How about a gardening thread?

[edot]

I'd be interested as well.
Could i grow it in my greenhouse? We bought a greenhouse from hornbach in june. It's an aluminum, polycarbonate thing, 2meters by 2 meters. My mechanically minded brother in law put it together last week....it's cute, but a nightmare to assemble. Still, i intend to enjoy it!

[mariaan]

	Quote:	sups
	I bought a pandanus plant form exotic nursery and now after a year it has been producing pups. Would anyone be interested in owning a pup? it is indoor plant in our climate. the leaves of this plant have a distinct aroma and is mainly used in asian cooking/baking. In case you are interested let me know at the earliest as i will need time to seperate the pup from mum before the cold hits in.

In case there is a third pup, I am very interested in owning!

[argus]

	Quote:	edot
	I'd be interested as well. Could i grow it in my greenhouse? We bought a greenhouse from hornbach in june. It's an aluminum, polycarbonate thing, 2meters by 2 meters. My mechanically minded brother in law put it together last week....it's cute, but a nightmare to assemble. Still, i intend to enjoy it!

The pandanus plant needs sunshine and above 20 degrees C. I'll place mine inside the flat in a sunny spot - or at night and during cold weather. How warm will your greenhouse be?

Hey, sounds like we'll have to each name our pups - last name would be Sups.

[edot]

	Quote:	argus
	The pandanus plant needs sunshine and above 20 degrees C. I'll place mine inside the flat in a sunny spot - or at night and during cold weather. How warm will your greenhouse be? Hey, sounds like we'll have to each name our pups - last name would be Sups.

Lots of sunshine. Not sure about the temp. In the summer it can get to 60 if it's all closed up.

Sups pups 1,2, 3?

[sups]

At the moment i have one pup with well developed rootsystem which i will send argus, there is one coming up maybe ready in a fortnight tht i shall send to ed t
and if others pop up i can distribut it further.
you can name it whatever you like as long as you dont kill it.
regards
sups

[meloncollie]

Looks like snow is predicted for Thursday night into Friday - temps down to 0C, but then back up to 10 the next day.

So fellow gardeners:

How cold sensitive are Wirz and Knollensellerei? Can they stay in the garden bed?

I still have 6 heads of Wirz and about 15-20 celery root. I'd prefer not to pick them if I don't have to, as I have so little storage space. But if I must...

Could I pickle Wirz, as I would a regular cabbage? (If so, anyone have a recipe?)

Any other clever storage tips for Wirz and/or celery root?

Many thanks.

[smoky]

	Quote:	meloncollie
	Looks like snow is predicted for Thursday night into Friday - temps down to 0C, but then back up to 10 the next day. So fellow gardeners: How cold sensitive are Wirz and Knollensellerei? Can they stay in the garden bed? I still have 6 heads of Wirz and about 15-20 celery root. I'd prefer not to pick them if I don't have to, as I have so little storage space. But if I must... Could I pickle Wirz, as I would a regular cabbage? (If so, anyone have a recipe?) Any other clever storage tips for Wirz and/or celery root? Many thanks.

As far as I know, Celeryroots can stay in the ground in winter. That`s what my local farming friend says. You are planning LOTS of soups for Winter? She freaked out when she saw I`d planted ten!(I`m planning on storing mine in the Naturkeller - damp and dark)

What is Wirz?

[mariaan]

	Quote:	smoky
	What is Wirz?

In english is Savoy cabbage!

[Belgianmum]

	Quote:	mariaan
	In english is Savoy cabbage!

Thanks. I was just about to google that.

The celery root should be fine left in the ground ( I'm assuming celery root is the same as celeriac) but I would harvest the cabbage before the snow and hard frosts arrive.

[meloncollie]

Looks like the snow warning has been lifted, so panic over. For the moment. (Gardening on the Dark Side, panic is the one constant...)

Found some articles claiming that Wirz should be picked after the frost, as it becomes sweeter then, like kale does. Hmmm...

I've decided to compromise. I'll leave at least half the Wirz in the garden to test that theory, and try to get creative with storing the rest.

I've picked one head and made Sweet and Sour Savoy Cabbage, recipe here:
http://www.sarahraven.com/how-to/sea...inated-cabbage

Pretty tasty, hopefully even better in a few days... next batch I think I'll add some of my chilis.

	Quote:	smoky
	You are planning LOTS of soups for Winter?

Nothing better on a cold winter day than a big bowl of soup. Which is a good thing, because I've got enough celery root to last all winter.

Thanks for the advice, folks!

[SOBEIT]

Just finished making red grape juice, lovely. Had a good crop this year.

[Tom1234]

	Quote:	SOBEIT
	Just finished making red grape juice, lovely. Had a good crop this year.

We did too, but ours were dessert grapes so we ate them. We had about fifty bunches from two vines but last year we only got about four bunches.

And they tasted amazing.

[SOBEIT]

	Quote:	Tom1234
	We did too, but ours were dessert grapes so we ate them. We had about fifty bunches from two vines but last year we only got about four bunches. And they tasted amazing.

Mine are as well but they did not taste that good this year, not sure why.
The green grapes were the best they have ever been.

[Belgianmum]

	Quote:	meloncollie
	Looks like the snow warning has been lifted, so panic over. For the moment. (Gardening on the Dark Side, panic is the one constant...) Found some articles claiming that Wirz should be picked after the frost, as it becomes sweeter then, like kale does. Hmmm... I've decided to compromise. I'll leave at least half the Wirz in the garden to test that theory, and try to get creative with storing the rest. !

