Innholdsfortegnelse for Autumn - Winter 2016 i Grow to Eat

GROW GARLIC Autumn is the ideal time to plant garlic cloves in rich, welldraining soil in a sunny spot. Do not plant them deeper than 5cm and ensure the pointed end is planted upright. Keep well watered. BUY BRASSICAS In frost-prone areas, April is your last chance to plant cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli. The seedlings will grow slowly, but they are frost-hardy and will be well established for early spring cropping. THE DIRTY DOZEN Did you know that shop-bought, inorganic lettuce is included in the so-called ‘dirty dozen’ list of fruits and veggies most affected by pesticide residues? Sow your own crops of this easy-to-grow salad green, and harvest it fresh and healthy as and when you need it. SUPER MANURE Once your late bush beans stop cropping, turn them…

Italked to members of the older generation about growing cauliflowers, and it turns out they have a few tricks up their sleeves. For early crops they choose the coolest section of the vegetable garden and plant in positions that receive afternoon shade. Once the head, known as a curd, is about 10cm in diameter, some of the outer leaves can be brought up and folded over the head to prevent it from discolouring. My father keeps the leaves in place with paper clips, but string also works. I have a trick of my own too – growing cauliflowers in containers. It’s great fun, especially if you can find baby varieties. They can then be placed in the best possible growing position and conditions. The containers need to be quite big…

Watering Broad beans need moist soil – a lack of water when the plants are flowering and setting fruit will affect the yield (they quickly indicate when there is not enough water by wilting). Conversely, you also need to be careful of overwatering, especially in areas that receive frost. Watch the weather report and if a cold front is predicted then ease up on the watering. Fertilising For healthy growth and a good yield use a liquid fertiliser to feed the plants every two weeks. An alternative is to use 3:1:5 for fruit and flowers. Staking The plants can get top-heavy once the fruit starts forming. To support them you can build a ‘kraal’ around them. This takes the form of a pole at each corner with horizontal poles on…

• Parsnips are sweeter than carrots. • They are a very good source of fibre and vitamin C, minerals, and B complex vitamins, as well as vitamins K and E. • Research has found that they contain antioxidants that have antiinflammatory, antifungal and anticancer functions. • They are an excellent winter crop because frost converts much of the starch to sugars and helps develop long, narrow and firm parsnips. Growing Parsnips are a long-season crop that will only be ready for harvest four months after planting. In other words, sow in April to eat in August. Its most important requirement is deep, friable soil that drains well. Good bed preparation is essential. Remove all stones and sticks, and break down clods of soil to achieve a fine tilth. Soil needs…

‘Chioggia’ is a beautifully coloured old Italian heirloom beetroot, unique in that it has purple and white concentric rings. It also contains the highest content of geosmin, an organic compound that gives beets their earthy taste and aroma. ‘Chioggia’ is named after the northern coastal Italian town of Chioggia where it was first cultivated in the early 1800’s. ‘Chioggia’ is grown exclusively as a table beet, the alternating white and purple coloured rings making the young roots a beautiful slicing beet for eating raw in salads. You can also sow extra seed and use the baby greens that are thinned out for salads. While ‘Chioggia’ is excellent if slightly steamed, roasting brings out the most flavour. ‘Chioggia’ does not bleed like other beets, but when cooked whole the colours tend…

Oranges come into harvest in winter, just in time to help us ward off nasty colds and flu with their hefty dose of vitamin C. The first to bear fruit are the ‘Navel’ varieties, between May and July, followed by ‘Valencia’ from June to September. Oranges stop ripening after they're picked, so only take them off the tree once they have turned a deep shade of orange. The easiest way to remove them is to twist them gently off the branch. Besides being delicious sweet snacks and an exciting component of rich deserts, oranges can also be used to add zing to savoury dishes, as this recipe from Ina Paarman amply demonstrates! INA’S TIP The reason for leaving the skin on the butternut is to prevent it from disintegrating. Ina…

P lums need to be pruned in July and August to ensure top-quality fruit is produced consistently each and every season. Many trees in home gardens are neglected and end up being an unproductive waste of time and space. But older trees can be resurrected with a severe winter pruning, cutting back hard to about 1m in height. However, it’s best to give your trees a good start in life. Plant out young trees of the latest and best cultivars to ensure top-quality fruit production, and focus on pruning correctly from the beginning. Follow these simple pruning instructions for the best results. After winter pruning, spray the dormant trees with lime sulphur. What to do 1. During late winter, prune back the central leader stem (a) at a height of…

