Saturday 29 November 2014

10 climbers (climbing plants) for shady walls.

Pinterest: The Times & Sunday Times • 5 days ago
Joe Swift chooses the top 10 climbers (climbing plants) for shady walls

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Wednesday 26 November 2014

Банан - удобрение

Не только в мякоти банан, но и в его шкурке высокое содержание калия, магния и фосфора. Т.е. тех элементов, что обеспечивают хороший рост, развитую корневую систему и качественное цветение и плодоношение. Ну и самое главное – удобрение из банановых шкурок органическое, безопасное. И совершенно бесплатное.

На двухлитровую банку теплой воды достаточно шкурок с трех бананов. Настаивать трое суток, процедить, разбавить 1:2. Поливать 1 раз в 14 дней. Не поверите, как преобразятся ваши увядающие пеларгонии, выстреливающие бутонами цикламены и прочие прелестные цветы.

А как хорошо реагирует на банановую подкормку лимон! Листопада как не бывало, листья нормального размера и без признаков морщинистости, цветки не осыпаются, завязи многозначительно толстеют.
от http://tasha-jardinier.livejournal.com/

Saturday 15 November 2014

How to Transplant Quince.

How to Transplant Quince | Home Guides | SF Gate:
Quince (Cydonia oblonga) adapts well to all soil types and a range of moisture conditions, making it easy to adapt to transplanting. Grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, quince produces large fruits called pomes that are commonly used in fruit sauces and other recipes. Nursery grown quince must be transplanted in the ground in order to grow to maturity. If a mature tree cannot stay in its place in your yard, you can dig up the tree and transplant it to a new location. Basic plant needs remain the same for both situations.

Removing Mature Quince
1
Cut an 18-inch-deep (45.72 centimetres) circle around the tree, using a sharpened spade to cut through the roots. Multiply the trunk diameter by nine to calculate the radius needed for the circle. Prune the roots in this way at least two months or up to two years in advance of transplanting, to reduce the shock and improve the chances of a successful transplant.
2
Water the roots deeply the day before you plan to transplant the tree. To ensure the roots are evenly saturated, water around the base of the tree until water pools up on the surface. Allow the water to drain into the soil for about an hour, then water the plant again. Fall is generally the best time to transplant the mature tree. Wait until after the fruit has dropped in fall, but allow a few weeks before the first expected frost, to transplant before the tree enters dormancy.
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3
Mark a circle about 6 inches (15.24 centimetres) outside the original root pruning zone, using a garden hose. Cut the roots around the new circle to a depth of about 18 inches. Tilt the tree back with a shovel and sever the roots on the bottom of the root ball with bypass pruners or a sharpened spade.
4
Lean the tree from side to side so you can push a square piece of burlap under the entire root ball, taking extra care to ensure the soil stays intact around the roots. Grab the corners of the burlap and the tree trunk, and lift the quince tree out of its hole. Gather the burlap corners around the tree trunk and tie in place with natural twine.
Planting Quince
1
Mark an area for the quince transplant that is two to three times wider than the root ball or the nursery container. Use line-marking spray paint or lay garden hoses to indicate the size for the planting hole. Select a site that receives full sun to partial shade.
2
Till the soil about 6 inches deeper than the root ball or planting container or to a depth of about 24 inches.
3
Add 4 to 6 inches of organic humus material, such as finished compost, dried grass clippings, leaf mold, aged manure and sphagnum peat moss if you have poor soil, or extremely sandy or clay soil. Till the soil a second time to mix the amendments with the native soil.
4
Dig a hole equal to the height of the root ball. Remove the quince tree from the nursery container, if applicable, and place the root ball in the hole. Leave the burlap in place until you place the tree in the hole, then untie the twine and leave the burlap in the hole under the root ball.
5
Fill in the hole with the amended soil up to the level of the tree's root crown. Pack the soil gently to remove air pockets, then add more soil if needed.
6
Spread 2 to 3 inches of mulch around the base of the tree, without pushing the mulch directly against the tree trunk. Mulch helps retain moisture in the soil and insulates roots, but pushing it against the tree trunk can cause rot or infestation. Replenish the mulch in early spring when new growth appears.
7
Water the tree deeply to ensure the roots and surrounding soil are evenly moist. Repeat watering as needed to keep the soil moist until the tree establishes itself. Quinces need at least 1 inch of water each week, but up to 1 1/2 inches a week is best until new transplants spread roots and establish themselves. Push a rain gauge in the ground just outside the tree canopy to measure the amount of rainfall, then supplement irrigation to make up the difference.
8

Apply a general fertilizer around the quince, if desired, or use organic fertilizers, such as blood and bone meal, or fish emulsion. If you add plenty of organic humus to the soil at the time of transplanting, fertilizer isn't necessary, but quince benefits from a fertilizer in late winter before it breaks dormancy.
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Thursday 6 November 2014

Садовое обозрение - Зимний огород

Садовое обозрение - Зимний огород: "Что можно выращивать в зимнее время на подоконнике? Базилик, бораго, горчицу листовую, иссоп, котовник, кресс-салат, лук репчатый, мангольд, мяту, перец острый, периллу, петрушку, розмарин, руколу, сельдерей, шалфей, шнитт-лук, эстрагон. Продвинутые огородники выращивают мини-томаты, мини-перцы и лемон-грасс. Кроме того, в темноте можно выгонять зелень скорцонеры и цикория. "

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Wednesday 29 October 2014

Beans and Herbs.

Beans and Herbs:
Organic Vegetable and Herb seed collection

When collected from the nursery, plants cost £2.50 for a 7cm pot and £4.50 for 13cm pot.

The Herbary
161 Chapel Street,
Horningsham,
Wiltshire
BA12 7LU
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5 Easy Ways to Assess Your Soil for Gardening.

5 Easy Ways to Assess Your Soil for Gardening | Eartheasy Blog

How to Dry and Store Scarlett Runner Beans.

How to Dry and Store Scarlett Runner Beans | Eartheasy Blog:

Great in stews all through the winter.
Eating the shucked beans
Scarlett Runner beans are usually eaten as fresh green ‘string’ beans in the pod. However, if you have a surplus of dried beans, they can be cooked and served in meals. These beans cannot be eaten raw.

To prepare the shucked beans for eating, first soak the dried beans in cold water for 12 hours. They are then cooked for approximately 2 hours, or until tender.
Beans harvested in autumn do not need be soaked and are soft and cooked in about 30 minutes. When using scarlet runner beans in salads, be sure to add some salt to the cooking water.

