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You can contact Sally via Empire Farm

Empire Farm, Throop Rd, Templecombe, Somerset, BA8OHR

sally (@) empirefarm.co.uk

Garden Media Guild Award finalist

Sally Morgan

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the_organic_plot

#Organic #gardener & #smallholder, writing on food, farming and gardening, living the good life #blogging at livingononeacreorless.co.uk

#unusualvegetables 13: Oysterplant or oysterleaf

#unusualvegetables 13: Oysterplant or oysterleaf or Sea bluebells (Mertensia maritima) - another #seaveg ⁠
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The fascination with this plant comes from its edible succulent leaves that taste of oysters. For me I can tell they are fishy but not sure about oysters!! But I do notice that the leaves taste stronger in the morning than in the afternoon.⁠
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Its a native lowgrowing #perennial found on shingle banks with a northern distribution. Its a member of the borage family which is why it reminds me so much of cerinthe. ⁠
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🌼You can buy it from specialist nurseries - I got mine from @edible_garden _nursery_ having been looking for a while. I had first seen a bed of oysterplant growing in the fabulous #kitchengarden of the @thepig_hotel near Bath.⁠
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🌱I am growing mine in a pot but am busy saving seed to sow in autumn and keep in a cold frame over winter. Once its finished flowers I'll cut it back to stimulate some more growth⁠
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#vegetablegarden #walledgarden #garden #gardeners #gardenersofinstagram #kitchengarden #pighotel #pighotelbath #allotmentlife #growherbs #unusualplants #oysterleaf #oysterplant #seavegetables #seaherbs #ediblegarden #tasteofthesea

🦋 #Butterflies in our #organic #meadow they rea

🦋 #Butterflies in our #organic #meadow they really love the #knapweed loads of #marbledwhites and the last of the #meadowbrowns ⁠
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Hoping they are still around for the 2020 Big Butterfly Count! @savebutterflies which kicks off 17 July - please take part!! Don't forget to download the free #bigbutterflycount app and carry out some #citizenscience https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/ ⁠
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#butterfly #butterflyconservation #uk_wildlife_images #lovewhereyoulive #naturelover #organicfarm #pollinators #savebutterflies ##meadowplants #countingbutterflies #somersetwildlife #lovenature #rewilding

#Unusualvegetables 12: Agretti or saltwort (Salsol

#Unusualvegetables 12: Agretti or saltwort (Salsola soda). Following #seaveg theme - this is very like samphire, not quite as salty but lovely and crunchy with bitter notes. Young shoots can be used in salads while older shoots are stir fried or lightly boiled and toss in olive oil. Its called #monksbeard on fancy menus! Also #Roscano #BarbadiFrate. Its similar to Japanese saltwort or #okahijiki (Salsola komarovii)⁠
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🥦 Its grows wild along Mediterranean coasts and is very popular in Italy. ⁠
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It can be a game to get germinated as its not proper seed and viability is short-lived. But once it gets underway you have quite large bushy plants with long, thin and crunchy leaves. I sow some really early in the polytunnel and in raised beds outside. Once the plants get to about 15 cm I cut back, and then they regrow and regrow. ⁠
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At the end of the season I let the plants go to seed and cut them off at ground level and hang them to dry, so I plenty of fresh seed for the next year. 💚💚⁠
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If you want to buy some truly fresh seed, get it from from @franchiseedsofitaly but its so limited that you have to preorder!!!⁠
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#growveg #growingvegetables #kitchengarden #potager #GYO #growyourownveg #ediblegarden #mediterraneanveg #agretti #homegrownveggies #growfood #grownfromseed #growyourownveggies #veggiepatch #plotlife #gardentoplate #organicgarden #polytunnel #saveseed #homegrownveg #allotment #allotmentlove #allotmenteering #organicgardening

#unusualvegetables 11: Sea kale (Crambe maritima )