A great project for winter is to grow your own microgreens and baby salad leaves. This can be done in seed trays indoors, and even in a sunny room on a heating pad if necessary. The trays can also be put outside for sun during the day and then brought inside at night. Microgreens are picked when 3-4cm high, and are used as a garnish or to add an extra taste element to a dish. Just snip off the leaves with kitchen scissors and then leave the bases to sprout again, or plant a new batch instead. Sow a mix of veggies for a variety of flavours and textures. Try beetroot, brassicas, carrots, cress, chervil, coriander, celery, mustard, oriental greens and onions.…

Although its growing season is in the warmer months, thyme is the perfect choice for the winter herb garden. Not only is it very frost hardy but it also copes with dry conditions, and the low-growing varieties can give you a groundcover that stays green even in the coldest months. It’s an essential ingredient in many winter soups and stews, and its strong antiseptic and antifungal properties mean you have a potent home pharmacy on tap! Growing conditions One of the easiest herbs to grow, thyme only needs full sun and friable, freedraining soil that tends towards the sandy side. Constant picking will keep it in shape and drenching it with a liquid fertiliser once or twice a month in the growing season is a good idea if you are…

Full range of coloured pots available at builders If you think you need a farm or a large garden to grow your own salad crops or culinary herbs, relax – that’s not the case! It can be done with little effort, on a windowsill in your kitchen. It’s not all about the harvest either – just planting and caring for your mini farm can be a joy. Steps to success You will need: • A warm windowsill that receives a lot of light for the best part of the day (morning sun is ideal) and with enough space for plant containers. • Window boxes or similar containers. We picked colourful and roomy plastic troughs with custombuilt drip trays. • Basic hand tools like a spade, a container to mix your…

Iceland poppies (Papaver nudicaule) are also delectable for hoverflies, which is bad news for aphids. Poppies grow easily from seed and their ground-hugging growth (15cm spread) with slender flower stems makes them unobtrusive companions among vegetables, especially salad greens and garden peas. Honey-scented sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) attracts ladybirds, lacewings, predatory wasps and hoverflies, which all feast on aphids. Hoverfly larvae also target other pests. If planted densely between rows of broccoli, kale and lettuce, alyssum also acts as a living mulch that keeps aphids in check.…

TIP A shredder or chipper is a useful tool to reduce bigger cuttings into small pieces for composting. GREENS (WETS) Grass clippings vegetable waste fresh leaves (nitrogen rich) BROWNS (DRYS) Fallen leaves Straw Sawdust Shredded newspaper (carbon rich) Up to 10% of the material can be rough material like small sticks and prunings that will probably not break down completely but will help with aeration and prevent material from packing down and clogging up. Start by mixing the greens together, chopping up anything that is too big to mix easily. To get the correct proportion of carbon and nitrogen, spread out two buckets of browns and top with one bucket of greens. This is best done outside a container. Repeat the process and then add some ‘sprinklings’. Sprinklings come in…

Thabo Olivier is a man with a plan who walks the talk. He works tirelessly to inspire people all over the Free State to become self-sufficient food producers by creating veggie gardens in their backyards. Thabo shows the way in his own backyard garden in the suburbs of Bloemfontein. It is reputed to be the most productive home garden in South Africa, providing his family with all their fresh food requirements throughout the year, plus a healthy surplus. And it has been created solely by using the same methods that Thabo teaches all over the province, where only recycled and upcycled products are used to build gardens that can be small yet productive, waterwise and, even better, be part of an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. He is an inveterate forager, and…

Istarted growing my own fresh produce a few years ago. I prepared my new beds by digging in plenty of compost. I read and Googled like mad, and picked up some useful knowledge about things like companion planting and crop rotation. I didn’t want to use chemical pesticides because my wise mother was an early convert to the health food movement in the ‘70s, and she had drilled it into my head that they were the stuff of the devil. And the result? I had some glorious first successes, beetroots, turnips and Swiss chard standing out as particularly bountiful. But what I noticed as season followed season was that the quality of my produce became somewhat erratic, carrots often blighted by root knot nematodes, and pumpkins and courgettes more often…

