tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57763184027353385142024-03-06T01:43:48.952+00:00Gwenfar's Garden and other musingsNotes on growing ornamentals and edibles, and musings on other matters that interest me.Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comBlogger502125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-9500793410678432302020-07-08T14:12:00.000+01:002020-07-08T14:12:01.138+01:00Gwenfar's Garden is moving!Over the next couple of weeks, my site is going to be moving from Blogger to WordPress. Hopefully there won't be too much downtime, but I wanted to let people know.<br />
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Email subscribers: with luck your subscription will just transfer over, but if not, I'll need to get you to resubscribe. Once the work is done I'll be able to confirm.<br />
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RSS Feed: This will be moving as well, but I'll let you know the new feed URL once I have it confirmed.<br />
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I've been wanting to move to WordPress for ages and get away from the google-sphere, so fingers crossed it all goes well. See you on the other side!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWwj8alwzzNvFtwIkbboS97P_AktTobG18ceOQHNNpxtOgTpnL9VuZikoNWDKESsW4HNYubmOT3Gx2SLUISCATund-pwXn7KoagRvrBPkN19961x6qDUQYeODZhDJ29s3zc6bdtW3aIE/s1600/P1130359cr+Sempervivum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1532" data-original-width="1600" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWwj8alwzzNvFtwIkbboS97P_AktTobG18ceOQHNNpxtOgTpnL9VuZikoNWDKESsW4HNYubmOT3Gx2SLUISCATund-pwXn7KoagRvrBPkN19961x6qDUQYeODZhDJ29s3zc6bdtW3aIE/s640/P1130359cr+Sempervivum.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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An unknown Sempervivum cultivar, that after several years</div>
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finally flowered for the first time this summer.<br />
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<style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-84241937593933201862020-07-08T09:13:00.003+01:002020-07-08T09:13:49.672+01:00Courgette Soup with Lentils and Cheese<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdQbTgwe82DryJtYQ5yAD9SEQfKeAlOl-iQIxN-arQhnxJoRTthZPEINGXVPsZVZWun5XsodI_fxvaDBXhQq_W8fSAgcuK2sZ9Exvk7AYusrO7eNLsuKmSOXRYysOW3sGiJvlhcXH5Qw/s1600/P1130235s+Courgette+soup+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdQbTgwe82DryJtYQ5yAD9SEQfKeAlOl-iQIxN-arQhnxJoRTthZPEINGXVPsZVZWun5XsodI_fxvaDBXhQq_W8fSAgcuK2sZ9Exvk7AYusrO7eNLsuKmSOXRYysOW3sGiJvlhcXH5Qw/s640/P1130235s+Courgette+soup+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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c. 8 litres of soup</div>
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Serves 6<br />
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450g courgettes - chopped<br />
350g potatoes - peeled and chopped (I leave the skins on as I prefer them that way)<br />
3 garlic cloves - chopped<br />
1.2 litres veg stock<br />
Small bunch oregano<br />
Summer: add <span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">½</span></span> cup lentils (c. 120g) <br />
Winter: add ¾ -1 cup lentils (c. 150g to 230g)<br />
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225g Brie - rind removed, or 200g grated cheddar or feta <br />
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1. Briefly fry garlic and oregano.<br />
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2. Put all the veg in a large pot, add the stock.<br />
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3. Bring to the boil, and add the lentils. Then simmer for 15 minutes or until the veg are tender.<br />
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4. Cool slightly, then process the soup using a blender until smooth.<br />
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5. If batch cooking, separate out into containers to freeze. When eating straight away or once a batch has been defrosted, see 6 and 7.<br />
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6. Add the cheese, bring back to near boiling point, stirring constantly so the cheese is combined with the liquid (you can also do this step using a microwave).<br />
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7. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.<br />
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The lentils make it a heavier but protein rich soup, so I've given rough summer/winter estimates, given you don't always want a heavy soup in summer.<br />
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This soup easily scales up too. I often make x4 of the recipe, c. 10 litres.<br />
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Note: this is based on an <a href="http://vpopengarden.blogspot.com/2008/07/allotment-soup.html" rel="nofollow">Allotment Soup recipe</a>, by Michelle at Veg Plotting, but adapted to my taste.<br />
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<style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-9229190215522887282020-07-06T19:14:00.000+01:002020-07-16T18:56:45.161+01:00Broad Bean and Feta Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMBKqTpaEyOe2to8BaMDHaUJz63CVvmHc4ENZpn4VudEizDF0zC2Vr-HNo-zkxXCnRm4I9IVfZQZO8StcxbFSzHvHsXZd1ZOG6cBX1gtQanKpmcN80EIrGII0YYJnYhlTHelREzsbQqs/s1600/20200616_190611cr+Broad+Bean+and+Feta+salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1547" data-original-width="1600" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMBKqTpaEyOe2to8BaMDHaUJz63CVvmHc4ENZpn4VudEizDF0zC2Vr-HNo-zkxXCnRm4I9IVfZQZO8StcxbFSzHvHsXZd1ZOG6cBX1gtQanKpmcN80EIrGII0YYJnYhlTHelREzsbQqs/s640/20200616_190611cr+Broad+Bean+and+Feta+salad.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Serves 2<br />
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200g shelled Broad Beans<br />
1 crushed garlic clove, several garlic scapes, or Chives<br />
10 or so leaves of Mint, chopped up<br />
2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
2 teaspoons of lemon juice<br />
Black pepper<br />
100g Feta<br />
Salad leaves<br />
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1. Put garlic (or chopped alternatives) into a bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper and mint.<br />
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2. Chop up the feta so it’s small crumbly pieces, then put to one side.<br />
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3. Boil or steam the broad beans for 1min 30 seconds.<br />
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4. Add cooked beans to olive oil etc dressing, and stir. Then add in the feta and stir again.<br />
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5. Serve on salad leaves.<br />
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Simple, but delicious.<br />
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<style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-88166678029212470822020-07-05T09:29:00.000+01:002020-07-05T14:05:22.310+01:00A simple way to water sprawling cucurbitsOnce your cucurbits (pumpkins/squash/courgettes) get growing, they can sprawl all over the place. When it comes to watering them though, you only need to water near the root of the plant. Watering along the sprawled stems and fruit won't actually do anything.<br />
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I use plastic bottles to make it easier for the water to go directly to the roots. Below are some bottles where I've taken the label off.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDb_fIQbGWJsb44MWDlPDiM1UWNPsTWOaStjps1St7wwRc1Lo1MdXih7FnuPTRRAhyi3t2QmyuKrfay-2zs2CasLKpKF4WsUBkSVovXU6-vJZePMzM8Egx6lDLIhJyLXujyrFwMICE_uw/s1600/P1130236cr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1380" data-original-width="1600" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDb_fIQbGWJsb44MWDlPDiM1UWNPsTWOaStjps1St7wwRc1Lo1MdXih7FnuPTRRAhyi3t2QmyuKrfay-2zs2CasLKpKF4WsUBkSVovXU6-vJZePMzM8Egx6lDLIhJyLXujyrFwMICE_uw/s640/P1130236cr.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Remove the caps, then cut them roughly two thirds of the way along the bottle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVjtKyEEm1PB6JgsVngKKmF3Wb60MGWr4ZqwORVgBwtwWJUYGxmwl4UigK5UHO5LxqCFicRCCsfMbRYroNu-9c-moGsp-VPPjVsz1wu3KQszxuYEQi1lER7zqzzUqRsmq_9k0C3vxdUY/s1600/P1130239cr+plastic+bottles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1474" data-original-width="1600" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVjtKyEEm1PB6JgsVngKKmF3Wb60MGWr4ZqwORVgBwtwWJUYGxmwl4UigK5UHO5LxqCFicRCCsfMbRYroNu-9c-moGsp-VPPjVsz1wu3KQszxuYEQi1lER7zqzzUqRsmq_9k0C3vxdUY/s640/P1130239cr+plastic+bottles.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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You end up with two pieces. On the left is the section that you'll be using for the cucurbits. On the right you could cut a couple of holes in the bottom and use these as pots to sow seedlings into.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4onng-9VAClBn366ZnGV-hFOr0chckJP-rlPPaTR26ioV8J7t7l_a-nqcwtC30_zpxATiUThv2Ac0XBFmLE0esX1QFEmbVbHKqZc6cdx-T-GkGMVpEEPyzvXNlYZBz52gz1AgOD9u_w/s1600/P1130243cr+plastic+bottles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4onng-9VAClBn366ZnGV-hFOr0chckJP-rlPPaTR26ioV8J7t7l_a-nqcwtC30_zpxATiUThv2Ac0XBFmLE0esX1QFEmbVbHKqZc6cdx-T-GkGMVpEEPyzvXNlYZBz52gz1AgOD9u_w/s640/P1130243cr+plastic+bottles.jpg" width="614" /></a></div>
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You then want to dig a small hole next to the root ball of your plant. Not too deep, c. 10 cms. Basically, one-third of the plastic bottle (the thin end) should be embedded into the ground.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBasRLMgtUb_QnGrhSvCeeBojZCk50hLIIACdxCPkjGL0tLnR_fjl2L0iPhTwBEbrDN4yWAK7z-9pQdIeQg6f_PhT76YkH94XNTLwf4a-wU4H28VPu4n3F4k1U0FEZEcGCclGCDmKvSZQ/s1600/P1130246s+plastic+bottles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBasRLMgtUb_QnGrhSvCeeBojZCk50hLIIACdxCPkjGL0tLnR_fjl2L0iPhTwBEbrDN4yWAK7z-9pQdIeQg6f_PhT76YkH94XNTLwf4a-wU4H28VPu4n3F4k1U0FEZEcGCclGCDmKvSZQ/s640/P1130246s+plastic+bottles.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This shows that the plastic is in place, with the soil pushed hard up around it to keep it in place.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYs-G7hbV8rBYZqhiKouEEMw_XJ2b2i3bLFRh9X2jCzyxmRQ5gzvaeHtrxCaPrgzunXJQuqQRetfB-AbRPxLHnwyPvy1RgoGiIM3TgRtP5YsVhP-vApZ4tQL_5omKdlWcOeAGxmTRmAQ/s1600/P1130248cr+plastic+bottles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYs-G7hbV8rBYZqhiKouEEMw_XJ2b2i3bLFRh9X2jCzyxmRQ5gzvaeHtrxCaPrgzunXJQuqQRetfB-AbRPxLHnwyPvy1RgoGiIM3TgRtP5YsVhP-vApZ4tQL_5omKdlWcOeAGxmTRmAQ/s640/P1130248cr+plastic+bottles.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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You can now easily water the roots of the plant via the plastic bottle access.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQ_SkwAx3PvTfIStEegLt5QUJyiE0N0Fk1rbAahj9IZsY9gOn679zCagTlaxYlJlcOECQfJNpLBnahrE5XRbYK3wMwSwlqstKQAPmNbNNgoAzm5Q0V9NeLsILZkJP0d8ZypvMEOj2w9U/s1600/P1130251cr+plastic+bottles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQ_SkwAx3PvTfIStEegLt5QUJyiE0N0Fk1rbAahj9IZsY9gOn679zCagTlaxYlJlcOECQfJNpLBnahrE5XRbYK3wMwSwlqstKQAPmNbNNgoAzm5Q0V9NeLsILZkJP0d8ZypvMEOj2w9U/s640/P1130251cr+plastic+bottles.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here you can hopefully see that I've put in a plastic bottle next to each of the three plants, two pumpkins and a courgette.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7fJAu1t1vXdkjftn_b6tcGxjMVfyjX1VxhzEysMOoFM_taiHkHbOANw6ggfVkPmIbM7dECHdGTO0XPEzcyhkJ7qnZR-C3LqlcD-yo61aWzsQ0pUK_TlpPVxsdVph7dG61NewFq6vSRc/s1600/P1130255cr+plastic+bottles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7fJAu1t1vXdkjftn_b6tcGxjMVfyjX1VxhzEysMOoFM_taiHkHbOANw6ggfVkPmIbM7dECHdGTO0XPEzcyhkJ7qnZR-C3LqlcD-yo61aWzsQ0pUK_TlpPVxsdVph7dG61NewFq6vSRc/s640/P1130255cr+plastic+bottles.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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Ideally, do this when you plant out your cucurbits, but as I did, you can do it a bit later. Just don't leave it too long, as you don't want to disturb the roots too much.<br />
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It's kind of less of an issue in a small garden when you are only growing a few plants, though even then, I've found it means I water more carefully. In a large garden or on an allotment site, this makes it easier to see the where to water.<br />
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P.S. I cannot claim that this was my idea originally, but I wanted to share how I do this, with pictures, to show people the steps.<br />Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-4068532579282416642020-06-29T14:46:00.001+01:002020-06-29T15:23:43.636+01:00Happy ramblings: Rosa 'Seagull'When we were leaving our previous house and garden, I took 10 cuttings of my rambling rose, Rosa Seagull. Roses aren't exactly known for being easy growing plants, and I'd never taken rose cuttings before and wasn't that hopeful that the cuttings would take. So it was quite a surprise when 9 of the 10 cuttings did!<br />