What to grow
- French beans,
- some varieties of runner bean,
- along with beans such as haricot,
- cannellini and the
- pea bean
- are all suitable for growing for drying;
you can even enjoy a limited harvest of fresh pods before leaving the remainder to mature and swell.
My favourites for sheer good looks are
- the borlotti beans – look out for Italian-named varieties such as ‘Lingua di Fuoco' (Fire tongue) and ‘Centofiamme' (100 Flames).
Another tried-and-tested variety for drying is runner bean ‘Czar' whose fat, creamy beans make excellent butter beans.
Explore the seed catalogues, most of which will have a small selection of beans specifically recommended for the dry treatment.
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Sunday 26 October 2014

Mark's Veg Plot: My garden plan

Mark's Veg Plot: My garden plan: "The vegetable-production part of my garden has for many years been based upon six raised beds, each 1 metre wide and 2.4 metres long.
"

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Thursday 23 October 2014

PickYourOwn.

PickYourOwn.Org.uk link to a farm website at http://www.glenfarm.webs.com:
PickYourOwnFarms.org.uk
- Glen Farm Holtwood Holt Forest (between Holt and Holtwood) Wimborne BH21 7DY
- Pythouse Kitchen Garden Café & Shop West Hatch, Tisbury, Wiltshire, SP3 6PA
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Monday 20 October 2014

Чеснок. Garlic.

Посажен чеснок:
Hardneck (Hardneck varieties are ideal if you want to grow garlic scapes but still want a crop of garlic bulbs too. - tops and roots! - 'Lautrec Wight')

'Elephant Garlic' - is technically in the leek family, does not store for very long. -

Softneck (Softneck tends to store better.)
- 'Early Purple Wight' ( One of the earliest to crop with bulbs ready for harvesting from as early mid May!)
- 'Solent Wight' (one of the best for its overall eating and keeping qualities.)
- 'Germidour' (produces large, white bulbs with a mild but rich flavour.)

VITAL TIP! Do not let your garlic dry out in a drought. If it lacks water it will go dormant and the bulbs will not grow to a good size. So whilst you want well drained soil so it diesn't rot, you also want it to be irrigated in dry spells.
Choose a permanent location.
Although many gardeners might disagree, garlic actually prefers to be grown in the same spot. An obvious example of this is its relatives chives and perennial onions.
The exception would be in the rare case that your garlic gets hit with rust or white rot; otherwise, give it a forever home.
That a garlic bed should be fertilized twice.
At planting time and again when the ground thaws in the spring, add bone meal, blood meal.

Wednesday 15 October 2014

Ken Muir - Strawberry 'Gariguette' - Pack of 12.

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Ken Muir - Strawberry 'Gariguette' - Pack of 12
Завтра посажу!
By planting a strawberry bed in the early fall months, the strawberry plants are able to fully establish themselves and their root system prior to going dormant for the winter.  Then, as the temperatures rise in the late winter or early spring months, a fully-rooted and more mature plant begins to put forth new foliage and flower stalks.  Instead of pinching off the strawberry flowers so that the roots can establish, the already-established roots pull water and nutrients from the soil to support the growing strawberries.  This allows a healthy harvest during the first growing season instead of the second!
Additionally, most mail order nurseries will ship strawberry plugs with intact roots for fall planting.  This helps the plants establish more quickly than bareroot plants and helps minimize the number of plants that die (more plugs survive than do shipped and planted bareroot plants).
Why not consider buying and planting some fall strawberry plants instead of waiting until the spring?!
The most important, however, is so that you do not have to pinch or snip the flowers off of your spring-planted strawberries.  Yay for 1st-year harvests!
- Borage helps - one borage plant every 1 m in the center of the matted row should be sufficient.
Space the strawberry plants at least 35 centimetres apart.
Leave at least 60 centimetres between rows of strawberries.

Cover the plants in late fall with 4 more inches of straw mulch. Leave this on all winter, until you see strawberry leaves take on a yellow tint in the spring. When frosts are forecast, add a wool blanket on top for additional protection. Secure the blanket over the bed by placing bricks at the corners. Remove the blanket when the cold spell breaks. Sensitive strawberries can die from cold damage if not protected.

Thursday 9 October 2014

Чеснок по-китайски с русским акцентом.

Садовое обозрение - Чеснок по-китайски с русским акцентом:
Важное в китайском методе – схема посадки. (расстояние, протравление и окучиванние!) Для посадки озимого чеснока берут сухие, хорошо освещенные участки, где летом росли бобовые или зеленные культуры, кабачки, капуста, тыква или огурцы. После других культур нельзя, так как есть угроза поражения чеснока нематодой и фузариозом, а почва под чесноком и луком устала.

Грядки.

Осенью после уборки урожая их заряжаю на новый сезон вот так: мотыгой отрываю поперёк участок примерно 0,5 метра засыпаю полу-перепревшим субстратом состоящим из опилок и травы короче очищаю вольер где гуляют куры у меня зимой и летом он крытый. хватает примерно на 4 грядки. Так вот засыпал слой,отрываю следующий участок а этой землёй присыпаю то что насыпал и так до конца грядки. Грядка опять получается до краёв наполнена, сею горчицу сразу, поливаю и покрываю до всходов. И так каждый год.

How to grow strawberries from mail-order runners.

How to grow strawberries from mail-order runners | gardenersworld.com:
"- Plant runners 30-38cm apart, with the crown at soil level – too deep and the plant will rot, too high and the crown will dry out. Use your fingers to firm the soil around the roots.
- Keep the plants well watered during dry weather. Remove flowers from summer varieties in their first year to allow plants to establish. Flowers can be left on perpetuals to fruit later in the season."
Mara des Bois strawberries | Out of my shed:
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Закладка новой плантации клубники.

