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Category: Environment & Green Gardening

Tips for ecologically friendly gardeners and gardens that green and protect the environment.

Soya Bean Superfoods ‘Glycine max’

Soya Bean Superfoods ‘Glycine max’

Grow and Crop your own Soya Beans

  • For a little grown vegetable Soya are an easy and attractive crop to grow.
  • Sow in a propagator or into warm soil May or June if sowing direct outside.
  • Plant in well-drained, moist rich soil, 6 inches apart. Keep well watered, particularly as pods are setting.
  • You will get 3-4 beans to a pod but you get lots of hairy self pollinated pods at the top of the plant.
  • Plants are virtually pest and disease free.

How to Use Your Soya Beans

  • You can pick pods whilst beans are still green and boil them in the pods with salt. Butterbean & Envy are good varieties for this purpose available from organicseedsonline.com
  • Shelled the green beans can be treated like broad beans
  • When pods turn brown harvest the dry beans and they can be stored in an airtight container. Soak them for 12 hours before using.
  • Good varieties include Ustie, Butterbean and Elna.
  • Commercially grown Soya is often GM but produces oil, Soya milk, Bean Curd or Tofu and can also be fermented to make Soya sauce.

Japanese Beans

  • Azuki beans are a hairy annual similar to Soya beans. They have yellow flowers and longer pods.
  • Daizu is the Japanese Soya rich in oil and protein. Flowers are violet or white and pea shaped.
  • Miso is a bean paste made from Soya beans rice and salt.
  • Tofu is an easily digested protein made from soaked and curded soya beans.
  • Natto is fermented Soya beans often eaten at Japanese breakfasts.
Wild Plant Habitat Classifications

Wild Plant Habitat Classifications

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Vegetation of open habitats can be an interesting form of study for the keen gardener. Knowing what grows where in the wild, inform us about our own harden habitats.

Develop an understanding of ecology and wild plant development to augment your gardening interests.

Plant Habitat Classifications

Plants growing in the wild are found in several types of location that have been classified below.

  • Mires and heaths
  • Woodland and scrub
  • Grassland
  • Aquatics
  • Maritime

The authoritative texts are written by J S Rodwell provide a framework for a wide variety of teaching, research and management activities in ecology, conservation and land-use planning.

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There are sub-classifications including geological, geographical and environmental.
These situations include:-  Height above sea level, rainfall, wind direction and strength. Soil fertility, cultivation practices now and in the past all can play a part.

 

If you want to develop an area then chose an appropriate classification and research what grows well in similar areas and circumstances. Try not to fight nature (you know who will win). Work with the climate and landscapes and try not to force plants into an unnatural habitat.

Gardens not Goals Wales

Gardens not Goals Wales

After the Euro football in France it is back to the Gardeners day job – planting leeks & daffodils.

The National Botanic Garden of Wales – Middleton Carmarthen

The worlds largest single-span dome bigger than the Eden project and lots of Lottery funding investment. Well worth seeing where your investment has gone.

Doubled walled garden creating several micro climates and themed borders with a cool oasis at the centre are the key aspects of your visit. There is a strong ecological approach within the garden and several ideas for you to consider when you return to your own environment.

Other Garden Features to See

  • Bog Garden & Japanese Garden,
  • Bee Garden & Tropical House
  • Welsh Rare Plants & Physicians of Myddfai
  • Nursery Glasshouses and The Great Glasshouse
  • Mediterranean Garden
  • Organic Farm, bio-mass furnace & Estate Walks
  • Kitchen Garden and activities for children
  • Lakes and Dipping Ponds

Other gardens in Wales can be found by clicking here

Lawns are not Eco Friendly

Lawns are not Eco Friendly

January Lawn

The green swards in front gardens throughout the UK are not as environmentally friendly as you may think.

Environmental Issues with Lawns.

  • 3 million lawns are mowed several times a year – that must be equal to 250 million miles. Petrol mowers, particularly old mowers, produce more greenhouse gas than cars. Electric mowers are not a lot better but who uses a scythe these days. Even a mechanical push style mower has used natural resources in its manufacture and delivery.
  • Feeding lawns with chemicals should be an environmental no-no. Leave clippings on the lawn to rot down instead.
  • Watering the lawn is unnecessary but is still undertaken by many at the height of the summer when resources are scarce.
  • Weed treatments, even if following organic guidelines, are likely to kill off the food and natural habitat of some creatures.

