{"id":1997,"date":"2014-11-17T15:33:52","date_gmt":"2014-11-17T15:33:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/?p=1997"},"modified":"2026-07-21T18:04:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T17:04:29","slug":"year-avery-hill-gardener-forager","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/2014\/11\/17\/year-avery-hill-gardener-forager\/","title":{"rendered":"My year as an Avery Hill gardener & forager by Alice Coyle"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the beautiful Autumn colours begin to fade into the stark grey, white and blues of winter, the gardeners\u2019 task changes from a focus on planting, watering, weeding and harvesting to one of replenishing the soil, picking the last of the harvest and tucking the garden in for the winter.<\/p>\n

Besides the harvest in the Edible Garden, the campus and its surrounds contains so many edible plants that just ask to be foraged while the internet is a treasure trove of recipe ideas.<\/p>\n

We had a bumper crop of blackberries in August, unusually early this year. On my way into work and at lunchtimes, I picked several pounds near Sparrows Farm and along the park cycle tracks.\u00a0 I took my home made scones, blackberry jelly and cream into work for the Clearing team. Some members had never tasted home-made jelly and all declared it far superior to the bought variety. \u00a0The advantage of jelly over jam is that all the not-so-perfect fruit bits get strained out.\u00a0 I also used \u00a0blackberries added to stewed apples and pears, sweetened with honey gathered from the beehives on the campus and sold in the student union shop.<\/p>\n

I cooked rhubarb by chopping it into 2-3 cm lengths, spreading the pieces in a baking dish, adding grated ginger and a small amount of water then sprinkling it all with honey or brown sugar before\u00a0 and baking it for about 20 minutes at 180o<\/sup>C.<\/p>\n

Tucked away at \u00a0back of the campus I discovered a lone damson plum tree.\u00a0 These plums are tiny and taking their stones out is a nightmare so I made a batch of damson jelly; just as delicious as the blackberry version and just as nice with scones and cream!<\/p>\n

We grew squashes in the garden that made wonderful soup while the courgettes (or zucchinis) were delicious cooked as a main course vegetable. The zucchini cakes I made using a recipe I found online sold like hotcakes at our MacMillan fundraiser during Freshers\u2019 week.<\/p>\n

We grew a bumper crop of tomatoes in our polytunnel which are lovely munched straight from the vine, eaten raw with salad or in snacks or cooked with other vegetables spiced with our chilli peppers. I made my first batch of green tomato chutney that I am itching to try but because \u00a0it needs to mature it will not be ready until Christmas.<\/p>\n

We are still picking the last of the rainbow chard and I have enjoyed steaming it or using it as a substitute for spinach in my spinach and brown rice bake \u2013 a family favourite from Delia Smith\u2019s Complete Cookery Course book. My most recent experimentation has been making soup from our Jerusalem artichokes. Combined with onions, garlic, celery, carrots and chicken stock it tasted wonderful.<\/p>\n

Spending time in the garden allows me time to relax and recharge away from the busy atmosphere of the Enquiry Unit. I have met so many lovely people there that I would never have met otherwise. Cooking and sharing food that I have helped to grow from seed is a wonderfully rewarding experience, and I cannot recommend it more highly.<\/p>\n

