Thursday 2 October 2014

Kitchen Garden Notes – Ham House

If you make your way down past Ham Common and away from the busy roads of South West London you come to the River Thames. Along the tow path there are people strolling along and bicycles whizzing past. Shouts of instructions rise up from the rowing boats. A cursory glance to the side and you may miss Ham House. Set back from the all the obvious signs of modern life you could almost be transported back to the 17th century if it wasn't for the frequent roar of the airplanes overhead.

Ham House was originally a Royal property after being built by Sir Thomas Vavasour in 1610. As Knight Marshal he bestowed it to James I who in turn gave to his son, the future Charles I. After Vavasour died in 1620 it was passed on again and has had a series of owners until The National Trust were given the property in 1948.

I've visited Ham House before but this time there was only one part of the estate I was interested in. Summer has ended now and much of the Kitchen Garden has given up its crops but there's still some wonderful produce to see. There's a few autumn raspberries left on the canes in the soft fruit garden.

The yield of French beans has been good this year and there are still plenty that are waiting to be picked.

Radishes that were sown in August have now grown big and are ready for an early autumn salad. You may not think it is the time of year for salads but this kitchen garden is a sun trap and it's no surprise the café is situated at the end of it.

Looking towards winter there is a row of leeks waiting to be turned into something delicious. I can just imagine a big bowl of warming soup being made with these.

In keeping with the age of the property there's produce not just for eating but for using in medicine. The rhubarb is the same variety as I have at home in 'Timperley Early' but obviously the gardeners at Ham House know better than me and have left the leaves on now the season is over. There's a sign by the rhubarb stating that up to the 18th century rhubarb was only used for medicinal purposes. The first mention of the stalks being used in cooking was in a book from 1806/7.

Of course for medicinal uses a kitchen garden wouldn't be complete without a herb garden. One of the most common and useful herbs has always been sage and there's plenty of it here.

Yet for all of this I have been teasing you. The real stars of the Kitchen Garden at this of year are the many varieties of marrows, squashes and without a doubt the pumpkins.

The pumpkins are everywhere. On the ground...

Climbing up...

Grouped together...

And generally spread across a large section of the garden.

Where's your favourite autumnal garden? Do you know somewhere with a fabulous display of pumpkins?



Manneskjur

30 comments:

  1. what an amazing place! those radishes look huge!

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    1. They had quite a selection of them including some black ones!

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  2. Those pumpkins are getting me in a spooky mood! :) x

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  3. Lots of lovely veg. Loving the colours of the squash, very Autumnal!

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  4. Those pumpkins are gorgeous! Looks like a lovely place to wander around x

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  5. A lovely looking place. M problem is, I get huge garden envy at places like this!

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  6. What a great place to visit :) Me and my children would love to go see all the pumpkins growing..

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  7. There is a place not farm from here with great pumpkins. That place looks great.

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  8. Now I want to go and find a pumpkin growing place and see some with my own eyes! I love how you find all these cool places (and I note that they all have a nice cafe attached too - coincidence, I think not!)
    How I'd love a walled veggie garden *sighs wishfully*

    Thanks for joining in again and giving me pumpkin lust...

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    1. I struck lucky with the pumpkin patch! We may have sought alternative refreshment up the road...

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  9. The pumpkins are magnificent! We tried to grow some a few years ago but they all got eaten by slugs! I can't wait to start making pumpkin soup

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  10. Tis the season for everything pumpkin fa lalalala la la la la! ;)

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  11. I'll never forget my first visit to a pumpkin patch. It was a huge field on a farm that looked like the crash site of some strange orange alien invasion. The thing about pumpkins is, every time you think you've selected the perfect one you spy another that looks even better - we've lost whole hours this way...

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    1. I can imagine! My brother went to a huge pumpkin farm in America last year.

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  12. Those pumpkins look amazing! I love vegetable gardens all neatly laid out.

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  13. It looks lovely there, I think pumpkins look so pretty!

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  14. Never heard of this before but it looks fab. Those pumpkins!!!

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  15. Over here in the US we are surrounded by farms with pumpkin patches! We went to one last year, and we're due a trip over the next couple of weeks, to pick apples and pick up our pumpkins :) #HDYGG

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    1. My brother has been to them when he has been over there. I'm not sure if they sell at Ham House or display them.

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  16. What a lovely garden! I love how cute it looks in fall!

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  17. Look at all those pumpkins!! I wish we had a garden, although that one would be too big for me - lovely place to visit though!

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  18. ooh what beautiful colours of Autumn

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  19. Oh look at those pumpkins. I adore walled gardens and this looks ace

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  20. I feel like we were just treated to a mini history lesson, love it.
    Those pumpkins look wonderful, never knew there were climbing types

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    1. I've never seen clumbing pumpkins before. I do hopefully try to educate as well as entertain!

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  21. wow the place looks really great and those pumpkins are awesome.

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  22. I've always fancied growing pumpkins up a trellis but fear they will pull it over. I need to investigate some small varieties.

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  23. I have never been to an autumn garden. Looking at those pumpkins, I really think I must.

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  24. Wow what a cool place. I love anywhere with a pumpkin patch! Love the photos of the squash!

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  25. I am getting so excited for Halloween now! What perfect pumpkins!!!!

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