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Wild garden

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A few years ago I dug a 3x2m square in the condominium garden and populated it with wild plants that I enjoyed recognizing in nature and transplanting. Not being protected I had some "intrusions" from some elderly people (poisoning, unwanted pruning...), but now fortunately I managed to get a space that, having a net and a high step, should be more difficult to reach 😂 the problem is that it is 100% in the shade, and therefore this year too no vegetables. So I recovered a lot of herb seeds from the cellar and today I sowed them in the various sectors. Many are old seeds, so I don't know what will come out. The funny thing about wild plants is that I never have to water them, they are completely autonomous, and often die and then grow back the following years. Pesticide-free cultivation.

This is the old space, where I left only the flowering laurel (unfortunately pruned to make it "beautiful", it was a powerful 3m monster after 5 years 🤥) and the helichrysum.

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This is the new spartan space (lol it looks like it came out of a war), where I transplanted these wild ones along the edges: three-cornered garlic (Allium triquetrum), golden wild strawberries, wild garlic (Allium ursinum), garden star-of-Bethlehem, lemon balm, sorrel, wild fennel; and these non-wild ones: valerian, savory, 4yo arctic basil, parsley, tatsoi, mizuna.

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I also sowed these wild ones: perennial wall-rocket, a wild garlic collected in Montenegro, marigold, tassel grape hyacinth, black caraway, vine garlic (Allium vineale), witch's garlic (Allium carinatum), red poppy, milk thistle, borage; and these non-wild ones: red chicory, coriander, dill, red shiso.

Finally, here are some photos of the garden and wild herbs from past years: green and black wood sorrel, Aquilegia vulgaris, blue and pink borage flowers, garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), ragged-robin, purslane, Jupiter's sage, wild thyme.

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Some species are reborn, others are unsuitable and just passing through, others are preyed upon by insects. It's always very nice to see what comes out the following year.

For now the new wild garden is very bare, but I trust that it will be populated in the next few months. I use almost all the herbs in the kitchen, if you also collect them do not hesitate to post your recipes and advice 🙂
 
Many thanks! It will take a while before I have some plants.

In the meantime I'll post this: pasta with wild fennel (a typical Calabrian dish, with some twists).

Dissolve the anchovies in olive oil and chili powder (red and yellow annuum and aji limon).

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Chop the three-cornered garlic (Allium triquetrum), the wild fennel and some sour apple.
Brown slightly with raisins and breadcrumbs.

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Cook the spaghetti "al dente" (ALWAYS 2 minutes less than the indicated time!) and garnish with breadcrumbs, fresh apple and the wild garlic flowers.

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