I am currently enjoying watching The RHS Chelsea Flower Show which is being aired on TV all this week. I find it very soothing and am inspired by the stories behind each glorious garden. Last night saw presenter Monty Don talking to a member of the RHS and a GP regarding the health benefits of gardening.
It has been proven scientifically that gardening is good for us, however, many people assume this is to do with the physicality of gardening. Studies have concluded that even looking at a garden can give us a mental boost, nature is, by its very nature, known for its relaxing qualities and gardens are a place for tranquility and healing. In fact the evidence regarding the effect nature has on our mental health is so compelling that the health factor has its own name-horticultural therapy.
Horticultural therapy is now being used successfully to treat hospital patients and to calm prisoners, the positive power of being in the garden helps make people feel renewed inside. Psychological repair is aided by the ritual of creating and being in a regenerative environment. In our secular and consumerist society we have lost touch with nature, we have secluded ourselves from the natural and healing influences, as Freud said: 'Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions or conflicts.'
Rather like cooking, gardening is a sensory activity, however, in these modern, technological times these have been eschewed in favour of less demanding/rewarding pursuits. Gardening can be intimidating but what's the harm in experimenting? Children love planting seeds and seeing the magic of plants growing and in several mental health recovery projects across the UK, youngsters are proudly growing food which is sold to local restaurants.
Of course our gardens aren't just a sanctuary for humans, they are a haven for wildlife. My small garden is a host to numerous birds, (we currently have blue tits nesting in a bird box and a very tame robin) we have a family of field mice, a frog (or toad, I'm not sure which) and on any given day I see butterflies and bees amongst the flower beds. Sadly, due to the urbanisation of our countryside many birds are suffering alarming declines in their numbers and such is the rate of decline of hedgehogs, it is believed they could disappear from Britain within 15 years.
Those of us who do have gardens are increasingly looking for low maintenance options and are literally paving paradise. Parents no longer spend hours in the garden with their children teaching them about nature, it's all about instant gratification, thus the dreaded enclosed trampoline is a popular addition to many family gardens.
Rather than paving or decking, many people are opting for artificial grass which is much more aesthetically pleasing and easier to maintain than real grass, whilst it won't be attractive to birds it is eco friendly. Generally, people with artificial grass are more disposed to keeping plants and wanting a more natural garden environment than those who have replaced their lawns with concrete slabs.
The number of wild animals on earth has halved in the past 40 years according to new analysis. Because of the way we choose to live and because we are no longer at one with nature, we are destroying their habitats. I find it immensely sad that anything which requires a bit of nurturing or patience, be it cooking or gardening, has fallen out of favour with us as a society, after all, our addiction to candy crush, twitter, computer games, instagram and The Jeremy Kyle show is no comparison to a healing garden!
Finally, my father was a self taught gardener and I have fond memories of him pottering amongst his plants and tending his lawn. When my parents died and I sold my family home I transferred some small plants from their garden to mine. Each spring as these plants burst into life I feel like I have a little bit of mum and dad still with me.
Todays recipe is more an assembly of ingredients than actual cooking and was inspired by my wanting to spend what has been a lovely day in the garden. I didn't want to spend half an hour preparing a salad, yet I wanted fresh summery flavours to accompany a nice chilled glass of white wine.
Tapenade is an acquired taste with many Britons screwing their noses up at Mediterranean ingredients such as capers, anchovies, garlic and olives. For me it is the ultimate savoury dish as it's a combination of salty ingredients. You can adapt your tapenade to suit your taste, quite simply, olives pulsed with a little lemon juice and olive oil is delicious. Adding anchovies and capers may be too salty for some palettes, so try with one or the other.
Mediterranean tapenade
Recipe
200g olives, you can use green or black olives or a combination of both
2 anchovy fillets, well rinsed if packed in salt
1 tbsp capers, well rinsed if packed in salt
1 fat clove garlic
Juice 1/2 a lemon
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Place all ingredients, excluding the pepper, in a blender and pulse leaving it as chunky or smooth as you like, spread on toast or crusty bread and season with pepper
I like to add ripe cherry tomatoes
'The single greatest lesson the garden teaches us is that our relationship to the planet need not be zero-sum, and that as long as the sun still shines and people can plan and plant, think and do, we can, if we bother to try, find ways to provide for ourselves without diminishing the planet.'
- Michael Pollan
Love Donna xxxxxxx
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