To kick off the Christmas season at Thyme, Diana will be at Thyme on December 1st talking to food editor, Molly Tait-Hyland about revisiting this timeless classic, the original inspiration, the travel then and now and learnings after 2 decades of inspiring food writing.

The tomato, although appearing in savoury dishes on our plates and thought of as a vegetable, is actually a fruit: the pulp being the fruit together with the seeds, making it a berry. 

“Tusk has enjoyed a special relationship with Thyme ever since its opening. From the moment I set foot within the grounds of this amazing place and had the pleasure of meeting its founder, Caryn Hibbert, it was clear that Africa held a special place in her heart and she is rightly proud of the conservation work Thyme is undertaking”.

- Charlie Mayhew OBE, Founder and CEO of Tusk

Returning from any walk around the water meadows at Thyme these days, now involves the ritual of removing seeds and burrs from your trousers, sleeves and bootlaces. Although not perhaps the main target of this seed dispersal mechanism, we end up collecting many seed heads and burrs as we walk through the long grass and dense vegetation.

Did you know that a runner bean is actually a fruit? Part of the Fabracea family of plants, Phaseolus coccineus - Scarlet emperor is a legume which originated in the mountains of South America where it grows as a perennial.

Since Thyme was founded in 2008 as a Cookery School, we have always had productive gardens. It was an essential part of our founding ethos – to slow down and reconnect with nature.

Situated adjacent to the water meadows of the river Leach, our kitchen gardens are a joy. With tranquil views, we often see the barn owls hunting throughout the day, kites and buzzards soaring overhead, white egrets and herons, snipe, teal and mallard and sometimes a flash of the brightest blue kingfisher.

So far this summer, the numbers of insects being recorded seems to be far lower than average and one of the main causes could be the long, dry summer we experienced last year which interrupted the natural breeding cycles of many species. Stepping into the water meadows at Southrop at the moment is excitedly different.

Each migratory bird species carves out its own unique niche in the ecosystem, relying on a fine balance of food, shelter and nesting habitat to survive. This makes them exceptionally vulnerable to influences from outside. Local reserves for nature, such as the Thyme water meadows, offer valuable sanctuary for migratory birds to make home.

Cut off by floodwater, thick hedgerows and the fast-flowing river, the water meadows at Southrop form the perfect haven for wildlife in winter, where rich grasslands, flooded ponds and berry-laden bushes are found, hidden away from human disturbance.

We are delighted to be welcoming Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall to Thyme in November, to host a panel discussion exploring the importance of soil health and its vital role in our ecosystem, while discussing what we need to do in order to secure its future. Hugh will be joined by The Land Gardeners, chef Lulu Cox and artist Nancy Cadogan to hear about their acclaimed new book, Soil to Table, exploring the link between the health of our soils and what we eat.

Here, we sit down with Hugh to hear about his new book, River Cottage Good Comforts, and learn a little more about his thoughts on current food issues and the importance of education in guiding people to healthier eating.

For two decades, since the publication of her first book, ‘The Cutting Garden’, Sarah has led the way in introducing a new kind of productive gardening. Her aim, to create intense colour and beauty combined with a practical and easy to achieve approach. Her love of gardening extends to all areas, from growing cut flowers and delicious vegetables from seed, to designing gardens packed full of incredible colour and scent every season.

The month of July brings with it colour, sunshine and gloriously long, golden days. We are also feeling the heat and with temperatures soaring making work in the garden challenging, early morning starts are the order of the day. There is something very special about the first few hours of the day.

Orchids are one of the largest families of flowering plants and are the national flower of many exotic places, from Costa Rica to Guatemala, Singapore to Assam. Their glamorous blooms are brightly coloured and very long living, with bilateral symmetry and a highly modified petal called the labellum or ‘lip.’ The many different varieties are instantly recognisable as an orchid.

As high summer approaches and the days are warm and long, we can feel midsummer on the horizon. The summer solstice is on the 21st of June, the day when the northern hemisphere is bathed in more sunlight than any other day of the year with the sun highest in the sky. It is the first day of astronomical summer and one for celebration.

My dad didn't cut the lawn - or at least not often - he let it grow until it was knee-high and the neighbours muttered. Admittedly, my dad isn't much of a gardener and the lack of lawn-mowing was mostly because he never quite got around to it.