#Japanese cornel dogwood

[faguscarolinensis]

Cornus officinalis / Japanese Cornel Dogwood at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University in Durham, NC

[firstlawcedarprairie]

Shan zhu yu (Cornelius) in the blue sky

[maoyeamh]

[japanese-plants]

Japanese Cornel Cherry

Cornus officinalis is a species of deciduous flowering plant in the dogwood family Cornaceae, native to China and Korea. Acid yellow flowers appear in early spring before lush leaves in summer, followed by bright red berries in the fall. Called sanshuyu in Japanese from its Chinese origin meaning ‘mountain silverberry’, it was imported from China in mid Edo era around 1722 for medicinal purpose. Today it is grown for ornamental gardens.

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

Smoothie Ideas

It’s been a little while and since I posted one of these and I’ve been asked by exactly no one to post another, so here we are! If I had access to all of these and a good amount of space to work with as well as room in a freezer, and a good blender/food processor, this is what I would do. All plant parts in equal amounts. Plus plain yogurt and silky tofu for texture. And honey, maple syrup, and cane sugar for added sweetness. Also assume anything toxic or potentially toxic (elderberries and pokeberry, for example) are properly prepared (cooked, seeds removed, etc.).

Drupe smoothie

açaí

acerola

allspice

amla

avocado

barberries: Darwin’s Japanese Ottawa

beautyberry

black huckleberry

brambles: Allegheny blackberry American raspberry arctic raspberry black raspberry blue raspberry boysenberry Canadian blackberry cloudberry common dewberry dewberry glandstem blackberry golden raspberry leafy-bracted blackberry loganberry Ohelo berry olallieberry Pennsylvania blackberry purple-flowered raspberry red raspberry salmonberry setose blackberry sphagnum dewberry swamp dewberry tayberry thimbleberry trailing raspberry wineberry youngberry

buffaloberry

camu camu

cashew apple

coffee cherry

crowberry

cupuaçu

dates: Barhi medjool

dogwoods: bunchberry cornel gray Kousa red osier silky

elderberries: common red

false Solomon’s seals: Canada mayflower false Solomon’s seal starry false Solomon’s seal

gandaria

genip

ginsengs: American Asian dwarf

hackberries: common sugarberry

harar

jujubes: ber black honey red

kinnikinnick

linden berry

longan

loquat

lychee

mamey sapote

mangos: ataulfo carabao Hayden Maya Palmer

miracleberry

mombins: ambarella imbu purple

mulberries: black red white

nance

Oregon grapes: creeping holly-leaved

partridgeberry

peach palm

pechiche

peppercorn

porcelainberry

rambutan

rose apples: Java jamun Malay water

silverberry

snowberries: common coralberry western

stone fruits: apricot American plum Bing cherry black cherry Canada plum chokecherry damson donut peach Mirabelle nectarcot nectarine peach pin cherry plumcot Rainier cherry sand cherry sloe sour cherry sugarplum

sugar palm

viburnums: arrowwood highbush cranberry mapleleaf viburnum nannyberry snowball tree squashberry witch’s hobblebush witherod viburnum

white sapote

wintergreens: creeping snowberry salal teaberry

[livingcorner]

Forest Gardening – The Agroforestry Research Trust

A Forest Garden is a designed agronomic system based on trees, shrubs and perennial plants. These are mixed in such a way as to mimic the structure of a natural forest – the most stable and sustainable type of ecosystem in this climate.

The primary aims for the system are:

You're reading: Forest Gardening – The Agroforestry Research Trust

To be biologically sustainable, able to cope with disturbances such as climate change

To be productive, yielding a number (often large) of different products

To require low maintenance.

The crops which are produced will often include fruits, nuts, edible leaves, spices, medicinal plant products, poles, fibres for tying, basketry materials, honey, fuelwood, fodder, mulches, game, sap products. Forest gardens (often called home gardens) have been used for millennia in tropical regions, where they still often form a major part of the food producing systems which people rely on, even if they work elsewhere for much of the time. They may also provide useful sources of extra income. They are usually small in area, often 0.1-1 hectares (+61404532026 acres).

In temperate regions, forest gardens are a more recent innovation, over the last 30 years. A major limiting factor for temperate forest gardens in the amount of sunlight available to the lower layers of the garden: in tropical regions, the strong light conditions allow even understorey layers to receive substantial light, whereas in temperate regions this is not usually the case. To compensate for this, understorey layers in temperate forest gardens must be chosen very carefully.

Read more: One Thing I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started a Succulent Garden

There are plenty of plant crops which tolerate shady conditions, but many are not well known. Many of the more common shrub or perennial crops need bright conditions, and it may be necessary to design in more open clearings or glades for such species. Temperate forest gardens are also usually small in area, from tiny back garden areas up to a hectare (2.5 acres) in size. 

The key features which contribute to the stability and self-sustaining nature of this system are:

The large number of species used, giving great diversity.

The careful inclusion of plants which increase fertility, such as nitrogen fixers (eg. Alders [Alnus spp], Broom [Cytisus scoparius], Elaeagnus spp, and shrub lupins [Lupinus arboreus]).

The use of dynamic accumulators – deep rooting plants which can tap mineral sources deep in the subsoil and raise them into the topsoil layer where they become available to other plants, eg. Coltsfoot [Petasites spp], Comfreys [Symphytum spp], Liquorice [Glycyrrhiza spp], Sorrel (and docks!) [Rumex spp].

The use of plants specially chosen for their ability to attract predators of common pests, eg umbellifers like tansy.

