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Comment by Marilyn beaucariche on October 3, 2011 at 7:46pm

Organic spray for blackspot on Roses In a 10litre bucket of water add 5 tablespoons of baking soda and a couple of splashes of compost tea or worm farm liquid and a dash of washing up liquid. Mix thoroughly and spray weekly.

Comment by Marilyn beaucariche on October 3, 2011 at 7:44pm

http://www.greenurbanliving.co.nz/index.php?CID=100050&AID=67

Take a look at this Site very interesting also it tells you about the seaweeed that is out there for free. Brilliant amount of vits and nutrients, i try to have seaweed once a week. Sushi but am going to be a bit more daring and try some of the free stuff. 

Comment by Marilyn beaucariche on October 1, 2011 at 9:41pm

Thanks Kathryn, I was told dangerous either way.

So that is interesting  Thanks for all the info, I really can't get enough, also interesting re the Heavy metal and sicknesses found in the Gatherers. 

Plus thanks for the Mushroom info. Great! 

Comment by WIC Garden Project on September 29, 2011 at 9:05pm

Re watercress, I've often wondered whether cooking would kill liverfluke - turns out it does.  A NZ research study recommended the following:
• Watercress harvested from any uncontrolled surface water source in New Zealand should not be consumed unless the watercress is thoroughly cooked in boiling water.
• Watercress should not be eaten raw unless it can be demonstrated that the growing waters are strictly controlled and adequately monitored.
• People gathering watercress may be at risk of waterborne illnesses through contact with contaminated water.
• Watercress grown in sediments/water subject to significant heavy metal contamination may bio-accumulate heavy metals to levels in excess of health guidelines.

Discovered a slightly surreal description of the liverfluke life cycle here - possibly more than you wanted to know, but basically another great reason to fence off our waterways...

Comment by WIC Garden Project on September 29, 2011 at 8:52pm

Hi, re mushrooms, they're usually gathered in autumn, see C. Shirley's The Hidden Forest under Agaricus campestris.  

You can buy spores online - I bought shiitake dowels from this company and they produced well.  I heard a rumour they were going to sell kits through some of the big hardware stores like Bunnings, don't know if they have though.   

Comment by Marilyn beaucariche on September 23, 2011 at 7:55pm

Below is a link to a Site that has an awesome recipe for using Watercress. This Vegetable which grows in clean running streams is free, but always make certain that it grows where the Stream runs freely and that it is healthy. Contaminated Streams, allow the Vegetable to develope the parasite "liverfluke" which is harmful. So when picking watercress it is usually in a Stream, in a more isolated area. Its properties and the uses are immense.

Comment by Marilyn beaucariche on September 23, 2011 at 7:52pm

http://www.cookscompass.com/ingredient/1025&view=details#descri...

Comment by Marilyn beaucariche on September 7, 2011 at 8:14pm

The Mount Roskill trees I remember them well.

Good to see Councils etc planting more and more Olives in public places.

I am going to try and make an ouzo drink out of the Fennel flowers, whether it will work or not is going to be trial and error. But the flowers in drinks give an Ouzo flavour. 

 

Comment by Marilyn beaucariche on September 7, 2011 at 8:11pm

Thanx for that Kathryn 

Nice to meet another forager. 

I don't want to sound thick, but what time are Mushrooms out. I am going to attempt to grow some again on a rotten stump. But I need the field Mushroom spores to do this.

Any help would be great. 

Comment by WIC Garden Project on September 4, 2011 at 10:00pm

Pleased to find this group. 

Black berry jam on toast or blackberry and apple pie are my favourites.  Swirl a spoonful of the jam into Greek yoghurt for a bit of heaven :-)

 Johanna Knox' Radio NZ foraging podcasts are always interesting, available at http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thiswayup/foraging plus her blog http://wildpicnic.blogspot.com/

 

I also love dipping into the classic book Simply Living: A gatherer's guide to New Zealand's fields, forests and shores by Gwen Skinner.  Has had me frying up young puffballs and sipping the nectar from flax (Phormium tenax) among other things.

 

I've found that you can be prosecuted if you attempt to forage at Hamilton Gardens but it is OK in other Hamilton parks.  Mostly chestnuts but also lemons, loquats, feijoas etc if you know where to look.

Also have fond memories of foraging in Wanganui along the river near Aramaho for walnuts and bay leaves. 

 

My bro-in-law used to harvest olives from one of the streets in Mt Roskill, Auckland.  Oh for more Councils to be so visionary in their street plantings :-)

 

Fennel often grows wild: the flowers taste exactly like black jelly beans!

Cheers.

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