer. Their beautiful green hue is instantly recognisable & sought after. 

They are usually just cut in half then boiled in lightly salted water until the sweet yellow flesh can be poked with a fork. 

The seeds in the middle are scooped out then a small, or large, knob of butter is added with just salt & pepper. I have eaten them my whole life in Africa. This is an interesting UK article about them. 

However, they are not easily available in the UK which makes them even more special. 

My friend Liz gifted us each one last year when we met up in Ludlow with her & she said ‘keep the seeds & see if you can grow them.”

I did just that - cut them in half, scooped out the seeds prior to cooking to preserve them. I dried them on kitchen roll, rubbed off any dried bits & stored them in an envelope. 

About 8 weeks ago, I pushed the seeds into one of my raised planters, covered them & was delighted when some poked their heads up quite quickly. 

I grew them on until they were a little larger & it suddenly struck me - I have never grown them before so I researched their habits. 

Ooops, being squash, they trail along the ground or can be trained up a support once they have developed their climbing stems. 

I topped up 2 troughs that were spare, planting 3 in each & 3 in the rhubarb tub. 

How to support them? I positioned them mid garden next to the red robing bush with its multi stems & then used garden twine to build up a support between the stems. With the troughs on either side, I am hoping it can be trained upwards but in this part of the garden, they can spread along the ground if they prefer. 

I was growing some for daughter but they have put on a growth spurt so were moved to another trough where they have settled in well & are growing vigorously. 

Some of the other plants were planted in the herb troughs along the side of the house 

My count is about 14 very healthy plants, some in full sun, others in semi-shade, all looking well. 

I will keep you updated & am feeling hopeful. If you have grown them, any suggestions will be welcome.

Stop by again for an update,

Dee 🪏🪴🏡👩‍🌾

Walking along the Stretton Aquaduct ....

While out walking along the Shropshire Union Canal, we walked up to the Stretton Aquaduct that passes over the A5 / Watling street road, which is the old Roman Road. 
 

The Stretton Aquaduct was designed in 1832 by the famous Scottish engineer Thomas Telford.   This info from Wiki 

The aqueduct has five sections, each 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) long, held together by bolts and supported by six cast iron arch ribs, each in two sections and joined at the centre of the arch.^[2] It was cast by William Hazledine of Shrewsbury.^[2] The trough is 21 feet (6.4 m) wide with an 11 feet (3.4 m) wide channel of water and a towpath on either side.^[2] The Staffordshire blue brick abutments have stone dressings.^[3]

During 1961–62, the road under the aqueduct was lowered by about 4 feet (1.2 m) to allow taller vehicles to pass underneath.

We pass under it often on the A5 where the road was lowered to allow for taller trucks to use it. When passing along the road, you sometimes see a canal boat but not too often so travellers do not always realise what the purpose of it is. 

However, it is a fabulous walk both ways - to Brewood or to Wheaton Aston. We are blessed with these lovely spaces to enjoy. I hope you have enjoyed this too, 

Dee 🚶‍♀️🛳️🌉 🌳🪾

Come for a beautiful Sunday canal walk ...

 

The Shropshire Union canal winds it way through our county going north & south of us. It was an important water way, moving good around safely, especially fragile wares from The Potteries. 

It is an important tourist route with hire boats using it & taking advantage of local pubs when they tie up for the night. 

My choice of a Sunday walk - the canals nearby & we choose a section we had not walked previously, though we had walked part of it. 

Green bathing is a term now used to apply to spending time in nature & the cuttings along our canals are often deep & this time of the year they are bathed in green light from the trees along the cuttings. 

What absolute bliss to walk the canal path from Wheaton Aston to the Stretton Aquaduct that the A5 / Watling street traffic passes under.  It is a highpoint & is a great walk. 

We turned back at the Aquaduct instead of carrying on to Brewood, a walk we do quite often but our car would have been in several miles away. 

A heron followed along, perching on what looked like an abandoned canal boat, perhaps that is his preferred roosting place. We encountered the same heron further down when he moved up the opposite bank to a high spot. 

The boat yard was an interesting view - canal boats have to have their metal hulls inspected every few years 

They have to be repainted 'blacked' to keep them water tight. 

There were some moored up that were in bad order, going nowhere. However the boat yard was busy with a boat hull being sanded. 

These spaces are beautiful & functional, we passed a few other walkers & several runners who were enjoying the tree shade along the canals. 

