I don’t often post here about my other two gardens, the community garden at Væres Venner and the Onion Garden Chicago at the Ringve Botanical Garden in Trondheim. The onion garden is nicely maturing and will be officially opened this summer on 26th August, 6 years since I started work creating a garden to house a national collection of old Norwegian perennial vegetable onions collected throughout the country, some 100 botanical species from around the world and many cultivars too! Here’s a couple of videos showing the garden on 25th June 2023 close to peak flowering, although there will be flowering Alliums all the way from May to the first heavy frosts in October / November! Tasty, beautiful and a great place to study pollinators! Can you smell it? There are now over 500 pictures from the garden in this large Facebook album
The warmth has encouraged the Buddleja (Butterfly bush / Sommerfuglbusk) into flower, but this small tortoiseshell (neslesommerfugl) still prefers Alliums!
Buddleja isn’t edible, but it is one of the best entomentals (insects love them and so do we; it would be an edi-ento-mental if it had also been edible!)
The Allium garden at the Ringve Botanical Garden (Chicago) in Trondheim contains a collection of old Norwegian onions used for food from all over Norway including Allium fistulosum (Welsh onion), A. x proliferum (Egyptian and Catawissa onions), A. oleraceum, A. vineale, A. ursinum, A. scorodoprasum and A.victorialis (the last four are wild or naturalised species that have been moved into gardens in the past for food and, in the case of ursinum and victorialis are currently being domesticated in a big way!
In addition, a collection of wild species and ornamental cultivars have been planted to demonstrate the diversity of the Allium family!
I’ll be adding pictures to the album below on a regular basis.
See more pictures on my FB album here: https://tinyurl.com/y489yldy
Norsk:
Allium hagen ved Ringve Botaniske Hagen (NTNU) i Trondheim inneholder en samling av gamle norske matløk samlet fra hele Norge i perioden 2008-2019. Dette inkluderte Allium fistulosum (pipeløk), A. x proliferum (luftløk), A. oleraceum, A. vineale, A. ursinum, A. scorodoprasum og A.victorialis (de fem siste er vill- eller naturaliserte arter som har blitt flyttet til hager som matplante før i tiden, og dette er fortsatt gjort når det gjelder ursinum (ramsløk) og victorialis (seiersløk) i økende grad!
I tillegg kan man her se en samling av ville arter og pryvarianter plantet for å demonstrere mangfoldet av Allium-slekten!
Hagen er støttet finansielt av Landbruksdirektoratet, og Genressurssenteret.
The garden outline can be seen in this recent aerial picture (centre towards the right)
Concerning the Norwegian onions, we received 118 tips from the public, 92 were received and 57 of these have been planted (13 species and hybrids). About 90-100 species can be seen here. The garden was cultivated during Autumn 2016, 260 accessions were planted in 2017 and a further 76 in 2018!
23rd July 2018
The first Allium to flower in 2019 was this species from mountains in China, Allium humile.
270519: Allium chinense planted in the garden!
210519: With the director of the Ringve Botanical Garden, Vibekke Vange in the Allium garden!
210519: With the director of the Ringve Botanical Garden, Vibekke Vange in the Allium garden!
11th June 2019
11th June 2019
11th June 2019: There’s been the biggest invasion of Painted Lady (Tistelsommerfugl) butterflies in Norway ever seen with an estimated 100 million and they are everywhere including mayn in the Ringve Botanical Gardens and they love Alliums to feed on, here on a chive (Allium schoenoprasum)
11th June 2019: Allium schoenoprasum “Pink”
11th June 2019: Allium schoenoprasum
11th June 2019: I’ve started making an accurate map of the Allium garden, plotting in the coordinates of each plant
11th June 2019: I’ve started making an accurate map of the Allium garden, plotting in the coordinates of each plant
200619
200619: Stephen Barstow 2 hrs · Edited · 200619: One of the tall chives gressløk) had collapsed in the recent heavy rains!
200619: Stephen Barstow 2 hrs · Edited · 200619: One of the tall chives gressløk) had collapsed in the recent heavy rains!
200619
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200619: One of the Allium cernuum (nodding onion / prærieløk) accessions in bud
200619: Allium moly
200619: One of the Norwegian roof onions (Knut Bryn) in bud (Allium fistulosum) – see my book
200619
200619
200619: Allium decipiens
200619: Allium karataviense
200619: Dwarf white chives (gressløk)
200619: Pink chives (gressløk)
200619: The earliest Allium cernuum (nodding onion / prærieløk)
200619: Red-tailed bumblebee (steinhumle) were common on several Alliums.
