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Container salad growing

Sat, 18 May 2013

There are many salad crops that are suitable for growing in containers and if you are new to home-grown produce they are an easy vegetable group to start with. Growing salad in containers means you can start with as much or as little as you like, growing a few varieties amongst other container plants on a patio or dotted around the garden. Here is a short guide on how to create a container salad garden and some varieties best suited to pots.

All salad crops require a sunny spot sheltered from strong winds. The container you choose needs to be large enough and deep enough to accommodate the plant you want to grow in it. Drainage is also important, so your pot will need plenty of drainage holes (putting broken crocks or gravel in the bottom of the pot also helps). The final crucial thing to remember is watering. Any container grown plant will need more watering than those grown in the ground. Never let your salad crops dry out but equally, don't allow them to become waterlogged.

Lets start with lettuce and salad leaves. The varieties available are endless but all will do very well in outdoor planters. Smaller varieties of lettuce such as Little Gem are ideal for containers. Salad leaves such as baby leaf salad mix, lambs lettuce and rocket will also do well in pots. Its a good idea to choose pick-and-come-again varieties that will keep on producing all summer. Make sure you plant your leaves successionally so you have a continuous supply throughout the season.

Spring onions are really easy to grow in pots. They are quick growing so staggering your planting will give you a longer lasting supply. Try Guardsman for a reliable crop or Furio for a great tasting red onion. Beetroot may not be a salad crop you would associate with container growing, but it will happily grow well in pots. Choose a round variety such as Boltardy or baby beets such as Baby Action rather than long cylindrical varieties. Beetroot like moist soil, so keep your containers well watered.

Radishes are also great for container growing. Choose quick growing varieties such as French Breakfast and successional sow for a continuous crop. No salad is complete without the tomato. Tomatoes can easily be grown outdoors, they just need a sheltered spot (preferably against a wall or fence) and good support canes. Try Gardener's Delight, an exceptionally sweet cherry tomato that is very reliable indoors or out.

May on your vegetable patch

Wed, 15 May 2013

Everything on the vegetable patch begins to grow up all at once during May and you will soon find things get out of hand if you don't keep on top of them. So here is a quick list of some of the essential jobs to be getting on with on your vegetable patch during this month.

Earth up potatoes once the shoots appear above the ground and if there is still a risk of frost, cover with fleece or newspaper to protect them. Weeds will start to compete with any vegetables you have planted so make sure you keep on top of them by regularly hoeing around existing vegetable plants.

In the greenhouse, pinch out shoots on grapevines. Tomato plants will be putting on a growth spur so make sure you tie in plants to cane supports to stop them flopping over an feed regularly. Now is the time to take softwood cuttings of herb plants and pot them up in modules. Seedlings raised in the greenhouse such as courgettes, marrows and tomatoes can now be planted outside as long as the threat of frost is past.

If you haven't already sown runner beans inside, now is the time to sow them outdoors. Make sure you have erected supports of tall canes or hazel beforehand. Also sow seeds of dwarf and climbing beans in rows alongside supporting canes. Other crops that can be sown directly into the ground at this time are beetroot, basil, spring onions, carrots, parsnip and radish.

Carry on successional planting of salad crops such as lettuce, rocket and radish which will give you have a plentiful supply all through the summer. Towards the end of the month, thin out the seedlings from earlier vegetable sowings to their correct spacings. You should also sow seeds of herbs such as coriander, parsley and basil into pots and to be positioned near to the kitchen so they are easily accessible.

If you grow fruit, make sure you check fruit trees for signs of disease such as powdery mildew and treat with a fungicide. Pests such as aphids can be successfully treated with soapy water. Make sure any soft fruit bushes are covered with netting to prevent hungry bird eating the crop. Do the same with strawberry plants.

The flower garden in May

Fri, 10 May 2013

May is I think the most vibrant month in the garden. Everything that grows takes on that vivid fresh green colour that is very uplifting - if you stand still long enough you can almost see plants growing and new shoots appearing! There are lots of jobs to be getting on with in the garden during this month.

Now is the time to fill hanging baskets with summer annuals. Once you have planted up your baskets keep them in a sheltered spot if you don't have a greenhouse until all risk of frost has passed and they can be hung in position. You can also sow seeds of annual flowers such as foxgloves and honesty now.

Towards the end of the month you can start to bring annual flowering plants out into the garden as long as frost is not forecast. Acclimatise them first either by transferring them to a cold frame or leave them out during the day and bring them undercover at night. If you plant your dahlia tubers straight into the ground, they can now be planted out in soil enriched with well rotted manure. Tie in the stems of tall growing perennials such as delphiniums to prevent them from flopping over. Look out for pests such as aphids on the new shoots of perennials and spray with an organic deterrent such as soapy liquid.

Spring shrubs that have finished flowering such as forsythia and pyracantha now need to be pruned back. Remember to water shrubs and roses if the weather is dry. Towards the end of May cut back the dead foliage of daffodils to make space in the border for annual flowers. Climbers such as clematis will be growing at a vigorous rate at this time so make sure you tie in shoots to trellis and supports to prevent the delicate shoots from being snapped off.

Finally, empty any containers filled with spring bulbs ready for summer bedding displays. The bulbs can either be moved into a trench ready to be dug up and replanted in the autumn, or incorporated into borders in the garden.

Gardening events for May and June 2013

Fri, 10 May 2013

Spring garden shows

Malvern Spring Gardening Show takes place from 9-12 May. There will be a stunning array of show gardens as well as a new range of themed gardens based on the Tour de France 100th anniversary. Visit the ever popular floral marquee and attend talks by experts including the Allotment Theatre.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/Malvern-Spring-Gardening-Show/2012

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show celebrates its centenary this year. To mark this landmark year, the famous show gardens promise to be extra special. There is also a celebratory opera concert as well as many other events. The show takes place from 21-25 May.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Shows---events/RHS-Chelsea-Flower-Show/2013

Holker Garden Festival celebrates its 21st anniversary this year - 31 May - 2 June. If you've never been its well worth a visit and the hall and grounds are stunning. The show features show gardens, specialist nurseries, a horticultural marquee, demonstrations and artisan produce.

http://www.holkerfestival.co.uk/

BBC Gardener's World Live takes place at the NEC, Birmingham from 12-16 June. New for 2013 is the Kitchen Garden where you can learn from gardening experts and top chiefs on how to produce delicious food from your own kitchen garden. This year's show will also see the launch of a new category - Outdoor Living Gardens which will show how a small area can be transformed into a functional and imaginative space.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/BBC-Gardeners-World-Live/2012

Blenheim Palace Flower Show

Famous as the birthplace of Winston Churchill, Blenheim is to host a brand new flower show this year from 21-23 June. The three-day flower show will take place annually, with over 150 floral and gardening exhibitors and 10 landscaped gardens. There will also be talks and advice from gardening experts like Christine Walkden.

http://www.blenheimpalace.com

Gardens to visit

Great Dixter

The gardens of Great Dixter in Sussex are lovely to visit any time of year but the gardens are particularly stunning in spring. A wide variety of tulips are used in the borders and in pots and containers. The meadows are filled with large swaths of snakeshead fritillaries and wild orchids.

http://www.greatdixter.co.uk

The National Garden Scheme (NGS) co-ordinates the opening of over 3,700 gardens nationwide for charity. May and June are the months are two of their busiest months. Many of the gardens are privately owned and only open just a few times a year. The NGS publishes the famous yellow book detailing all the gardens that open under the scheme or you can search for gardens near you on their website.

http://www.ngs.org.uk/

Must have plants for April

Mon, 29 Apr 2013

Its the end of April and spring seems to have caught up somewhat. The long awaited warmth of the sun means there is a wider choice plants for your garden. Here are a few of my favourites that flower this month along with varieties and how to care for them.

April wouldn't be the same without the tulip. In the past the general rule has been to lift tulip bulbs after flowering but it is now mostly accepted that the majority of varieties will survive well if left in the ground over winter. Just beware of squirrels and mice who love a juicy tulip bulb! There are many varieties of tulip. Dwarf varieties have become popular for planters, small gardens and gravel. Try varieties such as 'Lady Jane' which flowers between April and May and has rosy red petals with white edges. Or 'Little Princess', a stunning tulip which produces clusters of bright orange flowers in April that have a black star in the middle of the bloom outlined in yellow. Taller varieties are great for a herbaceous border in spring, providing height and swathes of colour. Two of my favourites that go well together are 'Black Knight', a stunning dark black/purple flower and 'Spring Green' with its green-feathered, ivory white flowers.

Primula auricula is one of my very favourite spring flowers. These delicate, brightly coloured little flowers have a slightly waxy appearance that gives them a unreal quality. They are best grown in pots as they do not like to be too wet. The victorians were fond of large stunning displays of this little plant in tiered theatres. Try 'Sirius' a stunning variety with an outer ring of apricot brown and an inner ring of crimson mahogany.

The perennial wallflower is another traditional plant for the spring border. Providing a wealth of bee-friendly flowers, it will continue to bloom well into the summer. Most wallflowers prefer full sun and well-drained soil. There are many varieties in different colours. Some of the best include 'Ruston Royal', a hardy evergreen cultivar that has spikes of light and dark mauve flowers that turn lilac as they age. 'Jacobs Jacket' has a mix of pink, red and dark orange flowers on dark green foliage. 'Constant Cheer' is an old variety that produces many flowers on compact stems. The flowers are pink and then age to mauve.

The final plant I have chosen is Myosotis sylvatica or the humble forget-me-not. Clusters of tiny bright blue flowers with a tiny star of yellow in the middle. The forget-me-not is a great self-seeder but if you want to grow from seed sow in situ or in garden planters in June and July.

Bring spring flowers indoors!

Wed, 17 Apr 2013

With spring arriving a little late this year, why not bring a little of the season indoors by planting up spring flowering plants for the house. There are plenty of spring flowering plants that will do well in indoors. With a plentiful choice of bulbs and plants around, here are just a few of our favourites that look particularly good in planters.

During spring there is always a great choice of bulbs available. Bringing them indoors means they will flowers much quicker than outside and once the blooms have faded you can put them into the ground to flower again next spring. Hyacinths are great choice to bring inside. Brightly coloured spikes of flowers will fill your home with delicious scent that is synonymous with spring. Narcissus are another favourite to bring inside. There are lots of different varieties. Plant dwarf varieties in smaller planters or larger varieties mixed with other bulbs in large, more showy planters. As spring progresses tulips take centre stage. These iconic flowers of spring are easy to grow indoors. Again dwarf varieties such as 'Red Riding-hood' make a lovely little display on a coffee table and the larger varieties look stunning in a conservatory (as long as they are shielded from too much direct sunlight).

There are fewer plants that symbolise the new life of spring than the primrose. There are many varieties to choose from. We love the gorgeously understated wild woodland primrose, or the more showy varieties such as the double flowering ones will also look stunning. Whether you plant a single primrose in an old china cup or make a larger display using different colour combinations, they can't help but fill your house with a subtle scent of spring.

The flower garden in April

Fri, 12 Apr 2013

Spring has got off to a slow start this year, but April is the month when the growing season really begins to gather pace. The new shoots of herbaceous plants begin to appear and leaves start to unfurl on the branches of trees. Here is a quick reminder of some of the vital jobs to be done in the flower garden during April.

If you grow oriental poppies now is the time to support them with canes to prevent them from flopping over. Tie in the new shoots of clematis to supports, taking care not to snap the delicate stems. Start to spray roses that are vulnerable to diseases such as blackspot, mildew or rust.

Infill any gaps in the herbaceous border with perennials. Plant in groups of three or five for maximum effect. Slugs and snail simply love the emerging shoots of perennials such as lupins and delphiniums, so protect them with an organic barrier such as garlic or coffee granules. Tie the emerging shoots to plant supports. April is the time to plant out the sweet pea seedlings you sowed back in February. You can also sow hardy annual flowers now, such as sunflowers, directly into the beds where you want them. Dig in a good amount of compost into the soil to help it cater for all this new growth and the annual flowers you have added to the border.

Towards the end of the month is a good time to prune back the stems of early flowering clematis such as Montana to ensure it doesn't put on too much vigorous growth. Any box topiary you have will have started to put on new growth at this time, so give it a trim to keep it in shape. Any container grown shrubs and roses you have bought can also be planted out towards the end of the month. Finally, at the end of the month, fill garden planters with summer bedding displays but keep in the shelter of the greenhouse until a risk of frost is well past.

What to do in the vegetable garden this April

Tue, 02 Apr 2013

We may have had a slow start to spring but with a bit luck things should start to improve this month and allow us to make a start on the growing season in the vegetable garden. With the clock going forward, the nights are now much lighter, so make use of the extra time to catch up and get growing!

Any young vegetable seedlings that were started off in the greenhouse during February and March can now be moved out and into the cold frame to harden off before planting out. Onion sets grown in modules under cover can also be planted out now. April is the time to plant out maincrop potatoes and asparagus crowns. Because of the cold spring, warm up the soil first by placing a plastic cloche or fleece over the area you want to plant. Any early potatoes already in the ground will need earthing up as shoots appear above the ground. Other vegetable seeds that can be sown outside during April include kale, broccoli, beetroot, lettuce, and cauliflower.

Later in the month if the ground has warmed up sufficiently, you can start successional planting of salad crops. Sow seeds every 3-4 weeks to ensure you have a constant supply throughout the summer months. Also, prepare your runner bean bed by digging a trench and filling it with well rotted manure to give a head start to hungry young bean plants. Inside, sow bean seeds along with cucumber and courgette seeds in pots. It's always a good idea to sow two seeds per pot to allow for those few that will not germinate.

Its a good idea to plant flowering companions such as marigolds and poached egg plants alongside your vegetables. They help suppress insect pests and are a great way to attract pollinating insects into your vegetable garden. Sow a mixture of seeds along the edges of your vegetable beds now. If you grow fruit and there is still a risk of frost, cover any blossoming trees and fruit bushes with fleece to protect the blossom.

If you grow herbs, now is the time to trim leggy rosemary bushes to encourage bushy new growth. It is also time to sow seeds of parsley, coriander and basil in decorative garden planters that can be placed near the house for easy access. If the weather is still cold, sow them indoors or in a cold greenhouse.

Lets celebrate Easter!

Mon, 25 Mar 2013

The weather may be a little unseasonal for Easter this year but don't let that stop you from enjoying Easter in the great outdoors.

Kew Gardens is celebrating all things chocolatey this Easter with fun filled family days out including arts and craft activities. Join in the fun at the Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday 31 March and enjoy the gardens at the same time while collecting tokens from around the gardens.

http://www.kew.org/about-kew/press-media/press-releases-kew/easter-2013/index.htm

Enjoy a walk around some of the best RHS gardens such as Wisley, Harlow Carr and Hyde Hall while talking part in some great fun Easter activities.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardens/Easter-at-RHS-Gardens

The lovely gardens of Hoveton Hall in Norfolk is celebrating Easter with a number of Easter treasure hunts from 29 March to 1 April, plus children's trails through the gardens.

http://www.hovetonhallgardens.co.uk/index.asp?pid=6

To find Easter egg hunts and other events in your local area visit:

http://www.easteregghuntsandevents.org/

An unseasonal spring!

Sat, 23 Mar 2013

Watching Gardener's World last night it was obvious that Monty Don's recommended gardening jobs for this weekend had been filmed with slightly more optimistic weather in mind! A good dumping of snow on plants that have emerged in spring brings a unique set of problems. So, rather than jobs (as I'm guessing even the hardiest of gardeners won't want to be out long in this weather), here are a few 'damage limitation' tasks to help your garden cope with heavy snow and freezing temperatures at this time of year.

Brush snow from the stems of shrubs and tree branches as the weight may snap them
Any vegetables you have planted such as early potatoes will need to be covered to avoid frost damage
Avoid walking on snow covered grass as it will damage the turf beneath
Protect emerging tender perennials from frost damage by covering with a cloche - its best to avoid mulching during freezing temperatures
Move container plants to a more sheltered position to protect both plants and pot
Avoid pruning, feeding or watering plants during this weather as dormancy is what protects them from the elements
Brush snow from the roofs of greenhouses and cold frames to allow light to get to plants and seedlings inside
And finally, remember to feed the birds!

Must-have plants for March

Tue, 19 Mar 2013

Spring can still seem a way off in March but when we do get the odd sunny day we get that itch to get out in the garden and get planting! From spring bulbs to shrubs and perennials here are some ideas on what you can plant in March.

There is plenty of choice this month when it comes to spring bulbs. There are a number of varieties of our old favourite narcissus that flower in March. Narcissi 'Geranium' has pale cream petals with a bright orange centre and a truly delicious scent. This bulb is very hardy and the flowers grow to a height of 45cm. Narcissi 'Jenny' is a delicate pale lemon with graceful swept-back petals.'Rip Van Winkle' is a dwarf variety with highly cut petals that resemble a paper star. Narcissi tete-a-tete is a great all-rounder and will reappear year after year. This bright yellow miniature daffodil grows to a height of 20cm. Plant narcissus indoors as well, transferring outside once the flowers have gone over.

Other bulbs you can plant in the garden at this time of year include crocus tommasinianus. This is a self-seeding crocus that is great for lawns. A carpet of this delicate little bulb with flowers ranging from pale lilac to purple is a stunning sight in early spring. Pulipa turkestanica is a free-flowering multi-headed little tulip that grows to around 20cm in height. It has delicate fragrant creamy white star shaped flowers.

The bright lime green of euphorbia robbiae is real must for a spring border. This plant will go on flowering until July and looks great against the purples of spring such as aubretia and forget-me-not. Pulmonaria or lungwort is great for shady borders in early spring. Not only does this little plant produce clusters of flowers, it is also grown for their pretty spotted foliage. 'Trevi Fountain' has wonderful deep purple flowers on dark foliage splashed with creamy spots. 'Diana Clare' has clusters of flowers from rosy purple to deep violet and small silver spotted stem leaves.

If its a bit of an impact you are after this early in the year you can do worse than magnolia 'Galaxy'. Its tulip-shaped buds of reddish purple start to open during March into large goblet-shaped flowers. The effect is all the more stunning as the flowers appear before the foliage. Another flowering tree worth having in the garden is the flowering cherry. Prunus 'Kanzan' has rich pink flowers from March to April is fully hardy and grows to a height of around 5m.

The flower garden in March

Fri, 15 Mar 2013

March heralds the start of spring when plant growth in the garden really begins to speed up. Here is a handy list of vital jobs to be doing in the flower garden during this busy month of March.

March is the time tidy up by cutting back old growth and then top dress with compost. Doing this will not only protect emerging new shoots from late frosts but also feed the soil and give your plants a good start. Its also a good time to divide and replant overgrown clumps of perennials. This can be done by digging up the whole plant and making a clean cut all the way through with a clean sharp spade or knife. Towards the end of the month you can plant out new shrubs and perennials. Position stakes over or around taller growing plants to provide support as they grow up. Some of your most favourite perennials can also be propagated now. Take cuttings of delphiniums by removing strong new shoots and placing them in potting compost. You can also do this with echinacea and phlox.

Prune shrub roses now. Make sure you cut cleanly to low new shoots and sprinkle some granular fertiliser around the base once you have pruned. Honeysuckle that has become overgrown can also be trimmed back at this time. Cut right back close to the base of the plant. Once spring flower bulbs such as narcissus have finished flowering, cut the dead heads off but leave the green growth to die back for at least six weeks to help regenerate the bulbs for next year.

Sow sweet peas in pots at the beginning of the month and then plant out towards the end of the month if the weather is not too cold. At the end of March, if the weather is favourable, hardy annuals can also be sown outside. Tidy up any pots and containers filled with early spring displays and replace any that have gone over with bedding such as polyanthus and primulas.

Gardening and countryside events for March and April 2013

Wed, 06 Mar 2013

The history of cut flowers

'Floriculture - Flowers, Love and Money - a new exhibition at the Garden Museum in London explores the history of cut flowers in England from the 17th century through to the present day. Including archive images and photographs and film, the exhibition looks at how flowers play an important role in key events in our lives such as birthdays, weddings and funerals. The exhibition runs until 28 April.

www.gardenmuseum.org.uk

Plant fairs

RHS Great London Plant Fair 26-27 March

Specialist nurseries and a wide range of unusual plants makes this plant fair at Vincent Square, London a real must.

www.rhs.org.uk

Spring gardens

The Beth Chatto Gardens in Colchester, Essex is an inspiration in spring with stunning spring flowers and woodland bulbs. The gardens also has an excellent nursery where you can buy unusual perennials, shrubs and other plants. The gardens are open every day until 4pm.

www.bethchatto.co.uk/

Daffodils

March heralds carpets of sunny yellow daffodils. Nothing is as uplifting as walking among wild daffodils. For daffodil sites near you visit www.wildlifetrusts.org

The good life

Join celebrity gardeners, chefs, experts and a wide range of exhibitors at the Edible Garden Show held at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire 15-17 March. The show is open from 9.30am until 4.30pm daily.

www.theediblegardenshow.co.uk/

Garden and countryside shows

Get lots of great new ideas at the RHS Flower Show Cardiff takes place between the 19 and 21 April at Bute Park. This festival of spring gardening hosts floral marquees and a plant village as well as specialist nurseries and show gardens.

www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/RHS-Flower-Show-Cardiff/2013

The Newark and Notts Garden Show takes place between 19 and 21 April at the Newark Show Ground. The show describes itself as 'a celebration of british lifestyle and our great outdoors'. A wide range of nurseries and garden companies will be there alongside garden and retail products.

www.aztecevents.co.uk/newarknottinghamgardenshow2013_home.htm

The CountryTastic Show takes place on the 4 April at the Three Counties Showground in Worcestershire. It is a great day out for the whole family that aims to provide a taste of food, farming and countryside life. There are animal zones, free activities such as cake decorating, lamb feeding and lake fishing, as well as woodland walks and much more. The show is open from 10am until 5pm.

www.threecounties.co.uk/countrytastic/

What to do in the flower garden during February

Sat, 23 Feb 2013

February is the month when you can really start to get into your gardening and one of the best ways to start is to escape the chilly weather and sow plants indoors. Sowing your own seed is an economical way of growing new plants and sowing indoors will make sure they get a head start as well as help to extend the growing season for tender annuals. At this time of year try sowing sweet peas and half hardy annuals such as petunia and lobelia.

In the flower bed, fork and rake over the soil where you plan to sow hardy annuals. Lift and divide clumps of snowdrops when in leaf or 'in the green' and replant around the garden. This is the best way of getting this stunning little bulb to spread. Now is also the time to lift and divide congested border perennials as long as the ground is not frozen. Also if the weather is not to severe, cut off the heads of hydrangeas and prune back the shoots to a pair of buds. Cut out any dead stems on hardy fuchsias. Winter flowering heathers will also benefit from a trim during this month.

February is a good time to prune flowering climbers. Cut back wisteria to one or two buds from the main stem, making sure to remove any whippy growth except those you want to train as new leaders. Late flowering clematis can also be cut back at the end of this month. Make sure you cut each stem cleanly above a low pair of green shoots. To guarantee some colour during the month, fill pots and containers with spring flowering bulbs and bedding plants to brighten up patios and infill gaps in the garden.

The first bulbs of spring

Mon, 18 Feb 2013

February and we are beginning to get the odd clear day when the sun is shining, the sky is blue and spring seems a few steps nearer. These rare days offer the perfect opportunity to get out and about and appreciate some of the very first bulbs of spring. There are a number of gardens all round the country that open their gates at this time of year to allow us to visit and marvel at the great shows put on by some of our earliest spring bulbs.

