Growing our own

"Growing our own" blog post banner

flat leaf parsley and coriander growing on a windowsill

This year we decided to grow more of our own – and we’ve got no excuse, as Todmorden‘s the home of Incredible Edible.

strawberries growing in a vintage terracotta strawberry pot

We have a variety of crops to look forward to in the coming weeks.

home-grown beetroot in vintage enamel breadbin home-grown peashoots grown in vintage metal bucket

Most of them are growing in containers as much of our garden is paved with stone cobbles. It also makes protecting them from the ubiquitous slugs & snails much easier.

tomato plants growing in a vintage mini greenhouse

We use lots of the old galvanised metal ‘dolly tubs’, buckets and bins.

courgette flowers in a vintage metal dolly tub

The plants seem to like it!

potato plants overflowing from a vintage metal dolly tub just outside the kitchen door pink stems of rhubarb growing out of a vintage metal dolly tub

Potatoes, beetroot, carrots, tomatoes, rhubarb, strawberries, broccoli, courgettes, squash, peashoots, salad leaves, a variety of herbs – and yes, those are figs.

tiny fruits growing on a fig tree

There’s still a little room for some flowers.

lilac coloured osteospermum growing in a vintage metal bucket

pink lupins growing in a vintage dolly tub pink lupins growing in a vintage dolly tub

Perennials like the hostas, astilbes and lupins return each year like old friends. Although this year’s harsh winter saw a few losses.

purple lobelia growing in a vintage metal bucket

red geraniums just about ready to flower

To these we add a few annuals – osteospermums, lobelia and the like.

hosta leaves

pink fox glove about to flower growing next to a giant ribbed terracotta urn young purple shoots of astilbe plants

We’ve enjoyed working in the garden this year, growing our own. We don’t think self-sufficiency is here just yet – but hopefully we’ll reap some rewards!

An apple a day

Vintage teatowel detail showing fruit & vegetable illustration | H is for Home

Where were we with our nature-influenced design blog posts? We’ve been slightly sidetracked with the opening of our new shop.

tea towel detail showing fruit and vegetables | H is for Home tea towel detail showing fruit and vegetables | H is for Home
Details of a vintage 1960s/70s calorific value tea towel

We’ve previously looked at fish, birds, flowers and leaves – today it’s the turn of fruit & vegetables.

tea cup and saucer; 'Eden' design by Meakin | H is for Home Figgjo Flint butter dish | H is for Home
‘Eden’ design by Meakin & Figgjo Flint butter dish

Vintage footed strawberry plate | H is for Home1950s strawberry bowl

They’ve been used as inspiration in artwork, illustration, decorative objects and unsurprisingly kitchen and dining wares.

pottery spice pot with apple decoration made by Hornsea Pottery | H is for Home pottery milk jug produced by Goebel Pottery | H is for Home
Hornsea Pottery & Goebel Pottery

Lidded Arabia orange marmalade pot | H is for Home Vintage Arabia apple preserve pot | H is for Home
Pair of Arabia preserve pots

Apples have always proved a very popular decorative subject, particularly strong during the 1960s & 70s it seems.

Wooden apple | H is for Home Blue glass apple | H is for Home

We love this glass apple designed by Ingeborg Lundin for Orrefors in 1955

Glass apple designed by Ingeborg Lundin for Orrefors | H is for Home

Comfort me with apples slipware pottery charger | H is for Home

Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love – Song of Solomon, 2:5, King James bible.

Bill Charmatz vintage illustration of bowl of fruit | H is for Home Bill Charmatz vintage illustration of a stock pot | H is for Home

Cookbook illustrations from the 1950s are a firm favourite of ours.

And obviously you’ll need something to put all this fruit & veg in!!

Vintage cane fruit bowl | H is for Home Vintage Rye Pottery fruit bowl | H is for Home

These are two nice recent finds – a 1960s globe cane fruit basket and a 1950s Rye Pottery fruit dish.