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So two years ago I planted two 20cm 'sticks' into the border of our south-facing fence. Here's the result. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUFXPGuo6ft6_tngwyUcEgktehcvavD8nNtDnBF9WiiHsdky0bzr3CpXpvxrBLlnGxtjBjaVhZ6-zR3CrT8Tt42wqqDm47WN4NqEhtN1g9F_8dH0QAFF0leJxBOASKkmA1j-lEAqNYag/s1600/P1130061cr+Rosa+%2527Seagull%2527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1290" data-original-width="1600" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUFXPGuo6ft6_tngwyUcEgktehcvavD8nNtDnBF9WiiHsdky0bzr3CpXpvxrBLlnGxtjBjaVhZ6-zR3CrT8Tt42wqqDm47WN4NqEhtN1g9F_8dH0QAFF0leJxBOASKkmA1j-lEAqNYag/s640/P1130061cr+Rosa+%2527Seagull%2527.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was after a large attack of greenfly, just when the flower buds were developing, which my soapy water squirter took care of. It recovered well!<br />
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It's a very fragrant rose, and in the hot weather last week, sitting outside for dinner at our garden table, the aroma was beautiful.<br />
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And it was alive with buzzing from the many bees seeking it's pollen.<br />
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The flowers are now spent, so I'm going to prune back the stems and with luck, I might get a second smaller flowering.<br />
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<br />
As for all those other 7 plants, I didn't have room for them, so I gave them away so others could enjoy them.<br />
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It turns out that taking rose cuttings successfully is really quite easy, so do give it a try.<br />
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<style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-48015789390710794732020-06-23T22:02:00.001+01:002020-07-06T19:09:34.718+01:00Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry with Sorrel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Serves 4-6<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
Olive oil (or canola/rapeseed oil) <br />
2 tablespoons (30ml) grated ginger<br />
6-8 garlic gloves, crushed<br />
2 teaspoons (10ml) curry paste or powder<br />
1 teaspoon (5ml) ground cumin<br />
1 teaspoon (5ml) ground chilli powder<br />
1 teaspoon (5ml) turmeric<br />
2 medium-large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-3cm chunks<br />
1/2 cup (120g) dry red lentils<br />
1 can coconut milk<br />
1 cup (240g) of water<br />
1 cup/a good thick handful of Sorrel (or Spinach/Chard leaves), larger stems stripped out and leaves torn up a little.<br />
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Steamed rice<br />
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1. Prepare vegetables and spices.<br />
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2. In a large pot, add some oil, and all the ginger, garlic and spices. Stir, and cook this for a few minutes on a medium heat.<br />
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3. Stir in the sweet potato, lentils, coconut milk and water and bring to a simmer. Then cover, turn the heat down for c. 20 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender.<br />
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4. Add in the Sorrel. Stir, replace the lid, and cook for a couple more minutes.<br />
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5. Serve immediately over steamed rice.<br />
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<br />
<b>Notes</b><br />
a) The <a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2016/05/spoonie-veg-sorrel.html" rel="nofollow">Sorrel</a> adds a lemony tang that we think goes really well with this recipe. And with Sorrel being a perennial vegetable that is so easy to grow, we tend to choose it over Spinach and Chard now.<br />
<br />
b) We are generous with the garlic and ginger and use double the amount from the original recipe. So do start with less if you aren't sure you like quite that much.<br />
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c) This is a great recipe for batch cooking. We often make 3 times the recipe, then freeze most of it in containers. A standard (not small) takeaway container will hold enough for two. Then just unfreeze when you want, heat up and make rice, and there you have a healthy and yummy meal for when you are low on spoons.<br />
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<br />
<b>Source</b><br />
Spilling the Beans, Julie Van Rosendaal & Sue Duncan, 2011, page 146.<br />
ISBN: 978 1 77050 041 9<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/p/recipes.html" rel="nofollow">About Gwenfar's Garden's recipes</a><br />
<style></style><br />
<style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-42645874114049881132020-06-10T15:57:00.002+01:002020-06-10T15:57:12.345+01:00Front garden: Spring 2020 overview, in pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The front garden, May 2020</div>
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The front garden has really come a long way since we first moved in. So this is an overview in pictures (I am too exhausted to write much at the moment), particularly as so many plants are now looking so good.<br />
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For comparison, this is what the front garden looked like when we moved in.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
November 2017</div>
<br />
So, going back to earlier this Spring...<br />
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<b>March 2020</b><br />
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Overview near the front door</div>
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Under the Quince treen: Primula vulgaris and Anemone blanda, with grassy leaves</div>
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from Stipa tenuissima.</div>
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Looking towards the lounge room window</div>
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Quince tree </div>
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View from the front gate</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
One of my favourite daffodils, the fragrant Narcissus 'Cragford'</div>
<br />
<b>April 2020</b><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Overview</div>
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Quince flower, Cydonia oblonga 'Vranja'</div>
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Under the quince tree, Muscari aucheri 'Blue Magic'</div>
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Planter under the lounge room window. Tulipa 'Ballerina' (orange), plus a rouge that was pulled out!<br />
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Tulipa Ballerina and Tulipa Havran (beetroot colour), plus Myosotis sylvatica and other plants</div>
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Viola 'Butterpat', which also has a lovely fragrance. Planted next to the front door.</div>
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Tulipa 'Abu Hassan'</div>
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Front: Primula veris, back: Primula elatior</div>
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<b>May 2020</b><br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDuh9VW5DGsXKEH2l7g-WdRTxu9QhyphenhyphenkX7hcuUtDYsUX0Ao1A7wAqG6_rknTfmJagdwZn99ZAXGdw7_-RUow4zrFuMxNwUTeEvfl-y_qyuBN0Yuj4pT7Dq8Ai8peLMHu7Vw0bpthdOLXA/s1600/P1120498s+front+garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDuh9VW5DGsXKEH2l7g-WdRTxu9QhyphenhyphenkX7hcuUtDYsUX0Ao1A7wAqG6_rknTfmJagdwZn99ZAXGdw7_-RUow4zrFuMxNwUTeEvfl-y_qyuBN0Yuj4pT7Dq8Ai8peLMHu7Vw0bpthdOLXA/s640/P1120498s+front+garden.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div>
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<b> </b>Overview</div>
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Quince tree and Camassia leichtlinii 'Caerulea'</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYPX0YRDMoej4aasTw0aJZB1H9XLuOzNAerbrgZGdkPKXhxdI-jN05QoRqAabmj155wtx9T36aIyiVsTId4DV03gS5DjyrGgn8-gVTgcfAu1fVlJ6F77fINCmTCJ83bOnFBqEP-Lq37g/s1600/P1120654cr+Camassia+leichtlinii+%2527Caerulea%2527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1524" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYPX0YRDMoej4aasTw0aJZB1H9XLuOzNAerbrgZGdkPKXhxdI-jN05QoRqAabmj155wtx9T36aIyiVsTId4DV03gS5DjyrGgn8-gVTgcfAu1fVlJ6F77fINCmTCJ83bOnFBqEP-Lq37g/s640/P1120654cr+Camassia+leichtlinii+%2527Caerulea%2527.jpg" width="608" /></a></div>
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Camassia, in detail</div>
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Planted together: red Geum 'Mrs J. Bradshaw', and orange Geum 'Totally Tangerine'</div>
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Geum 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' up close</div>
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In another part of the garden, Geum coccineum 'Koi'</div>
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View from lounge room</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_7KQ70xNpYAvw6Xsc3GLC_DXTih3JmClEeOXi7OQ_mp-n1NJ_3rxaeyma-KwDOcJqgeyh2s3R0qbeLF7APJz8VeiOWQr_l8lF-ixu5oRas_BstFPKZlk8fYiEjpTLA6Tg4LvgxcG8w8/s1600/P1130050cr+Primula+bulleyana+and+bee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1527" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_7KQ70xNpYAvw6Xsc3GLC_DXTih3JmClEeOXi7OQ_mp-n1NJ_3rxaeyma-KwDOcJqgeyh2s3R0qbeLF7APJz8VeiOWQr_l8lF-ixu5oRas_BstFPKZlk8fYiEjpTLA6Tg4LvgxcG8w8/s640/P1130050cr+Primula+bulleyana+and+bee.jpg" width="610" /></a></div>
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<style></style>Primula bulleyana and bumblebee</div>
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<style></style>View from the front gate, with a young Acer Griseum</div>
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<style></style>The front garden has come a long way since November 2017! Whilst I do all the designing and planting plans, the garden wouldn't be where it is without the help of my gardener Andrea. Thanks Andrea, we've created, I believe, a beautiful space.<br />
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<style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-33319615027996444112020-05-28T22:52:00.000+01:002020-06-16T15:38:26.706+01:00Keeping blackfly off Broad Beans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvje5-odHh2vCW5Az4zcc19T5YLF6kWYgdPJwdytNSwwef92G77I3JhB7JjyTc5N1KeqI7vEnxB9YsPxj0DryyYplswhOS5ZXbNjz1iJbJP5iTgYpZ1qjoiuZCxVpZg3oRomq_GVvlenY/s1600/P1130016s+Broad+Beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvje5-odHh2vCW5Az4zcc19T5YLF6kWYgdPJwdytNSwwef92G77I3JhB7JjyTc5N1KeqI7vEnxB9YsPxj0DryyYplswhOS5ZXbNjz1iJbJP5iTgYpZ1qjoiuZCxVpZg3oRomq_GVvlenY/s640/P1130016s+Broad+Beans.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Broad beans in the kitchen garden. You can see the first beans are almost ready to pick.</div>
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It's the time of year to start planning those broad bean meals, as the first crops should be ready to harvest soon. However, just before the broad beans are ready for eating, also happens to be the exact same time that the dreaded Blackfly (black bean aphid - <i>Aphis fabae</i>) decide to make an appearance. They suck out all the goodness from the plant and can destroy much of your crop if you don't get them under control.<br />
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Images: Left - The Vegetable and Herb Expert (2002), Right - <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/Advice/profile?PID=797" rel="nofollow">RHS website</a>.<br />
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The blackfly head for the tips of the broad beans first, as per the
picture on the left, and an example of a bad infestation is on the
right. It can take only a couple of days to go from just appearing, to a
bad infestation, which can destroy the flowers before they even turn
into beans. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMU3DMl7hyphenhyphenstEwyA1bCGciL373ghkfp0sgSukRH9rCliTGqRE1eM3-aBpHGEiNGC6fVOavAV3czApaQKp4v-MnF9oDbK01zOeQ0yuUTGyw0Hh_qRvqS6H12uj9FayR7izawhxvPjhI4Vc/s1600/P1130320cr+Broad+beans+with+blackfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1390" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMU3DMl7hyphenhyphenstEwyA1bCGciL373ghkfp0sgSukRH9rCliTGqRE1eM3-aBpHGEiNGC6fVOavAV3czApaQKp4v-MnF9oDbK01zOeQ0yuUTGyw0Hh_qRvqS6H12uj9FayR7izawhxvPjhI4Vc/s640/P1130320cr+Broad+beans+with+blackfly.jpg" width="553" /></a></div>
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If you notice that you have ants going up and down your beans, that's because they are also getting read for them. Ants 'farm' them (photo above) and can make an infestation so much worse. These are my tips for getting ahead of the blackfly.<br />
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<b>Pinching out the tips</b> <br />
The first tip, is to pinch out the tips of the broad beans. This is because this is where the blackfly will land and start their infestation. By taking out the tips, you are opening up the top of the plant to more light and air, making it a little harder for them to take over.<br />
