It’s always a pleasure to spend time with students from the Fosen Folk High School from the other side of the fjord. Despite the dreadful weather, we visited all 3 of my sites – the onion garden Chicago at the Ringve Botanical Gardens followed by the Væres Venners Community Garden and, finally, my own garden The Edible Garden (this is the first time I’ve taken a group to all 3 sites!). Those that took part were two of the “lines”: The Self-sufficiency line and the The Organic Farming line (small scale). The Organic Farming line were only on the first two visits, so the picture only shows the Self-sufficiency folk!
At the Væres Venner community garden on the outskirts of Trondheim at Ranheim in an area we hope will remain a green belt, I have been working to create what we call Verdenshagen (The World Garden) in collaboration with KVANN (Norwegian Seed Savers) and Schübelers nettverk. This is a network of gardens throughout Norway which is being launched in June 2021 in honour of Fredrik Christian Schübeler (1815-1892) was a botanist and professor at the University in Christiania (now Oslo) and director of the Botanical Gardens for nearly 30 years from 1863. He established a network of gardens throughout Norway, often in collaboration with prestegård (rectory gardens) to test out new plants of economical importance (both ornamentals and edibles). Our new network is also planned centred around rectory gardens and other gardens to demonstrate and inspire to grow new plants but also to conserve old varieties of food plants and ornamentals. See more at https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=no&u=https://kvann.no/schubeler The World Garden is basically a 12 m diameter circle where the centre represents the North Pole and houses a garden of Arctic food plants. Largely perennial vegetables are being planted geographically around the circle, currently some 80 plants, many of which can be read about inspired by my own book Around the World in 80 plants (see http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=30). The garden is surrounded by over 100 old and new fruit, berry and nut trees and another demonstration garden for annual crops. The intention is to add pictures to the album below throughout the year from the World Garden. Our focus is also in creating and improving the habitat at Være for other wildlife, so there will also be pictures of insects, birds and other creatures.
Drone picture from summer 2020
A new sign was put up in spring 2021!
060621: The king of vegetables Sea kale / strandkål (Crambe maritima)
060621: Sea kale / strandkål (Crambe maritima)
060621: Cusick’s quamash / stjernehyasint (Camassia cusickii “Zwanenburg”). Camassias were important staple food plants for various Native American peoples although this species didn’t have the best tasting bulbs.
060621: Hydrophyllum appendiculatum (Great waterleaf); Indian salad is from North America
060621: The garden pebble / Kålpyralide Evergestis forficalis (the larvae feed on leaves in the cabbage family)
060621: Probably the beetle Oedemera virescens on dandelion
060621: Probably the beetle Oedemera virescens on dandelion
080621: Udo / Japansk asparges (Aralia cordata) in the Ginseng family is my largest vegetable and can reach 2-3m tall in the course of a few weeks in early summer. I’ve planted 4 in the World Garden and they are growing well!
080621:First flowering of Hemerocallis middendorfii (Amur daylily / Amurdaglilje) is one of the species cultivated for its edible flowers.
130621: Hemerocallis dumortiei (en botanisk daglilje)
130621: Hemerocallis middendorfii (en botanisk daglilje)
130621: Mitsuba / Japansk persille (Cryptotaenia japonica “Atropurpurea” er en viktig grønnsak i Japan.
130621: Allium victorialis is now in full flower
130621: The base of the Voss Angelica (Vossakvann) plants
130621: Musk mallow / moskuskattost (Malva moschata); I love the unopened flower buds in stir-fry dishes
130621: Musk mallow / moskuskattost (Malva moschata); I love the unopened flower buds in stir-fry dishes
130621: Scorzonera / scorsonerrot eller svartrot
130621: Ostrich fern / strutseving symmetry
130621: Noticed this green hairstreak ( grønnstjertvinge resting on the fern
130621: Noticed this green hairstreak ( grønnstjertvinge resting on the fern
130621: Angelica flowers are very popular with insects; here a honey bee / honningbie
130621: White-tailed bumblebee / lys jordhumle (Bombus lucorum) on Angelica
130621: One of the tumbling flower beetles / blomsterbille (Anastis spp.)
130621: Diamond back moth / kålmøll are back
130621: Slugs and snails are naturaland important parts of the ecosystem; here a friendly svartskogsnegl / black slug
130621: I’ve not seen this species in my own garden. I’m pretty sure it’s a Common garden slug / gulsåleskogsnegl (Arion distinctus); it can sometimes be a problem in gardens
130621: I also found a great grey slug or leopard slug / boasnegl eller leopardsnegl (Limax maximus); this species is also generally a helpful slug
North Pole? Yesterday I worked for the first time this year at the Væres Venner Community Garden where KVANN (Norwegian Seed Savers) and I are involved. When I arrived there was a pair of white wagtails (linerle) at the North Pole of the World Garden (I’ve planted mainly perennial vegetables geographically on a 12m diameter garden with the centre representing the north pole, marked by a pile of rocks) :)
Otherwise, honey bees were active on a group of dwarf daffodils (påskeliljer), significantly earlier than other Narcissus:
First serious dig of the year preparing an area for potatoes, removing the last of the couch grass (kveke) roots (I hope) and planted about 30 Sarpo potatoes (Sarpo Mira and Sarpo Tominia). Also sowed broad beans, planted onion sets and caraway root (karve). Overwintering of the 100+ fruit, berry and nut trees seems to be very good!
