This week all things Halloween. Linda Ballard gave us the origins of some Halloween customs, Barbara Pilcher told us all about squashes and pumpkins, John Cushnie went daft about hazelnuts and Mike Snowden extolled the virtues of apples.
Hazelnuts
Cherrie McIlwaine and John Cushnie visited a hazelnut copice before they prepared to plant a hazelnut tree.
The corylus contorta, a garden favourite, will fruit but not abundantly and although it is not a Northern Irish tradition to plant hazelnut trees John thought we were all missing a trick. Not only were the catkins decorative but the fruits were tasty.
His favoured variety was corylus maxima purpurea (or fllbert) with it's purple foliage and attractive catkins. As he and Cherrie prepared to plant the two year old tree he advised any listener who was planning to plant trees at present to make sure the hole was twice the size of the root ball and to water extremely well as it had been such a dry autumn.
To find out how to make the most of your hazelnut tree listen to the programme. Apples at Ardress
Cherrie picked a beautiful autumn morning to visit Mike Snowden in the orchards of Ardress. Here they specialised in the older irish varieties such as the Greasey Pippon, the Bloody Butcher. (which as blush pink flesh), and Four Square. If you plan to add an apple tree to your garden Mike advised that you research your conditions and make sure the variety was self-pollinating. If you were planning more than one tree then you should ensure that the varieties chosen were compatible when it came to pollination. Apple varieties.
Pumpkins and Squashes
Kim Lenaghan visited Barbara Pilcher down at Lisdoon Herbs and discovered a stunning display of pumpkins and winter squashes. One of her favourites was Crown Prince which had a bluey green outer skin and yellow-orange flesh. Barbara picked her varieties carefully from seed catalogues and started them off in individual pots from mid-March.
To cook them Barbara favoured roasting but if you were in a hurry they were delicious stir fried in oil and garlic, with a little rosemary and ginger root added, and a turn or two of salt and pepper. This could then be paired up with pasta or rice.
This week all things Halloween. Linda Ballard gave us the origins of some Halloween customs, Barbara Pilcher told us all about squashes and pumpkins, John Cushnie went daft about hazelnuts and Mike Snowden extolled the virtues of apples. 
Hazelnuts
His favoured variety was corylus maxima purpurea (or fllbert) with it's purple foliage and attractive catkins. As he and Cherrie prepared to plant the two year old tree he advised any listener who was planning to plant trees at present to make sure the hole was twice the size of the root ball and to water extremely well as it had been such a dry autumn. 
Cherrie picked a beautiful autumn morning to visit Mike Snowden in the orchards of Ardress. Here they specialised in the older irish varieties such as the Greasey Pippon, the Bloody Butcher. (which as blush pink flesh), and Four Square. If you plan to add an apple tree to your garden Mike advised that you research your conditions and make sure the variety was self-pollinating. If you were planning more than one tree then you should ensure that the varieties chosen were compatible when it came to pollination. 
Kim Lenaghan visited Barbara Pilcher down at Lisdoon Herbs and discovered a stunning display of pumpkins and winter squashes. One of her favourites was Crown Prince which had a bluey green outer skin and yellow-orange flesh. Barbara picked her varieties carefully from seed catalogues and started them off in individual pots from mid-March.
