He was also instrumental in suggesting that the Ecoaldeia de Janas should invite me to give a course! Added to that, he did almost all the driving on my trip. I also spent two nights at his house on the hills in Calhandriz above Alverca near Lisbon and was able to see his edible water gardens for the first time! So here are a few pictures of the garden, sadly neglected as Jorge wasn’t living here for some time! He has a large water tank under an outhouse to supply the water for this project! The pond is an oasis for wildlife in the dry countryside which has been suffering from drought for several years! Many thanks, Jorge!
Other edible water plants in the pond: Bacopa, Acorus, Oenanthe, Houttuynia, Aponogeton and watercress. Elsewhere in the garden, Jorge has planted apples, pears, orange, plums,fig and edible bamboos! A great little garden!
Jorge and his pond
Jorge gets a lot of his inspiration from this book!
The garden is located high in the hills above Lisbon
Prickly pears
Interesting to see Menyanthes trifoliata (bogbean), a common plant in arctic bogs growing in this warm climate!
Typha has invaded much of the pond in Jorge’s absence!
Taro (Colocasia esculenta)
Water mint
Alisma and Typha
Pomegranates
Rosemary and blackcurrant sage
Artemisia
Banana
Typha (cattails / bulrush), supermarket of the swamps
Jorge also has an interesting collection of edible trees, like this Elaeagnus
Having completed my course at Naturplanteskolen and guided walk at Grennessminde in August 2016, I was “rewarded” by being taken on a botanical excursion to the island Langeland. These pictures were taken at the north tip of the island which had a luxurious seaweed fertilised vegetation of some familiar perennial vegetables! Thanks to Aiah Noack of Naturplanteskolen :)
Where is Langeland?
The self-fertilising vegetable garden beach where these pictures are from is right at the far north end of Langeland
Perennial Beta maritima, sea beet, the ancestor of all the modern vegetables in the beetroot family from beetroot to swiss chard to mangelwurzel to sugar beet
Wild carrot, Daucus carota
Sea beet leaves
Sonchus, sow thistle
Seed heads of sea beet over sea kale, Crambe maritima
Crambe maritima, sea kale
Honckenya peploides, sea sandwort, is one of my favourite beach edibles
Rosa rugosa, one of the best roses for rose hips in front of sea kale and sea beet!
White-flowered Rosa rugosa
White-flowered Rosa rugosa
Suaeda maritima, sea blite
View from Langeland towards Storebæltsbroen, the bridge that links the Danish islands of Fyn and Sjælland
Dittander or broad-leaved pepperweed, Lepidium latifolium is a delicious vegetable – young shoots, flowers, seeds and roots, similar to horseradish
Sea rocket, Cakile
Wild chicory, Cichorium intybus
Wild chicory, Cichorium intybus and corn poppy, Papaver rhoeas, both edible
Wild carrot (Daucus carota) rosette
Wild carrot (Daucus carota) has white roots
Stachys
A patch of Jerusalem Artichoke on the edge of a field next to the beach
Perennial Beta maritima, sea beet,
Silverberry, Elaeagnus commutata, colonising a sandy cliff face…thanks to its nitrogen fixing ability
Silverberry, Elaeagnus commutata
Storebæltsbroen, the bridge that links the Danish islands of Fyn and Sjælland
A single plant of Angelica archangelica!
Lepidum latifolium….the roots can be used like horseradish
Lepidum latifolium….the roots can be used like horseradish
Crambe maritima, sea kale
Lathyrus japonicus
Sea radish mound, Cakile
Sea beet, Beta maritima
Sea beet, Beta maritima
Sea kale laden with seeds!
The sea kale was laden with seed
The sea kale was laden with seed
A stunning finale to the day!
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden
