Topic: soft fruit

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

All

i took cuttings and shoved them in a vacant area of the plot around October and most seem to be budding now - I did josterberry, tayberry and gooseberry.  I also layered a josterberry- again it has taken no problems.  Really surprised how easily they have propogated, even in a very cold year and some pretty hefty snow!  No idea where I will plant these cuttings however!

I also did the same with rosemary and lavender with the vague idea of maybe planting very low hedges at the edge of the plot - most seem to have made it too - very interesting.  I figure the lavender will be great for the bees.

On the bee theme it is my second full year on the plot and i really want to encourage the wildlife back to the plot and have set aside a large area for cut flowers and propagated a few rose cuttings to trail over the shed etc.  Do bees like anything in particular that is good on a plot?

All idea welcome.

Si

[saddad]

Phacalia...  a green manure but if you let it flower the bees love it. Sainfoil(sp?) if you can get it is also very popular with the bees...  :)

[allaboutliverpool]

Runner beans!

I also have a hebe that is always covered in bees.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Borage, but once you start growing it you'll have it for evermore. I just let it grow anywhere it's out of the way, and it's shallow-rooting enough to be really easy to pull out. If you have ground elder, or any other umbellifer, that's a good one, and ivy is important in the autumn.

[saddad]

Poached Egg Plant... Limnanthes(?) if you don't mind constantly pulling up new seedlings...  :-X

[:(]

comfrey

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

Borage, but once you start growing it you'll have it for evermore. I just let it grow anywhere it's out of the way, and it's shallow-rooting enough to be really easy to pull out. If you have ground elder, or any other umbellifer, that's a good one, and ivy is important in the autumn.

robert, I planted borage last year in valuable beds not realising it was a triffid!! It gets seriously big seriously quickly!  A word of warning to those equally unfamiliar to borage!

[Robert_Brenchley]

It's certainly not adapted for small spaces!