Month: July 2013
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Oxalis repens (Week 15, Thursday)
I have seen so much of it this week: Oxalis corniculata var. repens (looks like it is mushrooming all over the place and setting seeds within a few days!) that I have had what I call a “genius idea”: what if we made use of it as ground cover? It is hardly visible, because it’s purple on…
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Atropa belladonna (Week 15, Wedesday)
Weeding around an overgrown Oemleria (and you know that an overgrown Oemleria is a swallower, don’t you?) I found inside it a large herbaceous plant with beautiful purple, bell-shaped flowers and entire, ovate leaves. A little bit of research online did not provide a match, and my colleague also had no idea what it might…
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Holly Walk (Week 15, Tuesday)
The Ilex collection at Kew is the largest of mature cultivars in the world but I must admit my prejudice: I find Holly Walk rather depressing, it’s my least favourite place in Kew and not only because it is an area under renovation. I’m not a fan of evergreens, or hollies, and this is 1…
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Back in the beds! (Week 15, Monday)
I am back in the beds today and I think nobody could fail to notice the vast smile on my face & the jolly greetings I was dishing out, even first thing in the morning. Not I for one: it surprised me, how much happier being outdoors made me feel! Three months gone, so the…
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Euonymus: a plant I'll never forget (Week 14, Friday)
Euonymus europeus, the spindle tree, with its characteristic bright pink seedpods with orange seeds sticking out, is a plant I have known for a while. I had it in my garden, I picked seeds from one last winter which I am trying to germinate, and it’s in my next plant ID test. But I had…
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Mastering the art of watering – and some science too (Week 14, Thursday)
Having watered every single day, first thing in the morning, for almost two weeks, with the responsibility to keep a botanical collection in good nick, has really changed my perspective on what I have never considered one of my favourite activities: I would do a raindance any time rather than have to water! Anyway, even…
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Hygiene (Week 14, Wednesday)
Quite a few plants grow in a restricted space in greenhouses, so hygiene is particularly important to prevent and control the spread of pests and diseases. In terms of prevention, clean tools and surfaces are very important. So pots are dipped into a sterilising solution and tools are cleaned with Hortisept, a persistent germicide active…
About Me
M.Paola Andreoni
I got the first allotment in 2007 (in the UK) and started growing my own food for the first time. Learning as I went along was not enough, so I studied some horticulture. I am striving to abide by organic principles. Brexit gave me a new life in the Netherlands, and two new plots by a nature reserve.
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