By chance, the best two plants in the garden for pollinating insects in late summer are growing together in the garden. The Clematis vitalba (old man’s beard / tysk klematis) is in the foreground in the picture below and is popular with hoverflies, droneflies and bumblebees. Behind is my largest (of 3 Buddlejas, butterfly bush /sommerfuglbusk). We had one when we were growing up in the back garden, where my interest in insects and nature started. As the name suggests, it is most popular with butterflies (and moths), but bumble bees are also commonly seen on it. The Clematis reaches up to the balcony which allows me to study the insects at close hand. Clematis vitalba was planted in the garden as the cooked young shoots are commonly eaten in spring in Italy and is therefore one of the best edientomentals (edible/for the insects/ornamental) you can plant. Buddleja davidii is not edible and is in the entomental category. Although the total number of butterflies is lower this year as last year we experienced a major invasion of painted lady (tistelsommerfugl) butterflies (only 2 observations in the last month in this part of Norway), there is a good diversity of species and you’ll find pictures and videos of the following species below: Red admiral / admiral (up to 4) Small tortoiseshell / neslesommerfugl (7) Dark green fritillary / aglajaperlemorvinge (1) Brimstone / sitronsommerfugl (colonising this area and my 3rd record this summer) Comma / hvit C Small white? / liten kålsommerfugl Green-veined whites / rapssommerfugl have also been very common this year. A possible small blue (dvergblåvinge) was also seen in the garden on Allium wallichii on 21st August.
Possibly small blue (dvergblåvinge) seen on Allium wallichii on 21st August
I have a feeling that no one else had this pizza last night! SO/TR? Sherpa Onion/Turkish Rocket of course, better known (to the botanist) as AW/BO or Allium wallichii/Bunias orientalis two of my June perennial vegetables, the young shoots of the onion (one of the latest Alliums to show it’s still alive in the spring) and the delicious broccolis of Turkish rocket. We turned it into pizza as we were making Danish sourdough rye bread (using the 24 hour bake at 70C method) and had made extra dough.
Common sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) is now in season in my garden another plant categorised by most as a weed, but for me one of the most important vegetables in my garden from now until autumn. It even saves me work as the only thing I have to do is NOT weed it!! It is at its best when the leaves are shiny:
I made a sow thistle basil pesto last night together with basil grown in my office at the botanical gardens! I’m an office basil grower of over 40 years, having started when I was a student in 1978 (see http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=5221, where I made pesto and Allium wallichii, the Sherpa or Nepal onion)
Last night I used garlic and more Johannes’ shallots (Allium x cornutum; see http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=22601)
I’ve never seen sprouting bulbils on hardnecked garlic before!
I’ve never seen sprouting bulbils on hardnecked garlic before!
Allium flavum
Allium hookeri var muliense
Allium cyaneum
Allium “Hammer” (Allium cernuum x stellatum?) This plant was found at Hammer Planteskole (nursery) in Stjørdal….I selected this one from Aliium cernuum sales plants as it looked different from the normal flowered plants
Allium “Hammer” (Allium cernuum x stellatum?) This plant was found at Hammer Planteskole (nursery) in Stjørdal….I selected this one from Aliium cernuum sales plants as it looked different from the normal flowered plants
A second Allium wallichii
This broad-leaved selection came from a seednmix of Allium senescens x nutans from Mark McDonough
Norrlands Onion (Norrlandløk) – Allium nutans x angulosum was found in gardens in northern Sweden in the 1970s (one of the 80 in my book)
Accidental companions: a Sherpa onion (Allium wallichii) has set up home in the middle of my greek mountain tea (Sideritis syriaca) with a few self-sowed dandelions for good measure! Allium wallichii moves around with rhizomes…I didn’t plant it here!
A little video showing various Alliums about to burst into flower on a bed I’ve always called the Perennial Bed as it was the first bed devoted to perennials. It’s in the shade most of the day.
0-11 secs: Various forms of Allium cernuum (Chicago onion, nodding onion / prærieløk) and broad-leaved Allium wallichii (Sherpa onion)
11-20: Allium cernuum, Hemerocallis (daylily/daglilje) and Clinopodium vulgare (wild basil)
31: Norrland Onion / Norrlandsløk
(all of the onions above are in my book)
38: Allium cyathophorum v. farreri (Farrer’s onion)
Allium tuncelianum (Tunceli garlic) is an endemic to Eastern Turkey, tasting apparently like garlic and wild collected locally and used like garlic. It is most closely related to Allium ampeloprasum (leek group).
Allium tuncelianum (Tunceli garlic) is also an edimental
I’m always struck by the beauty of this plant at all stages…the almost black seed pods which are also inky when crushed are wonderful at this time of year…
Illustrating the beauty of this plant even in fruit in early October and the large differences of different accessions of the same species..
I’m always struck by the beauty of this plant at all stages…the almost black seed pods which are also inky when crushed are wonderful at this time of year…
I was struck not only by the difference in colour but also the size of the seed pods is much smaller on the accession on the right. The flowers are also quite different
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden
