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What is it with some shops in Church Street? Nobody minds a
laid-back Stokey chat but in certain establishments there is no such thing as popping in
for a few quick slices of salami and the odd Provençal duck egg.
 No names, no pack-drill but there is a place where old ladies have been
carried out in boxes, children grown to adolescence and newly pregnant women spontaneously
laboured while waiting in their perfectly ridiculous queues. Many's the time I've bottled
out at the door thinking, ' I've got a dentist's appointment in 3 hours time sod the
raisin and rosemary bread.'
I'm as tolerant as anyone else of moody Mediterraneans and emerging BritPop artists behind
the counter. But the idea of a service system, as in lots of people equals all hands to
the pump smartish, gives some luvvies vapours when they're too busy having in-depth
discussions about which side of the vineyard the olives hail from. I've actually broken
the spell more than once by saying, 'Why don't you accompany her home and cook the bloody
sausages as well?' which went down like a packet of pork scratchings from Londis at the
time.
Certain cafés can be a joke. Sullen waiterish sorts of persons (who make it plain they
should by Divine Right be gracing the stage of the National, not attending to the likes of
you) plod their painful progress through each customer instead of one firing the
cappuchino machine while the others get buttering and filling. It's only common sense
after all. And the prices! The other day I paid £2.50 for a slice of pecan pie. Marco
Pierre White might balk at that.
Go into some arty shops on a bad day and you can feel the waves of sulphuric disapproval
wafting past the Balearic glazed pots and filigree earrings at you.
But we put up with it, don't we? because this is Stokey and everyone else does. No
middle-class heads above the parapet please. Heaven forfend we should all shout as
one,'Get a move on for God's sake! I've got a funeral to go to my own.'
There are stars among us, of course, like the family that run the Il Bacio deli who could
give a few masterclasses in open, friendly efficiency. And the gang at the Video Store who
don't make you feel you should be taking out Leon Trenchitenko's five-hour exploration of
Soviet state mismanagement instead of Thelma and Louise.
How Does Your Garden Grow?
by Luisa Ferrari
The lack of structure in the garden, very noticeable throughout
the stark winter months, is quickly forgotten when the optimism of spring stimulates a
rush to buy seasonal flowering plants in an attempt to cheer up the garden.
Before doing so, however, it is worth considering the general condition of the soil.
Although good soil management is essential to the well-being of plants and the garden's
ecosystem, it is often neglected and replaced by quick boosts of chemical fertilisers. We
tend to forget that soil is a living medium, not an inert carrier of the roots of plants.
Soil is formed by the interaction of weather, water and vegetation which break down
underlying rock over thousands of years or is created by the natural forces of glaciers
and river silt. The surface layer of topsoil is essential for plant growth. It is usually
between 300 and 600 mm deep (1 - 2 feet) and takes a surprisingly long time to form. The
layer immediately beneath the topsoil is the subsoil. It does not contain humus or organic
material and it is therefore not a growing medium. Beware of the results of excavations
for house extensions or new developments. The soil dug up by the builders for the
foundations will be subsoil, usually dumped on the borders.
Between subsoil and the underlying rock there are layers of gravel and stones. The texture
of your soil depends on the size of its constituent particles. Soil contains sand and clay
in varying proportions, with a dominant component (identified by its particle size) which
will define its type. The particle size is crucial because it controls the amount of air
and water available to plant roots.
Underlying clay is typical in most London gardens. Apart from specific situations where
topsoil has been imported, this combination generally results in a light loam, easy to
work and rewarding if cared for. This is particularly true in Stoke Newington. Essential
nutrients can become depleted, especially when small leaves and other decaying vegetation
are routinely removed rather than being permitted to fall onto the soil and allowed to
rot. Whatever your type of soil, it will benefit enormously from the addition of organic
material, which doesn't have to be dug in but can be used as a surface mulch which is
broken down quickly. Only dedication will produce enough home-made compost to make a
difference. As it can be difficult to obtain manure locally and it comes in heavy bags,
most people tend to use multi-purpose compost. This is light and easy, but costly and not
very effective, as it contains a high proportion of peat or peat substitutes, more
suitable for containers than garden soil as they dry out easily and can be difficult to
rewet. They often contain artificial fertilisers.
Rather than give up, try organic pelleted poultry manure and powdered seaweed, rich in
trace elements. They are both available in garden centres. The traditional practice of
spring hoeing will also pay dividends as it breaks up compacted soil. So, if you had no
time during the winter, at least 'tickle' the surface with a hoe, breaking up the top few
inches prior to applying the mulch. Use a hand fork if the beds are small, and be careful
of emerging plants and stems, particularly clematis.
Luisa Ferrari is a garden designer and consultant. She is the London correspondent
of the Italian gardening magazine Giardini and can be contacted on 020 7249 6762. |
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