[gobs]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm one of my favourite veggies, along with psb.

We used to be able to get it locally gathered, and bought loads while it was in season. But last year the local farm shop stopped stocking it as they couldn't sell enough.

I'd never buy it, but Asda have it from Egypt.

Might try growing some.

Now, that my be a possible answer to my question regarding plant merchants, too.

[gobs]

It grows plentifully on the marshes round here but I rarely bother gathering it. If I want something that tastes like salty cabbage I'll just put more salt on my cabbage.

A lot of these 'gourmet' foods are just an excuse for ripping people off. It's useful to know what wild plants are edible but there really isn't much point in trying to grow them when you can have a plot full of 'proper' vegetables.

Of course, when society breaks down, supermarkets have all been looted and you're stuck on a salt marsh it might be handy to know what samphire actually looks like.

Well Solway Cropper I think that is a bit rash. I like nothing better than a bit of local samphire either freshly cooked as a vegetable or pickled in malt vinegar. Only problem is that its only in abundance in July / August on our local salt marshes. When its not available its back to salty cabbage and brussels sprouts, delicious

There is no need to take that personally. I hate rhubarb. Yak. Now, if every rhubarb lover on here would get hurt over that, I'd be in trouble. We have different tastes and likes, that's all. And it is normal.

To top, he has a point about food fads, very much so.

[8doubles]

It grows plentifully on the marshes round here but I rarely bother gathering it. If I want something that tastes like salty cabbage I'll just put more salt on my cabbage.

A lot of these 'gourmet' foods are just an excuse for ripping people off. It's useful to know what wild plants are edible but there really isn't much point in trying to grow them when you can have a plot full of 'proper' vegetables.

Of course, when society breaks down, supermarkets have all been looted and you're stuck on a salt marsh it might be handy to know what samphire actually looks like.

Spot on !

[leeks r us]

to be honest lacewing i didnt know you could grow it in compost never tried but would love to, does it grow wild anywhere on the north east coast?

[lacewing]

Since starting this tread I have now found out that "Pennard plants" sell samphire seeds and they give some information about it.
Sorry  leeks r us, I have no idea if the plant grows in the  north east, you would have to investigate locally.
I will post an update on my plants progress,  the seedlings  are diong well in the cold frame at the moment.

[Nicki85]

I tried to grow it last year, I chucked it in a pot with normal compost.  It did germinate (eventually) and started to grow then the pigeons ate it 

So that was my experience... it seemed to take a long time to do anything to be honest!

[gobs]

I tried to grow it last year, I chucked it in a pot with normal compost.  It did germinate (eventually) and started to grow then the pigeons ate it 

So that was my experience... it seemed to take a long time to do anything to be honest!

Hilarious. Anyhow, you made me laugh.

[Nicki85]

I know, it was a bit of a learning curve for me last year... It was, where has my watercress gone?  Why do my beetroot have no leaves? Where have those new brassica seedlings gone?  Oddly i'd cottoned on down the allotment (if it's brassica like= net it) but I just didn't think that the 3 (fat) wood pigeons that lived in the garden would cause a problem. 

[lacewing]

I think pigeons will attack anything green. I wore a green hat one day whilst weeding and one of the blighters landen on my head!