It was back to Newcastle Market again this month, in my role as artist gardener for the growing season, meeting people in town for a chat about all things gardening related.
The weather was in stark contrast to the April sittings. Warm sunshine cheered the market, bringing out the scent of flowers on Darren Taylor’s plant stall. There were unusual sights and sounds to behold. The fruit and veg man had the first of the British strawberries on his stall, and he sang across the market; ‘strawberries, strawberries, lovely strawww-berrr-rieees!’. Tempted, by his refrain, I ended up with a carrier bag stuffed to the top with soft fruit for a tenner!
Back on my stall, Chris, a former chef, told me all about the herbs he grew for cooking. He got me to try an experiment; eat a mint before taking a sip of a lovely hot cappuccino he brought over for me, from the Piccoloco coffee van. The idea is by cleansing your mouth with a mint, you enhance the taste of the food or drink that follows. It certainly brought out the depth of flavours in the coffee, and I will have to try that again. To add to the experience, he serenaded me with Charles Aznavour’s “She”, accompanied by a backing track on his mobile phone! That is a first, during my career as an artist!
I’ve been hearing about some of the secret gardens around Newcastle from visitors to the market. For instance, residents in one street have brought a little bit of France to the end of their road. They’ve created a pétanque or boules playing area – or a “terrain de pétanque”. Alongside this, they’ve planted a little community garden, and take care of the area as neighbours. It’s come into its own during lockdown. I sent them off with some seedling to bring a little bit of colour to their tiny bit of France!
Another visitor told me all about a guerrilla garden she created after two huge conifer trees were felled at the side of her house, leaving an untended space. In order to create a low-cost garden, she resolved to collect seeds from flowers, and from kitchen scraps, such as pepper seeds and lemon pips. She now has two lemon trees and what she described as ‘a jungle’ of flowers, peppers, tomatoes, melons; no plan to the planting, other than letting them get on with it.
Somebody else told me about their ‘garden’ even although she lives in a flat. Just outside the main door, she tends to London Pride, a cherry tree, and three hydrangeas. London Pride is an interesting plant, and its Latin name gives a clue as to its suitability in towns and cities – Saxifaga urbium – or “city saxifrage”.
I’ll finish this diary entry with a useful piece of gardening advice from a man, who said:
“I just like to have a go [at gardening]. I mean, in the wild, flowers just get on with it. They set seed and the seeds grow, no human intervention. So, I use that philosophy – Let things grow themselves!”
It’s a gardening mantra that’s easy to remember!
Ladybird Su
Garden artist for the Growing Season
Newcastle Common
Don’t forget to share your experience of coming to the Takeaway Garden, your gardening tips and memories using #TakeAwayGarden on social media.
Images by Jenny Harper
