An eco-friendly way with seedlings

It’s always interesting to meet the people behind products, especially in the gardening world, so I was delighted to come across Jane Vere-Hodge at a recent garden press event. Her company, Nether Wallop Trading Company, markets many useful garden items made of traditional materials, but the one I’m most familiar with is her Paper Potter, which turns old newspapers into mini-pots for germinating seeds. 

 It's a simple concept, and I have friends who use them. But how did the product come into being? Jane says it happened when she moved house and found herself with a large garden. Full of enthusiasm, she began growing plants from seed, but soon became concerned about the number of plastic pots she was getting through. She  starteds. She told me the idea came to herrtebegand growing plants from seed. But it was a oon ran out of  looking for a more eco-friendly way to raise seedlings – experimented, and the original Paper Potter was born.

Some 20 years on, it’s still a top seller. 

Email: sales@netherwalloptrading.com
www.netherwalloptrading.uk

Dahlias for dinner?

Come autumn, I would normally be digging up dahlia tubers and trying to store them for the following year. But this year I might be eating them instead.

According to the Swiss plant growing company, Lubera, they were a favourite food of the Aztecs, but when brought to Europe, became more popular for their colourful blooms. Five hundred years on, it’s reviving the edible tradition, having developed six varieties which it says have distinct flavours. 

Hoamatland, with petite, cylindrical tubers, has a delicate texture reminiscent of black salsify.

Black Jack, a giant dahlia, is described as very fine on the palate and tasting like asparagus and kohlrabi.

Kennedy is a hybrid with a hint of fennel and celery.

Sunset, with its elongated tubers, tastes fresh with a subtle kohlrabi aroma.

Buga München is sweeter and reminiscent of fresh parsley.

Fantastic cooks quickly, tastes sour, perfumed and smoky. 

Lubera says they can be cooked as you would a potato – boiled, roasted, mashed, etc. So – two for the price of one maybe: decorative flowers and a culinary experience.

The DeliDahlias should be planted in May/June, prefer full sun and thrive in a wide range of soil types. They’re available on the Lubera website www.lubera.co.uk at £4.99 for a 1.3 litre container.

Garden labelling sorted!

It’s time to start sowing seeds for planting out when the weather warms up, and I’m impressed with my new Brother garden labeller. It’s light, easy to use, the adhesive labels are beautifully clear and - big plus! - weather-resistant. They can go either directly on the pots and seed trays, or be stuck on plastic markers to be transferred when the seedlings need potting on. I’m trialling tomato seeds in some SilvaGrow peatfree compost to see how they compare with those grown in standard compost from the garden centre, so it’s vital there’s no confusion.  (They’ve just gone into the propagator – there’ll be an update on the result.)

The labeller is a Brother GL-H105, and I can already see many other uses for the labels: on office files and boxes, on plugs, and also for identifying food in the freezer. Plus the included guide says iron-on name tapes are available.  

http://www.brother.co.uk/labelling/garden-and-horticulture

http://www.sylvagrow.co.uk

Spring is on its way

The sun tempted me out in the garden to clear away the last of the fallen leaves – and how wonderful to see signs of spring after the cold, grey winter weather.

Despite the recent heavy frosts,  the camellia buds are swelling, and on top of one of the bushes, some are actually in full bloom.

Under the oak tree, the first snowdrops have appeared.

Nearby, a cluster of tiny snowdrops has emerged between the brick paving. Not sure how it got there – squirrels perhaps?

And keeping me company all afternoon, a very bold robin who seemed delighted to have some help in his quest for food.

Note: The Camellia Show at Chiswick House and Gardens runs from Feb 28 to March 29, 2015. http://www.chgt.org.uk/?PageID=560