Weaving Bulrush

To weaver Felicity Irons, the bulrush that sprouts in abundance along our riverbanks is reminiscent of a root vegetable.

“When I’m in the workshop, I love recognising where the rushes were cut and thinking about how this raw plant - which looks like onions when it’s growing in the river - can be turned into such a range of things,” explains the Bedfordshire-based maker, whose commissions span floor matting for the Game of Thrones and Hever Castle, bedheads for the Heckfield Place hotel, basketry, tableware and even shoes.

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Ulla Johnson x Niwaki

Is nature the ultimate couturier? There’s certainly a lifetime’s worth of inspiration to be taken from the colours, shapes and scents of the garden, so it’s no surprise to learn that Ulla herself is a keen gardener.

Niwaki has partnered with eponymous luxury women’s fashion brand Ulla Johnson to create a highly desirable ikebana kit, complete with everything you need to start making beautiful and stylish floral display: just add flowers and water.

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Earthed

Earthed is a charity and a nature skills platform that exists to make every river, city, farm and balcony burst with life. Here, you can learn skills from their nature teachers, celebrate traditional knowledge and those who hold it and take part in community activities across many topics and terrains.

With the power of their community, Earthed will remove the obstacles that prevent us from regenerating our local ecosystems, and provide access to the necessary skills, networks and funds that enable life to flourish. Earthed is a charity that unites people in positive, nature-centered solutions.

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Lily’s Shed

In the suburbs of Melbourne, where the sprawl of spacious homes often comes at the expense of green landscapes, Lily's Shed by OSA Architects emerges as a beacon of thoughtful, adaptive design.

This isn't merely a place to store garden tools; it's a versatile garden room that redefines the concept of a shed. With its sliding panels, the structure offers an adaptable connection to the surrounding garden and the rear laneway, crafting a dynamic interaction with its environment.

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Recipe | Vegan Moussaka

This vegan moussaka was driven by the contents of fridge - two aubergines and some potatoes that needed eating up. 

We had some vegan ragu in the freezer - an all conquering rich tomatoey sauce with vegan mince and kidney beans that can become chilli con “carne” or enchiladas…… We like Beyond Mince (weirdly meaty) or Quorn frozen mince which is handy and cheap. 

To Make (for 4):

- Slice 2 large aubergines into slices, salt, drizzle with olive oil and roast for about 20-25 mins turning half way through.

- Make a vegan ragu (mince, onion, garlic, any finely diced veg, two tins tomatoes, some tomato puree, bit of red wine etc I like to add a bit of marmite and miso for a deeper flavour) I often add red lentils or beans for added protein.  Keep checking the flavour until its really deep and rich (you can add some chopped dried mushrooms if you have some around). 

-  Vegan Bechemel - I used olive oil and flour to make a roux, then oat milk plus plenty of B12 Engevita yeast flakes, fresh grated nutmeg, and ground pepper (stir continuously until thick and creamy).  Check the seasoning. 

- Slice 4 large potatoes into thin strips and par boil (about 5 mins - I put some bouillon in the water to make them tastier)

To Assemble:
In an oven-proof dish, layer the ragu, then aubergines, then more ragu, then potatoes then top with Bechemel and sprinkle with more yeast flakes and a good grind of pepper…. Bake in oven for about 30-40 mins at 180ish

To Serve:
Works really well with a fresh salad of rocket with peas and mint in a zesty apple cider vinegar, olive oil and mustard dressing with toasted seeds sprinkled on top (more protein). 

YUM!