Рассаду садовой земляники (клубники) нельзя заготавливать с кустов старше 3 лет.
Она представляет собой длинные лиановидные плети ("усы"), на узлах которых образуются розетки листьев и корешки. После того как розетки укоренятся, они становятся самостоятельными растениями и пригодны в качестве посадочного материала. Двух-трехлетний маточный куст в благоприятных условиях способен образовать до 50-100 розеток (в зависимости от сортовых особенностей).
При отборе рассады особое внимание следует уделять корневой системе. Она должна быть мочковатой, длинной не менее 5 см. Надземная часть при этом будет иметь два-три сформированных листа.
Рассаду выкапывают штыковой (садовой) лопатой. При необходимости перевозки рассады на дальнее расстояние, розетки (без встряхивания почвы с корней) укладывают в широкое ведро, тазик, ящик или другую посуду, а листья обрызгивают водой. По прибытию на место корни опускают в воду (можно в жидкую навозно-глиняную болтушку) на - 2 часа.
Лучшие сроки для закладки новой плантации садовая земляника (клубника) - нежаркие дни августа-сентября или весной - в апреле. Почва для этого должна быть глубоко вскопана, заправлена органическими и минеральными удобрениями (4-6 кг/м2 навоза, 40-60 гр/м2 суперфосфата и 20г/м2 - калия).
Наиболее удобна схема посадки садовой земляники (клубника): междурядия 80-90 см и в ряду 25-30 см. Популярна также 2-строчная лента (80+30+30 см) и 25 см между кустами в ряду. Для этого на распланированном участке копают лунки глубиной 15-20 см, поливают их и высаживают рассаду (лучше вечером или в пасмурную погоду). Нельзя глубоко заделывать рассаду садовой земляники (клубника) - "сердечко" розетки должно быть на уровне с почвой. Сразу после посадки растения снова поливают.
Огромное значение для клубники имеет размещение по лучшим предшественникам (зеленные, редис, фасоль, горчица, редька, горох, петрушка, чеснок). Малопригодны как предшественники: картофель, томаты, огурцы. Нельзя размещать после: всех видов семейства сложноцветных (подсолнечник, топинамбур) и после всех видов лютиковых. Нельзя возвращать плантацию на старое место ранее 4-5 лет. После посадки почву надо хорошо замульчировать одним из следующих материалов: черная полиэтиленовая пленка, опилки, торф, навоз-сыпец и т.п.
В дальнейшем с участка регулярно удаляются сорняки, обрезают усы (если не нужен посадочный материал), рыхлят и мульчируют и поливают (обычно в конце цветения, перед началом уборки и сразу после съема урожая).
Плантации садовой земляники размещают на незатененном и незаболоченном (переувлажненном) участке. Можно, однако, использовать междурядие молодых виноградников или молодого сада, но только в первые 3-4 года, так как затем (при усилении затенения) урожайность земляники резко сокращается. Междурядия молодой земляники первые 1-2 года можно занимать чесноком или луком.

Если места подготовлено мало, то можно сделать загущенные посадки, оставляя между растениями в ряду соответственно 15 и 20 см. но как только соберете первый урожай ягод – выкапывайте и пересаживайте каждое второе растение.
С маточного участка получают посадочный материал только в течение одного года. В последующие 2 года на этом участке можно выращивать ягоды.
-летом почва под черной пленкой сильно перегревается, поэтому сверху желательна еще и мульча из соломы, скошенной травы.

Скажем, лучший способ выращивание земляники – на соломенной подстилке. Но о какой соломе идет речь?
Во-первых, в идеале о ржаной, во-вторых, о рубленой.
Т.е. длина соломинок максимум 8-10 см. При использовании длинной соломы эффект будет намного ниже.
Да и физические затраты выше.
Ведь мульчу надо наложить после того, как оттает почва, снять, когда соберем урожай, обработать землянику, опять наложить мульчу, а рано весной ее отгрести.

Так как же быть с мульчированием земляники? Если вы все таки предпочитаете сажать землянику на пленке, то с момента повышения дневной температуры до +20-22˚С, поверх пленки накладывайте светлую мульчу – подсохшую траву ( в идеале из-под газонокосилки), крупную древесную стружку, ту же солому. Соберете урожай, соберите и мульчу, отправьте ее в компост. Осенью такую землянику желательно укрывать еловым лапником или сухими стеблями малины (только со здоровых растений), дельфиниума, топинамбура.

How to Make a Better Strawberry Pallet Planter.

* Lovely Greens *: How to Make a Better Strawberry Pallet Planter:

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Proper Mulch for Strawberries.

Proper Mulch for Strawberries | Home Guides | SF Gate:
Pine Needles
Pine needles, also called pine straw, are a proper mulch for strawberries and slightly increase the acidity of the soil as they decompose. They are an ideal alternative to plastic mulch for strawberry patches with slug problems. Plastic mulch creates a moist environment slugs love, while sharp and prickly pine needles repel these creatures. Mulch with about 2 to 3 inches of pine needles a few weeks after planting or right after the plants blossom. Add pine needles to create a depth of 3 to 4 inches to insulate overwintering plants from the cold.
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Wednesday 8 October 2014

Strawberries. My mail-order!

Order Strawberries today!
- Blackmoor Nurseries - 1 x Strawberry Buddy - 10 Runners Bare Root (STRZ33) = £8.20+Delivery (Royal Mail First Class): £3.80=Total: £12.00
Strawberry 'Buddy' has it all - heavy crops, quality berries and a fabulous, sweet flavour, even in hot weather. Bred at world renowned East Malling Research centre, this exciting new strawberry variety will provide a continuous supply of large, deep red berries from late June through to October. Height: 20cm (8"). Spread: 30cm (12").
Estimated time to cropping once planted: 4-8 months.
Estimated time to best yields: 4-8 months.
Perpetual strawberries.

- Ken Muir - Strawberry 'Gariguette' - Pack of 12 (Early) - Total: £12.08
Muir will be showing strawberries at Chelsea for the 34th successive year. His useful booklet, Grow Your Own Strawberries, is sent out with orders.

Strawberry 'Gariguette' is an old and much-loved French variety that produces sweet and aromatic fruits early in the season. Grow in full sun for the greatest depth of flavour. The point about a strawberry like 'Gariguette' is that you are unlikely to be able to buy it because it does not keep or travel well.

Strawberry varieties are categorised as early midsummer, midsummer and late midsummer fruiters. There are also perpetual or remontant varieties which will fruit both in July and again in late summer/early autumn, but can be de-blossomed in May to produce a heavy late crop.
The sweetest strawberries
Early midsummer for southern gardens, 'Gariguette'; elsewhere 'Claire-Maree'.
Midsummer 'Cambridge Late Pine' for its divine flavour. 'Hapil' and 'Maxim' for drought resistance and heavy yields. 'Maxim' is a large strawberry suitable for the showbench. 'Marshmello' crops heavily in a range of conditions and has a rich, intense flavour.
Late midsummer 'Symphony' and 'Florence' are quite disease-resistant. 'Symphony' does well in the north.
Pink-flowered 'Viva Rosa' looks pretty in hanging baskets and containers.
The perpetual 'Mara des Bois' has an alpine taste and resistance to powdery mildew.

Tuesday 7 October 2014

Крупноплодная садовая земляника или клубника, виктория.