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You want to do this once the plants look like they are a decent size and have plenty of flowers on them. This is usually around early-mid May, but can depend on when you sowed them. Earlier May if you sowed in Autumn, later May if the sowing was done in Spring.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wImecG72DDQcHRduF68OmMeZSeqfm0fwGLIT3K3vJgVSaa_jkdY4JWMVVl9Lfpxx_iHDLTZ7137kTz8dYySc6bUvzT7-dgApnA7APa3GPDRVOAw5SwaLzZFrv15xLknmZjDOJ_NiN_Y/s1600/P1120848cr+Broad+Beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wImecG72DDQcHRduF68OmMeZSeqfm0fwGLIT3K3vJgVSaa_jkdY4JWMVVl9Lfpxx_iHDLTZ7137kTz8dYySc6bUvzT7-dgApnA7APa3GPDRVOAw5SwaLzZFrv15xLknmZjDOJ_NiN_Y/s640/P1120848cr+Broad+Beans.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The circle shows the tips in detail.</div>
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You can see lots of young leaves and flowers all wrapped up tight.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGARZ_mgDAgXzcwwBdSt_XohecMcqeqlJXXEhJpTUxTk2QMki84_CQHEXdaYob8BtoDxOFwVmQIKW5GTVk3XfFBU_ODVYKdPDi-RxlPLFq-_fOO7CTIDEZj_chww9tH6wjlSDmpSlHnHk/s1600/P1120743s+Broad+Beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGARZ_mgDAgXzcwwBdSt_XohecMcqeqlJXXEhJpTUxTk2QMki84_CQHEXdaYob8BtoDxOFwVmQIKW5GTVk3XfFBU_ODVYKdPDi-RxlPLFq-_fOO7CTIDEZj_chww9tH6wjlSDmpSlHnHk/s640/P1120743s+Broad+Beans.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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From another angle, me holding the tip I'll pinch out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbe6g5zdCQ663pcQTdoZbQNS-38zGuUzr5B_4Js94uVHWBCG-nezVhwQllGY4JlpeEe-L2x-j6ZCns2iHNssUbsTvldPo2pIJM6zHlLDrbI3tpn27vzNfqfA2-jBv91GODjutNx040GU/s1600/P1120742s+Broad+Beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbe6g5zdCQ663pcQTdoZbQNS-38zGuUzr5B_4Js94uVHWBCG-nezVhwQllGY4JlpeEe-L2x-j6ZCns2iHNssUbsTvldPo2pIJM6zHlLDrbI3tpn27vzNfqfA2-jBv91GODjutNx040GU/s640/P1120742s+Broad+Beans.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Closer in, you can see I'm going to take out the whole tip.</div>
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Use your fingers (or pruners if you like) and snap off the tip.</div>
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Remember, the tips are edible and you can add them to salad or a stir fry.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZV6XYIe4uaw_xus0YrR2bWgKQJ4Dv9A_S7UFszlgpBIK5zWZqSPyrR6QTUgzRa18BxAj3oShINhPo-0KVNJ0KBY2EOGxiSalmp_hrk9J_Ti5pmpYzXExWZMQGS6tZV7aY8jfOHZJAxuQ/s1600/P1120760cr+Broad+beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1256" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZV6XYIe4uaw_xus0YrR2bWgKQJ4Dv9A_S7UFszlgpBIK5zWZqSPyrR6QTUgzRa18BxAj3oShINhPo-0KVNJ0KBY2EOGxiSalmp_hrk9J_Ti5pmpYzXExWZMQGS6tZV7aY8jfOHZJAxuQ/s640/P1120760cr+Broad+beans.jpg" width="502" /></a></div>
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The flowers have been pollinated and the bean pods are developing.</div>
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<b>Spray the blackfly</b><br />
Even with pinching out the tips, the blackfly will most likely still attack the beans, you've just slowed down the process. The second line of defence is soapy water, which works by clogging up the pores which insects breathe through,
effectively suffocating them. Technically, it can harm all insects,
including the good ones. But it dissipates quickly and doesn't really
harm anything which isn't directly sprayed. <br />
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Squeeze some washing up liquid into a sprayer (see pic below) then fill to about 3 quarters. Given it a really good shake so it gets all soapy. Then squirt the soapy water directly onto the blackfly. Be really generous and drown the buggers. Also make sure to spray the
undersides of the leaves as they can hid there too.<br />
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A squirty bottle with soapy water, filled to three quarters.</div>
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Make a concerted effort of spraying them morning and evening for a few days, and most will eventually be
killed off. A few may hang around, but they will be weakened, and you will
have saved most of your crop.<br />
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The soapy water won't hurt good bugs like ladybirds (whose larvae eat blackfly), just the bad bugs like blackfly. In fact, you can also use this solution on greenfly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFKzTzAoAjsKCud42r8rLBuaTF0egATIPkGtsNgwg5KsB2GMBzq7YPfacHdVmJ_pi089S6ZZn5wHx023kAqqGHqJ5vHp-ntcG9WbwFXQ9P0cwlvCXFLCUmDEFXtC_72Z-i3GFvn5lc2U/s1600/P1130013cr+Dwarf+and+tall+Broad+Beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1314" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFKzTzAoAjsKCud42r8rLBuaTF0egATIPkGtsNgwg5KsB2GMBzq7YPfacHdVmJ_pi089S6ZZn5wHx023kAqqGHqJ5vHp-ntcG9WbwFXQ9P0cwlvCXFLCUmDEFXtC_72Z-i3GFvn5lc2U/s640/P1130013cr+Dwarf+and+tall+Broad+Beans.jpg" width="524" /></a></div>
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Dwarf broad beans, in front of tall ones</div>
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<b>Other options</b><br />
Other options include ordering some ladybird larvae to be
delivered to you, as these dine on blackfly quite voraciously, and they could solve your problem. I have yet to try this, so cannot say
how well it works.<br />
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Some people use Neem oil for a really bad infestation. It's apparently effective, but can be hard on the plant and it can kill 'good' insects, so best kept for when you need the nuclear option.<br />
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Both Neem oil and Aspirin contain high levels of salicylates, the plant hormones involved
in boosting pathogen-defending protein production in plants. Salicylic acid is also used by some plants as a signalling mechanism when
they're under attack. Predatory insects and insect eating birds will
follow a trail of salicylic acid, expecting a swarm of aphids or
similar. So adding 1 soluble Aspirin to your soapy water is worth trying, and one I will experiment with this year.<br />
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An
'untidy' garden, particularly for ladybirds to over winter in, to
increase their habitat and numbers, can help. Whilst I do this every year, and I've created a bug hotel, I've still not had
much luck with increasing the number of ladybirds in the garden, so I
continue to resort to pinching out tips and soapy water.<br />
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* * * * *<br />
If you can, try to check your beans daily for blackfly. The sooner you notice and start spraying them, the better chance you have of keeping them under control. <br />
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A few days of some dedicated checking and spraying, and you can look forward to eating these!<br />
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Just picked (last year) broad beans</div>
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<style></style>P.S. Thanks to people on Mastodon (you know who you are) for sharing their experience of using Neem oil and Aspirin. To Alx who said their beans are looking much better after just a few days of the washing up liquid spray suggestion, and Xan for the extra information about how the soapy water works on the blackfly.<br />
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<style></style>I also recommend reading a short post by a gardening professional, Saralimback, about <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CASJ2Cmgj9q/?igshid=nue2ktf4tbqo" rel="nofollow">the negative impacts of neem oil on your ecosystem</a>.<br />
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<style></style><style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-71103334102109036232020-05-06T21:40:00.000+01:002020-05-06T21:50:51.170+01:00My top tip for keeping cats, foxes and birds off your newly sown beds<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqLhDSCgipzajpe9XmMVE4_Bz_UfcCkr-ODc0YyaZJKt3RQOUsVfsupWtdsFJQa1Jpn3Tk47T4jYGyePGcSlQfOnKQXjl0g6l4fRDfE7CFoGFpF5XvkDc3ltt-hm1yeZgvYMJkBgQi3c/s1600/P1110608s+parsnip+seeds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqLhDSCgipzajpe9XmMVE4_Bz_UfcCkr-ODc0YyaZJKt3RQOUsVfsupWtdsFJQa1Jpn3Tk47T4jYGyePGcSlQfOnKQXjl0g6l4fRDfE7CFoGFpF5XvkDc3ltt-hm1yeZgvYMJkBgQi3c/s200/P1110608s+parsnip+seeds.jpg" width="200" /></a>Frequently I see people comment on social media about the difficulty of keeping cats, foxes and other creatures, off their newly sown beds. I thought I'd share my tip, which pretty much always works.<br />
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Right: Parsnip seed </div>
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These are newly sown rows of parsnip and beetroot.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswC480oFBbXHP3oPbD-zqib9i0ve2OOdJd7NfkEvYQ4r5mkQvX4z_c3aW_r8qVBrjhipAv6oOMCrKdj3eG_j9Rnb8hYdZiT04tasw-3DclegNFSKHijk4tBz8GpCu3hL2VVrGLl9Bu8E/s1600/P1110618s+newly+sown+seeds+in+their+rows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswC480oFBbXHP3oPbD-zqib9i0ve2OOdJd7NfkEvYQ4r5mkQvX4z_c3aW_r8qVBrjhipAv6oOMCrKdj3eG_j9Rnb8hYdZiT04tasw-3DclegNFSKHijk4tBz8GpCu3hL2VVrGLl9Bu8E/s640/P1110618s+newly+sown+seeds+in+their+rows.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4ce7d_fAKsjKZ1fys8X6h810FVUXPFWIS_FPRrk-igxGbawqLeUOivTAib4fJyh3pEAKZPwnQtlzAOXlw2_ThTTuQbOn0h4FsMV7eiaGGyxi8v01ZaorPkTeR7khWt-Ui_Ngw9Idoik/s1600/P1120080cr+netting+over+beetroot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1466" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4ce7d_fAKsjKZ1fys8X6h810FVUXPFWIS_FPRrk-igxGbawqLeUOivTAib4fJyh3pEAKZPwnQtlzAOXlw2_ThTTuQbOn0h4FsMV7eiaGGyxi8v01ZaorPkTeR7khWt-Ui_Ngw9Idoik/s200/P1120080cr+netting+over+beetroot.jpg" width="183" /></a>Basically, you need some netting and something to hold the netting down. Ideally, go for finer netting, as this will also keep the birds off the seedlings. And sparrows, in particular, love the fresh germinated leaves of vegetables like beetroot, spinach, chard and lettuce.<br />
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Right: netting over young beetroot seedlings. The netting is</div>
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held down tightly so birds cannot get under it and get trapped.</div>
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When I prepare the netting, I make sure I allow not just enough to cover the space, but also enough space for the young seedlings to grow without squishing up, and then growing through, the netting. Otherwise, when you come to take the netting off, you'll pull out the seedlings. I fold under the extra netting and pin that down, then unfold it once I need to give the seedlings more room. In the picture above, you can see the netting on the bottom part of the picture has been folded over then pinned down.<br />
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Below is some netting over some salad seedlings. The glass cloche on the left is because I wanted that cultivar to grow quicker so I would a) have some new lettuce sooner, and b) by trying to get it grow quicker, I'm hoping I'll have time to harvest but also let it go to seed so I can save the seeds before the autumn frosts hit.<br />
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The lettuce seedlings (below) are now getting bigger and were just about to start growing through the netting. So I've unfolded the extra netting and have lifted it to give them more space to grow. At this point, they are still a bit young for removing the netting entirely. I've done it too soon in the past and come out the next day to see the seedlings dug up. <br />
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The seedlings are now well established and have taken over most of the space, so it's now safe to take the netting off. You can also see how the cloche made a difference, with the lettuce on the right being bigger than that on the left.<br />
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The parsnips and beetroot are slower growers, and still too young to take the netting off. It will probably be another month before they'll be established enough.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDCzASBD3bo-sc_J8-4Jyn1Wo7sq45ssGCLBk9URtCv_JZfxlOOuP5ozNEnuxkQSOUuHtRWmaSLypNueIFwuIOEbUo-BPPQfKXRbBWDYbjmp17q3sFYehu8nx616u27uDah-amkU-BYs/s1600/P1120446s2+Parsnips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1339" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDCzASBD3bo-sc_J8-4Jyn1Wo7sq45ssGCLBk9URtCv_JZfxlOOuP5ozNEnuxkQSOUuHtRWmaSLypNueIFwuIOEbUo-BPPQfKXRbBWDYbjmp17q3sFYehu8nx616u27uDah-amkU-BYs/s320/P1120446s2+Parsnips.jpg" width="320" /></a>When it comes to what materials to use, as you can see, I have used plastic netting. I've had this same netting for years and it just last and lasts. Netting is also easy to water and rain through. Because these beds are permanent, I'm cutting the netting to suit each bed, and when I take it off, I'll pin a note to the netting before putting it away, noting which bed it fits for when I need to use it next time. Yes, I'm organised :)<br />
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To hold it down, I use steel ground pegs (see right). Again, these last forever. You could obviously use other similar tools. Some people use old soft drink bottles as individual cloches that protect and encourage germination and growth. I've tried this but found I had to lift them to water the seedlings, and that was just annoying.<br />
