The Canny Gardener

how to grow, cook and use plants, plus some philosophy!

Monthly Archives: May 2013


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wildflowers

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( a posy of wildflowers- wild geranium, euphorbia, buttercup, field genetian, forget me not, Green alkanet, sweet cicely, Mountain crane’s bill and the heavenly scented Butterfly bush)

We are so lucky in late spring to be blessed with wildflowers- many of whom are cousins of cultivars.  These are free, abundant and hardy.  While we have to be careful in picking these- for example, the Euphorbia shown here is a laxative!- we can still enjoy them whether in the garden or in a vase in our room.  I find these more delightful than cultivars- they seem to be naughtier, tinier cousins-daring you to pick them up. It was my son, in fact, who noticed the Butterfly bush with its deep scent- much nicer than any perfume or room freshener you could buy!

Such bits of wild spaces in the city attract bees, butterflies and birds- I heard the most delightful singing of birds when I was picking these flowers up.  As birdsong has decreased by 60% in the UK, wildflowers and spaces are the right thing to have in your garden.  Even one small container or pot with wildflowers will attract bees and butterflies as I know.  


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Starting young

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This is a photo of my son, trying out some bread with herbs made at a gardening workshop.  Once children get into growing things and tasting them, they become not only keen gardeners but less fussy eaters.  Children are very tactile creatures, observing, tasting, smelling any thing they can.  I was surprised to see my son trying out the flavours of different herbs.  Last week, he went to a pizza making party and told me he put mushrooms in his pizza which he used to hate in the past.  The peer pressure of other children also helps!

So take your children gardening, and if it is safe, let them feel and taste herbs.  It will make them good eaters for the rest of their lives.


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The mint story

I never believe how hardy some plants are.  Image

 

These are my new mint plants coming through in the spring.  I had forgotten to water them last summer and snow had covered the pot in winter.  But again, here I see that the mint comes up again and again.  The mint teaches me a lesson of resilience and hardiness!

Per weight, herbs are more expensive to buy from the market.  So to be canny saver yet lazy gardener, I grow herbs more than vegetables which are need more care and space.  Herbs take up very little space, can grow indoors and outdoors, protect other plants and provide amazing flavours to the food.  They also look very pretty, attract bees and smell good!


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the value of weeds

“Everyone born in this world has a unique role that only he or she can fulfill. Were this not the case, we would not be here. The universe never acts without cause; everything invariably has a reason for being. Even the weeds people love to loathe serve a purpose.”

Daisaku Ikeda

In the spring, amazingly beautiful weeds spring out of nowhere.  People seem to not like or enjoy the beautiful colours they bring- with no effort or cost. These weeds grow anywhere, cracks and crevices, with no need for watering or fertilisers.  They seem to be very hardy and resistant, coming up every year, despite being pulled out all the time. In spirit of these resilient creatures, I thought I should let them stay and play in my garden too.  Some are quite useful like the nettles (soups) and chickweed (for salads) and they grow in my garden, welcome and cheerful.

Below is a photo of a house nearby with its gloriously sunny and hardy crop of ‘weeds’ that never fails to bring a smile to my face.

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Starting out

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This is the photo of the patio which I hope to transform the next few months before I go on holiday.  As you can see, it has rather ugly concrete paving which have become pretty from the weeds growing in between.  My neighbour religiously pulls these out but I think they give a character to the space.  You can also see the pallets which I found outside in my street- which are now transformed into fences and will become supports for the plants.  I also found the concrete blocks in a skip and the builder was very happy for me to take them.  These act to prevent the fence from toppling in the high winds and also support the pots.