I hope you have enjoyed the walk with me, thank you for visiting, 

Dee  🚶‍♀️🛳️🚤🪾🌲🌳

Come for a historic tour of Tanners wine merchants ...

 

Last Autumn, I convinced hubby to join me for an evening of folklore at a local English Heritage property of Boscobel House & what an educational evening it was with fabulous company & so much information.

I saw the same fabulous speaker mentioning an evening tour at Tanners Wine Merchants in Shrewsbury town.

I just knew it would be another fabulous evening. 

I pass this impressive shop on my walk up the hill in to town when I visit which is often. I always admire their beautiful windows & the impressive building. 

However, from the street, it just looks like a long building, no hint of what lies behind the elegant façade. 

We were greeted with a complimentary glass of fizz on arrival in a room with the most beautiful leather books. 

It was obviously the clerks room in times gone by with the rows of leather order books, huge fat volumes with the year etc embossed on the spine.  

I could smell the leather when I walked in. 

I have always had a fondness for old books, particularly beautiful ones. 

I peeked in to one & as expected, beautiful handwriting filled the page. 

Alix lead us through to a vast room with enormous vats / barrels set on a floor of worn railway sleepers. 

It was much cooler in here & the original items were everywhere about. 

We then proceeded through the rambling buildings that you would not know are there when passing on the street. 

Enormous rum barrels, all the associated paraphernalia wine merchants would need, beautifully preserved in this space that has been used by the same Tanners family for generations. 

Alix is a natural speaker with an engaging manner & vast knowledge so time passes quickly in her company. 

Our tiny group of 20 was perfect because it felt intimate & not crowded or rushed. 

There are many cellars, rooms at different temperatures & spaces to store wine in this cavernous building. 

We made our way up stairs to the top room that I recognised from the 1984 version of Charles Dicken's 'A Christmas Carol' that was filmed in Shrewsbury. 

This top room had been the offices of Mr Fizziwig & it is where the Christmas party scene was filmed. 

The beams in the room are simply stunning, huge shaped cruck beams & the tiny panes of glass in the windows overlooking the high street. 

A real joy to be in a space that is familiar from the movie. 

The cellars with the traditional wine barrels was authentic; the barrels are having their regular rehydration & care where they are stored in the vaulted, cool space. 

It was over all too soon, the evening flew by in great company & we left, our love of history whetted by the interesting information of one of Shrewsbury's fabulous buildings & the  trade still carried out in the rambling space. 

I hope you have enjoyed the evening with me too, stop by again soon, 

Dee 🍷🍾🛢️

The Norman Parish church of Aston Eyre

While out in the Shropshire countryside on the way back from our fabulous walk at Dudmaston Hall, we passed the village church of Aston Eyre, one we had not stopped at before. 

There are no graves around the church which is quite unusual  but apparently a dispute between The Lord of the Manor, Fitz Aer & the Monks of Shrewsbury Abbey at Morville Priory resulted in all the burials taking place at Morville.   

Knowing nothing of the church, we ventured inside. 

The lovely church information brochures filled us in on the history which always makes the visits more worthwhile because you look out for the details you would otherwise miss.  It is a grade II listed building, much of it dating back to C12. 

There has been a church here for almost 900 years - let that time period sink in. The church was gifted to the villagers of Eston by the Lord of the Manor. Robert Fitz Aer in 1132. At that time, King Stephen was on the throne & there was great civil unrest in the area. 

The small church was taken over by the Benedictine Priory at Morville & used as a Chapel of Ease for the monks living there. 

It became a village church again in the time of Henry VIII who put an end to the power of the monasteries.

The Tympanum over the South Door of the Church is the best example of Norman (1066) carving in Shropshire. It depicts Christs entry in to Jerusalem. He is seen riding on an ass, to his left a bearded man with a young ass, to his right an older man spreading out palm branches. 

The South Door with its long iron hinges has the date 1636 on one of them. It is an impressive door, solid & you appreciate how many thousands of parishioners have passed through it. 

 The Nave has four Norman windows, and an impressive Transitional Chancel arch. 

It is a really peaceful space that has seen worship for almost 900 years, the sense of history is humbling. 

I am so pleased that we did this unexpected stop & could appreciate this space. 

I hope you have enjoyed the visit with me. 

Dee 🙏⛪️🔔