How about a gardening thread?

[st2lemans]

Seems a royal pain to pick enough buds!

Tom

	Quote:	st2lemans
	Seems a royal pain to pick enough buds! Tom

Not really, if you have a 'coin' or corner of wild garlic where there's aplenty or in abudance even, you just have to wait for the right moment and you'll get most of what you need in one or two go's. I guess this is a dog owners prerogative when you are out all the time anyway, so you spot it easier when they are ready to pick.

It is really well worth to collect the buds, the capers you make with them taste out of this world

[sups]

My lemon tree has scales. Loads and loads.
I am looking for suggestions to combat it other than manually scraping them off.or with rubbing alcohol rubbing them off...did that for a few months now they just keep coming back.

Any suggestions are most welcome.

PS.
to the citrus fans out here...
how well do kumquats do? have been thinking of buying one.

[st2lemans]

	Quote:	EastEnders
	I have a recipe of the capers in it too, just in case anyone needs a fool proof one

Seems like a lot of sugar.

Tom

	Quote:	st2lemans
	Seems a royal pain to pick enough buds! Tom

The patch where I go is very dense- so it would be very quick. Will definitely try this year, and yes, less sugar. Picking juniper berries or sloes is much harder work as the bushes are very prickly. I pick juniper berries to add to a bottle of good gin for extra flavour.

Now my priority is to get out there and go and hunt for those elusive 'morilles' (morels, Morcheln, spugnole)... a lot more effort for sure- but when you do find them, what a joy.

Then we will jump straight into St George's mushrooms season- we are so lucky to have a massive fairy ring of them right here in our field- N.E corner- just as we had in our last house in the UK - how fleky is that If anyone want to come and cook some with me and sample when they are ready, mid May normally- give me a shout- happy to share- then dry the rest.

[amogles]

	Quote:	sups
	My lemon tree has scales. Loads and loads. I am looking for suggestions to combat it other than manually scraping them off.or with rubbing alcohol rubbing them off...did that for a few months now they just keep coming back. Any suggestions are most welcome. PS. to the citrus fans out here... how well do kumquats do? have been thinking of buying one.

Where is the lemon tree located?

Scales tend to thrive in the winter months when the tree is indoors and overly protected. Just having the tree outside in the sunlight and rain slows down the spread of scales in my experience. It also helps to spray with diluted lather of curd soap.

I find that on the whole, a fully healthy tree does not get attacked by scales in a major way. If the tree is suffering badly, this may reflect an underlying problem or weakness. Try to improve you tree's health by checking that things such as soil, location, sunlight etc are OK.

As for kumquat's, I have never managed to raise a kumquat tree to any great age. I don't know why. Maybe just my bad luck. I have made better experiences with calamondins. The trees look broadly similar to kumquats and are also a dwarf tree, very pretty, don't need much pruning, live for a very long time, and are pretty rugged and indestructable. The tree will even survive minor bouts of frost, and I sometimes intentionally leave the tree outside if mild frost is expected in the night as a short bite of frost encourages the blossom cycle. As fruits, they are less versatile than kumquats, and not everybody likes the taste, but there are still a number of yummie things you can do with them. The scent of the blossoms is beautiful.

Plenty of wild sorrel coming up in the field too- if anyone fancies some (oseille in French).

[st2lemans]

OK, so wife came home with another few kg of wild garlic, so plenty of buds.

But why not just preserve them in salt like normal capers?

Tom

Just put them in small jars and cover with boiling vinegar with a few mustard and coriander seeds- job done.

We have tons of wild garlic in our garden that I never use 😳. Maybe someone else would like some? Any plans of coming over to Bienne, Odile or Belgianmum?

[st2lemans]

	Quote:
	Just put them in small jars and cover with boiling vinegar with a few mustard and coriander seeds- job done.

But why not just salt?

Tom

Why not- you try, you feed back.

I'll go for the hot vinegar with herbs, as I do with some mushrooms.

