I have lots of pretty red ones which are not hot at all. However I just had a quick bite off the end of a green one from a different plant. Eyes watering, half a pint of milk, lips numb! Wow!
INDOOR PLANTS
How many times/people have you heard say that they cannot keep / or kill indoor plants? Lots. Well its no big secret.
I have been growing 60/70 plants in my place for a couple of years or more – the number keeps increasing. My philosophy is to water a little and often. The bigger the leaves the more I water!That way I don’t forget to water them. If they don’t like this then they fo and die. Harsh but it does mean I am surrounded with lots of beautiful greenery.
Garden news
A rather pretentious title! Just picked 10 tomatoes, and thinned the leaves out on my yellow ones. Picked a dozen or so raspberries – they are big fat and sweet, Also cut of old flower stalks of the chicory – I think my favourite plant this year – for seeds to dry before storing for next year. I have nearly 300 bulbs coming later this week so the spring show in the garden could be good – maybe even better than the xmas lights that many people put up outside their houses for some reason!
My mallow has died, and along with the apricot. tree, that is 2 sad losses this year. And no mulberries either – they are testing my patience. I am beginning to plan more for next year – suggestions welcome.
REWILDING
Tens of millions of gardens across the UK have a large area devoted to mono culture. i.e. grass. Much of this is never sat on or played upon. Just cutting the grass once every 10-14 days. Benefit to wildlife = zero.
So I have rewilded my front lawn (and the back one too!). It started up with raised beds for herbs (mint, sage, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, Jerusalem artichoke, fennel, anise hyssop), but has now spread to the whole former lawn. I have planted some bush roses and salvias, marigolds, poppy, chicory, and many other wildflowers (some donated by Di Redfern – thank you). I have put in 100 bulbs, and have 200 more coming. Some plants do well others do not – it will sort itself out with a little help from me.
Hopefully the increase in insects of all kinds will be beneficial to the environment.
I am much heartened to see a couple of other people leaving the flowers in their lawns alone.
It is not neat and tidy – nature does not ‘DO’ straight lines.