Adventures in Food

I grew up on a diet of many delights, one of which was Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti . Living in Stroud some years ago, I felt a connection with this poem of my childhood far away, and this led me to make a film about the poem on Super8 . Now I have returned to Stroud, and at last, have a garden of my own. There is already growing a lovely cherry tree and an apple, some strawberries and the ubiquitous blackberries, and lots of herbs, and it came to me that this could become a fruit garden with a fruit fence strategically placed to screen the road at the back. And then I heard about the Hampton Court Palace Show gardens designed for poems , and although I think these seem to be rather clumsy and literal attempts to represent poems, undaunted I thought I could set myself the task of growing all of the Goblins Delights from Rossetti's most luscious of poems. Here is a list of all the fruits the Goblins tempt the two girls in the poem with: Apples Russet and dun,...

The days of the weed growing are numbered as I am moving to Stroud (of Rupert Burdock fame) and I will have to abandon the anotment after three years of adventures (or is it four, I am useless at tracking time).  I have been so excited by working with the land and the girls that I am looking for ways to pursue the same interests in Stroud once I can get more settled there. A Pensford Field committee member spoke to me after the recent work day and explained the plans for the back of the studio. I was sad to hear it will be lost in their plans to build a shed, but I am hopeful that some of the learning can be brought forward into the planned garden for the front of the space. He said it would likely be winter before anything actually happens. If this is so I am in contact with someone who may be able to continue monitoring the patch over the summer. I had a lovely send off from the fantastic Girls Art Club, who threw me a leaving do recently. I have seen them learn a g...