Let's talk about plants

Harking back to my original Redon detre of DIY,Cheat,Steal I thought it was hightime that I kept to my original mission statement.  I firmly believe that knowledge should be shared. You've bought a plant at the garden centre only to find a few weeks later you've killed it.  Did you read the label ? better still did you understand it. 

Plant unlike people need labels it tells us all we need to increase their chances of survival.

Let's begin 

We shall take good ole garden sage as an example

      Common Name - Garden Sage

      Latin Name- Salvia officinalis

 

Oz:"Did I mention I didn't take Latin?"

Willow:"Y-you don't have to understand. You just have to say. I hope"

       -Willow Rosenberg and Oz.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer -                                 

The common name in this case Garden Sage is pretty self explanatory it is the name given for that particular plant however due to collequial differences this can prove confusing for example rocket and arugula both exactly the same plant but have different names. For this very reason a system is used in which plants can be it any where in the world regardless of language, it gives each plant a unique identity this is called the binomial name or scientific name, It is written in Latin or using latinised grammar which is used as the "universal language" which is why it's also called the Latin name. The scientific classification can be grouped into two basic groups Genus and Species in the case of commercially grown plants the Cultivar.

Genus is group of one or more plants that share a wide range of characteristics 

names are printed with an initial capital letter.

 Species is a group of plants capable of breeding together to produce offspring, 

they have distinct differences such as color, size.

Cultivar is a selected or artificially raised variation of the species. for the plant breeders specifications.

So in the case of Garden Sage-Salvia offinicialis. The genus is Salvia and the species is offinicialis. Incidentally the Latin will often provide a unique insight into the plant Salvia in Latin means "to heal" "to save" where offinicialis means of or belonging to an officina the storeroom of a monastery, where medicines were kept both give reference to sage being used as a medicinal herb.

Annual, Biennial , Perennial

"whatcha talkin bout willis"

Annual, Biennial , Perennial, 

This is essentially the plants shelf life other factors can effect this of course such as soil type , weather , neglect, pest and diseases.

Annual is a plant which germinates flowers and dies within a year. 

Such as basil

Additionally to this you also have different types on annuals.

Hardy will withstand frost. Such as  sunflower.

Half-hardy will withstand temps of 0 degrees C. Such as Cosmos

Tender will withstands temps of 5 degrees C. Such as Basil.

 

Biennial is plant which flowers in its second year. Such as foxglove

Perennial is a plant which lives for more than 2 years. E.g. Bay Tree

There are also different types of perennials 

Tender will not tolerate cold temperatures needs to be grown under cover. Such as passion flower

Hardy will stay in the ground all year round. Such as lupine.

Half-hardy will not survive winter needs to be brought inside. Such as  Pelargonium

Herbaceous die to root stock in winter to re grow in spring. Such as hosta

Woody has woody rather than fleshy 

stems.

Then you have 

Evergreen, Semi-evergreen and Deciduous.

Evergreen is a plant which retains its leaves all year round. eg bay

Semi evergreen is a plant which will retain its leaves all year round unless its overly cold. eg Abelia x grandiflora.

Deciduous is a plant which goes dormant in the winter and will lose its leaves every year. eg Acer Campestre.

There you go boys and girls hope you learnt something 

My Allotment The First Year - The Honeymoon Period

          Overgrown and Unloved

       So much work so little time 

After getting over the initial shock of what awaited me and fighting the elements I started to get down and dirty.

Charging into the battlefield with what ever implements I could get my hands on  I raged war on weeds two men enter only one survive I was determined to be victorious, 

Cutting back a whole lot of crap and a few trips to tip later I was now able to assess just what I had to deal with.

