Topic: Guerilla gardening with nigella, from the Asian supermarket?

[ACE]

You seem determined to think that it's deliberate,

Um! am I missing something here? I thought this thread was about guerilla gardening. If that is not deliberate vandalism, what is?

If somebody has to even ask the question whether they could or could not do it means a lack of experience. Because they selfishly want their scruffy little eyesores looking pretty, disregarding the micro culture that is already in place on that scruffy patch that is also inexperience. Somebody mentioned planting marigolds to swamp out dandelions. Do you not use marigolds as companions to keep pests away. Why can't you let the pests have their little bit, all insects are in the chain somewhere. Even dandelions feed some species.
 
I am not an expert myself but I can forsee these holigans spoiling it for the rest of us with their selfish attitudes. They even pat themselves on the back, shouting what a good job they are doing.

I spent years campaigning for my local cemeteries to be left alone.  They would turn them every year into a green desert of neatly trimmed grass, because otherwise they looked scruffy. Nobody took any notice, until a conservationist called Dr. Pope, told them they were killing our heritage. luckly they listened. Now they are not termed as scruffy, they are sites of special scientific interest and it is against the law
to 'tidy' them up.

Orchids, cowslips, oxlips, wild grasses that were rediscovered, wild crocus, species daffodils and every type of stinging, biting, buzzing  insect. I could garantee that everybody on this forum would love a walk through them, just to remember some of the plants they used to know.

but you would not like that yourself would you? too many weeds not enough garden flowers.

[Froglegs]

I agree with Ace,if you must have a tidy up then just pick up the litter, better that than introducing a pretty that further on up the line will become a pest.

[thifasmom]

thanks guys for the further recipe ideas.

this is like two conversation now, isn't it.

 ;D

Naan Roasties:

Parboil 2lbs potatos cut into roastie sized pieces for 8-10 minutes. put in a plastic bag with 1desert spoonful of oil, the same of butter, 2 teaspoons kalonji, 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds. shake it up until the butter is melted and the potatos are well covered in seeds, tip out into a preheated pan and put in the oven at about gas mk6-7 200 degrees or so..... great with any fusion style mash-up of British and Indian cuisines  or just by themselves with beer...

chrisc

TAH! guess what they are going to have for dinner tonight ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

It's well known what happened in the case of Oxford Ragwort, which is why I mentioned it. The seeds are windborne; they spread across Oxford, then down the railway lines. Both Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed have equally efficient means of spreading, and both of them went along waterways. There's no need for conspiracy theories.

[hellohelenhere]

Orchids, cowslips, oxlips, wild grasses that were rediscovered, wild crocus, species daffodils and every type of stinging, biting, buzzing  insect. I could garantee that everybody on this forum would love a walk through them, just to remember some of the plants they used to know.

These will grow on my local industrial estate then, if I leave it alone? Oooh, great! Can't wait to seem them this summer.

The way you're talking, ACE, you don't seem to approve of flower gardening at all.

[lottie lou]

Hells bells, how is everyone growing nigella?  Mine committed hari kari after the first year.  It seem though, if I manage to grow them, I can use their seeds for culinary purposes?

However I do agree with Ace, I once had a blazing row in the office as an Asian colleague had brought back roses, complete with rootball, from Pakistan.  Her argument was that the garden  centre down the road sold them at a higher price than she had purchased them in Pakistan and anyway no one stopped her - and I ended up being regarded as rascist

[saddad]

Not actually considered this properly LouLou but, if it is so successful on lotties perhaps it likes a cold spell, and if we sow it under glass in spring, or direct in spring it goes dormant??? Many seeds naturally overwinter as seedlings..  :-\

[ACE]

Orchids, cowslips, oxlips, wild grasses that were rediscovered, wild crocus, species daffodils and every type of stinging, biting, buzzing  insect. I could garantee that everybody on this forum would love a walk through them, just to remember some of the plants they used to know.

These will grow on my local industrial estate then, if I leave it alone? Oooh, great! Can't wait to seem them this summer.

If you want to interpretate it that way. Up to you. Are my words too big for you to understand properly.

And to think I said sorry earlier.

[hellohelenhere]

Ah well, sorry ACE, I shouldn't have stooped to sarcasm, but you did it first, nah nah nah... (with the 'but you would not like that yourself would you? ')  :D
Let's call a truce on sarcasm?

I'm completely in accordance with you in wanting to preserve natural environments for their native species; wish I'd never bought up the subject of guerilla gardening. I wasn't even considering doing it anywhere other than the concrete hinterland of the industrial estate I live on the edge of, where I thought a few commonly-existing, already-well-tolerated-in-Britain flowers would brighten the place up a bit.

I was simply wondering what to do with the vast quantities of nigella seed that I have at my disposal.

Why this should lump me in with people who like to keep cemeteries strimmed, I have no idea. Nor does it mean that I want to gleefully and maliciously introduce the next exotic plague.

You've accused me (or my implied ilk) of being 'a silly fool', 'selfish', 'a hooligan', 'ignorant', and 'a criminal'. I think I've had enough of being abused, now! You have lots of interesting things to say, but tearing people's heads off might not be the best way to get them across.

And on that note - I'm bailing out of this thread! Bye all, see you on a calmer thread sometime soon. :)

[ACE]

Yeh. Gone on a bit ain't I. Lets stop now, what do they taste like anyhow, poppy? sesame? anything I can relate to. We have no asian greengrocers over here, I think they might think it is the Isle of 'White' instead of Wight which is anglo saxon for Whitgar or something like that.

I must admit I am sometimes  mystified at some of the produce I see on display when I venture north of the solent, but I would like to try some of the strange shapes and different tastes. (perhaps try some of the seeds, shhhh)

[lottie lou]

Ace, white shops like Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsburys etc sell poppy seeds and other exotics nowadays.  In fact they can be just a cheap as the Asian shops.

[hellohelenhere]

Nigella seeds taste a bit like thyme, only earthier, and they have a slight fragrance of strawberries. Sounds a bit odd but they go fantastically with chicken, or with potatoes. They also have a little bit of a peppery edge to them. Very nice. :)

[zigzig]

I do not think we ever recovered from the Romans introducing snails into the British Isles as food.

[littlebabybird]

Ace, white shops like Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsburys etc sell poppy seeds and other exotics nowadays.  In fact they can be just a cheap as the Asian shops.

lottie lou if you ever go to the island, check out the supermarkets,
it might have improved since they rebuilt tesco but the range is limited to say the least,
lbb

[tonybloke]

I do not think we ever recovered from the Romans introducing snails into the British Isles as food.

only the edible snails were introduced by the italians! ;) also edible frogs, btw

[Mrs Ava]

And didn't those bl**dy romans introduce Ground Elder?  My mum has never forgiven them!  ;D

[ACE]

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-ground-elder-omelette

[PurpleHeather]

That ACE
with t'orrible face


Is determined to have the last word on this.

[hellohelenhere]

I might have to try that ground elder omelette, just out of sheer revenge. I'm going to help my bro with his garden next week - it used to be my garden, and I'm afraid I didn't keep on top of the ground elder and it's now gone rampant. Argh. Out with the glyphosate and the black plastic; it won't be pretty!

[1066]

this is like two conversation now, isn't it.

Maybe we can turn this thread into Guerilla recipies???!!!!
Nigella seeds go great with cauliflower  ;D