On 4th April 2018, I took advantage of my trip to Switzerland to attend the The Potential of Perennials for Food Resilience symposium to visit KVANN’s (Norwegian Seed Savers) sister organisation Pro Specie Rara in Basel. Many thanks to Director Béla Bartha (since 2002) and Head of Education, Esther Meduna for making me feel so welcome. The trial grounds and offices of Pro Specie Rara are located in the Merian Gärten, a botanical garden in Basel. I lead a walk and talk of the trial grounds and botanical collections followed by an evening lecture at Markthalle in the centre of Basel! A great place for a seed saver organisation to be located! Béla also showed me their seed vault a specially climate controlled room (15C and 15% humidity). The walk and talk was sadly interrupted by heavy rain and we moved indoors and I did a short version of my evening lecture instead!
No frost thus far in October and it looks like it could be a frost free month! That and record high temperatures and there are a lot of plants still flowering or reflowering! Most but not all are edible!
Malva alcea
Malva alcea
Fuchsia magellanica
Fuchsia magellanica
Alchemilla mollis
Sonchus oleraceus
Sonchus oleraceus
Clematis serratifolia
Allium thunbergii
Allium schoenoprasum
Malva moschata
Polemonium reptans
Saponaria officinalis
Tanacetum parthenium
Aster scaber
Taraxacum officinalis
Monrda
Calamintha nepeta
Trifolium pratense
Pineapple sage (ananassalvie)
Malva
Oca (Oxalis tuberosa)
Alpine bistort (harerug)
Radish (reddik)
Radish (reddik)
Campanula persicifolia
Aster yomena
Viola tricolor
Mycelis muralis
Calendula officinalis and Fedia
Hosta
Lycopus asper
Hylotelephium
Urospermum dalechampii
Urospermum dalechampii
Borago officinalis
Mustard
Oenanthe javanica (seri)
Rudbeckia
Origanum
Vicia
Oenothera biennis
Gentiana sino-ornata (not edible)
Malva
Dahlia
Oca (Oxalis tuberosa)
Bistort (ormerot)
Clematis alpina
The last opium poppies…..what does the W mean?
Opium poppy
Opium poppy
Heracleum sibiricum
Chinese Violet Cress (Orychophragmus violaceus)
Borago officinalis
Chicory / sikkori
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden