Here are a few pictures from our Sunday afternoon visit to the Community Garden at Væres Venner where KVANN are establishing both a so-called Vegetable Sanctuary for old and new vegetables, nut trees, fruit and various other useful plants. We are also developing a so-called World Garden (Verdenshagen). It was a work day in the garden for the members and our group where given the background to the garden by Sølvi Kvam and Marina Görtz who is developing a biodiversity garden for the bees and much more and featuring a garden of old Norwegian garden perennials.
KVANN’s Fruktlaug (Fruit group) brought a selection of old apple trees to be planted in the garden and Eirik Lillebøe Wiken is seen in some of the pictures informing about the different trees and grafting techniques!
Thanks to Sølvi for some of the pictures.
There’s one Norwegian pine tree in the garden (Pinus sylvestris) which has grown slowly over the years since we moved here and is now approaching the height of the birch trees. It now regularly produces cones, but this is the first time that I’ve seen siskins feeding on the nuts. Coniferous tree seeds are the main food of the siskin in spring.
On the 4th day of the Norwegian Seed Savers weekend (6th May 2019), the traditional spring walk along the Homla river and canyon was on the programme with the hope to find ostrich ferns at the right stage to pick. In the cooler parts near the river, it was too early and too late away from the river. Nevertheless, everyone who wanted to picked a few fiddleheads!
It was as usual a magical walk which took some of us 8 hours to complete….as there was so much to see and enjoy!
Thanks to all the participants who also provided pictures: Berit Børte (third time participant), new steering commitee member Bernhard Askedalen, Elin Mar (from Røst), Inger Line Skurdal Ødegård, Meg Anderson and Tina Lambert!
Ostrich Fern Paradise:
New tractor road at the start of the trail!
New viewpoint and boardwalk replacing the slippery and eroded path down to the waterfall
Fern roots
Bernhard Askedalen tells us about the ecology of Symrebeger or Anemone cup (Dumontinia tuberosa), parasitic on wood anemone (hvitveis)
Symrebeger or Anemone cup (Dumontinia tuberosa) is parasitic on wood anemone (hvitveis)
Symrebeger or Anemone cup (Dumontinia tuberosa) is parasitic on wood anemone (hvitveis)
Alternative leaved golden saxifrage / maigull
Rumex spp.
Rumex spp.
Grynløpekule /Deer truffle or Common False Truffle….favourite food of wild boar! I spotted this in the middle of the eroded path!!
A red variant of Rumex acetosa…I must dig a bit and see if it retains its red colour in cultivation
Sitka (sitkagran) needles
Magical as usual ostrich fern paradise!
Magical as usual ostrich fern paradise!
There are many other edibles growing alongside the ostrich fern in this spot including Stachys sylvatica (hedge woundwort / skogsvinerot) edible rhizomes (but hardly worth the effort!
…and alternative leaved golden saxifrage / maigull
There’s been a major arrival of diamondback moths (kålmøll) here since yesterday and there are hundreds of this major Brassica pest in the garden today! I am thankfully only growing perennial kales (Brassica oleracea) and resistent sea kale (Crambe maritima) this year, both of which are already close to maximum yield and unlikely to be severely affected by the moth. This also means I don’t need to use any form of protection (horticultural fleece / fiberduk) which is probably a major source of agricultural microplastics. Problem solved!
Diamond back moth (kålmøll)
Diamond back moth (kålmøll) on sea kale (Crambe maritima)
My collection of Perennial Kales which have overwintered well this year!
The udo (Aralia cordata) shoots had begun to lift the forcing bucket, so time for the annual udo salad, a variant this year, East meets West salad…the udo paired with garden grown ramsons (ramsløk)! Delicious!
Hybrids can also occur in gardens. I’ve several strains in my garden from seed, including “Sunset Shades” and “Red Strain”. I also grow the earlier flowering subspecies macrocalyx with overlarge sepals.
I use small amounts of leaves and flowers to decorate spring salads and other dishes…an undispensable shade loving and hardy edimental!
Primula veris “Sunset Shades”
Wild and forms of Primula veris, probably including hybrids
Wild and forms of Primula veris, probably including hybrids
