Insect Hotel

13 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by Brigid Jackson in Garden Creatures, insects

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

comfrey, garden creatures, Insect Hotel, Insects, The Lost gardens of Heligan

There are over 2300 species of insect living in the U.K.

Comfrey is grown on the outside slope of the Insect Hotel to encourage decomposition and create a healthy environment

Many different types of mediums were used to create a bio-diverse habitat for the insects in the “Insect Hotel”

The Lost Gardens of Heligan

Building an Insect Hotel Habitat

Flowers Garden

06 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by Brigid Jackson in Colours, Flowers, South African Endemic, Uncategorized

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

composite flowers, flower, Flower garden, Flowers, garden, Lost gardens of Heligan, plant, plants, showy flowers, South Africa, South African endemic plant, Southern Africa, The Lost gardens of Heligan

Although it is the end of Summer in the UK, we were still able to see many flowers in the flower garden at The Lost Gardens of Heligan.
Rudbeckia still as bright as ever, distinguished for their long flowering season.
This Melianthes (Kruidtjie roer my nie) caught my eye. It is a South African endemic plant. On a sunny day the sun-birds feast on the nectar dripping from the flowers, but any one touching those attractive leaves is in for a surprise. With a strong unpleasant smell, it warns all that it is highly toxic.
Echinacea commonly know as “Cone-flowers, have large, showy heads of composite flowers, blooming from early to late summer. The generic name is derived from the Greek word, meaning “sea urchin,” due to the spiny central disk. Some species are used in herbal medicines and some are cultivated in gardens for their showy flowers.
This flower is a mystery, could someone please help me identify it.
This Sedum or Stonecrop leaves are edible.

Pelargonium species are evergreen perennials indigenous to Southern Africa, and are drought and heat tolerant, but can tolerate only minor frosts. They are extremely popular garden plants, grown as bedding plants in temperate regions.
The Purple flower is Dissotis princeps, another South African endemic. This handsome species is fast, easy and rewarding to grow provided it is planted in fertile, well-watered soil in a sunny position
Related articles

The productive garden

03 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by Brigid Jackson in Flowers, Gardens, Pest control, Re-use

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

Artichoke, beans, companion planting, espalier, Flowers, food, garden, gardening, gourd, health, Heligan, heritage varieties, home, home grown, kale, organic, pear, Personal, plant, pumpkin, saving seed, The Lost gardens of Heligan, Victorian garden, Zinnia

The Productive Gardens at Heligan have been restored to reflect the workings of a Victorian garden before the First World War. Heligan remains true to this period in the cropping plan, growing only heritage varieties and cultivating the soil by hand. The garden is fully productive throughout the year and there is a constant supply of produce ready for harvest.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The pears are grown espaliered along the boundary walls

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

These beans are being saved for seed.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The Artichokes in their final Summer flush.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Pumpkins ready for harvest.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Many different types of Kale

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The garden planting plan.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Zinnias grown for companion planting. These old-time plants attract a wide range of beneficial pollinator insects, including endangered bumblebees; attract a number of song birds and hummingbirds, and zinnias are relatively easy to grow and maintain. Their usefulness goes beyond wildlife and the garden, they are also excellent cut flowers for the home or for sale. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA