Wild Tales | Nature Podcast

Enjoy these classic episodes from our pilot series. For deeper dives into history, nature and adventure be sure to check out our most recent episodes.In this mini episode, gardener and host Alan power discovers why a walled garden at Stourhead is home to a superb collection of pelargoniums and find out a tasty way they can be used in the kitchen to bake a Geranium Cake. Discover moreFor information about visiting Stourhead please visithttps://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/stourheadGeranium Cake RecipeServes: 8 Cook Time: 50 minutes Prep Time: 25 minutes Effort: easyINGREDIENTS 6-8 rose geranium leaves 240g butter 240g caster sugar 4 eggs 140g self-raising flour 120 g semolina Caster sugar, for dusting Fresh cream and rose petals, to serve. METHOD Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Grease and line a 23cm spring-form cake tin with baking parchment. Lay the geranium leaves around the base of the tin, upside down, stalk-end pointing towards the centre of the tin. Cream together the butter and sugar until very pale and fluffy, and then gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time. Fold in the flour and semolina. Spoon the cake mixture into the tin, taking care not to disturb the leaves. Bake in the centre of the oven, for about 45-50 minutes, until the cake is firm but springy to the touch. Take the cake out of the oven, release the spring clip and carefully remove the sides of the tin. Turn the cake gently over onto a cooling rack set over a plate, bottom side up and carefully remove the base of the tin and the baking parchment. Leave until completely cold, dust with caster sugar, and serve with fresh cream and rose petals. Follow the National Trust Podcast on your favourite podcast app. If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at [email protected]

Enjoy these classic episodes from our pilot series. For deeper dives into history, nature and adventure be sure to check out our most recent episodes.The first of our little extra mini episodes “ Garden cuttings”. Autumn is the perfect time to build a compost heap. Join the green fingered gardeners at Stourhead, Wiltshire to learn the eco science behind “cooking” the perfect organic compost.Discover moreFor information about visiting Stourhead please visithttps://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/stourheadFollow the National Trust Podcast on your favourite podcast app. If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at [email protected]

Enjoy these classic episodes from our pilot series. For deeper dives into history, nature and adventure be sure to check out our most recent episodes.Beginning the series on his home turf, Gardener and presenter Alan Power takes a walk around Stourhead in Wiltshire, one of England’s greatest landscape gardens. Its fabulous tree collection make autumn a favourite time of year for visitors, volunteers and staff alike. We find out what the walled garden tell us about life in the 18th century, and how dormice are thriving on the Stourhead Estate.Discover moreFor information about visiting Stourhead please visithttps://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/stourheadFollow the National Trust Podcast on your favourite podcast app. If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at [email protected] Mentioned Lavender – Lavandula angustifolia Agapanthus africanus Variegated Tulip Tree – (Liriodendron tulipifera aureomarginata) Poplar trees / Trembling Poplar – European Aspen) Birch – Betula Cherries – Prunus Taihaku Red Maple – Acer rubrum Willow – Salix alba ‘Britzensis’ Japanese Maple – Acer palmatum Handkerchief tree – Davidia involucrata seedlings – for tree nursery Katsura trees – Cercidiphyllum Guelder Rose – Viburnum opulus Rowan – Sorbus aucuparia, commonly known as the Rowan or Mountain-ash Whitebeam – Sorbus aria