- Петрушка посевная, или кудрявая. Растение высевают по бордюру гряд земляники. Это предохраняет ягоды от повреждения улитками.
- Перед посадкой кустиков в каждую лунку вносят смесь органики: 1 ведро земли + 1 ведро компоста + 1 ведро перепревшего навоза + 2 стакана золы.
- В начале августа под крону каждого куста заделывают по полстакана золы, что благотворно скажется на подготовке к зиме и будущем урожае.
- Для отпугивания вредителей земляники на грядку можно высадить несколько растений томата, лука, чеснока, бархатцев, укропа.
We Grow Our Own!
Земляника садовая, клубника в саду.
"К моменту окончания плодоношения скосить все земляничные кусты практически "под ноль". Отрастающие усы ослабляют материнские растения, замедляют их рост, снижают зимостойкость и урожайность, поэтому их необходимо удалять, за исключением тех, которые предназначены для рассады - рассаду лучше брать от молодых – 1-3 летних – растений, оставляя по одному усу с хорошо развитой розеткой от каждого куста.
Землянику можно сажать в течение всего вегетационного периода, начиная с ранней весны и до осенью. При посадке необходимо следить за тем, чтобы корневая шейка куста и основание листьев с почкой – сердечко – находились на уровне поверхности почвы. Если земляника посажена глубоко и сердечко засыпано землёй, она загнивает и погибает. При мелкой посадке и частичном обнажении корней растение засохнет или будет слабо развиваться.
Разрыхлить гряды вокруг кустиков.
Одновременно можно подсыпать вокруг кустов удобрение, закрывая его землёй.
После окончания этого этапа берете лёгкие небольшие грабли и выравниваете всю поверхность обработанной земляничной грядки.
Уже через неделю у земляники вырастают новые свежие листья.
За оставшуюся часть августа и сентябрь кусты земляники разрастутся и примут свой обычный вид взрослых кустов. В таком виде грядка уходит на зиму."

Growing Strawberries.

Growing Strawberries | Strawberry Plants .org: "Companion Planting Strawberries"
Strawberry Plant Propagation | Strawberry Plants .org: "Strawberry Propagation by Plant Division"
Strawberry Varieties: "There are however a few sub categories to this variety; early season, early midseason, midseason, late midseason and Late season. "
Growing and Propagating Strawberries:
You cannot choose your soil, but you can improve it. Over-enriched soils will tend to grow lush green leaves as opposed to luscious red fruits, so it pays to restrain your organic fervour.

Check the soil pH and amend, if necessary, to about 6.5. A soil manured the previous year gives an ideal start. Such a soil will need the addition of garden compost at 1 barrow to 4m2, plus 75g per m2 each of bone meal and seaweed meal. If your soil is particularly short of nutrients apply one barrow of well rotted manure per 12 m2 in addition.

Both heavy and light soils benefit from leafmould. Moreover, strawberries thrive in it. Work in a 5cm layer to the top 10cm of soil just prior to planting.
Growing Strawberries | Strawberry Plants .org: "Growing Strawberries"

Growing and Propagating Strawberries:
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Strawberries.

Went to the allotment the other day to check how the strawberries were coping with all this rain.
The plants are heavily laden with fruit and I did get to pick and eat a few that were showing signs of looking ripe.
But strawberries need to be sunkissed, if only for a moment.
Picking them on a hot day is the ideal, but if left in the sun after picking they quickly lose their sheen and cook in their own warmth, so need chilling fast.

Every three years or so it is good to start a new bed in fresh ground anyway.
Container-growing which is well worth copying to make use of a relatively small space for a high yield.
Any containers will do but a couple of rows of bog-standard black florists buckets are ideal.
Make holes in the bottom before filling with compost and planting one plant in each.
The containers need to be positioned somewhere sunny and a layer of permeable weed suppressing matting underneath will save on maintenance later.
Posts knocked in place at either end of the rows with washing line strung across means they are set for netting.
Keeping fruit off the ground means less chance of slug damage.
You might like to feed with comfrey tea now and again when the fruit begins to set.
You can choose a perpetual fruiting strawberry variety - early season Gariguette variety alongside a classic Cambridge Favourite, that is particularly good for jam.

Strawberry taste comparison.

We asked professional strawberry growers, the RHS, the chef Raymond Blanc as well as our own gardening team for their favourite strawberry for sweetness, flavour and a bountiful harvest;
Alpine strawberry ‘Mignonette’ was recommended by both Alys and Raymond Blanc.
Strawberry ‘Darlisette’ is Toby’s choice, for its almost nutty crunch.
Strawberry ‘Marie de Bois’ is the favourite of Carol Klein. Raymond Blanc and the RHS’s Jim Arbury consider it a favourite too. It can be difficult to find, as it is only licensed to be grown in France and therefore can be listed in catalogues under different names; ‘Mara des Bois’ or ‘Marais de Bois’.
Joe grew Strawberry ‘Marshmello’ on his allotment, and has named it as his choice for this comparison.
We will also be growing Strawberry ‘Cambridge Favourite’ the nations most widely grown strawberry.
We are also growing these varieties, recommended by professional growers- Elegance, Judibell, Gariguette, Honeoye, Maxim, Sonata, Fenella, Tarpan, Irresistible, and Flamenco
http://www.saga.co.uk/lifestyle/gardening/q-and-a/grow-your-own-strawberries.aspx
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3288/

Many types of strawberry plants will, either by nature or if encouraged by pruning runners, put out lateral crowns at the base of the strawberry plant. These lateral crowns can be divided and replanted to propagate strawberry plants. Additionally, the genetically generative rhizomes of strawberry plants can, under the right circumstances, be divided into multiple pieces with each piece being sufficient to grow a new plant.

There are, however, several drawbacks to this type of strawberry propagation. Often, the mother plant will be compromised (if not done correctly) and will die. Thus, the net increase of strawberry plants is diminished. Also, it tends to be more labor-intensive and technical as the division or cutting takes both precision and a bit of expertise. However, for well-funded or commercial operations, this division can be used to propagate cloned plants quickly and extensively.


http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3685/#b
http://strawberryplants.org/2010/05/transplanting-strawberries/

Growing Strawberries in Small Spaces.

Edible Landscaping with Charlie Nardozzi :: National Gardening Association: "AboutOur"

The Berries
There are four different types of strawberries you can grow. June-bearing strawberries such as 'Earliglow', 'Jewel,' and 'Cabot' are the most common. They produce in early summer and send out runners freely, quickly filling in a bed with their daughter plants. These grow best in raised beds where they have room to roam.
Day-neutral strawberry varieties such as 'Evie,' 'Albion,' and 'Seascape' produce small crops of berries in cycles all season long. They don't send out as many runners as June-bearers, so are well-suited to hanging baskets, large containers, and strawberry jars. Everbearing varieties, such as 'Tribute' and 'Tristar', produce a spring and late summer crop with little production in between. They also have fewer runners than June bearers.
Alpine strawberries such as 'Mignonette,' Rugen Improved,' and 'Yellow Wonder' (yellow fruited variety) are improved versions of the wild strawberry. They produce small, sweet tasting fruits from spring until fall. The plants are bushy and diminutive but do spread slowly over time. They are great grown in baskets, containers, or in front of a flower or herb bed. Sometimes found in garden centers and on-line, you'll be able to grow a wider variety of alpine strawberries if you grow them from seed. Unlike other strawberries, alpine varieties grow well and produce in part shade, especially in warm climates.

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Plant All 3 Types of Strawberries.