Walsingham Abbey in Norfolk is famous for its stunning displays of snowdrops and yellow aconites as well as its impressive ruins of the Medieval priory. The surrounding woodland is carpeted in a huge variety of spring flowers. The Abbey and its grounds is open throughout February from 10am until 4pm.

http://www.walsinghamabbey.com

Rode Hall Gardens in Cheshire has a woodland walk renowned for its extensive carpets of snowdrops. The garden is open from 2 February daily.

http://www.greatbritishgardens.co.uk/rode_hall_gardens.htm

Heale House near Salisbury in Wiltshire has eight acres of beautiful agents that run by the river Avon with amazing shows of snowdrops. The garden is open from 10 February.

http://www.healegarden.co.uk/

Holdstock Priory in Nottinghamshire has an amazing 12 acres of snowdrop coved woodland. This year there is a new marquees snowdrop village with a tea room, gift shop and plant sale. Visit the snowdrops here from 2 February until 3 March.

http://www.hodsockpriory.com/snowdrops-0

Easton Walled Gardens in Lincolnshire is open for snowdrops from 16 to 24 February daily. Naturalised snowdrops run along the banks of the river and the garden also has stunning displays of other winter flowers including aconites, hellebores and dwarf iris. There are also talks on snowdrops twice a day at 12.30 and 2.30.

http://www.eastonwalledgardens.co.uk/Detail.asp?S

For lists of other gardens near you worth visiting for snowdrops and other early spring flowers visit:

Great British Gardens - http://www.greatbritishgardens.co.uk/snowdrops.htm

National Garden Scheme - http://www.ngs.org.uk/news-features/features/snowdrop-garden-openings.aspx

Plants that flower in February

Mon, 11 Feb 2013

Spring can still feel a long way off in February. But with a little planning the are some plants you can include in your garden that will provide a great display at is time of year. From early flowering bulbs to winter flowering shrubs, this short guide will give you a few ideas.

Crocus tommasinianus is a cheerful little bulb that flowers from the end of January and into February. The flowers close up in bad weather but unfurl to reveal a delightful mauve inside with bright orange stemens. It is a useful bulb for borders or under deciduous trees and looks good planted amongst snowdrops. The snowdrop is probably the bulb we all associate as heralding spring. There are many varieties to choose from. Galanthus 'S. Arnott' Flowers from February to March. It has slender stalks of nodding white flowers and a delicate scent. It is a self propagator and spreads to around 20cm.

Narcissus provide a welcome sight at the end of a long cold winter and there are a few varieties that emerge at the very start of the year to offer a glimpse of spring to come. Narcissus tazetta is a lovely little daffodil whose leaves begin to emerge as early as December. At the end of January it produces clusters of up to fifteen small highly scented flowers with white petals and a yellow corona. It prefers a warm sunny position in good rich soil and grows to a height of 50cm. Rijnveld's Early Sensation has large yellow windmill style flowers and if planted in a sheltered position can flower as early as December. It grows to a height of 35cm.

Euonymous fortunei 'Silver Queen' may on first sight seem a little under-stated with its tiny variegated leaves, but this evergreen shrub when placed in a border on a sunny February day simply glows with its green marbled leaves edged in creamy white. It will thrive in sun or partial shade in any garden and grows to a height and spread of around 2m.

Finally, the sight of a flowering witch hazel on a gloomy winter day is enough to brighten any heart. Hamamelis x intermedia 'Aphrodite' is a large shrub with a height and spread of around 3m. From January to March is it covered with large clusters of spidery amber-coloured flowers. hellebores are a jewel in any winter border with their various colours from bright white to pink and dark purple. Helleborus 'Anna's Red' flowers from February to March. Its flowers sit on top of dark stems that rise up from marbled leaves and are rich red in colour. Hellebores like rich soil and semi-shade and grow to a height and spread of about 30cm.

February in the Vegetable Garden

Wed, 06 Feb 2013

There is always plenty of jobs to do even in the smallest vegetable garden as there is no denying that growing fruit and vegetables is high maintenance. So, with more to do there is always more to forget. Plan ahead by getting on top of those jobs that can be done early in the year. Here is a short list of vital jobs to be doing in the vegetable garden during February.

One of the easiest vegetables to grow is the potato and February is the time to chit seed potatoes. Chitting is the term used to describe allowing the seed potatoes to grow shoots before they are planted in the ground. Place your seed potatoes blunt end up in trays or old egg boxes in a bright and airy spot. The potatoes should be ready to plant out when the shoots are 1-2cm long, in around six weeks.

February is the time to plant out shallots in well-prepared beds. Other vegetable seeds that can be planted out at this time are carrots, broad beans, hardy peas and parsnips. Give them a head start by covering the soil bed with fleece or cloches first to warm up the soil. If you haven't already done so, start to force rhubarb by covering it with a terracotta cloche or an old bucket to exclude the light and encourage tasty new stems.

If you grow soft fruit, now is the time to plant new raspberry canes and blackcurrant bushes. Prune gooseberry bushes to an open globe shape to allow air to circulate. Feed all fruit trees and bushes with a handful of sulphate of potash. It might also to a good idea to take stock of the netting around fruit cages and repair any holes that may allow in hungry birds.

Towards the end of the month you can begin to sow other vegetable seeds in the greenhouse if you have one. Plant seeds of broccoli, spring cabbage and onions. If you have a greenhouse vine or other climber, now is also the time to prune.

An effective way of fertilising last year's beds is to grow a green manure and now is the time to sow this. Crops of fenugreek, mustard and crimson clover can be sown now and then dug into the soil later in the spring to improve it.

Finally, now is the time to start sowing herb seeds in containers. Herbs such as parsley, mint, chives and oregano placed near the house will provide you with a plentiful crop to cook with throughout the summer months.

Jobs to do in the flower garden during January

Tue, 29 Jan 2013

There's always plenty to do even in the smallest of gardens and mid-winter is no exception. There are essential jobs that need to be done now in the flower garden and those that will ensure that you are ahead of the game come the beginning of spring. So put on your hat and gloves and get out into the garden.

Any job you do in the garden during winter really needs to wait for a break in the weather. Choose a dry quiet day for your own benefit as well as the plants. It may not seem the right time of year to be planting, but January is the perfect time to plant bare rooted shrubs and roses as long as the weather is not too wet or cold. If you are not sure what the weather is likely to do, you can always cover the patch of ground you want to plant with a fleece for a coupe of days to ensure that any frost does not penetrate. Also on the subject of roses, it is worth thinning out the top growth on standard roses to prevent wind rock and other damage from the weather.

The dead stems of plants such as sedum can also be cut down now as long as you are careful not to damage the new growth at the base of the plant. You might want to do the same with ornamental grasses before the new shoots appear. I always find it a bit of dilemma whether or not to cut back dead growth at this time of year. Not so much for the protection it may provide but for the winter interest often created by the dead stems of plants which can look stunning covered in frost.

If the weather hasn't been too harsh you may have started to see the beginnings of bulbs poking up through the ground. Now is the time to clear you flower borders of leaves and other debris before bulbs properly emerge. Again, if the ground is not too wet or frozen you can dig over gaps in flower borders making sure you remove the roots of perennial weeds such as bindweed and ground elder. Also clear away dead foliage from last year's perennials and place it on the compost heap. Improve the soil by digging in plenty of compost or manure. A mulch of manure or bark will also help to protect tender perennials from the rest of the winter weather.

Finally take a positive step towards spring by potting up pots and containers with spring bedding displays. Bulbs such as dwarf narcissus can be mixed with pansies and violas, ivy and other evergreens.

Garden events for January and February 2013

Fri, 25 Jan 2013

The weather outside may still be bleak and cold but things are beginning to stir in the garden and as keen gardeners we too feel the beginnings of a itch to once more get out into the garden. To get us all in the mood here are just a few events around the country you might like to take part in. For more information visit the Royal Horticultural Society's website www.rhs.org.uk

The end of January is the time when the RSPB conducts its Big Bird Watch. The organisation is asking us all to spend just one hour during the weekend of the 26-27 January counting the number of birds that visit the garden and recording the results on their website. This invaluable survey has already highlighted problems with a number of species, most recently a decline in the numbers of mistle thrushes. www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch

From the 2-10 February RHS Wisley in Woking is hosting Woodland Week. The week will include a number of talks and demonstrations highlighting the delights of the early spring garden. www.rhs.org.uk/wisley-garden

The RHS London Plant and Design Show runs on the 19 & 20 February at the RHS Horticultural Halls. The show centres around six garden themes including woodland, kitchen gardens and conifers and aims to celebrate the launch of the new RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) list and new RHS hardiness ratings. www.rhs.org.uk/londonshows

January in the vegetable garden

Wed, 23 Jan 2013

There's always plenty to do in even the smallest vegetable garden. There are some essential jobs to do in January as well as those that mean you will have a head start come the beginning of spring. Whether its getting ahead by planting early vegetables in the greenhouse or preparing the ground for this year's crop, choose a dry bright day, wrap up and get out there.

As long as the weather is not too wet or too cold, January is a good time to dig over heaving soil on the vegetable garden. Clear away any old crops from last year and place on the compost heap. Improve the texture of the soil and give young vegetable plants a head start by incorporating compost or manure. However, leave it rough for now and don't dig in the manure just yet.

If you intend to grow beans this year, decide where you want to plant them and prepare the ground by digging a trench. Over the next few weeks fill the trench with kitchen waste (excluding meat products) which will compost down and enrich the soil in preparation for hungry young bean plants. Now is also a good time to start forcing rhubarb. Use forcing jars to ensure an early crop. You can also plant new rhubarb crowns at this time. If the weather looks likely to be frosty, cover the intended patch of ground with fleece for a couple of days to prevent frost getting to the soil. You can also cover other patches of ground with fleece or cloches to warm it up if you are planning to sow early crops. The following crops can be planted under cloches during January and early February - spinach, hardy peas, broad beans, onions and carrots.

As in the flower garden, January is the time of year to plant bare rooted shrubs and trees, so plant out any new fruits trees or bushes in your vegetable garden. While you are at it, prune out the oldest stems from blackcurrant bushes to encourage new shoots. Cover existing fruit bushes with netting to discourage hungry birds from eating any emerging buds. Prune apple and pear trees to remove crossing, damaged or diseased branches while the trees are dormant.

If you have mint growing in your vegetable garden you can force early shoots and evoke the scent of summer by digging up clumps and planting in garden planters.

Growing spring bulbs in containers

Wed, 16 Jan 2013

For a real showy display of flowers in spring time there is nothing better than large pots of spring bulbs to create a focal point in the garden. Almost all spring flowering bulbs can be planted in containers, but there are a few considerations you need to take into account when creating your display. It is not a good idea to plant miniature or short bulbs in a very large container as they will just look lost. At the same time, large bulbs in a small container will over balance it as they grow upwards. Also be careful with colour. A planter filled with the same variety of bulb can look stunning, but equally, a mix of bulbs of a similar colour pallet will look just as good.

The best time to plant spring flowering bulbs in containers is from October to December, before the first frosts. If you are using a terracotta pot with a drainage hole in the bottom place a layer of broken crocks inside before planting as this will aid drainage. Fill your chosen pot with general purpose compost mixed with a couple of handfuls of horticultural grit to help with drainage. If you are filling the container with the same variety of bulb, pack the bulbs in close together to ensure a really great show. Check the packet for the correct depth to plant the bulbs and cover over with compost. Water the container well and place in your chosen spot.

There are many varieties of spring flowering bulbs that look good in containers. Use an old galvanised tub as a planter for bright yellow daffodils. Straight stemmed red tulips look stunning in lead or faux lead planters. Place them either side of a front door for a really stunning display. Plant crocus bulbs in smaller containers, old walking boots are ideal and add a quirky twist to a door step or corner of a patio. Equally as nice are dwarf varieties of daffodil and tulip planted in wicker baskets. Short varieties of fritillaria and allium look stunning in terracotta bowls or low troughs. Place them on the flat top of a wall or in groups up the side of stone steps. Grape hyacinths are a great favourite and look good in small long toms and zinc planters. Plant dwarf iris in an old cup and saucer and place on your window sill. Hyacinth bulbs are also lovely to have indoors and will fill the room with their fresh heady scent. The type of container you can use are endless. But you will always find something either vintage, modern or just a bit quirky that will set off your chosen bulbs a treat and help herald the arrival of another spring.

Prepare your garden for spring!

Mon, 14 Jan 2013

Spring is the time to put some life back into your garden. After the harshest of the winter weather has past begin to fill the gaps in flower beds - Primulas and Polyanthus are perfect spring colour. Add height and interest with daffodil and Gladioli – put the beauty back in your borders! And plan ahead for summer too - sow flower seeds for a stunning floral display.

Welcome birds into your garden. Feeding birds through winter will ensure you have a happy bird population through the year. As spring comes, birds still need fresh water, healthy snacks and emerging boosting treats such as fruit, nuts berries and insects. Give your bird feeders a clean with hot water and a scrubbing brush. It’s essential to keep your feeding station free of disease and bacteria that can spread amongst the birds in your garden.

It is also time to invest in accessories for your garden. Making the most of your patio and outdoor spaces is easier if you can keep warm late into the night. Jumbo Mexican Clay Chimineas make the perfect garden feature and come in various shapes and sizes. The Tibor and Colima ranges have huge bellies that can be filled with logs and will burn for long hours. They will compliment any garden theme coming in the ever-popular natural terracotta colour, or glaze-effect cranberry & red, Aubergine, Ochre and blue & green. Think ahead to the long summer evenings spent on your patio! These are guaranteed to make a statement in your garden.

Esther is a keen gardener specialising in up to date outdoor design tips and tricks and garden accessories and freelance writer with ChimineaShop.co.uk

The Winter Garden

Fri, 11 Jan 2013

Even the keenest of gardeners will admit to not giving much thought to the garden during winter time. However, with a bit of foresight and a little forward planning its possible to create a garden that will provide something to look at during the winter months.

The garden doesn't have to be all gloomy beds of levelled plants devoid of colour. If you have incorporated points of interest into your garden design, such as a winding path marked with clipped box or staddle stones, a carefully placed statue or tree, or plants that remain colourful or fragrant in winter, these all come into their own when the rest of the garden is dormant. It pays to think about shadows and shapes which become accentuated by the sun low in the sky or the silvery carpeting of a frost. The shadows cast by the low sun also catch the details of textured bark and branches. Choose trees such as silver birch or Persian ironwood for their stunning winter bark.

Clipped evergreen shrubs such as box and holly, as well as conifers give structure and shape to the garden during winter. However, even the bare branches of deciduous trees and shrubs can look stunning, especially when coated with frost. Don't be too hasty to cut back perennials during autumn as some herbaceous plants look as good when dead as they do in full bloom. For instance the seedheads of Phlomis and Acquilegia can create dramatic silhouettes against a wintery sky. Grasses are another plant that provide stunningly architectural interest during winter, as do the upright stems of Euphorbia characias. Leaving perennials to die back in winter can also provide protection for wildlife such as insects and seed heads will provide food for hungry birds.

Using variegated plants in your design will also ensure additional light during winter. Use ivy on upright structures such as walls or a fence and it will catch the rays of the low sun. Euonymus and cornus will also reflect any light in the garden during winter and provide points of interest.

If you do have tidy borders during winter any ground cover such as Heuchera or Epimedium will provide dashes of well appreciated colour. Well positioned garden planters filled with displays of winter bedding can also bring life to a winter garden. Moss covered stone planters, frosted terracotta or the sheen of galvanised metal will all catch the light in different ways.

Appreciating the fungi in your garden

Mon, 31 Dec 2012

Fungi may not be on the top of a planting list for your garden, but during autumn gardens provide the perfect habitat for some of our most fascinating species of native fungi. Fungi with weird and wonderful shapes and colours seem to appear almost overnight and then disappear just as quickly. At a time when most plants in the garden are not looking their best, fungi can create an interesting focal point, growing in gravel, under trees and even on the trunk of trees. Here are a few of the most interesting you are likely to find in your garden during the autumn months.

A word of caution before we begin - remember, that although most fungi are harmless and many even edible, a few species are extremely toxic and should be handled with caution. Never attempt to eat a fungus unless you are completely certain of its identity.

Perhaps the most evocative of fungi and one that as children we associate with fairy tales, is the Fly Agaric. This fungi has a long white stem topped by a red cap decorated with a distinctive pattern of white spots that fade with age. It is a common fungi that likes to live among birch and conifer trees. Appreciate it for its beauty but best not to touch it as it is highly toxic.

Another common fungi most often found on pieces of dead wood in the garden is the Common Ink Cap. It has a long stem, white flesh and an egg-shaped cap that gradually expands with age. Although not very visually appealing, this fungi is actually edible.

Another fungus that likes to live on dead deciduous wood, particularly oak, sweet chestnut and beech is the Beefsteak fungus. Often called Ox-tongue fungus because of its shape, it is also edible. It is blood red coloured on the upper side which gradually darkens with age, and white on the underside. Another similar fungus you certainly won't miss is the bright yellow Chicken of the Woods. It lives on both living wood and the trunks of dead deciduous trees. It is also edible and actually very tasty.

Less appealing and, not surprisingly, inedible, is the Stinking parasol. This white parasol-shaped fungus has dark brown scales on the top and an unpleasant smell. It is common to woods as well as gardens.

Next time you are out in the garden, take a look around for some of these fascinating fungi. In particularly wet autumns you will even find them growing in garden planters.

Create stunning Christmas decorations from nature

Fri, 14 Dec 2012

All of us are partial to a bit of bling at Christmas time, but if you have some time on your hands why not compliment the sparkle with some stunning decorations created from natural plants and other materials. Here are just a few easy natural Christmas decorations anyone can make.

Pine cones are an easy one to start with. This time of year there are an abundance of them scattered on the forest floor. Large ones make the most eye pleasing decorations and are easy to work with. Simply attach some twine to the end of the cone and hang it from your tree. If you want to create something a little bit more eye catching, you can dip the cone in some glitter or even spray it with gold or silver paint.

Oranges are always evocative of Christmas time with their strong citrus scent. Combine them with a bit of spice and you have a decoration that not only looks good but smells wonderful. I use oranges for decorations in two different ways. The first is to slice them and dry them. This can be done easily by placing the slices on a tray in the oven at a very low temperature for about an hour or until they have dried out. Pierce a hole through the top of each slice and thread twine or ribbon through to hang from the tree. The second decoration is an orange studded with cloves. Take a small to medium orange and a handful of cloves. Using the pointed end of the clove poke each one through the skin of the orange. You can make an intricate pattern or just cover the orange randomly. When the oranges are fully or almost covered in cloves, take two lengths of yarn or ribbon. Surround the orange lengthways with the two strands of ribbon evenly spaced apart. Tie a knot in the ribbon at the top of the orange and then again near the ends of the ribbon so that you have a loop for hanging. These oranges will add a lovely spicy smell to the room when hung from the tree.

Other stunning tree decorations can be made from tying a few cinnamon stick together with ribbon. Also try gluing feathers you find lying around to a polystyrene ball. Simple rustic decorations can be made by threading crab apples with ribbon or twine and hanging them from a fallen branch wedged into a container.

Other favourites of mine - create an impressive floral display from evergreen material such as spruce, eucalyptus, yew and holly. Use a tall vase for maximum effect. Once you are happy with your arrangement hang small decorative baubles from the branches for a real Christmas feel. Finally decorate your table by placing a large candle on a plate and surrounding it with sprigs of holly and spruce - simple but extremely effective.

Why do we decorate our homes at Christmas?

Fri, 30 Nov 2012

When Christmas comes around each year we decorate our homes with a Christmas tree and decorations we bring down from the attic, each year adding a special new bauble or sparkly trinket we may have found in the shops. But do you ever stop to think where this tradition came from? All the decorations we put up at Christmas have their origins in nature and the significance of the plants people in years gone by brought inside at this time of year. What is the significance of some of our more traditional decorations like the Christmas tree and the greenery some of us still bring into our homes from the garden or countryside?

Adorning the home with special decorations at Christmas has a long tradition. From as early as pre-Christian times, people have brought greenery inside to decorate houses and places of worship. Early Christians took the heart shaped leaves of ivy to represent the coming to earth of Jesus and the thorny holly plant was brought indoors as protection against witches and evil spirits. In pagan times holly and ivy symbolised masculinity and femininity. The holly was believed to be the male plant and the ivy the female plant. The tradition was that whichever was brought into the house first foretold who was to rule the house for the following year! Mistletoe has a long tradition at Christmas time. The early druids knew it as a remedy for infertility and this is reflected in today's romantic tradition of kissing under the mistletoe. The Celts saw all three as a symbol of hope and rebirth and they were believed to bring protection during the long dark months of winter.

The tradition of the Yule log has its origins in the Viking mid-winter festival called Yule which later became combined with Christmas and the pagan winter solstice. The tradition involved bringing inside a huge single log which would be kept burning in the grate for the full twelve days of the festivities. Tradition stated that the log should either come from your own land or be given as a gift.

Today most of us see the significance of the Christmas tree and its decorations as a Christian tradition. But the greenery we bring indoors has its roots in paganism. The Christmas tree was used in the pagan ritual of winter solstice which involved the use of evergreen boughs and a form of tree worship. According to Christian belief, the evergreen tree symbolised eternal life, with the red berries of the holly as a symbol of the blood of Christ. The modern tradition of bringing a tree indoors at Christmas originated in Germany in the early nineteenth century, but became most popular in the UK in Victorian times. Victorians loved Christmas with all its pomp and ceremony and would often bring huge tree specimens inside in large containers which could then be transferred back into the garden to see out the rest of the year when the festivities were over.

The displaying of wreaths on doors during Christmas has its origins in Christian belief. The concentric arrangement of evergreen leaves is associated with the onset of Advent. Other plants which have become associated with Christmas include the poinsettia, a native plant from Mexico, which first became popular in the nineteenth century. Also popular are red amaryllis and Christmas cactus. Both plants again probably became popular at this time of year because of their green and red colours.

All of us are of course aware of the superstition which demands that all Christmas decorations are taken down on Twelfth Night, the evening of the 5 January, in order to avoid ill luck for the coming year!

Winter jobs in the tool shed

Sat, 24 Nov 2012

On a cold winter day what better job than opening up the tool shed and taking stock of your garden tools. Look at what may need replacing and think about those tools you might like to buy for the coming season. If we are all honest with ourselves, how many of us gardeners really make enough time to look after our garden tools, clean, mend and sharpen them? After a hard day in the garden it is much easier to put them back in the shed and forget about them until we next need to use them. But a clean, sharp tool not only works better but makes life easier for you! After all, if you try and cut bread with the blunt end of the knife you aren't going to get very far! So here is a short guide to cleaning and maintaining your tools.

Cleaning garden tools

As a general rule you should always make sure the tools you have been using in the garden are cleaned before you put them away. Soil left on forks, spades and trowels can become baked on if left to dry and not only be difficult to remove, but also impede their use. Scrape off excess soil with the edge of a trowel and then rub down with a damp cloth. It is also important to clean any soil or grass cuttings from your hand mower if you use one. Brush the blades down with a hand brush and then apply a little all purpose oil or WD40 to keep them well lubricated.

The blades of garden tools can also often become a little rusted, especially if they are old or not always put away dry. To remove any rust, use a stiff wire brush. Once the rust has been removed, rub in a little linseed oil.