Using home-grown vegetables in soup makes it so much tastier. The following ‘soup ingredients’ can be grown in most parts of our country. • Onions form the foundation for many soups. • Broccoli prefers cool, moist conditions to grow and form compact heads for the table. • Cabbages are one of the easiest vegetables to grow and perform well in a wide variety of soil types. An added bonus is that they are tolerant of most climatic conditions. • Swiss Chard prefers beds that have had lots of manure and compost added. Harvest the leaves regularly to encourage more leaves, but don’t over harvest. • Turnips like extra phosphorous added to the bed, but don’t use too much manure. • Carrots are an excellent choice for those gardeners with small…

At the tail-end of the season you can play ‘catch-up’ with seedlings if you left sowing a bit late. On nursery seedling racks you are likely to find Asian vegetables, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach and Swiss chard. When shopping for seedlings, bear the following in mind: • Don’t buy seedlings that are long and lanky. They have probably been around for a while and are also likely to be root-bound. • Avoid seedlings that look stunted, diseased, have floppy leaves, or have dried out in the trays. • Not all garden centres remove seedlings that are out of season. Just because the seedlings are there doesn’t mean you can plant them out. • Healthy seedlings should be medium-sized and have fresh, well-sized and disease-free leaves, and…

Growing leeks Leeks can be sown any time from January to April. They grow easily in most types of soil and need a steady supply of moisture. They are not troubled by pests and diseases. Planting tips • Dig deeply, at least 60cm down, to allow for the length of the ‘blanched’ stems and the extensive roots. • Enrich the beds by digging in as much compost as possible. • Seed can be sown directly but it is better to sow in seed trays at a depth of 8-10mm. The seedlings transplant easily. • Keep moist during germination. Seed may take time to germinate, so don’t lose patience. Transplanting • Transplant when the seedlings are big enough to handle. • If they are longer than 15cm, trim the tops and…

Parsnips can be cooked like carrots, and may cook faster because of their higher sugar content. Scrub and scrape or peel before cooking. They combine well with Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes and potatoes, and can be added to stews or grated raw and used in coleslaw. Roasted parsnip and thyme soup Roasting the parsnips brings out the sweet earthy flavours and makes for a great soup. 600g parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped 4 tablespoons olive oil 50g butter 1 onion, chopped A handful of thyme leaves 750ml vegetable stock 750ml milk Salt and pepper Add the parsnips to a roasting pan and coat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes. In a frying pan, add the onion and thyme to olive oil and butter, and…

Easy to make, this unusual combination is absolutely delicious! 500g cooked beetroot 200g walnuts or pecan nuts 100g butter 200g 70% cocoa chocolate 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 250g Demerara sugar or ordinary sugar 3 eggs 100g flour 25g cocoa powder Icing sugar for final dusting Melt the butter and chocolate together. Place the cooked beetroot in a blender, add the butter and chocolate mixture, and blend until very smooth. Beat the sugar and eggs in a bowl until light and fluffy. Fold the two mixtures together. Carefully sift and fold the flour and cocoa powder into the mixture, conserving as much air as possible. Finally fold in the nuts. Pour into a greased baking tin (20 x 30cm) and bake at 180°C for 25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into…

There is no juicier fruit than a plum. Ranging in flavour from very sweet to tart, and in colour from deep purple to goldenyellow, plums have been cultivated in South Africa since Jan van Riebeeck established a food garden at the Cape way back in the 1650s. And in spring they burst into spectacular white blossom, adding to the beauty of the garden. First considerations The best time to plant a new plum tree is during the coldest months of July and August. Most plum varieties need to cross-pollinate with certain other varieties to bear fruit, so unless you have space for more than one tree you need to select a self-pollinating variety. If planting two or more trees, you need to space them at least 3-4m apart for easy…

The best spot to grow strawberries is in full sun, in soil that drains quite well. Start off by digging the soil over to about a spade's depth, removing all stones, plant roots and weeds. Apply ample bucketfuls of good-quality garden compost and enrich the soil further with bonemeal. Rake the prepared bed level and water lightly the day before planting. There are two ways to plant You can plant healthy runners removed from a previous season’s mother plants, or invest in fresh stock obtainable in pots or punnets at your local nursery. When planting bare-rooted plants, mound some soil at the bottom of the holes and position the plants on top of the mound while gently spreading their roots down the sides before filling in with soil and firming…

