It’s difficult to believe that these tiny seedlings can grow into something as big as Aralia cordata, Udo…currently germinating in the garden! (that’s a knife handle in the background)
Monthly Archives: May 2016
Hablitzia racing anyone?
Can you see your Hablitzia grow?? I must measure mine next year! http://backyardlarder.blogspot.hu/2016/05/how-fast-can-climbing-spinach-climb.html…
Thanks, Alison Tindale!
Diamond back moth invasion
One of the worst invasions of diamond back moth / kålmøll happened a couple of days ago….here is a video showing hundredds swarming over one of my Lily White sea kale plants which is about to flower. Luckily they never do much damage to sea kale (Crambe maritima) as the harvest is over before they arrive, one of the big advantages of perennial brassica…on the other hand, annual brassica crops are being planted now in my area…they have little chance against these tiny moths….
I blame the rapeseed oil industry for this…they don’t overwinter here, but they migrate passively on warm winds from central Europe and Russia, even reaching Svalbard and Northern Norway…
Magical midnight in Malvik!
We are nearing midsummer and there was a magical light in the northern skies last night dominated by reds and blues…
Fast Slow Edimental Lunch!!
15 minutes from garden to table must qualify as fast food, but unlike its namesake this is highly nutritious and with a few flowers becomes gourmet edimental food…
The greens were boiled and then stir fried quickly in olive oil with chili and garlic.
Inspired by traditional Mediterranean village food!
Yes, cooking is FUN!!
Yes, cooking is FUN!!
Grennessminde and the fantasy salad beds
On 13th August I’ll be doing an edible wander at Grennessminde, the organic nursery just outside of Copenhagen. A large number of edible flowers are also produced here for Michelin restaurant NOMA. I popped in for a quick look on Tuesday with project leader Aiah Noack who is also (together with Naturplanteskolen) organising a trip from Denmark and Southern Sweden to my garden around 15th – 19th July! There are still some places available!
Naturplanteskolen looking good!
I’ve had a couple of meetings in Copenhagen over the last couple of days and I visited Naturplanteskolen again. The nursery was looking really good and plants had grown dramatically since I gave the course there only 3 weeks ago!
Visiting Camilla Plum
On 2nd May 2016 I finally got to visit Camilla Plum and Fuglebjerggaard. Camilla is one of Scandinavia’s best known authors and broadcasters on edible gardening and cooking. It was such a beautiful day that the formal talk was abandoned in favour of an edible tour of the organic nursery and farm lead by myself and Camilla. A great crowd of knowledgeable folk, some of whom had travelled quite a long way including one couple from Norway! Thanks for inviting me Camilla!! A great place and many must-have plants :)
Cowslip cultivars
Here are all 3 Primula veris (cowslip) forms to be found in my garden!!
Allium humile
I call Allium humile (syn A. nivale) the snowy onion, and is my favourite spring flowering Allium! I saw it flowering first in the Tromsø Botanical Garden and was bowled over by this view:
It is found in the wild on slopes at high elevations (4000-4500m) in China, India; Nepal and Pakistan. Now flowering in my garden! Definitely not suffering from (low) altitude sickness ;)