Jeg har nå utvidet KVANNs hage på Væres Venner Felleshagen (Trondheim) og igår plantet opp følgende:
1) Årets virusrensete miniknoller av norske potet: Tysk Blå, Hroar’s Dege, Shetland Black, Gjernes Potet, Kerr’s Pink Blå, Beate, Truls, Ivar, Raude fra Skjåk og Brage
2) Frøplanter av Carolus poteten (true seed); resistent sort
3) Potet under halm (delvis mot kveke): 15 sorter inkl. fjorårets miniknoller
4) Et nytt bed (snudd opp ned for hånd mot kveke) med diverse flerårige kales (flatbladet grønnkål) fra frø: Daubenton x Pentland Brig / Nero di Toscana grex; Pentland Brig (OP), Asturian Tree Kale, Cottager’s Kale (OP) og Daubenton x late purple flowering broccoli (min krysning, OP)
Nytt KVANN bed! Jeg måtte grave slik at jeg kunne plante i år
Nytt KVANN bed! Jeg måtte grave slik at jeg kunne plante i år
Potet er plantet her under halmen!
Grønnkål-bedet med halm-dekt potet bak.
Jeg håper å begynne planting av Verdenshagen senere i sommer
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.
A chance meeting on the train from Oslo to Trondheim yesterday with Mia Vaughnes who is project coordinator and founder of Good Neighbor Gardens in San Diego ! Despite our very different climates we had plenty to talk about during the last two hours of the journey from Røros and Trondheim and she recognised several of the plants in my book including dandelion, a favourite of Afro-Americans she told me..she joked that the building of railways in the US was fuelled by the dandelion :)
Mia’s Norwegian friend had visited my garden and recognised me :)
I worked a couple of hours extending KVANNs garden at Væres Venner community garden in Trondheim this week…I have some 50 perennials waiting for a temporary place until next year. I also cut down the vegetation in the rest of KVANNs area in preparation to cover with the thick paper donated by the Ranheim Paper&Board factory and straw from a neighbouring farmer!
The quinoa is approaching maturity and I harvested some more broad beans (bondebønner)! It seems that the soil is fertile (no compost or other fertiliser was added)
See the video:
On Thursday 5th April 2018, I arrived to give a talk at a place called Neubad in Lucerne! I had no idea that I would be talking from the deep end of a swimming pool ;)
Neubad, formerly a swimming pool, is now a thriving alternative cultural centre! Across the road I also visited Neugarten, a small community garden.
Thanks to Francesca Blachnik and Sven for inviting me and showing me around!
So, Im talking in the swimming pool…that’s a first!!
Tempting to lecture from the diving board!
….or an original entry…
Before the talk I visited the community garden across the road!
Sven showing me the bee hotel
On the roof of the old swiming pool, Neubad!
The views of Mount Pilatus (2,128m) are spectacular
Mount Pilatus (2,128m)
The audience sat on the slope between the deep and shallow ends
I spent a couple of hours working at the Væres Venner Community Garden (Felleshage) yesterday and here are a series of photos showing progress!
If you’d like to get involved with your own plot or helping me with the KVANN World Garden (Verdenshage) and/or KVANN Vegetable Sanctuary (Nyttevekstreservat) please let me know! I’ll be definitely needing help from next year as the areas to maintain get bigger!
Norsk: Ta kontakt om du vil hjelpe meg med Verdenshagen og KVANNs Nyttevekstreservat, evt. om du vil ha din egen parsell!
Verdenshagen (The World Garden)….I scythed around the perimeter and pulled out the couch grass (kveke) that had managed to get through the layers of card and straw mulch!
Our new shed for tool storage!
Scythed perimeter
Both couch grass (kveke) had penetrated the mulch in a few places and grain in the straw had also germinated..
Lilium lancifolium (Tiger lily / tigerlilje) and garlic “Estonian Red” in the temporary bed at the centre of the World Garden where plants will be placed geographically with the centre representing the North Pole!
Anise hyssop (North America), Cirsium oleraceum (cabbage thistle/kåltistel) from the Mediterranean and others
Jerusalem artichoke “Dagnøytral” (Day Neutral)
Roseroot / rosenrot is one of the edibles representing polar regions!
Sideritis syriaca (Greek mountain tea) has grown well and representings the mountains of SE Europe
Alpine Bistort (Persicaria bistorta) is another of the alpine edibles
Caraway / karve
KVANNs Vegetable Sanctuary (Nyttevekstreservat), full of plants waiting to be moved elsewhere in the garden (e.g., the walnut trees) whilst I extend the bed! The perennial weeds were also cut down around the bed!!
Repairing holes in the thick paper donated by the local paper factory in Ranheim!
Heavy winds had knocked over some of the broad beans and quinoa…we later staked them up and harvested some of the broad beans (separate post)!
The extension bed is underway…. Please let me know if you want to do some useful training and learn the age old technique of bastard digging….the newspaper will stop the perennial weeds entering the new area!
There’s just enough top soil over clay…
We harvested the broad beans later and made felafel!
Spent the day with assorted Væres Venner (Friends of Være) weeding the KVANN (Norwegian Seed Saver) gardens. The good news is that almost all the couch grass has been removed from the world garden (using bastard digging and weeding the few that came up again!)
Weeding finished on the temporary bed that will be expanded to become KVANNs Verdenshage (World garden), a circular bed where the straw is with some 80 edible mostly perennials from around the world planted geographically with the centre representing the North Pole!
KVANN’s plant nursery has a number of trees and shrubs, to be eventually spread around the garden, but a few vegetables too
Quinoa “Stephe” with a number of different broad bean (fava) or bondebønner cultivars
Old Norwegian potatoes
Another group (Marina Bakhtina) are working on an insect friendly garden and a so-called Benje’s Hedge (Benjes hekk) has been erected; see https://giy.ie/archive/growing-a-natural-hedge-without-even-planting-it.html
There’s still plenty of space for other folks and projects!
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden