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I have tried tricks like using hot chilli powder spread around young plants, putting in lots of sticks to keep cats off etc. These can work a bit, but you have to reapply the chilli every couple of days and after rain, and a determined cat can work around sticks. I know, my cat is quite determined!<br />
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In the end, I've found the netting and ground pegs keep all creatures off, as well as safe from being trapped under the netting, and my seedlings are protected until they have grown up enough to go net-free.<br />
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Looking from the kitchen garden back towards the house</div>
<br />Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-71789821955793359152020-04-29T22:19:00.006+01:002020-04-29T22:19:46.477+01:00Tulip feverIt's tulip flowering time and oh gosh, do I particularly have tulip fever this year. I only have a few cultivars in my front and back gardens, but they are looking fabulous and I'm feeling that maybe I need some more?<br />
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This is T. Ballerina, my favourite tulip in a planter next to the lounge room window. It looks like it's on fire.<br />
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I love how it changes in the light. This is it waiting in the wings in the shade.<br />
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And then, voila! It dances in the sun!<br />
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Wait a minute, isn't one of those tulips looking rather different? Yes, this is a rogue tulip that's ended up with my T. Ballerina bulbs. It's possibly a cross with some of my other tulips? <br />
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Anyway, I've pulled it out and will plant it elsewhere, as this doesn't go with my 'hot' colours theme in the front garden, so it's going to be replanted in the back garden.<br />
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T. Ballerina goes rather well with T. Havran, in the ground in another part of the front garden.<br />
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T. Havran is kind of a beetroot colour, and really quite shiny.<br />
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It has a nice white part in the middle of the inside too.<br />
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Also in the front garden is T. Abu Hassan, which is a rather fabulous tulip if you ask me. I mean, wow!<br />
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I don't have as many of these as I like, and I do like. They contrast nicely with the yellow of the cowslip and the various blues.<br />
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In the back garden I don't have many tulips yet, but I did inherit these ones when we moved in. <br />
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Now see, they don't go with the cooler purples/pinks tones for the back
garden, but well, they are so cheery. So they get to stay until I have
more appropriate colours to plant in their place. Then I'll move these
to the front.<br />
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The tulips in both gardens have been giving me so much pleasure. There is just one problem. Sadly, I don't have enough of them.<br />
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So, I see tulip bulbs in my future. Lots more.<br />
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<style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-48662186701317442342020-03-12T19:09:00.000+00:002020-03-12T20:07:52.146+00:00Crop rotations: the basics for urban growers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnHwL85a4BTFe9G2l7UANklv2yuq3TUMhWj8XqPlbAMvs1_jvDHaOhVAvu7vTiz0PEYRFBskxBlfjZoelqi9-Wy3IfaCn2aGup_wqaJt_m25b4o6eseB0ZFknw0xbHXLdzCwhPR2PPVA/s1600/P1110433cr+kitchen+garden+overview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnHwL85a4BTFe9G2l7UANklv2yuq3TUMhWj8XqPlbAMvs1_jvDHaOhVAvu7vTiz0PEYRFBskxBlfjZoelqi9-Wy3IfaCn2aGup_wqaJt_m25b4o6eseB0ZFknw0xbHXLdzCwhPR2PPVA/s640/P1110433cr+kitchen+garden+overview.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My kitchen garden and forest garden border now. The raised beds currently have garlic,</div>
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broad beans and corn salad. Now it's warming up, I can start more seed sowing</div>
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and really get the season going.</div>
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When I published my post on my <a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2020/01/planning-crop-rotations-for-kitchen.html" rel="nofollow">crop rotation plans</a> for this year in January, I got a lot of interest, particularly from people on Mastodon, who asked me a number of questions. So I thought I'd write a post covering the basics as my contribution to <a href="https://poblacht-na-n-oibrithe.tumblr.com/post/188893763295/eventually-you-people-are-going-to-learn-to-stop" rel="nofollow">Solarpunk Action Week</a>. The focus is on urban growers, as that's from where my experience comes.<br />
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<b>Why rotate your crops?</b><br />
Or, do you have to rotate your crops, even in a small garden? Yes, yes, you do.<br />
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The key principle of crop rotation is that you rotate plants of the same botanical family, which are prone to the same soil-living pests and diseases, and should not be grown in the same spot every year. The aim is to prevent the build-up of soil borne problems, such as club root, white rot, and eelworms, which often have no means of control<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1)</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span><br />
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If you continue to grow the same few crops in your garden or allotment, you risk a build up of diseases in the soil that might take years to get back under control. Particular diseases include <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/Advice/Profile?PID=929" rel="nofollow">potato cyst eelworms</a> which affects potatoes and tomatoes, and <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=128" rel="nofollow">club root</a> which affects brassicas. Of course, in smaller gardens, disease can spread to other soil areas. Best practice is to do what you can to reduce the chance of this happening.<br />
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The other key reasons to rotation your crops is for nutrient availability/soil fertility. Vegetables have different nutrient requirements, so moving them around the growing area helps to avoid nutrient depletion in the soil (and remember, you'll be adding compost and manure/green manure each year to also improve soil fertility). Furthermore, rotating crops with alternating deep- and shallow-rooting vegetables, improves soil structure.<span style="font-size: x-small;">(2) </span></div>
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A wooden raised bed sitting on top of acid soil.</div>
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The raised bed is filled with compost, giving it an alkaline-neutral pH. </div>
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<b>Does soil type (pH) matter?</b><br />
The <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=239" rel="nofollow">pH in soil matters</a> because crop rotations are needed for annual vegetables, which won't grow in acid soil. A pH of 7.0 is considered neutral. An acid soil has a pH value below 7.0 and above 7.0 the soil is alkaline.<br />
<br />
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">When it comes to perennial vegetables, few will have much of a problem with a slightly
acid soil (pH 6-7) and some will be ok in pH 5-6. Below pH 5, you can only grow acid loving fruit and vegetables, such as most fruit, including blueberries and strawberries, or acid tolerating perennials such as sorrel.</span><br />
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If you have heavy acid soil (pH 5 and below), as I do, then building raised beds is the way to get around this to grow annual vegetables. My raised beds are 40cms high or more, allowing me enough depth to grow any type of annual vegetable.<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"></span><br />
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<b>Basic crop rotations</b><br />
Crop rotations are usually practiced on a 3- or 4-year plan. If you have the space, plant your crops on a 4-year plan. For smaller spaces, go for a 3-year plan as a minimum.<br />
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For a simple 3-year crop rotation, divide your space into 3 sections or beds, then plant:<br />
<ol>
<li>Root crops (including potatoes, carrots, beetroot, garlic, onions and parsnips). You could include tomatoes in this group to keep the solanum family (potatoes and tomatoes), together.</li>
<li>Brassicas (including cauliflower, broccoli, kale, radish, kohl rabi and cabbage).</li>
<li>Legumes (peas, broad beans and beans). You could add the cucubits (pumpkin and squash) and vegetables that don't really have a group, such as corn and lettuce, here.</li>
</ol>
For a simple 4 year rotation, you would use the above, but separate out potatoes and tomatoes into their own group.<br />
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The garlic grew in this raised bed last year. This year I have created sections within this, and it</div>
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will contain a mix of broad beans, climbing French beans, squash and courgette, parsnip and beetroot.</div>
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However, even a basic crop rotation doesn't stay quite this simple, because plants have different seasons in which they grow. You plant garlic and broad beans in autumn and they'll be in their spaces from November to the following July-August. For example, one bed might have the following 4 year rotation:<br />
<br />
Year 1: Broad beans Spring and Summer, then winter salads and green manures in Autumn and Winter.<br />
Year
2: Peas, courgette and squash (the peas grow up, the courgette and
squash underneath) for Spring, Summer and into mid-Autumn. Then plant
garlic from mid-October, which will be that will be there from October
to the following July.<br />
Year 3: Garlic up until mid-Summer, then salads and green manures for Autumn and Winter.<br />
Year 4: Potatoes from Spring until Autumn.<br />
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After year 4, you return to year 1 and start again.<br />
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This photo shows an overview of a previous garden in mid-summer, 2015, which ran on a 4-year schedule.
You can see how much you can fit into a small urban garden. The raised
beds have been divided into roughly a metre squared sections, with
different annual vegetables growing in each. The same view looked
different next year as the crops are rotated.<br />
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Below are the plans I have, using a 3-year crop rotation cycle. Visit my post on <a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2020/01/planning-crop-rotations-for-kitchen.html" rel="nofollow">crop rotations for my garden</a> to see more detail.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHKL7bk3F3lmRJsLM11IGkEu5vT-HQUohN4dq3HjvxZFRgYjf67GEAHEGqoYf4-r_-o8ygDbChY9yTwdAGAlNrRIndDR1SSOFn3EaTJDZBeTWRZbXLco4oscmcOPjjtz4FUZ_3ZtwfM8/s1600/Crop+Rotations+Olive+Crescent+p2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="1600" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHKL7bk3F3lmRJsLM11IGkEu5vT-HQUohN4dq3HjvxZFRgYjf67GEAHEGqoYf4-r_-o8ygDbChY9yTwdAGAlNrRIndDR1SSOFn3EaTJDZBeTWRZbXLco4oscmcOPjjtz4FUZ_3ZtwfM8/s640/Crop+Rotations+Olive+Crescent+p2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Detailed crop rotations</b><br />
Here's an example of crop rotations for a larger amount of beds, from a previous garden. This also includes a larger amount of crops, including brassicas and solanums. The beds were a mix of 3 smaller beds (1-3), and two long beds (4-8 and 9-13). The long beds were broken up into sections in order to make it easier to plan for crop rotations. This meant I could go with a 4 year rotation plan.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8Pa6pXXCwDwDqTKNzJBiEtE74St7GW_029PRhcwzUaHFWk85pfSSZMfsgNnO8PAjEL-YNZnCklBqVjGaECUz0Up4tab_2QYrhkUZmSsh7cUospPXAGJH9nK60qQrufyjdzvjfP2FLbw/s1600/Crop+rotations+-+detailed+plan+Daresbury+Road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="1590" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8Pa6pXXCwDwDqTKNzJBiEtE74St7GW_029PRhcwzUaHFWk85pfSSZMfsgNnO8PAjEL-YNZnCklBqVjGaECUz0Up4tab_2QYrhkUZmSsh7cUospPXAGJH9nK60qQrufyjdzvjfP2FLbw/s640/Crop+rotations+-+detailed+plan+Daresbury+Road.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is another photo from 2015, more clearly showing the different vegetables growing in different sections. In this space is: garlic, potatoes, climbing French beans, broad beans, parsnips, and carrots under white netting.<br />
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<b>Final thoughts</b><br />
You don't even need to start of with making big crop rotation plans as I do (I'm a bit of a nerd in that area). As
long as you keep a record of what you plant, and where, each year, you'll be fine. Crop rotations can be flexible, just keep botanical families together.
