Darren T, Gardener

Recipe for 'Apple Froise' by Sarah Harrison, 1760. Please follow the link to the blog post for a full-text version.

Anyone for 'Apple Froise'? Sarah Harrison's 1760 recipe sounds like simplicity itself. Add batter to pan, add apple slices, add more batter, fry, enjoy.

Not sure if it's whole-pan-sized or individual fritters, but I don't suppose that matters if it's tasty, eh?

orchardnotes.com/2025/10/03/s...

A slice of 'lemon apple pudding' on a plate

A baked 'Essex Pudding' in a glass dish

If, like me, you're staring at a huge glut of apples and wondering what to do with them, might I suggest trying a few of the apple-based historical fruit recipes that I've collected over the past few years?

Some absolutely delicious apple dishes described here:

orchardnotes.com/fruit-recipes/

A cup of coffee with a swirl-pattern in the shape of an apple.

I was rather impressed earlier today when the barista in the café at Leeds Art Gallery managed to do a coffee-swirl pattern in the perfect shape of an apple.

Looks like a cooker to me. Maybe a 'Howgate Wonder'? Or maybe I'm seeing things? 😄

What do you reckon?

A fermenting jar of chopped plums

I've decided to have another go at lacto-fermenting plums (last year's weren't so successful). Fingers crossed they'll be ready to sample in a few weeks.

Paging @barmas.bsky.social - any thoughts? 🤔

Wow.

Colours of Autumn 13 plants for early-October earth tones and pops of bright

Colours of Autumn - 13 plants for early-October earth tones and pops of bright www.wildway.info/p/colours-of... (for paid subscribers)

How to figure out if a compost brand is good or not and the brands of peat free compost I use | Jack Wallington | Nature & Gardens Around the world the vast majority of plants on earth grow in a mix of mineral soil and composted organic matter - only those in peatland grow in peat. Over the last ten years I have grown almost ever...

If you're still using peat based compost, it really is time to stop. It's dug straight out of precious natural habitat and releases tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere (literally) in the process. Here's a guide, there are loads of good brands out there www.jackwallington.com/how-to-figur...

The Problem of Writing Poems in the Shape of Deciduous Trees [The poem has been written in the shape of a deciduous tree with letters (or ‘leaves’) missing from the text]: a comm n pr ble  whe  writin p ems in the shape of decid o s  trees is t at once t ere ar ives the fir t sti rings of  he new aut mn breeze,  he   oems will begi  to shake  hemselves  ge tly  ntil their letters loos n d  like leaves, an    they  start                                     to  float  down then [The missing letters from the tree have landed on the last line to form the phrase] turntomushuponthegroun [The final ‘d’ is floating down to complete the phrase.]

Happy National Poetry Day to all those who celebrate.

This year’s theme is ‘play’ so here’s a poem which plays with some letters. It’s called ‘The Problem of Writing Poems in the Shape of Deciduous Trees’.

Image 1. Title: Slides for my lecture at the geology conference Three diagrams of layered forms labelled with: Sandstone, Shale, Igneous rock, Limestone, Granite. Image 2. Title: Slides for my lecture at the desserts conference The same diagrams now labelled with: Sprinkles, Custard, Chocolate, Sponge cake, Berry compote, Biscuit base.

A cartoon from my new book PHYSICS FOR CATS which comes out a week tomorrow! Preorder at you local bookshop or online: www.tomgauld.com/comic-books-v2

Book cover: the Story of the Herefordshire Pomona by Bill Laws

'The Story of the Herefordshire Pomona' by Bill Laws, published by Logaston Press on October 21st, is a delightfully readable tale of the creation of one of the great highlights of Victorian pomology, and the people who created it.

My review: orchardnotes.com/2025/10/01/b...

Happy 1st October! 🍁

The brilliant reds, oranges & yellows of autumn leaves aren’t just a seasonal show, they’re the result of clever chemistry.

A perfect reminder that chemistry always leaves us impressed. 🍂

Many thanks to @compoundchem.com for the fabulous graphic.

#ColourChemistry

The State of HOPE A new mega poll of 45,000 people shows what “people in the UK” are really thinking

💥NEW: Our State of HOPE polling, a mega survey of 45,000 people, shows what people in the UK are really thinking 👇

hopenothate.org.uk/state-of-hope/

Our 2026 Heritage Seed Catalogue is out later this month

Here’s the extra bit:

Everyone on our newsletter list will get, with any retail order, packets of rare & unusual seeds, that we only have in tiny quantities so can’t catalogue.

