Three years ago I picked my first homegrown strawberry and couldn’t believe the taste. I got to thinking that if a strawberry could taste that good, how about other fruit and vegetables? So there started my love for gardening.Tumblr (3.0; @sowandso)http://sowandso.tumblr.com/<h2>Price of food</h2> <p>A lot of gardeners might raise their eyebrows and roll their eyes when they see the title of this post. They might sigh and say &#8220;DUH!&#8221; but there are so many people out there with ornamental gardens or balconies and windowsills who have never ever considered growing anything but the 5 euro orchid from the market or the chrysanthemum in a pot bought at the DIY shop. There will come a time when fresh vegetables or food for that matter will be so expensive that all of these people will have no choice but to grow their own so they might as well start now.</p> <p>With almost everything it seems it all starts with oil; from wars to the stock exchange. Farming relies completely on the use oil - the engines of large farm machinery and the transporting of the produce to factories, markets and supermarkets. When oil prices go up even more, which is inevitable because oil will get scarcer, farmers will have to sell their grain and vegetables for a higher price in order to maintain the use of their equipment. So factories, markets and supermarkets will have to increase their prices too. Disturbingly, it&#8217;s that simple.</p> <p><a title="tractor" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8441/7920331956_08a3a6795c.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8441/7920331956_08a3a6795c.jpg" alt="tractor"/></a></p> <h2>Genetic Modification</h2> <p>Then there is the fact that companies are genetically modifying seeds to get even larger crops. We already have seen the results of this. Farmers in India who work with genetically modified seeds are getting ill and even dying because they have handled genetically modified seeds. Now, I for one do not want to eat or wear anything that has been grown this way!</p> <p>So there you have it. Gardeners who are already growing their own vegetables need to encourage those who don&#8217;t and we all need to spread the word to the Grow Your Own uninitiated. I know that especially in the US and Canada is it frowned upon or even against the rules to grow anything other then grass in your front garden but I say confront them and show them that a vegetable plot can be beautiful with lots of flowers and amazing colours.</p> <h2>Grow your own</h2> <p>Growing your own food is the most satisfying thing I have ever done. Digging for the golden spuds is like a treasure hunt and the bright pink, orange and yellow stems of Chard are as pretty as a bouquet. Not only do home grown vegetables taste so much better (the carrots are sweeter, the beans crisper and so on) but it saves money&#8230;.I&#8217;m speaking from experience here! Also, let&#8217;s not forget that growing your own organic food is SO MUCH HEALTHIER.</p> <p>There is a plethora of vegetables to choose to grow in containers on balconies and even indoors. They just need sunlight, water and the occasional extra feed. Ornamental gardens can be transformed by using the best of both. Your favourite flowers, shrubs and trees can be combined with growing all kinds of vegetables.</p> <p><a title="Peas" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8309/7919780896_58f3a66434.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8309/7919780896_58f3a66434.jpg" alt="Peas"/></a></p> <h2>Communities</h2> <p>Being self sufficient in Growing your own might be a bit ambitious or even impossible when you do not have the space but you can start with growing a few things like lettuce and radishes. Maybe you can encourage your neighbours to participate and you can exchange produce with each other.</p> <p>Positives such as healthy eating, communities growing their food and sharing their knowledge and immeasurable personal satisfaction can come from negatives like the global oil industry. So take a look at your garden, your balcony and your windowsill, go out, buy seeds and start growing.</p> <p>For all of you who don&#8217;t have a clue where to start, we will soon be writing a few blog posts on how to start growing your own!</p> <p><a title="Calendula en Brussels sprouts" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8437/7920331560_ed054a6711.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8437/7920331560_ed054a6711.jpg" alt="Calendula en Brussels sprouts"/></a></p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/grow-your-own-you-can-grow-that/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/30854829596http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/30854829596Tue, 04 Sep 2012 07:00:58 +0200sowandsotumblrize<p><a title="Late summer, Norfolk sky..." href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8160/7853070104_d76b0ab9ee.jpg" target="_blank"> <img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8160/7853070104_d76b0ab9ee.jpg" alt="Late summer, Norfolk sky..."/></a></p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/wordless-wednesday-late-summer-norfolk-sky/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/30442183327http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/30442183327Wed, 29 Aug 2012 09:00:33 +0200sowandsotumblrize<h2>First time</h2> <p style="text-align: left;">Curiosity was the reason why I let a few of my herbs and vegetables run to flower.<a title="Leek gone to flower" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8446/7821470690_0dbf27725e.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8446/7821470690_0dbf27725e.jpg" alt="Leek gone to flower"/></a></p> <p>Never having seen a leek flower up close, I was ready to experiment&#8230; What I didn&#8217;t expect was that insects just love it! They conquer leek flowers, fight over the rights to parsley flowers and put in a lot of effort to reach the lemon balm&#8217;s delicate white blossom.