The Parish Magazine July and August 2021

HOME & GARDEN
In the garden
The Parish Magazine - July/August 2021 33
Recipe of the month
Basil Pesto and Fig Tart
Ivy on your house is not
really bad after all — RHS
In an effort to restore ivy's reputation, the Royal
Horticultural Society (RHS) is showcasing the species
at its flagship garden in Wisley, Surrey. It hopes to set
a new trend, and to get people to stop seeing ivy as ‘the
enemy.’
RHS experts from Reading University and Wisley have
concluded that ivy is not such a bad thing for growing up
verticals walls as previously thought. They say that ivy is
a ‘super plant’ that not only has insulating benefits, but is
good for the environment, offering habitats for a variety
of wildlife, as well as being a food source for birds and
pollinators during months of the year when there is very
little else for them to eat.
ECO-FRIENDLY
Kouklabazar, dreamstime.com
In its new Centre for Horticultural Science and
Learning at its flagship RHS Garden Wisley, you can now
see 390 varieties of ivy, with a vast array of leaf shapes,
sizes and colours. 'We want people to see that ivy can
be an attractive and even eco-friendly addition to your
home.' RHS said.
The study looked at the impact of three plant species
(Hedera helix – common ivy, Parthenocissus tricuspidata
– Boston ivy, and Pileostegia viburnoides – climbing
hydrangea) on temperature and humidity when grown as
building cover in the summer and winter.
All the plants reduced the air temperature internally
and externally during the summer daytime by at least
1o⁰C compared to bare ‘buildings’.
COOLER AND LESS HUMID
The evidence showed that the best plant for summer
cooling was provided by ivy. It was able to reduce the
internal and external wall temperature by 7.2⁰C and 5.7⁰C
respectively. Not only did ivy provide the best summer
cooling for buildings, but it also demonstrated the
greatest summer reduction in daily variation of relative
humidity (RH).
During warm winter afternoons, RH was 5.7% lower
inside ivy-covered compared to bare ‘buildings’. This
means that ivy covered walls would keep buildings less
humid in winter months.
For more information visit: http://www.rhs.org.uk
With early figs in season this is a delicious recipe from the Good
Housekeeping Cookery Team which can be served hot or cold,
making it ideal for Picnic Month (see page 22)
Ingredients (Four Servings)
— 320g sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
— 4 tbsp basil pesto
— 3 fresh figs, each cut into six wedges (we defrosted some
frozen figs from last year's autumn harvest and they
worked well)
— 75g (3oz) of Stilton cheese (or blue cheese)
— Handful of rocket, or other dark green salad leaf, plus
extra to serve
Method
Preheat oven to 200⁰C (180⁰C fan) gas mark 6.
Unroll the pastry onto a baking sheet and score a border one
inch in from the edge with a knife — don't cut right through
the pastry. Prick the pastry well with a fork inside the
border. Spread the pesto in an even layer inside the border,
then scatter over the figs. Crumble the Stilton or blue cheese
over the figs. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is risen
and golden. Scatter rocket over and serve in quarters with
extra rocket.
HEALTH — 2
from page 31
Dr Simon Ruffle . . .
religious and secular to be open and discuss this issue
dispassionately and use the evidence that other nations
have collected. Considering the decisions the government
and parliament make everyday; inter alia go to war, tell the
nation difficult facts, hide them, re-new nuclear weapons,
fund or de-fund services, what to teach our young, I do not
think we have ever been offered, via manifestos or otherwise
a balanced, reasoned argument to discuss end of life matters.
The death penalty however was legal for a few causes until
1998 and debated in parliament every year until 1997 since
the abolition of the penalty for murder in 1969.
To explore this further from a doctor and son of a
terminally ill person I recommend: Being Mortal, Illness
medicine and what matters in the end by Atul Gawande. It is an
uplifting read despite the subject material.
Notes:
1 https://www.co-oplegalservices.co.uk/media-centre/articlesmay-aug-2018/60-of-people-dont-have-a-will/
2 www.007.com
3 https://www.bma.org.uk/media/3367/bma-physician-assisteddying-survey-report-oct-2020.pdf
4 Altered States https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bshjrp