Friday 25 October 2019

Chestnuts and Wine

October is well and truly here with its requisite wind and rain, but what does October mean to you? Snuggling up indoors, throwing a Halloween party or hunting for conkers and chestnuts?

October was originally the eighth month of the Roman calendar, hence its name taken from the Latin word for eight, “octo”. Its historic Germanic name was Wein-mond, meaning wine month, could be a good time of year for curling up indoors with a glass!

If you’re braving the outdoors to walk among the fallen leaves and search for chestnuts and conkers, there are a few things you may be interested to know. Conkers are the seeds of the horse chestnut tree and tradition has it that they can be used to ward off spiders. Householders used to surround their homes with conkers to keep out the eight-legged creatures, but there is no proof that this actually works. While conkers are not suitable for human consumption, chestnuts certainly are and can be roasted, grilled, boiled or added to a variety of recipes. For great roast chestnuts, set your oven to 200ºC, 400ºF or Gas 6, cut a cross in the skin of each nut, place in a roasting tin and cook for about 30 minutes until tender.

 
On October 13th this year the full moon known as Hunter’s Moon was visible. The name appears to date back to Anglo-Saxon times, when meat was hunted and preserved in preparation for the coming winter.

Being prepared for winter is a sensible plan, whether it means buying new coats and boots, stocking up the larder with a few basics or talking to Horsford about new windows and doors to help keep the cold out of your home.

Whatever you do this Autumn, have a great time.

Friday 7 June 2019

Flaming (or freezing) June


Meteorological summer officially started on 1st June and we're hoping for sunny weather to get out in the garden and warm days to spend time at the beach. But there's no doubt that our weather can be very unpredictable.

Back in June 1975, snow fell in various parts of the country, interrupting cricket matches and causing consternation. Some of the coldest June temperatures were actually recorded on the Norfolk/Suffolk border in 1962, when Santon Downham experienced a cold snap of a shivering -5.6 degrees!

However the record for the hottest June temperature was set in 2003, when Kent experienced a blazing 38.5 degrees. 

So this year we hope it will be a warm and sunny summer, but just to hedge your bets, you could opt for a Horsford conservatory or orangery so that you can enjoy your garden whatever the weather.



To get in touch:

Call 01603 666414 (Norwich)

or 01263 514594 (Cromer) 

or FREEPHONE 0800 0155551


Tuesday 26 February 2019

Your Garden Room

A great way to get enjoyment from your garden all year round, whatever the weather, is to add a conservatory or orangery to your home. Not only does this provide a great place to view your garden, but you can make it a haven for plants, bringing your garden indoors.

Orangeries were originally constructed to house fruit trees, and you could still consider growing your own citrus fruits indoors today. You may need to monitor indoor temperatures depending on what you choose to grow, but lemons and kumquats are considered the most resilient. Olive trees are also good to grow in conservatories as they are evergreens that you can prune to your desired size and shape and hopefully be rewarded with a tasty harvest!

When it comes to flowers in your conservatory, Peace Lilies are a great choice as they are known for cleaning the air, whilst being easy to look after. Indoor Azaleas are also a good idea, adding splashes of colour including pinks, reds and purples.

Other popular conservatory choices that fair well include cacti, ferns and succulents such as Aloe Vera. 

Whatever you choose to grow in your conservatory or orangery, we're sure you'll be able to create a very personal garden room.

Get prepared for the season ahead - have a chat with the Horsford Team:

Call 01603 666414 (Norwich) or 
01263 514594 (Cromer) 
or FREEPHONE 0800 0155551
web: http://www.horsfordwindowandconservatory.com