GROWING YOUR OWN FOOD with DIRTY NAILS AUGUST, 4TH WEEK FLOWERS IN THE VEG PATCH Dirty Nails loves traditional agricultural weeds like poppies, corn cockle, cornflower, corn marigold and the wild pansy, heartsease. These flowers grew in vast numbers before the use of weed killers became widespread. If given a chance they will still thrive on regularly disturbed land and are very at home growing in amongst his vegetables. Dirty Nails does not allow these flowers to take over, and is constantly weeding them out. However he always allows a few specimens of his favourite species to bloom and set seed. This week he has been collecting the ripe seeds of corn cockle and heartsease so he can sow them and grow them where he wants to next year. He gathers flower seeds during dry sunny weather, shaking them into paper bags. Wild flowers in the veg patch can be very pleasing to look at and will attract all sorts of bees and other useful insects. He is convinced that growing wild flowers and veg together like this creates a healthy, naturally balanced environment.

The calendula, or ‘pot marigold‘, which Dirty Nails grows around the edges of his veg patch, are now thick with both flowers and ripe seeds. This plant is grown to stop encroaching couch grass, which cannot tolerate residing in amongst calendula roots. He has been filling jam-jars with their dry seeds, in preparation for sowing next spring. This will not only keep the plot free of troublesome couch, but also saves Dirty Nails a packet on purchasing seeds.

VEGETABLE SNIPPETS: RED MASON BEE (OSMIA RUFA) The red mason bee, Osmia rufa, is a highly beneficial and hard-working insect which is worth commandeering into action amongst the veggies. Crops that depend on flowering to produce a cache of nutritious food will be serviced by these fellows, from peas and beans through to all manner of lovely fruits.

Purpose-built nests are available from specialist firms and good garden centres. They consist of a plastic cylinder which contains cardboard straws, typically 30 or 100, and it is these that provide a potential nursery for the young bees. Such contraptions imitate naturally occurring nesting sites which in the wild include hollow plant stems and beetle holes in wood.

Red mason bees are commonly seen in the vicinity of old walls and outbuildings. They can be observed passing in and out of little holes in the masonry. However, contrary to popular belief, they are not responsible for excavating these cavities themselves. The mining work is largely done by the solitary, white-banded ’Davie’s colletes’, one of eight UK species of Colletes bee.

The red masons simply clean out and renovate suitable sites in the crumbly mortar of old brick and stonework, where they lay their eggs in self-sufficient chambers which they construct (empty nail or vine-eye holes are another favourite).

Proprietary nests secured to a south or west-facing fence or shed at or above chest height in early spring are sure to attract mason and also leaf-cutter bees.

Red masons are busy in low temperatures when bumble bees hunker down and remain inactive. Their peak period for useful toil, as far as the home-producer is concerned, coincides with a wide range of top-fruit blossom (apples, pears, plums and the like), and one red mason is reputed to do the pollination work of 140 honey-bee workers. With no sting (they don’t produce honey so have no need to defend their stores) they are safe and harmless around children and family areas in the garden.

NATURAL HISTORY IN THE GARDEN: BADGERS IN AUGUST At about 6 kg (13.2 lb) badger cubs will have reached about half their adult weight by the beginning of this month. Badgers are often seen at night as they patrol the gardens and neighbourhood. Dry weather causes foraging further afield, while back at home they will be busy extending and renovating their sets.

How To Grow Your Own Food by Dirty Nails (ISBN 978-1-905862-11-5) priced £10.99 at good bookstores and online.