Garden breaks

From the Kitchen Garden: Dragoons of Cardoons and Armies of Artichokes

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We have been growing globe artichokes and cardoons in The Torridon gardens. The cardoons, in particular have impressive thistle-like purple flower heads and look like something from a science fiction movie. The bracts surrounding the flowers provide our chefs with…

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From the Kitchen Garden: Doing the Crocosmia Walk

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We have a fine show of Crocosmia (Lucifer) in the centre of kitchen garden. Many of the flowers have been cut for the hotel and they provide a strong vibrant display. The leaves can be used to create rush baskets…

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From the Kitchen Garden: Metamorphoses and Transformations on Moth Torridon

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It takes time for gardens to evolve and we continue to work away in the Torridon kitchen garden. Our new raised beds are giving us our first crop of potatoes: Blue Danube waltzes into view, Desiree – it sounds like…

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From the Kitchen Garden: Flower and Eggs for Breakfast in Beds

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Breakfasts at the Torridon are really special. How do you like your eggs; over-easy, sunny-side up, fried or boiled? We have a special egg-like treat in the kitchen garden too; the smiling yellow centres of the (inedible) poached egg plant,…

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From the Kitchen Garden: Cooking with Wild Herbs and Flowers

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We use all sorts of wild flowers and herbs in the Torridon kitchen. Take the piquant wild garlic (allium ursinum), for example, which is added to our potato and leek soup or its leaves gently chopped into a fresh salad,…

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From the Kitchen Graden: When Snail’s Pace Turns to Sprint

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Things in the garden are looking up, like the view of this snail I got grazing on the Lobaria lichens on one of old trees. The snail’s pace of winter changing to spring has speeded up towards summer. It was…

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From the Kitchen Garden: A Geisha Girl at the Torridon

Japonica quince

Our Japonica quince as been flowering this month on the south gable of the potting shed. Chanomeles japonica quinces come in a wide variety of colours: lime green, white, pink and our own bright scarlet.

If you would like…

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From the Kitchen Garden: The Poplar Scent of Spring

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Our Balsam poplars are bursting into leaf and bud and the scent of toffee apples and candy floss hang in the air. Makes me think we should encourage Bruno the Torridon chef to create my favourite sweet dish, brandy snaps…

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From the Kitchen Garden: The Herbal Health Spa

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We grow lots of herbs and flowers in the Torridon garden and are keen to use them to promote the health and well-being of guests who already benefit from the fantastic scenery, the ever-changing light and the wonderful peace and…

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Photographic opportunities abound

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The Torridon grounds provide numerous photograph opportunities thanks to the surrounding mountain landscape and the ever changing light and its associated drama. A number of British artists, such as Andy Goldsworthy and Richard Long,…

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From the Kitchen Garden: Hazel Trees and Yellow Catkins

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The large hazel trees around the Torridon grounds look fantastic in their hanging tresses of yellow catkins.

These are the male flowers and the dust of their pollen, released by the wind, is what fertilizes the tiny red female flowers.…

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