You can mix botanical families, but move them around the
beds/rotations, together. <br />
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* * * * *<br />
My thanks to Alison from <a href="https://backyardlarder.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Backyard Larder</a> for information regarding growing perennials in acid soil.<br />
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<b>References</b><br />
1. Growing fruit and vegetables on a bed system the organic way, Pauline Pears, 2004, p25.<br />
2. Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, editor Pauline Pears, 2001, p301.<br />
<br />Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-67689108806384048402020-02-28T19:16:00.002+00:002020-02-29T11:04:47.383+00:00Florespondence: Helle-not-so-boringHellebores, they aren't so boring. I'm sure that's been said a lot, but look at them - such beauty! The yellow ones are in the front garden, and the pinks and purples in the back garden.<br />
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Helleborus x hybridus Harvington yellow <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmiwxSu_nTaD4onZ9MK4J3G5kkH3iPZCjVKZ2eyNCSwN6GaCCVzKEEefIhXVFuJfPk2yIZ6x1qXN5oqsb8D7d72pE_VgeoXaBv-4YDlebFt_H49Xnwq8yXVMzPyg0oS1a7ailjUVA4d0/s1600/P1110204cr+Helleborus+x+hybridus+Harvington+yellow+with+dark+eye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmiwxSu_nTaD4onZ9MK4J3G5kkH3iPZCjVKZ2eyNCSwN6GaCCVzKEEefIhXVFuJfPk2yIZ6x1qXN5oqsb8D7d72pE_VgeoXaBv-4YDlebFt_H49Xnwq8yXVMzPyg0oS1a7ailjUVA4d0/s640/P1110204cr+Helleborus+x+hybridus+Harvington+yellow+with+dark+eye.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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A slightly chewed Helleborus x hybridus Harvington double yellow.<br />
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Helleborus 'Painted Bunting'<br />
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Helleborus x hybridus 'Double Ellen Red'<br />
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<style></style>Helleborus x hybridus Harvington dusky, the second with the sunlight behind it.<br />
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<style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-70141835980776720982020-01-27T19:36:00.000+00:002020-01-27T19:36:49.328+00:00Planning the crop rotations for the kitchen garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The raised beds that form the kitchen garden.</div>
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The new growing season is fast approaching. As of this year I have my full complement of raised beds for growing edibles in, so I thought I better work out a crop rotation plan.<br />
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This is the layout, where I have numbered each section or bed, to make it easy to plan in order to know what crop is where.<br />
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As I have a smaller garden, I've decided to go for a 3 year rotation
plan instead of a 4 year plan. I'll be going into detail about this in a
future post(1). Here are my 3 year rotation plans.(2) <br />
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For my garlic, the plan is to only grow a larger number which I can then share, every 3 years. I may also grow some extra food in pots as well, depending on energy levels etc.<br />
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I have allowed for sowing green manure at different points in the year, and I'll continue to add some well-rotted manure and compost to the beds, as needed.<br />
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I'm not growing anything from the Solanum family (potatoes and tomatoes), and the only thing from the Brassica family (i.e. cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli) will be Kohl Rabi. In general, the Solanum and Brassica families require a lot more work than I have the spoons to manage. I've grown Kohl Rabi in the past and found it wasn't overly impacted by the white cabbage moth, so hoping that will continue, given they aren't easily available in the shops.<br />
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The asparagus, being a perennial, isn't part of the crop rotations as since it will stay in that bed for the next 20 years or so. <br />
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Looking at the kitchen garden beds from a different angle.</div>
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I suspect I may end up amending my plans as I go along, depend on my
health. But having the crop rotations worked out in general, makes it
easier manage what to sow where. Now, I'm just waiting for Spring!<br />
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* * * * *<br />
<ol>
<li>I'm putting together a post sumarising crop rotations (the reasons for, etc) for <a href="https://poblacht-na-n-oibrithe.tumblr.com/post/188893763295/eventually-you-people-are-going-to-learn-to-stop" rel="nofollow">Solarpunk Action Week</a> (8th - 14th March). If there is an issue you'd like to see included, leave your request in the comments below.</li>
<li>If you would like to see these in more detail, I've uploaded them to <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/444327417/Crop-Rotations-Olive-Crescent" rel="nofollow">Scribd</a>.</li>
</ol>
<style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-82893430408654994322020-01-18T22:36:00.002+00:002020-01-18T22:47:22.902+00:00Gardening with ME: plans for the kitchen garden this coming season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been mulling over what to grow in my veg beds this coming season. I decided to focus on the following categories:<br />
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A) veg I love but cannot easily get hold of from our local supermarket,<br />
B) veg I love but makes good sense to grow yourself, and<br />
C) some veg I love and just want to grow my own.<br />
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This might seem like I'm not leaving much out, but I'm pretty much excluding most of the large Brassica family, as I find them just too much work. In particular, dealing with the depredations of the cabbage white moth, even when using protection such as agricultural mesh. I'm not bothering with Carrots as carrot fly can be quite a pest, again, even when using protection. Anything (except pumpkin/squash, see C below) that requires lots of heat, which you can never guarantee in and English summer, is being left out. So no aubergines, cucumbers or sweetcorn.<br />
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In category A fit veggies such as Kohl Rabi, Fennel bulbs, Peas, Tatsoi and Broad Beans. Whilst peas are common, fresh peas are not, and the same with Broad Beans. I adore Broad Beans, and sowed some this Autumn past, and because of the mild winter, they have already taken off.<br />
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Some Broad Beans picked last year </div>
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Kohl Rabi, is part of the Brassica family, but from previous
experience I've learned that it didn't seem to be bothered by pests, in
particularly, the cabbage white moth. I'm growing it because it tastes
good (roasted in particular), and I mean, how can you not grow it. It's
purple. It looks like an alien. It's purple!<br />
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Mmmmm, purple Kohl Rabi</div>
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Roasted Fennel bulbs are divine. They have a licorice flavour, and even my partner, who doesn't like licorice at all, adores roasted fennel bulbs. I'm going to try Tatsoi because I do love making stir fry and the only place I can buy it requires a car journey. <br />
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The main veg in category B is lettuce. Not only do I find a lot of lettuce from the supermarkets bland, more importantly, it's easy to grow, and mine won't be covered in plastic. Lettuce is also one of those veg where one packet of seeds can supply us in salads for months. I'll be growing a mix of salads, including 'Bronze Arrow', a excellent cultivar from the Heritage Seed Library. I'm going to try and grow enough to save some seeds from these.<br />
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I also find Climbing and Dwarf French beans easy to grow and fresh beans are so good. The bonus is, if I end up not picking them, I can let them go to seed and then use those in stews in winter. <br />
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A pumpkin grown a few years ago</div>
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Finally, the those I just love, category C, which include my beloved garlic, but also courgettes and pumpkin/winter squash. Yes, pumpkins need a good period of heat and decent autumn. So this year, I stopped myself from ordering some Queensland Blue seeds (a massive pumpkin), and instead I'm just going to try a couple of the smaller cultivars such as Blue Kuri.<br />
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Of course, there is a proviso on any plans, my health. You cannot plan
for the daily, sometimes even hourly, fluctuations and impact of ME. But I can plan for best case scenario, with the understanding that all might fall apart if the ME symptoms get worse. And to be kind to myself about this, if this is the case.<br />
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I've purchased the seeds I didn't have, some from <a href="https://www.realseeds.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Real Seeds</a> and <a href="https://seedcooperative.org.uk/" rel="nofollow">Seed Co-op</a>, plus this years <a href="https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/hsl" rel="nofollow">Heritage Seed Library</a> seed choices have arrived. Now it's just waiting for it to warm up enough to be worth making the first sowings.<br />
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<style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-68204368891892819452020-01-05T10:43:00.000+00:002020-01-06T16:30:09.279+00:00Forest garden border: reviewing the first season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-ktIdTdb-2u1r-i79hIOLwbs8-GkICOgXdQyII8Ncd6ut5aSoa1EUi-ebzm7NjD1A7QyKJGBhnK7PqxzoBy364C1ZimdoD_zncpwcb-b4Co-8jA9yIh1xLQbPx2v-0K6lSSkl4oMFgo/s1600/P1100002cr+Forest+garden+border+whole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-ktIdTdb-2u1r-i79hIOLwbs8-GkICOgXdQyII8Ncd6ut5aSoa1EUi-ebzm7NjD1A7QyKJGBhnK7PqxzoBy364C1ZimdoD_zncpwcb-b4Co-8jA9yIh1xLQbPx2v-0K6lSSkl4oMFgo/s640/P1100002cr+Forest+garden+border+whole.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The L-shaped forest garden border along the south (left) and west (right) facing fences,</div>
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in July, prior to the new kitchen garden beds being created in front.</div>
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My <a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/02/creating-mini-forest-garden-border.html" rel="nofollow">forest garden border</a> was first planted out in March this year, and I thought it would be useful to review it's first season. It's an awkward border to photograph on whole, so I tend to do it in sections, South (the left side) and West (the right side), which I'll use to refer to when discussing specific plants. A full plant list is at the bottom of this post.<br />
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The L-shaped forest garden border along the south (left) and west (right) facing fences,</div>
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with the just finished (in August) new kitchen garden beds in front.</div>
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I'm pretty pleased with the results from the first season. For a start, the blueberries already started producing, in particularly, Vaccinium corymbosum 'Hortblue Petite' on the South side. This was enough to add to several breakfast muselis.<br />
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First blueberry harvest
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I had put up temporary netting to protect the fruits from the depredations of birds. However, this isn't an easy way to harvest, at least from an ME perspective, as it uses up more energy than you might expect trying to negotiate the netting and access the berries. So I need to make up a better long term netting set-up. I'm thinking of sewing my own netting cage together, I just need to work out the proportions, based on the size the blueberry bushes will eventually reach (about 1m square). A job for winter/spring. <br />
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Temporary netting around one of the young blueberry bushes</div>
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The Sorrel bulked up quickly and produced plenty of leaves throughout the season, which I have used in curries and other dishes. And the Rhubarb supplied a couple of kilos of fruit. We added manure around the crown at the end of the season, and will add more in Spring, to feed the hungry roots.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-XR3k8uRuuG0R-PLTrXlv17WzLbwuxiLIUxqG631cn_hpyiOJs1oXLWive_igRgEuWICA8vPFVe04Nn-_3ZUxzDDxtwEQc7ttovEuQx4Gafu_q1HZjCrMX00rM9e5IA0UzLW3Rs9JSY/s1600/20191129_113218+Comfrey+liquid+prep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-XR3k8uRuuG0R-PLTrXlv17WzLbwuxiLIUxqG631cn_hpyiOJs1oXLWive_igRgEuWICA8vPFVe04Nn-_3ZUxzDDxtwEQc7ttovEuQx4Gafu_q1HZjCrMX00rM9e5IA0UzLW3Rs9JSY/s320/20191129_113218+Comfrey+liquid+prep.jpg" width="240" /></a>The comfrey has provided it's first harvest and I now have a bucket brewing (right) over winter that will give me comfrey tea, a homemade liquid fertiliser, to feed both edible and ornamental plants plants this coming season. Comfrey is rich in Nitrogen, which supports leafy growth, and Potassium, which promotes strong stem growth, flowering and fruiting of both edible and ornamental plants. I decided I didn't need two comfrey plants, so one has been dug up, and an apple tree has been planted in its place.<br />
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The apple trees were finally added at the end of November, after I chose and ordered three varieties at the October <a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/apple-trees-for-forest-garden-border.html" rel="nofollow">Apple Day</a>
that I attended. The trees that are all 4-5 years old, and there is a
slight chance I might get fruit as early as next season. Fingers crossed.<br />
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The apple trees I chose were the following: Newton Wonder - double cordon (west-facing border)<br />
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Lord Lambourne (left) and Egremont Russet (right) - both single cordons (south-facing border)<br />
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A damson has been added to another part of the kitchen garden area.
