IT'S always a very homely feeling going back to stay for a few days with my parents.

I always used to look forward to holidays as a student, just because I could immerse myself in the relaxed comfort and warmth of a well lived in house. It didn't matter whether you went back with a bucket load of emotional (late teenage) problems or were just popping by for a quick overnighter, you were immediately made to wind down and chill out. It is one of those places that you can just be yourself and don't have to put on airs or graces.

I don't know if it is something to do with the Feng shui or the siting of the house (it is half way up a hill with running water nearby and has all the correct bends in the pathways to deflect and guide the chi), or whether it is the laid back and welcoming attitude to life of my mother and father.

The one thing that is certain is that the home is filled with nature.

At the moment, the kitchen is festooned with strings of ripening tomatoes in various stages of red, green and orange. They are strung up on the curtain rail at the top of the main window. In amongst the tomatoes are rows of dark red chillies which are being dried out for use over winter and thick pleats of plump garlic bulbs. The window sill immediately underneath is absolutely smothered in pots and tubs of cuttings and newly-emerged seedlings. Most of them are herbs for culinary use such as basil, and others are more tropical experiments like coils of stephanotis, dates and spindly lychee shoots grown from spat-out seed.

The vegetable rack by the back door is full to bursting with totally organic and home grown produce. The vegetables just ooze goodness, so much so that the taste buds are on constant standby. The spice rack doesn't consist of the usual collection of supermarket-bought jars.

The recycled Marmite jars (I love Marmite, you either do or you don't, don't you) are stuffed full of fresh herbs clipped from the garden. Some of them have been dried in the airing cupboard from earlier in the year, and simply need to be crumbled into the pot. This all brings you closer to nature. Your hands and fingers take on the natural oils from the plants. You get to know the scents, and learn how they will influence the food.

There are pots of green stuff on the Welsh dresser.

These are potions and remedies concocted from various weeds, plants and shrubs. They will heal cuts, bring down bruises and ease sore throats. They are made by boiling or infusing the 'secret' ingredients with either petroleum jelly, bees wax or various alcoholic liquids.

The fridge is stuffed with multi-coloured jars of jam. The rose pink quince jelly is my favourite. It has such a floral yet tangy taste, unlike anything that you can buy in the shops. If jams aren't your thing for breakfast, then the large tubs of stewed apple, pear, rhubarb or even sea buckthorn will keep you refreshed.

Everywhere you look, you are reminded and reawakened to the impact that plants and nature have on our daily life and even our existence, and it is this that instils the sense of peace, calm and relaxation into the home.

JOBS THIS MONTH

Plant lily of the valley

These are lovely fragrant little plants that are not so often seen nowadays. Once established, they do flourish and can look extremely stunning in large clumps. Place the crowns six to eight inches apart in the ground. They need a moist but well drained soil, and will tolerate a fair amount of shade. Water them well in.

Plant roses

Now is the traditional time for planting roses, as the ground is still dry enough to work comfortably and retains some of autumn's warmth. Dig a large deep trench and fill the bottom with well rotted farmyard manure. Top this with a nice dry loose soil. Plant the rose so that the point at which the rose was budded on to the stock is covered in about an inch of soil.

Prepare the poinsettias

If you are wanting the bracts to turn red for the winter season, then you will have to start keeping them in a night time temperature of at least 60 degrees. Make sure they receive plenty of light in the daytime.

READER'S QUESTION

Mr Dodd, of Stockton, has written to me asking how he can stop the toadstools from popping up all over his lawn. They are not growing in a ring, but just coming up in clumps.

Most toadstools that appear in the lawn do very little damage to the turf - they are usually just a nuisance. As they are not growing in rings, it is unlikely that they are the damaging fairy ring fungus. Toadstools tend to be more prevalent where there are pieces of wood under the lawn, either leftover tree roots or bark chippings. It is not necessary to apply chemicals, but continue sweeping them off as and when they appear. This will help reduce the number of spores. They are likely to be much worse at this time of year, in the damp, warm days of autumn, but will soon disappear as the frosts arrive.

POST SCRIPT

Brigid presents 'Ask About Gardening' every Sunday from 12-2pm on BBC Radio Cleveland, 95FM.

www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk

Published: 15/11/2003