 The removable of random        flowers,bushes and weeds

 

Hidden amongst the jungle I discovered various soft fruit including rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, currants and gooseberries (goosegogs if your welsh)

                   Rhubarb

        Currants and Gooseberries 

               Strawberry Bed

The previous plot holder had left a shed there which provided welcome storage space which can be translated to lets fill it up like Tetris. Having a greenhouse would of course be beneficial to any potential grower. I was lucky enough to inherit one from my grampa not only did this save me money but also I had a bit of my grampa with me who sadly passed away I like to think he's watching over me nurturing my plants.

        Erecting the Taj Mahal 

Finally a place for my plants to grow and to shelter from the rain 

One of the crops planted was potatoes simple easy and also breaks up the soil 

                        Potatoes 

As the season progressed as space and time was limited it meant once a space had been cleared and dug over it was then planted. Finally every thing was coming together.

I even started to make friends 

Thing were actually starting to grow 

Potatoes and lettuces 

Onions 

Runner Beans

Cabbages

I was starting to reep the benefits by the end of the season not only did I take on an additional plot but also had successful harvest.

Produce 2011

Cucumber- 9

Lettuce-40

Potatoes-40lb

Chard-10 bunches 

Broad beans- 28lbs

Peas-21/2lbs

Tomato-36lbs

Courgette-40

Cabbage-10

Rhubarb-27lbs

Sweet corn- 4

Spring onions-53

Raspberries-13 1/2lbs

Gooseberries-4lbs

Beetroot-14lbs

Black currant -8 1/4lbs 

Kidney beans- 60lbs 

My first year was pretty successful all things considered. It provided me with an excellent learning curve and hopefully this is illustrated in the progression I have made in the years since.

I will be sharing photos of the next couple of years with you all.

My allotment

 

I acquired my allotment around 3 years ago breaking the grumpy old man stereotype here came this tattooed, piercered long streak of nothing in ratty converse and ripped Levi's. Having an allotment certainly ain't a walk in the park it's hard graft literally putting your blood sweat and tears into it.

Like many others I had been on the waiting list for a number of years. When the opportunity did finally arrive I jumped at the chance. The time had arrived for me to see the plot I had been allocated, this is the site which greeted me my first reaction was 'oh fuck'

What exactly have let myself in for. I didn't get the plot until the October that year. Which is traditionally the end ofthe allotment year. However this particular year we had extremely bad weather heavy rain and snow. It wasn't really until the following spring that work could truly begin.

During this time I had started to accumulate different gardening tools much like those preparing for a zombie apocalypse I was ready for anything.

Slowly but surely the hard work began sorting years of neglect and on a plethora of weeds, like the archeological excavations of Pompeii no one truly knew just what we would uncover. 

Join me in a retrospective of 

my first year - the honeymoon period 

Good food = posh food ?

Why is it at some people  think that good food should only be reserved for the rich and the elite. Good food shouldn't be unattainable for anyone regardless of circumstance. Some food seems status symbol so how utterly wonderful that you are. 

The classic example are 4x4 driving yummy mummies parading around Waitrose clickety-clacking in their stiletto shoes, with daughters chlamydia and gonorrhoea hunting out the latest must have ingredients to make Nigella's badger ragu. Another guilty party of making these foods seem inaccessible to the normal person. Is the vapid one-dimensional multimillionaire Gywneth Paltrow bleating on about the wonderful life and how eating a purple carrot will make your life complete. Well evidently still maintaining the appearance of a constipated arsehole. 

My point is that these people further alienate people to enjoy good food as the supermarkets put the prices up to deal with the demands. More money does not go to the Farmer or producer only goes to line the pockets of the corporate CEOs. 

These foods did not suddenly aqquire magical powers or become more palatable just because nigella said so.

At the end of the day food is food in the matter who you are. 

Lifestyle advice is simple eat healthily, eat seasonally, eat local and exercise

 Many of these so-called super foods can be grown your self with very little effort and a fraction of the price.

