Innholdsfortegnelse for 2-Nov-2019 i Amateur Gardening

AFTER the predominantly grey and brown tones of winter, the arrival of spring colours is an absolute blessing. So a warm welcome back to members of the tulip family! These extravagant blooms burst onto the scene in a flurry of shiny petals, in myriad shapes and all in brilliant colours. If you think you ‘don’t like’ tulips, hold your horses. There are 15 different divisions, or varieties of the plant, available. They can be single, double, bowl, cup or goblet-shaped, fringed and furled, shaped like peonies or have long, slender, sky-pointing petals. They are versatile plants and thrive in borders, containers and rockeries. There are a few things to remember when planting tulips. They like a sunny site (though flowers last longer in partial shade) and the soil needs to…

Bedding tulips, as opposed to the species tulips, may not flower as well (or at all) if left in the ground. If you have a manageable number of bulbs and don’t want to discard them, you can lift them, dry them and replant in autumn. Deadhead plants and let the leaves turn yellow and die back. Then dig them up, brush off soil and discard any soft or rotten bulbs and leave the rest to dry thoroughly. Store in trays or nets somewhere warm, dark and well ventilated, and replant next autumn in less important or central displays.…

1 Carefully dig around an overgrown plant and lift it, keeping a protective layer of soil around the rootball. 2 Split the plant, either with a sharp spade or two forks back to back. Make sure each division has healthy roots and top growth. 3 Add some well-rotted compost or manure to the planting hole and set the division at the same depth as previously. 4 Infill the hole with soil and compost, firm in, water well and mulch around the plant. Keep the soil watered and free of weeds.…

AS well as leaving the garden looking tidier, making leafmould provides you with one of the best natural soil conditioners available. It takes a couple of years to make and the end result is a dark and crumbly substance that has myriad uses. These include: Mulch: It suppresses weeds and its dark tones offset the vibrant colours of emerging spring plants. Potting compost: Combine with homemade compost and sieve it finely and you have perfect sowing mixture. Sieve it extremely finely for tiny seeds. Soil improver: Packed with nutrients, it improves the water-holding properties of thin, sandy soils and lightens clay. Home for wildlife: A wood-and-mesh compost bin provides a hibernation haven for a range of garden-friendly wildlife, including hedgehogs, toads and slow worms. Take care when forking it out…

1 The exhibition carrots and potatoes are grown in large pots of sieved potting compost to get smooth unblemished skins. 2 Apples will develop brightly coloured skins if picked and left out in the sunlight for a few days. These were grown by Adrian Baggaley of Lowdham. 3 Good bunches with large individual grapes are achieved by dramatic thinning with scissors as they start to swell. These were gown by David Sinclair. 4 Exhibition tomatoes need to be picked fresh so that the calyx is still rich green.…

THERE was a letter in AG 14 September referring to an article I wrote on the box tree caterpillar in AG 3 August. I didn’t come up with a definitive answer and the writer wasn’t happy that I hadn’t recommended a chemical solution to the problem. Personally, I’d rather have the box tree caterpillars in my garden than a lungful of chemical mist entering my bloodstream! There is good news on the box tree caterpillar front, though. A flock of jackdaws has cleaned up the problem at the National Trust’s Ham House, near Richmond, Surrey. They’ve frisked the box plant in the kitchen garden and it’s growing back. Head gardener Rosie Fyles first noticed jackdaws plucking caterpillars from the box hedges in May, but thought it might be a one-off.…

1 Dahlias: Grow in full sun and lift the tubers in late October or November. Freshly lifted tubers have best eating characteristics (stored ones are also edible). Choose those marketed as ‘edible’ like Lubera’s DeliDahlia range (‘Buga München’ above) for best quality. 2 Yacon: A South American tuber with sizeable harvests that can be eaten on lifting or from storage. Plants are highly ornamental, with large, hair-covered leaves. The tubers are peeled before consumption, and can be eaten raw or cooked. Mild and crunchy. 3 Sweet Potato: As well as the standard orange-fleshed type, look for varieties with white or purple flesh (see ‘T65’ above). Grow in a warm, well-drained sunny spot, water well and give these rambling vines plenty of space to spread.…

IS your greenhouse or polytunnel in need of a good clean-out? Pests and diseases that took hold in warmer months can linger through the winter, ready to re-infect crops in spring. So if whitefly, red spider mite, aphids or mealybugs thwarted toms, grapes or cucumbers, nip re-occurrences in the bud now! Sweep down surfaces (and vacuum them if you are being ultra-clean) to remove cobwebs, crop debris, dust and general detritus. Then add kitchen liquid detergent to warm water if you want to clean polytunnel sheeting (use the soft side of a kitchen sponge, not the scouring pad, which can cause milkiness if used vigorously). Proprietary glasshouse disinfectants do a good job of killing off pests and diseases (ventilate well when applying). Alternatively, use domestic glass cleaners or warm, soapy…

‘Claude Shride’ Smart Turk’s cap variety with fragrant, deep red blooms lit by gold spots and orange anthers, opening in June. Reaches 3-5ft (1-1½m) tall. Pink Perfection Group Fragrant, trumpet-shaped blooms of lilac-pink open from tapering buds. Plants reach 4-6ft (1.2-1.8m) tall. Happy in any soil type. ‘Orange Art’ Typical of an Asiatic, the unscented burgundy and orange flowers open wide, look upwards and shine out on stems to 4ft (1.2m) tall. Flowers from June to July and prefers an alkaline soil. ‘Conca d’Or’ A popular Oriental and trumpet lily hybrid, reaching over 5ft (1½m) tall. Bears fragrant, creamy white and soft yellow blooms from mid-July. Happily grows in any soil type.…

ONCE upon a time we had to clamber up ladders to prune wayward branches, but not any more thanks to technology. Pole-saw pruners have a small chainsaw at the top of a long, extendable arm, with a handle and controls at the bottom. With this it’s possible to cut branches around 6in (15cm) diameter at heights of up to 14ft (4.2m). Remember to cut them in stages, and never stand directly underneath – having a large branch crash to the ground is dangerous! Handling a pole saw, even the lightest of those on test, takes some strength. A safety helmet and eye protection are essential extras. I’ve chosen three models that are ideal for gardeners. They are battery-powered, allowing you to move around unencumbered by electricity power cables or noisy…

JAMES Kelway, the founder of Kelways Nurseries, was born on this day in Pilton, Somerset. His father was head gardener on the Westholme estate, and James was probably born in the gardener’s cottage, which still exists. He worked with his father, and at 18 became head gardener himself at the Dillington estate, near Ilminster. He left in 1851 when he bought a small nursery with less than two acres, in Langport. Over 50 years he built up a business with more than 200 acres of its own, and many more leased. Among many others he grew gladiolus (his personal favourites), delphiniums, pyrethrums and peonies (which became Kelways’ flagship product). His son William and grandson James continued his work into the 20th century and, although the business is under different management,…

Please stop this negativity I CAN’T believe AG is still printing letters about Gardeners’ World and Monty Don – mostly in a negative way, with the exception of the odd letter (AG, 12 October). Gardening usually brings people together through the mutual love of swapping plants, seeds and so on, and exchanging tips and ideas. Why do people have to constantly criticise one programme or presenter against another? Surely, we should all appreciate what few gardening programmes there are on TV. I have gardened all my life and always enjoyed Gardeners’ World for the expert knowledge and inspiration it gives me. I have subscribed for many years and have become very disappointed by other readers’ constant negative comments about the programme. There is enough discontent in the world. Let’s not…

FOOD historians believe coffee hails from Ethiopia, although legend says it comes from Afghanistan and was the discovery of a goat herder called Kaldi. While walking, through the Hindu Kush, Kaldi noticed how frisky his herd became after eating the berries of the coffee tree. Not being one to let goats have all the fun, he scoffed some – and danced until dawn like an Ibizan raver. Keen to share his stimulant discovery, he took some beans to the local Sufi wiseman. Not being one to let goat herders have all the fun, he tried some, too……

Tulips give a real punch of colour when grown en masse, but also complement many other flowers. Different varieties of tulips look amazing together, but they also create a luxuriously colourful picture when grown among hyacinths, muscari and forget-me-nots. Smaller variety tulips such as ‘Red Riding Hood’, ‘Little Beauty’ and ‘Honky Tonk’ are perfectly suited for rockeries and naturalising. Because of their diminutive stature, they also grow well under trees and shrubs as long as they get plenty of light. Some tulips are stars of the show in their own right and will outperform anything else they are planted with. See our five-page feature starting on page 19 for the breathtaking forms and varieties available.…