Maintaining your tools

Good maintenance will reap you rewards in the life and efficiency of your tools. I keep old container in my shed filled with bits of rag, files and linseed oil - things that are handy for maintaining and cleaning my tools. If you have tools with wooden handles you will know that prolonged use can often lead to roughened edges or splits and the risk of splinters. Rub rough handles with light sand paper and then rub in a little linseed oil. This will protect and feed the wood and stop it splitting and cracking again.

Perhaps the most important maintenance job you need to do is to sharpen those tools that have blades. Tools which will benefit from sharpening include shears, loppers, and secateurs. But also don't forget about your spades and trowels, they have edges too that will need sharpening. Make sure the blade you are sharpening is clean before you start. The best way of sharpening your tools is with a file. The rougher the file, the more metal you will remove. For trowels and spades remember that you will only need to sharpen one edge. Place the file on the edge of the blade and pull away. Repeat this action for around twenty minutes for a blunt spade or trowel and you should produce a nice sharpened edge. To sharpen secateurs you will need to use a small thin file. Because you have two blades which need to work together, you only need to sharpen the side of each blade that faces away from the other blade. There is no limit on the number of times you can sharpen the blades of secateurs, but remember every time you do you will remove a bit more of the metal, so there may come a time when the tool is no longer viable. However, you can buy replacement blades for the better makes of secateurs. It is also a good tip to have two pairs of secateurs - a good one for all your pruning jobs and a second pair for all those other jobs they are useful for like cutting wire.

It is always good to buy new tools, adding to your collection and keeping up with the latest innovations. However, we must all admit to having our favourite garden tools and these are the ones we need to look after. Remember, if you look after your tools, they will look after you!

Growing trees for their colourful bark

Fri, 16 Nov 2012

There are plenty of ways to make your garden look as stunning during autumn and winter as it does during the summer months. Planting trees for their bark is one way to provide colour and interest. When everything else in the garden has been pared back to its bare bones, the structure of trees provide architectural focal points. But those with interesting ornamental bark not only provide a visual treat but also something tactile. Here are a few favourites to help brighten up the dark days of winter.

Magnolia dawsoniana not only produces stunningly beautiful pink flowers in early spring, it also has interesting bark. This handsome tree is native to China can grow up to 20 metres in height so is only suitable for a large garden. It can take quite a few years to produce flowers but it will earn its keep in the meantime with its rugged looking, cracked and gnarled bark providing a real spectacle in winter.

Although Arbutus andrachne or Grecian strawberry tree is a native of the southern Mediterranean, it is a tough little tree that copes well in our climate. It has the added benefit of being evergreen, with leathery green leaves and tiny clusters of red fruits in autumn that resemble strawberries and gives it its name. The cracked and fissured bark of this tree makes it a real focal point for any garden. It grows up to 12 metres.

The Snow gum tree of Eucalyptus pauciflora is native to Australia but can survive to a temperature of -20 degrees centigrade, which makes it ideal for our winters. It is an evergreen tree, but it is its green, grey and cream peeling bark that really makes it stand out. It grows to a height of around 8 metres but if coppiced regularly is well suited to a small garden.

Parrotia persica or Persian ironwood tree has a small, spreading habit and originally comes for the mountains of Iran. It can withstand extremely low temperatures in winter and requires little maintenance. The foliage turns a crimson, purple and yellow colour in autumn and falls to reveal bark that flakes away to a stunning metallic sheen in winter.

Prunus serrula or Tibetan cherry is a small tree growing up to 5 metres with lovely pretty pink blossom in spring and good autumn foliage. But the glossy mahogany-coloured bark stripped with paler flecks is a real bonus and is a winner in any winter garden. Small trees such as the Tibetan cherry can be successfully grown in containers. Make sure you select a large container and feed regularly. Re-pot the tree every few years to a larger planter.

Using decorative mulches in the garden

Sat, 10 Nov 2012

Covering your flower beds with decorative mulches provides a visual background against which your plants and flowers will stand out. It also creates a neat landscaped appearance to a border and adds style. Applying mulch to soil surfaces helps to retain soil moisture, suppresses weeds and will in time improve the structure of the soil if organic mulches are used. Here are a few of the more decorative mulches you can buy for your garden and where best to apply them.

The best time to apply mulch to garden borders is in late winter or early spring when the soil is properly wet. When apply mulches, spread a layer which at least a couple of inches thick to make sure it reduces unnecessary evaporation from the surface of the soil. There are two types of mulch, organic and inorganic. Both can act as decorative ground cover and will also insulate and retain soil.

Types of organic mulch

Mulches made up of organic matter can still be decorative as well as offering the additional benefits of adding nutrients to the soil when they break down. Ornamental bark mulches if sourced correctly will do the job of conserving moisture and suppressing weeds and look decorative in the flower border. There are a few considerations to take account of when choosing bark mulch. If you have acid-loving plants, then choose a pine mulch as when it starts to break down in the soil it becomes slightly acidic which the plants will enjoy. You can also use pine needle mulch for acid-loving plants which can look very attractive in a woodland setting. It is also possible to buy dyed bark mulch, which although it looks very attractive is perhaps not the most environmentally friendly bark to use. Good bark mulch will last for about three years before it will need re-applying.

Types of inorganic mulch

There are a number of types of inorganic mulches including stone, rubber and plastic. Although they aren't beneficial to the soil in terms of adding nutrients, they do last longer. Black plastic is useful in the vegetable garden, especially for suppressing weeds, but it does not work so well in landscaping. Rubber bark made from recycled tyres can be very authentic looking and comes in a variety of different colours. It is good for use in ornamental gardens and on pathways. However, there are some concerns about possible chemical contamination of soil. There are a number of very attractive stone mulches you can buy, from gravel to slate chippings. Stone mulches are best used on paths and around permanent plantings such as trees and shrubs. Stone mulches do not work on the vegetable garden or in flower beds, but they do work well as a finish to plants in containers.

Growing alpines and creating a rock garden

Fri, 02 Nov 2012

Alpine plants are a lovely group of plants to grow. Because of their natural habitat which is at high altitudes with often extreme temperatures, they are normally small and extremely hardy. Mat or clump forming, they provide miniature splashes of colour to a garden. They require very free-draining soil with protection from wet winter weather, so growing them in stone walls or a rock garden is a ideal way of replicating their natural habitat and showing them off to their full potential.

A good rock garden should be south facing and have extremely dry soil. Constructing it on a slope is a good idea as it help excess moisture drain away and also shows off the plants well. Use a mixture of different size rocks. It might be worth drawing a plan of where you are going to place them first to make sure you are happy with the design. Bury each rock to around a third of its size and tip them backwards to help the water run off. Alpine plants can be planted at any time of year, but avoid planting during a frost, when the soil is very wet or during extremely warm weather. Once you have bought a collection of alpines, check each label to see which plant prefers sun or partial shade, plant sizes and which are fast and slow growers. It is also a good idea to position your plants in their pots before planting to make sure you are happy with the display. Plant each plant deep enough to accommodate the roots, water well and top dress with gravel. Keep the plants well watered until they begin to show signs of growth. Be watchful for birds when you first plant your alpines as they love eating them!

Popular alpines for rockeries include alyssum, aubretia, erigeron, geranium, dianthus, cyclamen, creeping phlox, thyme and sempervivums. Alpine plants also look great when grown in pots. Choose shallow pots and put a layer of grit or crocks on the bottom to help with drainage. Fill with gritty compost. Once the plant is in place add a thin layer of grit to top-dress the pot and water well. Alpines look best in clay planters as they have a more rustic authentic look to them than plastic or other man made materials. These potted displays of alpines can be used as stand alone focal points, grouped together for stunning impact or even added to your rockery as little extra structural points of focus.

How to get children interested in gardening

Wed, 24 Oct 2012

Children have a natural curiosity about the outdoors so encouraging their interest in gardening is not difficult. Gardening has all the attributes that capture a child's imagination, nature, colour, smell, touch and above all else mud! Getting children interested in gardening is also a great way to encourage them to care for wildlife and the countryside around them. A good starting premise we always think is - keep it simple and make it fun. Just make sure you are sensible about basic safety in a garden environment. Here are a few tips that will give your budding little gardeners a helping hand.

If you are a little precious about your garden, give your children a piece of ground of their own and let them fill it with simple plants that are easy to look after. Getting children to grow their own vegetables provides them with a great introduction to gardening. Most vegetables are easy to grow and there is nothing quite like getting them to pick the vegetables they have grown and see them placed on the table for eating. Potatoes are an obvious choice. Get children to grow them in containers where its easy to see emerging shoots and watch them grow. Salad leaves are another easy choice and have the added benefit of being quick to grow from seed to picking.

Get your children to appreciate the wildlife that lives in the garden by encouraging them to feed garden birds. Children love bugs, so set traps to catch all manner of insects from woodlice to snails, spiders to butterflies and allow the children to observe them at close hand. Supervised maintenance of a pond is also guaranteed to capture their interest. From frogs and toads to magical dragonflies and water boatmen. Getting children to help set up a wormery is also a good way of getting them to interact with nature, helping them to understand the complex relationship between the earth and wildlife in creating compost.

There are many plants children will just love to grow. Make sure you choose simple plants that are easy to grow from seed, grow quickly and do not take a lot of looking after. Sunflowers are a great favourite. Not only do they tick all the boxes, but they grow into real giants. Set up a competition to see who can grow the tallest sunflower! Summer annuals are also great for children to grow. Get them to create their own display of bright colours in containers that can be placed on a patio for all the family to enjoy.

Plants for late summer

Thu, 20 Sep 2012

Late summer for most people's gardens can be a little challenging. Many perennials are no longer at their best, annuals sown earlier in the season are looking tired and gaps start to appear in herbaceous borders. However, there are plants that are at their best at this time of the year and will positively shine in your borders to help you enjoy the last long lazy days of summer.

Euphorbia seguieriana niciciana likes well drained light soil in full sun. Its slender stems of grey-green foliage will brighten up the front of any border. Asters in their many forms add colour to the garden well into autumn. 'Twilight' has strong upright stems and clusters of single daisy flower heads in azure blue. It will thrive in any good soil and flower well into October. Kniphofia 'Green Jade' looks at its very best when everything else in the border has begun to look rather forlorn. It is a very architectural plant requiring no support. The pale green colour of the heads fade to a creamy white. It likes well-drained soil in full sun.

Salvias are a good all-round border plant with a long flowering season. 'Hot Lips' is a stunning addition to any hot border with its scarlet flowers with white tips. Lobelia tupa is also great for adding drama to hot borders with its tall spikes of bright red flowers. It will happily go on well into September. Zinnias too are a bright light in a late summer border. They take a while to open but make a wonderful display once they do. Dahlias are also a must for the late summer. As long as they are kept well fed and dead-headed often, they will continue to flower well into the autumn.

Stachys officinalis 'Hummelo' is a great favourite of butterflies and will flower in the poorest of soils. It has tight clusters of pink/purple flowers on tall stems. If cut back, they will often provide a second flush of flowers in September to October. Agapanthus provide a glorious display of blue or white spherical flowers, followed by attractive seed heads through into September. Try Agapanthus africanus which is evergreen and has deep blue flowers. These plants do need over-wintering in a greenhouse and so are best grown in garden planters where they can be easily moved for winter protection from the end of October through to May. They need a moisture-retentive soil rich in nutrients.

Jobs to do in the garden during September

Thu, 13 Sep 2012

September can be a frustrating month for the gardener. Summer flowering perennials and annuals are beginning to go over and the garden can on the whole look a little sad. However, now is not the time to dwell on the fading days of summer, but to turn your mind to autumn and tidying up the garden in preparation for winter. Here a just a few of the jobs you can be getting on with in your garden during September.

September is a good month for sowing grass seed. You may have a few patches on the lawn that have become weedy or parched and in need of replacing, or you may be thinking of creating a whole new lawn. The earth is still warm enough for the seed to germinate and there should also be the right amount of rain during this month to help reseeded lawns establish before the cold weather stops growth.

Greenhouse crops should be all but over now and its time to think about clearing out and washing the greenhouse down with mild disinfectant. This will not only ensure that maximum light gets into the greenhouse during the winter months, but also deter pests and diseases. Choose a warm sunny day to do this.

Clip hedges for the last time this season. Once the temperature begins to drop, growth will then slow right down. Now is also a good time to take rose cuttings. Choose healthy stems of the current seasons growth. They will produce roots over the winter months and be ready to pot on in the spring.

In the vegetable garden, clear away any crops that have finished producing such as cabbages or peas. Harvest all those remaining crops that may be susceptible to early frosts such as marrow, squash and main crop potatoes. Pick fruit such as apples as they ripen. If you are lucky enough to have an asparagus bed, cut down the foliage at the end of the month. There are crops you can still plant at this time of the year. If the weather is fine, sow lettuce crops for winter harvesting. Winter purslane and lambs lettuce are good overwinterers. Now is also the time to sow parsley for an early spring crop and the time to plant garlic.

Remove dying annuals from borders and containers to make room for spring bedding and bulbs. Plant spring flowering bulbs in flower beds and containers (except for tulips which should not be planted until November). September is also the time to plant prepared bulbs such as hyacinth for indoor flowering around Christmas time.

How to plant a small garden

Thu, 30 Aug 2012

With a small garden space is at a premium and this can be a challenge when choosing what to plant as any plants you choose are going to have to work hard to create harmony and impact. The key to creating a stunning small garden is to adopt a disciplined approach with the idea that less is definitely more and not giving in to clutter. Here is a short guide to what to consider before choosing plants for a small garden.

As with any successful planting plan, you should opt for a mix of herbaceous plants, shrubs and grasses that will provide flowers, structure and scent. Plants should ideally have a long flowering season and be happy in both open ground and in containers. A successful garden relies on you getting the basics right. Make sure your soil is well nurtured with an annual mulch of compost to keep the soil in good condition and help to suppress weeds. Be careful when erecting fences and walls as in a small space they can create too much shade and dry soil where plants will struggle to survive. Make sure you always give plants a good start by adding a scoop of compost to the planting hole. Finally, do your homework on the plants you buy. Some are more greedy than others so you will need to be aware of those that need regular feeding and those that don't.

There are some things you should consider when choosing plants for a small garden. Choose plants with attractive foliage as the foliage of the plant will be visible long after the plant has finished flowering. Choose a balance of flower sizes, too many plants with large flowers can overcrowd a small space. Some colours such as red, yellow and orange are dominant, while others are recessive such as pink, white and mauve. Use them carefully to create illusions of space. Dot plants with variegated foliage in amongst other plants. This will create pockets of light and draw the eye. Think about using hedging to create 'rooms' in the garden, adding a sense of mystery as well as the illusion of more space. Box and yew are a good choice as they are slow growing and evergreen. If you have a shady area, ferns are a good choice. However, make sure you plant them sparingly and choose those with the most interesting foliage to create a focal point. Never underestimate the use of containers in a small space. A stunning specimen container plant placed carefully can provide a real focal point in a small garden.

Planting ideas for beds and borders

Wed, 22 Aug 2012

Merely digging a hole and placing a newly bought plant into it will not ensure that it stays healthy and will live a long time. As well as positioning the plant in the right place, there are a number of other considerations that need to be taken account of to make sure you get the best results out of your plants and flowers. Generally speaking, autumn and spring are the best times to plant new plants in the garden.

Planting pot grown plants

When you buy a pot grown plant from a garden centre or nursery it will have been grown in rich organic potting compost rather than soil. To match these conditions you will need to make sure you dig plenty of organic material into the soil and place a handful at the bottom of the planting hole before you place the plant in it. Before you put it in the ground, water the plant well making sure the root ball is thoroughly wet. Dig a hole at least 10cm wider and deeper than the pot your plant is in and enrich with organic material. Remove the plant carefully from its pot and tease out a few roots to help them spread naturally into the soil. Place the plant into the hole and infill around it with soil. Then firm down the soil around the plant and water well.

Planting a bare rooted plant

The principles are much the same as with planting a pot grown plant. However, you should make the hole much deeper and wider to accommodate all the roots without squashing them. Bare rooted plants should be immersed in water for at least an hour before planting. Place the plant into the hole at the same level on the stem as it was growing in the nursery and work the soil in between the roots, pushing it down firmly with your fists. Fill the planting hole with soil and firm down with your heel. Loosen the surface soil a little and water well.

Planting bedding plants

Dig over the bed to be planted up and work in plenty of organic material. It is also a good idea to apply a slow release fertiliser to feed the plants throughout the season and ensure continuous blooms of flowers. Dig out individual planting holes and fill with a mixture of soil and organic material before planting. It will benefit the plants to leave a slight indentation around the base of each one to allow extra water to collect and work its way to the roots of the plant. To finish the effect plant up a few containers with a mixture of bedding plants and place at intervals throughout the border to add height and structure to your display.

Growing old English roses

Thu, 16 Aug 2012

In recent years, there has been a lot of renewed interest in old varieties of roses in English gardens. The varieties available to gardeners today are usually a cross between modern hybrid teas and old rose varieties, but the attraction of wonderful fragrance, hardiness and old-fashioned flower forms remains. Here is a short guide to the classification of old roses and some of my favourite of the truly old varieties and as well as some of the newer ones.

The Damask rose dates back to ancient times and probably originated from the Eastern Mediterranean. It was grown for its amazing perfume-like fragrance. Most Damask varieties only bloom once a year, but they are usually quite hardy. Alba roses are a natural hybrid between the damask rose and rosa canina and are thought to date back to classical times. Although the word alba means white, they also come in various shades of pink. Although they too only flower once a year, they are disease resistant and vigorous growers. Gallica roses are amongst the oldest cultivated species of rose still available today. The Gallica rose originated in Persia in the 12th century and were grown for their amazingly heavy blooms and strong scent. They come in many colours from deep red and purple to white.

Portland roses are a cross between a China rose and the Autumn Damask Rose. This family of roses were the first to be bred as repeat flowering varieties and are characterised by their short stemmed fragrant blooms. Rugosa is an ancient rose that was native to the Orient. They are repeat flowering and easy to grow, although they only have a slight fragrance. Tea roses are a cross between a China rose and various Bourbons and Noisettes. They produce delicate blooms throughout the summer and have a distinctive tea scent.

Old English varieties

'Comte de Chambord' is a Portland rose and one of my favourites. Compact and ideal for a small garden, it has full-petalled, warm pink flowers and a good fragrance. 'Felicia' is a hybrid musk shrub rose, similar to a hybrid tea in its characteristics. It has lovely silvery pink flowers and a strong aromatic fragrance. 'Munstead Wood' is from the David Austin English Rose collection. It has large velvety deep crimson flowers with a strong old rose frangrance. 'Rosa Mundi' is a Gallica rose. It is a showy rose with crimson flowers striped with white and an old rose scent.

Most roses can be grown successfully in containers. It is important that you choose a container large enough to accommodate the roots and provide good drainage. Roses grown in pots will outgrow their home quite quickly, so re-pot every two or three years. They also deplete nutrients more quickly and will need a feed at least twice a year to keep them healthy and producing flowers.

What makes the classic English garden?

Mon, 30 Jul 2012

The classic English garden has evolved over time and taken on many guises, from for formality of seventeenth-century styles, the sweeping parklands of Capability Brown to the wild natural look of the Arts and Crafts movement. But even with the popularity of today's modern designs with their minimalist planting schemes, the simplicity and romance of the English country garden still typifies what we understand as the classic English garden. Bring together pretty fragrance flowers, culinary herbs, garden buildings and a peaceful place to sit and you have the ingredients you need.

The garden bench is a must for any true English garden. Carefully placed for sun or shade in a place that is peaceful and conducive to quiet reflection, the bench can take on many and varied designs to suit taste and compliment garden design. The classic Thakeham seat or Lutyens bench, originally designed by the furniture maker and architect Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1900 still graces many a classic English garden. But there are other beautiful designs to be had in wood, iron and stone. Garden ornaments also have an important place in the English garden, stone statues of shy maidens or classic characters placed in amongst herbaceous borders; sundials creating a focal point at the end of a pathway, and birdbaths creating a showcase for birdlife.

The classic English garden cannot be without a greenhouse. It was the Victorians and their love of new and exotic species of plants that popularised the greenhouse. Basic aluminium structures are cheapest but a wooden structure in the Victorian or Edwardian style adds romance to a south-facing part of the garden. However, you can't get more romantic than the humble potting shed. Typically used for re-potting seedlings, it is a place to escape the trials and hustle of life, offering sanctuary to the true gardener.

Traditionally associated with the English cottage garden, lavender is a Mediterranean plant originally brought to this country by the Romans but has now become synonymous with English garden planting schemes. Another plant the English garden cannot be without is of course the rose. By the nineteenth century horticulturalists were breeding a wide variety of roses for their colour and fragrance. Climbing roses grace the walled garden, while scented shrub roses fill the borders with irresistible scent to fill the senses and ramblers climb high into the branches of a tree.

Herb gardens were a vital part of horticulture in the Middle Ages, where herbs were mainly used for medicinal purposes. Some herbs with stunning flowers moved over time into the ornamental garden, whereas others became part of the vegetable garden where their culinary uses became popular. Today, more romantic additions are added to the herb garden such as scented herbs and sweet peas, grown in containers with tall wigwam supports.

‘Digging in the rain, we’re digging in the rain’!

Fri, 13 Jul 2012

Rather than post my usual monthly list of jobs to do in the garden, I thought it more appropriate to hand out some tips on how to cope with this unusually soggy summer. For a start, digging in the rain is certainly not a good idea. Heavily soaked soil is almost impossible to work and you won’t achieve anything much more than an aching back!

On those rare days when it isn’t raining, make sure garden paths are swept clear of debris, particularly if you have stone or slabbed pathways. These can become very slippery and dangerous when wet. It may be a relief not to have to water your patio pots each day, but take care to make sure they have adequate drainage, as becoming waterlogged is as bad for container plants as being too dry. In extremely wet weather, tender annuals in containers will benefit from a stint in the greenhouse or undercover to prevent delicate flowers rotting off.

In the herbaceous border make sure taller plants are well staked to prevent stormy winds breaking off stems. Also use edging supports to stop perennials falling over lawns under the weight of rain water. Roses love a nice drop of water, but hate becoming soaked through. There is not much to be done against tightly budded old fashioned roses rotting off before they have even opened. But stay positive. Deadhead those that have rotted and give your roses a good feed. Those that produce second blooms might fare better if the weather improves.

Those of us that like to grow our own vegetables have been hugely disappointed this year. A lack of sunshine, coupled with too much rain and cool temperatures, has meant most vegetables have been slow to grow or have rotted away completely and harvests have been meagre. Many potato crops have rotted in the ground, however, those with good well-drained soil may still be able to harvest a crop. Make sure you pick a dry day to dig up your potatoes. They will also need to be allowed to dry out well before being stored. With outside crops being so difficult to grow this year, it might be better to put your energy into crops that are easily grown under glass. Chilli plants are quick and easy to grow in a greenhouse or on a bright window sill. Tomatoes grown in the greenhouse are also slow this year and there is a danger the fruit won’t ripen. But don’t despair, green tomatoes make excellent chutney! Remember to keep your greenhouse well ventilated even in wet weather as this will help prevent the spread of any mould spores that may have infected your plants. If any mould is detected, remove the affected parts of the plant immediately and place in the incinerator.

