Have you noticed this green fruit at Martineau Gardens yet?
Just coming into season, the young ‘wet’ walnuts are plumping up nicely. Resembling in looks, a perfect, smooth ‘green’ plum and a little larger than a lime, (the walnut is the wrinkled stone inside) we have had lots of interest from visitors asking what they are.
The smell is exquisite.
Martineau Gardens is always delighted to see Ben (left) from Simpsons’ restaurant on a ‘foraging expedition’. This week he brought his colleague Andrei (right) and they left with a crop of walnuts for pickling.
Here’s a recipe (credit: Richard Mabey, Food for Free, ed. Collins Gem 2004) which our Visitor Welcome Team volunteer Roxy has encouraged us to sample:
Walnut Pickle:
“Use green walnuts; they should be soft enough to pass a knitting needle or skewer through. Prick them lightly with a fork to allow the pickle to permeate the skin and leave them to stand in strong brine for about a week until they are quite black. Drain and wash them and let them dry for two or three days more. Pack them into jars and cover with hot pickling vinegard. Seal the jars and allow ro stand for at least a month before eating.”
Walnuts at Martineau Gardens August 29, 2018
Stick Man is coming August 22, 2018
Record result at the Summer Garden Party August 17, 2018
Mid-July saw the return of our Summer Fundraising Garden Party, organised by our chair of Trustees, Sue Roberts. The gardens were looking beautiful on this marvellous evening, which brought guests together to enjoy an evening of food, wine and live music. Our charity auction was the highlight of the evening with Jeremy Thornton, of Biddle and Webb Auctioneers as our pro-bono auctioneer. Our musicians were ‘Wild Clover’, our caterers were ‘Food Fanatics’ and helping Majestic to serve the wine were members of the Calthorpe Residents Society who also helped so enthusiastically with clearing and washing up. Having just launched our new Corporate Sponsorship Scheme we were delighted to welcome our first corporate sponsors to the event, Nicholls Brimble Bhol and Dermoperfection, and also our event sponsors Bira and Quality Solicitors Davisons.
Below, a gallery of photos with thanks to Jonathan Middle for this super set.
Our thanks to all the individuals, organisations and businesses who have supported this event – we raised a record £13,650 for Martineau Gardens.
Photos following, credit SHD:
Cricket – Visiting the Gardens during the Test Match August 3, 2018
Parking for Cricket Fans
Wednesday 1 to Sunday 5 August 2018 Cricket:
Cricket is taking place at Edgbaston Cricket Ground, close to Martineau Gardens on between Wednesday 1 to Sunday 5 August 2018. You can park your car in the Martineau Gardens car park (subject to availability) for a fee (please see signs on site), we have space for 24 cars.
Thank you for choosing to park here.
- Your fee is helping to support a great cause and local charity.
- Martineau Gardens is a registered charity and a therapeutic community garden. We run education and therapeutic horticulture projects in the Gardens. The Gardens are here for the people of Birmingham to enjoy peace and tranquillity.
- To find out more about what happens here, visit this page
Your car is parked at your own risk. The gates will be locked or staffed, and staff will be on site throughout the match. If you wish to collect your car, before the end of the match, please phone 0121 440 7430 when you are outside the Gardens and we’ll unlock the gates.
At the end of play, the gates will be open for half an hour. Our staff will need to go home, so if you arrive later than this, you risk your car being locked in until 9.30am tomorrow morning, or an additional £15 charge.
Enjoy the cricket!
Visitors to the Gardens
If you’re planning to visit Martineau Gardens on Friday or Saturday (we’re closed to the public on Sunday), the car park will be full – we’d love you to come and visit but please leave the car at home, (or arrange to be dropped off) and use public transport. Martineau Gardens is well served by buses. The nearest bus routes are 1, 45, 47, 61, 63, To plan your journey by public transport, visit www.traveline.info and use the postcode search – Martineau Gardens postcode is B5 7UG. Alternatively, arrive by bike and bring your bike down to our bike rack, close to the Pavilion.
Friday 3 Aug – due to a local power cut, we are unable to make hot drinks – but cold drinks are on offer, donations welcomed.
When you arrive, the gates will be locked, please phone the office on 0121 440 7430 and we will unlock the gates for you.