This is the second year we’ve grown the ten (new) virus-cleaned mini-seed potato varieties made available every year through the national Norwegian program, managed by Norwegian Seed Savers (KVANN), to conserve our potato heritage. These have been grown in KVANNs vegetable sanctuary at Væres Venner Community garden. These will be used as seed potatoes for next year! In order to try to restrict the spread of disease, those receiving the mini-tubers are not allowed to pass them on or swap them!
In the picture below, the following varieties are seen:
Top row: Truls, Shetland Black, Tysk Blå, Hroars Drege, Gjernes Potet
Bottom row: Røde fra Skjåk, Beate, Ivar, Kerrs Pink Blå, Brage
Last year’s potatoes are seen in the following link:
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!
It was the first time I cycled to my office at the Ringve Botanical Garden today and I took the opportunity to see how the new Væres Venner community garden was looking (starting this year east of Ranheim at Være) . The snow had gone! At the entrance to the garden (Væres Venner) we will plant our World Edible Garden (Verdenshage) – large circular bed with the centre representing the north pole and mainly edible perennials distributed according to where they grow or are used in the Northern Hemisphere (see the first video below, where you can see an inner circle where we planted temporarily some 60 different plants in the autumn…and some are still ALIVE)!!
We have also purchased a couple of hardy walnuts and various hazel cultivars which will be planted along with many other fruit and berry bushes! I’m helping to design and develop the garden with a great group of enthusiasts and I hope that it will be formally adopted as one of KVANNs Vegetable Sanctuaries (KVANN=Norwegian Seed Savers)
Hablitzia tamnoides (Caucasus!) has survived!
Moon garden?
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden
