For the first time since the World War Two vegetables are being grown in the grounds of Buckingham Palace alongside ornamental plants. They’re also growing heirloom varieties for genetic conservation – YAY!
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I, like anyone else who has heard of it, am a massive fan of TED. To actually hear some of the world’s most inspirational, influential and downright clever people speak about topics for which they have a deep passion is simply phenomenal.
The next stage of TED evolution has begun with TEDx – a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. So expect a lot more content coming on any topic you may be interested in.
In this TEDx Talk, Jane Poynter tells the story of BioSphere2 and her experiences in relating to the ecosystem afterwards. Giving you a real sense of the connectivity of all things, this is a must-see for anyone interested in the natural world.
Thanks to Paul Reynolds for the heads up!
I’m quite the fan of bamboo. It’s incredible stuff. Bamboos are the fastest growing woody plants in the world. One of the more common bamboos (Gigantea) has a tensile strength twice that of steel. Different species are used in construction, ornamental, for medicine, for food, for torture – unbelievably useful. I also love how the wind sounds blowing through it.
I’m trying to do some research into non-running bamboos, a.k.a. sympodial varieties, to provide some shelter. That seems to be the main purpose for growing bamboo in NZ. I’ll be able to use stems as garden stakes, maybe for some building projects and if I get the right variety, to put in my sushi.
Clumping bamboos generally grow slower then the running-type, a.k.a. monopodial varieties. New shoots only develop close to older stems, mainly in autumn, but twice annually in rich soil. They harden over winter and put on leaf growth in spring and summer.
Non-running bamboos (Clumping or sympodial species) available in New Zealand after the jump Read more
I’ve added Australian blog Sowing the Seeds to my reader. They’ve got lovely pictures – except the beach worm thing, that’s kinda ewww. But check out the hot Summer Love (Acalypha reptans) and beautiful misty eucalypt shots.
Through StS, I came across this lovely little number from Washington State The Inadvertent Farmer. Stunning photos from an organic lifestyle.
And The Medieval Garden Enclosed is making hay and I really want a dragon arum.
Sick of food rules – what to eat, what not to? Listen to this refreshing interview with author Nina Planck. She also talks about fertility and diets which was pretty eye-opening. While we’re on the subject of food, check out the Table of Condiments That Periodically Go Bad
Favourite link goes to the very clever Make a greenhouse out of plastic bottles.
Flowers make me very happy and I’m very grateful to my colleagues who are a lovely bunch, for this lovely bunch. LPLL has been a little stagnant lately as I’ve been in recovery. But lying on my back in a hospital bed has started a whole lot of thought processes which will hopefully soon manifest into a whole raft of quality content and real-world planty projects.
I’m starting to come right so you’ll be hearing more and more from me over the next couple of weeks. But it may still take a little time to get fully up to speed – please keep checking your RSS.
x Anna
I’ve had my fair share of companion planting grrrrrr moments – relying on inaccurate information, finding books that give different opinions, or in fact contradict, or wondering why the five different companion plants weren’t protecting my beans. The good folks at Plangarden blog have put together an excellent guide to help me, and you, get it right.
Plangarden’s three part series first takes you through knowing your plant families to some common blunders. Followed up by a comparison of companion planting guides, all in handy pdf or snazzy slideshows. It’s great stuff, a handy reference with plenty of commonsense:
“credible sources like Cornell University’s Dept. of Horticulture, enjoin gardeners not to hang on to every word found in a CP guide as providing foolproof solutions. Experts encourage us to frequently check our plants (go ahead, look under the leaves!) and document observations from our own plant combinations.”
So read up, experiment, and hopefully all your plants will be zinging along with synergistic vigour soon.
One week on the couch recovering from surgery hasn’t allowed me much time in the garden. Whether has been so horrible here it hasn’t really been a problem. Despite my incapacitated state, I haven’t spent much time on the computer either. There are a few things though that have come to my attention that I would like to share.
Blogs I’ve put into my Google Reader to keep an eye on include Punk Rock Permaculture, Earth and Tree, The Herbalist’s Path, and Dandelion Revolution.
Now on to the really useful stuff I’ve spied:
— The Huffington Post has a great article/chart A Recipe for Longevity: 33 of the Healthiest Foods on Earth – yep, they’re all plants! I’ll be eating a little more pineapple this week.
— Uncluttering Your Refrigerator’s Crisper tells you how to best store your fruit and veges.
OooOOOOooo and I’ve been drooling over the books at Chelsea Green. You should too…
The good doctor over at The Phytophactor has provided some very sound and reasoned advice on the care and upkeep of your lawn – or lack there of…
My particular favourite is:
Lesson 5: The plant diversity of your lawn and gardens is directly correlated with your IQ. This goes without saying, and it explains why lawn monoculturalists are so difficult to teach.
Are you planting garlic this year? Every garden should have some. Not only is it fantastic food that keeps you healthy but also makes a potent spray to keep ants, spiders, aphids, caterpillars and other bugs away from your plants.
Those of us in the Southern Hemisphere need to be planning our garlic crops now. It’s super easy to grow but you need to have your beds ready and you need to get your cloves to plant. Don’t plant the stuff from the supermarket, it’s too dry and just won’t sprout. Get in to your garden centres quick! Last year wasn’t a great garlic year so everyone will be racing in to buy bulbs.
Traditionally, garlic bulbs go in on the shortest day but a few weeks early will give them a good boost. Remember, garlic stays in the ground for 6 months so you need to think carefully about where you want it. You can plant into pots if you aren’t sure where you’re going to be that far out.
I’ve just seen this great trailer for a new movie. It could be a trailer for my mind at the moment. Check out Fresh the Movie.
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