The only wildlife that seems to be thriving this summer is the slugs and snails – and at the expense of those plants we have managed to nurse through the weather! Make sure you lay plenty of slug traps or take a trip around the garden in the evening and remove those snails you can find to a more suitable place away from the garden. It is important to feed garden birds during wet weather. Many insect loving birds find food hard to come by in torrential downpours. Also, being constantly soaked through uses much of a bird’s energy in keeping warm, making easily accessible food on the bird table much appreciated.

You will have noticed that the rain has caused a surge of growth in the garden, mainly those plants we don’t want to grow such as weeds and lawns. On dry days keep the lawn mower on a high setting to avoid pulling up the grass from the loose soaked earth. As far as weeds are concerned, it may be easier to just admit defeat in certain parts of the garden and leave them to their own devices. Some weeds can be quite attractive and let’s face it, there is always next year!

Create a wildflower meadow

Tue, 10 Jul 2012

Many of our truly wild meadows are fast disappearing, so if you have a spare piece of land or even a spare corner of the garden why not help preserve some of the truly beautiful native species of wildflower we have. Creating a wildflower meadow or area is not as difficult as you may think. Here are a few tips and some species you might like to grow.

Preparing the ground

Good ground preparation is essential to success when planting a wildflower meadow. Contrary to most other forms of gardening, wildflower meadows actually thrive on impoverished soil, so the aim is to strip the ground of more fertile topsoil. As my friend already had a grassy area she wanted to convert, there wasn't as much preparation to do. However, as the field had been organic for years, it was a good idea to wait and see what plants appeared in spring before decided on what else to plant. This done, in autumn we decided to add more wild flower plants in two ways - the first was to remove sections of the turf in order to sow some seeds. Seeds scattered in amongst the grass will not have much success. Secondly, we bought some mature pants already potted up from a specialist garden centre and dotted them around to create a more natural look.

With a bare piece of ground the preparation is a bit more involved. The more fertile topsoil needs to be removed to a depth of around 10cm. Once you have removed the topsoil, rake and roll the ground to make a seed bed. You can then buy your wild flower seed. The best time to sow seed is in early autumn. You will need roughly about 1 to 1.5g of seed per meter. Once the seed has been sown, rake the surface and roll lightly to firm.

Looking after a wildflower meadow

Once you have planted your meadow it will need some aftercare. In the first year you will need to cut your meadow every 4-6weeks. This will help keep down unwanted weeds like thistles, brambles and groundsel and help to strengthen the wild grasses. In subsequent years cutting can be reduced to twice a year - once in autumn and once in early spring.

Some examples of wild flowers

Cowslip is a lovely native plant with tall stems of delicate yellow flowers in spring. Ox-eye daisy is a particular favourite of mine. These white daisy flowers look stunning once they have colonised a patch of ground such a bank. Ragged robin is another favourite, with its delicate ragged-looking pink flowers. Campion is a hardy wild plant with tall stems of either pink or white flowers.

Betony flowers from June to September and has reddish purple flowers. Meadow buttercup has bright yellow flowers on tall stems and flowers from May to September. Wild columbine or 'Grannies bonnet' is a lovely little flower with mainly purple flowers which bloom from May to July. Cornflowers are a beautiful ornamental wildflower with vivid blue flowers from June to August. There are many species of Cranesbill, a wild species of geranium which flower from June to July and vary in colour from blues to pinks.

Try planting wild spring bulbs in your meadow such as bluebell, snowdrop and some of our wild species of daffodil. Wild cyclamen and garlic and the lovely Solomon's seal are also a must.

If you don't have the space to create your own wildflower meadow or garden, most species of wildflower will grow happily in containers. Grow them in general compost like most other plants. You can even try planting a few species in amongst other plants in your flower borders.

Dahlias make great cut flowers

Fri, 06 Jul 2012

Dahlias are a native of Mexico and are related to the sunflower and daisy. Once only a favourite of allotment growers, dahlias are enjoying a return to popularity and have now become a favourite plant for the herbaceous border and patio containers. They will also keep flowering right up until the first frosts. Dahlias also make excellent cut flowers. There are many varieties to choose in many different colours.

Dahlias are tuberous which means they are propagated from tuberous roots in late summer or late winter. They can be grown either from tubers stored over winter or from root cuttings taken the previous season. As they originate from a warm climate, they need to be grown in a sunny position, preferably against a south facing wall and away from strong winds. They need at least eight hours of sun a day. As they are frost-tender, don't plant them out until the threat of frost has passed. Dahlias are also heavy feeders, so should be grown in good soil with added organic material such as blood, fish and bone. This added to the soil will mean that you won't have to keep feeding the plants throughout the growing season. Plant tubers in their flowering position, about 4-6in deep. Insert support canes when planting and tie in the plant as it grows. Also pinch out top shoots to encourage bushiness and more flowers. If you want the plant to produce large blooms, then restrict the number of flowering stems to four or five per plant. Regular deadheading or picking for cut flowers will ensure repeat flowering throughout the season.

Varieties for use as cut flowers

Most dahlia varieties can be used as cut flowers, but here are some of the best. Dahlia 'Grand Finale' has large grape juice coloured cactus flowers that can measure up to 10ins across. 'Lovely Lana' is a semi-cactus variety with large mauve coloured flowers measuring 8-10ins across. 'Tomo' is a small to medium variety with double, dark purple to maroon flowers with white-tipped petals. Dahlia 'Survivor' is a decorative plant with deep rose pink blooms up to 12ins in diameter. 'Mingus Philip' is a pretty mix of white and lavender. 'Goshen Giant' is a beautiful pale apricot colour with ragged petals.

It is very easy to grow dahlias as cut flowers in pots. Make sure your planter is deep enough to accommodate the large root system. When growing in containers, make sure you water dahlias regularly and during the flowering season feed once a week with a high potash feed to ensure you have plenty cut flowers all summer long.

Six wild flowers that will attract wildlife into your garden

Sat, 30 Jun 2012

The definition of a wild flower is one that is native to the country and hasn't been cultivated or modified by breeding. Wild flowers have long been important to us for their healing properties but are more important to maintaining a healthy eco-system. They attract beneficial insects into the garden which in turn then help to fertilise our crops and provide food themselves for other wildlife. If this is not reason enough to grow wild flowers in your garden, then consider how useful they are for parts of the garden that are difficult to cultivate conventionally such as steep slopes, overly dry ground, or areas where the soil is poor. Here are a few varieties of wild flower that are especially useful in attracting wildlife into your garden.

The primrose or Primula vulgaris, is a low growing herbaceous perennial plant which has pale yellow flowers in early spring. Because it flowers early in the year, it provides an important first source of nectar for emerging bees and butterflies, as does the snowdrop or Galanthus nivalis. The common foxglove or Digitalis purpurea is a biennial plant with pink tubular flowers produced on a tall stem in early summer. Bees and other insects love them.

Corn marigold or Chrysanthemum segetum was once considered to be one of the worst weeds to inhabit cornfields. However, it is a favourite of hover flies for its pollen. So too is the cornflower or Centaurea cyanus, a small annual flowering plant with flowers of an intense blue colour. It too was once considered a weed in crop fields but is now endangered in its natural habitat. Field scabious or Knautia arvensis, is highly attractive to adult butterflies. It has lilac coloured honeycomb-like flowers on slender stems from July to September.

Lady's smock or cuckoo flower (Cardamine pratensis) gets its name because it first appears in April, as does the cuckoo. It is an elegant plant that produces pink or white flowers on long narrow stems during late spring/early summer. It is the food plant of the orange tip butterfly. Honeysuckle or Lonicera, is a climbing shrub with highly scented flowers during summer. The plant is particularly important to moths as their larvae feed on it. The cowslip or Primula veris, is a low growing herbaceous perennial with deep yellow flowers in April and May produced on a single upright stem. The name cowslip is derived from the Old English word meaning 'cow dung' most likely because the plant was often found growing amongst the manure in cow pastures. Its flowers attract long-tongued insects such as bees and moths that feed on its nectar.

If you don't have any suitable space in your garden for growing a few wildflower species, then try growing a few in containers. They will provide a beautiful annual display as well as attracting beneficial wildlife into your garden.

Six of our favourite clematis

Tue, 26 Jun 2012

The name Clematis comes from ancient Greek meaning 'climbing plant' and it is probably one of the most popular climbers among gardeners for its delicate flowers and variety of colours. It can be grown on walls, pergolas, frames, in containers, or left to scramble through trees and shrubs. Most need very little attention and with thrive in sun or partial shade. There are over two hundred species and cultivars of clematis and new ones are being introduced all the time. Here are just six of our favourite varieties chosen for their hardiness, colour and scent.

Clematis 'Fragrant Oberon' is evergreen, sweetly scented with pretty satin sheen blooms of a creamy pale lemon/white. It has a compact climbing habit and is therefore suitable for planting in a container on a patio or balcony. It needs very little attention and does not require pruning.

Clematis 'Sweet Sensation' is also highly scented and produces masses of small, white flowers during the summer. It too is a relatively compact grower and is also suitable for growing in planters. Plant it near to a path or entrance to fully appreciate the heady scent from the flowers from July through to August. This clematis is deciduous and grows to approximately 6ft tall.

Clematis 'Shikoo' is a stunning new variety with gorgeous double flowers of purple-blue. The flowers have large outer petals and a ruff of shorter petals at the centre, which appear from late spring onwards. The plant is also likely to produce a second flush of single flowers in late summer. This clematis makes a good partner for roses and grows to about 7ft tall.

Clematis 'Kinju Atarashi' has really showy flowers of mauve-blue with a pinkish bar running from the base of each petal. It produces flowers in late spring and usually also has a second flush in late summer or early autumn. This clematis looks good with stronger pinks and purples. It grows to approximately 7ft tall.

'Rooran' is a deciduous clematis whose large flowers have a pale pink background which is overlaid with deep rose-pink giving a slightly mottled appearance. It flowers in May/June and again in late summer. It can be grown in containers or in the ground and reaches a height of around 6ft.

Clematis 'Temptation' is a lovely new variety with double flowers of deep claret red which it produces in May and June. It will produce a second flush of single flowers in August and September. Easy to look after, this clematis requires only light pruning and is also suitable for growing in containers. It will reach a height of around 8ft.

Growing wisteria

Thu, 21 Jun 2012

Wisteria is a woody climbing vine that is part of the pea family of plants and originates from China, Korea and Japan. In Japan, Wisteria floribunda is a common sight in woodlands where it clambers up trees much like our native honeysuckle. Wisteria has become a popular climber in our gardens and is grown for its stunning display of hanging flower spikes in spring. Here is a guide to some stunning varieties and advice on how to grow and maintain wisteria in your own garden.

Wisteria is a hardy climber and very fast growing. It prefers fertile, moist well-drained soil and thrives in full sun. Being legumes, wisteria does not need feeding, as they fix their own nitrogen, but they do like lots of water, particularly when they are flowering. For wisteria to look its best, it needs some form of climbing support such as a tree, pergola or wall. But whatever support you choose, make sure it is sturdy as wisteria can become very strong with thick trunks and stems.

Perhaps one of the most common questions asked about the care of wisteria is about pruning. The flowers develop in buds near the base of the previous year's growth, so pruning back side shoots to a few buds near the base of a stem in early spring can enhance the show of flowers. Some general tips on pruning wisteria include pruning all basal growth right back to the main trunk from the word go and in summer remove all the whippy growth which can get up to several feet long! Prune your wisteria again in winter to give it a general tidy up. The main thing to remember when pruning wisteria is not to be scared of pruning it back hard, even if you don't follow the rules and look for buds, it will still flower well the following year. However, if you do have a plant that hasn't flowered for several years it is best to get rid of it, as its lack of flowers will almost certainly be due to the dominance of the original root stock onto which your wisteria variety was grafted.

Wisteria varieties

Wisteria comes in a variety of colours from white to pink and darker purple. Different varieties also have varying amounts of scent. Wisteria 'Kuchi-beni' has clusters of fragrant pale mauve-pink flowers, tipped with purple in June. 'Lavender lace' is a vigorous climber with pale blue flowers and a sweet scent. Wisteria 'Macrobotrys' has particularly long fragrant trailing violet coloured flowers. For small gardens choose the short flower spike floribundas such as 'Domino' with its lilac-blue flowers. You can also grow wisterias in containers, and train as a standard. This is particularly suitable for a small garden.

Create a display of summer bedding plants

Sat, 16 Jun 2012

Brighten up patios and walls by filling pots and other containers with a display of summer bedding plants. There is a huge variety of plants to choose from. Whether its colour or scent you are after, here are a few ideas for creating a decorative summer container display.

Choosing the right container

While your choice of container is very much a personal one, there are a few general guidelines you might like to consider. Firstly, think about the size of the container. Consider the space where you want to place it and make sure it is neither too small to be insignificant, nor too large to make it out of proportion. With smaller pots, it is always better to position them in groups for a more dramatic effect. Next, think about materials and colour. Terracotta and stone are traditional materials that never fail to look stunning in a cottage garden or the garden of an older property. If you do decide to use containers in these materials, do bear in mind that they heat up quickly in the sun and also absorb moisture, so extra care with watering displays grown in terracotta or stone is needed. There are a vast array of container styles made in fibre glass or fibre clay these days, from replicas of traditional urns and planters to more modern shapes. These planters have the advantage of being light to carry as well as looking authentic. If you want something a little more quirky, why not try planting displays in old ceramic sinks or the tops of old chimney pots.

Choosing plants and creating a display

There is such a variety of different summer bedding plants that choice really comes down to colour and scent. Geraniums are always a must for fragrance. Try and find some scented varieties like Attar of Roses, Creamy Nutmeg, or Rober's Lemon Rose. Colour in a summer display is again a personal choice, but I always think a display looks best if you stick to one colour and use a variety of plants that represent different shades of that colour.

When creating your display you want a planting scheme that produces the maximum impact. Choose a plant with some height for the centre of the container. This will give the finished display some structure. Also, it is a good idea to plant trailing plants around the edge of your pot to soften the overall look of the display. Finally, you will need to infill the rest of the container with bushy plants to fill it out. It is also a good idea to mix in a few foliage plants such as ivy, helichrysum or lamium as this will provide a contrast to the colour in your display. Finally, take care when placing containers filled with your displays. Make sure they are positioned for maximum impact that picks out areas in the rest of the garden or compliments other features like walls or trees.

12 things to do in the garden during June

Fri, 15 Jun 2012

June is the month when things really do start to hot up in the garden. Roses are in bloom, fruit is beginning to form, and the vegetable garden starts to offer up its bounty for harvest. Long warm nights mean we start to use the garden as an extension of our homes but during the day there are plenty of jobs to be getting on with.

In the flower garden

If you haven't done so already, now is the time to create a decorative hanging basket display. As the risk of frost is over, you can plant it up right now and hang it straight outside. Make sure you give the basket a weekly feed to ensure plenty of flowers and keep it well watered. In the flower border, keep an eye on standard roses and remove any suckers that appear on the stem. Make sure that taller perennials like delphiniums are tied to stakes to prevent wind damage. Also train new clematis shoots to their supports. Plant out dahlias that have been brought on in the greenhouse and any other summer bedding plants. Divide primroses for replanting in different spots in the garden. Water displays of sweet peas regularly and make sure you keep picking the flowers to ensure repeat flowering. Later on in the month, collect the seeds of foxgloves and sow them. Also take cuttings from dianthus.

In the vegetable garden

Now is the time to transplant sprouting broccoli, leeks, cabbage and kale into their final positions in the vegetable patch. Repeat sow summer salad leaves to ensure you have a constant supply. Make sure you use netting to protect ripening fruit from hungry birds. Pinch out the growing tips of runner beans when they reach the top of their support. Tie in tomatoes to their supports as they grow and give them a regular feed. Make sure you water strawberries and gooseberries well as this will encourage the fruit to swell. Look out for greenfly and black fly and treat any affected plants with a soapy solution. Towards the end of the month you can begin to harvest early potatoes and carrots. Now is also the time to sow the seeds of herbs such as coriander and parsley.

In the greenhouse

During hot weather, make sure you water pots and grow bags regularly and increase shade in the greenhouse if the temperature outside is getting very hot. You should also damp down the floor daily and open all the vents. Take cuttings of fuchsias and geraniums and thin out the branches of greenhouse grape vines. If you are growing cucumbers inside, now is the time to train the main stem of the plants up a wire to the roof of the greenhouse, and pinch outside shoots two leaves after a flower.

Containers

Anything growing in pots will need careful watering and a regular feed during this month. However, the extra work is worth it as summer bedding plants, tender herbs and summer bulbs all make lovely displays in containers situated on a patio or placed to infill spaces in the flower border.

Dealing with those pesky snails and other pests in the vegetable garden

Fri, 08 Jun 2012

You may never get rid of all those pests that munch away at your hard-grown vegetables, but there are a few measures you can take to limit the damage they can cause. The key to keeping insect pests and diseases away from your vegetables is to make sure you grow strong healthy plants that have access to sufficient water and nutrients. Weedy plants are much more susceptible to diseases. However, if you do find you need to take more drastic measures then there is no real need to use pesticides, there are a number of organic methods you can try.

Slugs and snails

These two are probably one of the biggest problems for any gardener, but especially the vegetable gardener. They can consume a whole batch of young vegetable plants over night. Slug pellets are an obvious method of attack for dealing with slugs and snails, but they are not organic and can be harmful to other wildlife. Aluminium sulphate powder is a good alternative. Unreliable methods such as beer traps and coffee grains can be made more effective when combined with human intervention - nothing really beats an hour or so in the evening walking round your patch removing slugs and snails as they emerge to feed. You can also reduce their numbers by removing any obstacles they may use to hide in or under during the day.

Insect pests

You can give your vegetable garden a head start against insect pests by choosing varieties that are resistant to attacks, such as fly-resistant carrots. You can also try and prevent insects from attacking by providing protection in the form of mesh or barriers. Mesh or fleece is particularly effective against carrot fly and cabbage white butterfly, but make sure your mesh has the correct sized holes small enough to deter the pest you want to prevent. Other larger insect pests like caterpillars can be easily removed by hand.

A good alternative to pesticides for getting rid of really problem pests such as black fly on runner beans is a mixture of soap and water sprayed directly on to the plant. This method does not harm more helpful insects like bees. You can also try planting companion plants known to have some success in deterring insect pests. The strong fragrance of marigolds for instance is believed to protect vegetables from most insect pests.

Plant diseases

As I mentioned earlier, growing healthy plants in the right conditions goes a long way to preventing disease. Again, it is a good idea to choose those varieties that have been bred with some resistance to disease, such as potatoes that have a high resistance to blight. Sulphur dust is effective against fungal diseases such as powdery mildew. Some diseases that affect vegetables are dependent upon the weather. Blight for example also affects tomatoes and occurs in warm wet weather during summer. This is a case where it is probably easier to accept defeat rather than try and treat. If you live in an area where this type of weather is common there are varieties you can buy that do have some resistance.

Other things you can do

There are a number of simple tasks you can do to make sure your vegetables remain healthy and have the optimum resistance to pest and disease attacks. Make sure you manage your plot well. Crop rotation helps reduce any threat from disease. Make sure you add plenty of organic matter and fertiliser to your plot each year to maintain the health and nutrient levels of the soil. Keep on top of weeds that will compete with your vegetables for water and nutrients. Make sure your vegetables have plenty of water, particularly in dry weather, and feed your vegetables regularly. This is especially important for vegetables grown in containers which will have more limited access to moisture and nutrients than those grown in the soil.

Six of the best scented geraniums and how to grow them

Fri, 01 Jun 2012

Scented geraniums are extremely popular garden plants and come with a surprising variety of fragrances. Here is a short guide on how to grow them and some of our favourite varieties.

Scented geraniums can be planted outdoors in border, containers, or hanging baskets during the summer months. If you do plant them outdoors, make sure they are positioned in a sunny sheltered spot. If you are planting in containers, terracotta is best as they naturally drain and evaporate water and geraniums do not like to sit in wet compost. However, also make sure that they do not dry out completely. Indoors they will tolerate any amount of heat but prefer not to be in direct sunlight for too long during a day. However, if kept away from a window they have a tendency to become a bit leggy due to insufficient natural light.

Scented geraniums will thrive in general purpose potting compost as long as it is mixed with plenty of horticultural grit for drainage. Free draining soil in borders is also essential if you are planting outdoors. Geraniums are drought tolerant so the best way to water them is from below and allow them to dry out fairly well before you water again. If you over winter them indoors, then reduce watering to a minimum. They do not need much in the way of feeding. But a general feed every couple of weeks during the growing season will ensure a longer flowering period. Pruning is also a good idea. Regular pruning will encourage bushy growth and prevent it from becoming leggy and deadheading will encourage the plant to produce more flowers. If your plant is thriving and growing well it may become necessary to re-pot it. However, only pots that are a size or two bigger as they do like to be root-bound.

Varieties of scented geranium

Scented geraniums are classed as herbs and have an amazing range of scents. Ardwick cinnamon has velvety silver-green leaves and sprays of small white flowers. Attar of Roses is a particular favourite with a distinct scent of roses. Brilliantine eau-de-cologne has a light purple flowers and a lovely scent of eau-de-cologne. Camphor Rose is an old fashioned geranium with a musky scent of camphor rose. Candy Dancer has a delightful Turkish delight smell. Creamy nutmeg has small variegated leaves and a nutty fragrance. Deerwood Lavender Lad is a trailing geranium with pretty magenta flowers and a lavender scent.

The Chelsea Flower Show 2012

Fri, 25 May 2012

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the most important garden show of the season. Full of celebrities and showmanship, it is the London Fashion Week of the horticultural world. But if you have a chance to visit and can see beyond the glamour, it is the one show of the year where you can get a first glimpse of new and exciting plant varieties, great and innovative ideas on garden design such as space saving planting schemes and new ideas in hard landscaping.

The work that goes into the main show gardens is breathtaking, but rather than be overwhelmed by these gardens, take a closer look and you will always find an idea you can take away with you and apply to your own garden. It may be a plant or and idea for a water feature. If you don't actually get the chance to visit the show in person, there are programmes on the BBC throughout the week which are a must if you want a snapshot of the latest horticultural trends or a look at this year's must have plants. The RHS also have a website dedicated to the show which will provide you with video tours of all the show gardens as well as the chance to vote for your own personal favourite.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/RHS-Chelsea-Flower-Show/2012

How to create a box ball

Fri, 25 May 2012

In horticulture topiary is the name given to the practice of shaping live plants by clipping the foliage of trees and shrubs to form clearly defined shapes. Perhaps the simplest form to create is a ball and the easiest plant to do this with is the box or buxus sempervirens. As buxus is an evergreen, a box ball will provide you with an all-year-round focal point in your garden. They are easy to look after and you will be able to see the results of your efforts quickly. Using a few rooted cuttings you should be able to develop an impressive ball shaped plant in just two years.

Buxus sempervirens is a dense-leaved native evergreen shrub, with dark green glossy leaves that give off a sweet smell. From late winter onwards it produces small butter coloured flowers. As it is slow growing it is an ideal choice for topiary work. It us also fully hardy and will tolerate sun, partial shade and even shady positions.

Start off by potting the rooted buxus cuttings into individual 10cm pots. Stand the pots outdoors or in a cold frame and water regularly. If you give the cuttings a light trim at this stage you will encourage the plants to bush out from the base which is what you want. In about eight weeks you should have some nicely rooted plants that are ready to move on to a larger pot. Plant the cuttings fairly close together so that they start to knit together in the one pot. Nip out the shoot tips to encourage bushy growth. Water and feed regularly to encourage growth and prevent the leaves from turning brown. Trim the plants little and often throughout the growing season, removing the tips of the plants once 2-3cm has been added to the desired outline. In a couple of years your plants should have knitted together and formed a nice sphere shape.

You may also find that you need to re-pot into a larger container. Once you have reached this stage, a light trim twice a year with hand shears should keep your box ball in shape. Make sure your shears are clean before you prune to avoid the spread of box blight, a fungal disease that affects buxus plants. A box ball is a great way to show off decorative planters to their best. This simple evergreen sphere will contrast with summer flowers and provide structure and style to winter gardens.

Look after your lawn!

Fri, 18 May 2012

Lawns are still very much part of the English garden. Whether they are as pristine as a bowling green or merely a space for children to play, the lawn has an important role to play in the design of a garden. Most of us with lawns are content for them to look green and lush and neatly mowed. Keeping the perfect lawn is not always at the top of our garden priority list. And it's ok not to mind if our lawns have the odd patch of moss or a weed or two. Whether you are after perfection or just a healthy looking patch of grass, there are some basic tasks to consider when keeping a lawn. You can rigorously adhere to all of them, or just pick the ones that keep your lawn looking just how you want it.

Laying a lawn

There are two ways to lay a new lawn or patch up a section of lawn - seed or turf. There are pros and cons to both. Grass seed is slower growing, prone to being eaten by birds and you have to keep off of it for longer. However, it is quicker and easier to sow and definitely the better option for filling in patches. With turf you have instant grass, although you need to keep off it for a while until it is established. But turf is also slower and more difficult to lay and is on the whole, more expensive.

If you are sowing a lawn from seed, choose a seed that is right for the purpose. For instance, if your lawn is primarily for children to play on, then choose a rye mix that is hardier and will withstand a lot of wear and tear. The best times to sow grass seed are in September when the ground is still warm but not too wet, or March when the ground is beginning to warm up again.

You can lay turf at any time of the year except when the weather is frosty. Make sure you buy good quality turf that is at least two inches thick. Turf should be laid as soon as it is delivered, otherwise it can turn yellow. With both methods, the area laid to lawn should be kept moist at all times and you should avoid walking on it until it is well established.

Lawn care

If a perfect lawn is your aim, you will have to work at it. If not, you can probably get away with fairly regular mowing and a feed once or twice a year. When mowing, avoid cutting the grass too short or you will encourage moss to grow. A little and often is the best way. Also change your mowing pattern as this will create a more even growth of grass. If you are going to water your lawn, make sure you water it thoroughly. A little water even when done regularly, will not make any difference. In March and then again in October you will need to rake and aerate your lawn. Raking will remove any moss, while scarifying it with a spiked roller or piercing with a garden fork will help your lawn to breath and aid growth.

Don't allow autumn leaves to gather and decay on the lawn, but sweep them up as soon as they fall. Common lawn weeds such as dandelion and dock can be removed by hand or with a spot weedkiller. If you are removing these weeds by hand be careful to remove the whole of the long tap root or the plant will re-grow. Finally, feed your lawn with potash and phosphates in the autumn, and nitrogen in spring, to keep it growing lush and healthy.

Lawn design

Try to avoid a square shaped lawn, curves are much more appealing and soften the planting either side. Long narrow lawns make stunning features with large planters such as urns or statues placed at one end to give perspective and draw the eye.

Spring to-do-list for a herb garden

Fri, 11 May 2012

If you enjoy growing herbs in your garden, then spring is probably one of the most rewarding times and one of the busiest. Perennial herbs that hibernate during the winter are just starting to poke their heads above the ground and there are fresh signs of new growth almost daily. There is a lot to do in the herb garden during early spring, including sowing annual herbs and salad leaves outside and also sowing a few trays in the greenhouse to harvest earlier. Here is a short list of things to be doing in the herb garden during April, along with some of my favourite herbs to grow and how to use them.

April is the time to tidy up evergreen herbs such as bay, sage, myrtle and thyme. Make sure you cut back any old woody shoots and straggly growth before feeding the plants with a general fertiliser. Rosemary is one of the earliest flowering herbs, providing a splash of delicate mauve coloured flowers in early spring. When the flowers begin to fade, prune the plant and feed it, and it will soon put on fresh new growth. Just as you would with perennial herbaceous plants, spring is the time to divide perennial herbs. Some herbs like lemon balm, lovage and chives can get a bit big for their boots, so dig up those that have formed large clumps and divide them before planting them back into new places in the herb garden. Not only will you get some nice new plants, you will also refresh the growth of the original plant. Clump-forming perennial herbs will need lifting and dividing about every three to four years.

Spring is also a time for propagation. Take root cuttings of tarragon, mint and bergamot. Layer old, woody herbs such as thyme and sage by pinning down a stem and covering it with soil. In a few short weeks it will reshoot. In the greenhouse, prick out any seedlings you have grown into individual pots and eventually harden them off by placing them in a cold frame or outside during the day.

Herbs to grow in spring

Salad herbs make a delicious addition to early spring salads and the flavour of those you grow yourself is much more intense than supermarket bought leaves. Grow a mixture of textures, colours and flavours by sowing coriander, summer savory, rocket, basil, American land cress, chicory and dill. Grow pineapple, blackcurrant and tangerine sage in the greenhouse and transfer to containers to be placed on patios and in other places where their fragrance can be enjoyed. Lemon, orange and French thymes are best for cooking. Grow them in a sunny, dry spot where they will cope admirably with a possible summer drought.

12 jobs to do in the garden during May

Thu, 10 May 2012

May is the month when everything starts happening in the garden. The garden is bursting with life and everything seems to grow faster and greener. If you have been taking it a bit easy in the garden up until now, you are going to have to start getting your skates on if you are to keep up with your garden as it forges its way into summer. Here are just a few of the jobs you should be getting on with during this most fertile month of May.

In the garden

It is not only your garden plants that are putting on vigorous growth during May, perennial weeds such as couch grass and bind weed are also growing at a rate of knots, so make sure you dig them out from borders as soon as you spot them. Clear out any containers where you have had spring displays ready for planting summer bedding plants. Bulbs can be moved to a trench or a different pot and allowed to die back naturally. Take softwood cuttings from your favourite herbs to ensure you have a plentiful supply of young plants throughout the summer. Now is also the time to take cuttings from hydrangea, fuchsias and penstemons, using the soft shoot tips.

In the greenhouse

May is the time to plant young tomatoes in grow bags if you are growing them in the greenhouse. Position strong cane supports before you plant and water well. French beans can also be sown into individual pots ready for planting out next month. Make sure you ventilate the greenhouse on warm sunny days by opening the windows and door, but close again at night as it can still be chilly. Sow seeds of herbs, such as parsley, chives, coriander, garlic, basil, dill, fennel, mint and thyme.

In the vegetable garden

Earth up the soil around emerging potato shoots to encourage a higher yield. The seeds of radish, spring onions, coriander, parsley and chives and also be sown outside this month. Tie in new shoots of blackberries and cane fruits to support wires. Sow the seeds of sweetcorn in deep pots to then be planted out during June.

Flowers

If you haven't done so already, now is the time to plant up hanging baskets with summer bedding plants. Make sure you use a variety of both trailing and upright plants to create a stunning display. Keep them in a cold greenhouse or in a sheltered spot to establish a little before hanging them out in their final position. Prune spring flowering shrubs such as forsythia, ribes, chaenomeles, pyracantha and kerria once they have finished flowering. Make sure you regularly water any newly planted shrubs, trees or roses. Spread a good layer of mulch around trees and shrubs and also on borders to help conserve water during the drier months of summer. Fill any containers you haven't yet planted with summer bedding plants such as geranium, petunia, begonia, fushia and lobelia. Mix the compost with a slow release fertiliser before planting to ensure a longer flowering period.

Create your own lavender garden

Fri, 04 May 2012

Lavender always evokes the essence of hot summer days, that heady distinctive scent and the gentle buzzing of bees; an image that has made it one of the most popular garden plants. Originally from the Mediterranean region and India, the lavender species is now cultivated all over Europe. Its uses are documented as far back as Roman times when it was used to scent their bath water. Indeed it was the Romans who first introduced the plant to Britain.

Lavender is a large family of plants, some annual, others perennial, some hardy and others tender. It is a plant well worth collecting and if you have some space in your garden, why not create a small garden devoted to the species. Here is a short guide to creating a small lavender garden which measures 15 feet square, including preparation, types of lavender you might like to grow and some companion plants.

Preparing the ground

Lavender prefers well-draining soil and a warm sunny aspect. However, it will grow in semi-shade as long as the soil conditions are right. Most lavenders are quite hardy and should survive winter temperatures, but if you live in an area with very cold winter temperatures it might be worth considering growing the plants in containers so that you can more easily protect them in severe weather.

If your soil is clay you will need to dig in plenty of organic matter followed by sharp sand in order to improve the drainage. Mark out the area you want to plant. In a square area it is a good idea to divide it up into four smaller squares with narrow paths running through so that you can easily access the plants.

Lavender plants

When deciding which species to include in your garden, there are a few things you will need to consider. How large will a particular species grow? Is it hardy? It is a good idea to grow a range of varieties in groups to achieve an overall effect of shape, size and colour. Plant in groupings of 3-5 plants for maximum impact. For larger varieties choose augustifolia or English Lavender, which is a hardy evergreen perennial. It grows to a height of 32ins with a spread of 3ft and has mauve/purple flowers on long spikes in summer. If you are keen to try and distil your own lavender oil, then choose Lavender Grosso which is a cross between augustifolia and latifolia and the choice of most commercial growers. The species is very tall growing and is good for making lavender wands and the flowers are good for making sachets. Lavender Hidcote is another good variety. This hardy evergreen perennial grows to a height of around 18in and has dark blue flowers on medium spikes in summer. Lavender Rosea has pink flowers in summer and very aromatic leaves.

Lavenders known as French Lavenders are only half hardy but are well worth growing for their attractive coloured bracts in summer. Lavender Pedunculata grows up to 24ins and has attractive purple bracts with an extra mauve centre tuft.

If you want some smaller growing varieties for the front of borders or to infill, then choose Lavender Folgate, Lavender Lodden pink or blue, and Lavender Munstead. Medium varieties include Lavender Bowles and Lavender Old English.

Maintenance

The best way to maintain a healthy lavender bush is to trim it to shape every year in spring, taking care not to cut into the old wood which will not sprout again. Once the flowers have gone over, trim back to the leaves. You can also trim the plant again in early autumn. Regular trimming in this way will keep a neat shape and encourage new growth.

If you want to gather lavender flowers for sachets or to dry as bunches, it is best to cut them just as they open. Dry the flowers by hanging them in small bunches. The leaves can be picked at any time to use fresh.

Container growing

If you choose to grow your lavender in containers make sure you choose pots that show the lavender off well. All lavenders look good in terracotta. Choose a well-drained compost and grit mix. Position your container in a sunny position. Although lavender will grow in partial shade, it can affect the scent of the plant. Water well and feed during the summer months. In winter allow the plant to dry out completely and then re-introduce water slowly in the spring.

Companion planting

You may wish to grow other plants alongside your lavender. If you have used a square design you could edge each square in low box hedging which will enclose the lavender plants in a straight edge of dark evergreen foliage. Other plants that grow and look well with lavender include other heat tolerant plants such as Santolina or cotton lavender, Rosemary and Oregano. Echinacea and Scabiosa are other good choices. Coleus adds a good colour contrast to the silvery grey of lavender leaves.

5 popular vegetables and how to grow them

Wed, 02 May 2012

As a general rule growing vegetables is quite straight forward and most vegetables don't need much in the way of extra attention. However, some vegetables do require something slightly different or a bit extra in the way of care. Here are some useful tips on a few extra tasks you will need to do to successfully grow five of the most popular vegetables.

Leeks

Leeks are quite easy to grow in the right soil conditions but they do require a bit of extra maintenance. They need transplanting and earthing up. Leeks do best in a sunny position on any reasonably good soil but not anywhere that is at risk of becoming waterlogged in winter. Leek seedlings should be transplanted into their final planting positions in late May or June when they are about the thickness of a pencil. Make holes 15cm deep and 5cm wide with a dibber. Drop one seedling into each hole and fill the hole with water. Do not replace the soil. Rows should be 30cm apart. Planting the seedlings in deep holes will produce leeks with white shafts of a good length.

Onions

There are not many dishes that can be cooked without the humble onion which makes it one of the most popular vegetables to grow. The best way to grow onions is from sets, or baby onions. Onions need a sheltered sunny site and soil which retains moisture but has good drainage. Sets are usually planted from early to mid spring. Rows should be 30cm apart and the onions should be gently pushed into the soil with around 8cm between each one. Because onions have shallow roots they should be kept free from weeds that will compete for water and food. When onion bulbs reach maturity their leaves turn yellow and topple over. Harvest them when the leaves have shrivelled.

Celery

Celery can be quite tricky to grow and is probably not the best vegetable for a beginner. It requires earthing up in order to produce those tasty white stems. The way to grow celery is to plant it in a trench about 40cm deep so that you can then earth up by simply filling in the trench. Earthing up celery is usually done in three stages - plant out in August, wrap newspaper around the stalks to keep the earth out and earth up to about 8cm. Earth up again about three weeks later to about 15cm. Finally, in another three weeks, earth up again to cover the stalks completely. Celery can be harvested in November.

Trailing marrows and squashes

Marrows and squashes will require the sunniest spot on your vegetable plot. Each plant will grow along the ground and will need quite a bit of room with spacing of about 1.8m. Seeds often do better if sown straight into the ground in early summer. Once the young plant has been planted and watered in well, add a layer of mulch around the plant to keep in the moisture and keep down the weeds. When each plant starts to mature, pinch out the growing shoots on the side of each plant when they are about 60cm long.

Rhubarb

Yes, rhubarb is a vegetable. It is one of those versatile vegetables that makes both delicious sweet and savoury dishes. It can be grown from seed but this is unreliable and so it is best to buy young plants or propagate by root division. Rhubarb can be forced in order to produce an early crop of tender stalks. This is done from mid-January to February by placing a dustbin, old plant pots or rhubarb forcer over the plant so that all light is excluded. Insulate the rhubarb crown by packing straw around it. The stalks should be ready to eat around six weeks later.

4 different supports for your climbing plants

Thu, 26 Apr 2012

There are a number of ways to support the vertical growing habits of climbing plants. However, different climbing structures are more suited to different types of plants. So if you are wondering what to use to support your sweet peas or which plant to grow over a pergola, here is a short guide to different types of climbing structure and the plants best suited to them.

Arch

An arch in a garden can be a good way of adding height and creating interest. It can be used to straddle a path or to divide different areas of a garden. Arches come in all shapes from very simple rustic designs to ornate structures. They can be made from wood, metal or natural materials such as willow. With most arches is it probably best to grow only one climbing plant each side. You can either grow the same variety and create an overall effect or opt for two different types of plant. Plants most suited to an arch are less vigorous plants that won't get too out of hand and spoil the natural arch shape you are trying to achieve. For example, if you want to grow a rose then it is probably best to go for a climbing rose rather than a rambling variety.

Wigwam

A wigwam is a very versatile form of climbing structure as they often tend to be relatively short and can be easily moved around the garden. A wigwam can either be a simple homemade structure of bamboo or willow stems or a more decorative iron obelisk. Because there is less room for climbers at the top of a wigwam because of the shape, it is probably best to grow more low growing plants, particularly annuals. Plants suitable for this type of structure include sweet pea, ipomoea or morning glory, less vigorous types of clematis and runner beans.

Pergola

A pergola is made up of a series of archways straddling a path. They are often large structures so make sure you have plenty of room for one as it can be quite a dominant feature. Pergolas are most often constructed out of wood but can also be made from iron. In terms of planting, you need to plant one climber at the bottom of each post so that they scramble up and over the top of the structure, providing shade and scent. Suitable flowering climbers for a pergola include honeysuckle, climbing or rambling roses, wisteria, sweet pea, and clematis. There is scope to be artistic in planting this type of structure as you can create a stunning effect using only one variety of climber or introduce some symmetry by alternating two different varieties or two different colours.

Pillar

You can install you own ornate wrought iron pillar or plant climbers to disguise an old stump or post. Choose plants that aren't too vigorous if you want part of the pillar to remain visible. Suitable plants include nasturtium, rambling rose, sweet pea, clematis or morning glory.

It is possible to place a climbing structure on a hard surface such as a patio. In this case you would need to plant in sturdy plant pots. Make sure the planter you choose is in keeping with the type of structure your plants are climbing up. It also needs to be large enough to accommodate the plant as it matures and grows.

4 different supports for your climbing plants

Thu, 26 Apr 2012

Arch

Wigwam

Pergola

Pillar

When is a weed not a weed?

Wed, 25 Apr 2012

People often ask us 'what is the definition of a weed?' In horticulture, the accepted definition of a weed is simply 'a plant that is growing in the wrong place'. But what happens if we turn that definition on its head? When most people think of weeds, they think of plants like grounsel, chickweed or dandelion. These plants are easily described as weeds because they aren't particularly attractive or showy and are considered a nuisance for invading the vegetable patch or growing in between paving slabs. But if we stop and think about it, some common and popular garden plants can also behave like weeds, and they do! When we think of weeds as nuisance plants, it is because they fall into one of four categories - they are either invasive, in the wrong place, detrimental in some way, or spread themselves around easily.

Invasive plants

Two main definitions of a plant becoming invasive come to mind. The first is for those species that have been introduced from other countries and once introduced adversely affect native habitats. A common example of such a plant that often causes problems in domestic gardens is Japanese Knotweed. Introduced to Britain in the 19th century as an ornamental plant, over time it has become widespread in a range of habitats including roadsides and riverbanks, as well as domestic gardens.It can grow up to a metre in a month and has has even been known to grow in concrete and tarmac! It spreads by producing rhizomes and can remain dormant in the ground for up to twenty years and still produce plants. It can be very difficult to get rid of and the plant is considered such a threat that you need to contact your local authority if you want to dispose of it.

Another less serious but still cumbersome plant in the garden is Convolvulus or Field Bindweed. This is actually a very attractive plant, so much so that a number of less invasive cultivars have been produced for the domestic garden with flowers ranging from pinks to blue/purple. The common variety is perhaps the one most people experience trouble removing from their garden. Convolvulus is a perennial climber or creeper that can grow up to 2m high, with attractive funnel-shaped white flowers. In a garden it climbs up shrubs and other plants, choking them as it intertwines up stems and competes with them for sunlight and moisture. It too can be difficult to eradicate as it has a deep extensive root system which if not completely removed can sprout repeatedly from just tiny segments. Its seeds can also remain viable in the soil for up to twenty years.

Plants in the wrong place

We all admire the buttercup as one of our most pretty wildflowers and when a few plants sprout up in our lawns we initially don't mind, finding its bright yellow flowers an attractive addition to our grassy areas. However, if not controlled this pretty little plant will start to pop up all over a lawn, competing with the grass. Known as creeping buttercup, it has vigorous creeping stems that run along the rhizome. Hand weeding is the preferred method of removing it, but if it spreads too much then a chemical weed killer is most effective.

Another attractive perennial I often find myself having to remove is the foxglove. I do love foxgloves and indeed have a number of varieties in my herbaceous borders, but I do find that the common variety tends to pop up just about anywhere. It especially seems to like the vegetable garden. These plants are easy to remove as they have shallow root systems. If like me, you feel a little guilty at their removal, then try and find a space for them elsewhere in the garden.

Plants that can be harmful to other plants or humans

Some plants we might like to grow in our gardens can become detrimental to other plants if allowed to. One example of this is ivy. Ivy is a self-clinging climber that can grow quickly into the canopy of a tree. In most cases ivy growing on the trunk of a tree is not damaging in itself, but when it starts to infest the tree canopy it is time to control it. To remove it, cut the stems back down to the ground. I prefer to wait a week or so until the ivy begins to die off. This weakens its hold on the tree trunk and makes it a little easier to remove. Ivy is often grown in a border to infill space. But its often dense growth can swamp other plants and so again this is a time when it will need to be controlled.

Some plants can be harmful to humans and as responsible gardeners it is our duty to make sure harmful plants are not present or properly managed if there are children using the garden or if for example the garden is open to the public. Plants can be harmful through their sap or chemicals in the plant that can cause allergies or more serious problems. Some examples include Aconitum or Monkshood which is poisonous and an irritant to the skin, Laburnum which is also poisonous, Passiflora or hardy passionflower and even tulips produce sap that can be a skin irritant.

Those plants we just can't get rid of

There are a few plants in my garden which I purposefully added because of their attractive or other qualities but which have now become rather a headache. Firstly, lemon balm. This useful and attractively scented herb has many uses in the garden. However, it is one of those plants that is easily propagated by wind and I now find it popping up all over the garden, even in between the slabs on my patio. It can also be difficult to remove as it has strong fibrous roots. Another such plant is the common violet. I initially planted this lovely little plant in one of my large containers as a companion to lavender, but am now finding clumps of it all over the garden. Another attractive and popular garden favourite which can become a problem is the blue bell. I find that it is best to dig up a number of clumps of the bulb each year to stop it spreading all over the flower borders. It is not so much the flower itself, but the extensive foliage which can swamp emerging plants in spring.

So are there any beneficial weeds?

Believe it or not, there are a number of plants commonly described as weeds that are actually beneficial to grow in your garden. These plants can have a number of roles such as increasing moisture, acting as shelter, fertilising the soil, repelling pests and attracting beneficial insects. Dandelion is actually a good companion plant for tomato plants, it attracts bees and is edible. Nettle is a good companion for broccoli and tomato. It also attracts bees and is used for many herbal remedies. Purslane is good for breaking up hard soil and it brings water and nutrients up from deep in the ground. Wild Vetch provides ground cover for beetles and fixes nitrogen into the soil.

Highlights of National Gardening Week

Wed, 18 Apr 2012

This week sees a catalogue of events being run by the RHS to celebrate the joy of gardening. Garden Planters is supporting the event in our own way by planting up an array of our unique planters with seasonal displays that can be placed in either the garden or the home. If you are a gardener, or just like to enjoy experiencing some of the wonderful gardens we have around the country, here is a quick guide to what's on during National Gardening Week.

On until next Sunday, National Gardening Week brings together a number of events around the country at all four RHS gardens, along with lots of local gardening events. The week began with the start of Britain in Bloom, where towns and villages come together to try and improve the wildflower areas in their neighbourhoods.

There are themed days to be held at the four RHS gardens and other gardening venues throughout the country. Anyone interested in a gardening career can go along to career-themed events at all four RHS gardens. There are also workshops aimed at encouraging us to be greener gardeners, and an event at the Cardiff RHS show (20-22 April) to encourage children to get into gardening with the launch of the new Young School Gardener of the Year, judged by Blue Peter's Chris Collins.

The RSPB wildlife garden at Flatford in Suffolk is open all week, with tours by the head gardener who will be giving advice on how to make your garden more wildlife friendly. Ryton Gardens, near Coventry, will also be open and running a special day on Thursday 19 April devoted to organic gardening techniques and helping us all become greener gardeners. The wildlife garden at Slatholme wildlife reserve in Middlesbrough, designed by TV gardener Chris Beardshaw will also be showcased this week.