</p> <p><a title="Parsley gone to flower" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8424/7821469744_961710419c.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8424/7821469744_961710419c.jpg" alt="Parsley gone to flower"/></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;">For that reason alone I am glad I allowed it all to happen. Happy pollinating insects equals one very happy gardener.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a title="Lemon balm gone to flower" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8445/7821473216_07f7081a06.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8445/7821473216_07f7081a06.jpg" alt="Lemon balm gone to flower" width="500" height="318"/></a></p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/letting-herbs-and-vegetables-to-flower/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/30089781679http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/30089781679Fri, 24 Aug 2012 08:30:19 +0200sowandsotumblrize<p><a title="Borage bee magnet" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8443/7821456798_3cd41e9a92.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8443/7821456798_3cd41e9a92.jpg" alt="Borage bee magnet"/></a></p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/wordless-wednesday-borage-bee-licious/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/29953890142http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/29953890142Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:00:14 +0200sowandsotumblrize<h2>Holiday</h2> <p><a title="Dwarf (Alpine) Campanula" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7757573666_d42341d3ce.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7757573666_d42341d3ce_m.jpg" alt="Dwarf (Alpine) Campanula"/></a> My friend Tina and her husband have taken their motor home and gone on one of their fast becoming regular Grand Tours of Europe, this time taking in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria. Last summer they visited the Fatherland - Bavaria and the Black Forest I believe and Tina brought back some packets of edelweiss and alpine campanula flower seeds which she lovingly planted earlier this year.</p> <h2></h2> <h2></h2> <p> </p> <h2>Seedlings</h2> <p><a title="Edelweiss at the Villas" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7757547158_82b93e8027.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7757547158_82b93e8027_m.jpg" alt="Edelweiss at the Villas"/></a> Overall she was disappointed with their rate of germination, ending up with just three seedlings - two campanula and one edelweiss but how precious those three tiny plants are! A very special souvenir of a wonderful holiday&#8230; So here&#8217;s the thing - I have been entrusted with their care whilst she&#8217;s away - no pressure - and I am keeping a very watchful eye on them in the safety of our fruit cage, willing them to survive at least until she gets back! Three weeks later and I&#8217;m glad to report that the plantlets are still alive, in fact one has even grown a bit&#8230; phew</p> <p><a title="Three precious seedlings" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/7757568016_d57a4316cb.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/7757568016_d57a4316cb.jpg" alt="Three precious seedlings"/></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/plant-sitting-at-the-villas-2/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/29812925654http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/29812925654Mon, 20 Aug 2012 07:47:11 +0200sowandsotumblrize<h2>In the beginning</h2> <p>When we moved to the Villas the piece of land behind the house which by no stretch of the imagination could be called a garden had been stripped and flattened by the previous owners (property developers I believe) in preparation for a building project that never happened.</p> <p>We could see by looking at Google Earth that only a year or so earlier it&#8217;d had several outbuildings and more interestingly several trees - mostly fruit trees such as Cherry Plum I think - that had subsequently been chopped down (I honestly don&#8217;t think I could bear to cut down a tree - it&#8217;s like taking a life and it would break my heart). Anyway, this is what we were faced with at the beginning of our gardening journey.</p> <h2>Missing</h2> <p><a title="Poplar Tremula Erecta growing happily at the Villas" href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7246/7757323306_554cdbb230.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7246/7757323306_554cdbb230_m.jpg" alt="Poplar Tremula Erecta growing happily at the Villas"/></a> Over the following two or three years we designed and laid out the area to our satisfaction with raised beds and lawns  but I couldn&#8217;t help feeling something was missing. Then I had a moment that alcoholics refer to as clarity - it needed some height! So early one Sunday morning I settled down on the internet and started researching trees.</p> <p>I didn&#8217;t want anything too pretty or blatantly ornamental (I&#8217;m just not that kind of person) but something architectural and striking that wouldn&#8217;t cast too much of a shadow - a bit of a tall order perhaps? Then I discovered on a Sunday newspaper site an article about unusual trees suitable for gardens, that sung the praises of Poplar Tremula Erecta - a fast grower with branches that grow upwards instead of outwards that is a smaller version of the common Poplar (of which there are many growing wild in Broadland Norfolk).  The Tremula bit of its name describes the rustling sound its small heart shaped leaves make in the breeze.