Environmental Tips for Lawns

  • Do not cut the grass too short. Longer leaves shade others and thus save moisture.
  • Short lawns weakens the grass and scalping encourages moss.
  • Wild flower meadows look good, need no feeding and provide seed and habitat for a variety of wildlife.
  • Clover is too be encouraged in lawns, it feeds the soil and the flowers provide food for bees.

wild flowers

Sustain Your Sustainable Garden

Sustain Your Sustainable Garden

Green Island Garden

To coin a phrase ‘Sustainable Gardening is for Life not just a passing fancy’. It is easy to drop sustainable gardening when it gets tough but here are a few tips to help you stay the distance.

Composting

  • Good compost contains huge, free food resources and conserves moisture in the soil. You know you could do more.
  • Save money on fertilizer by adding Comfrey leaves to compost bins to boost nitrogen content.
  • Do not put animal and fish bones on the compost heap but you can crush and bury these bones.
  • Wormeries and worm bins will eat food waste and produce good soil conditioner.

Water Conservation

  • It is more popular to save water when the drought starts but the wise gardener has already got solutions in place. But me more  Butts.
  • Harvest water, it saves money if you are on a meter, even grey water is of use.
  • Use drought tolerant plants such as Alpines and Mediterranean plants.

Recycle, Repurpose and Reuse

  • Pruned stems can be used as plant supports and cut logs can go in a wood pile.
  • Various bits of packaging can be used as planters.
  • Reuse plant pots or donate them to charities who sell plants and are always asking me for contributions.
  • Stones from a rocky part of the garden can improve drainage in another or be used to create a soak-away.

Encourage Wildlife

  • Log Piles and brash piles save landfill and help insects and fungi.
  • Companion planting can attract particular pest predators.
  • Wild life encourages a natural balance in your garden.
  • Leave areas of lawn unmown or create natural garden areas.

golden acre green roof

Green roofs are sustainable food, water and heat resources, read about Harlow Carr

Plants for Dry Gardens

Plants for Dry Gardens

French lavender

Hosepipe bans and talk of drought conditions turns gardeners minds to plants that can still thrive in those circumstances. I have suggested several types of plant to consider in the lists below.

Mediterranean Originated Herbs and Oil Producers

  • Lavender has pungent foliage and makes a scented oil. The dried flowers retain scent indoors.
  • Rosemary and Thyme are both herbs that will survive hot dry conditions. The sun even makes the flavour stronger.
  • Oregano or Origanum laevigatum is blooming fine in my herb bed. The deep pink flowers are a bonus to the aromatic leaves.
  • Other aromatics that will do well in dry conditions include Sage and Achillea.

Silver Leaved (sun reflecting) Plants

  • Pinks and carnations have fine thin leaves so they do not desiccate easily.
  • Santolina with fluffy yellow pompom flowers are good dry spot shrubs.
  • Cistus is a family of flowering shrubs that has developed an oily leaf to protect against water loss.
  • I like the silvery Sea Holly Eryngium giganteum which is a good doer in the dry spots.

Cistus Albidus …

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What does Self-Sown Mean?

What does Self-Sown Mean?

Hesperis matronalis Alba

Seeds are self sown when seeds germinate and grow without the help of a gardener. The majority of plants grow, flower, get pollinated then set seeds. If seeds are then distributed naturally from the plant they are self sown.

What Plants are Self Sown

  • Weeds are among the most common self sown plants. I am thinking of Dandelions, Daisies and Buttercups but unfortunately there are lots more.
  • Before cultivated gardens anything not grown for food was probably ‘nature sown’ in that the plant did it for it’s self.
  • In a broadleaved wood you may get Oak trees growing from self sown acorns whilst Rowan and Elderberry are sown by birds eating berries and dropping seeds.
  • Garden flowers that are commonly self sown include Foxgloves, Nigella, Candytuft, Poppy, For-get-me-not and Nasturtium.