For more details on these events and the many others happening this week visit www.nationalgardeningweek.org.uk

5 popular vegetables - handy growing tips

Wed, 18 Apr 2012

There is a huge variety of vegetables you can grow easily in your garden. Once you have set out your plot and decided what to grow and how, it's time to populate your plot and start growing. However, simply planting vegetable plants into the ground and waiting for them to delivery fresh produce is not enough. Different vegetables like different conditions and some need more nurturing than others. Here are some handy tips on getting the best out of just a few popular varieties.

Peas

There is no better sound than the pop of a juicy fat pea pod bursting open to reveal those first few peas of the year. For me peas are the garden's sweets and it is a wonder that any make it back to my kitchen at all! When growing peas make sure you dig the soil well and work in plenty of manure before planting, as peas like rich moisture-retentive soil. Mulching around the base of each plant and regular watering will also help them through dry spells of weather which they dislike. First sowing outside will depend on location but is normally between early and mid-spring. But make sure the soil has warmed up sufficiently first. Peas should be well supported with sticks or stakes, allowing good space for the pods to develop on the plants. Peas are a favourite of birds so it might be a good idea to protect young plants with chicken wire or plastic netting. Harvest the pods regularly to make sure they are at their most fresh and use or freeze as required.

Runner beans

I would always recommend growing runner beans to those who have little experience of growing vegetables. They are easy to grow and require little effort. They look great and yield a big crop over a long period of time. Runner beans have only three main requirements - deeply dug soil, lots of well rotted manure and plenty of water. To grow runner beans you need a good support system. Tall bamboo obelisks or strong hazel sticks will make the perfect structure for them to climb up. Make sure you put your stakes in early and secure them well - it's amazing how strong these plants can become when they are laden with beans! Sow the seeds indoors in early to mid-spring and the young plants can then be planted out at the bottom of each upright support in early summer. Pinch out the growing tips when they reach the top of the support structure so the plants don't become top- heavy. Pick the pods when they are young and before they swell as older pods can be stringy.

Tomatoes

You just can't beat the tangy sweet taste of fresh tomatoes straight from the vine. You can grow tomatoes in your greenhouse, in a grow-bag or in the garden. I prefer to grow them in the greenhouse as you are guaranteed a better crop because the plants are not so dependent upon the weather. Don't bother growing tomatoes from seed, they can be fiddly and you always end up with far more plants than you can use or give way, but buy small plants. Gardener's Delight is a favourite variety of mine. This variety produces an abundance of small cherry tomatoes that are very sweet and juicy. Pinch out the growing tip of plants once they have produced five or six healthy looking fruit-bearing side shoots. Water and feed your tomatoes well and they will reward you all summer long.

Potatoes

For the vegetable gardener, potatoes are an easy crop to grow that can be relied upon to produce a good crop. If you don't have the room to grow both early varieties and a maincrop, then my advice would be to stick to early salad varieties. There is nothing more satisfying than digging up the first summer salad potatoes and eating them with a good dollop of butter. Seed potatoes need to be chitted before they can be planted out. That is getting them to sprout short green shoots. Begin planting potatoes from early to mid-spring. The best way is to dig a trench. Handle each potato carefully so as not to knock off any shoots and plant to a depth of about 15cm, with 30cm between each potato. As soon as the shoots appear above the ground start the process of earthing-up by raking the soil around and over them to produce a ridge. This prevents the tubers becoming exposed to the light and turning green which makes them poisonous. Water young plants well to ensure a heavy crop of tubers. Watch out for potato blight which can be a particular problem in warm wet summers and will ruin a crop. Harvesting the first potatoes is like digging for treasure. The crop is ready when the plants have flowered. Choose a warm dry day and scrape away a little of the soil to check is the tubers are big enough. Leave the tubers exposed to the air for a few hours to allow them to dry off. This makes them easier to store.

Carrots

You might wonder why bother to grow carrots when they are relatively cheap to buy and store well. But I think you have never truly tasted a carrot until you have tasted one you have grown yourself. The flavour is so much sweeter and more intense. Carrots can be sown regularly from March through to July, but don't start too early as the soil must be warm for germination to be successful. Carrots are a vegetable that doesn't like to be transplanted and therefore must be sown directly into the ground. Carrots need a light well-drained soil to prevent club or twisted root formation due to obstructions in the soil. Therefore, it is sometimes more successful to grow them in large containers in free-draining sifted compost or soil. Sow carrot seed thinly, but as the seeds are very small this can be difficult, so expect to thin out the seedlings once they emerge. Watch out for carrot fly in early summer. Try growing chives next to your carrots as the smell of the chives is strong enough to mask the smell of the carrots which attracts the fly. When harvesting, leave carrots in the ground until the last possible moment - the fresher they are the better they taste!

National Gardening Week 16-22 April 2012

Sat, 14 Apr 2012

This week sees the start of National Gardening Week. Organised by the Royal Horticultural Society to encourage the nation to enjoy and celebrate everything about gardens and gardening. There are plenty of events taking place all around the country including open days, garden parties, quizzes and plant swaps. Plus advice sharing and people lending a helping hand in community and neighbours gardens.

The RHS is hoping the event will encourage everyone to get involved and get growing by either taking part in organised events or organising their own event. To this end there is a dedicated website which tells you about gardens open and events taking place in different parts of the country, as well as information about how to organise an event of your own.

Visit the website at www.nationalgardeningweek.org.uk and celebrate our great and enduring passion for the English garden.

Garden flowers you can eat!

Wed, 11 Apr 2012

Growing home grown fruit and vegetables can be hugely satisfying- knowing where your food has come from and eating produce you have grown yourself. But people are often surprised at the variety of flowers in their gardens that are edible too. Some flowers have a strong peppery taste and so are good for adding flavour to dishes like salads, others have a sweet taste and can be used in cakes and other sweet dishes, and some merely look beautiful and can be used as a decorative edible garnish.

Collecting and preparing flowers

Many of the flowers you can eat or use in cooking can be grown alongside other plants in a flower bed or integrated with vegetables in your vegetable garden. In fact many edible flowers also make good companion plants for vegetables, such as marigolds which can be used in salads and are also effective at keeping pests at bay. As with most fresh produce, the best time to pick edible flowers is first thing in the morning when the dew has just dried. Some flowers can be eaten or used whole, but others, particularly those with daisy-like heads you should use the petals only which should be removed gently. Once you have picked your flower heads and removed any petals, you can store them in a plastic bag in the fridge where they will keep fresh for a few hours. Don't be tempted to wash the flowers as this can easily damage them. If they look like they have wilted before you want to use them, pop them into a glass of water and this should revive them.

Some common edible garden flowers

The best flowers to use on a vegetable plot are annuals because they are short-lived and so won't interfere much with your planting or crop rotation plan. Annuals that self-seed easily are particularly desirable as you will find they will pop up year after year and you won't have to keep buying seed. Any that appear in the wrong place can be easily transplanted. Good examples are marigolds and nasturtium.

Calendula or marigold is a hardy annual and good companion plant for the vegetable garden. Its bright orange petals can be used to decorate salads. Nasturtium is another hardy self-seeding annual. Its flowers range from yellow to deep red and add a delicious peppery flavour to salads as well as being highly decorative. Borage flowers are a particularly beautiful pale blue. I pop them in the middle of an ice cube to be added to summer cordials and other drinks. The scented geranium 'Attar of Roses' adds a lemony flavour when used as a base for cakes. Heartsease or viola is small enough to be eaten whole and is very decorative when used as a garnish, in salads or frozen in ice cubes. The purple and pink bracts of clary sage also make a pretty garnish.

The white petals of bellis perennis or daisy flower make a colourful garnish for soups, salads, or other savoury dishes. Most dianthus or pinks have a pleasant spicy clove-like taste and can be added to soups or cakes. The flowers of evening primrose taste very much like lettuce and so are great added to a green salad. Lavender flowers can be used in a variety of ways. They are great in bread, cakes or added to sorbets, jams and jellies. Courgette flowers are very tasty when stuffed with feta cheese, dipped in batter and quick-fried. If you have a rose that smells good, you can be pretty sure it will also taste good. Most roses have a delicate fruity flavour and so are great added to cool drinks or fruit dishes. Jasmine flowers are highly scented and are often used for scenting tea.

It is not only the petals of flowers that can readily be eaten; seeds can also be a tasty by product of growing flowers. Poppy seeds are lovely sprinkled over a fresh loaf of bread. Sunflower seeds are also tasty when added to bread and other pastries.

If you are interested in growing some of these flowers to eat, why not grow a few near your kitchen door in containers alongside herbs and other plants with culinary uses so they are readily accessible when you need them. But remember not all the flowers in your garden are edible, some are actually poisonous, so take care and make sure you have correctly identified an edible flower before you pick it.

Garden Planters open new shop

Sat, 07 Apr 2012

Garden Planters have found a new home in Woodhouse Eaves in Leicestershire. On April 5 we opened our new shop and welcomed our first customers with a glass of champagne and a cup cake! As well as the usual gifts and planters you will find on our website, our shop will be selling fresh flowers, home-grown cottage garden plants, and planters filled with seasonal plants and herbs.

We have had a huge of amount support from friends and family, as well as a very positive response from the local community. We very much hope that our new shop will compliment the unique collection of planters and gifts we sell on our website and provide us with an outlet for our creative talents. As well as filling planters and hanging baskets, we will be offering advice and tips on garden design and maintenance.

So if you are local to Leicestershire or would like to view any of our products, please do pay us a visit.

Six essential jobs to do in the garden during April

Tue, 03 Apr 2012

April is the month when the blossom really comes into its own. From the whites and pinks of flowering cherries and fruit trees, to the snowy coverings on hedgerows, all make their mark with a show of colour. The blackbird is singing, the nights are drawing out and the sun is beginning to have some real warmth in its rays. Warm sunny days really make you believe that the promise of summer is just around the corner. However, don't be tempted to plant out tender plants as sharp night frosts can still catch you out, scorching the edges of tender new leaves and killing fruit tree blossom. During this month growth in the garden really starts to speed up and it can be hard work keeping up with the pace. Here is a list of jobs you should be getting on with in your garden during April.

In the garden

Feed roses and herbaceous borders with a general purpose fertiliser. Plant out late flowering herbaceous plants and also the sweet pea seedlings you sowed in February. Sow hardy annuals outside and plant out any annual you sowed in the autumn. April is also a good month to plant a lavender hedge. Look out for bright red lily beetles on lilies and fritillaries and remove them immediately. Towards the end of the month you can also plant out dormant dahlia tubers.

April is also a good time to plant out or move evergreen trees or shrubs. Once camellias have finished flowering, shorten any straggly shoots. Prune winter jasmine and hydrangea and tie in the rapidly growing shoots of climbing roses and any newly planted climbers.

Lawns

Treat any moss and weeds on your lawn with a feed and weed mix. Now is a good time to sow grass seed if you are making a new lawn area. Once the weather starts to become mild, mow your lawn at least once a fortnight or better still once a week.

In the greenhouse

Move any young plants you have growing from the greenhouse to the cold frame to harden off before planting in the ground. Make sure you ventilate the greenhouse on warm sunny days but close up again at night to help retain the heat. Buy and pot up plug plants of annuals to use during the summer months. Sow tomato seeds and frost tender vegetables such as sweet corn and cucumbers. If you have a vine growing in your greenhouse, tie in new vine rods.

The vegetable plot

Now in the time to get the growing season started on your vegetable plot. Prepare your runner beans beds by digging in plenty of compost or other organic material. Sow broad beans, summer cabbage, leeks, beetroot, radish, spring onions, lettuce, carrots and onions. Plant first early and second early main crop potatoes and earth up the shoots once they poke through to protect them from frost. Look after young vegetable plants by hoeing and watering regularly, thinning out and transplanting seedlings, and supporting climbing plants such as peas and beans.

Patios and containers

Now is the time to plant spring bedding plants and summer bulbs in containers. Make sure you use a general purpose compost and create good drainage by adding broken pot shards the bottom on containers and standing your pots on feet.

Which vegetables should I grow?

Thu, 29 Mar 2012

Once you have decided where to position your vegetable plot and prepared the site it's time to decide what you want to grow. It is so easy to get carried away by the range and variety of vegetables available in seed catalogues and garden centres, but before you do there are few things you might want to consider, especially if your plot is only small.

On a small plot try to avoid anything that takes up too much space such as asparagus, or vegetables like cabbage which is slow to grow and will take up space for most of the year. You might like to consider growing dwarf varieties of some crops which will take up less space. Make the most of walls or fences for growing climbing beans or peas. Think about how your plot will look. It doesn't have to be purely functional so make it more attractive by growing more ornamental vegetables and herbs.

If you are new to growing vegetables it is a good idea to start with those vegetables you really like. Some vegetables like potatoes, carrots and onions are cheap to buy and store easily for long periods and so are probably best bought rather than grown. However, some varieties such as early potatoes, particularly salad varieties are delicious eaten when freshly picked, as are baby carrots, tomatoes and lettuce leaves.

Once you have made a list of the vegetables you like you will need to decide how much you want to grow. Growing too little is probably better than growing too much as having to waste vegetables you have spent time and energy growing can be heart breaking. However if you do end up with more than you need most vegetables store well when frozen or can be given away to friends and family. You will also need to consider how much time you will have or want to spend tending to your plot. If you only have a few hours a week then it might be best to pick vegetables that don't need much attention like potatoes or runner beans. Lastly, make sure you plan crops that will provide you with something to eat all year-round.

A good all year-round list for a first year might include broad beans, spring cabbages and early carrots for spring harvesting; peas, dwarf and climbing French beans, runner beans, beetroot, salad potatoes and salad crops, tomatoes and courgettes for summer harvesting; and kale, leeks, and broccoli for harvesting throughout the winter.

Buying seeds and plants

The question of whether to grow from seed or buy plants really depends on how much time you have and whether you have access to a greenhouse. You can grow seeds successfully in propagators indoors but I find that this does not provide you with the space you need for growing a good variety of vegetables and successfully growing on young seedlings. The decision will also depend on the type of vegetable you want to grow. For example, I tend to buy young tomato plants rather than grow them from seed. I usually use a grow bag and only have room for around three or four plants. Growing from seed can produce hundreds of seedlings which would then go to waste. Other vegetables are easy to grow from seed placed straight into the ground such as runner beans. An advantage to growing from seed is that it tends to be cheaper and seeds you don't use one year will happily keep until the next if stored in the right conditions.

If you do decide on buying plants make sure you source them from a reputable supplier. Check the label to make sure you are buying the correct variety. Make sure the young plant is healthy. Avoid anything that looks weedy or pale in colour, and also avoid container plants that have weeds growing amongst them. Seedlings bought in trays tend to be cheaper than those bought in individual pots but they can tend to be a bit root-bound and weedy as a result. A good idea is to pot them on into individual containers to recover and strengthen up before you plant them out into the ground.

There are no hard and fast rules as to what you should grow in your first year. But in my book, if you start with a modest, easy to grow selection the first year you will not only reap rewards in produce, but you will give yourself time to get used to your plot, the work and time it involves and the varieties you prefer to grow and eat. Next year will be the time to start challenging yourself a bit by experimenting and maybe growing more exotic and demanding varieties.

2 easy steps to starting a vegetable garden

Tue, 27 Mar 2012

For me there is nothing quit like picking, cooking and eating vegetables I have grown myself. You don't need a huge piece of land to create a successful vegetable plot and there are many different ways of vegetable gardening. But first there are a few points to consider when designing a plot.

Where to situate your plot

There are a number of important factors to consider when deciding where to grow vegetables. Soil will be the engine in the production of your vegetables so it is essential that you pick the right patch of ground. Measuring the pH of your soil will enable you to determine whether it is alkaline or acid. Vegetables grow best in a soil that is slightly acidic with a pH of 6.5. You can buy a perfectly good testing kit from your local garden centre. If your soil to acid you can add garden lime to reduce the acidity. You will also need to think about drainage. Most vegetables prefer free-draining soil, so if your patch tends to be waterlogged or floods at certain times of the year it won't be suitable. Soil structure is also important. A clay soil, although rich in nutrients will have poor drainage and is slow to warm up in spring. Sandy soil drains far too easily and therefore won't hold enough water or nutrients and dries out in summer. Loam lies somewhere in between and contains the best features of both sandy and clay soils. Sadly this ideal is rarely found, but not impossible to create. The answer is to spend plenty of time improving your soil with well-rotted organic matter such as manure or compost.

Another important consideration in where to situate your vegetable plot is the elements. Vegetables need as much sun as possible, so at least half of your site must have full sun all day. Windy conditions will slow down vegetable growth, so if there is no protection from wind you will need to create some by planting a hedge or placing a fence in the right place. Nearby trees will afford some protection from wind but you don't want them too close so that they cast too much shade. Frosts can also be a problem for vegetable gardening. Low-lying sites will encourage cold air to collect. Also be aware that nearby trees and buildings can also be sources of cold air.

It may seem obvious but pay some attention to water. Vegetables need plenty of it so situating your plot near an outside tap is essential. It is also a good idea to install a water butt to catch rain water. A final consideration is access. If you have designed your plot around a series of beds you will need easy access to each bed for sowing, weeding and harvesting. If you intend to create paths to give you access, make sure they are hard wearing - slabs or even old scaffolding planks are good.

Deciding how to grow vegetables

The points above apply to any vegetable plot whether large or small. If you only have a small plot you may want to consider the best way to grow your vegetables. Where space is limited, raised beds are a good answer. You can even create a raised bed on a patio. Raised beds are essentially wooden containers filled with fertile soil. They are also ideal if you have trouble bending over or are confined to a wheelchair.

Another useful way of growing vegetables is to integrate them among your other garden plants. Legumes such as beans and peas can look stunning growing up a plant support in the middle of a flower bed. Lettuce is great grown at the front of a flower bed where it is easily assessed. The only problem with integration is the amount of vegetables you can grow.

Many vegetables can also be successfully grown in containers and even hanging baskets. Vegetables that thrive in pots include beetroot, carrots, radishes, lettuce and spring onions. Another advantage of container vegetable growing is that you can follow the sun around your garden, moving your vegetables around so that they get the maximum amount of sunlight.

Once you have decided where and how to grow vegetables you are then ready to choose what to grow and start growing!

How to plant up a spring container

Thu, 22 Mar 2012

March brings the promise of spring but the garden at this time of year can still be drab and devoid of much colour. Simple early spring containers are a great way to brighten up a patio or provide colour when placed in a bare border. This time of year you can either spruce up pots containing winter bedding by removing dead or tired looking plants and replacing them with new ones, or start from scratch with a mixture of evergreen plants, spring bulbs and bedding plants. Here are a few planting schemes you might like to try.

Planning a container

The key to planting an attractive container is making sure you have a good variety of colours and textures, as well as a mixture of shrubs and bedding. Shrubs like dogwoods or small conifers make good starting points. Architectural plants such as standards bay tress and olives can also look very dramatic. Infill with plenty of spring bulbs such as dwarf narcissus, early tulips and fritillaria.

The type of container you choose is just as important as the planting scheme. The type, style and colour of the container need to compliment both the plants you choose and the design and overall style of your garden. Glazed or textured pots are good in early spring when the days are still predominantly dull, as they reflect the light. The right colour glaze can also compliment the plants. For example, use a bright green glaze with yellow daffodils and the orange stems of dogwood 'Midwinter Fire'. The shape of the pot is also important. A tall elegant pot looks stunning at either side of a brightly painted door. Before planting, make sure your container has good drainage. Put pebbles or broken pot shards in the bottom of the container and stand it on pot feet.

Planting ideas

When planting any container, always plant in groups of three's as this makes for a more striking display. For a trough planter try planting two dwarf conifers at either end, two small red skimmia's in front of the conifers, and then infill with white heather. To compliment the warm colour of a terracotta pot, fill it with pink hellebores, pink polyanthus and hyacinths. For a stunning colour combination to compliment a slate or lead coloured container, try trailing variegated ivy with lavender and purple heather. The muted colours of an aged stone planter can be filled with cineraria, trailing ivy and bright blue pansies or more delicate violas. A larger square planter in a lead finish looks stunning planted with a standard bay. Add some colour with either dwarf narcissus or tulips.

Once filled your containers will provide a welcome splash of colour until summer arrives. If you want to replace these displays with summer bedding any shrubs can be planted out in your garden borders and bulbs dug into the ground for next year once they are spent.

Save our bees! How to attract them to your garden

Mon, 19 Mar 2012

You may have noticed an absence of gentle buzzing in the garden or the flash of colour from fluttering wings. That's because in recent years there has been a marked decline in our insect pollinators. Insects such as bees, hoverflies, moths and butterflies have been in steady decline for the last few years and there are a couple of species of bee that have actually become extinct. This is very bad news for both our countryside and agriculture as these insects are the main way our crops and other plants are pollinated. There are a number of reasons why these insects may have suffered a decline in numbers but some think the main reason is the loss of many of our wildflower meadows which provide a sustainable habitat for many pollinating insects.

There is an important place for our humble gardens in trying to redress the balance and provide a suitable habitat to help increase the number of insect pollinators. Our gardens can provide important habitats where insects can find an alternative source of nectar and pollen. We just need to make sure we follow a few simple rules.

How to attract pollinating insects to your garden

Wildflower planting has a reputation for being a bit messy and may not be an attractive option when most of us aim for impact and colour in our gardens with vibrant perennials and showy annuals. But you don't have to recreate a wildflower habitat in your garden in order to attract insects. It is still possible to create a colourful statement with summer planting and still attract a large number of insects to your garden. So how do you tell which plants will be attractive to pollinating insects?

Insects like flowers where they can see the pollen and get to it easily, so choose single flower varieties. Double or multi-petaled flowers make it difficult for insects to access the pollen and indeed many modern varieties are so inbred that they actually produce little or no pollen at all. A good example is the dahlia. Modern varieties tend to be blousy and multi-petaled, bred for our taste in showy blooms. But the single flower varieties can be just as colourful as well as being attractive and beneficial to insects.

Colour is another important consideration. Evidence has shown that insects are attracted to colour, in particular lilac, mauve and yellow. Hoverflies for instance, love yellow flowers. The shape of a flower can also be important to insects. The large flat surface of achillea with its multitude of tiny yellow flower heads means that insects such as hoverflies can easily access its pollen. Plants that flower in succession are also beneficial to insects. The foxglove for example has a multitude of flowers along a single stem which open in succession over a period of time thereby providing insects with pollen for longer periods.

It is also a good idea to provide plenty of structure in your planting design as different insects operate at different heights. Grasses are a good example of plants that provide some height to a planting scheme and will also attract a wide variety of insects. Water is another important factor. Did you know that bees require a large amount of water every day in order to keep their hive cool during the summer? Lastly, aim to provide your insects with pollen throughout the year. This means making sure you have plants that flower late into the season such as sedums and michaelmas daisies, and mahonia for winter flowers.

Here are just a few of the plants guaranteed to attract pollinating insects. For perennials choose aquilegia, monarda, angelica, veronica, echinacea and rudbeckia. For shrubs choose buddleia which is irresistible to butterflies, and hebes, whose flowers produce so much nectar it makes them sweeter than jam! Also try lavender and hardy fushias. For bulbs choose crocus and alliums. When choosing annuals try and avoid fussy blooms and go instead for the single flowers of cosmos, sweet peas, sunflowers and marigolds. Containers filled with combinations of these annuals will not only provide a decorative show of vibrant colour but also ensure you provide a habitat attractive to insects.

