What’s in this issue?
Move over Christmas, Easter is coming through! And here’s a controversial opinion – it might just be our favourite celebration of the year. The light, the sunshine, the countryside wrapped in green, the sense of expectation and hope. We also adore the food – the roast lamb, tiny peas, spring cabbage and buttery new potatoes. Chef Miranda Gore Browne picks up the theme in her seven-page homage to all things Easter, adding: “I love Easter nest pavlovas, chocolate crispy cakes filled with speckled eggs, softly-spiced homemade hot cross buns - and Easter eggs, of course!” If you agree with her, she’s got some delicious recipes for you to try at home, including Easter cupcakes, white chocolate and raspberry cheesecakes, and tiny savoury quiches.
Elsewhere, to take advantage of the better weather, we’ve got a 20-page spring gardening special with topical tips for the garden and veg patch, plus an opportunity to win a mini-greenhouse worth £300.
Finally, if you’ve been enjoying ‘Our Welsh Chapel Dream’ and the ‘Great Pottery Throw Down’ on TV over the past few months, Keith Brymer Jones tells us what three things in life he simply can’t do without! Clue: may include clay.
Elsewhere, to take advantage of the better weather, we’ve got a 20-page spring gardening special with topical tips for the garden and veg patch, plus an opportunity to win a mini-greenhouse worth £300.
Finally, if you’ve been enjoying ‘Our Welsh Chapel Dream’ and the ‘Great Pottery Throw Down’ on TV over the past few months, Keith Brymer Jones tells us what three things in life he simply can’t do without! Clue: may include clay.
Also
in this edition…
- Stop the family farm tax - The campaign to stop the damaging family farm tax continues and we’ll be providing you with all the latest campaign news.
- View from the Farm - Our regular columnist Joe Stanley gives an update on the latest developments at his Leicestershire farm as the sights and sounds of spring make an appearance.
- Easter feast – Miranda Gore Browne is focusing on delicious cupcakes and savoury treats for Easter – fun baking with lots of different Easter-themed toppings.
- The Deer of Britain - Elegant, enigmatic and mystical – deer are much-loved occupants of the British countryside. But do you know your Roe from your Fallow, and have you ever wondered why so many pubs are called ‘The White Hart’?
- Growing challenges - Lorna Maybery goes behind the scenes at a Hampshire nursery who’ve taken growing their own to a whole new level.
- How to… create a dog-friendly garden - So you’ve got the dog of your dreams, but how do you make sure your garden is dog-friendly too? Canine expert Carolyn Menteith looks at everything from design, space and safety.
- British livestock breeds - Shropshire sheep are one of the oldest pedigree registered breeds in the UK, but far from being old-fashioned and outdated, their strengths make them ideal for the modern kind of sustainable farming.
- Buyer’s guide to livestock trailers – From compact to capacious, there’s a livestock trailer to suit every scale of farming or smallholding operation. James Andrews looks at some of the options.
- In search of sanctuary - Gardener and TV presenter Ramona Jones has a new book out called ‘Growing’, where she talks about nurturing nature and mental health in the garden.
- A place of beauty and cherry blossom – Nicola Stocken heads to the beautiful Batsford Arboretum in Gloucestershire where Japanese cherry trees are breaking out into blossom.
- Diary dates - As the days lengthen, we’ll be giving our handy guide to all the shows and events to attend in rural Britain this month.
- Three things I can’t live without – Keith Brymer Jones is best known as a judge from popular Channel 4 series, ‘The Great Pottery Throw Down’, and here he tells us what are his must-haves in life!