Plant All 3 Types of Strawberries | The Trusty Gardener's Blog: "Copyright"

June-bearing strawberries have one large crop of large berries each year. This is great if you are interested in freezing or making jellies. There are early, mid-season and late varieties, so you can extend the harvest time by a few weeks by choosing some of each, but all produce in early summer.
Everbearing strawberries can produce fruit when the days exceed 12 hours of daylight. This usually results in a moderately heavy crop in early summer, a few berries through the summer, and a light crop in late summer or fall. The total harvest of ever-bearers will be less than the single crop of June-bearing berries, but the spreading out of the crop is sometimes desireable.
Everbearing cultivars produce few runners. This makes it easier to keep track of the plants, and keeps them from running out of the beds into the lawn or pathways, but you may need to buy new plants when it is time to renovate the bed.
Day-neutral strawberry cultivars produce fruit and runners throughout the growing season with three peaks: early-June, mid-July and late August. Temperatures over 75o F stop bud formation, so not as many fruit are formed when it is really hot. Cooler soil temperatures result in larger berries, too. Day-neutral berries are normally smaller than other types, but they are delicious.
One type of day-neutral strawberry, the alpine strawberry, may be easily grown from seed. Alpine strawberry plants produce tiny, delectable berries and make excellent edging or groundcover plants.

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Monday 6 October 2014

Asters.

Fresh as a daisy: Michaelmas daisies add autumnal gaiety to any border | Daily Mail Online: The great strength of Michaelmas daisies, apart from the range of colours they provide, is that this is their time. Michaelmas, or the Feast of St Michael, falls on 29 September, so the plants are always associated with the start of autumn.
The easiest asters (to give Michaelmas daisies their botanical name) to grow are the novi-belgii cultivars.
- A novi-belgii 'Gurney Slade', 'Professor Anton Kippenberg' and 'Mistress Quickly'. All rich violets and purple and massed petals.
- In the pink shades, 'Coombe Gladys' and 'Lady Frances'.
- 'Dusky Maid', 'Winston S Churchill' and 'Prunella' - deep plum-coloured ones.
- New England asters, Aster novae-angliae , which are pretty much pest- and disease-resistant. 'Barr's Violet' is a good purple, as is 'Violetta'. 'Lou Williams' and 'Septemberrubin' are just on the pink side of plum.
- A amellus 'King George', 'Veilchenkönigin' has smaller flower heads but is deeper and more intense in colour, 'Nocturne', which has deep lilac flowers on 3ft tall stems.
- Aster x frikartii. Named the results after Swiss mountains. 'Jungfrau' and 'Eiger' remain good rich lilac/purples, the only real difference being that 'Jungfrau' is more compact and floriferous. 'Mönch'.
Flower focus | Life and style | The Observer: New York Asters.
Although they have been grown in Europe since the 17th century, New York Asters have only been seriously hybridised in the past 100 years. The result is a range of rich, intense colours that work perfectly against autumn's fading light. 'Gurney Slade' 'Mistress Quickly' and 'Professor Anton Kippenberg' are all violet and purple with massed petals, while 'Coombe Gladys' and 'Lady Francis' are halfway between magenta and purple. Even better are all the deep plum-coloured ones. Try 'Dusky Maid', 'Winston S Churchill' and 'Prunella'.

All New York Asters are prone to mildew, which covers the leaves in white fungus. To combat this, grow them in rich, damp soil. In thin, sandy soil it is also hard to avoid grey fungal rot which thrives in hot, dry conditions. It starts mid summer and can almost finish the plant off before it flowers. Best bet is to grow resistant varieties like Aster x frikartii which has long petals and loves very well-drained soil and Aster novae-angliae (from New England) which tends to come in pink. Both are amazingly tough and spread about a foot a year.

In focus: Asters - Telegraph:
The true 'Mönch' is hard to find, but a good nursery, such as Four Seasons or Cotswold Garden Flowers, should be able to supply the authentic form. Its blue daisies appear for almost four months, it needs no staking, and it is healthy.
Aster lateriflorus 'Horizontalis' looks distinguished at any time of year.
Growing tips
Most soils in sun or partial shade will suit asters.
If you give them too much nourishment, they will become lax and floppy.
Most varieties need staking, firmly. Autumn winds can make asters look very messy.
Division is best done in spring rather than in autumn. But you can also do it in August so that plants make new roots in warm soil.
Many of the old A. novi-belgii group are very invasive. If you are desperate to the kind of asters found in old gardens, try planting them in long grass, where they can look quite romantic.
Where to buy
Four Seasons Forncett St Mary, Norwich, Norfolk NR16 1JT (01508 488344; www.fsperennials.co.uk) - mail order only.
Cotswold Garden Flowers Sands Lane, Badsey, Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 5EZ (01386 833849; www.cgf.net).
To buy asters from greenfingers.com click here.
To buy asters from crocus.co.uk.
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Saturday 4 October 2014

Компост, перегной и прочеее.

