Cinnamon, Asparagus and 23,000 members

 Old Factory Lampshades being recommissioned.

For the last few weeks I’ve been falling behind on the gardening work. Mainly because I don’t like getting cold and wet, but also a bit of complacency set in. I was feeling that I could leave seed sowing and bed preparations until June, but that’s taking procrastination just a bit too far. 

The seeds I have sown are now outgrowing their containers which has forced me to get a few beds cleared and ready to plant. 

So today, the sunflowers went in and the lettuce and rocket were planted. I’ve also re-commissioned some old industrial, aluminium lampshades, turned them upside down and filled them with composts and strawberry plants. I think they look fabulous, although it might not be to everyone’s taste. 

Most of the summer bedding has been planted into pots and containers so this is sparing them from being root/pot bound for too long. I still have the stocks to put out, and a few more geraniums but they are proving to be very undemanding and still look quite happy in their confined multipacks for now.

It’s actually amazing how much progress we can make in one day after getting stuck into the garden. From that heavy feeling in the morning that there is just so much to do, to this evening where I am sitting relaxed, aching, but with a sense of satisfaction.  I’m feeling that at least for now, the garden is looking like I am on top of things, although I have just picked up the big bag of seed packets and realized I have loads more to plant up and out.  

I haven’t put in the peas or beans, coriander, spinach, basil or parsley. I’m thinking I’m going to be busy tomorrow as well, the feeling of satisfaction was very short lived.

Asparagus

My asparagus seeds have sprouted really quickly and although their fine stems will take some time to mature, it’s great to see them looking so healthy. Just think, in four years’ time, I’ll be able to have some of the fresh shoots for my tea. I hope it’s worth the wait. As I am on updates, the tadpoles have now got their back legs, are full up on lettuce and minced beef so will soon be crawling out of their small pond in the tunnel and going on slug hunts in the evenings for me. My time spent looking after them will hopefully be rewarded as they keep the pests down in the garden. It can be fun also when they jump out at you when you are weeding.

Not another one

The Raised Vegetable Beds Facebook page has now got over 23,000 members and although not everyone posts, there is a healthy stream of questions and solutions to a lot of gardening problems. Some of them are factual or fun, some of them full of old wives tales and some, well, let’s just say – totally misinformed and sometimes dangerous for both people and the planet.  

As the only moderator of the group, members do have to put up with me being in a grumpy mood sometimes.  Occasionally I will get totally fed up of the same misinformation being posted, especially when it comes to coping with unwanted weeds, insects or animals.  

Just recently I have seen a huge wave of people saying they are putting vinegar, salt, Epsom salts, coffee grounds and flour onto their plots as well as other ‘natural’ chemicals. These are to get rid of anything from a dandelion to a deer.

 I used to post replies with facts about why most of these things are useless in the garden even dangerous, but now I just let people post away. I was told that I was a moderator, not an educator which has kept me in my place and I’m happy to oblige. 

I made an exception this week though when members started posting about how they now add cinnamon to the garden, either as another strange way of keeping rabbits away or to stop seedlings damping off.  The two major types of cinnamon are Ceylon cinnamon and Cassia cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon, native to Sri Lanka, is also known as “true cinnamon.” It’s the Cassia that’s often put on the garden because it’s a lot cheaper.

It is said that ingesting a lot of the Cassia cinnamon can be bad for the kidneys but the Ceylon cinnamon possesses more health benefits and less of the blood thinning ‘coumarin’ that’s in Cassia.. 

The debate continues as we speak and maybe one day there will be a lot of gardening products made with cinnamon. 

In the meantime, I’ll stick with fresh air, rainwater and compost, at least for now it’s free and devoid of any FDA health warnings.

Herbs

Herb Gardens

I decided to plant up my rooted sage this week. I have had a stem growing roots in a plantpot on the windowsill for months and thought I’d better pot it up in some soil.  The main stem has rooted and I also have about ten offshoots which I have also planted up.  I’ve got loads of annual herb seeds coming up too such as basil, coriander and rocket.

It’s so easy to start a herb garden and even if it’s just a few post outside the kitchen door, or even inside on the window sill, this will be enough to liven up your cooking or salad. 

Why Grow an Herb Garden?

Growing herbs has been a part of life on every continent for thousands of years. Herbs are prized for their scents, medicinal and aromatherapy properties, but are most popular locally for their use in seasoning in cooking. Planting a small sized kitchen herb garden is easy and satisfying. The flavourful, therapeutic, and fragrant plants are beneficial to the family and the garden. Herbs grow perfectly in the beds and borders, pots and even on the windowsill, so there’s absolutely no excuse not to grow at least one type of herb, even if it’s to keep flies away from the kitchen worktops. (Basil is good for this).