1 Place crocks at the bottom and add peat-free multi-purpose compost with a little John Innes No3. 2 Add the largest bulbs first. It doesn’t matter if the bulbs are planted are a little deeper than usual. 3 Cover the bulbs with 1-2in (2½- 5cm) of compost then add more bulbs – here it’s two varieties of tulip. 4 After a second layer of compost add the smaller bulbs – in this case Iris reticulata. 5 My final lasagna layer is the St Brigid anemone mix. These little earthy nuggets will flower beautifully. 6 Fill the pot with compost to within 1in (2½cm) of the top, stand it on feet somewhere sheltered, label and water.…

All leaves and conifer needles can be used to make leafmould, but they will break down at varying speeds and produce different qualities of end product. The best foliage is oak, beech and hornbeam, which break down rapidly and with little assistance. Thicker leaves such as sycamore, sweet and horse chestnut may need shredding first. Evergreen leaves will bread down faster if you shred them and add them to the compost heap instead. Pine needles can take up to three years to decay and make a good conditioner for ericaceous soil and plants.…

GROWING your own bread? It’s not as difficult as you think. Wheat’s a hardy plant; farmers have already sown much of next year’s crop and will sow more in the spring. However, as a gardener, you have an advantage and can sow in multi-celled trays, then plant out in the spring. What’s more, your individual plants can be widely spaced, which allows them to tiller (multiply, giving more stems and heads). Indeed, wheat is sown close together mostly to allow for losses, whereas planting out gives you perfect spacing at 4in (10cm) each way. Ideally, you need a bread-making variety of seed, often sold in wholefood stores or online. “Wheat is unlikely to be stolen from an allotment” Be warned, there are diseases that bother farmed crops, but a corn…

IT seems the potato has been stealing the limelight for too long. While gardeners still love this tender tuber, others are vying for our attention. First the sweet potato, then oca, yacon and dahlias – all these bulky crops can provide a hit of carbs, whether it’s mashed, roasted and (in some cases) stir-fried or raw. But do they deliver on yield, and how are they grown? The growing method for many of the tender tubers is similar to the potato: position in full sun, start off crops early under glass to maximise their growing season, protect the tender shoots from spring frosts, and lift the tubers before harsh winter frosts. Hailing from Central and Southern America, in this sense they have needs comparable to the potato (which itself originated…

DO you own a ‘D’Arcy Spice’ or ‘Sturmer Pippin’ apple? How about a ‘Catillac’ or ‘Olivier de Serres’ pear, or even a quince ‘Isfahan’? These and other late-season orchard fruits benefit from hanging on the tree for as long as possible. They can’t be used in the kitchen straight off the plant. Consumed now, they’d be sour and unpalatable – their flavours need time to mature, months down the line. However, if exposed to a hard frost, the keeping quality of the fruit can be impaired due to cells rupturing upon freezing, which then invites decay during milder spells. So watch local weather forecasts like a hawk. As soon as the first light frosts arrive, harvest and store your fruit in a shed or garage. That way, they’ll have ripened…

1 Ensure your peppers are positioned in a warm, well-lit, frost-free spot (a heated glasshouse or conservatory). Many of these super-hot chilli varieties will take a long time to ripen. 2 Harvest your final batch of fruits now (unless kept very warm, any remaining fruits are unlikely to ripen up well). Cut these fruited stems back by half their length, to a well-placed sideshoot. 3 Keep plants on the drier side of just moist (don’t make the compost overly wet as it encourages root rotting). Prevent the temperature falling below 10ºC in winter, and squash aphids on growing points.…

Division 1 Single early tulips Cup-shaped single flowers up to 3in (8cm) across, often margined or flamed with a contrasting colour, that are smaller than the later-flowering varieties. Flower: Late March-early April. Height: 6-18in (15-45cm). Single early tulips are ideal for beds, containers and indoors as they have strong stems that stand up well to wet and windy weather. The flowers open wide in sun. Varieties: ‘Apricot Beauty’ (AGM) – salmon-pink tinged with orange ‘Diana’ – pure white ‘Flair’ – orange-red with some yellow flaring ‘Merry Christmas’ – crimson red Division 2 Double early tulips Fully double bowl-shaped flowers that are long-lasting and good for cutting. Generally shorter than single early tulips and generally bloom slightly later. Sometimes flecked with a contrasting colour. Flower: Early-to mid April. Height: 12-16in (30-40cm).…

