Friday 1 October 2010

Join us on Monday waging War on the Balsam

4 o'clock is the appointed time on Monday afternoon for the first attack to commence.

This will be known to future generations as the Skirmish of Gill Banks and we've got a welsh woman leading the charge.

The dreaded invasive Hymalayan Balsam -- Beware.

Your fate is sealed - or so we fondly think.

What's more some beautiful new pottery is being attached to the railings tomorrow morning

- time to get to bed to get the sleep of the just.


3 comments:

Gladys Hobson said...

I love the balsam - it comes after most of the early flowers, has a wonderful scent and lasts into the autumn with attractive flowers for bees and insects.

I know it is all over but so are dandelions, nettles and poisonous weeds.

Geertje said...

according to my foraging books, you can eat the seeds & seed pods of the balsam - have a go!

Geoff Dellow said...

This could be the way to deal with Balsam.

Broadcast the fact that it's a delicacy and it will all get gobbled up.

In France Dandelions are highly thought of (in my family) as a desirable salad. Do they have fewer weeds of this kind as a result?

Balsam is seen as a problem because it is 'invasive'.

The Wiki description is not encouraging. Eating it is certainly seen as a means of control but getting rid of it can open the way to the even more terribly dreaded nasty nasty Japanese Knotweed.

This has all the ingredients for a Laurel and Hardy farce.