</p> <h2>Poplar</h2> <p>I located a tree nursery in nearby Cambridgeshire that stocked them and put in an order for a five year old tree that was already ten feet tall - I wanted instant results and decided it was worth every penny of the £160 it cost to get them.</p> <p><a title="Unusually large leaves have appeared at the top of our Poplar Tremula Erecta!" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8282/7757317016_42a5875bf2.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8282/7757317016_42a5875bf2_m.jpg" alt="Unusually large leaves have appeared at the top of our Poplar Tremula Erecta!"/></a> Now standing proudly in the centre of our Secret Garden, the tree&#8217;s been in the ground now for eighteen months and is flourishing. We&#8217;ve watched it change through all four seasons and are delighted with our purchase. It seems to be loving the slightly heavy soil we have at the Villas and has no doubt tapped into our relatively shallow water table.</p> <p>I referred to its small heart shaped leaves earlier which brings me to my final point - a bit of a mystery, in fact. Last week I noticed at the top of the tree a second leader seems to be growing . Its red leaves indicate it is very new  growth while the rest of the leaves on the tree have long since turned green but stranger than that, the leaves are huge by comparison. I have taken a photo and plan to email the nursery that it came from to ask their opinion. My worry is this - could it possibly be reverting to a common Poplar? I&#8217;ll keep you posted.</p> <p><a title="Large new leaves appear at top of Polplar Tremular" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8297/7757256766_4a0ce77338.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8297/7757256766_4a0ce77338.jpg" alt="Large new leaves appear at top of Polplar Tremular"/></a></p> <p> </p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/popular-poplar-poplar-tremula-erecta-to-be-precise/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/29544774016http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/29544774016Thu, 16 Aug 2012 12:22:18 +0200sowandsotumblrize<p><a title="Sunflower2" href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7270/7760952438_26ed1e54e0.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7270/7760952438_26ed1e54e0.jpg" alt="Sunflower2"/></a></p> <p><a title="Sunflower" href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7274/7760978346_e2ae8f98fe.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7274/7760978346_e2ae8f98fe.jpg" alt="Sunflower"/></a></p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/wordless-wednesday-sunflowers/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/29468389306http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/29468389306Wed, 15 Aug 2012 09:00:49 +0200sowandsotumblrize<h2>Flowers</h2> <p>I love fragrant plants. There is nothing nicer then burying your head into a bunch of flowers and taking a deep breath. This year I have sown and planted a lot of flowers such as Sweet Peas, Freesia, Gladioli and Sunflowers. Other flowers have just come up from a sowing last year like Calendula and Cosmos.</p> <p>More flowers have been sown but for now there are two that seem to do very well in the conditions I gave them: Sweet William, about which I wrote a post a few weeks ago and now Blue Giant Hyssop (Agastache Foeniculum) - which in Dutch is also known as the liquorice plant.</p> <p><a title="Giant Hyssop 2" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/7772080100_9d9783641a.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/7772080100_9d9783641a.jpg" alt="Giant Hyssop 2"/></a></p> <h2>Hyssop</h2> <p>Blue Giant Hyssop or Anise Hyssop is a perennial plant with square stems instead of the usual round ones. It is a bushy, branched plant with long bluey purple candle-like flowers. When brushed the plant gives off a strong aniseed scent and it&#8217;s a big favorite of butterflies and bees, which is one of the reasons I bought the seeds in the first place.</p> <p><a title="Giant Hyssop 1" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8425/7772080236_c664491dd2.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8425/7772080236_c664491dd2.jpg" alt="Giant Hyssop 1"/></a></p> <h2>Mint</h2> <p>Blue Giant Hyssop belongs to the mint family (Limiaceae) and the leaves do resemble mint leaves.I found out that Native Americans used the plant for medicinal purposes, to cure a coughs, fevers and wounds. The leaves are wonderful in teas or used dry in potpourri. A friend of mine suggested using the leaves to infuse vodka to get liquorice vodka which is sold in some clubs and bars in the Netherlands (not made with herbs).  For now though I am using the flowers to make a fragrant bouquet in combination with Sweet Peas, Cornflowers and Cosmos. Pretty as a picture!</p> <p><a title="bouquet" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8299/7744672224_5862c977c3.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8299/7744672224_5862c977c3.jpg" alt="bouquet"/></a></p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/blue-giant-hyssop/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/29330075368http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/29330075368Mon, 13 Aug 2012 12:30:19 +0200sowandsotumblrize<p><a title="Cosmos" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8284/7738390672_d134247c83.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8284/7738390672_d134247c83_z.jpg" alt="Cosmos" width="576" height="384"/></a></p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/wordless-wednesday-cosmos/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/28972315657http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/28972315657Wed, 08 Aug 2012 11:05:41 +0200sowandsotumblrize<p>It&#8217;s high summer and high time to look around the garden to see what&#8217;s growing well and what&#8217;s not. Rain and cold weather caused most of my vegetables and flowers to start late start but the warm weather we had last week has made everything explode into growth.