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Island Seasons
April 2008
What’s in Season?
Vegetables: purple sprouting broccoli, spinach, watercress, tomatoes, garlic and asparagus by the end of the month
Fruit: rhubarb
Fish: crab
Its National Garlic Day on 19th April, so get munching white and oak smoked garlic from the Garlic Farm, or plant your own.
Get Out and About
As the hedges are so full of flowers, why not get out and about on some of the Island’s green lanes and bridleways. Shank’s pony is the best way of enjoying the flowers we think. Some great places for wild flowers include:
- America Wood, Sandown
- St Catherine’s Down (Hoy monument end), Chale
- Parkhurst Forest, Newport
- Headon Warren, Totland
If April is a bit cold and blustery, wait until the Walking Festival in May for some inspiration www.isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk
In the Fields and Hedgerows
Almost all the Island lanes are blazing with celandines and primroses, and the first cranesbill and bluebell flowers can also be seen. Ramsons are at their peak right now, and make a tasty, slightly garlicky addition to salads, but loose their bite when gently wilted in butter. They’ll soon be carpeting woodland in white flowers.
Some trees are now coming into leaf, and should be fully clad by the end of the month. Some leaves are edible, including young hawthorn leaves, which are known as ‘bread and cheese’; nature’s own nammet. The leaves can be added to salads and sandwiches and taste slightly nutty.
Last year’s lambs are making great eating right now, as they’re very lean and tasty. This year’s lamb crop can be seen in all of the fields and if you want to see what lambing is all about, Newbarn Farm has an open weekend on 12th & 13th April from 10 til 4.30pm daily. The turning to Newbarn Farm is on the right as you drive into Shorwell from Newport. If you get to the roundabout, you’ve gone too far!
Also in the fields, oilseed rape is ripening yellow and potatoes are being planted.