offtheedgegardening

Knickers in the Seaweed

Working in a coastal garden, albeit at the top of a mountain, means there is an almost constant supply of seaweed available on the beach below. With this free resource you can create valuable and nutritious feeds and composts full of trace elements vital to healthy soil and therefore healthy plants. A few years ago,Continue reading “Knickers in the Seaweed”

Class

Earlier in the week I was, for my sins, a panelist at a “Gardener’s Question Time” event in a local garden centre. I was joined by two others whose joint CV’s were extensive and involved phrases such as RHS examiner, lifetime in horticulture, university lecturer, supplier of vegetables to supermarkets, explorer and astronaut*. LuckilyContinue reading “Class”

Persicaria vaccinifolia

Persicaria vaccinifolia is magnificent this week, dense and vibrant with its forest of pink tinged spikes. Will this season ever end? I think we can cope for a few more weeks.

Hygrocybe calyptriformis- Pink Waxcap

My knowledge of mushrooms is limited to fry ups and risottos. Apparently it has been a good year for the edibles but I am far too cowardly to pick my own. This combination of ignorance and cowardice has kept me alive so far. My poor fungal education does not prevent me from appreciating their beautyContinue reading “Hygrocybe calyptriformis- Pink Waxcap”

Not Blue (For Adam D)

There is nothing in the slightest bit blue about this cosmos. In fact quite the opposite. Surely this perfect pink blushed bloom, with its central boss of saffron, would banish the deepest of blues to a place far far away.

Salvia uliginosa – Bog Sage

In the washed out misty morning this Salvia uliginosa looked like the focal point of a Victorian hand tinted landscape.

GP – Blue Hydrangea

Let us talk about the fabled Blue Hydrangea, to some more desirable than the golden fleece, as sought after as the holy grail. Each year at the local flower show there is a category for Best Blue Mophead. This puzzles me. Actually a lot of what happens at the flower show puzzles me (although IContinue reading “GP – Blue Hydrangea”

Molly the Moocher

It is a long story …..

ID

A request that puts fear in the soul of all but the most confident of gardeners is “can you identify this plant/flower/weed”. This is the horticultural equivalent to the doctor’s “I have a pain in my left kneecap”, the builder’s “there is a leak in our back bedroom” and the chef’s “my cake didn’t rise”. Continue reading “ID”

All you need is …..

I think that pretty much sums it up!