‘Scrumptious’ apple AGM Buy this tasty, self-fertile apple ready-trained as a step-over – a low fence consisting of a short single trunk and (usually) two long, horizontal branching arms. Or train it yourself. H: 20in (50cm). ‘Tomcot’ apricot A hardy, self-fertile apricot that produces spring blossom followed by large, tasty fruits. Can be bought ready-trained as a fan, to grow against a south-facing wall. H: 10-13ft (3-4m) on St Julien A rootstock. ‘Conference’ pear AGM The classic hardy pear. Enjoy the white blossom and delicious fruit in espalier form, with tiers of horizontal branches. Requires a pollination partner, such as ‘Durondeau’. H: 10-16ft (3-5m). ‘Opal’ plum AGM Small, early, self-fertile dessert plum – similar in taste to ‘Victoria’. Excellent for modest-sized gardens. Buy ready-trained as a fan-shaped tree to grow…

Upon getting your bare root trees, read the supplier’s instructions. Some specimens can be kept for a week without attention in a frost-free, cool place, such as a garage; others require immediate attention and should be placed in a bucket of water for at least an hour or overnight before planting outside. Assuming the ground isn’t sodden or frozen, dig the soil well and fork in organic compost. Plant, with 2-3in (6-8cm) of soil covering the upper roots, and firm in.…

Choose a border of well-drained, humus-rich soil – ideally, where roots will be shaded and the flowers will be in sun. Oriental lilies (including tree lilies) prefer lime-free soil, but grow happily in pots of ericaceous compost. Plant bulbs during autumn or spring, avoiding times when the soil is wet or freezing cold. Bulbs can always be potted and planted out later. Dig down so that bulbs are covered by at least twice their depth, usually 6-8in (15-20cm). In groups, set them 10in (25cm) apart. Mulch with well-rotted garden compost in autumn and spring. In containers, use 50:50 John Innes No2 and soilless multi-purpose, mixed 5:1 with potting grit. Set the bulbs 6in (15cm) apart and 4in (10cm) deep. Overwinter your potted bulbs in a sheltered spot or unheated greenhouse.…

Bosch UniversalChainPole 18 £150 (at johnlewis.com ) including 1 battery and charger ✆ 0344 7360106 for nearest dealer. bosch-garden.com Features Twist-lock telescopic pole with soft handgrip, extendable from 6ft 10in to 8ft 6in (210cm to 260cm). Syneon Chip power regulation. Battery 18V Lithium-ion. Charge time 1 hour. No run time quoted. Cutter bar length 8in (20cm). Max cutting diameter 6in (15cm). Chain tip protector. Head pivots 120°. Harness and chain oil supplied. Oil tank holds 60cc. Sound pressure level 78dB(A). Weight with battery 3.75kg. Performance Assembly is very straightforward, though when joining the two halves, lining up the internal key on the handle end with the recess on the other took a little care. Having chain oil supplied is a nice touch. It was a quick…

Best greenhouse plan for autumn Q I understand that an autumn cleanup in the greenhouse is always recommended at this time of year, but I could do with a few pointers. What if plants are in the ground, and would you say it is really necessary? Gillian Tierney, Aberdeen A Years ago, I used to follow the textbooks by removing absolutely everything in order to clean and scrub inside and out (often with disinfectant). Now, I’m more laid back, and although there will be a big autumn sort-out with tender crops cleared, dead leaves removed, and plants handled, assessed and spaced back onto swept staging, I don’t go overboard. Our greenhouse is well ventilated and open to birds, pollinating insects, spiders and toads, so I tend to treat it the…

HAVING just purchased my very first issue of Amateur Gardening (14 September) I have to say I found it an interesting read. I particularly enjoyed the article about slug pellets. I have dogs so use them sparingly anyway, but will most certainly try the orange peel method. The article on hornets also caught my eye, as I recently watched my first hornet devouring a bee, and have now identified it as the European hornet thanks to AG. I was impressed with the wealth of information on the flowers we all grow, and then fascinating little gems on A Gardener’s Miscellany pages, like the symbolism of chrysanthemums. Not forgetting the free seeds (what’s not to like?). Keep up the good work! Lisa Franklin, Barry Wendy says: Lovely to hear such praise…

IF you are looking to create an impact in a small space, planting a ‘bulb lasagna’ is one of the simplest and most effective ways to go. Just as the world-famous Italian dish is made up of layers of mince, pasta and sauce, so the garden version is constructed using different bulb plants. Start with the largest at the bottom and work up until the smallest bulbs, or the ones that flower last, are on the top, each planting separated by a layer of compost 1-2in (2-5cm) thick. There are endless ways of creating a lasagna. You can use different versions of the same species or mix up different varieties of bulbs with staggered flowering times so you get a succession of colour that should last for months. For my…

