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Home > Archive > UK gardening > July 2005 > Small Web Album of my garden, the sick Conifers, and other questions
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Small Web Album of my garden, the sick Conifers, and other questions
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| Mike Lyle 2005-07-27, 3:21 pm |
| [H]omer wrote:
> Ref: my previous post about sick Conifers; I've put up some photos
on
> a Web Album.
>
> Also some shots of the 'meadow' that I started working on last
year,
> and some mystery plants some kind folks might want to try to
identify
> (nearly all of them  )
>
> http://www.genesis-x.nildram.co.uk/.../urgler/270705/
My stabs at identification:
FB unknown macro: houseleek?
Unknown shrub 0021: a nicely coloured form of elder.
Another unknown 0028: Shepherd's purse seeds in front of Redshank or
Persicaria?
Another unknown 0029: Water-pepper, perhaps?
What flower? 0030: it's in the wild cabbage family, and without a
clear view of the leaves, I'll just say Wild cabbage.
_Lovely_ meadow. Don't be disappointed if the grass takes over as the
years go by: you may need to do surgery.
My guess is that the sick conifers are suffering from starvation or
thirst or both: I bet those pots are full of roots.
--
Mike.
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| [H]omer 2005-07-27, 4:21 pm |
| Mike Lyle wrote:
> [H]omer wrote:
>
> My stabs at identification:
> FB unknown macro: houseleek?
I got these from Suttons (along with literally hundreds of other
plants), but they were received and planted unlabelled by a friend in my
absence (yes ... he's an idiot), so I have no idea, other than the fact
that they arrived in mid-May in the form of mini-plants. I'm 100%
certain they're not weeds, and about 75% certain they're not (supposed
to be) vegetables.
> Unknown shrub 0021: a nicely coloured form of elder.
I was just watching the Midsummer episode of GW recorded off Sky (I've
been away overseas), and Monty pointed out an almost identical Elder
they have at Berryfields, maybe even the same variety. That mystery has
bugged me for a while now.
BTW - the photo *really* doesn't do them justice; the leaves are
actually a stunning burgundy colour. For some reason, Adobe Photoshop
Elements decided that they were supposed to be green
> Another unknown 0028: Shepherd's purse seeds in front of Redshank or
> Persicaria?
> Another unknown 0029: Water-pepper, perhaps?
> What flower? 0030: it's in the wild cabbage family, and without a
> clear view of the leaves, I'll just say Wild cabbage.
Here's all the varieties that I *expected* to appear:
http://www.designbynature.co.uk/ent...arget=p_55.html
I did cheat a bit, by throwing in some leftover seeds collected from
last years annuals, but most of it is proper wildflower varieties.
> _Lovely_ meadow.
Thanks
I am *really* pleased with it, and the locals fairly queue up to see it
too; it's quite an attraction.
> Don't be disappointed if the grass takes over as the years go by:
> you may need to do surgery.
I'm fully expecting, and prepared for, that inevitability. However I am
determined to never again used any form of weed killer on that area,
since I'm trying to build a micro ecosystem rather than just a pretty
view. Even digging up large(ish) patches would have an adverse affect on
any resident wildlife. I hear that Yellow Rattle is quite effective
against invasive grasses.
The bit you can't (easily) see in those photos, is the row of 25 wild
shrubs along the fence, that forms a hedgerow comprising of Dogwood, Dog
rose, Field Maple, Hawthorn, et al:
http://www.naturescape.co.uk/info/collectiona.htm
Oooh, I've gone all Conservationist
> My guess is that the sick conifers are suffering from starvation or
> thirst or both: I bet those pots are full of roots.
Sadly the rootballs are only about the size of footballs. The Conifers
have only been in those pots about a month - you should have seen the
crap they were planted in before! (See my earlier 'Sick Conifers' post.)
It's only a temporary home while I figure out what (if anything) I'm
going to do with them.
--
[H]omer
Problem with cats in your garden?
Try this: http://img169.exs.cx/img169/6382/kitten8va.jpg
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| Pam Moore 2005-07-27, 7:21 pm |
| On Wed, 27 Jul 2005 19:46:21 +0100, "[H]omer" <spam@uce.gov> wrote:
>
>
>Sadly the rootballs are only about the size of footballs. The Conifers
>have only been in those pots about a month - you should have seen the
>crap they were planted in before! (See my earlier 'Sick Conifers' post.)
IMHO those conifers will never re-grow. Ditch them and put new ones,
or something more interesting in your tubs.
Pam in Bristol
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"Mike Lyle" <mike_lyle_uk@REMOVETHISyahoo.co.uk> wrote
> My stabs at identification:
[...]
> Another unknown 0029: Water-pepper, perhaps?
Could be Knotgrass - Polyganum aviculare.
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| Mike Lyle 2005-07-27, 9:21 pm |
| Sue wrote:
> "Mike Lyle" <mike_lyle_uk@REMOVETHISyahoo.co.uk> wrote
> [...]
>
> Could be Knotgrass - Polyganum aviculare.
I considered that, but the flower heads didn't seem right, and I had
an impression -- perhaps wrong -- of greater size. But your shot is
at least as good as mine.
Question: does water-pepper taste good enough to be used in food?
--
Mike.
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| [H]omer 2005-07-28, 1:21 am |
| Pam Moore wrote:
> On Wed, 27 Jul 2005 19:46:21 +0100, "[H]omer" <spam@uce.gov> wrote:
>
>
> IMHO those conifers will never re-grow. Ditch them and put new ones,
> or something more interesting in your tubs.
I was afraid of that.
Oh well, another two bite the dust 
--
[H]omer
Problem with cats in your garden?
Try this: http://img169.exs.cx/img169/6382/kitten8va.jpg
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"Mike Lyle" <mike_lyle_uk@REMOVETHISyahoo.co.uk> wrote
<snip>
> Question: does water-pepper taste good enough to be used in food?
I can't find anything actually recommending it to eat, although there are
lots of references to it having a hot peppery taste when chewed. This
webpage says it has 'an acrid biting juice':
http://more-than-mint.kategilby.co....ers/wldfl10.txt which
doesn't sound very palatable. I can't see it listed in Richard Mabey's food
for free.
It apparently used to used to repel fleas in bedlinen and had folk names
such as Smartweed and Arsmart because it caused a smarting sensation to
skin - presumably when it was left in the bed by mistake.
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"Sue" <naiad_zapspam@tiscali.co.uk> wrote
> It apparently used to used to repel fleas in bedlinen and had folk names
> such as Smartweed and Arsmart because it caused a smarting sensation to
> skin - presumably when it was left in the bed by mistake.
Apologies; should read: used to be used to...
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