</p> <h2>Peas</h2> <p><a title="Peazy" href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7249/7631310584_80a42aa62c.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7249/7631310584_80a42aa62c_m.jpg" alt="Peazy"/></a> For now I can say that this year my peas are my greatest success. Last year I sowed the same seeds but the plants got a strange fungal disease and I was all but ready to throw in the pea towel. Then sometime back in May I decided I should give peas another try so I sowed a load, planted them out and now they&#8217;re doing amazingly well. No fungus this time, just big juicy pods of delicious sweet tasting peas. Since peas are by far my favourite vegetable I can safely say I am a very happy gardener.</p> <p>My dwarf french beans on the other hand are not doing so well. They have suffered greatly because of the rain and persistent slug attacks. I am hoping that with a little bit more sunshine and dry weather they might recover.</p> <h2>Flowers</h2> <p><a title="White lily" href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7257/7631311668_4eb4391724.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7257/7631311668_4eb4391724_m.jpg" alt="White lily"/></a> As well as vegetables, this year I am taking a chance and growing flowers for the first time. I planted some gladioli, freesia and lily bulbs and now they are all in bloom. I&#8217;m surprised how much I&#8217;m enjoying growing flowers, especially the sweet peas that are currently filling the house with their amazing scent. I&#8217;ve planted most of my flowers around the edges of the vegetable beds.</p> <p>Of course they are providing valuable food for the few insects and butterflies which survived the rain and cold that we&#8217;ve had for the last three months. In fact there are hardly any butterflies this summer and I haven&#8217;t seen a single bumblebee since the rain started in April. It&#8217;s for the insects that I will continue to cram in as many flowers as I can into our garden.</p> <p>Meanwhile I dearly hope August will bring us more sunshine - not only for the vegetables, flowers and insects but also for us gardeners. We could all do with sunkissed cheeks and shoulders before Autumn drags us kicking and screaming into winter.</p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/growing-vegetables-and-flowers/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/28411786797http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/28411786797Wed, 01 Aug 2012 08:44:19 +0200sowandsotumblrize<h2>Green roof</h2> <p><a title="Sedum flowering on the green roof" href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7130/7679044420_3a5027fd72.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7130/7679044420_3a5027fd72_m.jpg" alt="Sedum flowering on the green roof"/></a> Four years ago we decided to create a green roof on top of our <a href="http://rammed-earth.org">rammed earth Eco-Shed</a> so we set about researching how to go about it - on a very tight budget. For starters, instead of using a butyl liner, we got hold of some regular builder’s plastic, saving us about a thousand pounds on our 66m2  ’grand piano’ shaped roof and then we then topped it with sub soil from a friend’s kitchen extension. He was going to have to pay to have it taken away, so Michael offered to take it off his hands for nothing!</p> <h2>Soil sifter</h2> <div> <p>We processed it using a soil sifter before carrying it up onto the roof in 400 bucket loads, two at a time – all six tons of it (I remember we did this on my birthday – whoopee doo). The resulting depth was three to four inches all over – deeper would have been better but we were conscious of not overdoing it, weight-wise.</p> <h2>Sedum soft cuttings</h2> <p><a title="Thyme struggled on the green roof" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8431/7679092672_5d0baa3cd9.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8431/7679092672_5d0baa3cd9_m.jpg" alt="Thyme struggled on the green roof"/></a> We’d had a quote to cover it with sedum matting which came to over £3k so we paid a visit to a local garden centre where webought a couple of sedum ‘mother’ plants (Golden Acre and Alba). I lovingly took around 400 soft cuttings that she started off in the greenhouse and as soon as they were big enough transplanted them out into a nursery bed where the plants proceeded to thrive. Six months later they were on the roof and flourishing! <a title="Sempervivum on the green roof" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7679107544_8aefa22063.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7679107544_8aefa22063_m.jpg" alt="Sempervivum on the green roof"/></a> Over the months I went on to gather more sedum bits and bobs from various sources – including a neighbour’s gravel driveway… and for a bit of variety and to attract a wider range of wildlife we also planted clover, wild flowers and thyme – all of which took longer to get established and demanded more attention. The thyme soon struggled and died but two years later the clover  is doing particularly well and is flowering it&#8217;s socks off. I bought the seed on line where it was actually advertised for use as a green manure.</p> <p><a title="Lampranthus on the green roof" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8024/7679316028_8f01b511e2.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8024/7679316028_8f01b511e2_m.jpg" alt="Lampranthus on the green roof"/></a> Most recently I have planted over a hundred Lampranthus plants (as with the sedum, grown from soft cuttings taken from one mother plant which was in turn grown from a soft cutting)  around the perimeter and these are now in full flower. They can be seen from ground level peeping over the edge, their bright pink daisy type flowers almost sparkling in the sunshine.