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Post by 4pygmies on May 1, 2009 15:40:36 GMT
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Post by oldmoleskins on May 1, 2009 17:36:31 GMT
I never realised there was so much there 4P - kinda makes buying a few cowslips to bung in the grass pointless when you see what an old 'orchard meadow' can look like - but by coincidence I returned home with half a dozen pots to make a start only this very minute...
OM.
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Post by Plocket on May 1, 2009 18:18:30 GMT
How fantastic!
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Post by 4pygmies on May 2, 2009 5:46:46 GMT
Well, it has been a really good year for cowslips I think - because of the very cold winter I imagine which encouraged a lot of seeds to germinate which might not have in the wetter, milder winters which we usually have. I have several in pots too which I am going to collect the seed from as I would love to have a mini version of this in my own orchard - Cowslip seed likes to be sown fresh - and you gotta start somewhere, OM!
It is beautiful isn't it, Plocket? It gladdens my heart every time I walk out of the door at work to go to the vegetable garden - the static caravan you can see on the left side is our 'classroom' and the PT's are obviously where the vegetable garden is.
My lovely lads and I planted up the start of our 'Darwin' beds yesterday - we have been sowing wild flowers and their cultivated cousins all winter to show where our garden plants have evolved from. It hasn't worked out precisely as we wanted since we have had a patchy germination success rate but never mind! As long as it looks pretty....... ;D
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Post by Tig on May 2, 2009 18:08:50 GMT
It looks like a wonderful place to work and learn 4P  Do you know how many varieties of apples are growing in the orchard? |
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Post by 4pygmies on May 3, 2009 8:13:17 GMT
It is a lovely place but it needs a lot of work on the actual gardens as it has been neglected for years - lack of funding I expect, and a certain lack of interest by those in charge (they have had problems making enough money to keep the whole place open). I have a plan of the orchard and there are supposedly 62 different apples and pears. Some have died though but there is still a goodly number, they have such appealing names - Norfolk Beefing, Emneth Early, Winter Broaden, Harling Hero........and so on. Moley is the resident expert - I am just an admirer of them all. ;D
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Post by 4pygmies on Jul 4, 2009 7:20:49 GMT
Thought I'd use this thread to show you the the rest of the beautiful organic garden I am lucky enough to work in (Mrs Jammy) as it is looking particularly gorgeous atm. The wind turbine has a viewing platform - the only one in the world, and has tours up it 5 days a week (only for the fit and healthy though!). It is the largest single turbine in the country. The lefthand path with the base of the wind turbine just visible:  The Garden Science Trust veggie beds with the willow frames made by our volunteers:  The rest of the garden has lots of beautiful wild flowers all mixed up with herbaceous plants with vegetables grown in between:    The squashes are in a raised bed made of recycled plastic:  The GST veggie beds taken from the top end:  |
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Post by carolann on Jul 4, 2009 8:06:45 GMT
Mrs Jammy is not the right word for you 4P its the best place to work, thanks for the pic's they are beautiful.  |
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 4, 2009 13:44:31 GMT
Lovely indeed - that really does remind me a little of Herb's. It is a place that you can wander around time and time again and still see something you hadn't see before.
RF
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Post by Barbara on Jul 7, 2009 10:23:52 GMT
you lucky sod ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by Penny on Jul 7, 2009 10:47:19 GMT
Thats so pretty and so colorful ;D
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Post by 4pygmies on Sept 12, 2009 6:34:16 GMT
The huge Cardoons which surround the teaching bed have gone past their best so we cleared them this week. I couldn't bear to compost the beautiful flower heads so I used some of them to decorate the edges of the borders. The remaining flowers are much vibrant than they look in my picture. I hope they will be used as mini overwintering habitats for critters and maybe the birds can get at the seeds. If some self seed we may be able to sell some too.   I've taken a big bag home to use in my garden too. If they self seed I might try shoving them in the horrid nettles which surround my garden - I think they might be big enough to give even nettles a run for their money! ;D |
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Post by Ladygardener on Sept 12, 2009 7:12:13 GMT
I don't know how I missed this thread before. What a jammy beggar you are to get to work in such a smashing place.  I love the idea of the herbacous and wild plants growing together with the veg too and those Delphiniums are great. That's a great idea to use the cardoon heads like that, I'd say they would keep slugs and snails if you put them around jucy plants which they like. |
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Post by 4pygmies on Sept 12, 2009 7:17:47 GMT
That's a good thought, LG! I wonder if it would work - they are incredibly prickly..... I'm soooo lucky aren't I? It's not really 'work', is it?? ;D |
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Post by Jasmine on Sept 12, 2009 17:51:15 GMT
I don't know how I missed this thread either - what a great place to work you lucky thing 4P's. |
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I love the idea of the herbacous and wild plants growing together with the veg too and those Delphiniums are great. That's a great idea to use the cardoon heads like that, I'd say they would keep slugs and snails if you put them around jucy plants which they like. 