The gardens in October

Tags

Alan Dawson Gardens, allotment gardens, borage, fennel, food, garden, home grown, Local food hero, Medicinal garden 3 and 1 garden, nasturtiums, organic, Pizza garden, plants, spinach, sunset garden, Winter garden, worm garden, ZTL garden

Our new arrivals – Alan Dawson Gardens

Craig’s Borage

ZTL garden

Spinach in the Winter garden

Worm garden

Sunset garden

Borage in the Medicinal garden

Garlic in the Pasta Garden

Fennel and Nasturtiums

3 in one garden

Over the Winter we have seen a few changes. We  welcome Alan Dawson Gardens who have moved in to the allotment near the canal. Bonnie has left us for a new career in Motherhood, all the best to her. We have a new allotment holder Matt, welcome.

The gardens them self have been growing rapidly as well as the weeds. This past week a lot of weeds were pulled out  leaving the vegetables space to grow. The Spinach in the Winter garden is now ready for harvesting

The South Easter has started to blow, so the gardens will be requiring more water.

I look forward to the next workshop which is on Saturday 2 November.

There are still a few places available. Please email aristonorganic@gmail.com to reserve your place.

 

Allotment gardens at Eden

Tags

allotment gardens, Eden Project, food, gardening, home grown, organic, plants

The Grow Zone

Lush plantings

Mrs Scarecrow

Marrows

Do you save your seeds?

Tumeric

Chili

Food from China

Tomatoes in abundance

Mr Scarecrow

 

Grow a mini allotment

Spring in Ariston!

Tags

Agathosma, Agathosma Crenulata, allotment gardens, Apricot, Buchu, Flowers, food, garden, gardening, home grown, nasturtium, organic, plants

Walking through Ariston this last week after the huge Winter rains was a real treat.

The “Gat” which is our storage of water for the Summer is almost full.

Rainfall figures

The poppy seedlings are taking over Matt’s new allotment.

The Worm garden is really establishing and all the plants are growing well.

The potatoes which we have been growing in tyres have sadly been eaten, but on the bright side the beetroot is growing strongly.

The ZTL garden is also establishing well.

 

Cara and Esther’s bulbs are a pretty as a picture.

The mustard is also starting to flower.

 

A new Buchu is waiting to be planted (Agathosma Crenulata)

 

 

The Lobostemon is making a pretty display.

The Apricot tree which was donated by Julia is full of blossom.

 

The Pink Marguerite s are cheery

 

The Nasturtium in the Healing garden has flowers too.

 

The Lupins are budding

 

Zayaan’s garden is looking really interesting.

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The wonderful Pyjama Bush – Lobostemon fruticosus…the magical 8 day healing bush

The August workshop – Three gardens in one

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May Elemental Organic growing workshop – The Winter Garden

July workshop garden – ZTL garden (Zero to landfill)

 

A sunny Winter day in Ariston

Tags

allotment gardens, compost heap, food, garden, gardening, home grown, organic, plants, rocket, spring bulbs, tomato, worm garden

The Lemon Tree is finally bearing better fruit.

The Winter Garden’s Beetroot

Bonnie’s broad beans are in full flower

Cara and Esther’s Spring bulbs.

Cara’s long slim Chili 

Car’s Compost Heap starting to mature.

Craig’s Peas look strong

Crocosmia which has escaped.

The fennel is growing rampantly.

The rocket is flowering in the J garden.

The tomatoes in the J garden are forming even though they are suffering from seasonal rust.

June’s Hibiscus is full of buds.

Lavender which has been harvested.

The Pelargoniums are in full flower.

The Pink Marguerite is making a stunning display.

The Winter garden Tyre potatoes are needing the next tyre.

The Spring Oxalis is starting to show and in full bud.

Bonnie’s peas are also growing fast.

Bonnie’s Bright light spinach looking so healthy.

 

 

The worm garden after weeding. Yes all the plants are taking and starting to grow strongly.

Ariston’s gardens are so GREEN

Tags

Achillea millefolium, allotment gardens, bright winter, broccoli, Butter-nut, Calendula, garden, lemon grass, organic, plants, tomato, Vermicompost, winter savoury, worm compost, worm garden, Yarrow

Taking a stroll around the “J” garden is a delight. The butter-nut which propagated from the worm compost is now sporting many flowers and 3 baby butter-nuts.

The “J” Garden’s worm propagated Tomatoes are starting to fruit. I have identified 3 different varieties.

In Craig’s Homoeopathic garden the Yarrow , is in full flower with lots of new  growth showing.

Achillea millefolium

Bonnie’s broccoli  is just amazing, the heads are so huge.

The Calendula is bright and cheerful after all those rainy days. Full of seed waiting to be harvested.

The Lemon tree had a deformed lemon. I cam only assumed that some bug attacked it while it was forming. I am still going to eat it.

The Oregano planted in the “Worm Garden” has sprouted into life. As well as the  Lemon grass, Rosemary, Winter Savoury and the tomatoes.

The tomatoes in the Worm Garden have been pruned and tied up the stakes.