</p> <p><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8001/7679327378_a0ece3a556_m.jpg" alt="Grape hyacinths on the green roof"/></p> <div>We also have several clumps of grape hyacinth that provide a welcome splash of colour earlier in the spring - the bulbs seem perfectly happy in the shallow soil that the green roof offers.</div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div> <h2></h2> <h2><strong>Skull-pture</strong></h2> <p><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1973" title="Skull-pture on the roof" src="http://www.sowandso.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Skull-pture-on-the-roof1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150"/>Quite a talking point are a couple of old horses skulls up there (each with a neat bullet hole in the top) that we salvaged whilst cleaning out a redundant cess pit in the garden which we now use for rainwater harvesting.  Along with some gnarly</p> <p>decaying logs and a ‘bee hotel’, I have used them to create a ‘skull-pture’ which provides the perfect habitat for all sorts of mini beasts!</p> </div> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/a-green-roof-you-can-grow-that/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/28470548877http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/28470548877Wed, 01 Aug 2012 08:37:36 +0200sowandsotumblrize<h2>Forgotten Vegetable</h2> <p><a title="sorrel " href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7635417804_0818fd0ede.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7635417804_0818fd0ede_m.jpg" alt="sorrel "/></a> I first read about sorrel on the rivercottage.net website, a lovely recipe from Hugh. When I looked up the Dutch word for it I immediately remembered my grandmother used to use it. She always cooked forgotten vegetables like salsify, purslane and sorrel. My mother wasn&#8217;t a fan so the forgotten vegetables got forgotten again.</p> <p> </p> <h2>Lemony</h2> <p><a title="sorrel 2" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8005/7635418170_5e0281f7be.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8005/7635418170_5e0281f7be_m.jpg" alt="sorrel 2"/></a> Being a gardener constantly looking for new things to grow and eat, I bought a package of sorrel and started sowing last year. Sorrel germinates quickly and is very hardy and when the first frosts started in October it was still hanging on in there. Sorrel has a strong lemony taste. Mind you, the tangy flavour comes from oxalic acid which is a poison. However, when you use the odd few leaves now and again it is harmless.</p> <h2>Recipe</h2> <p><a title="sorrel 1" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8159/7635417928_3fc1117ec7.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8159/7635417928_3fc1117ec7_m.jpg" alt="sorrel 1"/></a> I use the leaves in salads or make Hugh&#8217;s recipe: cook new potatoes, add shredded sorrel leaves, some butter and olive oil.  The lemony flavour of the sorrel makes the creamy potatoes taste absolutely lovely.</p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/no-sorrow-with-sorrel/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/27965720512http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/27965720512Wed, 25 Jul 2012 07:49:02 +0200sowandsotumblrize<h2>Wrinkled Tomatoes</h2> <p><a title="Wrinkled tomatoes 1" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8155/7554655182_7057e0be91.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8155/7554655182_7057e0be91_m.jpg" alt="Wrinkled tomatoes 1"/></a> A few days ago I was sitting in the conservatory enjoying a nice cup of coffee. While looking at my plants over the rim of my coffee cup I saw something odd. First I thought I must be mistaken and I wasn&#8217;t seeing clearly because my coffee was fogging up my glasses but a quick wipe of said spectacles confirmed that  I could actually see wrinkly tomatoes on my tomato plant.</p> <h2>Soft Skin</h2> <p><a title="Wrinkled tomatoes 3" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8149/7554650826_af148ee6fb.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8149/7554650826_af148ee6fb_m.jpg" alt="Wrinkled tomatoes 3"/></a> I jumped up, slopping coffee onto my trousers (ouch) to take a closer look (with glasses on). Et voila, two green tomatoes with wrinkled skin which, to the touch felt soft as if they&#8217;d been forgotten about at the back of the fridge. I removed them from the plant and sliced one open. The inside was still firm, it was just the outside that looked like a very old tomato.</p> <h2>Erratic Watering</h2> <p>A search on the internet didn&#8217;t offer much information except that the cause could be erratic watering or too much direct sunshine. My tomato plants are in pots on a window sill in the conservatory so I guess it could be both. But then again, it&#8217;s not the first time I&#8217;ve grown tomatoes this way and I have never had this problem before &#8230;and let&#8217;s face it, too much sunshine? With the spring and summer we are having here in Belgium at the moment..? Hardly!</p> <h2>Direct Sunlight</h2> <p><a title="Wrinkled tomato 2" href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7256/7554655354_21d8f2c4a4.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7256/7554655354_21d8f2c4a4_m.jpg" alt="Wrinkled tomato 2"/></a> When I noticed that another plant also had a few wrinkled tomatoes on I knew that I had to do something. I removed the tomato plants from the window sill and replaced them with some sweet pepper plants. The tomato plants are now out of direct sunlight and I will water them more frequently. Let&#8217;s just hope this is the answer and that my other toms are saved. After a war to beat all slugs in the garden this year I would hate to loose my tomatoes to some mystery wrinkled tomato disease.