Pretty Flowers
No! Matron does not do flowers! you can't eat flowers...
apart from this wonderful purple sprouting broccoli PSB 'Rudolph' which is in danger of being eaten any day now!
And my first seeds to come up this year are these broad bean 'Aquadulce Claudia'. Given a little bottom heat to start them off, I will keep them in a greenhouse for a couple of weeks then harden them off before planting outside. I find this reduces the chances of them being 'nibbled'. I will plant a second crop in about a month, I find that if the blackfly are busy feeding off the first crop... they sometimes ignore the second crop elsewhere!I will also plant some nasturtiums nearby to confuse them!
posted by Matron @ 11:13 PM
11 Comments:
Matron should make an exception for a few like borage and calendula - they attract the pollinators and are edible as well! :) Hope you had a good trip! Your name came up at our recent SAGBUTT meeting, we are sorry you will not be back to visit anytime soon but are glad to have hosted you at least once!
I agree with the sentiment, grow everything to be useful.
however, the following are edible..bellis, borage, calendula, carnation, chrysanthemum, cowslip, dianthus, hollyhock, lavendar, monarda, marigold, nastursium, oxlip, pansy, primrose, rose, sunflower, sweet william, and viola...interesting little list I found recently in a 'pile of stuff'.
Pure chance coming by your blog! Do you have any idea on what plants I could use to keep cats away from the garden - well atleast certain spots anyways! You seem to be the person to ask!
Thank you
Jon
The best kind of flowers are the ones you can eat, although I am partial to pretties too. Your psb looks delicious. I've never grown it before but I'm giving it a go this year.
My first broad bean seedlings are just behind yours Matron - little white humps! I like to raise them in modules too. I think they are stronger when they have to face the munchers on the plot.
The purple broccoli looks delicious. I am ready for the broccoli plants to get into the ground and get busy! One of my favorite veggies.
Jon - I sympathize if you have a cat problem - so do I!! Precious rows of seedlings and plants just devastated..grrrr. I don't think there is a plant per se, that you could use. My dog Buddy (male) leaves his scent markings all over the garden, that helps. I have been told to leave spikey cuttings over seed beds, such as holly or pyracantha, cotoneaster. I have been told that chilli powder or white pepper works... a difficult problem. As an animal behaviourist I might have to develop some sort of pyrotechnical aversive stimulus - but please don't tell my neighbours!!
I like the tip about the nasturtiums - confuse the enemy - yes I like that type of companion planting a lot.
Tash
Oh yes you can! I have read that nasturtium flowers are edible, along with the leaves though I haven't tried them.
Darn it!!! How do you do it??? Our purple sprouting broccoli is driving me mad, I've even started talking to it. The purple bits are tiny and if it's anything like last year it will be a crap harvest. I'm so jealous I may explode.
I planted out our broad beans yesterday xx
Jon, just read an article on keeping cats away. Burry tea bags soaked in something smelly (like olbas oil), as Matron says chilli/curry powder or white pepper or orange peel. Plastic/toy snake apparently! I find a fast dog tends to work!!
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