Grow Your Own Magazine

Ever since I moved here 11 years ago, there has been a beautiful Rowan tree just beyond my garden wall. I love Rowans for their appearence and more so for all their traditional and mystical associations. I went out today though... and it's gone I can't see any decent reason for it being cut down, it was away from houses, not casting shade on any otherwise useful area... So sad!

However! About 18 months ago, it seeded a sapling into my garden. It wasn't really ideal at the time, given that it was directly behind my then husband's workshop and only replicated the view I essentially had anyway. I was reluctant to dispense with it altogether though, due to some lingering Celtic sensiblity so I just tidied it up a bit. Now things have changed a little for me and I'd planned to get rid of the workshop and do some more planting there anyway. So, I'll have my own Rowan tree!

Witch tree, rowan tree, pretty mountain ash,
Protect me right well from storm, flood and flash;
Now do I beg of thee some wee twigs and leaves,
And pri`thee turn from me all harm and grief

__________________
http://thankyouforthedays.blogspot.com/

In the woods there grew a tree
And a fine fine tree was he

Rowan tree, red thread, hold the witches all in dread. (I think. Never seen it written but have it on a folkie type CD)

__________________
Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

We planted one in our front garden at our old Derbyshire home. The birds like the berries and an old friend had a baby girl and named her Rowan.

Would like one here but they're not 'local' - here's an interesting link to check what plants and stuff are local to your area (by postcode)

The Postcode Plants Database - Natural History Museum

oh and I'm glad you've got another rowan!

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Rowan trees are quite lovely and the folklore that comes with them just makes them even more interesting! A Rowan will protect the home and boundary it resides in I believe.

What a nifty website! I have been looking for something like this. I'm not local to Yorkshire (or England for that matter) so this is very handy. And it seems Rowan is local to me Hrm, I was thinking of planting a tree in my front garden. Maybe a Rowan?

__________________
Garden Bootstrap

Ours had developed into a very nice tree quite quickly, they're not too 'dense' and yes I was more than swayed by all the folklore surrounding rowans!

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

I have lived in several places where I have inherited rowans in the garden, and although in some cases, the garden would have both looked and probably performed better with the rowan removed, I could never bring myself to do it. It is after all The Witches Tree and to damage or remove one is to bring bad luck on your household. I must also hold my hands up to passing said superstition on to other people when we were levelling gardens afor house plots.

__________________
Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

Coo! Live and learn!

The only tale I have about a rowan tree is that when my brother moved back to the ol' home town years ago and went to lodge with his mate, he was setting up his own business, and matched the colours of his new logo to those of the rowan leaves and berries - the tree grew outside his bedroom window...

__________________
Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Sun 30/11/2008......Indoor Allotmenteering too!.....

The only rowans around here are ornamental, up north the crab apples are ornamental. My aunt and I have a reciprocal agreement. I provide her with crab apples, she provides me with rowanberries. I already have too many trees in the garden or I would grow one of my own (to keep my fellow witches away) .

__________________
"I prefer rogues to imbeciles as they sometimes take a rest" (Alexander Dumas)

Being a little witchy myself, would I have to leave home if I planted one?

We have two grown from seed about 25 years ago. About 9 metres tall and lots of fruit attracts field fayres in the autumn. Great tits like to hang on them - to eat insects I presume.
Anyone want some berries in autumn?

Where would you get the rowan tree seeds (besides from the actual tree of course)? It sounds like a fun project to grow a rowan tree from seed. Is there a comapny / website that may supply them?

__________________
Garden Bootstrap

Lots of rowan trees in hedge rows. Birds eat them and we have seedlings over the garden.

Raise the subject in September and I'll send some free....

iirc it's a leave to rot down over winter and get some frost on them jobbie.

Wow, thanks ^_^ I'll make a note of that.

__________________
Garden Bootstrap

Now and then I see Rowan trees in council car parks, they look beautiful. They have a delicate habit and pale orange berries that hold well. Any ideas as to what I should be looking for by way of a name!
I want, I want, I want........please help

Headfry (and Sinta, if you're not definitely wanting to grow from seed) I also have some littler saplings (I think, anyway, they look the same!). No idea if it's a good time of year to do it but I'd happily dig one up and post it off to you. I wouldn't want anything for it and I doubt the postage would be much.

Let me know if you're interested

__________________
http://thankyouforthedays.blogspot.com/

In the woods there grew a tree
And a fine fine tree was he

Hi Seahorse, that's really generous! Thanks so much for the offer and I'm sure I'll find a home for the little sapling in my garden I hope its not too much trouble for you.

__________________
Garden Bootstrap

No trouble PM me your address and I'll sort one out.

__________________
http://thankyouforthedays.blogspot.com/

In the woods there grew a tree
And a fine fine tree was he

Hi Seahorse thank you so much for your very kind offer, I have two self set Rowans with the darker berries- It's the one with the pale almost apricot berries I am trying to get hold of...
Rowans are beautiful little trees and keep the witches away! maybe thats why I find it hard to cross the garden with out stumbling! tee hee hee

Now is the right time to dig the saplings up. The local bonsai club have permission to go on a 'forage' in some private woodland locally and take the saplings growing too close to the parent tree (which wouldn't survive anyway) and they always do this the first weekend in February.

Ah, with you now Headfry! Obviously need more caffeine

Thanks for that Bluemoon!

__________________
http://thankyouforthedays.blogspot.com/

In the woods there grew a tree
And a fine fine tree was he

I have never heard of a Rowan tree (but then my knowledge of flora & fauna is limited to say the least), looks nice though.

__________________
A simple dude trying to grow veg.

http://haywayne.blogspot.com/ - Updated 30th November

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev036pr___.png

Is mountain ash the same thing! and are they all Sorbus?

I think mountain ash is just another name for the rowan tree. I heard its called witchbane as well.