Error message

  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: addressfield. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: backup_migrate. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: calendar. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_addressbook. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_autosku. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_cart. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_checkout. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_customer. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_customer_ui. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_custom_product. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_email. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_features. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_flat_rate. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_giftaid. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_hide_shipping. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_line_item. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_line_item_ui. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_message. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_order. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_order_ui. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_payment. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_payment_example. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_payment_ui. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_paypal. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_paypal_wps. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_price. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_product. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_product_pricing. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_product_pricing_ui. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_product_reference. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_product_ui. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_sdf. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_shipping. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_shipping_ui. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_sp. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_ss. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_ssr. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_stock. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_stock_ui. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_ui. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_fancy_attributes. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • User warning: The following module is missing from the file system: commerce_file. For information about how to fix this, see the documentation page. in _drupal_trigger_error_with_delayed_logging() (line 1143 of /home/bobflowe/new.bobflowerdew.com/includes/bootstrap.inc).

Crops by work or value?

At this time of the year our memories are still fresh and we can recall how our harvesting went over the last few months, our successes and failures and so on. If we are sensible we note which crops did us well, which varieties performed above average and which below. Over the years we select and choose those ones that fit our needs most closely. Hopefully we don’t waste our efforts growing crops we never use and even more hopefully we don’t run out of favourites too soon.

Companion planting pt 2 in-soil inter-actions

In part 1 I postulated that with the thousands of different plants that grow in our gardens it seemed unlikely that none had some effect on another. That it was only scientific to investigate how such interactions could take place, and how plants might do so above ground.

Companion planting pt1 the many interactions

Fifteen years before this I had just finished writing my first book on Companion Planting. Back then even 'Organic' was widely misunderstood and not considered scientific by some. So I could almost understand the hostility of the supposedly 'science based' gardeners to such another piece of 'muck and magic'. Of course even back then I found it strange to say the least that allegedly scientific people would dismiss companion planting effects out of hand.

Winter salads

Salads are often thought of as food for summer days. Indeed they are then often most welcome when hot weather makes heavy cooked meals seem unappetizing. But in many ways we need to eat more salads at this time of year when the range of fresh fruit and vegetables is so much reduced. It is easy for us to slip into a nutritional rut with our meals. We can find ourselves piling on the potatoes and pasta, filling up with stews and casseroles, eating far more dairy products, meat and fats, all in order to fend off the cold.

Winter fruits

Some ‘exotic’ winter cropping fruits are hardy enough to survive mild winters almost unprotected, though without some help their crops are usually poor. These I covered earlier; the citrus, loquat, olive and so on. However with more heat, not just frost free but warm (not room temperature but say 50F) then a whole new range of exciting fruits become possible. And many of these also ripen in the depths of winter when our garden is well empty.

Why tea but not coffee, chocolate or cashews?

One of the most interesting changes over recent years has been the increased interest in unusual crops. The relative cheapness of greenhouses and poly-tunnels has enabled many more tender crops to be easily grown. Foreign holidays and food programmes have all increased this trend and now a new gardener is as likely to be growing chilli peppers as their father was tomatoes.

Under cover watering and ventilation

Outdoors it's possible to grow most crops with a visit once a week, or even less. Under cover, unless you are ruthless with your planning and invest in automatic systems, you MUST visit more frequently, probably at least twice daily, and preferably more often. Outdoors we can often rely on nature to provide the water and change the air as our plants require. Under cover we are in charge and must do these important tasks not only well, but also with monotonous, unbroken, regularity.

Vegetable fruits (tomato/pepper/cucumber/aubergine/squashes)

Often excluded from works on fruit as they’re annual, soft and herbaceous not perennial and woody. And even though used most in savoury dishes they’re none the less fruits. Indeed they’re some of the most important fruit crops to the kitchen gardener.

Ethnic and other roots (sweet potatoes, taro, eddoes, dasheen and yam)

Recently there has been a huge interest in growing sweet potatoes and to a lesser extent some of the other less commonplace ethnic root crops. Some of these are even confused with the true sweet potatoes Ipomea batatas which are quite closely related to Morning Glory. Rather unexpectedly these were introduced well before our now ubiquitous ‘Irish’ potatoes but failed to really catch on. (As effectively likewise failed Jerusalem artichokes and several other, remarkably unpalatable, roots introduced as potential food crops, even Dahlias were tried!)

Better tomatoes

There is probably no more widely grown crop than tomatoes. Almost every kitchen garden will have some growing indoors or out and I doubt there is any plant more often tried by the novice. There are hundreds of varieties of very differing value, and success with the outdoor ones is almost entirely dependent on the year rather than the gardener's skill.

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