Gardening: the virtues of seaweed – archive, 12 May 1973

12 May 1973 There are fashions in fertilisers. At the moment the “in” thing is seaweed

There are fashions in fertilisers. At the moment the “in” thing is seaweed. Unquestionably organic, it has a sure-fire appeal for the suburban gardener of the muck-and-mystery school who cannot get the muck. Even the flat-dweller whose gardening is confined to pot plants now finds himself assured that almost every new product manufactured for their nourishment contains the magic elixir, “seaweed extract.”

The seaweed in question is usually Ascophyllum nodosum, the common brown bladder-wrack or bladder-kelp that keeps itself afloat by means of those airfilled swellings which children so delight to pop underfoot when scrambling over rocks at low tide. And there is of course, nothing new about its use as a fertiliser, or at least as a soil-conditioner. For centuries growers of arable crops around our coasts from Cornwall and County Cork to Shetland have been spreading it, raw or composted, in thick layers on their land each autumn and ploughing it in each spring.

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Gardening: the virtues of seaweed – archive, 12 May 1973

12 May 1973 There are fashions in fertilisers. At the moment the “in” thing is seaweed

There are fashions in fertilisers. At the moment the “in” thing is seaweed. Unquestionably organic, it has a sure-fire appeal for the suburban gardener of the muck-and-mystery school who cannot get the muck. Even the flat-dweller whose gardening is confined to pot plants now finds himself assured that almost every new product manufactured for their nourishment contains the magic elixir, “seaweed extract.”

The seaweed in question is usually Ascophyllum nodosum, the common brown bladder-wrack or bladder-kelp that keeps itself afloat by means of those airfilled swellings which children so delight to pop underfoot when scrambling over rocks at low tide. And there is of course, nothing new about its use as a fertiliser, or at least as a soil-conditioner. For centuries growers of arable crops around our coasts from Cornwall and County Cork to Shetland have been spreading it, raw or composted, in thick layers on their land each autumn and ploughing it in each spring.

Continue reading...

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More people want to live in remote locations (& Captain Tom’s village)

According to new research from our data scientists, the top ten list of the biggest uplifts in buyer searches in April compared to a year ago reveals plenty of coastal postcodes.

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Should we back out of home buying if there's risk the value will fall?

We’ve gone to the top of our budget – with only 5% deposit, we don’t want to risk negative equity

Q My partner and I are first-time buyers. In January we got into a bidding war and had an offer accepted on a house but were then gazumped and had to increase our already very high offer. The vendors asked for offers in excess of £300,000 and we ended up offering £317,500.

We were due to complete just before the lockdown, and the buyer has been keen to go ahead as soon as possible as the property is vacant. However, we have said we would prefer to wait until restrictions are lifted as it would be logistically difficult to move at the moment.

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Seven tips for the perfect garage conversion Nottingham Estate Agents

Giving an underused garage a makeover can unlock precious space in your property – and increase its value. OnTheMarket has these seven top tips for getting your garage conversion just right. 1. Give it some thought It’s worth spending a bit of time thinking about what you want to use the extra room for. “The […]

The post Seven tips for the perfect garage conversion appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.

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Country diary: where the wildflowers grow weird and wonderful

Allendale, Northumberland: Unusual colours and double forms have for centuries been sought after, often occurring naturally and spotted by keen gardeners

Planted across a large area with hardly any paths, the wild and the cultivated flow together in my garden. In it, I grow 80 species of wildflowers, with many such as pignut, sanicle and harebell found just outside the boundary walls. The leaves and roots of these wildlings provide food for the larval stages of insects, in particular the moths that I study by using a light trap once a week. Their flowers feed the adults and the garden is rich with bees, butterflies, beetles, flies and other invertebrates.

Adding to these wild species are some quirky variations that I enjoy for their sometimes weird shapes. Unusual colours and double forms have been sought-after for centuries, often occurring naturally and spotted by keen gardeners. It was in an Oxfordshire lane 40 years ago that the Northumberland botanist John Richards, when leading a group looking at dandelions, noticed a newly emerged cow parsley with deep purple foliage. Now Anthriscus sylvestris “Raven’s wing” is a favourite at the Chelsea flower show and grown worldwide.

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Country diary: where the wildflowers grow weird and wonderful

Allendale, Northumberland: Unusual colours and double forms have for centuries been sought after, often occurring naturally and spotted by keen gardeners

Planted across a large area with hardly any paths, the wild and the cultivated flow together in my garden. In it, I grow 80 species of wildflowers, with many such as pignut, sanicle and harebell found just outside the boundary walls. The leaves and roots of these wildlings provide food for the larval stages of insects, in particular the moths that I study by using a light trap once a week. Their flowers feed the adults and the garden is rich with bees, butterflies, beetles, flies and other invertebrates.

Adding to these wild species are some quirky variations that I enjoy for their sometimes weird shapes. Unusual colours and double forms have been sought-after for centuries, often occurring naturally and spotted by keen gardeners. It was in an Oxfordshire lane 40 years ago that the Northumberland botanist John Richards, when leading a group looking at dandelions, noticed a newly emerged cow parsley with deep purple foliage. Now Anthriscus sylvestris “Raven’s wing” is a favourite at the Chelsea flower show and grown worldwide.

Continue reading...

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