Herbs are easy to grow

Herbs can tolerate all types of tough growing conditions. Most of them were originally wild plants growing in poor soil. Some varieties can be spoilt by the lush conditions of a garden. If they grow too large their flavours and properties become lessened. It's a myth that all herbs like full sun; even good old basil likes partial shade at midday. So when planning your garden, you can divide your plants into two sections. There are those like thyme, sage, rosemary, French tarragon and oregano that like full sun and those that like partial shade, such as rocket, sorrel, lettuce, mustard, parsley and chervil.

Which herbs are best to grow for a beginner?

Coriander, rocket, chives and parsley are easy to grow from seed. Seeds can be sown where you want the plant to grow and don’t need any repotting. Cuttings can be taken of sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano and marjoram –or you can buy them in your local garden centre. Mint can be divided from a friend, but best keep it in pots as it is rampant. Basil is a lovely herb for cooking with –especially yummy in tomato and Italian dishes. It needs good sun though, and is usually repotted when grown from seed. It is prone to greenfly. All these herbs are useful for a basic culinary herb garden and they grow well in containers.

Growing tips for herbs in containers

• Herbs grown in containers can be the perfect solution if you are limited for space.
• They are a convenient way to have your herbs handy so you have quick access when preparing a meal.
• When growing herbs in containers, use a soil-based compost, something like John Innes potting compost. This is because there are very few herbs that grow in peat, and a soil-based compost retains moisture, which is a must to stop containers drying out.
• Water the containers in the morning rather than the evening because this gives the plants a chance if the temperatures are hot during the day, especially for containers grown in full sun.
• Feed container plants weekly from March until September. This keeps the plants healthy, helps them produce tasty leaves, especially on cut and come again salads
• As we are on the coast, a seaweed-based feed is ideal or you could make your own comfrey or nettle juice now. These are not too strong and both will keep the plants healthy.
• Try not to plant invasive herbs such as mint and lemon balm in a container with other herbs. They will swamp the other plants and take over. It’s better to grow them in separate pots instead.
• Harvest herbs by pinching off the tips of the plant for use in the kitchen. This will encourage new plant growth, and help keep the plant more compact.

Herbs for an effective deterrent against greenfly.

Try planting some of these around susceptible plants.  Catnip, Chives, Coriander, Dried and Crushed Chrysanthemum, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Feverfew (attracts aphids away from Roses), Garlic, Larkspur, Marigold, Mint, Mustard, Nasturtium, Onion, Oregano, Petunia, Sunflower. They might not work but you will have the most colourful garden in town!

Nettles,Tadpoles,Daddy Long Legs,Earwigs... It's All Go in the Garden

 Making Nettle Soup

Nettles

I’ve been making nettle soup this week. It’s that time of the year when the young nettle plants are bursting with nutrition so I thought it was time to adorn the think rubber gloves and venture off the paths in my local park. I say thick rubber gloves as I have used the regular type and nettles manage to sting you through the protection. I have industrial ones and they do the job well.  In next to no time I had a large bagful and was at home adding them to a pan of pre caramelized onions and a bit of broccoli stock.  There are probably hundreds of recipes out there for nettle soup, but mine is just throw everything in and then after boiling it for a bit, liquidize it and what you don’t eat on the day put in the freezer. I can’t see that a recipe book is something I’ll be doing any time soon but if I do it’ll be called “Just Bung it into the Pan”

Tadpoles

There has been a bit of a dry spell recently so our small puddles that house tadpoles in the park are quickly drying up. They are more like tractor tracks that hold water than small ponds and every year it amazes me that there are any surviving frogs coming out of there to come back and breed. They do, but this year the puddles were drying up too fast with no chance of rain for a week. All I could see was a mound of glistening mud moving around frantically as the tadpoles clung onto life. I had to do something so I got my glass jam jar with a jute string handle (a plastic yogurt pot really but I think I’m Huckleberry Finn) and moved most of the taddies to a larger pond in the park, then a second batch I bought home to put into a pre made bucket pond I have built in the tunnel. I couldn’t get them all but that’s nature I suppose and I have meddled enough for one year.

The tadpoles have settled into their new home well and are veracious eaters, making their way through a slice of bacon. With the food and heat from the tunnel I am probably creating a breed of super frogs. If they start taking over the world I’ll let you know.

Daddy long legs

Crane fly’s or daddy long legs are making quite a crunchy treat for the tadpoles to. These are everywhere at the moment and very early because of the early heat we have. These don’t do any damage themselves but they do lay eggs in the grass where the resulting larvae, commonly known as leatherjackets, develop underground over 8-10 months where they feed on grass and plant roots. The larvae are greyish-brown, have tubular bodies and grow up to 3cm in length. When fully grown, they pupate just below the ground and then emerge as adults in late summer to early autumn.

If you have a neat lawn, commercially available nematodes can be used as a precautionary treatment where crane fly may occur. These microscopic worms are watered into the lawn or flower beds where they search for crane fly larvae, enter inside them and cause a bacterial infection within which kills them. Or you coulkd be like me with my patchy plot and enjoy watching the starlings poke about in the ground digging them up. Crane fly larvae are a good food source for birds such as crows, magpies and starlings. Regularly mowing an infested lawn will enable these birds to find the larvae more easily.