200619: Allium douglasii
200619: Allium brevistylum (there are two accessions of this in the garden from Utah and Wyoming)
200619
200619: This Japanese Allum victorialis has dark flowers
200619: Allium pskemense x cepa
200619: Pink chives (gressløk)
200619: Allium crenulatum
200619: Red-tailed bumblebee (steinhumle) on chives (gressløk)
200619: Allium fistulosum (welsh onion / pipeløk)
200619: Painted Lady (tistelsommerfugl) on chives (gressløk)
200619: Egyptian / Catawissa onions (luftløk)
200619: Allium pskemense x cepa
200619: Allium fistulosum (welsh onion / pipeløk)
190619: Setting off cycling for the Ringve Botanical Garden this week with more onions for the Allium garden!
200619: Setting off cycling for the Ringve Botanical Garden this week with more onions for the Allium garden!
Nothing on these chaps, so-called Onion Johnnies, from Brittany in France, who sold onions from door to door in England up to about the 1960s (I remember them!!) Read more here: http://blog.holidayfrancedirect.co.uk/2013/02/last-of-the-onion-johnnies/
300719: Allium cyaneum
300719: Allium sphaerocephalon (it’s not often I’ve managed to overwinter this one, the round-headed leek); donated by Eirik Lillebøe Wiken
300719: Allium sphaerocephalon (it’s not often I’ve managed to overwinter this one, the round-headed leek); donated by Eirik Lillebøe Wiken
300719: Allium macranthum
300719: Allium macranthum
300719: First flowering of not hardy Tulbaghia violacea (Society garlic), indigenous to southern Africa (KwaZulu-Natal and Cape Province). I’m including a few plants within the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allioideae in the Chicago Garden!
300719: I’m a bit late dead-heading Allium fistulosum…now done!
300719: I’m a bit late dead-heading Allium fistulosum…now done!
300719: Allium flavum “Blue Leaf”
300719
300719: Allium flavum
300719: Allium cyaneum
080819: Allium nutans from IPK Gatersleben
080819: Allium denudatum (syn. Allium albidum) from IPK Gatersleben
080819: Allium nutans “Isabelle”
080819: Allium flavum “Minus” and Allium cyaneum
080819: This is a spectacular Allium which I received from my friend Hristo in Bulgaria. He was sent it from Kazakhstan. It is maybe a hybrid between Allium flavescens and nutans. It has white flowers and masses of satellite (secondary) flowers
080819: This is a spectacular Allium which I received from my friend Hristo in Bulgaria. He was sent it from Kazakhstan. It is maybe a hybrid between Allium flavescens and nutans. It has white flowers and masses of satellite (secondary) flowers
230819: Allium tuncelianum (Tunceli garlic or Ovacik garlic) is endemic to the Munzur Valley in Tunceli, in eastern Turkey. It has a garlic odor and taste and is used locally like garlic. It is more closely related to leek than garlic, but is hardier than leek.
230819: Allium tuncelianum (Tunceli garlic or Ovacik garlic) is endemic to the Munzur Valley in Tunceli, in eastern Turkey. It has a garlic odor and taste and is used locally like garlic. It is more closely related to leek than garlic, but is hardier than leek.
230819: Allium montanostepposum
230819: Allium tuberosum
060919: Allium carinatum pulchellum (rosenløk) flowers for a long time. There are still a few open flowers at the bottom of the inflorescense
060919: Allium ericetorum is one of the last Alliums to come into flower, often in October in my garden; see alsohttp://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=2584
060919: Allium ericetorum is one of the last Alliums to come into flower, often in October in my garden; see alsohttp://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=2584
Garlic bulbils maturing…this is a variety with masses of small bulbils that I call Cledor from Ingrid, who was a forum friend from Sweden, which she gor from Törnvik Frö (http://tornvik.se). I’m not sure if this really is 060919: Cledor as the description on the website (they still sell it) states that it produces many cloves, but mine only produce a few, sometimes only two.
060919: Eristalis rupium (Blank droneflue)?
060919: Allium tuberosum
060919: Allium macranthum in fruit
060919: For completeness, I planted a few Allium cepa, common bulb onion! A white skinned variety called Snowball at the front.
060919: Leeks (Allium ampeloprasum)
060919: Spring onions / Allium cepa and Allium fistulosum.
060919: A Japanese Allium fistulosum
060919: Allium cepa? “Apache”
060919: Allium “Red Toga”
300819: A brown hawker, brunlibelle (Aeshna grandis) landed in the garden while I was working!