Below: homemade jams, chutneys and cakes from garden produce.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"IMG_1359\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the beautiful Autumn colours begin to fade into the stark grey, white and blues of winter, the gardeners\u2019 task changes from a focus on planting, watering, weeding and harvesting to one of replenishing the soil, picking the last of the harvest and tucking the garden in for the winter…. Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":1998,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6,25],"tags":[101,118,168],"class_list":["post-1997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biodiversity","category-edible-garden","category-sustainability-team","tag-community-garden","tag-edible-garden","tag-growing"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":564,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/2012\/07\/17\/11th-july-garden-work-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":1997,"position":0},"title":"11th July Garden Work Day","author":"Simon Goldsmith","date":"17 July 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Last Wednesday's weather was a little undecided but gave us some time to do some work in the garden - in between shiny sunny spells and torrential showers of rain. The tasks of the day included weeding, harvesting and pruning: There were many vegetables to harvest as everything kept growing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Edible Garden"","block_context":{"text":"Edible Garden","link":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/category\/biodiversity\/edible-garden\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2012\/07\/SA1_0064.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2012\/07\/SA1_0064.jpg 1x, \/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2012\/07\/SA1_0064.jpg 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":880,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/2013\/01\/11\/forest-garden-plans\/","url_meta":{"origin":1997,"position":1},"title":"Forest Garden Plans","author":"","date":"11 January 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"As the cold weather persists across London we are waiting for the sun and warmth before we get planting in the community garden again. Volunteers, members of the Sustainability Team and James Hallybone from Roundfield have been discussing what to do for when the\u00a0springtime\u00a0arrives. With the addition of a polytunnel\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Edible Garden"","block_context":{"text":"Edible Garden","link":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/category\/biodiversity\/edible-garden\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Forest garden Plans","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2013\/01\/forestgarden1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2013\/01\/forestgarden1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2013\/01\/forestgarden1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2013\/01\/forestgarden1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":826,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/2012\/11\/06\/exciting-times-at-the-community-garden\/","url_meta":{"origin":1997,"position":2},"title":"Exciting times at the community garden!","author":"Simon Goldsmith","date":"6 November 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"It has been a little bit of a roller coaster constructing the polytunnel for the community garden. We have battled digging through concrete, less than helpful weather and more than a few missing pieces. Last week, however, we managed to prep the frame ready for the polythene covering and despite\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Edible Garden"","block_context":{"text":"Edible Garden","link":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/category\/biodiversity\/edible-garden\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2012\/11\/SA1_09721.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2012\/11\/SA1_09721.jpg 1x, \/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2012\/11\/SA1_09721.jpg 1.5x, \/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2012\/11\/SA1_09721.jpg 2x, \/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2012\/11\/SA1_09721.jpg 3x, \/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2012\/11\/SA1_09721.jpg 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6620,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/2021\/07\/29\/campus-beehives\/","url_meta":{"origin":1997,"position":3},"title":"Campus Beehives","author":"David Jackson","date":"29 July 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"At Greenwich, we are committed to sensitively managing our grounds, with our\u00a0Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) 2020-2025\u00a0outlining how this occurs. To help engagement, education and conservation we have beehives across all three campuses. All of our beehives are managed by external licenced beekeepers. Read below to find out more about our\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biodiversity"","block_context":{"text":"Biodiversity","link":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/category\/biodiversity\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"crop farmer showing honeycomb with bees","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/07\/pexels-photo-5247963.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/07\/pexels-photo-5247963.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/07\/pexels-photo-5247963.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/07\/pexels-photo-5247963.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/07\/pexels-photo-5247963.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/07\/pexels-photo-5247963.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2325,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/2015\/01\/25\/week-life-sustainability-projects-officer\/","url_meta":{"origin":1997,"position":4},"title":"A week in the life of a Sustainability Projects Officer!","author":"Simon Goldsmith","date":"25 January 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Emily Mason, Sustainability Projects Officer here at the Sustainable Development Unit, gives us a run down of a typical week in the role. \u00a0Monday I always try and make sure that I start the week at Avery Hill and at my desk. This is my time to catch up on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sustainability Team"","block_context":{"text":"Sustainability Team","link":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/category\/sustainability-team\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2015\/01\/1374062_10152501129222080_374481220_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2015\/01\/1374062_10152501129222080_374481220_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2015\/01\/1374062_10152501129222080_374481220_n.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2015\/01\/1374062_10152501129222080_374481220_n.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":25,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/2011\/09\/30\/community-food-garden-plans-afoot-at-avery-hill\/","url_meta":{"origin":1997,"position":5},"title":"Community Food Garden Plans Afoot at Avery Hill","author":"","date":"30 September 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Today the Sustainability Team ventured up to the Mansion Site of Avery Hill to meet with Robert Holden and the Garden and Landscape Design staff at the School of Architecture and Construction. The topic under discussion was the plans for building a University community food garden. The project will be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Edible Garden"","block_context":{"text":"Edible Garden","link":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/category\/biodiversity\/edible-garden\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-IRbUCw-rJe0\/ToXprPk3mdI\/AAAAAAAAAQI\/3VU7rcyaYeM\/s320\/Gnome_plus_grapes1.JPG?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2014\/11\/IMG_1359-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1997"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1997\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7431,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1997\/revisions\/7431"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.gre.ac.uk\/greengreenwich\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}