Monthly Archives: May 2016
Ostrich Fern pie
Walled garden
Ha ha!! My helper Lorna used to work in the walled garden at the National Trust garden Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland….I’d joked about the fact that she could work in my own walled garden, the base of my ex-greenhouse :) I laughed when I passed the sign she’d erected, in case visitors didn’t recognise it as a walled garden ;)
Ianto’s Yellow Fava Bean
Originally introduced by Alan Kapuler of Peace Seeds, who gave them to me during my visit last September and sowed in my garden today! This a large-seeded tall variety originating in Guatemala ! The bright yellow seeds are reputed to contain elevated levels of dopamine, and may have benefits for those at risk for Alzheimer’s disease….
Pricking on perennial edible seedlings
Perennial seeds are all germinating together, so a lot of work this week pricking them into larger pots before a permanent place in the garden!
Primula veris “Red Strain”
Lights in the sky!
Experimental Farm Network
I finally got round to joining the Experimental Farm Network and these arrived in the post from Nathan Kleinman. Thank you guys!
Sonchus seed
I couldn’t resist these two packets in a Chinese seed catalogue someone tipped me about. Never seen common sow thistle seed for sale (first picture), perhaps a cultivar?…and the second is Sonchus brachyotus, which I’ve never seen seed of before, but mention in the book “Another closely related perennial species, S. brachyotus, is used by farmers in northern Jiangsu. The young rosettes are washed, mixed with wheat flour, steamed, cooled, seasoned with mashed garlic, chopped onion, salt, vinegar and soy sauce (no doubt disguising the bitter taste suggested by the name, Bitter Wheat-field Herb, in the process).”
Exciting times!
Spring choir including Icterine Warbler
On the way to work this morning my first singing Icterine warbler / gulsanger of 2016 at Leangenbukta. The warbler is heard at the beginning with a chaffinch/ bokfink and is then swamped by a singing redwing / rødvingetrost with a willow warbler/løvsanger and blackcap /munk in the mix too.