Allotments 4 All

Phacelia has self-seeded all over the area where my pumpkin will be planted.  
I love it - and so do the bees!

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How lovely :)

I sow pinches of it around the plot! This year I shall sow lots of it where the potatoes have been.  I always let it flower as the bees love it.

Soo..where in photo is you allotment?.. ;) ;D
Looks lovely..mine are just coming to flower too..I've left mine to self seed under the big bramley where they are not on my way and can freely do what they want..hmm..I might do hedge bottoms as well..

Quote from: goodlife on May 09, 2011, 16:41:04
Soo..where in photo is you allotment?.. ;) ;D
Looks lovely..mine are just coming to flower too..I've left mine to self seed under the big bramley where they are not on my way and can freely do what they want..hmm..I might do hedge bottoms as well..

I took the photo from about 20ft into my plot, looking towards the roadway, so most of the plot was behind me.

I love Phacelia because when it's finished flowering it pulls up quite easily.

mine's self-seeded too on my small flower bed at home. it was my first-time last yr using a green manure and didn't reaise how the bees love it so much. i've realised that this will benefit the newly-devoloped frogs to hide under - away from the prowling cat i have ::) ::) it's not nice to find him with them in his mouth this time last yr!! :'( :'( :'( :'(

I have it in the areas which are going to have beans and courgettes.  Bees really buzzing round.  Find it also good because it provides a lot of material to mulch up the beans as well.  Hoping to have even more next year.  

I hate uncovered soil and it grows all through the winter.

Hoping to have even more next year.

looking at your photo has inspired me to get some for my plot next year. Thanks for posting  :)

I have lots coming up in the potato beds, great green manure when the bees have finished with it  ;D

Quote from: 1066 on May 11, 2011, 15:12:48
looking at your photo has inspired me to get some for my plot next year. Thanks for posting  :)

Me too  :)

Squash, or anyone else  ;) when do you sow phacelia (I have some seeds from a swap  :) )

You can plant it at anytime. It grows very quickly and you can either let it flower or dig it in. We keep a bed of it going for the seed. (were meanies) It will overwinter ready for digging in before it flowers. Ours even survived this cold winter.

thanks Shirl, think I'll sow some early autumn/ spring, must try and remember though!!

As Shirl says, you can sow it any time.  I let mine flower and once it finishes pull it up and put on the compost.  Then more seeds germinate and it flowers again.  I've got it all over the place.  I don't need to sow seeds any more.

I let mind flower.  I just love watching the bees.  It was covered in them yesterday.  I did not know there were so many different colours and sizes of bumble bee. 

Some of the bumble bees seem particualarly big this year.

Digeroo have a look at The Bumblebee Conservation Trust website

http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org.uk/

thanks, it's one of those things that I keep planning on sowing, and never seem to get round to it!

I've found that the bees loved the kale plants that I let go to seed, and now the PSB. I'm guessing that they really appreciate them at a time when there isn't a lot else around

10  :)