Садовое обозрение - Земля - это фабрика-кухня, а мы лишь подносим ей продукты:
Вопрос первый. Ты везде пишешь - на 1 кв.м. полведра перегноя. Но при этом ты говоришь из компостной кучи. Так там же растительный компост, а перегной – это ведь перепревший навоз?
К сожалению, я часто иду на поводу у дачников и использую слово «перегной». Оно нехорошее, потому что зарождает в нас мысль, что процесс должен сопровождаться гниением. На самом деле, в агрокультуре используют компост – органическое удобрение, получаемое в результате переработки органических веществ микроорганизмами и червями. А органические вещества могут быть навозом, птичьим пометом, растительными остатками и т.д. и т.п. А лучше, если такая разная органика соединяется в одной компостной куче или компостере.
В идеале, когда мы закладываем компостную кучу из растительных остатков, их нужно переслаивать слоями навоза или птичьего помета (можно купить и сухой), рублеными ветками, кухонными отходами. Потому что одни растительные остатки будут именно гнить, а не перерабатываться микроорганизмами и червями из-за высокой влажности массы и слабого воздухообмена.
Когда я пишу количество перегноя на кв.м., конечно, имею в виду высококачественный компост. Если же органика «вылеживалась» в компостной куче больше года, да еще и не была накрыта, а микроорганизмы не активизировались, то количество можно смело увеличивать в 2 раза.
Вопрос второй. Сколько вносить осенью перепревшего навоза на грядки? Как глубоко заделывать? Нужно ли его смешивать с соломой? И что лучше делать с соломой и опилками?
Да, осенью можно вносить на грядки перепревший навоз, хотя нужно быть готовым к тому, что в нем сохранилось немало семян сорняков и весной у вас будет полыхать зеленый костер. Но это не так страшно, если владеть плоскорезом и не полениться пару раз подсечь сорняки в младенческом возрасте.
Тем не менее я предпочитаю такой качественный компост вносить весной. Объясняю: если будет быстрое таяние снегов, то значительная часть питательных веществ уйдет в глубь почвы, а на пологих участках «убежит» в низины, и станет труднодоступной для растений, особенно в начале развития овощных культур.
Заделывают перепревший навоз на грядах неглубоко, максимум на 5-6 см. Часть его используют для мульчирования особо ценных культур. Часть кладут в посадочные ямки для картофеля, томатов, перца, баклажан, тыквы и т.п.
Чтобы сохранить перепревший навоз в хорошем качестве до весны, нужно насыпать на почве слой опилок (5-10 см), складировать на них компост, тщательно накрыть бурт старой полиэтиленовой пленкой, обязательно прижать ее к земле, чтобы зимой ветром ее не сдуло. Часть такого компоста я заношу в теплицу (она у меня крытая). Большая часть сразу же заделывается в почву вместе с сидератами, а часть в баках, накрытых досками, ждет весны.
Солому же вообще не разумно вносить в почву осенью, за исключением формирования высоких теплых гряд. Она может слежаться и только ухудшить структуру почвы. Поэтому я бы рекомендовала складировать ее, обязательно накрыть, чтобы не мокла под дождями. Весной же она пойдет на формирование гряд и мульчирование, переслаивание компостных куч.
А вот опилки лучше всего вносить сейчас, добавляя на ведро стакан доломитовой муки. Таким образом происходит раскисление почвы, а у опилок появляется хороший задел по времени, чтобы улучшить структуру почвы. Можно смело мульчировать толстым слоем опилок малину. Если опилки крупные, то стоит оставить пару мешком, чтобы летом замульчировать ими землянику.
Вопрос третий. Я у тебя читала про ров в центре грядки, куда заделывается солома и перегной. А что с ним делать дальше? Почему его делают по центру? Остальная же земля останется без питания?
Почва, как я уже писала выше, это очень сложный организм, в котором постоянно происходят какие-то процессы. И так не бывает, что вы кладете в точке А удобрение, а в точке В, которая находится в 40 см, нет и следов этого удобрения. Растения питаются не самими удобрениями (у них ведь нет зубов!), а водными растворами, точнее солевыми растворами. Вода подземная поднимается вверх по капиллярам, вода снеговая, дождевая или поливная растворяет органику и минералку и делают питание доступным растениям. Там еще происходит сложный микробиологический процесс. Но и так должно быть понятно, что если вы кладете удобрения в центре грядки, то достанется всем растениям, живущим на ней. Да и корневая система у растений весьма разветвленная.
Когда же мы закладываем грубую органику в центре грядки, то даем ей время, чтобы стать доступной растениям, не мешая им, еще крошкам, нормально расти. И вот когда они станут постарше, то кроме «манной каши» (вы же готовили почву всю под посадку), потребуют и «стейк с кровью». И вам уже не надо будет бодяжить разные подкормки, носиться с ведром и кормить своих «деток». То, что было зарыто в центре грядки, это своего рода пролонгированное удобрение, которого должно хватить на весь сезон. Просто нужно будет по требованию поливать растения, а значит и «зарытый клад».
Так что земля – это такая постоянно работающая фабрика-кухня по переработке всего и вся для пользы растений и той живности, что ее населяет.
Ну а про то, как пополнить осевшие за сезон грядки-короба, я напишу подробно в воскресенье. Увы, работа привалила!
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Thursday 2 October 2014

Сut flowers.

Enjoy cut flowers from the garden all year round - Telegraph:
Louise Curley's cutting and displaying tips
Pick flowers early morning or evening to avoid transpiration.
Cut a long stem but leave enough for the plant to regenerate.
Use secateurs or snips for a clean cut.
Plunge stems immediately into a bucket of cold water.
Leave them to rest in a cool garage or shed. But keep away from fruit and veg.
When arranging, snip the stem with a diagonal cut for maximum absorption area.
Put daffs in a separate bucket and keep refreshing the water until sap stops leaking.
Wrap tulip stems in newspaper secured with a rubber band and leave in a bucket of water for a few hours.
Sear the stems of poppies, roses, euphorbias and dahlias to stop early petal fall, by dipping the base of the stem in boiling water, while protecting the flower from steam.

Keep vases in a cool shady spot, and refresh water daily.
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Sowing Seeds in Winter.

Sowing Seeds in Winter | WTIP North Shore Community Radio, Cook County, Minnesota:
Winter Sowing: Winter Container Gardening, Wintersowing:
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Saturday 27 September 2014

Сады и парки Франции.

Сады и парки Франции: " Англии, чьи сады основаны на природных естественных формах"

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Friday 26 September 2014

How to grow ericaceous plants.

How to grow ericaceous plants » Ashwood Nurseries:
Ericaceous plants include Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Camellias, Heathers, Pieris, Blueberry, Cassiope, Eucryphia, Enkianthus, Fothergilla, Gaultheria, Leucothoe, Nyassa, Kalmia, Pseudowintera, Styrax and Vaccinum.
Ericaceous plants require acidic to neutral soils (pH7 or lower) and generally will not thrive in more alkaline conditions (i.e. high in lime, pH7.5 or higher). They are mostly plants of woodland, heath or mountain-side so require moist but well drained soils that are rich in organic matter.
Position
Most ericaceous plants prefer the dappled shade and shelter of other trees and shrubs and are also useful subjects for a sheltered North facing border. They are tolerant of more sunny exposures as long as the soil remains moist. Smaller leaved rhododendrons, most azaleas as well as blueberries and heathers prefer a slightly sunnier position, perhaps shaded from the sun when it is at its strongest in the early afternoon. Rhododendron yakushimanum and its cultivars are very tolerant of cooler, more exposed positions.
Our ericaceous plants are generally completely hardy, tolerating temperatures down to -15 ° F (-25 °C). Those plants marked slightly tender should be given a very sheltered position. Some care is needed in the siting of early flowering subjects to avoid their blooms becoming marked by late spring frosts and for these it is best to avoid an east-facing site. Likewise, plants that produce spring foliage colour (e.g. pieris) are probably better placed in a southerly or westerly aspect, sheltered from sun and cold winds by surrounding evergreen shrubs.
Planting
All ericaceous plants are surface rooting with very fine roots so extra care is needed when planting. Plants grown in containers can be planted out at any time of year; provided that the ground is not frozen.
Prepare an area 5-6 times larger than the pot size: work organic matter (such as leaf mould, peat or good quality ericaceous compost) into this area to form a nice friable mixture. Mushroom compost and manure are not suitable because of their lime content, nor should fertiliser be applied at this stage.
Water the plant in its pot thoroughly, leaving to soak for a few minutes. The correct planting depth is very important as ericaceous plants will not thrive if planted too deeply: plant to the same depth as the compost in the container, barely covering this with the lightest layer of soil.
Place the plant in its planting hole and then firm in lightly with the fists. If necessary, particularly with a larger plant, drive in a stout stake away from the root ball and tie the plant to it.
Finally, water the plant by giving it a thorough soaking at the roots. A light sprinkling of water is a waste of time, has no benefit to the plant and in fact can be detrimental to the roots
Aftercare
Continue to water during the first growing season and subsequently during very dry weather otherwise the fine roots will suffer. All weeds are best removed by hand whilst still young as hoeing and forking too close to the plants may damage the roots.
An annual mulch of peat, leaf-mould, pine needles or composted bark is beneficial. Spread this material in a 1-2 inch (2.5-5cm) band 6 inches (15cm) from the base of the plant. Never mulch too close to the stem of the plant as this may cause the bark to rot. Avoid using fertilisers other than a very light application of blood, fish and bone in May only.
After flowering, the larger flowers of rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias can be dead headed by carefully breaking out the truss of seed heads before the leaf buds start into growth, but take great care not to damage these new buds.
How to grow Ericaceous Plants on Alkaline Soil
If your soil is alkaline, we would suggest planting into large containers or purpose-built raised beds.
Containers should have a drainage hole, filled with good quality ericaceous compost and their position in the garden chosen carefully to take into account their cultural requirements. You must be prepared to be diligent with watering.
Raised beds should be raised at least 6 inches (15cm) above surrounding soil to prevent any alkaline water flowing into them. The walls can be built of most materials although we would discourage the use of limestone or concrete blocks. Some materials that harmonise particularly well with this form of plantings include old railway sleepers or half round timber edging. The beds should be filled with an ericaceous mix either  a  good ericaceous potting compost, or a mixture or two parts acid loam (shredded Mendip Loam being ideal) six parts peat of leaf-mould and one part sharp flint or quartz grit (not limestone chippings) of between ¼ and 1/8 inch. (3-6mm)