#unusualvegetables 11: Sea kale (Crambe maritima ) another of the #seaveg that you can grow in the garden. This #perennialvegetable has a dual function – its deliciously edible and also ornamental. Its a fab plant that I would not be without. 😍⁠
Its an unmistakable plant with grey-green fleshy leaves with clouds of scented white flowers in early summer. It can be found growing wild on shingle beaches. One of the best places to see it is on the surreal shingle expanse of Dungeness in the shadow of the nuclear power station (you can also see Derek Jarman’s amazing gravel garden too)⁠
Given its native habitat, its not surprising that its a pretty tough plant for the garden, coping with sun, drought, exposure but it likes free draining soil. I have mine growing in raised bed in an open sunny position.⁠
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🥦On the edibility front you can eat all of it – roots, leaves, shoots and flowerheads and seed pods. The purple shoots and frilly leaves appear in spring and they are succulent and tender. The Victorians used to force these young shoots in the same way as rhubarb using the wonderful forcing pots you can still buy. 🌼The young flowerheads appear later and they look like broccoli but are superior in flavour. The older leaves are edible but not particularly tender. ⁠
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Once it gets going it has an extensive root system and young plants pop up some distance from the parent plant which is brilliant as a couple of plants will soon spread over a whole bed. ⁠
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You can buy plants from suppliers such as @plantspennard @thebackyardlarder (where you find guidance on taking root cuttings and getting the seeds to germinate), @victoriananurserygardens @bethchattogardens and @edible_garden_nursery_ to name a few⁠
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#growfood #growyourownfood #organicgardening #organicgarden #gardenblog #gardenblogger #growingfood #smallholding #perennialveg #veggiepatch #plotlife #gardentoplate #allotment #allotmentlove #allotmenteering #ediblegarden #seakale #foraging #wildfood #seaveg⁠ ⁠ ⁠#edibleharvest #kitchengarden #potager #climatechangegarden #resiliencegarden⁠

#Unusualvegetables 9: Perilla or shiso or Chinese

#Unusualvegetables 9: Perilla or shiso or Chinese basil, (Perilla frutescens var. crispa) This Japanese / Asian herb is related the mint and comes in two forms - this is the purple one and there is a green one. I love the colour of these leaves, but taste wise the green ones probably win out. Its an odd taste - a mix of mint / basil / cinnamon.⁠
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Traditionally these leaves are used in salads, garnish or pickled and widely used in sushi. They are used in pickled plums which I tried last year and they turned everything a red-purple! Very eyecatching!⁠
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The seeds can be a game to get germinated. The seeds lose viability quite quickly, are slow to germinate and need warmth. Some guides say sow on surface and cover with newspaper until germinated, others say they need light to germinate - both methods have worked for me, but %germination has been patchy. But once germinated they are easy to grow on, either in a greenhouse or outside in a sunny spot. They don't seem to suffer from many pests. Once they get going they form a low bush plant which I keep on pinching out. ⁠
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You can get seed from @chilternseeds⁠
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Be warned it is toxic to livestock and classed as a weed in some parts of the world. ⁠
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#asianvegetables #Japanesefoods ##growfood #growyourownfood #organicgardening #organicgarden #gardenblog #growagarden #backyardhomestead # #growingfood #growingherbs #herbgarden #shiso #perilla⁠

#Unusualvegetable 9: Sea beet - looks like spinach

#Unusualvegetable 9: Sea beet - looks like spinach but the flavour of the succulent glossy young leaves is so much better! Its a perennial too so low maintenance 💚⁠
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This plant is better known to foragers as it grows on shingle banks and salt marshes ⁠
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🌱Its the same family as spinach, chard, beet, amaranth etc. The whole plant can be eaten - the leaves, stems, flower spikes and even the roots. ⁠
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☀️ It likes a sunny spot with well drained soil. It can get quite large at this time of year as the flower spikes are 1+ metres long and they sprawl out over the ground. Unless you are saving seed, cut them back to get a flush of new leaves. It outcompetes weeds so is great for a spare bed which you want to forget about other than forage.⁠
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🛒I think @thebackyardlarder selling plants at the moment but otherwise its easily established from seed @plantspennard ⁠
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#growfood #growyourownfood #organicgardening #organicgarden #gardenblog #gardenblogger #growagarden #growingfood #smallholding #perennialveg #perennialvegetables #veggiepatch #plotlife #gardentoplate #allotment #allotmentlove #allotmenteering #nodig #ediblegarden #seabeet #foraging #wildfood #seaveg #wildfood #seaveg⁠
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Morning haul from the #polytunnel - the usual sala