How easy it is to take rosemary for granted. Once it is in the garden it is just there – it doesn’t demand water, doesn’t over-grow everything, and doesn’t mind heat or cold. Winter is a fine time to become reacquainted with this herb. Cut a sprig, inhale it deeply and you will discover its power. Then take it further and try some of these winning winter ways with rosemary. ROSEMARY ROASTS When roasting chicken, lamb or pork, lay a few sprigs on the bottom of the roasting pan. As you baste, the pan juices mixed with rosemary will give the meat a delicious flavour. Also add a sprig or two to oven-roasted vegetables, roasted potatoes or baby potatoes. FLAVOUR COMBO The perfect combination of flavours – duck, orange and…

Green manures Green manuring is the best way to fertilise your garden naturally. It takes minimal time, effort and cost, and is especially useful when traditional manures and other materials are not available. Legumes, grains and grasses are grown specifically to dig into the soil once they have germinated and reached around 10-15cm in height. Once they’re turned (dug) into the soil, they provide plenty of nutrients and organic matter to build humus and improve soil structure. Even in a small garden with limited space, just growing a few rows of the different crops, or even broadcasting the seed between other plants, will be a step in the right direction. Once you’ve dug the plants in, leave the ground for about four weeks before planting vegetables. This allows for the…

Many flowers double up as companion plants in the food garden. They attract pollinators (especially bees) or repel pests, protect tender vegetables, and act as a tonic for other plants. Don’t forget the aesthetic side as well. Why shouldn’t food gardens be beautiful and colourful? The French potager and the English cottage garden of yesteryear mixed herbs, flowers, veggies and fruit trees. The French in particular placed great emphasis on design, so that gardens were aesthetically appealing and productive. That approach makes just as much sense today, especially with water restrictions, less space for gardening, and the economic need to grow our own food. The line between flowers in the front garden and veggies at the back is blurring. The surprising thing is how many ‘ordinary’ garden flowers play a…

Aphids are small (about 2mm in length), rather fragile insects that live in colonies on the new growth tips or flower heads of many garden plants, including fruit trees and vegetables. They’re particularly prevalent in spring and early summer but are known to be active throughout the year, especially in warmer climates. Numerous different species of aphids occur in the garden, which accounts for the wide range of different colours (green, yellow, brown, black, pink, greyish-white and buff ) you might see. Being sap feeders, aphids can cause significant damage to host plants. Leaf tips and new growth can brown and die off, or plants can appear to be misshapen. Aphids also secrete honeydew, a sweet sticky substance that often has black sooty mould (a fungus) growing on it as…

Moisture It is a common mistake to use too much water. Remember that ‘greens’ may not look wet but can contain up to 95% water. The overall moisture content of the compost heap should be 60 -65% – as moist as a wrungout sponge. Not enough moisture is better than too much, it simply means the compost will take longer to mature. Compost can be made in 6-8 weeks, or it can take a year or more. In general, the more effort you put into preparing and assembling the compost heap, the quicker the compost will develop. When the material has turned a dark brown colour and has an earthy smell the composting process is complete. It is then best left for another month or two to mature. COMPOST ACTIVATORS…

What you do What you need CCA-treated droppers cut to the following lengths: 4 x 1100mm 2 x 465mm 2 x 440mm 2 x 320mm 2 x 270mm 2 x 170mm 2 x 135mm Frost protection fabric Full-thread cut screws (4 x 40mm) Tools cordless drill, 3mm wood drill bit, square bit for screws, staple gun, scissors 1 Mark and cut the droppers as per the cutting list. 2 Place two 1100mm droppers on a flat surface and secure the supports to make a triangle. Starting at the top, use 170mm, then 320mm, and then the 465mm droppers at the base. Secure the horizontal supports with screws, leaving approximately 15mm on each side to overhang. Repeat with the other two 1100mm droppers. 3 Stand the two frames upright and secure…

The best time to start a food garden is when you are ready. So why not start right now? There’s a good reason in every season: now that it’s cooler, it’s the perfect time to plan the garden design and then prepare the beds so they’re ready for a spring sowing, once the manure you’ve added has had a chance to break down. And there are some heavy feeders, like the brassicas, that will appreciate your newly prepared beds and just love growing in the cooler months! 1 Know why Jot down why you want to grow vegetables and discuss it with your family. Knowing what you want helps with future planning – for instance, do you want go organic? 2 Start small That’s the advice from all seasoned food…