060919: Hoverfly on Allium spirale
300819: Red admiral on late flowering Allium spirale from Nordgen (Alnarp)
300819: Collecting and documenting topset onions on 15 or so accessions of Allium x proliferum (luftløk)
300819: Collecting and documenting topset onions on 15 or so accessions of Allium x proliferum (luftløk)
300819: Collecting and documenting topset onions on 15 or so accessions of Allium x proliferum (luftløk)
300819: There’s a big difference in the resprouting of the Allium x proliferum (luftløk) accession
130919: Seed heads (frøstander) of Allium macranthum
130919: Stephen Barstow 3 mins · 300919: Allium pskemense is a close relation of Allium cepa (bulb onion / kepaløk)…this accession has been grown at Ringve for some years (see http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=1940 and http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=22827)
130919: Stephen Barstow 3 mins · 300919: Allium pskemense topset onions (right) compared with Allium x proliferum (Egyptian or Walking onions / luftløk)
101019: Allium “Millenium” still going strong
101019: Allium “Millenium” still going strong
101019: Allium sacculiferum, still in bud and unlikely to open in time before winter!
101019: Allium sacculiferum, still in bud and unlikely to open in time before winter!
101019: Allium fistulosum having another go!
101019: Allium tuberosum “Sibbo”, a Swedish heirloom from Erik de Vahl
101019: Allium tuberosum “Sibbo”, a Swedish heirloom from Erik de Vahl
101019: Allium schoenoprasum and Allium fistulosum
101019: Allium tuberosum with flat-leaved shoots from bulbils!
061219
061219
061219
3 videos of Painted Ladies (Tistelsommerfugl) on Allium schoenoprasum on 11th June 2017
I spent 3-4 hours this afternoon weeding the new Allium garden at Ringve Botanical Garden in Trondheim!
It now seems pretty certain that many plants didn’t make it through the winter, perhaps planted a little too late to establish themselves!
I always dreamed of working in a botanical garden and somehow my wish has come true only 7 months after retiring from job as an ocean wave climatologist!
Even better, I can come and go as I wish (more or less)…I now have an office where I will be able to document and tend (in summer) my onion garden, as visiting researcher :)
WOW!
…and the staff are lovely people too :)
090118: Wren foraging and joined by a second bird120118: It’s quite a few years I’ve seen two-barred crossbill (båndkorsnebb), but then I’ve never deliberately sought them out at Ringve Botanical Garden in Trondheim which, because of its collection of conifers, is one of the best places to see this species, the less common of the 3 crossbills here…only one female with a single common or parrot crossbill…
090118: Wrens (gjerdesmett):
120118: What are these redpolls (gråsisik) feeding on?:
120118: Magpie (skjære):
120118: Dark red squirrel (ekorn):
090118: Fieldfare:
090118: Blackbird under Ribes alpinum
Ringve Botanical Garden’s Administration building and glasshouse
The old Ringve Farm today houses the Ringve Music Museum (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringve_Museum)
My office window is south facing, far right in the picture
Reporting for work
The office!
The welcoming committee arriving :)
A stroll around the garden to check my Allium garden!
Many of the plant labels had been moved. This is the culprit :)
Alliums
Ringvedammen with Typha angustifolia in the foreground
Typha angustifolia
Juglans mandschurica
Walnuts on the ground!
Waxwings like it at Ringve
Distant mountains and tree full of waxwings!
111217:Beech (bøk) Allee leading up to Ringve, in the background
111217:Beech (bøk) Allee leading up to Ringve, in the background
111217:Masses of beech mast under the trees probably the reason there are so many bramblings (bjørkefink) around this autumn
111217: Rognli, neighbouring property to the botanical garden in the swiss style (http://www.strindahistorielag.no/wiki/index.php?title=Rognli)
111217:Ladesletta playing fields from Ringve
111217
111217: Winter protection in the garden
111217: Sorbus cashmiriana
111217: Sorbus cashmiriana
111217: Crataegus macracantha
111217: Crataegus macracantha
111217: The pilgrim’s path to Nidaros cathedral passes through the garden
111217
111217
111217: Redpolls (gråsisik) on birch
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111217
111217: Rosa spp.
111217: Beech hedge around the Renaissance garden
111217: Kale in the Renaissance garden
111217: Topset (Egyptian) onions in the Renaissance garden
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061217: Malus toringoides
061217: …and I’ve never seen fieldfares (gråtrost) eating juniper berries before (Juniperus officinalis)
061217: An old horseradish lies frozen here!
061217: Woodpigeons (ringdue) have taken a fancy to species apple Malus toringoides from China
061217: Gamlehagen
061217
061217: Gamlehagen, a collection of old ornamental plants from Trøndelag (our county)
061217: A neighbour…
061217: Sciadopitys verticillata, koyamaki or Japanese umbrella-pine (Skjermgran). Like asparagus and butcher’s broom (Ruscus), what look like leaves are actually cladodes or modified stems
061217: Typha (cattails / dunkjevle)
061217: Salix spp.
