Tresco Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Hi Chris. English Common names are fine too. My idea was to collect a load of seeds from verges and under hedges. I now realise that some of these may not be useful as thay could have blown there from gardens, but I have things like different Scabious, wild sweet peas, field poppies, larkspur, grasses etc.I agree with you about the Teasels and thistles (it isn't the creeping one) and though I could get away with having them disguised among other plants in a wildish area.If any/all of these are useless I won't throw a wobbly. I really would like it to be useful in whatever way a piece of land that size can be. I am really very open to direction in this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 You throw a wobbly, Tresco, never. Anything that you have gathered locally will be OK, but those that are annuals or bi annuals will require some assistance as generally they need the soil disturbing, cutting and raking will often do the trick. The plants that you mentioned are more than fine, also all vetches are good and some alfalfa (Lucerne) and Oregano (wild) won't go amiss. Lungwort is good as a very early flowering plant for bumble bees.All of these will survive in dry poor conditions, as will the wild perennial sweet pea, and you can be sure that others will arrive on their own, I had three new species arrive this year, which may not sound many, but this was in addition to the 100 plus that were already present, not bad from scratch with a bare field 10 years ago.Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 I've seen areas of land around here sown with Cosmos as well and thought "Hmm, that's pretty - what's it for?" Now I know - it's for a subsidy. I actually thought they were growing it for the seed merchants! So who grows all the Cosmos seeds that go into packets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Well the seeds that are for the Jachère fleuries come in bloody great drums and are only supplied by a couple of companies, that's another minus, more mono culture, vast fields with all the same plant being grown for the seed.Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Surely Chris if they are being grown for the seed that kicks set aside into touch in anyones book. Perhapse not the French book though, oh silly me!Now all the diods down my left side ache? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Chris, I have quite a lot of Native (English) Cornflower seeds. Will they do any harm?. I can send them back to England....It seems I'm on my way with this patch of land. Many thanks to you and Missyesbut for the suggestions. I'll be using a combination of both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meg Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 I wonder what the French think of this though. I know my neighbour doesn't like it when we leave our field to grow and mow paths through it. She keeps hinting that we should cut it! Another neighbour made no attempt to disguise the fact that he though it was hilarious. Our English neighbours had the same response to 'wild' areas in their garden and were told it's not what the French do. They seem to like it to be neat and controlled.Perhaps the French only like it if it looks really pretty, like the Jachere flowers!?? Has anyone else found this, or is this me just making generalisationsLouise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 [quote user="louweezel"]. They seem to like it to be neat and controlled.[/quote]Loiuse, that's been my experience. Any attempt to extol the virtue of a 'wild' area has met at best with what I can only describe as snorts of derision/contempt. I was closely questioned about why I was allowing a patch of nettles to grow in one corner, and as for piles of wood, forget it...Then again, maybe they thought I was saying something entirely different to what I tried to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meg Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 They like to take a close interest in what you do on your own land............and tell you how you should be doing it!I guess its a case of 'this is how it is done here and always has been'. Fair enough.I'm sure our neighbours think we're potty!Louise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 No problem with English cornflower seeds, Tresco, totally the same as in France and very nice they are as well, self seed with with minimal land disturbance.Our neighbours, all three of them, and even though we all have a fair old bit of land, are disgusted at the way I manage our "garden", and complain that they can't see our house from the road and why don't I do something about it. I used to explain it to them, now I just laugh. What really gets up their noses is that we have almost no problems with our veg and we have fantastic fruit while their fruit trees keep dying and they have every pest known to man. That's right, they are all tidy and have stock piles of chemicals, and, well you know what I'm like by now.Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meg Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Oh yes they are well into the poisons. Himself used to moan about the weeds in my veggie patch, compared to the neighbours, until i explained the amount of stuff they put on. I once explained to a neighbour that i was gardening organically............... a very bemused expression followed.This does seem very out of contrast with all the moon gardening though..they seem obsessed by it! That and who can grow the biggest whatever.Louise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 [quote user="chris pp"]No problem with English cornflower seeds, Tresco, totally the same as in France and very nice they are as well, self seed with with minimal land disturbance.[/quote]That's made my day Chris.[:D] I was fully prepared to ship them back, but so glad I don't have to.Thanks.If you think of anything else... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Didn't know where to put this, but this old thread seemed as good a place as anywhere.So, today while I was surveying the estate, I discovered a new plant, well new in the garden that is. I'm constantly astounded that they keep arriving, I really must make a list of how many species there are now.This one isn't so special, but it is a new arrival and it's flowering now in December.[IMG]http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q73/unautremonde/Flowers%20and%20Plants/Field-Pansy.jpg[/IMG]Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WJT Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 Its lovely Chris. It looks to me like some sort of small orchid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 It's some sort of viola. Similar to v. arvensis if you do an image search for comparison. Blimmin' seasons are all over the place. What a world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 Your right, Phil, V.arvensis Field pansy, as I said nothing special, but a new one on our land and in full flower and "it is pretty, isn't it?"Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 It is indeed. I think that a lot of the smaller flowers are much more to offer than the big, blowsy hybridised ones. It's good to get down close and appreciate the beauty from a couple of inches away. We have carpets of these little sweeties in spring (though that could be any day now).[IMG]http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i26/cassiscassis/garden/Violas.jpg[/IMG]Grass is crap but plenty of wildflowers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 "Grass is crap but plenty of wildflowers!"Know what yer mean Cass. That little pansey is quite delightful Chris. Nice photo too. The violents (?) are such a lovely and hardy flower. We used to get loads of violet and white ones near where we lived in the U.K. To our surprise we get them in our garden here too. Don't they smell lovely!!! Ever tried violet ice cream? We did, just managed to get past the smell, taste a tiny bit and in the bin. All in one fluid movement![+o(]We saw a celendine the day before yesterday along the Canal du Midi. I didn't have my camera, that doesn't happen too often, no camera... Is this really December? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 In case anyone doesn't know a celandine.[IMG]http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i26/cassiscassis/garden/Celandines.jpg[/IMG]NB I apologise for quality of these photos - they are just to show what the plants look like en masse and I haven't edited in any way, enhanced or cropped etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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