August may be peak holiday season but it's also the most perfect time to stay at home. If you live in the Weald, you'll have access to some of the loveliest beaches and most beautiful countryside imaginable and - if you're lucky enough to have a vegetable garden - it will be at its most productive. Gardening expert, Jo Arnell, looks at ways of turning the rich pickings of your patch into delicious meals. She suggests store cupboard and veggie garden stand-bys to create a simple lunch or supper in a trice.
Mel and Lizzie Smith are an incredibly creative couple who know all about the glories of garden produce. During the summer months their whole family decamp outdoors to lounge on sofas made from surplus turfs and cook freshly picked vegetables on a landscaped firepit. Their fascinating home and garden are featured in this month’s Wealden Times. From the pebble-dashed Morris Minor to their yurt bedroom, this is a house that will inspire you.
Food writer and editor Mary Gwynn regularly contributes her delicious recipes to Wealden Times. This month Mary writes about bread, demystifying the whole process of baking and giving easy-to-follow recipes for focaccia, soda bread and a mouthwatering bread salad. Also in this issue, Mary and her husband Derek welcome readers into their lovely oasthouse which nestles in eight acres in a pretty valley in the heart of the Weald. Turn to page 74 to enjoy David Merewether's photos of this serene and tranquil space.
And finally, on the subject of serene and tranquil places, we asked locals about their own special spaces in our 'my space' special. From caravans to cinemas and artists' studios to writers' studies, they explained to us how these spaces provide them with a private haven from which to work, relax or just escape and 'be'...
Enjoy your Wealden Times!
Revisit the some of the magnificent homes featured in Wealden Times
Everything in the garden really is rosey in the Weald! A second chance to read about some of the gardens and gardeners who have inspired our readers
Enjoy following these recipes using locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients
Discover everything you need to know about health and beauty
Find out why the Weald is a wonderful place to live
Green Goddess, Penny Kemp, gives advice on living a more eco-friendly life
Guide to what's on in the Weald
Look and feel fabulous in fashion from local boutiques