Carlasmom- that would be a pleasure- or would be lovely to see you here this time. Kids would love the doggies and our Minou tripod... and the newts.

Talking about wildlife- saw a ermine yesterday in the neighbour's garden- half white, half brown- and today discovered a whole row of fresh badger latrines (territory markers) all along the East stone wall of the field. Must put up the night camera from the North deck. There is a huge sett in the woods behind us- but we ahve never seen them in our field yet- but they obviously visit regularly.

[Belgianmum]

	Quote:	carlasmom
	We have tons of wild garlic in our garden that I never use 😳. Maybe someone else would like some? Any plans of coming over to Bienne, Odile or Belgianmum?

I doubt I'll be able to get to Bienne any time soon unfortunately. We're away next week as it's school holiday and the week after I'll be in hospital followed by a minimum of 6 weeks recovery (4 with my arm immobilised).

	Quote:	st2lemans
	Seems like a lot of sugar. Tom

Only seems so, in the end they taste lightly sweet and sour. I make them this way and have only ever got good feedback, but of course this is also down to taste of the individual.
Add to that that I have to consider my stomach, who's got big problems with stuff that is too acidic and vinegary so for me it works this way.

[sups]

Thanks for answering and the tips...
It is a potted indoor winter outdoor summer tree/ bush/plant.The scales aren^t too bad but they never seem to go away.But will try with the curd soap.(where do you buy that?)
Actually other than the scales the tree looks pretty healthy( at least to me but who knows I might be missing out on something.Maybe it is time to repot with some citrus soil.
Yes the scent of the blossoms is intoxicating.
have a great day

	Quote:	amogles
	Where is the lemon tree located? Scales tend to thrive in the winter months when the tree is indoors and overly protected. Just having the tree outside in the sunlight and rain slows down the spread of scales in my experience. It also helps to spray with diluted lather of curd soap. I find that on the whole, a fully healthy tree does not get attacked by scales in a major way. If the tree is suffering badly, this may reflect an underlying problem or weakness. Try to improve you tree's health by checking that things such as soil, location, sunlight etc are OK. As for kumquat's, I have never managed to raise a kumquat tree to any great age. I don't know why. Maybe just my bad luck. I have made better experiences with calamondins. The trees look broadly similar to kumquats and are also a dwarf tree, very pretty, don't need much pruning, live for a very long time, and are pretty rugged and indestructable. The tree will even survive minor bouts of frost, and I sometimes intentionally leave the tree outside if mild frost is expected in the night as a short bite of frost encourages the blossom cycle. As fruits, they are less versatile than kumquats, and not everybody likes the taste, but there are still a number of yummie things you can do with them. The scent of the blossoms is beautiful.

[DantesDame]

I have a couple of bushes in the garden that I can't identify (ok - so I have a few, but I am just going to ask about these two for now...)

Can anyone tell me what these two are?






If you need further information or pics just let me know. Thank you!

[Belgianmum]

The first one looks like a bay laurel and the second a buddleja.

[DantesDame]

	Quote:	Belgianmum
	The first one looks like a bay laurel and the second a buddleja.

Ah, the infamous Butterfly Bush - thank you!

The bay laurel, as you have ID'd it, is planted next to the rosemary and sage plants, so that makes sense. Thank you!!

[roegner]

I just read the budleja is good to attract bees. Does that work DD?

I am looking to buy some new plants that are nice for the bees so if you have any advice what to buy? Campanula?

[Belgianmum]

	Quote:	roegner
	I just read the budleja is good to attract bees. Does that work DD? I am looking to buy some new plants that are nice for the bees so if you have any advice what to buy? Campanula?

Buddleja does attract bees but it is restricted in Switzerland and there are lots of other plants that are attractive to bees. Lavender is the one that immediately springs to mind. Flat flowers like daisies, asters, zinnias as well as plants from the mint family (cat mint, oregano, salvia etc) are also attractive to bees.