Stuck for what to have with your turkey and sprouts? My mum’s simple red cabbage recipe is just the ticket, and smells divine as it’s cooking.

Take one red cabbage and discard outer leaves until leaves are nice and clean.

Shred finely and wash in water, take out with sieve.

Put cabbage into saucepan, add 1 peeled and diced eating apple, 1 peeled and halved onion into which you have stuck 5 whole cloves, add a little pepper, salt, 1 cup of malt vinegar (normal tea cup, not mug), 1.5 cups of water and a good 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bring to boil and simmer to your desired level of cruch. Taste - it might need a little more salt or sugar. Hey presto!

Happy Christmas from all at GROW London!

Natasha, fair manager

All this talk of urban parkery – and New York – reminds me of another garden you should definitely seek out if you’re ever in the Big Apple.

Winningly dubbed a ‘pocket park’, Paley Park is just along the street from the Museum of Modern Art, on 53^rd Street between Madison and Fifth Avenue. It’s not much bigger than a tennis court, contains only two types of plants: tall, elegant honey locust trees (Gleditsia triacanthos) and ivy on the side walls, and it’s absolutely magical.

A waterfall occupies the entire back wall, blocking out all sound of the city with its own gushing, and white metal mesh chairs (I think they’re Bertoia chairs) – and a hotdog stand – invite you to linger.

It looks and feels incredibly modern, but in fact it was built in 1965, commissioned by William Paley, former chairman of CBS. He was involved in the planning of every detail of the space, right down to the hotdogs.

The announcement of plans for the Garden Bridge in London has caused much excitement in the GROW potting shed. Not only because we feel sure the bridge will become one of London’s most iconic landmarks, but because any green space, particularly in urban areas, created with people and nature in mind, makes us very happy indeed.

The bridge is being touted as London’s answer to New York’s High Line – a disused elevated railway converted into a park. Having recently had the good fortune to visit, we’re hugely excited by the possibilities.

The High Line has transformed a run-down part of New York formerly known for its slaughterhouses, transvestites and vast industrial rail yards into one of the coolest areas of the city. Working with the railway infrastructure, the architects and planting designer Piet Oudolf have really responded to the site, grounding it in the landscape. Parts of the track are still visible, with trees, ferns and grasses growing up among them. Other rails have been incorporated into the walkway, where the concrete slabs echo sleepers, narrowing and ‘petering out’ at the edges. The 1.6km-long line provides views of the city, most notably of the Empire State building, but also provides a fascinating juxtaposition between its lush planting and the surrounding urban jungle.

The London bridge in contrast is a blank slate, much shorter (at just 367m) and, spanning the Thames between Temple and the South Bank, does not have the much in the way of decaying urban architecture to contend with (or respond to). Architect Thomas Heatherwick’s challenge will be to create something that can unite two very different parts of the city, and something that can hold its own against the views afforded from it. It could easily go the way of pomp and formality, but instead it promises something wilder, more natural and more exciting. Dan Pearson, known for his naturalistic, perennial schemes is in charge of the planting and Heatherwick himself is passionate about the human scale the plants will provide, something he feels is often lost in urban landscapes.

‘This project will have slugs and worms and autumn smells,’ he told the Guardian, ‘rather than grand, Versailles-like power-planting.’ We can’t wait.

Until 20 December, the Garden Bridge Trust is running a consultation. Find out more and have your say here.

GROW London grows basil - we hope!

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of running into the ebullient Paolo Arrigo from Franchi Seeds of Italy. In typically generous manner, he gave me a packet of his basil seeds ‘bolloso napoletano’ as I left, with the parting shot that I could plant them now and enjoy abundant fresh basil ‘as big as my hands’ all through the colder months.

With some trepidation, I’ve decided to take up the challenge. I’m slightly nervous as my Victorian window sills are draughty and freezing and above a radiator, which I’m sure can’t be good for little seedlings, but I live in hope.

This picture shows the seeds happily nestled in a little, clingfilm-covered pot, sitting in a prettier larger pot. I’ll let you know how they get on.

Natasha, Fair Manager

Lovely day spent tidying up in the garden yesterday, but despite three hours of solid work and four bin bags full of leaves and weeds - I’m slightly gutted that the pictures don’t show more of a difference.

The big green thing in the foreground of the first picture was particularly nasty. It popped up in spring and, hoping it might be an exquisite self-seeded flower (I’m optimistic like that), I left it to its own devices. It was clear months ago that that had been a mistake, but I hadn’t managed to get out there with a spade, and boy did I regret it yesterday! It took a good half hour of back-breaking digging and heaving to get the blighter out. Lesson learnt!

Natasha, fair manager