Pests and Diseases
Ericaceous plants are rarely troubled by pests and diseases except for aphids (green fly) which distort the young growths: these should be controlled either with a systemic insecticide or regular treatments with a proprietary soap treatment. Mildew, if it occurs, is best controlled using a systemic fungicide.
Sometimes, the roots and underground stems may be nibbled by vine weevil grubs. The adult weevils leave irregular-shaped notches in the leaf margins during the summer while the white legless grubs are likely to be found among the roots which they eat, causing the plants to wilt in severe cases. “Provado Vine Weevil Killer” is an effective control for plants in containers.

More! Make an Ericaceous Soil Bed for Acid-Loving Fruits:


Espoma's "Soil Acidifier."
It contains sulfur, derived from elemental sulfur and gypsum.
You can find this organic goodness at any respectable garden center. Application is a breeze: First, grab a measuring cup...
And fill it with the acidifying granules.
Then pour the granules in a circle around the drip line of each shrub.
The drip line is the outermost edge from which water would naturally drip from the plant.
Feeder roots are concentrated there.
Rates. For young shrubs, use about 1 1/4 cups acidifier. For larger shrubs, use 2 1/2 cups.
Repeat the procedure every 60 days or so, or until you achieve the correct pH for your blueberries -- 4.6 to 5.5. Watering-in.

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Best autumn-fruiting raspberries.

The three best autumn-fruiting raspberries are:
Sugana - an exciting variety that not only crops from August to October but, if you leave the canes unpruned it will fruit again in June the following year. And it tastes great.
Erika - almost too good for jam (I did say almost) and perfect when eaten straight off the bush.
Himbotop - a Swiss variety, so should be pretty good in colder areas. Incidentally, the best raspberries I’ve ever tasted are those grown on the west coast of Scotland. I think the rain makes the fruit plumper.

Friday 19 September 2014

October.

Soil Association : October:
Sowing

If you sowed onion seeds last month, these can be thinned, but take care not to disturb the remaining seedlings. Corn salad and dwarf early peas can be sown in a warm, sheltered border. Sow winter lettuces and other winter salad crops, like lamb’s lettuce: you may need cloches to protect these over the winter. Also, it’s the last chance to plant out cabbage seedlings this month: any plants not set out now should be left in the nursery bed over the winter.

As your plots are cleared you should also sow a green manure such as clover or rye grass to cover ground until next spring. Green manures will help prevent weeds establishing, and once dug into the ground the following spring they help return nutrients to the soil, helping the fertility of your plot.
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August.

Soil Association : August:
Sowing
If you have time, start sowing crops for harvesting later this year and early next year:
  • Spring cabbages

  • Cauliflowers
  • Endives
  • Autumn and winter lettuces
  • Onions
  • Radishes
  • Shallots
  • Winter spinach
  • Turnips
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Edmondsham House.

Down to Earth (From Salisbury Journal):
OTHER people’s allotments and gardens are a constant source of inspiration and ideas. I was fortunate enough to visit the gardens of Edmondsham House, near Cranborne and chat to head gardener Andrew Haynes last week for a feature to be published in September’s Wiltshire Society magazine.
And I walked away with inspiration in trugfulls.
The kitchen garden, part of the walled garden, has been managed organically since 1984 when Andrew became head gardener.
Runner beans are grown on coppiced hazel arches, comfrey is grown to provide liquid feed for hungry vegetables throughout the growing season, as no chemical fertilisers or pesticides are ever used.

Andrew uses the ‘no-dig’ method of cultivating the soil, which helps prevent weed seeds being brought to the surface. Mulches are used helping to conserve moisture and soil structure.
Rows of borage have been planted alongside the beans to attract pollinators but the plant's bright blue star shaped flowers are also striking features. I have grown borage in this way but always been late in staking and they have flopped horribly, but Andrew has created a small fence to act as support and to tie them into.
The bright orange heads of calendula have been deliberately planted with the purple sprouting broccoli to keep cabbage root fly at bay.
Calendula self seed freely, the plants first appearing in spring and can be transplanted easily to whatever part of the plot is needed for the simple to grow companion plant.
Aside from the kitchen garden, the walled garden has some quite beautiful herbaceous borders, planted to be of interest for a long season.
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No dig growing.

No dig growing | www.charlesdowding.co.uk:

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How to Create a No Dig Garden.

How to Create a No Dig Garden: 12 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow:

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Урожай. 2014.

