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Picris hieracioides flowers for months and seems to be favoured by the haymaking regime.
1 Aug 10:07

                         a   S T A M M E R  project              

2011 July 30 to August 25

With temperatures exceptionally passing 35ºC, this summer is not particularly hot, but thunderstorms with some substantial rain are equally rare and the vegetation is quite dried out by now. Picris hieracioides managed to flower abundantly until the middle of August and seems to thrive especially well in areas mown in previous years. Its yellow colours our now, at the end of August, substituted by those of Chondrilla juncea.

Chondrilla juncea's deep roots and green stems without leaves permit the flowering in the driest and hottest period of the year.
25 Aug 11:35

Higher terrace, looking north-west.
11 Aug 8:45

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When we came back from some travelling after several weeks we had a surprise: the clay plaster of the western wall of the house showed some nasty  crevices. Our neighbour told  us their had been a ferocious thunder storm with almost horizontal rain fall of about 20 litres in less than 15 minutes. This had never happened before and let's hope it stays as rare as that.

Since this storm in the middle of July the weather has been remarkably stable and the recently installed wind vane shows that the prevailing winds come from the south-east.

The second re-growth of Sparganium on the left.
Mentha pulegium in the centre.
1 Aug 10:15
 

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The upper pond has been doing all too well. The macro alga Chara and the aggressive Sparganium erectum both conspire to occupy the pond up to the brim and I decided to take the Sparganium sproutings systematically away. Perhaps a drastic intervention and not all too ecological but I really appreciate the view of a decent reflecting surface of water. I have mown three 'harvests' so far but its regeneration power is relentless and I doubt if Sparganium erectum will ever disappear. So this species is not to be recommended for your pond unless you are interested in the different stadia of a land forming process.

Upper pond, looking south.
10 Aug 9:44

The Sparganium leaves are spread out onto the bed of some Kale plantings.
3 Aug 11:59

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The leaves of Sparganium form nevertheless nice mulch material for the vegetable garden.

I have recently read Ruth Stout's almost classical Gardening without work. I had heard a lot about her method but reading her original work is really an inspiration. What the book lacks in structure and theory is well compensated by her enthusiasm, her independent thinking and, last but not least, her reliance on practical experience.
Little by little I was spending more time weeding and watering the vegetable garden than I had originally planned and I will now try to limit both 'vices' by Stout's proposal, which can be summarized in just one word: MULCHING.
 I had done this before of course but not so adequate and conscientious as it really should be done. With renewed energy I have mown large areas of the zone and the hay goes straight onto the vegetable garden.

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This haymaking is a double-edged sword: the  product is an excellent mulch material for the vegetable garden and the method favours the spontaneous vegetation in the zone. By taking away the hay the soil is gradually becoming poorer and offers more opportunities for delicate herbs to the detriment of more aggressive grass species. I think  the effects can already be detected in some areas with a healthy growth of, among others, Picris hieracioides and Plantago lanceolata.

Another example of this kind of sword is what I will call the cat-fur-fly. It is a faithful companion of 'Frisona' and 'Camarero' and its activities, straying all over the animal's fur but especially the hind part, almost certainly indicate the consumption of all kinds of parasites.

introduction
floristic catalogue
faunistic catalogue
contact
index
gallery 1: 2006-2012
gallery 2: 2012-
map
>> 2011 Aug 30
<< 2011 Jun 11