Nopcorn

Dried Cob

 It was the seed of an idea sown during a brainstorming session with the schoolchildren.

Child: I'm not really interested in any of the vegetables growing in the garden.

Volunteer:  What's your favourite food then.

Child: Well I like popcorn.

Volunteer: Well shall we try to grow that?

Child: Huh?!?!


Research suggested that the corn variety Strawberry was suitable for making popcorn and was also rather decorative being red instead of yellow. So we bought some seed and planted the resulting plants into the school garden.  And it grew:

Now we were not to know that 2019 was going to have a really miserable summer - especially the second half.  No one that I know of has had any success with 'normal' sweetcorn this year.  So I was quite chuffed when the odd couple of cobs grew to any size at all.  This was the best:

After letting the cob dry out thoroughly it was time today to try to 'pop' it.  

Attempt 1  Place the whole cob onto a really hot frying pan.  Result: charred cob and 2  audible cracks.  Pan ruined, kitchen smelling like a campfire. No popcorn.

Burnt but not popped

Attempt 2:  Blitz in the microwave.  Result - very much like I imagine the blitz was. Flashes of light and smoke and disturbing noises.  But once the smoke had cleared there was evidence of some genuine popping in amongst the burnt offering:

Next time I might go straight to the microwave method.

So an experiment with very limited results - probably not to be repeated.  I mean who would be that foolhardy?

Now here's the real thing:

RBGE Trip The Light Fantastic

After a week's delay due to bad weather we made it to the Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh Christmas lights display.

This was better with the interactive music

Yes the trees were still there - and some featured,

A face to launch a thousand ships?

Hot House?

Pointilism?

December Crops - School Garden

Dadah!

4 Seasons Beds (Brassicas behind)

It's time for the harvest from the 4 seasons "winter" bed in the school garden.  The aim of these square meter beds is to demonstrate that there is something to be harvested in every quarter of the year. The winter harvest has been bolstered by produce from the brassica bed, notably brussel sprouts:

The school celeriac has rubbed salt into the wound by producing better celeriac than I have ever managed to grow on my allotment. (Despite the plants the from the same batch of seedlings)
Other pickings are:

Seakale Beet 

Swede or ' Neep'

Kohlrabi

Beetroot

Once you re picking parsnips it begins to feel a bit like Christmas:

Compostable Material

I'm starting an experiment today.

The question was posed: Are the claims of degradation of plastic alternatives justified?  Do they biodegrade as efficiently as they claim?

Today this bag has gone into my compost dalek, along with the usual kitchen vegetable waste.  I will leave all alone for three months when I will make my first check on progress. 

A few notes:

This was promoted as a people's science experiment but after volunteering I have heard nothing further from the organisers, so I am doing this off my own bat.

Biodegradability is different from home compostability and isn't on its own a cure for all aspects of the recycling problem - see the thought provoking article here  

I have been caught out before, most notably with teabags, which it turns out have a plastic element (glue?) to them.  Worse still the seemingly "paper" sachets some come in turn out to be plasticised and turn up years later when harvesting potatoes.