The biggest flock of bramblings I’ve ever seen in the garden, over 75, today, 13th December 2015!!
All posts by Stephen Barstow
Harvesting the fartichokes
I gave up waiting for a serious frost and harvested the first of my jerusalem artichokes today. Might as well do it while the weather is still good (JA harvest is for me synonymous with frozen fingers!). With the long mild autumn, the yield of Dave’s Shrine (long red, spreading variety) was above average, although the plants didn’t manage to flower (they sometimes almost flower, but nowhere near it this year).
I found the following description on the net from “Taylor’s Guide to Heirloom Vegetables”:
Dave’s Shrine (Judy’s Red or Wolcottonian Red) was collected by Dave Briars of Craftsbury, Vermont. Long (3-4 in.), fat tubers have beautiful bronzy purple skins; ivory –coloured flesh contains lots of dry matter, which gives this variety a “saltier”, more meaty taste than other chokes.
The white variety is Stampede which is probably identical to Bianca and Norwegian Dagnøytral (see http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=2669)
Siskins
Part of a flock of 8 siskins / grønnsisik in the garden today
Goldfinches on chicory
I’ve only ever seen goldfinches feeding on burdock seeds (Arctium) in the garden before. This morning I saw them both on nettle seed heads and then on these unharvested chicory heads. Another reason to grow and save seed of chicories, a wonderful vegetable that is easy to grow organically, comes in many great edimental varieties, beautiful flowers in the second year, both leafy green, root vegetable and coffee replacement varieties available, some being perennial as is the wild plant and can be forced in winter! See more in my book Around the world in 80 plants!
Chaenomeles cathayensis
A packet of seed arrived from a friend in a botanical garden that I trade with occasionally today. Chaenomeles cathayensis! I think there’s enough seed here to turn my diversity garden into a monoculture! And with the seed, some fruit leather made of the fruit of the same species :) Very tasty!
This is an EX-Arctic Parrot
Waxwings (sidensvans) are sometimes known as Arctic Parrots due to their amazing colours. Just before I got up this morning a heard a thud on a window. I knew immediately what it was and guessed it was a waxwing (drunk on the fermenting berries?) that had flown into a window, part of a large flock of close to 200 birds. And no, I’m sorry but it was not just stunned, nor was it pining for the fjords. He or she’s passed on! This northern parrot is no more! It has ceased to be! It’s expired and gone to meet it’s maker! It’s a stiff! Bereft of life, it rests in peace! It’s metabolic processes are now history! It’s off the twig! It’s kicked the bucket, it’s shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible!! THIS IS AN EX-ARCTIC PARROT!!
Here’s the result of the post-mortem photo shoot….wonderful creatures aren’t they: http://www.edimentals.com/pictures/index.php?/category/92
Wood dried elderberries
Elderberries dried over my wood stove!
Secondhand sunlight
At this time of year, no direct sunlight hits my house and garden, but the sun is still above the horizon in some places where the hills don’t get in the way. So, there’s still a lot of reflected sunlight as in these pictures taken this week, the rainbow today 2nd December 2015!
In homage to the Taraxagod
A religious moment at the Dragalevtsi Monastery, just outside Sofia, Bulgaria last weekend ;)
Goldfinches / Stillits
A small flock of 9 goldfinches in my garden this morning, a winter visitor here (it’s unknown where they breed) and a species that would not be in my garden if it hadn’t been for my interest in edible plants. I started growing burdock / borre as a vegetable back in the 80s and this is the most important food for them in our area. The area between my house and Midtsandan, a few km east of here, is now the most important area this far north for this species with flocks of between 25 and 50 seen most winters!