061217: Typha (cattails / dunkjevle)
061217: Typha (cattails / dunkjevle)
061217: Tsuga canadensis, Eastern Hemlock / Canadahemlokk From pfaf.org: Inner bark – raw or cooked; Usually harvested in the spring; it can be dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickening in soups etc or mixed with cereals when making bread. The leaves and twigs yield ‘spruce oil’, used commercially to flavour chewing gum, soft drinks, ice cream etc. A herbal tea is made from the young shoot tips. These tips are also an ingredient of ‘spruce beer’
061217: Tsuga canadensis
061217:The Allium garden today :)
Colleague Steinar’s Xmas table decoration from the garden and greenhouse!
At the department Xmas get-together leader of the garden Vibekke gave a nice presentation of the year
Grand old ornithologist Otto Frengen is collaborating with the garden making it a good place to be for birds
…and there’s a bird feeding station in the woods next to my Allium garden
That fellow looks familiar :)
Reorganising of the systematic garden due to new knowledge based on genetics…
Walnut harvest!
For Norwegians, you might like to listen in to radio program Naturens verden who are talking about Xmas plants last and next Sunday…
191217: Today’s office views, first around 13:40
191217: …and 14:45
191217: 14:45
201217: Proof that the sun is visible from my new office even at the solstice…
201217: Proof that the sun is visible from my new office even at the solstice…
030118
030118
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030118
030118: The first rays of the sun on the Renaissance Garden!
030118: The onion garden…
030118: Distant mountains in the Fosen Alps
030118: Distant mountains in the Fosen Alps
030118: The onion garden
030118: Betula pendula, silver birch (hengebjørk)
030118: Ringvedammen (Ringve Pond)
030118: Woodpigeons (ringdue)
030118: Typha angustifolia
030118: Typha angustifolia
030118: The island Tautra
030118: Rose hips, important winter food for greenfinches!
090118
090118: Pinus jeffreyi
090118: Lots of twigs on the ground after the weekend storm under this larch
090118
090118
090118: Work ongoing after the fire
090118: Picea omorika
090118: Tree tops in sunlight; Picea omorika
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090118
090118: Plenty of food left for some birds
090118: Sunlight on an abundance of rosehips next to the Renaissance garden
Just finished two and a half pretty intensive focused days working on the new Ringve (Trondheim) Botanical Garden Allium beds, digging up, cleaning, planting and documenting…..these two beds now contain 188 different perennial onions of 66 species and running out of space for the last 50…. ;)
See also http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=13525
It was a great honour to finally get to talk at the Gothenburg Botanical Gardens last night….not just once but twice as the first talk (picture) was sold out…and as I told them Gothenburg is my favourite edible garden anywhere there was a big cheer (second talk). The garden has around 30,000 accessions and with an estimated 1/3 of all plants edible, that makes for a huge diversity of food plants all in one place…. I just hope the garden doesn’t have problems with “grazing” after my visit ;)
Thanks to Johan Nilson, Mats Havstrøm and the staff for making me feel welcome, to Johan for the tour around the greenhouse collections of Alliums and much more and the garden “forage”. Finally, it was great to meet Bosse Blomquist and friends who guided us around the more unusual collections of edible nut and fruit trees, many of which I hadn’t seen before!
I’ve been observing edimentals liked by the bees over the last week…and the winners are the following genera: Allium, Cirsium, Papaver, Trifolium, Dictamnus, Knautia, Campanula, Codonopsis and Aquilegia
I only need to find the time to get out Tor Bollingmo’s (Norwegian) book and attempt to identify the bee species!
Cirsium erisithales, yellow melancholy thistle
Allium
Allium
Allium cernuum
Allium cernuum
Cirsium erisithales, yellow melancholy thistle
Allium hymenorhizum
Cirsium erisithales, yellow melancholy thistle
Opium poppy
White clover
Dictamnus albus
Dictamnus albus
Cirsium eriophorum, woolly thistle
Field scabious, Knautia arvensis (rødknapp)
Field scabious, Knautia arvensis (rødknapp)
Allium cernuum
Campanula
Allium cernuum
Ligularia fischeri and white-lipped snail
Ligularia fischeri
Opium poppy
Opium poppy
Codonopsis
Aquilegia
200718: Not so good for us is that the good weather has lead to an explosion of the wasp population…on Hylotelephium (Sedum), Autumn stonecrop
200718: Wasp on Hylotelephium (Sedum), Autumn stonecrop
200718: Bee on Hylotelephium (Sedum), Autumn stonecrop
200718: Bee on Hylotelephium (Sedum), Autumn stonecrop
;)