Simum, my horticultural assistant, applying pipes to the planted  watering coke bottle in the Winter garden where the tyre potatoes are being grown.

The potatoes in the  Winter  Garden ready for the next tyre.

June’s hibiscus giving some bright Winter cheer.

Wet, wet, wet

Tags

allotment gardens, first fruit, food, garden, gardening, home grown, hypoestes, organic, plants, ribbon flower, sweet potatoes, workshop gardens, worm garden

Walking around Ariston yesterday it was wet, wet, wet. So apologies for the poor quality photographs. The plants were loving the moisture and showing of to their best.  Bonnie’s Brocolli is starting.

Bonnie’s Garden has really sprung up. Looking so good and healthy

The Cotton-Easter is full of berries warming up the day.

The Hypoestes making a wonderful lilac ribbon flower display.

Wow the surprise Butter-nut in the J garden is really grown and is sporting it’s first fruit.

Mustard has also escaped and taking over.

Another surprise in the J garden is what I presume to be a cucumber, time will tell.

The nettle in Craig’s garden is looking strong and ready for him to harvest.

In the Winter garden the potatoes are ready for their next layer of soil.

The tomatoes in the  Worm garden are growing rampantly and needing their first prune and a bit of training on their trellis. The Sweet potatoes are starting to show.

Bonnie’s Cabbages are starting to swell.

Wow, such bounty we have living in the garden.

Cassava

Tags

allotment gardens, food, gardening, health, home grown, irritable bowel syndrome, organic, plants, SAB Miller

This is the Cassava which I found growing in one of the allotments. It has been in the ground for some time now and looks like it is flourishing.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta), also called manioc, yuca, balinghoy, mogo, mandioca, kamoteng kahoy, and manioc root, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge family) native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy, tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates. It differs from the similarly spelled yucca, an unrelated fruit-bearing shrub in the Asparagaceae family. Cassava, when dried to a starchy, powdery (or pearly) extract is called tapioca; its fermented, flaky version is named garri.

Cassava is the third-largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics. Cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people. It is one of the most drought-tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils. Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cassava.

Cassava can be cooked in many ways. The soft-boiled root has a delicate flavor and can replace boiled potatoes in many uses: as an accompaniment for meat dishes or made into purées, dumplings, soups, stews, gravies, etc. This plant is used in cholent, in some households, as well. Deep fried (after boiling or steaming), it can replace fried potatoes, with a distinctive flavor. In Brazil, detoxified manioc is ground and cooked to a dry, often hard or crunchy meal which is used as a condiment, toasted in butter, or eaten alone as a side dish.

Ethnomedicine

• The bitter variety leaves are used to treat hypertension, headache, and pain.
• Cubans commonly use cassava to treat irritable bowel syndrome; the paste is eaten in excess during treatment.
• As cassava is a gluten-free, natural starch, its use in Western cuisine as a wheat alternative for sufferers of celiac disease is becoming common.

Alcoholic beverages made from cassava include Cauim and tiquira (Brazil), kasiri (Sub-Saharan Africa), masato (Peruvian Amazonia chicha), parakari (Guyana), nihamanchi (South America) aka nijimanche (Ecuador and Peru), sakurá (Brazil, Surinam).

News flash :  SABMiller Cassava Beer Aims to Beat African Homebrews

Surprises

Tags

allotment gardens, broad beans, carob, compost heap, food, garden, gardening, green peppers, home grown, organic, worm farm, worms

Wow Bonnie’s allotment has grown is leaps and bounds. Green Peppers, Chilli’s, tomatoes are all ripe for the picking.

Craig’s garden has Mustard which has escaped growing lushly. The Comfrey is threatening to take over the compost heap.

The Lavender is waiting to be harvested. The last harvest before Winter sets in.

Wild medicinal weeds are plentiful. Plantago

So many flowers to harvest off the Lavender to distill into Hydro lat  and drying for Pot Pouris

Carobs are growing to a mighty height and in full flowers. I cannot wait for the seeds pods.

Another view of Bonnie’s garden. The broad beans are full of flowers, and the tomatoes are ripe for the picking.

A gift from Nature …Now this is a surprise. This Butternut sprung up in the March “J” workshop garden. It must be courtesy of the Worm farm’s compost.

Bonnie’s Garden

Tags

allotment gardens, cilli, food, gardening, health, home grown, organic, pak choy, pepper, peppers, plants, spinach, tomato, tomatoes

Wow Bonnie’s Garden is really starting to grow. The tomatoes, pepper and chilies are flowering and starting to fruit.

 

Bonnie’s Pak Choy and spinach.

 

Some allotment treasures

Tags

achillea yarrow, allotment gardens, allotment holders, chinese vegetables, Flowers, food, garden, gardening, nepeta cateria, organic, plants

A little photo shoot was had in Ariston Elemental Organic Garden yesterday in the allotment holders gardens…. here are  some of the treasure which were snapped.

                                                 Bonnie’s Chinese vegetables

                                          Cara’s lovely ripening long slim chili

Cara’s Eggplant getting ready for harvest

                                                   Craig’s Achillea (Yarrow) flowering

                                                  Craig’s Nepeta cateria