A Recycled Somerset Garden - August 2015

Post author: My daughter Sophie from Somerset, England

"It all started it from a garden of brambles, that is it was full of rampant blackberry bushes and other long term weeds.  

We started clearing it just as I became pregnant with our first child. Home veg was the value we wanted our baby to experience and grow up with, healthy and pure. So it was a real labour of love (excuse the pun).

The first year we lived here, we only just finished the vegetable patch area as we were concentrating on renovating the house itself. Everyone told me it was too late at the end of August to plant veg, but I did it anyway and loads came up !

Our vegetable patch and the recycled greenhouse

This year, 2015, with the new baby on board the garden has become totally green !  

When I began to wean her, her first foods were from our own garden. She started with pureed carrots, and then parsnips, and so on.  

We got other people involved in the garden with the sunflower competition. Once they are finished, we will keep the seeds from the flower heads, to be dried and re used for flowers next year, or for bird seed during the winter and for cooking in the kitchen. Sunflower seeds can be a great snack on their own or in a nice homemade bread. Yummy !

When we initially cleared the old garden we saved some of the plants that were already there when we bought the house. There was a Day Lily for instance, which was beautiful when it came out this summer.

Never waste plants, they cost a lot to replace. We have a grape vine which we recycled from another house. We cut it right back when we got it first. It is now flourishing and is starting to work well in hiding a block wall at the back of the garden.  

In my next Wild Cottage guest post, I will tell you all about the recipes we use for our garden produce, how we preserve things for the winter and the yummy things we cook with it all.

Meanwhile, here are some more photos of this summer's garden (August 2015)."

The beginnings of our herb bed

The bay tree

Mint in a pot to keep it contained !

Runner beans grown up bamboo sticks

Our own chillies from the greenhouse

Red and white onions almost ready to lift

Some of our white onions

Rhubarb patch !

Elephant garlic - this is just one clove !

Normal and elephant garlic

My husband's precious fig tree

Lovely lettuce

Runner beans harvested for freezing and dinner

Sage bush with lots of new growth

Are You Sushi For Mosquitoes ? Plantain Is The Answer

Plantain - Plantago major

Recently I was doing some research online regarding insect bites and nettle stings, and natural ways to relieve or stop the itching and pain associated with them.  I seem to be one of those unfortunate people who are eaten alive every time I venture outside in the summer months, especially after 5pm.

Post 5 o'clock is dinner time for the midges here in South Galway, and then you have those special Irish mosquitoes who are always ravenous when it's BBQ o'clock.  They must lurk at the bottom of our field in the lush swamp, protected by the EC SAC laws - European Special Area of Conservation, ready to swarm up the garden as the clock strikes 5 and we are looking forward to eating a romantic dinner for two outside - lucky mosquitoes !

If you are anything like me, then you are tasty food for all biting insects.  My skin obviously has that certain taste and smell that they are looking for.  I am sushi for mosquitoes...

So, what can you do when you find yourself sprouting red swollen lumps in places which no well brought up young lady likes to mention, which itch uncontrollably, look unladylike ugly, and are painful as well.  Some insect bites contain poison which travels well beyond the site of the original bite, making things far worse.  I end up wanting to rip my arm off, or foot, or somewhere unmentionable...  Now you need look no further !

I have been reading about Plantain.  No, not the banana like fruit that is great sliced and deep fried, but a very plain little plant that grows across Ireland, the UK, Europe and even in North America, Asia, Australia and well beyond.

The common broad leaved plantain is a perennial weed which thrives almost anywhere.  Just be sure, if you are gathering them for medicinal use, or for food, use a source away from weedkillers, pesticides, traffic and such. 

Why it is So Useful:
The chemicals in Plantain which make it so incredibly useful, are aucubin, an anti microbial, mucilage, which reduces pain etc, and allantoin, which stimulates cell growth and regeneration.

Medicinal Uses:
Diuretic
Astringent
Draws out stings and poison from bites - rub leaves onto and bind on skin
Skin healer - skin ulcers, inflammation, minor burns, sores and hot skin etc - bruise leaves and hold on skin
Leaves can stop minor bleeding when bruised and held on skin
Bruise leaves to form a poultice for above also...
Prevents infection in wounds also
Tea made from the leaves can ease diarrhoea and soothe internal surfaces

Food:
Full of vitamins A, C and K, as well as calcium - highly nutritious
The young leaves can be used raw in salads or sandwiches
Older leaves can be stewed or boiled well as a vegetable or in soups

Odd Info:
Pliny stated that it would cure the madness of dogs...

Organic Homemade Weedkiller

If, like me, you are beginning to panic at the sight of all those baby unwanted plants - aka weeds - sprouting in your garden and on your drive and patio, and you refuse to use highly toxic commercial herbicides, then here is an alternative solution.  The answer to all your prayers!

A natural, easy to make at home, safe to use, weedkiller.

Reasonably cheap to make, especially compared to commercial weedkillers.

And no need to worry about harming your pets!

Here are 2 recipes for your homemade weedkiller.  Mix No 1 is for where you want to kill current weeds, and also to keep the ground free from weeds for as long as you can.  Mix No 2 is for where you want to kill selected weeds, and want to plant in the soil immediately, and to leave surrounding plants safe and healthy.

Note:  If you want this to be 100% organic, you will need to use totally organic vinegar, salt and washing up liquid.

---

MIX No 1  -  Total Weedkiller for Drives & Patios - (nothing will grow in soil for up to 2 years)

• White distilled vinegar   -  1 litre  (1.8 UK pints/2.1 US pints)
• Table salt  -  60 grams  (2.25 ounces)
• Washing up liquid  -  1 squirt
• Spray bottle
• Saucepan

Place the vinegar and salt into the saucepan and warm up.  Do not bring it to the boil as there is no need.  Just enough to dissolve the salt properly.

Add the washing up liquid and stir in well.

Allow to cool, then fill your spray bottle and go kill those pesky blighters !

Remember, if you are storing this mixture, to label your spray bottle clearly, or you are going to be rather upset at all your dead prize geraniums and be wondering why nothing will grow!

---

MIX No 2  -  Weedkiller for Growing Plants Only - (doesn't affect soil, just the plants it touches)

• White distilled vinegar   -  1 litre  (1.8 UK pints/2.1 US pints)
• Washing up liquid  -  1 squirt
• Spray bottle

Mix the vinegar and washing up liquid together well.

Put into your spray bottle and if storing, label it clearly.

---

• Both mixtures need to be used on a dry, sunny day.
• Both will kill almost all plants on contact (provided enough leaf coverage is obtained).
• Use MIX No 2 (the no salt one) where you want to kill plants in borders, or spot weeds in lawns (be careful as it will also kill the grass), where you still want to be able to grow things in the soil.
• MIX No 1 (with the salt in it) not only kills the plants that it contacts, but due to the salt content will also stop almost all plants growing in the soil for at least a year - so be careful to use the correct mixture in the appropriate place.  Inland plants won't grow in soil with a salt content!
• You can multiply up the mixtures for larger quantities for extensive area coverage and/or storage.  But remember to label it clearly!
• The washing up liquid helps the vinegar to adhere to the leaves, allowing it more time to work at killing the plant.
• It is the vinegar that does the weed-killing.
• It is the salt that stops anything growing in the soil.

---

Now go save yourself some money !!!