AUTUMN/WINTER…

Most seasoned veggie growers agree that broad beans are one of the easiest of the winter crops to grow, so go ahead and plant a few rows. The fresh beans have a delicious earthy flavour that fits in so well with winter cooking. Broad beans are a good vegetable for cold areas (even the Free State) as the cold seems to encourage the plant to set seed, whereas in subtropical areas the plants produce more leaves at the expense of beans. Unlike the bush and runner beans planted in summer, broad beans are sturdy, upright-growing plants that grow to about 1m high. They are rarely bothered by pests or diseases. If you sow the seed in May, you should be able to start harvesting from the end of July or…

How to grow them In milder parts of South Africa, radishes can be planted throughout the year. Where frosts occur, plant them until about three weeks before the average first frost date, as frost will actually improve their flavour! Radishes will tolerate a wide range of soils but they do best in soil previously prepared with good amounts of compost for a main crop. Rake the soil well and break open any large clods. Sow seed thinly in shallow drills and cover with 1cm of soil. Firm the soil and water well with a fine spray. Keep the rows 15cm apart to allow for good root development. Radishes grow rapidly so it is important to thin the rows out regularly, keep them free of weeds, and water the crop regularly.…

Why is it good for us? In brief, kale is high in fibre, vitamin C (immune boosting), vitamin A (good for skin and eyes), contains more calcium per gram than milk, is full of iron (reputedly more so than red meat), and contains antioxidants that help prevent cancer. It also has anti-inflammatory properties. However, sufferers from irritable bowel syndrome are advised to avoid it because the very high fibre content can cause bloating. Raw kale (but not cooked kale) contains substances that can affect the functioning of the thyroid gland. How to grow it Kale is easy to grow because it’s disease resistant and is less troubled by pests than other brassicas. It grows up to 1m tall and is cultivated for its leaves, which grow from a central stem…

Livingseeds is already well known for our high quality, locally grown, Heirloom vegetable seed. Who better than Livingseeds to bring you another South African first, heirloom seedlings delivered to your door! All of our seedlings are organically grown with love and care from our own seed, in our own proprietary germination mix on the Livingseeds Farm. We have a dedicated team of growers and order fulfilment staff to ensure that you get healthy seedlings every time. With our innovative single plug system, you can pick and choose the number and variety of seedlings you want, creating your own unique vegetable paradise and fulfilling all of your culinary and nutritional requirements. This also enables you to try out new varieties in smaller quantities or to grow larger crops that you are…

‘Sun Kiss’: My favourite plum to eat, because is the sweetest, most flavoursome of all. ‘Sun Gold’: A bit less sweet, but it is big and has delectable yellowish-pink skin – a feast for the eyes! How to plant 1 Dig a square hole at least 50cm wide and 50cm deep. Reserve the topsoil (the top 30cm layer of darker soil) on the side, and discard the sub-soil below. 2 To the pile of topsoil reserved, add enough potting soil to replace the volume of subsoil discarded, plus 1 cup of organic fertiliser, 1 cup of bonemeal, and four spades of good-quality compost. Mix everything together well before placing it in the hole. 3 Place the soil mixture in the hole, leaving enough space at the top for the root ball…

Grow the very best home-planted strawberries using a technique designed to plant through the sides of the basket. These extra plants can make all the difference by hiding the lining that is essential in all wire baskets, and also giving extra yield. You will need: • A wire mesh basket, 30-40cm in diameter, with a wire hanger. • A coir lining, or loose coir for lining the basket. • Potting medium. • Bonemeal or superphosphate. • Super-absorbent granules. • Strawberry plants. • A 15cm length of PVC pipe that has been sharpened at one end and split along its length. Planting-up 1. Prepare the potting medium by mixing together with a handful of bonemeal or superphosphate and super-absorbent granules, to help retain water. 2. Place the liner in the basket.…

Although indigenous to the Mediterranean, rosemary is grown around the world because it is so simple and rewarding to cultivate, especially for beginner gardeners. The most commonly grown varieties are ‘McConnell’s Blue’, a creeping variety, and ‘Tuscan Blue’, a more compact, uprightgrowing variety. Unlike the more delicate herbs, rosemary makes a statement. Being evergreen, it can be clipped into hedges, shaped as topiary, pruned into a standard or just allowed to grow into a single specimen plant that’s covered in blue or white flowers in spring and autumn. It also makes the perfect pot specimen. All rosemary needs is full sun, well-drained soil and not too much water. Although frost hardy, it still needs a sunny, protected position during winter. To prevent it from becoming straggly, prune hard in summer…