How are Seeds Self Sown

  • Wind distributes seeds that are very light or have a float mechanism like a Dandelion clock or Sycamore seed’s wings.
  • Some seeds are expressed from seed pods by firing. Pansy seedpods tighten up and the ripe seed is squirted a good distance from the parent plant.
  • Birds and animals including humans can be responsible for spreading seeds. Some stick to your clothing others are eaten but not digested like Tomatoes.

Top Ten Self-Sown Garden Plants

  1. This list was compiled with the help of Crocus whose first choice was Alchemilla mollis aka Lady’s mantle, good for edging sunny and shady borders and filling cracks in paving.
  2. Aquilegia ‘Nora Barlow’ or Columbines self-seed readily and are very easy to grow in sun or partial shade.

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Quicker Better Good Looking Compost

Quicker Better Good Looking Compost

Quicker Compost Tips

  1. For winter keep the heat in your compost heap by covering the pile of rotting waste. Use old bubble wrap, old carpet or a rubberised blanket as shown on the heap above.
  2. Turn you heap to get air into the mix. I try to turn the heap every fortnight.
  3. Use a separate pile or a punctured plastic bag for old leaves which are slower to rot and have less nutrition. They do make excellent leaf mould.
  4. Chop up waste into small bits, it will rot quicker and more thoroughly .
  5. Use  an accelerator  by adding a spadeful of soil every 4 inches or  ‘Garrotta’.

How do you Use Organic Compost

  1. Good compost mixed in with soil improves the condition, texture and water retention .
  2. Put compost in a planting hole for new trees and shrubs it helps to give them a good start.
  3. Compost around plants and trees acts as a mulch to conserve moisture and protect from frost.
  4. Feeding nutrients back into the soil particularly for heavy feeders like Dahlias, Onions or Runner Beans is one of the main uses of garden compost.
  5. Suppressing weeds can be achieved by mulching with compost.
  6. Replace the soil in the greenhouse where tomatoes have been grown.
  7. I have just made a new bed for next years Sweet peas from lots of home made compost.
  8. Recycles waste and reduces landfill or carbon dioxide emissions.

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Check how you compost looks then use these tips to make it look and perform better.

How does your compost look?

  • Black and sludgy compost has too much green waste and water. Mix it up with some shredded newspaper, saw dust or finely chopped woody prunings.
  • Compost looks the same as 3 months ago, then there is no biological activity because it is too dry. Mix in more grass clippings and green waste. Add water preferably with some comfrey or nettle leaves soaked in it for a couple of weeks. Also consider using an activator of horse manure, good soil or a commercial product like Garrotta.
  • Very twiggy but brown and sweet smelling then you need to shred the twigs of brown material and clippings more thoroughly or wait longer.

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Novel Eco Gardens

Novel Eco Gardens

‘Novel Ecosystems’ is a catch all phrase to encompass the changes in an environment created in part by human contact.

From an ecological stand point the free movement of ‘life’ forms that  integrate with the new surroundings creates a localised eco-sytem. Consider this from the point of view of a garden that contains many imported plants, non-native species and even crops grown out of season. We gardeners intervene in ‘New Ecological World Order’ either consciously or otherwise.
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Eco Changes in the Garden

  • Conversion of greenbelt and pasture to housing or building on new sites can set up a domino of changes.
  • The commercialisation of the horticultural industry since the Tulip Mania of 17th century has seen a growth in imported plants.
  • Plant explorers seeking new, exotic or different species brought diversity back to the UK.
  • The quest by gardeners for something new, better or different encourages change.
  • Cross breeding has created may hybrids between native and invasive plants.
  • New intentional and unintentional ecosystems created in areas of urbanization

Eco Problem Plants

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Flowers Attracting Insects

Flowers Attracting Insects

Images to get your thoughts and garden buzzing.

The wasp has the right colouring  to act as camouflage on this Tagetee.  For a small flower, little bigger than a 5p piece, the tagetee is punching above it’s weight for insect pulling power. Caught late in the day when the shadows are beginning to lengthen there is always something to spot in a well planted garden.

Tagetees are used in the green house to attract white fly away from Tomatoes or better still deter them in the first place.

My old favourite the Cystus is flowering again after its earlier summer performance. Not as much blossom but all the more welcome for this second flush and a chance for insects to stock up on more nectar.

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