So not in the forest garden per se, but very close by (like, a couple of metres), so I thought it was worth a mention. I suspect it will be 2 or
more years before I get any fruit off this tree. And I have planted some crocuses and daffidols in the border, so I get some early season pretty and the bees will have some food.<br />
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Overall, I feel like I've harvested quite a lot for the first season of my forest garden border. I'm not expecting to make any further changes to the planting and layout, so now all the plants can settle in and get growing for this coming and future seasons. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get a couple of apples next autumn?!<br />
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Overview of the south-facing border in December.</div>
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Overview of the west-facing border in December</div>
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If you are interested in seeing how I planned the forest garden border, see my post <a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/02/creating-mini-forest-garden-border.html" rel="nofollow">creating a mini forest garden border</a>.<br />
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* * * * *<br />
<b>Plant List</b><br />
I've updated the plant list for the whole border, to include the recent additions. <br />
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<b>Canopy layer </b><br />
Apple trees: Malus Newton Wonder, Malus Lord Lambourne, Malus Egremont Russet<br />
Prunus domestica 'Golden Transparent' (greengage)<br />
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Just outside of the Forest Garden border are also:<br />
Amelanchier x
grandiflora 'Ballerina' and Prunus insititia 'Shropshire Damson'<span style="background-color: yellow;"></span><br />
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<b>Shrub layer</b><br />
Azalea (variety unknown)<br />
Cranberry (variety unknown)<br />
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Bluecrop' (blueberry)<br />
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Hortblue Petite' (blueberry)<br />
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<b>Perennial layer - edible</b><br />
Akebia quinata<br />
Foeniculum vulgare 'Purpureum'<br />
Origanum vulgare 'Aureum' (golden oregano)<br />
Rhubarb (variety unknown)<br />
Rumex acetosa (non-flowering sorrel)<br />
Symphytum x uplandicum 'Bocking 14' (comfrey)<br />
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<b>Perennial layer - ornamental</b><br />
Knautia macedonica<br />
Lychnis coronaria Atrosanguinea Group<br />
Omphalodes cappadocica 'Cherry Ingram' (ornamental)<br />
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<b>Ground cover (plants mixed all around the border)</b><br />
Ajuga reptans 'atropurpurea'<br />
Allium ursinum (wild garlic/ramsons)<br />
Armeria pseudarmeria 'Ballerina Lilac'<br />
Crocus Etruscus Zwanenburg<br />
Crocus Orange Monarch<br />
Crocus Sieberi Spring Beauty<br />
Cyclamen hederifolium<br />
Fragaria x ananassa 'Samba' (strawberry)<br />
Galanthus 'Ophelia'<br />
Narcissus Brackenhurst<br />
Narcissus Minnow<br />
Narcissus Mother Duck <br />
Narcissus Rijnvelds Early Sensation <br />
Phacelia tanacetifolia<br />
Primula vulgaris<br />
Pulmonaria 'Blue Ensign'<br />
Viola odorata 'Queen Charlotte' <br />
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<style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-64048118021582127252019-12-31T15:54:00.002+00:002019-12-31T15:55:53.170+00:00Happy new year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spectacular sunset from our front garden</div>
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As you can see, we experienced a pretty amazing sunset on the evening of 29th December. Going by the 'red sky at night' maxim, we were hoping for a good day the next day. We weren't disappointed, and I got the clearest ever photos of the Peak District near Sheffield, on 30th December.<br />
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View from Stanage Edge looking towards the Hope Valley and Mam Tor</div>
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Looking over the landscape of dry stone walls, enclosed farm land, and Burbage Ridge up to the left</div>
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Looking back at Stanage Edge in the late afternoon sun</div>
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A peat moorland, near Ringinglow</div>
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Best wishes to you for 2020.<br />
<br />Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-74089109866379752342019-11-27T21:41:00.003+00:002019-11-27T21:41:53.108+00:00Autumn: Fagus sylvatica - common beech<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Fagus sylvatica hedge (right), and the north-facing hedge flower borders</div>
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When we first viewed our home, one of the things that quickly won me over was the beech hedge separating our garden from our neighbour's. Unlike a fence that blocks out light, a hedge allows light to filter through, even in the middle of winter. So it means that my hedge borders, which are north-facing, get a lot more light all year round, giving me a wider variety of plants I can grow in that space. Which is great, but in late autumn, it's all about the beech leaves for me.<br />
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And even on cold grey days, the colours still offer a warm glow like an open fire, and welcome colour. <br />
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And a beech hedge has the bonus of retaining it's gorgeous orange-brown autumn leaves right through until the next spring, only dropping them when the new green foliage comes through. <br />
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As is so often the case, common means beautiful.<br />
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* * * * *<br />
This is the last in my Autumn series. Other posts in the series:<br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-acer-palmatum-sango-kaku.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku'</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-prunus-mume-beni-chidori.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Prunus mume 'Beni-chidori'</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-in-peak-district.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: in the Peak District</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-salvia-amistad.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Salvia 'Amistad'</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/11/autumn-cornus-norman-hadden.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Cornus 'Norman Hadden'</a><br />
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<style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-71526615343315016892019-11-14T21:41:00.002+00:002019-11-27T21:38:22.015+00:00Autumn: Cornus 'Norman Hadden'My friend Kate, and I, took a stroll/roll* around <a href="http://www.sbg.org.uk/" rel="nofollow">Sheffield Botanical Gardens</a> the other day. As always, there was something interesting to find in the gardens. This time, it was this 'shrub', Cornus 'Norman Hadden'.<br />
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As you can probably tell, it's a rather large shrub. In fact, it can grow to between 4-8 metres! And wow, see that fruit?!<br />
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Yes, this is the fruit, AND it's edible. Apparently the skin isn't so nice but the flesh inside is rather good. I didn't try one, because it wasn't until I got home and looked it up that I found it was indeed edible.<br />
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As you can see, it's a rather large 'shrub'. It's too big for my Forest Garden Border, but I have my eye on it for another corner of the garden. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVpRmIFsIutZipIK7rcjoYmr2k5B7AIjSKj8jV9YzXjA52z3N_28spRwBpvwwg0f5hSYUDsxJYxz4fjvnrooOKkXTmNX6B3xMjfIHdZH3UieZLPC-8mf1cqzAckElsE28FtEK3Rt1Ch0/s1600/20191113_143931s+C+Cornus+%2527Norman+Hadden%2527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVpRmIFsIutZipIK7rcjoYmr2k5B7AIjSKj8jV9YzXjA52z3N_28spRwBpvwwg0f5hSYUDsxJYxz4fjvnrooOKkXTmNX6B3xMjfIHdZH3UieZLPC-8mf1cqzAckElsE28FtEK3Rt1Ch0/s640/20191113_143931s+C+Cornus+%2527Norman+Hadden%2527.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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But I think I'll have to go back to the gardens and sneakily pick one of the fruits and give it a try first ;)<br />
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Either way, what a fine tree, I mean, shrub. <br />
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*she strolled, I rolled on my mobility scooter<br />
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* * * * *<br />
Other posts in the series:<br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-acer-palmatum-sango-kaku.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku'</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-prunus-mume-beni-chidori.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Prunus mume 'Beni-chidori'</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-in-peak-district.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: in the Peak District</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-salvia-amistad.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Salvia 'Amistad'</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/11/autumn-fagus-sylvatica-common-beech.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Fagus sylvatica</a> <br />
<style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-77100573441471157162019-11-09T19:28:00.002+00:002019-11-09T19:28:25.585+00:00Honeybees: notes from a talk by a beekeeper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Crocus 'Gipsy Girl' with a honey bee, February 2019 </div>
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The speaker at the recent South Pennines Hardy Plant Society was a beekeeper, Simon Croson, and I picked up some useful info on Honeybees that I thought I’d share.<br />
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The Queen and Worker bees are female, and the Drones are male. Queen bees can live up to 5 years, though most live 2-3 years.<br />
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In the UK, there are 275 native bees, with a large amount of these
being solitary bees. Of these 275, only 1 (ONE!) is a native bee. There are over
1000 species of native bee the world over, yet only 10 (TEN) species of honey
bee.<br />
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So you can see immediately why problems with honeybees can have such a big
impact, with so few species in existence. Overall, other native bees will
pollinate more food than honey bees, yet one in every 3 foods we eat comes from
honey bees. So if there was a large collapse in honey bee colonies, this could still
have a big impact on food availability for humans.<br />
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Things have stabilised with the problems with the varroa mite, that hit the news a number of years ago. Partly from use of
chemicals against the mite. However, Simon doesn't use any chemicals and he says there is some evidence that bees are adapting to them, suggesting new generations are building resilience.<br />
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But we shouldn't be complacent. There is still a lots of problems with access to food, especially with the climate changing, but plants haven't caught up, and they aren't necessarily flowering when the bees need them. Overall, there is still a decline in the health and population of bees that is worrying.
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Honey bees don’t hibernate. They go into a semi-dormant state in the cold months, but if the temperatures rise enough, they will leave the hive and seek out plants for nectar. In Feb 2019, in the UK, we had a week of nearly 25
degrees (usually we are lucky to get to 5 degrees), and honey bees left their hives looking for food.<br />
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Honey bee on a Helenium, August 2019</div>
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With our changing climate, with warmer wetter winters, this makes planting for winter and early spring food for bees even more important. A post I wrote back in February, <a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/02/plants-for-pollinators-in-late-winter.html">Plants
for pollinators in late Winter</a>, will give you some ideas on plants you might add to your garden to help honey and solitary bees at this time of year.<br />
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With honey colour from Simon’s bees: a medium light brown-orange colour is a generalist, made up of nectar from lots of different plants. A quite pale, almost clear, colour honey, is from the nectar from an Alfalfa (Lucerne) crop near some of his hives. A dark brown-orange is made up of nectar from Buckwheat. So different plants will impact differently on the colour the honey ends up.<br />
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A couple of small points that I found interesting: pollen is a source of protein for bees, and bees take water into the hive to help regulate it's temperature. A good plant for late Autumn is common Ivy. This is a plant that a lot of people try to remove from their gardens, but try and leave a patch and let it flower, and you'll see bees supping on it's nectar.<br />
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It was an interesting talk and it was useful to know that though there is still a lot to worry about, by planting for bees, we really can make a difference, for the bees, and for ourselves.<br />
<br />Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-85067788267892267572019-10-28T21:27:00.001+00:002020-06-23T21:19:11.796+01:00Autumn: in the Peak DistrictFor a slightly different twist on my Autumn series, I thought I'd show a few photos from a trip into the Peak District yesterday. For those that don't know, whilst most people think the Peak District is in Derbyshire, quite a decent amount is also in South, and West Yorkshire, Cheshire, and Staffordshire.<br />
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This is a view towards the Jodrell Bank Observatory from near Merryton Low in Staffordshire. I love the gentle countryside, then how some peaks have just roughly push their way up above it. There is a lot of this in the Peak District, hence it's name.<br />
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In this picture, you should be able to see a moon-like white patch above the rocky outcrop (Hen Cloud). This in fact is the <a href="https://www.jodrellbank.net/visit/whats-here/lovell-telescope/" rel="nofollow">Lovell radio telescope</a><span class="js-about-item-abstr"> of <a href="https://www.jodrellbank.net/" rel="nofollow">Jodrell Bank Observatory</a>. Built in 1957, it remains one </span><span class="js-about-item-abstr">biggest and most powerful radio telescopes in the world. It's moon-like appearance from a distance, seems fitting.</span><br />
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From a viewpoint further down the road, you could see Hen Cloud, and The Roaches behind it, quite clearly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fHmWS097D4x7bqyhHOzeNKmlWicNiD3xtYdbawxa1i5LMCP39jhq2bbMy1O1R0rE2zN1H3npZ4czzIooBf7eerzxWPXjBqhtnjxd04LTSrYyINcaWahsZT5hakEz3iX7YtMIJNZW4TA/s1600/P1100766cr+CC+Staffs+Peak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="1600" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fHmWS097D4x7bqyhHOzeNKmlWicNiD3xtYdbawxa1i5LMCP39jhq2bbMy1O1R0rE2zN1H3npZ4czzIooBf7eerzxWPXjBqhtnjxd04LTSrYyINcaWahsZT5hakEz3iX7YtMIJNZW4TA/s640/P1100766cr+CC+Staffs+Peak.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Back into Derbyshire, the late afternoon winter sun was lighting the peak above Hathersage in glowing autumn colours. This, and the rest of the photos, were taken from inside the car, so