OUR perennials put on a glorious show this summer, but now they are falling into a faded sprawling, browning mass. It’s time to cut back the worst offenders to make the borders look tidier. This has the added bonus of removing old, dead and rotting material that harbours pests and diseases. Apart from diseased material, which should be binned or burned, add it to the compost. I’m not cutting everything back though. Some stems and seedheads are getting a stay of execution until the spring because they provide winter protection and nourishment for insects and birds. More statuesque varieties (agapanthus, globe thistle) also look wonderful when caught by hoar frost on sunny, freezing mornings. The not-reliably-hardy penstemons are only cut back part-way, so the remaining growth helps insulate the crowns…

Toadstools and mushrooms often appear in lawns, particularly in winter, but they are not usually a sign of anything sinister. They are often more prevalent if there is a thick layer of ‘thatch’ (dead grass and plant material) on the lawn, and are also caused by dead plant matter under the lawn, which feeds them. Fairy rings (arcs or circles of fungi) are also nothing to worry about. They feed off dead and decaying material and do not attack the grass. They do, however, make it harder to re-green the turf they grow on, leaving a brown ring on an otherwise healthy looking lawn. There are no fungicides available to treat them, so either leave fungi to rot back or brush them off. Birds, slugs and snails also eat them.…

THE loss of the RHS London Shows in Vincent Square, once held every 14 days and referred to as the Fortnightly Shows, is regretted by those of us who met up there regularly. It was a good place to gather on a Tuesday lunchtime to exchange news and views and see the excellent specialist nursery exhibits. Especially memorable were the Great Autumn Shows with huge colourful displays in September – for example, of Dahlias from Ayletts Nurseries, and the Fruit and Vegetable Show in October. We need national forums where skilled fruit and vegetable growers can put on display fine examples of their produce. “Those planning coach trips should include this show” I was afraid we had lost the chance to admire perfect bunches of Grape ‘Muscat of Alexandria’ staged…

1 Look for discounted Hallowe’en goods, especially fake spiders and snakes, which will make great bird scarers next spring. 2 Order dwarf fruit trees for December delivery to make gifts for friends; plant these for them properly in big tubs. 3 Tidy overgrown plants, weeds and leaves from the pond. There’s never a good time – so just do it! 4 Plant daffodils, autumn onion and garlic sets (above). Be sure to protect each with some sharp sand to discourage both weeds and late slugs.…

Turnip-rooted chervil: Chaerophyllum bulbosum grows like a stubby parsnip and tastes like a chestnutty potato. Hamburg parsley: Petroselinum crispum var. tuberosum is like conventional biennial flat-leaf parsley but with a fleshy, mild-tasting root. Skirret: Grow Sium sisarum and expect a clump-forming perennial, yielding finger-shaped white roots, like unusual French fries! Chicory root: Cichorium intybus is often roasted, then ground to make a drink. The large fleshy roots can also be boiled, mashed and eaten. Salsify: A finger-shaped root that does best on well-drained soils. Tragopogon porrifolius is a biennial, often naturalised on our coasts. Scorzonera: Dark pencil-like roots on perennial plants. Grow Scorzonera hispanica on well-drained raised beds.…

1 It’s not too late to sow a batch of hardy overwintering broad beans. Choose a robust variety such as ‘Aquadulce Claudia ’ or ‘De Monica’. 2 If Brussels sprouts are refusing to swell, just snap out the plant’s top rosette to stimulate them (then eat it – it’s delicious). 3 Did your trees suffer brown rot this summer? Pick off any desiccated, mummified fruits to help stop this fungus overwintering. 4 If you’re firing up a gas or paraffin heater, be sure to ventilate the greenhouse gently to allow fumes and moisture to escape. 5 Regularly harvest kale – pick lower leaves before they turn woody, which also helps the central shoot to keep growing.…

YOU may not know it, but this tasty little fruit could already be growing in your borders! Fully hardy, indestructible and with fragrant spring flowers for early-emerging insects, Mahonia aquifolium is a small evergreen shrub that packs a useful punch. Added to this ornamental and pollinator value is a harvest of edible berries. Hanging like bunches of grapes in late summer, the small purple fruits are coated in a milky ‘bloom’. They are quite tart raw, so are commonly cooked down with a little water and sugar to make jams and coulis (they are nice dotted into drop scones for Sunday tea, too). This American-native can be planted in sun but is also very happy in shade. Unfussy about soil, it’s the ultimate low-maintenance plant.…