Morris Minor 1000 Traveller.
Александр Арнольд Константин (18 ноября 1906 - 2 октября 1988), английский конструктор и дизайнер автомобилей греческого происхождения.
Сын греческого коммерсанта, Иссигонис эмигрировал в Англию в 1922, спасаясь от греко-турецкой войны. Получил техническое образование, в 1936 поступил в компанию "Моррис Моторс ". Здесь он разработал оригинальную модель "Моррис Майнор" (Morris Minor), автомобиль "чисто британского" имиджа: не роскошный, но надежный, легкий в управлении, поворотливый, что особенно ценно для переполненных тесных улиц больших городов. Morris Minor стал первым полностью английским автомобилем, перешагнувшим миллионный рубеж продаж. Модель выпускалась с 1948 - 1971.
Он же в 1959 создал модель "Мини" (Mini).
- Машина - не моя! К сожалению.
Monarda 'Squaw'.
Monarda, народные названия пчелиный бальзам, бергамот.
Род назван Карлом Линнеем в честь испанского ботаника и врача Николаса Монардеса (1493—1588), который в 1574 году издал книгу, в которой описывал новые растения, найденные в Америке.
Цветы бывают красные, розовые, и фиолетовые.
Из него получают ароматное эфирное масло. Люблю.
Китайская капуста - pak choi. Укроп, петрушка. Корневой сельдерей.
Батат. Клубника.
Огурцы. Да, это все огурцы!
Кабачки. Мангольд.

Saturday 13 September 2014

Truffle trouble .

Truffle trouble | Environment | The Guardian:
But just how acceptable is all this foraging? Do people have the right to pick mushrooms, at least on open-access land? Does the landowner have the right to stop us? More fundamentally, does any of it do any harm to the environment? Or is mushroom picking the ultimate sustainable activity?

The nearest thing to a national policy is the code of conduct published by English Nature, the wildlife watchdog. It is all right to pick, says English Nature, provided you ask the landowner and stick to the code. Rare species should not be picked (but what's a rare species?), nor should we gather more than 1.5kg (fresh weight) per day from any particular site. Scotland has a similar code, issued by Scottish Natural Heritage. Both bodies are relaxed about picking for the family pot, but frown on commercial picking.

But frowning is one thing, prosecuting someone is another. Can we have open access and yet ban mushroom picking? In theory, we can. Any landowner can apply to the local authority for an order against blackberry pickers, moss gatherers or butterfly collectors. In this land of the free, any of Mother Nature's bounties, even the meanest, sourest berry or nut, is deemed to be private property.

In the case of the New Forest, which is managed by the Forestry Commission, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) decided that it owned the mushrooms. In the 1990s, it banned commercial picking over the entire forest, and banned foraging for mushrooms altogether in certain woods.

But what about the legislation on conserving wildlife? Is there a legal way of challenging commercial pickers if they damage a mushroom's natural habitat?

Quite possibly not. The limited protection offered by sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) relates to the specific plants, animals and natural landforms cited in the formal description of the site. And, as English Nature admits, very few of these mention fungi. Out of 4,000 SSSIs in England, only a handful mention fungi, and only one is designated specifically because of its outstanding fungus flora. A prosecution based on our statutory system for protecting wildlife would be difficult to prove.

Is that a problem? Does picking damage the mushroom's prospects? Tee-Hillman insists that mushrooms actually benefit from picking. "I pick the brown chanterelles every 10 days from the same place," she says. "By making sure I don't damage their root system, I can get a new crop every 10 days for up to three months."

Where problems arise, it is not from careful picking but from felling trees and damaging the delicate upper layers of the soil where the fungi thrive. "Wherever the Forestry Commission has cut down the trees we won't be seeing the mushrooms again for hundreds of years," she says.

Michael Jordan, author of The Encyclopaedia of Fungi of Britain and Europe (1995) and founder of the Association of British Fungus Groups, has no problems with picking for the pot, but he would "personally err on the side of caution".

He says: "You get figures bandied about from both camps, but we don't know whether there is damage or not. What we are seeing, though, is a massive depletion of the countryside. Hoovering up the mushrooms robs the countryside of a beautiful feature for people to see and enjoy."

So there we are. Commercial picking may or may not harm the fungus. But no one objects to mushrooms being picked for the kitchen pot.

- Four Fs (legal): Fruit, foliage, fungi, flowers.

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Thursday 28 August 2014

Английский огород.

Сегодня я прошлась по всему нашему огородному сообществу в перерыве между дождем. Я сфотографировала то, что типично выращивается на английском огороде.
Фасоль многоцветковая или яркокрасная еще имеет название турецкие бобы/Runner bean.
Это, как правило, вьющиеся сорта, высотой до 3 м, хотя есть и кустовые сорта.
Фасоль переносит небольшое затенение и очень красива, поэтому часто используется в декоративных целях для украшения беседок и создания живых стен, для разграничения зон в саду. Растет практически на каждом участке, разница только в конструкции опоры.
Зелёностручковая фасоль (в просторечии спаржевая фасоль) в Англии ее называют французской.
Капуста обычная и кале.
Лук-порей/Leek. Мангольд/Swiss chard.
Душистый горошек/Sweet pea. Окопник/Comfrey. Подсолнух.
Яблонька. (нелегальная, в нашем сообществе высаживать фруктовые деревья запрещено.)
Это мой батат или сладкий картофель/sweet potato. Растет только у меня.
Виноград в качестве живой изгороди. Малина. Спаржа. Кукуруза.
Непременные ревень и картофель.
Кто-то так красиво выращивает помидоры.
Сельдерей и корень сельдерея, члены семьи петрушки.
Основное различие между ними состоит в том, что один ценится за длинные и хрустящие стебли, в то время как другой - за его круглый узловатый корень.
Клубника. Выращивают и в подвешенном состоянии - так спасают от улиток.
Это все тыквы/Cucurbita moschata включая Сквош/Butternut squash, итальянский Сквош/Crookneck - Italian Squash и кабачки/zucchini.
Пак-чой двух цветов. Свекла. Лавровый лист - куст.
Так выглядят участки к концу сезона. Некоторые заброшены.
И капусту поели птички и бабочки. Помидорки "скучают" под сегодняшним дождем.

Wednesday 27 August 2014

Runner Beans.

How to Build a Bean Trellis for Raised Garden Beds | Eartheasy Blog:

Eat the Seasons | Runner Beans: "HISTORY Native to the cooler, high-altitude regions of Central America, runner beans have been known as a food crop for well over 2,000 years. They were brought to the British Isles in the seventeenth century by John Tradescant (gardener to King Charles I) and were grown as a decorative plant before being used as a food in Britain. Today they are a very popular food in the UK, Italy and Mexico, and are grown and eaten in each of the five continents."
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Monday 25 August 2014

Sweet Potatoes.

How To Grow Sweet Potatoes In The UK | Thompson & Morgan:
Harvesting sweet potatoes

In late summer, approximately 12 to 16 weeks after planting them, you will notice that the foliage and stems begin to turn yellow and die back. 
Now is the time to start harvesting your sweet potatoes, although they can be left in the ground longer if you prefer larger tubers. 
Make sure that you lift them before the first frosts though, to avoid the tubers being damaged by the cold. Lift them with a fork taking care not to bruise them.
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Турецкие бобы.