The variety of plants available that will attract insects to your garden is huge and diverse. So just a little bit of thought to your planting scheme this year could create a mini nature reserve in your back garden and make a huge difference to the future of the unsung heroes that are our pollinating insects.

12 jobs to do in the garden during March

Thu, 15 Mar 2012

There is an old saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. This refers to March as being a little bit unpredictable, with strong winds and heavy showers. Even a sharp frost can catch you out this month. But when the sun does shine this month it has some real warmth in it and the garden responds with spring bulbs and new growth almost everywhere you look. As the days become longer and the soil starts to warm up again, so those jobs in the garden start to increase. There is a lot of sense in the advice that if you get on top of things in the garden during March, the rest of the growing season will run smoothly. Here are some of the main jobs to be getting on with in March.

In the garden

March is a time when many more plants emerge or flower to give a stunning early display. Plants of particular interest for this month include daffodils, lily-of-the-valley, magnolia, japonica or flowering quince, forsythia, camellia, aubrieta, and primula.

Generally speaking, now is the time for a good tidy up. Tidy evergreen grasses and cut back deciduous grasses down to the ground. Finish cutting back dead growth in herbaceous border s and stake new growth with canes or plant supports. Now is also the time to divide clumps of perennials by digging them up and dividing them with a fork or spade. Also divide snowdrops once they have finished flowering and plant new clumps 'in the green' to ensure flowering next year. Give your roses a final prune. Sow wildflower seeds and hardy annuals this month, and plant lily bulbs. Clear the netting away from ponds and start to feed any fish you have if the weather is warm and they are active.

Lawns

If the weather is mild, give your lawn its first cut, making sure the mower is on a high setting. Redefine the edges of the lawn with an edge cutter this will make even an untidy lawn look tidy! Deal with any wormcasts or molehills.

The greenhouse

Just as you might give your house a spring clean, do so in your greenhouse too. Wash down the panes of glass both inside and out to make sure you make the best of the early sunshine. Washing down the greenhouse will also get rid of any pests and diseases that may have overwintered. Take empty pots outside on a sunny day and give them a wash too. Sow early vegetables like peas in guttering ready to plant out next month. Start dormant begonia and dahlia tubers by potting them up and keeping them in a frost free greenhouse.

The vegetable garden

Dig in overwintered green manures to prepare the ground for planting. Make sure you harvest the last of the sprouting broccoli, kale and brussels left in the ground over winter. Sow early salad crops like lettuce, radishes and rocket, as well as onion sets, leeks, broad beans, spinach and early varieties of carrot. Plant early potato varieties towards the end of the month. Sow early herbs and divide and plant perennial herbs.

Patios and containers

Spruce up your patio ready for spring with a pressure washer. Freshen up pots you have planted with winter bedding by removing any spent plants and replacing them with spring bedding. Also, fill containers with a variety of spring bedding such as violas, primulas, spring bulbs and small evergreens such as ivy.

Grow your own veg - get yourself an allotment!

Tue, 13 Mar 2012

During the second World War allotments were an essential way to supplement food that was difficult to come by and fast became a popular pass time for both those living in the countryside and in cities. Council allotments were formed on the edge of villages and in urban areas to encourage people to grow their own. However, with the onset of processed foods and supermarkets during the early sixties, the enthusiasm for allotment plots died away and many were left fallow and uncared for. However, today's interest in organic produce, along with concerns about how our food is grown has led to renewed enthusiasm for the humble allotment - in some ways you could say they are now like gold dust, with waiting lists for plots of up to forty years! But don't be disheartened, there are still many plots to be had. Here are a few tips on how to go about getting one, things to consider and what to grow.

How to get an allotment

First port of call is to check what your local council can offer you and whether there is a waiting list. Some councils encourage people to share which might cut the waiting time down a bit and be an advantage if you want to grow your own vegetables but don't have enough time for a whole plot. If the waiting time is too long there are other options. In the last few years land share schemes have become a popular way to get your hands on a bit of extra land. See if there is a scheme in your area. Those with more land than they can manage donate some to the scheme to be used by those people wanting to grown their own food. This becomes a mutually beneficial arrangement for both parties. Some of the bigger land owning trusts also let some of their land as allotments to help foster community relations and use spare land. Allotments are normally rented for a yearly period and the rent is only very small.

Before deciding whether a particular allotment is right for you it might be worth visiting first to speak to some of the allotment holders. Choose a weekend when most allotment holders are likely to be around. You might like to ask questions about water supply, whether some plots are better than others and, if there is an allotment society whether there is a membership fee. Check the rules - are you allowed to keep chickens or other livestock? Can you plant fruit trees or sell your own produce? If you want to encourage your children to help grow vegetables, check that the allotment is child friendly. Some provide areas for children to play while their parents toil away on the land and others even provide special plots for children to grown their own.

Preparing your plot and what to grow

Once you have acquired your allotment you may find that it needs quite a bit of work. Don't despair. The best time to tackle an overgrown plot is autumn and winter. If you don't fancy the hard work of digging, then ask around and see if someone has a rotavator you can borrow. As well as quickly cutting through the weeds, they are great fun to use! Once your plot is dug over you would be wise to dig in as much organic matter as you can to improve the soil and encourage a healthy crop. You might also think about covering the plot with an old carpet until the spring. This will help discourage any more weed growth and also warm up the soil for sowing early vegetables.

Most allotment growers grow vegetables. But there is no reason why you can't make your plot look beautiful as well. If you have a large plot, think about growing some colourful flowers such as dalias and sunflowers. Some blooms can also be beneficial grown alongside the vegetables such as marigolds which help discourage greenfly. Herbs are also a good addition to an allotment and attract a multitude of beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies. You could also personalise your plot by painting your shed a nice bright colour or surrounding it with a few pots and containers with specimen plants such as roses or bay trees.

Whatever you decide to grow on your allotment you will never be disappointed. Eating produce you have grown yourself is not only hugely satisfying and good for you but tastes great as well. A well managed allotment will also provide ample opportunity to meet like minded people with whom you can share tips and indulge in a bit of healthy competition - some allotments even hold their own annual show! Finally, think of all the money you will save, not only by growing your own, but on gym fees - I can't think of a better way of keeping fit!

Who's living in your compost heap?

Wed, 07 Mar 2012

As gardeners, we probably all have a pretty good idea how to manage a compost heap in order to get the best possible compost for our gardens. But how often do we stop and investigate exactly what wildlife makes a home out of all our garden debris? I was recently busy sorting out the compost heap on my vegetable patch which had grown far too big and was beginning to get out of hand. The only solution was to dig out as much composted material from the bottom of the heap as I could until the top collapsed in. I could then start to move the rest of the composted material on to a separate pile, mixing in the rest to start the process over again. As I started to turn over the heap I came across what at first looked like the root ball of some long dead potted plant. If you find such an object in your compost, look very carefully before you chop it up with your spade! On closer inspection I noticed a few prickly spines and then a slight movement - it was a hibernating hedgehog! Oh how very thankful I was that I hadn't just carelessly tried to use my spade to break up what had at first seemed to be merely a lump of compacted soil! Luckily my clumsy handling hadn't seemed to wake her, so I dug a hole about a foot or so deep in the middle of my newly formed mound and very carefully placed her inside, covering her up again for the rest of the winter. On inspection the next day the heap lay undisturbed, so I'm hoping her unexpected re-homing had been to Mrs Tiggywinkle's liking!

This unexpected brush with nature got me to thinking about what other wildlife we might expect to be living in our compost heaps. The compost heap is a particularly favourite spot for a hedgehog to make a nest ready for hibernation. They usually hibernate during the months of November, December and January and will last until mid-March to early April. They frequently wake up during this time, but rarely leave the nest. Another garden resident who favours the compost pile as a place to spend the winter is the toad. Toads hibernate in October. They tend to live away from water except during the breeding season.

A well managed compost heap will attract many species of wildlife. As well as the worms that feed on the rotting vegetation, there are many other insects supported by a good compost mound. Invertebrates like woodlice, centipedes and millipedes are to be found in compost and they in turn attract insect eaters like slugs, snails and birds. Newts are also known to shelter in compost during the heat of the day. Lizards and even snakes have also been known to frequent the compost heap.

Wood mice commonly live and breed in piles of compost. There is a ready source of food for their growing families in the vegetable peelings we throw away. Rats are probably the most unwelcome visitor to your compost heap, so try to stick to vegetable and fruit waste and don't include fish or meat products which tends to attract them.

If you want to attract as much wildlife as possible to your compost heap, then it's probably a good idea to leave it to its own devises as much as possible. The less you bother it, the happier the wildlife will be! And remember if you do happen to find what looks like the root ball of a discarded plant from one of your summer pots - beware it may just be Mrs Tiggywinkle in disguise!

Creating a pond in your garden

Thu, 01 Mar 2012

March is a good month for making last minute changes to your garden before the growing seasons gets under way in. So consider making a small pond in your garden. Having a pond enhances your garden in many ways. Ponds are both aesthetically pleasing and good for attracting all sorts of wildlife to your garden. And if you add a water feature, the gentle sound of bubbling water can add a very relaxing element to your garden. Here are a few general tips on how to create and maintain a garden pond and what sort of plants you can grow in and around it.

Location and size

There are a few factors to take into account when deciding where to locate your pond. It is not advisable to situate a pond or any water feature near to or under trees as leaves can quickly clog a pond and contaminate the water. Ponds are best situated in open sunny sites in order for plants and pond-living creatures to thrive. You will also need to be aware of any manhole covers or other immovable objects in your garden and it would be as well to keep well clear of those. The size of your pond really depends on what you are trying to achieve and also on the size of your garden. If you only have a very small garden, then an overly large pond will dominate the area. In a small garden you can make a perfectly functional and decorative pond by using an old sink or large wooden barrel. The same rule applies to a large garden, where a small pond will look insignificant and lost in the general design.

Constructing a pond

Your pond will need to be completely water-tight so you will need to choose a suitable liner. By far the easiest to use is a pre-formed plastic liner which is simply placed into a hole in the ground and filled with water; or a flexible pvc/butyl liner which as its name suggests, is flexible and forgiving if you make a mistake. Other types of liner include concrete and brick. When digging a hole for your pond you must have one area which is at least 60-70cm deep to afford fish or wildlife protection during freezing weather. You will also need to create a shallow area for birds and other creatures like frogs to bathe and drink.

Plants for ponds

Even the smallest pond can sustain a number of plants. As a general rule you should try to include at least one floating plant, one deep-water plant and a shallow plant, in order to provide plenty of overall interest and a range of habitats for wildlife. The water lily is a beautiful addition to any pond. It is a deep water plant which needs to be planted in 9-12in of water. Colours can vary from white to deep pink. Pond weed is a submerged oxygenating plant. It has no flowers but is essential for the good health of a pond. Water soldier is a free-floating aquatic plant with spikey pineapple shaped leaves. Marsh marigold is a bog or marginal plant. It is a British native plant with giant buttercup yellow flowers. Water iris is another attractive marginal with purple flowers on tall architectural spikes. Arum lily is a beautiful half-hardy marginal with big white flowers in mid-summer. To help your pond blend in with surrounding flower beds and other features in the garden you can also place a few containers around your pond with suitable water-loving plants such as primulas and astilbe.

Maintaining a pond

Once you have created your pond, you won't need to spend much time maintaining it as it will pretty much look after itself. However, there are a few things to look out for. Blanket weed or algae can become a problem if it starts to take over. To control blanket weed float a bundle of barley straw in it - it really does work! In long dry spells you may find that you need to top up the water levels in your pond. If you do top up your pond make sure you use rain water rather than tap water. Tap water introduced minerals to the water which can encourage weeds. If you do need to weed your pond make sure you leave any weeds on the side of the pond for a while to allow any small creatures living in the weed to crawl back into the water before you put it on the compost. If your pond freezes over you will need to make some holes in the ice, especially if you have fish living in it. Rather than smash the ice, place a container of hot water on the surface until it melts a hole in the ice. Remember to switch off any fountains or water features in freezing weather. Alternatively you can float a couple of beach balls on the surface of your pond to keep the water moving and prevent it from freezing over. Or better still encourage ducks to take up residence!

Jobs to do in the garden in February

Fri, 24 Feb 2012

As we near the end of February and spring is just around the corner, here is a quick reminder of some of the jobs you should be doing in the garden this month.

General garden tasks

Lime acid soil in readiness for planting brassicas in spring to prevent club root. Make sure that you finish off winter digging, although as February tends to be on the wet side this may prove difficult. Now is also the time to create any new borders or beds in the garden and a time to order plants, particularly plug plants. Prepare for the busy season ahead by cleaning out water storage barrels, watering cans, pots and seed trays.

Jobs in the flower bed

Cut back old dead stems of perennials in herbaceous borders. You might also want to divide old clumps of herbaceous perennials by digging them up, dividing them with a spade or fork and then re-planting the smaller clumps you have made around the garden. Prune winter Jasmine and cut back buddleia to low growing emerging shoots. Now is also the time to plant lily-of-the-valley crowns.

Jobs in the greenhouse

If the weather is not too cold, start dahlia tubers and lily bulbs into growth in the greenhouse. On sunny days ventilate the greenhouse by opening the windows and door, but make sure you water over-wintered plants as little as possible. Clean greenhouse glass to kill of any remaining pests and diseases and to make the most of the winter light. Sow early vegetables such as lettuce, leeks, onions, peas and broad beans in pots. Chit potatoes by standing them in trays in a light but frost-free position.

The vegetable garden

Prepare the soil for early sowing and cover with polythene sheeting to warm it up. Now is the time to plant shallots and Jerusalem artichokes. Finish pruning fruit trees and soft fruit canes and feed with sulphate of potash.

Lawns

As this month tends to see a lot of rainfall, make sure you keep off the lawn as much as possible. However, if the weather is mild and dry you might be able to mow the grass on a high blade setting.

Some plants to look out for in February

You may have seen the first signs of them in January, but now is when snowdrops come into their own. They share this month with winter aconites which poke their sunny yellow heads above the ground about now. Primroses or Primula vulgaris are one of the earliest wildflower to show. Happy to grow in partial shade, their delicate lemon coloured flowers will grace the ground underneath trees or on grassy banks. You can also buy cultivated varieties as bedding plants this month. They come in a variety of colours and will cheer up any containers you have empty on a patio. Bergenia or elephant's ears also in flowers this month. Bright pink flowers on tall stems emerge from large fleshy green leaves. Corylus avellana 'Contorta' or twisted hazel looks lovely in February, when fluffy yellow catkins appear on its twisted stems. Hellebores are also a must for this month. I have a large clump of white ones which sit in the middle of a bed of evergreen box balls and stand out brightly on a dull grey February day.

Creating a woodland garden

Tue, 21 Feb 2012

Having a few mature trees as part of a garden can be a challenge when deciding what to plant and what will grow, but it can also be a wonderful opportunity to create something natural as well as stunning. Gardens don't always have to be manicured and laid out to a rigid plan. In those areas where you have a number of trees growing, why not do a bit of research and create a semi wild woodland area. Our native woodland plants can be both beautiful and delicate, and left to their own devises will quickly colonise an area so that all you really have to do is enjoy it. And this time of year woodland gardens are at their best with bulbs and delicate woodland plants being some of the first to flower in spring. Here are some of our favourites.

Spring woodland plants

Spring in a woodland setting is probably the most stunning time of the year, when the trees are just beginning to bud but haven't yet blocked out the sunlight with their leaves. Dappled light hits a woodland floor to reveal carpets of spring flowers. Perhaps the earliest bulbs to appear in a woodland setting are Galanthus nivalis or the snowdrop. These delicate bell shaped white flowers appear in January to February and are little jewels in an otherwise winter landscape. Plant clumps of snowdrops in the green for best results the following year. Also flowering at this time of year are winter aconites which carpet the ground with their bright yellow chalice-shaped flowers. Another yellow gem to be found at this time of year is the lesser celandine or Ranunculus ficaria. It has dark green heart-shaped leaves and glossy yellow flowers.

The delicate blue of Anemone Blanda appears in March and will flower over a number of weeks. These are followed in March to May by the pretty nodding white flowers of the wood anemone. Perhaps the one bulb which heralds the start of spring in our woodlands is the bluebell. There are many different cultivars of the bluebell, but you can make sure that you have the native English variety or Hyacinthoides non-scripta by looking for a bent stem with flowers borne only on one side of the stem.

Daffodils are often naturalised into grassy areas but they are just as at home in a woodland setting. Try and get hold of the wild daffodil or Narcissus pseudonarcissus which is slightly smaller than most garden daffodils but no less spectacular.

Summer woodland plants

Although we associate spring as perhaps the most colourful time in the woodland, the summer months don't have to be a mass of green. There are many summer flowering plants you can naturalise around trees for all year round interest. Snakeshead fritillary is a beautiful little flower with nodding speckled blooms coloured from purple to creamy white. Lily of the valley, or Convallaria majalis are a must. Flowering between May and June, their bell shaped white flowers emit a lovely scent. Combine these with clumps of wild cyclamen with their delicate pale pink flowers of upturned petals which flower between August and September. Aconitum or Monkshood has dark blue flowers on tall stems. Beware though, as this plant can be poisonous.

Other plants you might like to consider for a shady wooded area are hellebores, aquilegia or 'grannies bonnet', ferns and for those who want something a little unusual, Arisaema, which has a single leaf with a number of other leaflets and a purple spathe striped white. There is also no reason why you shouldn't dot a few containers around the area, as long as they are planted with compatible plants such as primulas or daffodils.

Planting tips

Once you have planted you woodland area, make sure you water all the plants in well. It is then essential that you cover the area with a thick layer of bark chippings, well rotted manure or compost to conserve moisture and keep down the weeds. Then all you have to do is sit back and enjoy what I am sure will become a very tranquil retreat away from the rest of your garden.

Enhance your garden with statues and ornaments

Wed, 15 Feb 2012

At garden Planters we use planters both classic and modern to enhance the beauty of plants and flowers. In the same way statues and ornaments have been used for centuries to enhance and decorate gardens and parks. In our own gardens they are part of how we make our outside space an extension of our home. Garden ornaments can be anything from a bird bath to a fountain, an obelisk to a sundial. They include sculpture, statuary, garden furniture, lighting and really anything else we wish to place in our gardens to enhance the design or just add a bit of ourselves into the mix. Have you ever wondered where this trend of decorating our open spaces began and why? And if you are interested in choosing an ornament or statue for your own garden, where do you start?

Statues and ornaments in history

The first to use garden ornaments in western culture were the Romans. Remains of ancient Roman sites today offer evidence of a great love of majestic statues, some of deities and others of famous or eminent Romans. Their use of ornaments complimented their love of formal symmetry in garden design. We can see this tradition carried on in great style in Italy, with the grandeur of the Italian Renaissance gardens in the fifteenth century which were inspired by the classical style and designed for pleasure. Indeed, the first known English gardens were planted by the Romans who settled here and it is highly likely that they passed on their love of ornaments to decorate and enhance in garden design.

Statuary

In ancient Egypt temple gardens were decorated with statues of the gods, however, much of the statuary still used today is influenced by classical designs. Copies of famous statues like the Venus de Milo remain a popular way to remind us of the grandeur of classical culture. But you don't have to stick to tradition when choosing a statue for your own garden. If your tastes are more modern, there are many modern statues to be found. Our reputation as animal lovers means that every conceivable animal, insect or bird is available as sculptures to enhance our gardens.

A wide range of materials is used to produce garden statues today, including stone, concrete, metals like lead and copper, and terracotta. This range of available materials makes statues affordable for any garden.

Sundials

The earliest sundials date back to ancient Egyptian astronomy. Known as shadow clocks, sundials work by casting a shadow in different positions, at different times of the day, according to the elliptic orbit of the sun. So their place in a garden is both practical and decorative. Placed on a pedestal that can be either classical or modern, sundial faces are made from brass or other metals, they can be many shapes, from round to octagonal to spheres. Designers of sundials have traditionally used mottoes as part of their designs. These mottoes are often a reflection on our place in the natural order of things.

Pots and urns

Perhaps the most versatile of all garden ornaments are pots and urns. In Roman times, boxes for growing plants in are known to have been attached to the windows of Roman houses. Garden planters allow us to decorate our gardens with something which combines man made materials with plants to create an object of beauty. Pots and urns come in all shapes and sizes, can be made from anything from stone to plastic. Combined with existing flower beds, pots and urns enable the gardener to highlight plants by height or colour. We often plant exotic plants in containers to make them objects of beauty. The many pots and urns available today offer many possibilities for us to add architectural and natural beauty to our gardens.

Using ornaments in your garden

Of course, while the choice of ornament and where to place it is entirely your own decision, there are a few common sense rules to consider. Try not to use too many ornaments in your garden, while a few carefully placed pieces can enhance the effect you are trying to achieve, too many can create a sense of clutter. Consider the proportions of your garden when choosing a garden ornament. Something too big for example, will dominate the space and detract from the garden as a whole. Think very carefully about the placement of your ornament. It should draw the eye and act as a focal point. Lastly, make sure your garden ornament is something you yourself love!

Scented plants and herbs

Sat, 11 Feb 2012

Growing plants that look beautiful is a joy in itself, but combine that with plants and herbs which are scented and you have something magical. The importance of scent in a garden has grown in recent years with the increase in popularity of aromatherapy and more awareness of how gardens can help those who have physical and mental impairments. Scents can be very evocative, provoking emotions and memories, but more importantly, they make us feel good and enhance our experience of the world around us.

The aromatherapy herb garden

Many of the essential oils used in aromatherapy are derived from herbs which have been used for their fragrant healing properties since ancient times. Although you may not want to create your own oils from the plants you grow, you can make a herb garden that is filled with those aromas that help us in our everyday lives, as well as being useful in other ways such as for cooking and making an attractive garden. Herbs you might like to use in an aromatherapy garden which have the properties of an essential oil include sweet basil, whose oil promotes concentration, Roman chamomile well known for its relaxing properties, lemon balm which is an anti-depressant, sweet marjoram whose fragrance has a calming effect, bergamot or bee balm which has an uplifting scent, rosemary whose smell is invigorating, and of course, lavender whose scent is not only wonderful on a warm evening, but has a soothing effect on all our senses. Many of these herbs also have culinary uses, particularly the rosemary, marjoram and basil. The effects of chamomile can also be enjoyed by making it into a tea, as can those of lemon balm.

A fragrant border

Herbaceous borders are the perfect place in the garden to combine both beauty and fragrance. A border filled with scented plants will fill a summer evening with evocative fragrance and will fill your senses when particular plants are brushed by. Some plants you might like to consider include achillea or yarrow. This plant comes in a variety of colours from bright yellow to soft pinks and peach. It has a fresh, sweet herb-like scent and is known for its revitalising properties. Angelica not only makes a great architectural statement in a border, but also has a rich, earthy and spicy scent. Calendula or marigolds are a lovely bright flash of orange and have a sharp, herby aroma. Made into a cream it is used to treat a number of skin complaints. It will also keep pests such as greenfly away from other plants. Carnations and pinks have an exotic floral fragrance and are used for their uplifting properties. Gardenia is a beautiful plant with a heady, slightly spicy scent and is said to be an aphrodisiac. Rose geranium has the most gorgeous rose, floral aroma and is known for its balancing, harmonising effects. There are many more plants you could choose for your border such as honeysuckle, common jasmine, and lavender. But probably the plant with the most varied but always uplifting array of scents is the rose. Old roses are still bred today and there are a huge variety of colours and fragrances to suit all tastes, from sweet, delicate floral scents, to rich exotic and spicy. The scent of roses is uplifting, warming and euphoric which makes them a must for any truly scented garden.