Tulip fire Tulip fire is a fungal disease of tulips caused by Botrytis tulipae, which produces brown spots and twisted, withered and distorted leaves. To help deter tulip fire, for which there is no known chemical control, plant tulip bulbs in late October or November. This delayed planting means the leaves will emerge later in spring, when the plants are less likely to be affected by this fungal disease Planting companions Traditional planting companions include forget-me-nots (myosotis) and wallflowers (erysimum), but why not try hyacinths, grape hyacinths, euphorbia, alchemilla mollis, alliums or camassias? Squirrel deterrents Squirrels have a particular taste for tulip bulbs, so if you know squirrels could be a problem place netting over areas where bulbs have been planted to deter squirrels from digging them up. Alternatively, plant…

‘Red Falstaff’ apple AGM Frost-resistant; produces ruby red apples with a sweet flavour. Buy on dwarfing M27 rootstock if you want to grow in a container. Will need a pollinator such as ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’ nearby. H: 4-6ft (1.2-1.8m). ‘Concorde’ pear AGM Want plenty of delicious fruit as well as beautiful white spring blossom? ‘Concorde’ will deliver both. It’s self-fertile but benefits from a pollinator (such as ‘Durondeau’) nearby. H: 8-10ft (2½-3m) on Quince C rootstock. ‘Shropshire Prune’ damson AGM This wonderful compact, self-fertile damson was discovered growing wild in the Midlands. Essential for making blistering damson crumble and traditional jellies in autumn. H: 6½-8ft (2-2½m) on VVA-1 dwarfing rootstock. ‘Stella’ cherry AGM This sweet cherry is a reliable self-fertile variety that produces a decent crop of delicious, juicy, red…

How do I go about creating a raised bed? Q I don’t have much money, but would like to have a couple of raised beds. How can I build them and what should I use to make them? Marion May, Ceredigion A You can make raised beds out of a range of materials to suit your budget, building skills and the space you have. You can even grow veg in containers. The longest-lasting and most permanent beds are made of brick or blockwork, but recycled railway sleepers are also sturdy and strong. Wood boards are good, but may not last as long. Think about what you would like to grow and then research planting distances, how many plants you need for a reasonable crop and what growing conditions are necessary.…

WE are deep into autumn and many of our garden plants, particularly the woody ones, are producing fruits and berries. They do this in their continuing efforts to procreate, but in many cases we can enjoy the splendour, and the valuable colour they provide. As the plants strive to survive, and in many cases exhaust themselves in the process, all we do is sit back and drink in their beauty, which does seem a little cruel but, hey, it’s only gardening! Much has been written about the ‘usual’ berries of pyracantha, cotoneaster, sorbus and so on, but what about the more unusual, dramatic and highly colourful ornamental berries that are looking their best now? Let’s take a look. Purple beads! THERE are very few plants that produce genuinely purple berries…

1 Clear all traces of summer crops, remove growing bags (unless keeping to grow salads) and sweep solid floors. Retain stems of tomatoes still to ripen. 2 Wash newly accessible sections of glass using water (and a drop of environmentally friendly washing-up liquid) before bringing in tender plants for overwintering. 3 Trim back and train permanent plants such as Pandorea jasminoides and this Jasminum polyanthum growing in soil beds, so they can be more easily covered with fleece on cold nights. 4 Brush staging and handle every plant, removing dead leaves and assessing health. Set plants so they are not touching each other to avoid grey mould.…

IT’S said that the Sufi wise men of Yemen use coffee beans as a ‘food for the mind’ to stimulate their frenzied nocturnal devotions. I wouldn’t know – after 5pm, I only drink caffeine-free herb tea (or neat gin), although I do use spent coffee as food for plants. Mulching with coffee grounds isn’t new. Back in the 1980s, at a time when us Brits still thought Mellow Bird was a treat, I worked in a Bavarian hotel and regularly spread the moist black powder produced by coffee machines around the garden. For the Germans, proper coffee was the norm, as was recycling. The cafes and kitchens recycled everything they could – glass, plastic, metal and even food waste went to feed the local pigs. And they would have hogged…