The use, where possible, of pest and disease resistant varieties, eg. apples.

The increasing role of tree cover and leaf litter which improve nutrient cycling and drought resistance.

There is an excellent free app called Ticl (smart phone and web based) which allows you to walk around a garden with a smart phone and it will describe the plants nearest to you – or you can locate specific plants using a direction-finder. Online you can see a zoom-able map of the garden with location points marked on. If you visit the garden with a smart phone you can use Ticl to help identify what is growing!

Click here to see the ART forest garden. You need to log in to see all the plant points.

Designing in Layers

A forest garden is organised in up to seven ‘layers’ . Within these, the positioning of species depends on many variables, including their requirements for shelter, light, moisture, good/bad companions, mineral requirements, pollination, pest-protection, etc. The layers consist of:

Canopy Trees

– the highest layer of trees. May include species such as Chestnuts [Castanea spp], Persimmons [Diospyros virginiana], honey locusts [Gleditsia triacanthos], Strawberry trees [Arbutus spp], Siberian pea trees [Caragana arborescens] Cornelian cherries [Cornus mas], Azeroles and other hawthorn family fruits [Crataegus spp], Quinces [Cydonia oblonga], Apples [Malus spp], Medlars [Mespilus germanica], Mulberries [Morus spp], Plums [Prunus domestica], Pears [Pyrus communis], highbush cranberries [Viburnum trilobum].

Small trees and large shrubs

– mostly planted between and below the canopy trees. May includes some of the canopy species on dwarfing rootstocks, and others such as various bamboos, Serviceberries [Amelanchier spp], Plum yews [Cephalotaxus spp], Chinkapins [Castanea pumila], Elaeagnus spp, and Japanese peppers [Zanthoxylum spp]. Others may be trees which will be coppiced to keep them shrubby, like medicinal Eucalyptus spp, and beech [Fagus sylvatica] and limes [Tilia spp] with edible leaves.

Shrubs

– mostly quite shade tolerant. May include common species like currants [Ribes spp] and berries [Rubus spp], plus others like chokeberries [Aronia spp], barberries [Berberis spp], Chinese dogwood [Cornus kousa chinensis], Oregon grapes [Mahonia spp], New Zealand flax [Phormium tenax] and Japanese bitter oranges [Poncirus trifoliata].

Read more: Sauteed Garden Fresh Green Beans

Herbaceous perennials

– several of which are herbs and will also contribute to the ground cover layer by self-seeding or spreading. These may include Bellflowers with edible leaves [Campanula spp], Comfreys [Symphytum spp], Balm [Melissa officinalis], Mints [Mentha spp], Sage [Salvia officinalis], and Tansy [Tanacetum vulgare].

Ground covers

– mostly creeping carpeting plants which will form a living mulch for the ‘forest floor’. Some may be herbaceous perennials (see above), others include wild gingers [Asarum spp], cornels [Cornus canadensis], Gaultheria spp, and carpeting brambles (eg. Rubus calycinoides & R.tricolor).

Climbers and vines

– These are generally late additions to the garden, since they obviously need sturdy trees to climb up. They may include hardy kiwis [Actinidia spp], and grapes [Vitis spp].

Rhizosphere

– Any design should take account of different rooting habits and requirements of different species, even if root crops are not grown much. Some perennials with useful roots include liquorice [Glycyrrhiza spp] and the barberries [Berberis spp] whose roots furnish a good dye and medicinal products. Various beneficial fungi can also be introduced into this layer.

A long-term biologically sustainable system for growing food & other products for a household, school, community group etc.

Once established, little work is needed to maintain.

Planting out and establishment usually requires large numbers of plants and substantial work.

Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden

source https://livingcorner.com.au/forest-gardening-the-agroforestry-research-trust/

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

Smoothie Ideas

Who asked? No one. But if I had access to all of these and a good amount space to work with as well as room in a freezer, and a good blender/food processor, this is what I would do. All plant parts in equal amounts. Plus plain yogurt and silky tofu for texture. And maple syrup, honey, and cane sugar for added sweetness.

Red smoothie

honey: fall

apples: Cortland empire Fuji honeycrisp Ida red jazz red delicious McIntosh starkrimson pacific rose pinata pink lady red crapbapple fruits and blossoms red prince

bearberry

blood orange

buffalo berry

cherries: Bing black choke pin sand sour

cherry tomatoes: black cherry cherry grape

Chinese bayberry

coffee cherry

cranberries: small large lingonberry

dogwood fruits: bunchberry cornel cherry Kousa

false Solomon’s seal fruit: Canada mayflower false Solomon’s seal starry false Solomon’s seal

ginseng berries: American Chinese

goji

haws: Chinese cockspur common downy dotted fireberry mayhaw

Jack-in-the-pulpit berry

Japanese barberry

mace

partridge berry

peppers: habanero red bell

plumcot

pomegranate

purple mombin

raspberries and blackberries: Allegheny blackberry American red raspberry Arctic raspberry black raspberry Canadian blackberry common dewberry dwarf red blackberry European blackberry European red raspberry glandstem blackberry loganberry Pennsylvania blackberry purple-flowered raspberry setose blackberry swamp dewberry thimbleberry trailing raspberry

red bean

red elderberry

red grape

red jujube

red mulberry

red plum

redcurrants: European northern skunk

reishi

rosehips and rose petals

spicebush berry

strawberries: garden Virginia woodland

sumacs: fragrant shining smooth staghorn

tamarillo

tulip petal

viburnum berries: highbush cranberry snowball tree berry squashberry

wintergreen berry

yew aril

[maoyeamh]