Morning haul from the #polytunnel - the usual salad leaves, basil and tomatoes plus some small #tromboncino.the kale plants are in their second year and are incredibly prolific this year - who says kale is an annual
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#ediblegarden #edibleharvest #polytunnellife #growingfood #growyourownveggies #growtoeat #kitchengardener #lovegardening #loveveg #cavolonero

#Unusualvegetable 8: Cardoon Looks like a globe a

#Unusualvegetable 8: Cardoon Looks like a globe artichoke but its not. Long forgotten Victorian #kitchengarden favourite But its not the flowerheads that are eaten but the leafstalks. The young stems are blanched in autumn by earthing up and wrapping to cut out the light. Leave for a couple of months and harvest. ⁠
They are wonderfully ornamental plants for the #potager #kitchengarden, reaching 2m with huge silver thistle like leaves. The purple flowers are fabulous and bring in bees of all kinds, ⁠
One disadvantage is wind - they are huge plants and prone to fall over in wind (ie like now!) so need substantial supports., or like me get used to stepping over some toppled stems. They self seed so you get plenty of plants for free.⁠
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Interesting fact: the pressed seeds are used for vegetable rennet and biodiesel !!.⁠
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#beefriendly #wildlifegardening #allotment #gardeningtips #gardeningforbeginners #allotmentlife #homegrownveg #growfood #grownfromseed #gardeningmakesmehappy #gardenersofinstagram #vegpatch #gardenerslife #growyourfood #fromthegarden #gardenlove #ilovegardening #gardeningislife #mygardenthismonth #ornamentalplants #architecturalplants⁠
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#Unusualvegetables 7: Soybeans or #edamame beans -

#Unusualvegetables 7: Soybeans or #edamame beans - Another crop I wouldnt be without in the #vegpatch.⁠
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An easy to grow legume along side French beans and runners. Needs a long summer to dry out the pods. But I prefer to eat the green beans which we call edamame. I pick the pods, pop them in boiling water and the green beans slip out of the pods. Delicious in salad. A real #climatechangegarden #vegetable⁠
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There are new varieties that ripen earlier and so are more suited to our climate. Seeds can be bought from @_suttons1806 @realseeds @chilternseeds and others ⁠
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#allotment #gardeningtips #gardeningforbeginners #allotmentlife #veggrowalong #cottagegarden #potager #legume #healthyfood #kitchengarden #organicgrowing #growyourownfood #grownfromseed ⁠#soybeans
#growwhatyoueat #eatwhatyougrow #growingfood #growfood #ediblegarden #growyourownveggies #organicgardening⁠
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#unusualvegetables 6: Quinoa Do you say kwuh-NO-u

#unusualvegetables 6: Quinoa Do you say kwuh-NO-uh or KWIN-wah? Either way, its an easy plant to grow in the #vegpatch. ⁠
I have been growing quinoa for a number of years and harvest a small amount of seed for my own use in the kitchen. Related to spinach and the weed fat hen, its a resilient crop to grow. ⁠
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By the end of summer they will be 1.5+m high and look amazing. I love the rainbow quinoa - the colours appear as the seedhead matures. ⁠
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You can get the seed from a number of suppliers @plantspennard @realseeds @_suttons1806⁠
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#homegrownveggies #growfood #grownfromseed #gardeningmakesmehappy #allotmentlove #growyourfood #fromthegarden #kitchengarden #kitchengardening #allotment #gardeningtips #gardeningforbeginners #allotmentlife #potager #growwhatyoueat #eatwhatyougrow #growingfood #growfood #ediblegarden #growyourownveggies #organicgardening⁠

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