Author Topic: elderflower (Read 7471 times)

emmy1978 · « **on:** June 20, 2007, 11:16:55 »

I would love to grow this but cannot find seeds anywhere - does anyone have any they can spare when/if it goes to seed or a cutting? Can you tell it's new to me!! I've been all over my lottie site trying to spy some but no luck. Have loads of seeds as swopsy. Thank you! :-*

quizzical1 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 20, 2007, 11:20:48 »

Are you aware that the elder is a TREE? If there were to be any at your allotment, then they would probably be around the edges of the site.

emmy1978 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 20, 2007, 11:26:30 »

No not aware of that quizzical! :P ::) :-[
Told you it was new to me! I can't get around the edges of the site as they are residential but no-one seems to have any trees. They are not really allowed on our site - poop.
Could i keep it little and shrubby or would that mean i got barely any flowers? Dimmit, I can't plant one up at home as rented flat. Reeeeally want one for the plot - got goosegogs, need elderflower. >:(

quizzical1 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 20, 2007, 11:33:55 »

I'm sure you could probably get a reasonably small specimen from a Garden Centre, or look in the plants section of a magazine like GW.

What size you allow it to get to then is up to you. Personally, we are not allowed to plant trees on our plots, without permission (Council owned).

When I said around the edges, I was thinking of our site, which is surrounded by a huge hedge made up of all sorts of trees.
Do you have a canal nearby? They quite often have elder growing along them, or maybe a journey out into the countryside. There's quite often elder to be found in hedgerows.

emmy1978 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 20, 2007, 13:23:16 »

Thanks for that. Right, g/c at weekend then and if no joy there then it's off to Brum. My sisters live there and it will be a nice excuse for a jolly on a narrowboat through the Black Country. ;D

saddad · « **Reply #5 on:** June 20, 2007, 14:15:35 »

Cuttings strike quite easily...
;D

sarah · « **Reply #6 on:** June 20, 2007, 15:18:59 »

if you tell us how to do cuttings i could get us some from my mother in laws black elderlower. if not i know where there are some bushes (are you sure an elderflower is not a bush? when does a bush become a tree?) over at stanpit marsh.

emmy1978 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 20, 2007, 16:54:28 »

Are there some at Stanpit Sarah? Ace. We go swimming at 2 riversmeet every sunday so i can go and squirrel some from there. I thought it was a bush too btw. Black elderflower sounds good too so snaffle some cuttings from your m.i.l and we can have both har haaar! ;D

P.S -Sarah - I made the ticker for you so you could share my torment as it's ALL YOUR FAULT I'm doing this plant stall and going grey!! ;D ;D ;D

sarah · « **Reply #8 on:** June 20, 2007, 18:14:46 »

i wasnt going to mention the ticker Emmer but now that you have brought it up...YOU SHOULDVE TOLD ME IT WAS A STOOPID IDEAR!!! just put gaffer tape over my mouth the next time i get a bright idea will ya. ;D
it'll be alright stop panicking. think about the quality of the stalls they usually have - we would have to try pretty hard to that lame. when i see you i will give you directions to the elderflower bushes. maybe... ;)

quizzical1 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 20, 2007, 19:17:17 »

Quote from: sarah on June 20, 2007, 15:18:59

(are you sure an elderflower is not a bush? when does a bush become a tree?)

Quote from RHS Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers........"Sambucus nigra (common Elder) is a deciduous bushy shrub, height and spread 6 metres (20 Ft)."

Now to me, at 20 foot high and wide, that is a small tree, but what do I know?

emmy1978 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 20, 2007, 19:48:23 »

Quote from: sarah on June 20, 2007, 18:14:46

it'll be alright stop panicking. think about the quality of the stalls they usually have - we would have to try pretty hard to that lame.

Hee hee, now now what would the PTA think if they read this! You are right though, I'm just willing it all to stay alive. My chillies and peppers are splendid so hopefully it'll be ok! I also have 4 baby pumpkins and I have covered their pots in slug pellets as they've already eaten 2. >:( right through the stem!

grawrc · « **Reply #11 on:** June 21, 2007, 08:22:58 »

Emmy rather than growing your own elder why not try to find somewhere where it's growing wild and collect your flowers/ berries from there? Most folk consider elder to be a pain in the neck in the garden (although not to be confused with ground elder which really is a pain). It grows big and fast and self seeds. I love the flowers and the berries too.

emmy1978 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 21, 2007, 10:12:49 »

Hi grawrc, this is the conclusion i have come to also. I had some idea that it was a shrubby bush and could be contained happily on the plot. Now I'm thinking that squirreling it is probably the best option. Sarah knows where some is and I live in Dorset so there MUST be a good few trees around. ;D

grawrc · « **Reply #13 on:** June 21, 2007, 10:54:25 »

When I worked in Blandford Forum - too long ago to even think about - the music teacher in the school had a fabulous cellar of vintage elderflower and elderberry wines and fortified wines so clearly Dorset is not short of the odd elderberry bush! ;)

emmy1978 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 21, 2007, 10:56:02 »

Absolutely, it's just finding it and snaffling it before the residents of whichever village i go a-raiding do!

Amazin · « **Reply #15 on:** June 22, 2007, 00:02:02 »

I grow some fruit bushes along one of my garden borders, including rasperries, blackcurrant, gooseberries, a miniature apple, and... an elder. Mine is a sambucus nigra - it's very pretty, flowers and fruits profusely, and I prune it to keep it small (around 5 ft) so, yes, it's a bush.

However, bordering our lottie site are some magnificent elders which also flower and fruit profusely, but stand at twenty feet high or more, as they aren't pruned, so... er... yes, it's a tree.

Phew! Glad we've sorted that one out!

;D

emmy1978 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 22, 2007, 10:51:22 »

Yes thanks Amazin'. Always nice to have things clear! ;D ;D ;D

jennym · « **Reply #17 on:** June 22, 2007, 11:09:14 »

A side issue to this thread but worth noting for all you scavengers out there.
If you make elderberry jelly, DON'T use any unripe berries or stalks or seeds, they contain ingredients that can gibe you a nasty stomach upset. Don't try and make jam, Collect the ripe berries by all means but just crush them for the juice, and strain it off and use that.

saddad · « **Reply #18 on:** June 22, 2007, 17:11:49 »

If you have a neighbour with one hanging into their garden they will wiling let you cut as many flower heads as you want as the birds eat the berries and poo on everything!
;D

pigeonseed · « **Reply #19 on:** July 14, 2007, 21:05:37 »

I made elderflower fritters for the first time this year and they were GORGEOUS.

i just made pancake batter with a spoonful of sugar added to it and dipped a head of flowers in the batter and shallow fried.

They look lovely, because the batter coats the individual flowers, and they taste, well you know the way elder flowers taste, fragrant, like nothing else really.

But they're so filling i picked far to many flowers.

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Author Topic: elderflower (Read 7471 times)