</p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/wrinkled-tomatoes/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/27480076468http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/27480076468Wed, 18 Jul 2012 15:22:48 +0200sowandsotumblrize<p>I got a pleasant surprise when I went into the fruitcage this afternoon - although the Autumn fruiting raspberries have still got a long way to go, the strawberries and blackcurrants are going great guns - in fact I&#8217;d go so far as to say we&#8217;re on the brink of a delicious fruit glut&#8230; with raspberries for dessert!</p> <p><a title="Strawberries - not long now!" href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7279/7545265202_217acd3026.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7279/7545265202_217acd3026.jpg" alt="Strawberries - not long now!"/></a></p> <p><a title="Blackcurrants - make delicious wine!" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8162/7433879328_7b013dfd1e.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8162/7433879328_7b013dfd1e.jpg" alt="Blackcurrants - make delicious wine!"/></a></p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/pending-fruit-glut-villas/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/27329152468http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/27329152468Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:18:17 +0200sowandsotumblrize<h2>Secret Garden</h2> <p><a title="Rosa Rugosa 'Alba'" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8017/7545284706_f99f0180ee.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8017/7545284706_f99f0180ee_m.jpg" alt="Rosa Rugosa 'Alba'"/></a> Now our vegetable garden is cruising along under its own steam, I can concentrate on the new Secret Garden. I always think flower growing makes a refreshing change from vegetable growing - less pressurised, somehow. Anyway, I took advantage of a BOGOF offer at a local hardware store last week and treated my self to some flower seeds - two packets each of white foxgloves, Tom Thumb wallflowers and Calendula. With the Rosa Rugosa and Cherry Plum that are already romping away around the perimeter,  it should soon be a haven for bees and other pollinating insects -  that&#8217;s the plan, anyway. I chose these particular seeds because the flowers they produce will provide a long flowering season stretching from the spring right through to the autumn.</p> <h2>Heated Propagator</h2> <p><a title="Flowers for the Secret Garden..." href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5328/7433861444_05e26ae01c.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5328/7433861444_05e26ae01c_m.jpg" alt="Flowers for the Secret Garden..."/></a> I used my heated propagator to kick start the seeds&#8217; germination and within days green shoots were peeping up through the compost - so satisfying to see! I have now moved the seed trays to the racks in the fruit cage to grow them on a bit and already the wallflowers and calendula look ready for pricking out and potting up. That will be a job for the weekend.</p> <h2>Selling the Surplus</h2> <p>Meanwhile, the foxglove seedlings are extremely small (as are the seeds themselves - almost like dust) so I shall leave them a while longer before I handle them. I am thinking that if I have over estimated how many plants we can accommodate at the Villas (which is possible, looking at the number of seeds that were in the packets and the number of seedlings I now have) I might have a go at selling the surplus plants at the gate. We live in a beautiful part of the country that attracts lots of visitors particularly at this time of year, so there is no shortage of passers-by&#8230;</p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/planting-flower-seeds/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/27121652644http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/27121652644Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:27:15 +0200sowandsotumblrize<h2>Latest Generation</h2> <p><a title="Sally (2)" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8150/7433530776_8809da08c8.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8150/7433530776_8809da08c8_m.jpg" alt="Sally (2)"/></a> Meanwhile, at the Villas the latest generation of chickens is growing up fast. Their down is rapidly being replaced with feathers, wings first - tails still cute fluffy pompoms though - and they are making their first attempts at flying, usually in an effort to keep up with their mother as she heads across the lawn!</p> <h2></h2> <h2>Laurence or Florence</h2> <p><a title="Laurence or Florence" href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5338/7432388676_77cdd87379.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5338/7432388676_77cdd87379_m.jpg" alt="Laurence or Florence"/></a> Laurence is my favourite because he&#8217;s so friendly. As soon as he hatched we named him Laurence after one of the students on <a href="http://www.rammed-earth.org" target="_blank">the rammed earth course</a>   that Michael was running that weekend. Of course, in two or three months time we might have to change the name Laurence to Florence&#8230; I hope so!</p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/chickens/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/26903846310http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/26903846310Tue, 10 Jul 2012 15:44:07 +0200sowandsotumblrize<h2>Sweet William</h2> <p><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8145/7459333812_1d53c0e79a_m.jpg" alt="Dianthus Barbatus"/></p> <p>Yesterday I walked beside a patch of land where we grow meadow flowers and to my surprise I saw a haze of pink and purple standing out between the daisies and poppies. On closer inspection I discovered the flowers were Dianthus Barbatus or in English &#8220;Sweet William&#8221;. Then I remembered I&#8217;d planted some leftover seedlings there earlier in the year, after having created a new flowerbed elsewhere in the garden. Ironically, the new flowerbed still shows no sign of any Dianthus, flowering or otherwise!