Bohemian Raspberry

We seem to be constantly 'weeding' at the moment. Someone told me once that a 'weed' is a plant growing in a place you don't want it to grow. I have a number of potato plants that fit that description which keep popping up in the leeks and onions. I struggle with the word 'weed' (at least, insofar as it is used in a negative manner) for that very reason... When we 'weed' I am always on the look out for edibles. It might be growing in an unhelpful place, but that doesn't stop some plants being delicious - including fat hen (also called lamb's quarters). Scientific name : Chenopodium album When to see : April - October Grows : seemingly everywhere. Parks, waste ground, hedgerows, roadsides, my allotment... Height : up to about 50cm How to identify : The leaves are distinctive in shape with a silvery sheen - if you look closely these are wax-like crystals that repel water. Further identification help from Wild Food UK Lookalikes :

Dandelions keep popping up at the allotment! We dug up loads of roots last winter and made a sort-of coffee (see below) and this Spring I have made up some batches of dandelion jam. A joyful plant distantly related to sunflowers.  Scientific name : Taraxacum officinale When to see : year-round (mainly harvested April - September but not exclusively!) Grows : seemingly everywhere Height : up to 35cm How to identify : The English common name comes from the old Norman name ' dent de lion ', or "lion's tooth" referring to the leaves that look like something has taken a good munch from either side. The leaves grow in a round rosette at the ground.  Leaves and the hollow stems grow directly from the rootstock. There is only one flower per stem. Root, leaves and stem all exude a milky white sap (some folk may have allergies so be cautious if you have not touched the sap before).  Further identification help from Wild Food UK . Lookalikes : It has a few lookalik

I genuinely have no idea whether this will do any good. I'm keen to hear from others who have tried this! Some internet research suggests my efforts may be in vain ; however, I thought I would give this a go. It's an idea from Jen Chillingsworth 's book Live Green. So, banana's contain potassium, calcium and phosphorus, which are all important nutrients for some plants. I am using this mix mainly for the tomatoes. When we eat bananas (organic - i.e. not sprayed with pesticides), we pop the peels into a glass jar and cover with water and leave for 2 - 4 days. I then use this mix to water the tomato plants in the greenhouse, and compost the peels.

We have quite a nettle patch at the allotment. You might be tempted to eradicate it as a weed, but it's a wonderful edible with an important role in our ecosystem. Scientific name : Perennial nettles ( Urtica dioica ) When to see:  Year-round. Best eaten when tender so early to mid spring is when they’re at their seasonal best or new shoots. Grows : Seemingly everywhere. Height : Up to about 1.2m (but can be much taller) How to identify : The green, arrow shaped leaves have a  serrated edges, and the underside is covered in small stinging hairs with some on top. The sting is characteristic. Nettles have tough, erect stems that are very fibrous and covered in small stinging hairs. Green to red/purple in colour.  Further identification help from Wild Food UK Lookalikes : Possibly confused with white deadnettle (does not sting and has white flowers). Ecosystem : If you can leave a patch, they are great for butterflies in particular - especially Red Admirals and Painted Ladies, Peac

We have been hard at work.... Take a look at this wee video:

This wonderful plant is growing by the allotments. It's a fairly common wild plant called garlic mustard (or 'Jack-by-the-hedge'). You might be tempted to eradicate it as a weed, but it's a wonderful edible with an important role in our ecosystem. Scientific name: Alliaria petiolata When to see: year-round Grows: shady places, e.g. the edges of woods and hedgerows and apparently the edge of allotments Height: up to about 1m How to identify: heart-shaped leaves with a jagged edge.  The leaves are smooth and hairless.  When crushed, they smell of garlic. This plant has small, white flowers that have four petals in the shape of a cross, and grow in clusters at the ends of the stems. Further identification help from Wild Food UK Lookalikes: It has a few lookalikes - possibly confused with ground ivy, for example.  However,  the smell of  the crushed leaves is the distinguishing feature (garlic / mustardy).   It isn't related to garlic though. Ecosys

So, we haven't done. this on. the allotment yet - just the back garden. However, we are creating a compost area and plan to shore it up with pallets eventually, so will create vertical herb walls when we do so. We painted the pallet, put in some wood on the verticals to create the wells for planting.  We then stapled in compost bags to seal the wells. Here, you can see we have planted some parsley, thyme and other herbs. This was from two years ago and it's still going strong! More ideas for using a pallet for vertical planting areas from Houzz