Gardening

[Gloria]

I didn't know white ones were rare, we have loads in the wooded part of the garden, on their way out now.

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[Tizer]

We see lots of white bluebells. There's plenty of natural hybridisation going on so white are not really rare now, unless we're talking about somewhere well away from gardens.

We agree with Stanley. A weed is a plant in the wrong place. Many of the ornamental plants growing in Plaques's garden would be described as weeds in their home country. Perhaps he wouldn't like the grass verges near us which haven't been mown by the council due to the lockdown! (Of course, there are some householders who come out and mow them at the front of their plot because `they look untidy' and others pester the council with demands for mowing.) The verge has daisies, buttercups and red clover. It had dandelions too but they've all gone over. When you get close up you spot other tiny wild flowers such as speedwell.

[plaques]

I've just spent a hour this morning mowing the grass in the wilder parts of the garden. This entailed humping the mower about to avoid snow drops and bluebells the buttercups had to go though. I consider dandelions too invasive and as soon as they go to seed I collect the seed heads. I don't get too uptight about weeds as long as they earn their keep by showing a bit of colour. One weed that really annoys me is the Rosebay Willowherb. There's a patch of open area near the woodland that's full of the things. Each year we get a snow storm of seeds blowing across with the west wind. A real pain.

[Tripps]

Should we perhaps call white bluebells white bells ?

Here are some white flowers that have been doing very well in Tripps Towers this year.

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I found the label recently - it's not just wild garlic, it's German wild garlic. That reminded me of an anecdote, but i won't inflict it on you.

[Stanley]

David. My memories of Rose Bay Willow Herb is of it invading the bomb sites for years after the war.
Wild Garlic... I remember when a local Farmer got into trouble with his Jersey Milk when his beasts got into Thornton Rock Quarry which was full of Garlic. The cattle must have liked it and his milk was tainted with Garlic. Our tipper had a cold at the time and didn't notice it and we got wonderful garlic tainted milk in bulk as it infected the rest of the day's take. We tried everything but even the butter we made was tainted. In the end it went to Nestlé's for chocolate making.

[Tizer]

Nestle probably launched it as a novel product, garlic-flavoured chocolate!

Rose Bay Willow Herb is also known as `fireweed' and it's one of those plants that has always colonised forested areas after fires.

[Stanley]

The seeds used to blow like a cloud if the wind rose. Same thing happened yesterday morning in Barlick with blossom off the trees, like a snow storm. Particularly on the Croft.

[Stanley]

Ignore gloom and doom reports of the planting season for tender bedding plants being passed. This only apples partially in the softer parts of the country, plenty of time here, second week in June was always the trigger for a trip to the gardening centres. Give it another couple of weeks and fill your boots!

[PanBiker]

I think Sally may be on the hunt today for a tomato grow bag for our shiny new back yard tomato house. I think she will probably ring Mick Bradley at Salterforth, if he has stock we can make it a double whammy, we can give the car it's weekly run.

[Whyperion]

David. My memories of Rose Bay Willow Herb is of it invading the bomb sites for years after the war.
Wild Garlic... I remember when a local Farmer got into trouble with his Jersey Milk when his beasts got into Thornton Rock Quarry which was full of Garlic. The cattle must have liked it and his milk was tainted with Garlic. Our tipper had a cold at the time and didn't notice it and we got wonderful garlic tainted milk in bulk as it infected the rest of the day's take. We tried everything but even the butter we made was tainted. In the end it went to Nestlé's for chocolate making.

Garlic Butter is sought after now for making garlic bread

[Whyperion]

I think Sally may be on the hunt today for a tomato grow bag for our shiny new back yard tomato house. I think she will probably ring Mick Bradley at Salterforth, if he has stock we can make it a double whammy, we can give the car it's weekly run.

I am told that greenhouse growers had not started on tomato plants, so unless you have seed.


i have no real space to add flowers to garden spaces, people keep walking everywhere.

[Tizer]

I have no real space to add flowers to garden spaces, people keep walking everywhere.

Get some old grubby secondhand flower pots and put prickly and spiny plants in them! Berberis julianae, Berberis ottawensis,
Gorse (Ulex europaeus), Pyrocanths, Rosa rugosa etc.

[Whyperion]

I have no real space to add flowers to garden spaces, people keep walking everywhere.

Get some old grubby secondhand flower pots and put prickly and spiny plants in them! Berberis julianae, Berberis ottawensis,
Gorse (Ulex europaeus), Pyrocanths, Rosa rugosa etc.

I dont think the council will allow it.

[Stanley]

My mystery plant is doing well, it's doubled in size.

[Stanley]

They talk about 'growing like a weed' don't they. Well here's living proof, it's grown almost an inch in the last 24 hours....

[Sue]

The garden and greenhouse continue to get a lot of attention. All my geranium plants have now been repotted and fed, I have tomato plants established in bags of compost in the greenhouse, and my courgettes are growing nicely. The front garden still needs a proper tidy up, although I weeded it there are a lot of self seeded plants that need removing. I didn’t want to tackle anything much till the resealed drive had hardened.

Yesterday we received a lovely video for Laetitia in France. She had picked a bumper first crop of our strawberries and taken them to our elderly friend and ex neighbour Roland who moved into the village last October. He was delighted and sent us a recorded video message. He looked and has kept well, he was 90 in March

[Stanley]

Nice to hear Roland is doing well and enjoyed the strawberries!
I have not fed my weed at all, it is entirely its own work!

[Whyperion]

on gardens (public and open space plots). I wonder with the less human activity that wildlife is doing quite well, the number of sparrows seems to have increased more than last year though the cats do not help, and i think the benefical insects are getting a hand from the cycle of blossom flowerings.

[Wendyf]

They talk about 'growing like a weed' don't they. Well here's living proof, it's grown almost an inch in the last 24 hours....

I think your weed must be a smooth sow thistle.

[PostmanPete]

There's a list of all Sow Thistles health benefits plus a few recipes too at this link -

https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/sow-thistle/

Might be a nice accompaniment to chicken wings.....?

[Tripps]

Might be a nice accompaniment to chicken wings.....?

Beat me to it there Pete.

" It is a nutritious plant that contains several minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and zinc) and vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B6, & C). The leaves are also great to use as an antioxidant."

Looks like a super food. I'll watch out for it in my garden - I've got every other sort of weed.

[Stanley]

Thanks for that Wendy, never heard of it before. The joints in the brickwork make a handy reference point and it really is growing fast..
Later, visible growth today, I'll do another pic tomorrow.

[Stanley]

I told you it was growing! The joints in the brickwork make a handy measuring device. If it wasn't wet it would be even higher!

[Tizer]

Remember Jack and the Beanstalk?

[Whyperion]

Might be a nice accompaniment to chicken wings.....?

Beat me to it there Pete.

" It is a nutritious plant that contains several minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and zinc) and vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B6, & C). The leaves are also great to use as an antioxidant."

Looks like a super food. I'll watch out for it in my garden - I've got every other sort of weed.

Problem is to me that every plant looks, green, i would not know what was nutritious, or toxic if ingested or rubbed on skin. anyway the leaf miners should start to attack in about 9 days, if they find it on its own (Barnoldswicks temperature and latitudes might keep them away). Are the flowers edible?