</p> <h2>Pinks, purples and dark reds</h2> <p><img class="alignright" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8011/7459334034_0fda8fccde_m.jpg" alt="Dianthus Barbatus" width="180" height="240"/></p> <p>I remember my grandfather used to grow Sweet William and a few months ago when I found myself choosing organic flower seeds to order, Dianthus sprung to mind. This is what Wikipedia has to say about it:</p> <p>Dianthus is a perennial plant native to South Europe and parts of Asia. The cultivated ones come in a range of pinks, purples and dark reds. They grow to a height of up to 75cm (30 inch) and have clusters of around 30 flowers. The petals have ragged edges which give them a somewhat crude but interesting appearance. The exact origin of the English name <em>Sweet William</em> is unknown but the plant appeared in botanist John Gerard&#8217;s garden catalogue in 1569.</p> <h2>Bees</h2> <p>Dianthus attracts bees (always a plus), birds and butterflies and are excellent as cut flowers, which was one of the reasons I selected it.</p> <p><a title="Dianthus Barbatus" href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7276/7459333706_94666e5dc5.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7276/7459333706_94666e5dc5_m.jpg" alt="Dianthus Barbatus"/></a> If you need an added incentive to grow Sweet William then how about this: not only are the flowers very pretty, they&#8217;re also edible!</p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/dianthus-barbatus-sweet-william/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/26626830697http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/26626830697Fri, 06 Jul 2012 15:00:17 +0200sowandsotumblrize<p>As I parked my car on the drive the other day and opened my door to get out, I noticed a very unusual plant growing partially beneath our leylandii hedge (please note that we didn&#8217;t plant this hedge, it was here when we moved in and we keep it trimmed and very much under control).</p> <h2>Dry and Shady Spot</h2> <p><a title="Borage - fuzzy leaves and stems" href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7116/7487983988_7739e57901.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7116/7487983988_7739e57901_m.jpg" alt="Borage - fuzzy leaves and stems"/></a> Back to the mystery plant. What surprised me initially was that it was clearly thriving in a tinder dry and shady spot where virtually nothing else grows except the odd dandylion! It&#8217;s stems were long, fuzzy and admittedly gangly, so not necessarily the most conventionally attractive plant in the garden but the mass of blue flowers on it were exquisite. I&#8217;d never seen anything like it!</p> <h2>Facts about Borage</h2> <p>As soon as I got in the house I got on the internet and identified it as Blue Borage. I felt thrilled and honoured that it had chosen the Villas to put down its roots! I went on to discover the following fascinating facts about the plant:</p> <p><a title="Borgae seed head" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8005/7487954100_216355fe38.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8005/7487954100_216355fe38_m.jpg" alt="Borgae seed head"/></a> It can be used either as a fresh vegetable or as a dried herb. As a fresh vegetable, borage with its cucumber-like taste, is often used in salads, in Pimms or as a garnish. The flower has a sweet honey-like taste and as one of the few truly blue-coloured edible substances is often candied and used to decorate cakes and desserts. Apparently every part of the plant except the root is edible, although the leaves are best eaten young and tender. It can also be used in companion planting.  They say it helps protect legumes, spinach, brassicas, and even strawberries&#8230;</p> <h2>Medical</h2> <p><a title="Flower and bud" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8164/7487938852_db91f6b0be.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8164/7487938852_db91f6b0be_m.jpg" alt="Flower and bud"/></a> In addition, borage holds medicinal properties and Naturopathic practitioners use it  for regulating the metabolism and the hormonal system, considering it to be a good remedy for PMS and the hot flush! Borage can also be used to alleviate and heal colds, bronchitis, and respiratory infections, and in general for its anti inflammatory properties - the flowers can be prepared in infusion.</p> <p>And all from a plant that turned up unexpected and uninvited - but <strong>most welcome</strong> - under our hedge! Apparently it self-seeds liberally so I plan to have lots more Borage dotted around the place over the next few months&#8230; woot!</p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/borage-makes-surprise-entrance-villas/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/26473816091http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/26473816091Wed, 04 Jul 2012 07:06:44 +0200sowandsotumblrize<p>I&#8217;ve just made <strong>elderflower cordial</strong> for the first time ever and though I say it myself&#8230; it&#8217;s LUSH!</p> <p><a title="Making elderflower cordial" href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8003/7481826608_a5052c822b.