To register for a copy drop an email to sales@thomasetty.co.uk

Detail of a manicure and a little face gesturing towards the handwritten text of a manuscript in gothic script written on parchment. The man depicted seems angry. The manicure has a sleeve

A manicule with a stretched sleeve drawn in red in the margins pointing towards a text in Gothic script written on parchment

A manicule used to highlight a rubricated section title in a medieval manuscript written in gothic script on parchment

A very large vaguely drawn manicule pointing towards text in gothic script written on parchment

☞☞ Hands-on reading ☜☜

The manicules in #rarebooks are fantastically diverse. Some are tiny & discreet, others take up half the margin; some have flowing sleeves, or even little faces.

They’re glimpses into the personality of readers/scribes highlighting passages worth reading.
#bookhistory 💙📚📜

'Royal Jubilee' apple slices in an electric dehydrator.

It's dehydratin' time!

'Royal Jubilee' apple slices in an electric dehydrator. Should take around 8-10 hours. Should keep in an airtight container for a few months.

Nation’s 56,000 Acres Of Spinach Crops Cooked Down To Single Half-Cup Serving

Nation’s 56,000 Acres Of Spinach Crops Cooked Down To Single Half-Cup Serving

The Sunken Bell is an unpleasant pub. Grim men, salt-scarred and edging mania, hold to its tables as if to let go would cast them adrift in some terrible storm. Even the local farm perries cannot compensate for what can only be called an atmosphere of doom. - Hookland Fruit Cider Pub Guide, 1980

A bumper year for growing food Gardeners across the UK are reporting big harvests

In case you missed it, a discussion on why this year has been so good for growing food www.wildway.info/p/a-bumper-y...

A pair of 'Kidd's Orange Red' apples growing on a tree

Apple 'Kidd's Orange Red'. Sweet, crunchy, juicy, good flavour. Not my tree, so I haven't had the pleasure of enjoying this one this year, but I do have a cordon coming along nicely, so hopefully in a year or two.

A 'Belle de Boskoop' apple, held in the palm of someone's hand, against a leafy background

Apple 'Belle de Boskoop', with additional interesting-looking warty bits. Possible caused by an insect, possibly by hail damage earlier in the season (?), but either way I'm not at all bothered, I'll just slice 'em off and enjoy a meal in an apple.

A single 'Pitmaston Pine Apple' apple, growing on a tree, surrounded by leaves

Apple 'Pitmaston Pine Apple'. Small, russety yellow, packed with flavour. Only a few this year on a 2 yr old cordon tree, but I'm looking forward to bumper crops to come (fingers crossed).

A group of 'Delbard Jubilee' apples growing on a tree, surrounded by leaves

Apple 'Delbard Jubile'. Possibly. Originally supplied as 'Greensleeves', but definitely not right. Supplier's list also included 'Jubilee'. Which could be a 'Jubillee' (Canadian) or 'Delbard Jubile', a.k.a. 'Delbard Jubilée' (French). These fruits are a pretty good match for the latter.

A group of 'Duke of Devonshire' apples growing on a tree

Apple 'Duke of Devonshire'. According to the NFC database, this was raised in 1835 by Wilson, gardener to the Duke of Devonshire at Holker Hall, Lancashire (who obviously wasn't above sucking up to his boss). Another 3-4 weeks before this one ripens.

Three 'Winter Gem' apples growing on a tree, surrounded by leaves

Apple 'Winter Gem'. A very flavourful, late-ripening variety. Raised in the 1970s, introduced in the 1990s. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this one when I first tried it last year, so I'm looking forward to this year's crop of a dozen or so from our cordon tree.

A group of 'Rajka' apples growing on a tree

Apple 'Rajka'. A modern Czech variety, possessing "a combination of the sweetness of Golden Delicious with the juicy acidity of James Grieve" (orangepippin.com) this is the first year that our cordon tree has produced a crop, so I'm looking forward to finding out if they live up to their billing.

A group of 'Herefordshire Russet' apples growing on a tree, surrounded by leaves

Apple 'Herefordshire Russet'. A modern take on a classic style, raised in the 1970s and not introduced until 2003. I do love a russet and this small, 6-7 yr old tree has had its best year yet, with a really good crop. I'm really looking forward to them ripening fully in a week or two.

Today I offer a reminder of the word ‘forswunk’ (13th century): exhausted from too much work. To be ‘foreswunk’ (my own version) is to be exhausted before you even begin.

Why saving the honeybee could be bad news for other bees In this week’s newsletter: a conservation success story has a sting in its tail as wild pollinators pay the price

Why saving the honeybee could be bad news for other bees

The H. H. Bloomer Award An award for an amateur naturalist for an important contribution to the knowledge of natural history.

Just under a fortnight left to nominate any amateur naturalists in your life for the H. H. Bloomer award.

The award recognises the contribution of people who contribute to natural history knowledge in their spare time.

Find out more and nominate by 30 September.
buff.ly/RIp7lQ9