Cold, wet winter months, walk outside, and guaranteed somewhere in your garden you’ll find sour sobs! As little kids, my brother and I would wander around the yard picking sour sobs, a few to give to mum to put in a vase, and a few for us snack on, we’d chew on the crunchy, sour stems. I can still hear Mum’s voice calling out from the back door, “Don’t eat those! They’re sour because the dogs pee on them!”

For generations, gardeners have used woodfire ash in the garden as a kind of free homemade fertiliser. Grandparents swore by it. Old orchard growers scattered it beneath fruit trees. Veggie gardeners sprinkled it around the tomatoes and roses. But does wood ash actually help the garden… or is it just another one of those old gardening myths that’s been passed down over time?

The air’s cooling off, the sky that soft lavender-pink, and my two-year-old granddaughter grips the torch like it’s a sacred treasure. My five-year-old grandson walks beside her, whispering about “monsters” in the dark. They’re on an important mission. They’re heading down to pen up the chickens! Let’s be honest… eggs aren't cheap right now. Walking out to the pen and collecting warm, freshly laid eggs from your own backyard chickens feels almost rebellious in the best way..