The Savoy cabbage will indeed benefit from the first frosts as do most root vegetables ( celeriac,parsnip,turnip,swede etc) but snow lying on top of them won't do them a lot of good and will cause the leaves to become sort of soggy.

[smoky]

	Quote:	meloncollie
	Looks like the snow warning has been lifted, so panic over. For the moment. (Gardening on the Dark Side, panic is the one constant...) Found some articles claiming that Wirz should be picked after the frost, as it becomes sweeter then, like kale does. Hmmm... I've decided to compromise. I'll leave at least half the Wirz in the garden to test that theory, and try to get creative with storing the rest. I've picked one head and made Sweet and Sour Savoy Cabbage, recipe here: http://www.sarahraven.com/how-to/sea...inated-cabbage Pretty tasty, hopefully even better in a few days... next batch I think I'll add some of my chilis. Nothing better on a cold winter day than a big bowl of soup. Which is a good thing, because I've got enough celery root to last all winter. Thanks for the advice, folks!

Thanks for that recipe! I`ve printed it out, and as soon as I`ve found some fresh fennel and mustard seeds, I intend to attempt it! Sounds delicious.

Ìn preparation for the big minus freeze this coming weekend, I`ve harvested all my Basil leaves and (whats the English word?......) oh yes, Parsley ....... and made a magic Pesto. Came out really lekker, I must say.
In place of the Pine nuts (never gotten around to even looking to buy those) .... I roasted some Sunflower seeds and ground them up with the herbs/garlic. Makes a nice "nutty" taste in the pesto.

[Odile]

Well, the garden here is very different to ours. Kakis (persimmons), different delicious grapes, almonds, walnuts, oranges and lemons ...
agaphanthus, the bluests of ipomeas, bougainvillas, strawberry trees, and so much more ... at a very old Maur posessiones (Manor House) in the Mallorcan hinterland. So privileged to have been invited by sil and bil to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary here with other relatives and friends. WOW

[mariaan]

Does anyone have any experience with peonias?

[Odile]

Which ones, bush perenials or tree peonies. They are quite different, with different needs. Neither like to be moved, although I have moved both types from our garden in the UK to up here in the Jura, very succesfully, although the tree penonies sulked for 2 years. They like to be planted rather shallow than deep.

Herbaceous peonies differ from woody-stemmed tree peonies in that they die back to ground level every winter. The successful crossing of tree and herbaceous peonies by plant breeders produced intersectional (Itoh) hybrids. Lately they are more readily available, but still expensive.
Unjustly, peonies are often considered difficult to grow, but with some basic care they can provide colour and enjoyment for many years;

• Ideally plant in full sun, though a few will tolerate light shade
• Most prefer neutral to slightly alkaline soils; some such as P. anomala are best planted in slightly acid soil
• Good drainage is essential
• Peonies are relatively drought tolerant when established though flowering may be impaired during particularly dry spells at the time of flower bud development
• Feed with a balanced general, fertiliser such as Growmore in the spring at 70g per sq m (2oz per sq yd), but avoid over-feeding with high nitrogen fertilisers. Plants grown on rich soils generally require little feeding
• To conserve moisture and suppress weeds, mulch around the crown with 5-7.5cm (2-3in) organic matter such as composted bark, garden compost or well-rotted manure. Avoid covering the crown itself
• The flower stems may not be strong enough to keep the often heavy flamboyant flowers upright and staking is often required
• It is generally best to cut the foliage to ground level as it dies back in the autumn to reduce risk of peony wilt

That reminds me BM- would you like some? I have huge ones I can divide.

[mariaan]

	Quote:	Odile
	Which ones, bush perenials or tree peonies. They are quite different, with different needs. Neither like to be moved, although I have moved both types from our garden in the UK to up here in the Jura, very succesfully, although the tree penonies sulked for 2 years. They like to be planted rather shallow than deep. Herbaceous peonies differ from woody-stemmed tree peonies in that they die back to ground level every winter. The successful crossing of tree and herbaceous peonies by plant breeders produced intersectional (Itoh) hybrids. Lately they are more readily available, but still expensive. Unjustly, peonies are often considered difficult to grow, but with some basic care they can provide colour and enjoyment for many years; Ideally plant in full sun, though a few will tolerate light shade Most prefer neutral to slightly alkaline soils; some such as P. anomala are best planted in slightly acid soil Good drainage is essential Peonies are relatively drought tolerant when established though flowering may be impaired during particularly dry spells at the time of flower bud development Feed with a balanced general, fertiliser such as Growmore in the spring at 70g per sq m (2oz per sq yd), but avoid over-feeding with high nitrogen fertilisers. Plants grown on rich soils generally require little feeding To conserve moisture and suppress weeds, mulch around the crown with 5-7.5cm (2-3in) organic matter such as composted bark, garden compost or well-rotted manure. Avoid covering the crown itself The flower stems may not be strong enough to keep the often heavy flamboyant flowers upright and staking is often required It is generally best to cut the foliage to ground level as it dies back in the autumn to reduce risk of peony wilt That reminds me BM- would you like some? I have huge ones I can divide.

Well...I was looking for peonias which can survive our heavy winter...I have a balcony and I hope that planting them in a pot, won't harm them.
I would be very happy to have one!!!

[Belgianmum]

	Quote:	Odile
	That reminds me BM- would you like some? I have huge ones I can divide.

Yes please. I love peonies.

I had a beautiful one in Belgium that my mum gave me from one of hers. Unfortunately I left it there when we moved as at the time I thought we would be going back.