Gardening Myths, Legends & Folklore?

[Flummery]

And when it comes to planting - there's the old saying "green side up!"

[maytreefrannie]

I feel my dad knew loads about gardening (he died in 1985) and we (the family) haven't really picked it up from him. Sometimes I wish I'd listened!

I know he used to grow carrots and parsnips in a high quantity of sand - to keep them in good shape and also sometimes he would look for sea sand for things.

[susieq100]

My late husband told a friend that he could tell if the ground was ready for planting when if you dropped your trousers and sat bare a**ed on it, it felt warm or at least not cold! The following week friend's wife reported that the neighbours were scandalised to see him sitting half naked in the garden. They thought he was doing something quite different!

[Snadger]

........................... and also sometimes he would look for sea sand for things.

Sea sand would be used on the beetroot and seakale as they are both originally coastal plants. The salt in the sand would help or you could just sprinkle a bit of table salt around them!

[Snadger]

I remember a saying about garden mint " Never give a mint cutting to someone who lives higher up the street than you as it won't grow"

Probably due to mint being a bog plant and higher ground being dryer?

[brooklynodog]

One I heard about mint was that if it was given to you it wouldnt grow, so its best if you pinch it!!

[crazy_red]

Hi Flummery,

I love the word 'frock ' too!

Very rarely wear them myself either, except if the weather is really, really hot - then I tend to do the housey stuff and gardening wearing some old ankle length, 'cotton tent' monstrosities', that I've picked up in local charity shops over the years.

Have to admit, these are usually selected because they can be worn minus undies, which is sooooo much cooler

What would the neighbours think if they knew!

Actually, I don't think the neighbours would give a fig! Most of them are young, lady students and I think I usually wear more underwear than they wear in total for going out of a night

Anyhoo, we still know as, and refer to, the wearing of these dresses as
'being in your washing frock' in my family. Not quite their original, historic use but pretty close

Red

[coreopsis]

Parsley and parsnip are also very closely related botanically and parsley can apparently be cultivated to produce a double pronged, parsnip-like root.

Well,I was quite surprised when I came here and couldn't see a single parsley root.I miss it quite a lot as the base for the vegetable stock was always:carrot,parsley,leek and celeriac.

I would encourage you to try growing parsley for its root-it has quite a strong taste but it's nice.

[lynda66]

I remember a saying about garden mint " Never give a mint cutting to someone who lives higher up the street than you as it won't grow"

Probably due to mint being a bog plant and higher ground being dryer?

tell that to my mint ..... i live on top of a hill ...... and it's gone mad.

[Nicos]

tell that to my mint ..... i live on top of a hill ...... and it's gone mad.

It'll be the moisture content in the air Lynda!!!!

[raine]

I'd like to read the previous thread but what do i put in the search bar-tried witches but didn't pick up anything-any ideas please

[Snadger]

tell that to my mint ..... i live on top of a hill ...... and it's gone mad.

Ahhhhh................. but was the GC you bought it from higher in elevation?

If you got a cutting off John Doe DOWN the road though I suppose that would shoot another theory down!

[crazy_red]

Hi Raine,

Try searching on all three keywords - devil rhubarb june - in the 'search all threads' box.

At least that's how I found it. Sorry don't know how to post a link or I would

[maytreefrannie]

Sea sand would be used on the beetroot and seakale as they are both originally coastal plants. The salt in the sand would help or you could just sprinkle a bit of table salt around them!

Very good point, Snadger, and it makes sense.

Potatoes grown in Ballycotton are very popular here (Cork) for their taste - people say that growing near the sea gives them a different flavour.