they are a little blurry, but hopefully they will give you a feel for
autumn light and colours you find in the Peak landscape.<br />
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Further on above Hathersage, this is Over Owler Tor. <br />
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An artistic(!) view of the Birch wood at Surprise View.<br />
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Burbage Rocks South <br />
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Stony Ridge Road to Black Hill. Can you spot the cyclist?<br />
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And... Traffic jam, Peak District style.<br />
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Moo.<br />
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Other posts in the series:<br />
Autumn: <a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-acer-palmatum-sango-kaku.html" rel="nofollow">Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku'</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-prunus-mume-beni-chidori.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Prunus mume 'Beni-chidori'</a> <br />
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<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-salvia-amistad.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Salvia 'Amistad'</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/11/autumn-cornus-norman-hadden.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Cornus 'Norman Hadden' </a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/11/autumn-fagus-sylvatica-common-beech.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Fagus sylvatica</a><br />
<style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-65822394575342061732019-10-25T10:29:00.000+01:002019-11-27T21:39:28.954+00:00Autumn: Salvia 'Amistad'I thought it was time to show some flowering plants in my Autumn series. This is <a href="https://www.shootgardening.co.uk/plant/salvia-amistad" rel="nofollow">Salvia 'Amistad'</a>, which yes, does start flowering in late Spring, but continues on through Summer and into Autumn. I'm enjoying it so much in the front garden now, that I felt it was worth including. Also, it's purple, and I love purple.<br />
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It's clustered flower stems rise up above the foliage, adding height to your border. You need to come in close to enjoy the detail of individual flower.<br />
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Even in late October it still sending up plenty of new flower stems. With luck these will flower, offering some late blooms for bees. Yep, bees like to crawl up into the flower for the pollen.<br />
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In my garden it doesn't mind the light shade that comes from the beech hedge.<br />
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The young flower heads are a dark purple, but the flowers come out lighter colour. Two-toned purple - ba dum tish!<br />
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S. Amistad is a fuss-free hardy perennial that gives me flowers over a long period of time. And in case you didn't notice, it's purple. Purple!<br />
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* * * * *<br />
Other posts in the series:<br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-acer-palmatum-sango-kaku.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku'</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-prunus-mume-beni-chidori.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Prunus mume 'Beni-chidori'</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-in-peak-district.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: in the Peak District</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/11/autumn-cornus-norman-hadden.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Cornus 'Norman Hadden'</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/11/autumn-fagus-sylvatica-common-beech.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Fagus sylvatica</a><br />
<style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-15102992274862104932019-10-21T21:02:00.000+01:002019-11-27T21:39:50.470+00:00Autumn: Prunus mume 'Beni-chidori' The second in my Autumn series, is <a href="https://www.shootgardening.co.uk/plant/prunus-mume-benichidori" rel="nofollow">Prunus mume 'Beni-chidori'</a>. This is a small (up to 2.5m) upright tree which I've planted in a pot. Whilst it's only about 3 years old now, the idea is that, along with the other plants in pots next to it, it will filter out the messier storage part of the garden from view. Because every garden has a messy storage area.<br />
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The autumn leaves change from darker green to orange-red.<br />
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To fully red. Though maybe there is a pink tinge to that red.<br />
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It looks good hiding the messy corner, and looks magnificent against the blue Autumn sky.<br />
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Filtering through the sun brings up the intricate detail of the veins of the leaves.<br />
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And in Spring... Yes, that flower is simply stunning. It also has a beautiful fragrance. It's also a great <a href="http://Plants for pollinators in late Winter " rel="nofollow">plant for pollinators</a> in late Winter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtK2V701ZZoKjC_k_65MUeq0grT5rk2t1H7eKunumiw-YbGmHY4q4nNXOxbmrIlNIl4v5xOGjcBsRYDqLxbLu5WilcGDSxs6RBDJtZosxjhz8f4cxAyf2JO-rv7GHk2RJeevV4brJwsw/s1600/P1070653cr+Prunus+mume.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1154" data-original-width="1600" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtK2V701ZZoKjC_k_65MUeq0grT5rk2t1H7eKunumiw-YbGmHY4q4nNXOxbmrIlNIl4v5xOGjcBsRYDqLxbLu5WilcGDSxs6RBDJtZosxjhz8f4cxAyf2JO-rv7GHk2RJeevV4brJwsw/s640/P1070653cr+Prunus+mume.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've admired this tree for a few years in other gardens and finally obtained my own earlier this year. I feel it's a most worthy and beautiful addition to the garden. Plus, who cares about a bit of mess with those colours?!<br />
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Other posts in the series:<br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-acer-palmatum-sango-kaku.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku'</a><br />
<style></style> <a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-in-peak-district.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: in the Peak District</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-salvia-amistad.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Salvia 'Amistad'</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/11/autumn-cornus-norman-hadden.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Cornus 'Norman Hadden'</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/11/autumn-fagus-sylvatica-common-beech.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Fagus sylvatica</a> <br />
<style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-68397838257732799512019-10-18T22:08:00.002+01:002019-11-27T21:40:06.701+00:00Autumn: Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku'As Autumn is now in full swing, I thought I'd do a short series on some of the plants that I think really shine at this time of the year. First up, <a href="https://www.shootgardening.co.uk/plant/acer-palmatum-sangokaku" rel="nofollow">Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku'</a>, and it most certainly shines!<br />
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It's young branches really show off the reason for it's common name, the coral-barked maple. <br />
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And I'm very pleased with how under-planting it with <a href="https://www.shootgardening.co.uk/plant/heuchera-paris" rel="nofollow">Heuchera 'Paris'</a> has worked.<br />
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The leaves are now changing from a softer orange-yellow, to rich and buttery.<br />
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It glows in the autumn light.<br />
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It's a slow growing tree. This one is about 10 years old and has been moved twice. It's really taken off in this garden, so I think I've found it's happy place.<br />
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Other posts in the series:<br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-prunus-mume-beni-chidori.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Prunus mume 'Beni-chidori'</a> <br />
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<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-in-peak-district.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: in the Peak District</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/10/autumn-salvia-amistad.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Salvia 'Amistad'</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/11/autumn-cornus-norman-hadden.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Cornus 'Norman Hadden' </a> <br />
<style></style> <a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/11/autumn-fagus-sylvatica-common-beech.html" rel="nofollow">Autumn: Fagus sylvatica</a><br />Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-33493461095088350662019-10-06T12:17:00.000+01:002019-10-06T12:34:19.897+01:00Apple trees for the Forest Garden Border<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back in March I wrote about the design for my <a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/02/creating-mini-forest-garden-border.html" rel="nofollow">Forest Garden Border</a>, and mentioned that I would purchase these in the Autumn. I've previously purchased fruit trees from <a href="http://www.rvroger.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">R.V. Roger Nurseries</a> in North Yorkshire and have always been very happy with their quality, so it was the obvious place to return to for my Apples. They held an apple day this weekend, so we decided to make the trip up there. Not the least because they had quite a number you could taste, and this was the final piece to the puzzle, after much research, to help me <a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/09/tips-to-help-you-choose-apple-trees.html" rel="nofollow">choose the right apple trees</a> for my garden.<br />
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But before I tell you what I chose, let's take a quick look at the nursery's apple day displays. The below is a photo capturing just a fraction of the apple cultivars they grow and sell at the nursery.<br />
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There was a table for the Yorkshire varieties. Many include wonderful names such as Flower of the Town and Sharleston Pippon.<br />
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Elsewhere could be found the massive fruit of Peasgood Nonsuch, which would require two hands to hold one apple.<br />
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As well as the delightfully small Pitmaston Pineapple, that really does have the fragrance of pineapple.<br />
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The displays were wonderful, and the fragrance in the greenhouse was heavenly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DL210uxRw8zHBSjoT08wr229eXEwl4w0KYkVJmrAfIRfH7b7gZtRIpwY8RFoja63NeC3Hzk3kzK4_mgyLZ4KlTYoUjwgwiv6Y-qNmZMikD5JiuFRg0iPQ-42XkPIKMMGh817NH470OU/s1600/P1100553cr+C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DL210uxRw8zHBSjoT08wr229eXEwl4w0KYkVJmrAfIRfH7b7gZtRIpwY8RFoja63NeC3Hzk3kzK4_mgyLZ4KlTYoUjwgwiv6Y-qNmZMikD5JiuFRg0iPQ-42XkPIKMMGh817NH470OU/s640/P1100553cr+C.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
But what did I choose?! In each case, the choices were based on what Kevin and I both liked the most and how we would use them.<br />
<br />
<b>Egremont Russet</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWWc9NpNvOwI7Mf_YF4d7gYerxXzTcsLR_zUB_P_-S_YhguAuLpmUZ-rldwRNbABwj4I-vzVSJdf25IsLj2rqRzcWCDovV727b4cwdrLO5UastIp7irXOVpDtSMocpq6J_10sp3BNyec/s1600/P1100552cr+C+Egremont+Russet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="1600" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWWc9NpNvOwI7Mf_YF4d7gYerxXzTcsLR_zUB_P_-S_YhguAuLpmUZ-rldwRNbABwj4I-vzVSJdf25IsLj2rqRzcWCDovV727b4cwdrLO5UastIp7irXOVpDtSMocpq6J_10sp3BNyec/s640/P1100552cr+C+Egremont+Russet.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
This a small dessert (eating) apple. The 'russet' part relates to the skin of the apple, which is rough, well, rough in apple terms; a majority of apples have smoother skins. The flavour was fabulous, sweet and juicy, and was our top choice. It had been on my shortlist because it was suitable for the North of England and a wetter climate. The flowers are tolerant of late frosts, and it has some disease resistance. You can pick it from October and it stores until the end of the year.<br />
<br />
<b>Lord Lambourne </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisi1thggJo2UF9aPHuyu3cFasUqmf0qShPBPrKsQiPi_1-NRI1MA43BLzj1y2tydhUUNzaZ7gNw_zO7LLAb4r70AcKn9UAojJHaqGEkDKfkYEs_g5I7ZMX5B1Qcg-sBbinJVYMP0v5mLo/s1600/P1100548cr+C+Lord+Lambourne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1539" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisi1thggJo2UF9aPHuyu3cFasUqmf0qShPBPrKsQiPi_1-NRI1MA43BLzj1y2tydhUUNzaZ7gNw_zO7LLAb4r70AcKn9UAojJHaqGEkDKfkYEs_g5I7ZMX5B1Qcg-sBbinJVYMP0v5mLo/s640/P1100548cr+C+Lord+Lambourne.jpg" width="608" /></a></div>
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<br />
This is another dessert apple, with larger apples than Egremont Russet. Again, it was sweet and juicy, and this time has the smoother skin, and is suited to the North of England. It stores until the end of the year. It was a very close second with Egremont Russet.<br />
<br />
I had been tossing up between choosing just one dessert apple and growing it as an espalier, or choosing two and growing them as cordons. As you can see, I went for growing two as cordons. Like all edibles, apples and their cultivars can have some better years than others, and by growing more varieties, I increase the chances of at least one of them preforming well in any given year.<br />
<br />
<b>Newton Wonder</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgitMHG7DLHMMi6FboIYR75RQMZX_lcsP7Vn0FIIltrqHm0G0I8PYUs7KfsuXJBosmWGUxzgAwfezZKK6r1GjlWoyY2Ee7tkAqWSh6bYc6UHeZgWv0KQTV705vFd6nRTUjq1KdHA5n9miA/s1600/P1100576cr+C+Newton+Wonder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1071" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgitMHG7DLHMMi6FboIYR75RQMZX_lcsP7Vn0FIIltrqHm0G0I8PYUs7KfsuXJBosmWGUxzgAwfezZKK6r1GjlWoyY2Ee7tkAqWSh6bYc6UHeZgWv0KQTV705vFd6nRTUjq1KdHA5n9miA/s640/P1100576cr+C+Newton+Wonder.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5up59qxQNioE83SrGIdplxpYQLJxAwcyMQehC6fkFMSTHotphHh4W6kn3HxBURvHieP4rFGkE4Wb_xGkFAp2u5MCsnFi-_iJKUQ1lxz82D4LTNaXaAdK1W4MwJhbACKdmnIlV3BFjNE/s1600/P1100559s+C+Double+U+Cordon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5up59qxQNioE83SrGIdplxpYQLJxAwcyMQehC6fkFMSTHotphHh4W6kn3HxBURvHieP4rFGkE4Wb_xGkFAp2u5MCsnFi-_iJKUQ1lxz82D4LTNaXaAdK1W4MwJhbACKdmnIlV3BFjNE/s320/P1100559s+C+Double+U+Cordon.jpg" width="240" /></a>This is a dual purpose apple, meaning it has both dessert and culinary (cooking) qualities. It starts out as a cooking apple, then over time mellows to a lovely eating apple (we've tried it before). And because of it's
long use period (you can store it between November and the following May), we can use it as a culinary apple first, then an eating
apple in the new year. It's also another apple hardy for the North, with it's blossoms being tolerant of late frosts.<br />
<br />
In this case, I've chosen to grow this as a double cordon. To the right you can see a photo of a 'Double U Cordon', with two sides each in a U shape. I'll be growing the Newton Wonder just as a double cordon, in effect, just one of the U's in the picture.<br />
