The Edible Garden LAND Centre - Edimentals HQ

17/04/2025

The edges of my annual beds in the garden are not so productive as they are drier because of overhanging branches of the hazel,/birch/aspen woodland adjacent...

25/10/2024

I have a 20+ year old sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) tree in my garden. I didn't really think it would make it here, so it was planted in not the best spot in the garden. To my great surprise, it has only suffered a little frost damage at the tips in the first few years. It even survived the record cold winter in 2011 here when the entire root system would have been frozen solid for up to 4 months. Last year, I noticed both male and female flowers for the first time, but no nuts resulted. Then, I was leading a tour of the garden in September and took the participants into the lane below the garden from where there's a good view of the chestnut, a mulberry, Chinese walnut, Carya ovata, Cornus kousa and Rhus typhina. My eyes rested on a chestnut at the top of the tree! I cried out in my excitement and ddi a little dance to the amusement of those present! The 20 year wait to see if chestnuts could ripen up here was perhaps over! With only one tree, I hadn't expected this and had planted a second tree next to it, but that is also growing slowly and it will be some years before it flowers.
Last week, we had another look and it looked as though it was slightly open and looked mature (darker colour). I therefore decided to knock it down. There is thick vegetation below the tree, and despite searching I could find no chestnut....just the open husk (pictures). It was presumably not pollinated, but it does give me hope that it is possible in this area. This tree came from woodland in southern England. I've now planted good varieties at the community garden (Væres Venner Felleshage), so will just have to wait!

23/10/2024

23the October 2024: Packing broad beans (Vicia faba) for next year's seed and for eating in winter! I have two lines: a multi-coloured grex and an early selection.

21/10/2024

What a great day the Future Heirloom event in Copenhagen was yesterday!
Have spent the time between trains at the wonderful Gothenburg Botanical Garden (thanks Johan Nilson) and have just passed the Norwegian border again!
Thanks to all you wonderful diverse and wonderful folk (seed savers, chefs, farmers, gardeners, teachers, nursery owners and researchers) who listened to me (billed as the Crazy Salad Man, CSM) babbling on about my dear perennial and edimental vegetables. This was the first time PC (post COVID) that I've travelled to give a talk outside of Norway after several years of globetrotting and gardening neglect! It was good to be back!
Thanks in particuar to Vivi Logan (Danish Seed Savers / Frøsamlerne) and Malte Rod of Copenhagen's Hotel and Restaurant School for encouraging me to leave my cave and to Louise Windfeldt for the hospitality, good food and seedy conversations! Great to see again all my old friends from many visits to Denmark over the last 20 years when I was first in touch with Lila Towle and Brian Krause (you were missed) who were looking for seed of Hablitzia tamnoides! Aiah Noack of Naturplanteskolen, Tycho Rosehip of Permakulturhaven Myrrhis, Søren Holt, Jesper Bay, NO Crossland and more. Look forward to the planned return Danish invasion of my gardens in summer 2025 :)
It was great also to witness Extreme Grain Man Anders Borgen again and of course Joseph Lofthouse without whom this wouldn't have happened!
See you all next time!
TAK FOR MIG!

11/10/2024

Edimentals from the RHS

Edimentals can be used in cakes, salads, stir fries and soups. But the society says “If in doubt, leave it out” with plants we’re unsure of to avoid poisoning ourselves

09/10/2024

Stephen Barstow talking about edible plants at the Arctic Food Festival in Mosjøen, Norway in 2014.https://twitter.com/arktiskmat

04/10/2024

Fullt hus og et vellykket georginesmaking og foredrag om Dahlia og et mangfold av knoll og rotvekster for Norge i Kristiansand igår! Takk til Reidun og dommerene for et fantastisk opplegg! Mer om resultater og vinnerne etter hvert.
På vei med tog til Stavanger og KVANNs samling denne helgen!