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Get your garden out

dw1305 said:
Hi all,

Pilosella caespitosa sounds likely, the only real difference would be flower colour. I love Flax (L. perenne), but it has never persisted in the garden.

This is Salsify* and my Hieracium.

* Apologies for the slippers.

cheers Darrel
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do you ever eat the Salsify? I grow some at the allotment, but, after seeing the flowers and seed heads, I have kind of only ever had it an an ornamental
 
dw1305 said:
Hi all,

Rewilding is very <"on point at the moment">.

cheers Darrel
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A local park stopped mowing at the 12ft approx edges over the last year and it reverted to a corridor of natural meadow attracting all manner of bees birds insects probably amphibians and small mammals. Everyone loving it but gues what as council services improve its just been cut ! Going to inquire as to why?
 
Hi all,
not called Bob said:
do you ever eat the Salsify?
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I've never tried it. I first noticed it, as a wild plant, about ten years ago in the cutting of the rail track (just NE of the <"Box tunnel">). I was quite surprised because it had been a rare plant and very much associated with warm places (S. coast and urban heat islands) in the UK. My guess is that arrived along the railway line, originally from either W. London or Bristol.

Since then it has spread around Corsham, and I was expecting it to appear in the gravel sooner or later. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and Goat's-rue (Galega officinalis) are two more that have appeared locally relatively recently, presumably as a result of global warming.
PARAGUAY said:
A local park stopped mowing at the 12ft approx edges over the last year and it reverted to a corridor of natural meadow attracting all manner of bees birds insects probably amphibians and small mammals. Everyone loving it but gues what as council services improve its just been cut ! Going to inquire as to why?
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Write and complain, if you want further "artillery", other than righteous indignation, there are two charities that are very useful <"Plantlife"> and <"Buglife"> and a FB group <"Say No to MOW">.

cheers Darrel
 
dw1305 said:
Hi all,

Brilliant. I have <"Buddleia x weyeriana">, but not B. globosa.

I've just bought Dave Goulson's new book <"Gardening for Bumblebees">, well worth a read.

cheers Darrel
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he was a guest on the last a very informative chat he had, and certainly opened my eyes to the problems now of there being so many back garden apporists and their domestic bees robbing the wild pollinators of essential supplies.
 
PARAGUAY said:
A local park stopped mowing at the 12ft approx edges over the last year and it reverted to a corridor of natural meadow attracting all manner of bees birds insects probably amphibians and small mammals. Everyone loving it but gues what as council services improve its just been cut ! Going to inquire as to why?
Click to expand...

Similar here in norwich sadly. The local grass areas appear to only be cut just as the flowers are going to flower again. It's really annoying as they do it to areas where no one ever goes. They also cut out dozens of buddleia that were not affecting anything at all.
The local verges on the other hand are left to grow to about 3ft tall, so all the grass gets those annoying darts, before they strip it and leave all the cuttings to blow all over the paths. Last year my dog got a dart stuck in her foot and it cost us over £100 at the vets to fight the infection. It's sage to say I have a low opinion of their verge management.

They plant trees but just round the corner from me at the local library, they planted 4 and 3 died because they never water them. They plant a decent sized tree, normally after cutting down others, then just leave it. I suppose it probably puts a tick in a tree planting box somewhere though.

And don't get me started on the way they smash hedge rows with a flailing beast, so they never bare fruit or berries but at least they aren't an inch too high.

Sorry unusually grumpy today.
 
dw1305 said:
Hi all,

Brilliant. I have <"Buddleia x weyeriana">, but not B. globosa.

I've just bought Dave Goulson's new book <"Gardening for Bumblebees">, well worth a read.

cheers Darrel
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I'm a bit of a buddleia fan tbh. I have sungold as well and many other of the normal davidii species, black knight being my favourite.

I love the book suggestion. Had a quick look and he has several other books that look very interesting as well, so that's my winter reading sorted.
 
not called Bob said:
Spotted the start of blight today, so spuds out and in the steamer



Grown in grass clippings, so almost as clean as those grown in sand.
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Is potato blight something mostly found in the UK? I've never grown potatoes but I've been curious about growing them sometime.
 
Our local allotment suffered blight really badly last year, all my potatoes got it but I was luckily quick enough to cut the leaves off before the tubers were effected (neighbouring plots weren't as lucky). The potato's I grow at home in pots were fine but they are earlies which aren't as problematic.
You can buy more resistant varieties and I find growing them in pots to be a benefit as you generally water these yourself and it's simpler to keep moisture levels stable.

Blight is one reason why crop rotation is important as it stops the buildup of pest/diseases in the soil. Obviously if you use fresh compost in year in containers it's not an issue.
 
dw1305 said:
I've just bought Dave Goulson's new book <"Gardening for Bumblebees">, well worth a read.
Click to expand...

I couldn't wait till the winter so ordered a copy and have read most of it. Really nice selection of plant recommendations and surprised by how many I already had but didn't think they did much for Bumblebees. Got a few more on my "to grow list".

Seen the signs of leaf cutter bees on some fuchsias and Roses so have put some cut leycesteria stems in a bee hotel near to see if anything goes in there. Also seen the first stag beetle on one of my woodpiles.

It's bumblebee central here but not seen more than a couple of honey bees this year.
 
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