<br />
<br />
I'll be receiving my choices that have already been trained into cordon and double cordon shapes. They will be sent out as bare root trees; trees that are dug up by the nursery in late Autumn when they are dormant. They'll be posted (well, couriered) to me as is, so they won't be in pots. I'll need to either plant them straight away, or if I cannot do this, I could just 'heel them in'. This is a process where you either just lightly plant them in a pot or bare soil, and then water them. You don't go to great efforts, you are just ensuring the roots don't dry out before you finally plant them. I'll aim to get them properly planted in December.<br />
<br />
Thanks to the R.V. Roger staff member (I sadly didn't get their name)
who answered all my questions. It was lovely chatting to them and it
really helped me make my final decision. <br />
<br />
So, I have my apple trees on order, and I'll finally be able to complete the planting for my Forest Garden Border.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAdNw-EmvLEnmv_QO6agmyXE3g6Y_6R8TZQVRZdr427CQZbStShlhkhvXxXaUNEl4nxRrYpxpO5jcREGY_xGWaQOGhpGnBQgAtU9oJWOG7O4JBMfNicUdzTkwoDkUCSeMKM5MTfByNTE/s1600/20191005_141003s+C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAdNw-EmvLEnmv_QO6agmyXE3g6Y_6R8TZQVRZdr427CQZbStShlhkhvXxXaUNEl4nxRrYpxpO5jcREGY_xGWaQOGhpGnBQgAtU9oJWOG7O4JBMfNicUdzTkwoDkUCSeMKM5MTfByNTE/s320/20191005_141003s+C.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The author at Apple day</div>
<br />
* * * * *<br />
See also:<br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/09/tips-to-help-you-choose-apple-trees.html" rel="nofollow">Tips to help you choose the right apple tree(s)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gwenfarsgarden.info/2019/02/creating-mini-forest-garden-border.html" rel="nofollow">Creating a mini forest garden border </a><br />
<br />
<style></style><style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776318402735338514.post-58958539110111995692019-09-30T18:16:00.002+01:002019-10-01T10:50:08.124+01:00Tips to help you choose the right apple tree(s)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkaV8rd5hOdRglGedCp2jIv0gGaVX-kqtiulqVObZjZCL5rA3JLXHZQsxyHPY1if6EjThQR-IPc2-kcDWtPIO8RKftcWjZgeQ-PI0fcp3Urm2q5Z6XfU7EM74okvWBEYDrfielG6afO4/s1600/DSC06653s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkaV8rd5hOdRglGedCp2jIv0gGaVX-kqtiulqVObZjZCL5rA3JLXHZQsxyHPY1if6EjThQR-IPc2-kcDWtPIO8RKftcWjZgeQ-PI0fcp3Urm2q5Z6XfU7EM74okvWBEYDrfielG6afO4/s640/DSC06653s.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Malus domestica 'Charles Ross' </div>
<br />
In the last couple of weeks I've been carefully researching what apple trees that I want to plant in my Forest Garden Border. One thing I found was that it was hard to find all the key information that informs your choice, in one place, whether online or in books. Since this is all in my head at the moment, I thought I'd jot down the key tips I felt would be useful for anyone wanting to grow apple trees. <br />
<br />
Disclaimer: as I'm based in the UK, this is where my learning and knowledge is based, and this will be reflected below. I am an amateur, so this shouldn't be viewed as expert advice. This is just a collation of the information I found, which I thought others might find useful.<br />
<br />
* * * * *<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Taste </span><br />
This is of course number one. If you don't like the fruit, you won't eat it. So choosing for taste is paramount. In the UK at least, fruit tree nurseries and community groups often hold Apple Days in October, and usually have a range of cultivars available for you to taste. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rootstock</span><br />
After taste, this is the next most important item. The rootstock controls how small or large, and how vigorous, your tree will be. Think about how many apple trees there are that have got out of control and fruit is left rotting on the ground because people can no longer manage them. In many cases, this is because people didn't consider the rootstock seriously, for both their current and future selves. Choose a fruit tree rootstock that you will be able to realistically maintain now and in the future. Types of rootstock with ultimate height if trained as a bush:<br />
<br />
M27: very dwarfing, 1.2-1.8m (4-6ft) x 1.5m (5ft)<br />
M9: dwarfing, 1.8-2.4m (6-8ft) x 2.7m (9ft)<br />
M26: semi-dwarfing, 2.4-3m (8-10ft) x 3.6m (12ft)<br />
MM106: semi-vigorous, 3-4m (10-13ft) x 4m (13ft)<br />
MM111: semi-vigorous, 4-4.5 (13-15ft) x 4.5 (15ft)<br />
M25: vigorous +4.5 (15ft) x 6m (20ft)<br />
<br />
The <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=359" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RHS website</a> goes into more detail about the growing habits of each of these rootstocks. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://www.blackmoor.co.uk/uploads/Rootstock%20Apples.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" class="cboxPhoto" height="339" src="https://www.blackmoor.co.uk/uploads/Rootstock%20Apples.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
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Useful graphic to show the approximate ultimate sizes of each rootstock. Source: <a href="https://www.blackmoor.co.uk/category/1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blackmoor</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Climate</span><br />
Apples grow best in temperate climates like the UK and northern Europe. Certainly, they aren't desert or rain forest plants. But within a temperate climate, some trees will grow better in certain conditions. So if you live in a particularly wet climate (hello west Wales), choosing trees that don't mind the wet makes sense. Also, some trees need more sun than others, like a nice south-facing wall (or north-facing if you're in the southern hemisphere), and what grows well in the south of England, for instance, won't necessarily in the north. Learn about your regional and local micro-climate conditions.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Cultivar</span><br />
There are something line 750 different apple tree cultivars in the UK. Some will be incredibly niche, but there are probably a good 200 that are readily available from online fruit tree nurseries. There really will be one out there for every taste.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Pollination/flowering group</span>
<br />
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This refers to when the blossom will be out for insects to pollinate. Many apple trees are diploid, which means they need a least one other tree nearby in order to be pollinated. Of these, many will be <b> </b>"self-sterile". This means their pollen won’t fertilize their own
flowers and they therefore need another compatible cultivar for
cross-pollination in order to produce fruit. And even the so-called "self-fertile" cultivars will fruit better with a partner tree.<br />
<br />
Some apple trees are triploids, and they are different again. I'll quote here directly from the RHS:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
... a few apple and pear cultivars (known as
triploids) such as ‘Bramley’s Seedling’, ‘Holstein’, ‘Ribston Pippin’,
‘Blenheim Orange’ and ‘Catillac’ produce mainly sterile pollen. These
won’t be any use for cross-pollinating other trees, and for their own
fruit to set, still need other trees. Therefore if you grow a triploid
cultivar you will also need two other trees that will pollinate each
other as well as the triploid, and these three cultivars must all flower
at the same time. (<a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/beginners-guide/fruit-basics/fruit-pollination" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Source, RHS</a>)</blockquote>
As far as I've seen in the UK, the pollination groups are either A - D, or flowering groups 1 - 7. A (1) will blossom first, then B (2), C (3) etc. They are essentially the same thing, just different naming/category conventions. The nursery's catalogue will tell you what pollination or flowering category a tree will have.<br />
<br />
The key thing to know is that you should get two (or three for triploids) trees in
either the same pollination/flowering group, or the adjacent pollination group. So: <br />
<ul>
<li>Two A's or 1's of different cultivars/varieties will pollinate each other.</li>
<li>An A/1 and B/2 will pollinate each other, but and A/1 and C/3 will not.</li>
<li>A tree that is in the C/3 pollination group can be pollinated by other C/3 cultivars, but also B/2 and D/4 cultivars, etc.</li>
<li>However, you cannot only have two of the same cultivar in any pollination/flowering group, as these won't pollinate each other (these are self-sterile).</li>
</ul>
Trees should be planted within 18m (55ft) of each other to effectively cross pollinate. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Spur or tip bearing </span><br />
Tip bearing: produce fruit at the tip of each shoot.<br />
Spur bearing: produce fruit along side shoots (spurs)<br />
Partial tip bearing: produce some spurs as well as fruit buds at some shoot tips.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2EMSxnLOZpA8SA_tkpUsgFd-TWr8ceTH2ELc2_IIcsk7mAR5GYRyqWutLv8gBzKrXXyW6_KimmYKS4PG_x72jCEHwOL9FtIxwzOA5tp7P_XUmOh_2yYmxI-UAl1ZUd8noWyc6ZVYDLQ/s1600/P1100520cr+spur+and+tip+bearing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1600" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2EMSxnLOZpA8SA_tkpUsgFd-TWr8ceTH2ELc2_IIcsk7mAR5GYRyqWutLv8gBzKrXXyW6_KimmYKS4PG_x72jCEHwOL9FtIxwzOA5tp7P_XUmOh_2yYmxI-UAl1ZUd8noWyc6ZVYDLQ/s640/P1100520cr+spur+and+tip+bearing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Source: RHS Fruit and Vegetable Gardening, 2002, p. 175.</div>
<br />
A majority of apples tend to be spur bearing, a few are both, but do check if it isn't stated clearly, as this will change the type of pruning you need to do to the tree. For example, if you go and prune all the tips of a tip bearing tree in winter, you will have just pruned off next seasons harvest.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Period of use</span><br />
This is for how long are the apples, once ready for harvesting, able to store. Online nurseries often include this information. Some apples need to be eaten within a short space of time, whereas others may store for several months.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Fruit type</span><br />
Culinary - cooking<br />
Dessert - eating<br />
Dual - both cooking and eating<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Tree form or type</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qYQb8p9Z40xkCCkLo9XIcW3Lv4Cr77JZtnm3yiumW72QM8G4KDpUr3sH4topJLoOjteXRRAxl_t1t93t3yOY0g_HVIXVwId66wi7PKvaLEvRRt1tUv3zgk9Zj3WicpaoI3X8kWDcLn8/s1600/P1000881cr+Pyrus+communis+Pitmaston+Duchess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1275" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qYQb8p9Z40xkCCkLo9XIcW3Lv4Cr77JZtnm3yiumW72QM8G4KDpUr3sH4topJLoOjteXRRAxl_t1t93t3yOY0g_HVIXVwId66wi7PKvaLEvRRt1tUv3zgk9Zj3WicpaoI3X8kWDcLn8/s400/P1000881cr+Pyrus+communis+Pitmaston+Duchess.jpg" width="315" /></a>
You will find a large number of tree types out there, but the most familiar ones will be: standard (your basic shaped apple tree), espalier, cordon, step-over, fan, and ballerina. <br />
<br />
The most most common tree rootstock available will be a Maiden, which is an untrained one year old tree, probably about 1m high. You then train this into any of those above, dependent on it's rootstock, of course. This is the cheapest way to buy a tree, c. £15, but it will take longer before you will get your first harvest. If you can afford it, and don't want to wait, you could by a tree type listed above, already trained. A 1 or 2-tier espalier will probably be around £45, and you'll get your first harvest within a couple of years.<br />
<br />
Right: a wonderful example of an espalier, at Anglesea Abbey. This is a pear; apples and pears have the same pruning regime.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Other thoughts</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Grow something different to what is available in the supermarket. After all, you can already easily get those cultivars. Plus, it helps the species if a diverse range of apple trees grown.</li>
<li>Catalogues (print and online) should give you enough information about each cultivar available, often including the origin and history of a cultivar.</li>
<li>Pruning is done in winter for most apples.</li>
<li>If you only have a very small garden or balcony but would like a couple of different cultivars, there are some trees available, called 'family trees', that have grafted onto them two or three different cultivars of apple. In this case, one tree would cover your pollination/flowering needs too.</li>
<li>Pot grown apple trees (those that you purchased planted in pots) can be planted year round, though I'd avoid late spring and summer unless you want lots of work watering them daily.</li>
<li>Bare root trees (those you purchase which have no soil around them) are only available in Autumn and Winter and must be planted by the beginning of Spring. Planting during winter helps them establish their roots before the warmer weather starts. You will find a much, much, larger number of cultivars available as bare root trees.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Useful books and websites</span><br />
The information here has aimed to just cover the key details that will help you choose an apple tree. For further reading, I refer to the following two books that I use the most:<br />
<a href="https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Royal-Horticultural-Society/RHS-Vegetable--Fruit-Gardening/10721991" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Royal-Horticultural-Society/RHS-Vegetable--Fruit-Gardening/10721991" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RHS Fruit and Vegetable Gardening</a>: this covers information on each the most common fruit and vegetables available, including good chapters on apples and other fruiting trees and bushes.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Christopher-Brickell/RHS-Pruning--Training--Revised-New-Edition-Over-800-Plant/20361425" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RHS Pruning and Training</a>: this is my bible for learning how to prune your tree correctly. It has incredibly useful diagrams for many common ornamental and edible plants. Just it's chapter on Apple trees alone, is worth the cost. Though it's probably in your local library for free.<br />
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I find the best websites with the most useful information, are fruit tree nurseries. I have personally used and recommend: <a href="http://www.rvroger.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">R.V. Roger</a>, <a href="https://walcotnursery.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Walcot</a>, <a href="https://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Keepers</a>, <a href="https://www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Orange Pippin</a> and <a href="https://www.blackmoor.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blackmoor</a>.<br />
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Recommended by others: <a href="http://www.talatonplants.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Adam's Apples</a> (by <a href="https://vegplotting.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">VP</a>)<br />
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My hope is that this information will be useful to others. I've had to balance giving you enough key information, with not overwhelming you with too much information. If you think I've missed out a really key point, do leave a note in the comments.<br />
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Happy eating!<br />
<style></style><style></style>Gwenfar's Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07326735419091325096noreply@blogger.com