• Harvest broccoli heads before the flower buds open and when they are still firm and compact. Remove the head with about 15cm of stem attached. The main head side shoots will develop with smaller heads, which can also be harvested when they are firm. • Broad beans are ready for picking when the pods have filled out, but before they burst open. • Brussels sprouts mature from the bottom upwards and should be picked when they are firm, bright green and about 3-5cm in diameter. • For white cauliflower heads, cover the heads with leaves because strong sunlight affects the colour. Only do this when the heads are about 10cm in diameter. • Pick cabbage when the head is firm to the touch.…

Seeds are expensive, so always leave a few of your healthiest plants to go to seed (healthy plants are best suited to your location and climate). Tie a piece of string around the stem so you remember not to eat the fruit or pick the flower. When the seeds are nice and dry, carefully cut off the dry flower heads or pods into a paper bag and hang the packet in a cool, airy spot. Alternatively, hang the flower heads over a baking sheet or a cardboard lid until they have dried out completely and the seeds have dropped out. Don’t pull seeds or pods off the plant – most will end up being shaken onto the ground. Small, sticky seeds like tomatoes, granadillas and pumpkins can be smeared onto…

Bellis perennis (English daisy) has both edible leaves and flowers. Use the young leaves in salads and the flower buds and petals in sandwiches, soups and salads. The petals can be made into a tea that acts as a vitamin supplement. Bellis is best planted in May, in semi-shade. It produces small red, white or pink, button-like daisies. Use it to border vegetable beds, in between pavers, or in mixed containers with other salad vegetables. Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) hybrids and violas (Viola cornuta) are loved for their fragrance, colourful ‘faces’, and the fact that the petals can be used to garnish salads and desserts. The entire flower can be eaten, provided that no pesticides have been used. Violas are smaller plants that produce more flowers, while pansies produce big,…

The importance of composting Any successful home food gardener knows how important it is to feed the soil regularly with goodquality compost for the best crops. This is particularly so in South Africa as our soils are generally poor. The benefits of good compost don't end with providing nutrients – compost also improves drainage and keeps soil moist for longer. Containers A compost heap can be made within a variety of containers, from a constructed wooden box to a chicken wire bin. Containers keep the compost neater, but a heap placed directly on the soil is just as good. A box constructed of timber should have air holes between the timber slats to ensure aeration and should not be higher than 1.5 metres. Two or three boxes used in succession…

In the cold parts of the country, winter can wreak havoc on your vegetables. Building a temporary framework covered with frost-guard fabric is one way to protect tender plants. The fabric doesn't need to be removed every day - the sides or edges can be rolled up to let in additional light and air, while water can be applied under or through the frost cover. Remove the covering every 7-10 days to inspect the plants to make sure no pests and diseases are making use of the shelter.…

The space-saving trend of kokedama, the Japanese art of growing plants in moss balls, is a great way of adding an arty, interesting bent to growing your own veggies and herbs. The idea is to surround the root system of a plant with a mud cake, cover it with moss, and hold it all together with string. These moss balls can then be placed on a flat surface or strung up for the prettiest of displays. We made our own veggie kokedamas and arranged them on a sunny windowsill. There are various methods of constructing the moss balls. We found this version the easiest: WHAT YOU NEED • Seedlings – we used a variety of lettuce seedlings, but you can use anything. Chillies also look very good. • Sphagnum moss…

The scarecrow of yonder years used to be a crude and lonely-looking individual, built in human form out of hay, sticks, cast-off clothes and a left-over pumpkin for a head. As time passed, it would slowly turn into a wind-blown, sun-baked tatter, and after the late autumn harvest it was normally burnt as part of a thanksgiving feast. If nostalgia is part of your life, or you simply like the thought of a life-sized, more ‘hipster’-like scarecrow, we show you how to build your own garden mannequin with these easy steps. What you need 50mm PVC pipe cut into the following lengths: 2 x 1000mm (legs) 4 x 120mm (waist and shoulders) 1 x 500mm (torso) 1 x 200mm (neck) 4 x 200mm (arms) 3 x 90° PVC pipe connecters…