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8003/7481826608_a5052c822b.jpg" alt="Making elderflower cordial" width="300" height="225"/></a></p> <p>In fact I&#8217;m so pleased with the results that I&#8217;d like to share this simple recipe with you so you can have a go yourself (however, you might have to wait until next summer now as the elderflower season is brief and might be over by the time you read this):</p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul><li>25 elderflower heads</li> <li>Zest of three unwaxed lemons and one unwaxed orange (plus their juice)</li> <li>1kg sugar</li> </ul><p><strong>Method</strong></p> <ul><li>Place the flowerheads in a bowl with the fruit zest and the juice</li> <li>Bring 1.5 litres of water to the boil and pour over the elderflower mix</li> <li>Cover and leave to infuse overnight</li> <li>Strain into a large pan and add the sugar</li> <li>Heat gently to dissolve the sugar then bring to the boil and simmer for two or three minutes</li> <li>Using a funnel, pour the hot liquid into glass bottles and seal</li> <li>Refrigerate when cool and use within a month (or can be decanted into plastic bottles and frozen)</li> </ul><p>For a refreshing summer drink, dilute with water and serve chilled with a sprig of mint.</p> <p>Have fun and ENJOY!</p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/making-elderflower-cordial-villas/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/26345154291http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/26345154291Mon, 02 Jul 2012 15:55:13 +0200sowandsotumblrize<p>Gardeners and weathermen constantly talk about the weather. We gardeners keep an eye on the weather reports the weathermen provide and it is <strong>the</strong> topic to discuss amongst ourselves.</p> <h2>Success and failure</h2> <p><a title="French beans under attack" href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5155/7439306590_5cde711f85.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5155/7439306590_5cde711f85_m.jpg" alt="French beans under attack"/></a>With changing weather patterns every year, it is always a bit of a surprise which vegetables will succeed and which will fail. Last year we had a prolonged period of drought right at the beginning of the growing season and this year we&#8217;ve had so much rain our seedlings are almost drowning. At the moment my potatoes and onions are doing very well but my french beans are showing signs of rust and are being attacked by slugs.</p> <h2>Science</h2> <p>Gardening is no exact science, you have to  battle against weather influences and the rest of nature around you. Luckily there are organic measures to take for keeping pests away like growing companion herbs and flowers or planting the right flowers to attract beneficial insects who then munch on the pests. Alongside that you can place slug traps and use netting to keep off butterflies who lay eggs on your calabreses.</p> <h2>Sustainable</h2> <p>Weather issues are different. Even though we would LOVE to have some control over it, we can&#8217;t other than commit to live a sustainable lifestyle. So we need to accept the fact that sometimes crops will wither and fail. The only thing we can do is grow crops that tend to do well in your area. For example&#8230; this year I am growing  a Russian tomato from seeds I bought at <a href="http://www.realseeds.co.uk" target="_blank">realseeds.co.uk</a> which are is a hardy variety, perfect for growing in colder climates. For the first time I am growing  tomatoes outdoors and lo and behold, the first green tom has appeared!</p> <h2>Greenhouse</h2> <p><a title="Aubergine" href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5320/7438120378_db606dd497.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5320/7438120378_db606dd497_m.jpg" alt="Aubergine"/></a>With temperatures still below freezing in the middle of May,  it is no use growing warmth-loving vegetables like aubergines or cucumbers outside. For that I need a greenhouse or a polytunnel - something I have been considering for a long time. I believe that if I truly want to be self-sufficient growing my own vegetables, these are essential. The growing season where I live is so short and climate change makes it even more of a gamble. Even with the luxury of a greenhouse or a polytunnel, growing your own can still be challenging.  Like for example this weather we have been having, prolonged damp and increasing temperatures can and no doubt do cause mildew and rot inside an already warm greenhouse?</p> <p>The last few years pre-spring and late-summer have been magnificent but those are the times that the nights are cold and frosts are still possible. This pre-spring I tried to fight nature by covering the veg beds with horticultural fleece and it more or less worked with the occasional frost-burned leaf here and there.</p> <h2>Life Lessons</h2> <p>As a relatively new gardener and a gardening blogger, I want to write about my amazing produce and show you photos of gigantic beans and juicy berries and make you green with envy but that is not how gardening works. Gardening is also about dealing with disappointment, shrugging one&#8217;s shoulders and moving on. Gardening is about looking around you and taking in your garden and the environment and accepting that things that don&#8217;t always go as planned.</p> <p>You can grow vegetables that are suited for the climate you live in, pamper them with liquid feeds and compost and create the best possible environment for them in which to grow but <strong>still</strong> there are no guarantees. Maybe this is the charm of gardening - not only providing you with food a vegetable garden also teaches you very important life lessons.</p> <p class="tumblrize-permalink"><a href="http://www.sowandso.com/nature-vs-vegetable-garden/" title="Go to original post at Sow and So" rel="bookmark">Original Article</a></p>http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/26069889297http://sowandso.tumblr.com/post/26069889297Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:53:11 +0200sowandsotumblrize