Earwigs

I’ve also found a lot of earwigs in my pots. I’m getting a few ready for potting on the seedlings whci are shooting up. They are pretty useful in the garden as they are predators of other pests but I must confess they are my most disliked insect in the garden, it’s the way they jump out at you with their pincers flailing about that I don’t like. I suppose I just have to be thankful we don’t have anything poisonous to contend with, earwigs just have a shock value.  Occasionally earwigs will cause damage to soft and stone fruits such as strawberry, raspberry, nectarine and apricot. They particularly like dahlias, which isn’t an issue in our garden as I don’t have any.

As well as jumping out of plant pots the earwigs do tend to hide in plant stems and curled up leaves as well as damp dark corners. You can set traps for them if you like but if you are anything like me you’ll just put whatever it is you have found them under and walking away to leave them in peace, scratching your legs and pretending you never saw them.

Spring Flowers for the Bees

All of my seeds are planted!  The weeds in the garden have been telling me for some time the growing season has begun. 

One plant in particular has been flowering for weeks in the garden-The dandelion. A few years ago I read that leaving the first batch of flowers gives a fabulous start for the bees as the start their year collecting nectar. I dutifully obliged but didn’t read the bit about not letting the flowers go to seed. As a consequence I now have dandelions growing out of every crack and crevice. Still if it feeds the bees, then I can put up with them.

I’m not an expert on bees and just let them get on with things. I leave the real knowledge to people like Paddy McCartney in Greencastle for advice.  I do know that honey bees won’t fly below 50-55°F (10-13°C). Because honey bees overwinter in the hive they are ready to go much earlier in the season. I also know that bees can be trained to find drugs at airports. If nectar is mixed with the drug they are looking for they will sniff it out like a dog would. I’m not sure on the complexities of this but I am under the impression they are attached to tiny leads and airport security follow them around. You couldn’t make it up.

That’s where my knowledge ends; I do know a bit more about what plants they enjoy in spring though.

Pollen or Nectar

Many trees that are in flower in spring such as the hazel and alder provide pollen but no nectar.  One of the few tree species that does offer nectar is the willow (Salix) Nectar provides an important energy source (carbohydrate) and a complex range of sugars, pollen on the other hand gives vital protein and fats. Paddy will tell you more.

Spring Bee Flowers

Bluebells-The bright colour of bluebells is irresistible to bees, which rely heavily on the flowers' nectar in early spring. Hoverflies and butterflies will also flock to these tiny blue blooms.

Bugle-The ajuga, or "bugle" plant blossoms in April or May, and is a good plant for attracting both bees and butterflies.

Cherry trees-Flowering cherry trees provide a welcome burst of spring colour, but are also a good source of nectar.

Crab apple trees-These trees' attractive pink or white blossoms and abundance of nectar makes them another popular choice in springtime.

Crocuses-One of the most popular early spring flowers is also an important source of food for bees after winter.

Flowering currant-Flowering currant (ribes sanguineum) produces bee-attracting bright, scented flowers in the spring.

Forget-me-not- This tiny plant provides a good source of nectar throughout the spring.

Hawthorn-Hawthorns tend to blossom in May, producing fragrant flowers that are enjoyed by many nectar-feeding insects.

Helleborus niger-Hellebores find favour with gardeners and bees alike.  The dusky dames provide nectar with a high sucrose content for the bees so is particularly valuable to them. 

Lesser celandine-is either great groundcover or pervasive weed depending on your position but on a sunny day (and preferably in a sunny position) honey bees can be seen enjoying the sugary rewards where it has been allowed to grow.

Pulmonaria-Bees love to forage for nectar in tube-like flowers like the pulmonaria.

Rosemary-Most of us love the smell of rosemary, so it's no surprise bees do too. They're also attracted to the plant's small flowers, which tend to appear in spring or summer.

Thrift-Armeria maritima or "thrift" usually growing in rockeries produces attractive clusters of pink leaves and plenty of pollen in springtime.

Viburnum-Spring-flowering shrub viburnum is popular with both bees and butterflies.

Pussy willows-Pussy willows trees tend to flower early. Their furry catkins are a magnet to bees.

Pussy Willow Legend

There’s a popular legend about how the ‘pussy willow’ got its name. According to an old Polish story, many springtimes ago, a mother cat was crying at the bank of the river in which her kittens were drowning. The willows at the river's edge longed to help her, so they swept their long graceful branches into the waters to rescue the tiny kittens who had fallen into the river while chasing butterflies. The kittens gripped on tightly to their branches and were safely brought to shore. Each springtime since, goes the legend, the willow branches sprout tiny fur-like buds at their tips where the tiny kittens once clung.