Annual, perennial and interesting flowers with advice on culture, information, tips and recommended varieties
I am trying some October planted onions for an early crop next June. A proportion I am going to plant in a cold but airy greenhouse for a bit of protection. I intend picking these before I plant next years tomatoes but we will see.
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As gardeners recover from the time spent watching the Olympics spare a thought for the French. OK long enough!
On the other hand spare a thought for French Marigolds available in mixed combinations of Yellow, Red and Orange and even the stripe marvels shown in our photos.
Marigold ‘Striped Marvel’ aka Tagetes patula or French Marigold
Each petal is evenly divided by a red and yellow stripe and this produces a thoroughly eye-catching effect.
The bushy, uniform plants produce masses of flowers, excellent for bedding and particularly good for cutting, lasting well in water.
Occasional all yellow blooms are produced through climate stress and collected seed may not come true next year.
Many varieties of Frwench Marigold, including Striped Marvel, are available from Thompson & Morgan.
Butternut squash are delicious, prolific and easy to grow. They like to ramble and scramble, pinch out when the lead shoot is 3 feet long to encourage fruiting. Each plant can produce 4-8 fruit each weighing over 2 pounds. Butternut Squash has a sweet, nutty taste that is similar to pumpkin. It has yellow skin and orange fleshy pulp. When ripe, it turns increasingly deep orange, and becomes sweeter and richer.
I am going to try again this year as I have never been successful with this crop. I will content my self with 2-3 fruit per plant and will pollinate by hand.
When the fruit is ripe the texture of the skin becomes firm, golden in colour and will easily resist the pressure of your thumb nail. Like a melon, it “rings” when given a good rap.
Storage as for all vegetables of this type is in a clean, cool, dry place. I have seen them stored in a loft space on top of fiber glass insulation.
If picked in late September they can last until April the following year.
Winter Barbara Butternut F1Â Seeds by Thompson Morgan
Waltham Dutchy Originals Seeds by Thompson Morgan
More Cultivation Instructions
These flowers goes-in-‘ere
Gazania are one of the most colourful of garden flowers. The star shaped daisy like flowers can be up to 3 inches across and are available in a range of colours as this photo shows.
The flowers of most varieties are stripped and zoned. As in this photo they display their vibrant colours even in cloudy conditions but prefer the hot sun.
I have no photographs of my own for this bulb but will try some of these small flowers in my rockery for next year.
They should grow in shady postions so you will find a spot for them in most gardens.
Larger variety Magnum grows over 2 feet tall and flowers white with a green stripe.
Most Ornithogalums fail to grow above 12 inches tall including the orange Dubium (Sun Star) and the dwarf Umbellatum.
Ornithogalum kochii supplied by amadej2008 on flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Kochi’s Star-of-Bethlehem
Slo.: Kochovo ptiÄje mleko
Dat.: May 11. 2010 Lat.: 46.30550 Long.: 13.48375
Habitat: Poorly cultivated grassland, under an old fruit tree, flat terrain, shallow soil, probably limestone bedrock, half dry and sunny place, exposed to direct precipitations, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 8-10 deg C, elevations 330 m (1,100 feet), alpine phytogeographical region.
Ornithogalum by geekygirlnyc CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Other Tips on Ornithogalum
A member of the same family as Asparagus
Interesting genus of bulbous plants from southern Africa and Europe.
Easy to germinate from fresh seed – mine were obtained from the Alpine garden society.
See Pacific Bulb society for 44 species
Houseplants, pot plants,window sills and conservatory plants all come under the auspices of Indoor Gardening. Use your gardening skills inside as well as outside for crops, floral display and an improved environment.
‘Indoor gardening isn’t that difficult; in fact, it’s pretty much the same as outdoor. There are even some benefits to indoor gardening.
Some plants filter the impurities from the air.
Plants have therapeutic value.
You can grow fresh herbs or colourful bulbs and flowers in a little space.
Even plants you associate without doors can be brought indoors for flowering then returned to the garden.
Many house plants have leaves of green and cream or white combinations but a red edge to the leaves of Dracaena marginata tricolour makes it stand out. This plant is also called variegated silhouette plant and is one of the family of Dragon plants.
Pot Herb is a term coming down from primitive cooking when everything was put into a pot. Vitamins and mineral salts from herbs boost our immune system and help balance today’s diet. Many old, edible vegetable substances have been lost to the modern diet but the remaining ones are worthy of cultivation.
Basil has many varieties and is easily grown from seed on the window ledge or in the summer garden. Sweet or common basil has a clove-like scent when bruised and is great with tomatoes. There are other varieties that are lemon scented or smell like tarragon or Fennel. Grow a red leaved variety in the garden border like Red Rubin or Purple Ruffles.
Corn Salad (Valerianella olitoria) was cultivated in monastaries as a salad crop. It is also know as Lamb’s Lettuce or White pot herb and is reputed to go particularly well with game.
Fennel is one of the nine herb charms with Camomile, Thyme, Wormwood, Watercress, Betony, Plantain, nettle and wild apple. The warf ‘dulce’ has white stalks about one foot high like celery with a huge ball at the base. The stalks bulb and even the seeds can be eaten.
Onion needs no introduction as a vegetable and addition to all forms of pot cooking.
Thyme is the 5th in my list and is known as the herb for courage. Grow it in dry rockeries or in paved walks where it can be trodden to release the scent.
Local Authorities can issue a Tree Presevation Order (TPO) making it necessary for the owner or occupier of any land to obtain prior consent of that authority 6 weeks before any lopping, pruning or felling is carried out.
A TPO is designed to prohibit the cutting down, uprooting, topping, lopping, uprooting, wilful damage or destruction of protected trees or woodlands. TPO’s are issued to conserve and protect trees from development but the cost and excessive control is leaving some trees to die of neglect.
TPO’s can protect individual trees, hedgerow trees, groups, areas or woodlands buy not hedges shrubs or bushes.
Nearly all trees in a ‘Conservation Area’ are automatically protected by this legislation. The Forestry Commission have the right to prevent woodland being destroyed and issue licenses for thinning out and felling on your own land.
Tip – check with your local authority before embarking on a major tree uprooting scheme. Conviction in a Magistrates Court can lead to a fine of up to a £20,000.
Some snowdrops and daffodils in Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
a carpet of snowdrops