DIY Cheat Steal

Taking influence from The DIY ethos of the early punk scene as well as those punk pioneers the Wombles, 

 Making good use of the things that we find , Things that the everyday folk leave behind'

through this blog I hope to be informative,educational, amusing. With my tongue placed firmly in my cheek with a dollop of that Fuck you attitude we all know and love. I intend just show that gardening can be accessible , fun and creative to anyone whatever your budget,   Whoever you are whatever you are. just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Introduction

A perpetual daydreamer , deep thinker and keen observer seem like the traits in which one should have to write a fairly decent blog.
In polite circles it's often customary to introduce ones self before part taking in conversation there for I fully intend to continue this tradition.
My name is Lee I'm 27 years young , child of the eighties and a soul of yesteryear. I born to both a mother and a father and sharing the limelight with one sister in South Wales in a quaint (ahem) town called Cwmbran roughly translated to "valley of the crow". 

So I guess that makes me welsh and before you ask I don't speak welsh nor do I partake in sexual relations with sheep. I do not condone beastiality in any form although have come across some people which made me seriously question Darwin's theory of evolution so clearly not everyone shares the same opinion as me regarding this issue.

       3 year old me what a scamp

Growing up on a council estate to a relatively normal family of course normality being completely subjective. 

Growing up wasn't a picture of sunshine and rainbows, as far back as I remember I've felt "different" not fitting in unable to process the reasoning for this as a kid it become some what a lonely existence for myself. Coupled with crippling shyness and anxitey I was and in many ways still am the shy little boy in the corner with his hands in his pockets at the party.

                      Age 11

              Age 15

School wasn't exactly an Enid Blyton adventure either. having been servely bullied all through my time at school, mental, verbal and physical. This clearly had a detrimental effect on me. For what is suppose to be a care free time for a kid was plagued with such darkness. 

How exactly do you deal with this , how do you make the pain go away. You develop a some what casual relationship with death and darkness and begin to comtemplate just how easy it would be to make it all end. It wasn't a sudden epiphany which stopped me it was mearly an over welming sense of guilt to those I'd leave behind.

Teachers in school were not exactly an inspiration force in my life. Not once was I told I showed any sense of potential, intellect or even a future. I left school completely broken both mentally and physically it took a long time to put the pieces back together.

 Slowly but surely I began to rebuilding myself. Getting a diagnosis of Asperger's and bi polar as well medication for my mental health problems allowed me to see the world in a new light. Finding my place in the world entering the world of work treading the merky waters of retail lacking empathy was a recurring theme. After a particular bad bout of depression recognising once again that flirtation with darkness and after having surgery I decided that I needed to take time for my self and recover.

During which time I discovered my love and some say my talent for gardening starting small herbs and hanging baskets 

                Herb Garden

        Some hanging baskets

Growing vegetables has always been part of family life and both sets of grandparents. 

Grandad sitting at his cold frame 

Due to circumstances it had taken a back seat for a few years but I reignited the spark. I began to some what obsessively began collect and absorbing gardening books gaining more knowledge as I progressed.

That September I enrolled into college to study horticulture the content of the course was somewhat basic but it only made me more determined to learn more going back to college gave me new sense of pride and confidence. After completion of the course I still wanted more so I then came to the decision to study environmental conservation a chance to be outdoors improving my skills and knowledge.  

The class comprised of an eclectic group of misfits, it was here that I met two of my best friends Sam Golding and Angie Eaves. without question Sam  Golding changed my life. I wouldn't be the person I am today without her in my life. A stunningly beautiful redhead woman radiating such wonderful energy of strength love and compassion. I didn't just find a friend I found a sister and a soulmate. I feel the two of us have been able to use The connection we have together as inspiration to make us realise we can achieve anything you want,  nothing is truly unattainable.

It was around this time that I first acquired my allotment, this further fuelled my passion and love for gardening and grow my own vegetables. I shall be discussing my allotment adventures in additional posts so I won't go into full detail here.

 So here we come full circle here I am 27 years young and it my time to shine. I hope you enjoy reading what I have to write and take away from it a little bit of my love and passion for gardening and the great outdoors.

Lee