Scented container plants

Whether you have a conservatory or want to grow scented plants outside in containers there is a large variety to choose from. Balm of Gilead is a particular favourite of mine. Treat it as an annual, so it is best grown in a container. The flowers are small, pink and a little insignificant but the scent is heady and eucalyptus-like. Sweet peas are a classic to grow in a planter, whether on your vegetable patch, patio or in the middle of a border. Their sweet scent is fresh and reviving. The common primrose is an early reminder of spring with its sweet mossy scent and looks great when combined with other early flowering plants. Statuesque and fragrant lilies are probably the most versatile of container plants and their corms can be lifted and stored for following years. Many herbs can also be happily grown in containers. Move pots of lavender around to catch the warmth of the sun and release that wonderful, familiar scent. In a conservatory grow orchids and sweet, spicy scented citrus trees.

The list of fragrant plants is really endless. So when you are next planning a change to a border or wondering what to plant in an unusual container, consider the scent of a plant just as importantly as its appearance.

Create your own herb garden

Tue, 07 Feb 2012

Here at Garden Planters we often use herbs in our planters, either on their own or as part of a seasonal display. They bring their own kind of magic to a planting scheme, whether it be scent, colour or simply usefulness. Herbs are not only decorative; since ancient times they have been used as medicines and as food. They can also have beneficial effects on our gardens, particularly in the vegetable patch, acting as deterrents to harmful insects and attracting useful ones. If you want to grow herbs in your garden it isn't hard. You can either intersperse them with other plants in a border, grown them in pots, or create a special area dedicated to growing them. Or you can do all three. Here are a few handy tips.

Planning a herb garden

As there are a wealth of different varieties of herbs you can grow, it might be a good idea to decide what you would like to use them for. If you are a budding cook then you might like to grow mainly culinary herbs. Or alternatively you might want to try your hand at creating a few simple herbal remedies or beauty treatments and so need to grow the right kinds of plants for this purpose.

The next important step is to decide where to plant your herbs. If you want to plant predominantly culinary herbs, then it is common sense to place your herb garden near to the kitchen door where your plants will be readily available to you when you are cooking (nobody wants to have to go to the top of the garden for herbs when it's raining)! Most herbs originate from warmer climates and prefer sunny well-drained soil, although most are surprisingly adaptable. As with any new planting scheme, it is important to prepare the ground well before planting your herbs. Most herbs prefer a soil which is fairly neutral. But it will need to retain some moisture during the growing season, so make sure you dig in plenty of well-rotted manure or garden compost to improve the soil condition and drainage.

The next step is to decide on the style of your herb garden. Formal herb gardens are based on geometrical patterns and usually have a certain symmetry and neatness. Informal herb gardens may look like a free for all but there is usually some sort of order and planning gone into them. For instance, which ever style you decide on, make sure that your plants are accessible and easy to harvest. Paths are a good idea and mean that you can get to the plant you want without trampling on others in your way. As with any other planting scheme, make sure that the smaller plants are at the front and larger ones at the back. Whatever design you choose, it might also be nice to include a focal point such as a statue or garden planter in the centre of the bed to add interest.

The culinary herb garden

The choice of herbs used in cooking is endless, so do some homework and think of those you will find most useful in complementing the cooking you do at home. Here are some classic favourites. Chives are easy to grow and can be used in both cooking and salads. Try the flowers in a salad - decorative and delicious! Sweet marjoram and oregano are good in tomato and meat dishes and the main ingredient in bouquet garni. Mints are an invaluable herb. Try ginger and Moroccan mint. Apple mint is particularly good with new potatoes. If you are growing mint it might be a good idea to plant it in the ground in a pot, as mint can be a bully and tends to take over. A focal point to your garden could be a standard bay tree. Use the leaves in stews and meat dishes. However, your bay might need some protection from frost in winter. There are hundreds of varieties of sage, but officinalis is best for cooking. Thyme is great with fish and makes good stuffing for chicken. It is best grown over rocks or between paving stones. Parsley is a biennial and can be difficult to grow. However, I have a variety of flat-leaved parsley in my herb garden that seems to think it's a perennial! Rosemary is also easy to grow but can become a little woody with age. Other culinary herbs you might like to include are dill, fennel, garlic and tarragon.

The medicinal herb garden

Herbs often have a dual purpose and can be used in both cooking and medicines. Here are a few you might like to grow. Meadowsweet is a traditional remedy for acidic stomach. Valerian is a sedative and can be used for headaches and mild insomnia. Chamomile is a lovely herb used as a tea for its calming effect. Pot marigolds not only look fantastic but have antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties used to promote healing. Rosemary also has anti-bacterial properties and smells delicious. Try tying a bunch over your bath tap while the water is running for a relaxing bath. Peppermint is great for the digestion as well as providing an uplifting smell as you brush past. Feverfew is very easy to grow and an infusion of its leaves helps with headaches.

Herbs in containers

Most herbs do well in containers. Those you might like to include are mints which can be bullies in the herb garden but easily managed in a container and actually like being pot bound. Less hardy herbs such as basil and coriander are better grown in pots and treated as annuals. Ornamental herbs such as standard bays look great in containers too. You might also like to create a smaller herb garden in an old Belfast sink with dwarf varieties of lavender, thyme and mints.

Whatever herbs you decide to grow, their uses are endless and the benefits they will bring to both you and your garden will soon become apparent.

Spring bulbs for the garden and home

Fri, 03 Feb 2012

Here at Garden Planters we are excited at the emergence of early spring bulbs. These cheery little flowers light up our gardens and homes in that dormant time between the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Here are a few of our favourites.

Bulbs for rockeries or naturalising areas

For a jewel-like spring show you can't beat a colourful display of crocuses. These tiny spring flowers can be grown in rockeries, naturalised in grass or sown in clumps at the base of trees or large shrubs. More a more natural look, scatter a handful and plant where they fall. Buy a mixed variety of colours or stick to a particular favourite. Mine is Crocus sieberi subsp. sublimis 'Tricolor' a superb violet with a white and yellow centre.

The English bluebell is also a favourite spring flower. It is always lovely to see them naturalised in woodland, but I grow them in my own garden in my rockery and borders and wouldn't be without these fragrant blue spring flowers. Try to stick to the native English variety. You can tell them by their bent stem with flowers all on the one side. Hybrids tend to be more upright and have flowers both sides of the stem.

If there is one flower that heralds the start of spring it is the narcissus or daffodil. There are many varieties to choose from. Some of the smaller varieties suitable for rockeries, under smaller shrubs, naturalised in grass or grown in garden planters include narcissus 'New Baby'. Another smaller variety is 'Rip van Winkle' whose multi-petalled flowers give it a ragged appearance. Narcissus Tete-a-tete is probably the best known of the dwarf hybrids. It flowers very early and is long-lasting. Why not grow some early tete-a-tete in a pot inside and then plant out once they have finished flowering. I plant a lot of my dwarf narcissus this way, thereby getting some winter colour followed by an early show of flowers the following year.

Snakeshead fritillary have delicate nodding blooms which vary from speckled purple to creamy white. They flower in April and May and look best naturalised under trees or in long grass.

A slightly later flowering but no less worthy bulb is lily of the valley. With its very fragrant white bell shaped flowers on bright green foliage, it flowers in May and June. A delicate picked bunch in a vase will fill your house with the scent of spring.

Bulbs for borders and planters

One of my favourite late spring bulbs has to be the allium. Great for mixing into borders, these globe shaped clusters of star-shaped flowers grow on an upright stem. Varieties come both short and tall, in colours from deep purple to pinks and white.

Another bulb synonymous with spring has to be the tulip. I am a big fan of tulips. I love to grow them in my borders and also in garden planters on my patio and outside my greenhouse. My favourite varieties for a border include 'Queen of the night' which is a rich dark purple/black, 'Spring green' which bears green-feathered, ivory white flowers, and 'Greenland' which has pale pink flowers with a green stripe on each petal. Favourites for containers include 'Burnished bronze' with its double feathers blooms of a delicate bronze colour and Tulipa syvestris, an old woodland variety with pointy yellow petals and a lovely scent. Many people still lift tulip bulbs once they have flowered, but I prefer to leave mine in the grown to fend for themselves.

Although I have to admit to not being a big fan of hyacinths in the garden, I do love the heady scent of them indoors at this time of year. I do have one clump of white hyacinth in one of my borders which I inherited and have actually grown to admire for its purity of colour and which brightens up the flower border in early spring. Other interesting varieties include 'Midnight mystique' heralded as the first truly black hyacinth and 'Prince of love' which is a lovely delicate pale pink in colour.

Winter flowering bulbs

If you really can't wait until spring, here are a few winter flowering bulbs your garden really shouldn't be without. Winter aconites will carpet the area under a tree with their glossy green leaves and sunshine yellow flowers in January and March. Galanthus Nivalis or common single snowdrop flowers February to March. Plant them in the green for best results the following year.

Container gardening

Tue, 31 Jan 2012

Here at Garden Planters we use pots and containers all the time to display and sell our specimen plants. But rather than have the odd planter dotted around the garden, you can create lovely gardens based around plants in containers. Containers are probably one of the most versatile forms of gardening, allowing you not only to choose type of container but also the plant and its location. There are many advantages to container gardening. You can move your containers to different locations within your garden, thereby creating an instantly different effect. You can change planting displays as often as you like, perhaps making the most of the choice of different seasonal plants. You can also grow plants which like different soil types to your own by simply filling them with the right type of compost.

Types of garden planter

There are an ever increasing number of different types of container you can buy, with materials and designs to suit every climate and different tastes. Pots and tubs are probably the most popular type of planter available. They are for the most part versatile and easily moved to different positions in the garden. Pots and tubs come in an enormous variety of sizes and designs, both traditional and modern. Materials vary from moss covered terracotta and artificially aged stone planters, to reused car tyres and fibre glass. There are no rules when it comes to choosing a type of container and there is no reason why you can't combine traditional with modern. Just be aware that your designs and materials complement each other in some way.

Pots and tubs are equally as versatile when it comes to planting. You can grow almost anything you like in a container. Formally clipped box and other evergreens look stunning as focal points, as do specimen standard plants such as bay trees or photinias. Group a number of planters of different sizes together with a plant type such as herbs. A particularly stunning planter can be filled with seasonal annuals for an all year round display.

Window boxes are another great way to grow plants and enhance the appearance of your house and garden. Window boxes are particularly useful if you have a tiny garden or even if you have no garden at all! You can buy ready- made window boxes, have them made bespoke to your requirements or simply make your own. Window boxes don't have to be made of wood. I have seen some beautifully aged metal ones as well as reconstituted stone ground-level boxes. Grow seasonal displays or plant up a box outside your kitchen window with herbs or easy to grow edibles like lettuce.

Hanging baskets are probably the most versatile of all containers. They can be hung on walls, fences and even in trees. Not only can your display be changed from season to season, but you can also grow edible plants such as tumbling tomatoes and strawberries and even a selection of herbs, hung near your kitchen door. Hanging baskets also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. More traditionally made from wicker, but I have seen some great modern alternatives made from brightly coloured plastics.

Troughs and sinks can be used to create mini container gardens in one place. Although strictly speaking you can grow anything you like in a trough shaped planter, the lack of depth makes them more suited to growing alpines and herbs. Stone troughs probably look the best in any garden but why not also think about getting hold of an old Belfast sink which looks particularly effective when planted with herbs under a kitchen window.

Another type of container not readily thought about is the raised bed. Raised beds are a great way of growing both vegetables and garden plants. They are easy to maintain and therefore popular with gardeners with impaired mobility. They are also an easy way of adding structure to an otherwise flat garden space, lifting plants higher up and creating the illusion of different levels to a garden.

Some planting rules

If you are going to maintain a healthy container garden, there are a few rules you will need to follow whatever type of planter. Drainage is all important for container grown plants. Make sure your container has adequate drainage holes and always add some broken pot or crocks to the bottom of the planter to aid drainage. If your container is to be placed on a hard surface, sit it on some feet to raise it above ground level slightly. Use the right type of compost. Try not to overcrowd your container, most plants will need plenty of room to spread their roots and grow into healthy specimens. Conversely, don't let your plants become pot-bound. Although there are a few plants which do well in these conditions, as a rule, either divide you plant or re-pot it into a larger container.

In extremely cold weather both your containers and their plants will need some protection. For those that are not frost hardy it is probably best to over winter them into a cold greenhouse. Others can be wrapped in straw or fleece to protect them from frost.

Perhaps the most important consideration of all for container grown plants is water. During dry weather in the summer months you will have to make sure your pots are well watered. Materials like terracotta dry out quickly as the clay absorbs water, so you will often find yourself having to water at least twice a day. Early morning and evening is best. During the winter water container plants sparingly. Waterlogged containers easily freeze killing the roots of the plants in them.

January jobs to do in the garden

Wed, 25 Jan 2012

There is always something you can do in January, even if it's indoors. Take stock of your garden and do some planning for the year ahead. Look through seed and plant catalogues. Sketch out a plan for this year's vegetable patch and decide what you will grow. Outdoors, now is a good time to get on with a bit of garden maintenance while shrubs are bare and borders have died down and you can see clearly what needs to be done.

Plants of interest in a January garden

January is the time to appreciate the bare shape of trees against a wintery sky, the coloured stems of shrubs and the exuberant colours of evergreens. Birch trees can be large or small, but all have the most amazing bark. The common silver birch (Betula pendula) has pure white bark that takes on an almost silvery hue in the winter sunshine. These trees are easy to grow and thrive in both sun and light shade. Dogwoods have some of the most colourful stems of any shrub and are at their best at this time of year. Choose the bright red stems of Cornus alba 'Sibirica' or the flame orange stems of Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'. Winter jasmine provides some winter cheer with its bright yellow flowers, as does mahonia. Also, Witch hazel is a lovely sight in winter with its citrus-scented, spidery flowers. Other plants at their best at this time of year include hellebores or Christmas rose, crocus, cyclamen and of course, the snow drop.

January jobs

If you haven't already done your winter digging yet and the soil is not too wet, then now is the time. Incorporate compost or manure to improve the texture. Turn your compost heap. Look out for any wind damage to shrubs and trees. Remove any damaged branches and prune back. Plant deciduous hedges, bare rooted trees and shrubs. You can also plant roses if the soil is not too cold or wet.

Carry out repair jobs such as repairing broken fence panels, and treat and repair outdoor timber such as sheds and wooden garden furniture. Garden tools are essential for good garden maintenance, so now is the time to make sure they get a good clean and sharpen. Clean out the garden shed and reorganise your storage space (you'll be surprised at what you will find)! Although your lawn may not be growing at the moment, a good tip at this time of year is to keep off the grass as much as possible. If you don't and you continue to run your barrow over it or walk the same path to the garden shed, you will wear out the grass and leave muddy tracks.

You may be forgiven for assuming that you don't need to pay much attention to your patio outdoor planters at this time of year. Although they don't need daily attention, they may still need the occasional bit of water, especially those that live up against the side of the house or sheltered under trees or overhangs such as porches - once a week should be enough. They will also need protection from frost. Move containers up against a wall if a cold snap is forecast. If colder weather threatens, wrap containers in bubble wrap and the plants in horticultural fleece to stop the lot from freezing solid.

There are also jobs to be done in the greenhouse. Check any plants overwintering in the greenhouse and remove any dead leaves. Water greenhouse plants very sparingly during winter months. Clean and tidy pots and seed trays in readiness for the spring. To help keep pots and seed trays stay disinfected, place them in a plastic carrier bag and knot the top.

A final job which needs your attention at the start of the New Year is the discarded Christmas tree. If you had a real live tree in a pot, place it in a sheltered spot in the garden to carry on growing until it's time to bring it in again for next Christmas. If you had a real tree but without roots, don't leave it to rot on the compost heap - cut up the branches and trunk for use in a wood burning stove. If you don't have a real fire then take the tree to a local council tip where it can be shredded and recycled.

Nifty and thrifty tips for the gardener

Sun, 22 Jan 2012

Here at Garden Planters we like to use good old practical know-how handed down over generations which we find never fails to provide us and our clients with easy money-saving and nifty alternative ways of growing plants and maintaining a garden.

General garden tips

Egg-box seed trays - use cardboard egg boxes as seed trays. Not only do they provide the perfect home for a seedling to grow, but when ready to be planted out, each cup can be individually cut out and planted straight into the ground where the cardboard will disintegrate and the plant roots can grow undisturbed.

Newspaper also makes great pots for seedlings. Invest in a paper pot maker and save on plastic pots! Just like the egg boxes, seedlings can be planted straight into the ground where the newspaper will provide protection for the seedling until it eventually rots.

Save all those lolly pop sticks in summer - they make excellent plant labels. You can also use plastic yoghurt pots - cut the sides into strips and write on them with a permanent marker pen.

Old tights and stockings make very good plant ties. They are strong but soft, so won't harm the plant stems.

To help germinate peas, beans and sweet pea seeds soak them in cold water for a day. This helps the tough outer shell of the seed to break open which then helps to speed up germination. This process is called 'chitting'.

Use a wire brush to remove rust from garden tools and then rub in some linseed oil to help protect.

Use a weak solution of water and washing up liquid to control green fly on roses and other plants. Planting garlic cloves around your rose bush also helps!

Natural fertilizers

If you like a boiled egg for breakfast, save the shells as well as the boxes. Crushed egg shells make excellent fertilizer when worked into the soil. There is also evidence that the sharp edges of crushed egg shell can help keep slugs and snails away from precious young plants.

Used coffee granules can help provide acid in alkaline soil. They too have some success against slugs and snails when sprinkled around the base of plants.

Use the nutrients from the water of a fish tank to feed plants in outdoor planters.

Ash from wood fires, or wood burning stoves, makes a useful additive to the compost heap. It can be also be applied directly to the ground and dug in as a natural source of potassium and trace elements. It also has a liming effect, so wood ash can remedy excessively acidic soils.

Tips for garden birds and wildlife

For a good all round bird feed in winter try whizzing the crusts of brown or wholemeal bread, a few peanuts and a handful of porridge oats in the food processor to make it easier for the birds to eat.

Make your own suet feed by saving bacon or port meat dripping. You can also use lard. Melt suet and peanut butter together until they are smooth and liquid. Add cornmeal and flour and mix well. Allow the mixture to cool slightly to thicken, pour it into molds or containers to use. Refrigerate or freeze suet until it is firm and you are ready to use it. You can also add unsalted nuts, dried fruit and honey to your mixture.

Hang old CDs or tin foil trays from tree branches to scare away predatory birds such as sparrow hawks.

Stack up pruned branches and fallen logs to rot and provide a home for insects and hibernating frogs.

Discourage moles by pushing human hair into the hole where the mole has pushed up the soil - human hair is an irritant to moles!

Put your feet up with a cup of tea and a seed catalogue

Sun, 15 Jan 2012

January and the garden is still gripped by winter weather - winds and rain, or frozen in the stillness of a hard frost. Even though we at Garden Planters are busy planting up spring bulbs so that our lovely vintage planters can bring spring a bit early to our customers, there is still a lot of planning to do for the year ahead in our gardens. So when we do get a minute to ourselves, there's nothing we enjoy more than putting our feet up with a nice cup of tea and a seed catalogue. There are an abundance of good seed catalogue companies and it is both enjoyable and enlightening to peruse new varieties in either hard copy catalogues or online.

Seed and plant catalogues are a good way of saving money on both new varieties of plants and quantities - if you have a greenhouse or sunny window sill, growing from seed or plug plants is easy and rewarding. You can always swap surplus seedlings with friends for varieties you haven't grown yourself.

The herbaceous border

Each year I try to visit at least one prestigious flower show to gather ideas on new varieties of favourite perennials and even some I haven't heard of. Seed and plant catalogues are often a good way to try out these new varieties to grow yourself at a fraction of the cost of buying them at a show. Catalogues will often categorise plants into useful collections to help you plan a new border or re-design an old one. Categories such as cottage garden favourites, including plants like lupins, hollyhocks and delphiniums. Tall perennials such as penstemon, achillea, and Echinacea. Perpetual flowering varieties like oriental poppies, helenium and phlox. Ground cover perennials such as campanula and sedum, and dwarf varieties of favourites like monarda and geranium. Also new and unusual herbaceous plants. Catalogues will often provide you with a choice of buying plants either as seeds or as plug plants which can be easily brought on in the greenhouse or on a sunny window sill until the weather improves and they are big enough to plant out.

Patios and annuals

Seed and plant catalogues are a great way of being one of the first to have a new variety of annual in your garden. Choose from lovely new colours of spring pansies and violas, petunia and primula, sweet William and wallflower, as well as old favourite basket plants like lobelia, geranium and frushia. More unusual plants for your patio are also on offer such as compact fruit trees and plants that look stunning when grown in outdoor planters, such as agapanthus and fragrant lily of the valley. You will also find wonderful new varieties of summer bulbs such as lilies, eremurus and alliums.

The kitchen garden

Perhaps one of my most favourite seed catalogues are the kitchen garden catalogues, selling the most amazing varieties of vegetables both old and new. There is nothing quite as rewarding as growing your own food from seed. Good kitchen garden catalogues will provide helpful summaries of each variety, telling you how easy they are to grow and the best conditions for a healthy crop. Many of the varieties they offer will be award winning, meaning they are reliable, disease resistant or high yielding. Choose from the many varieties of seed potato, once you have decided whether you are going to grow salad varieties, early potatoes or main crop. An A-Z list of vegetables will provide you with a choice from beetroot to bean and brassicas to tomatoes. You will also find varieties of soft fruit and herb plants to complement your vegetables.

Hardware

Seed and plant catalogues aren't just about plants. Good catalogue companies will often provide a selection of useful tools and sundries such as fertiliser, frames, netting, frost protection fleece, as well as good quality forks, spades and trowels.

So, when it's cold and rainy outside, don't despair. Put the kettle on, grab a pile of seed catalogues, your gardener's journal and a pen, and begin a list of what you will grow in your garden in the new season. Spring will be here sooner than you think!

Making and using your own compost

Wed, 11 Jan 2012

A compost heap not only enables you to produce your own compost, it also gives you somewhere to dispose of your garden and kitchen waste. Whether you buy a ready-made compost bin, make your own, or just create a heap in your garden, the rewards for both you and your garden will be great. Garden Planters provides a few tips on creating and using a successful compost heap.

How to pick the right spot for your compost heap

The site you choose should have good air circulation all around it; it should be out of direct sunlight, the wind and the worst of the rain. The base should be bare earth so that worms can penetrate the compost. In order to work effectively and kill off weed seeds the compost heap should be moist but not too wet and have good air circulation. An old carpet spread over the top will keep out too much rain and ventilation can be improved by adding air holes or making the compost bin out of slatted wood.

You can add a compost activator such as chicken manure which will speed up the process, but leaving it to do its own thing is also fine, it just takes a bit longer. Having more than one compost heap or bin helps as you can be filling up a second while the first one gets on with the process of decomposing the waste.

What can you put on the compost heap?

Any soft vegetable matter from your garden is ideal. However, try to avoid virulent perennial weeds as the seeds are often difficult to decompose and you will only spread them to the rest of your garden. Also, try to avoid hard woody matter such as rose or tree prunings as these also don't compost well.

Uncooked kitchen waste such as vegetable peelings and tea bags are also effective. Fresh coffee granules will act as an activator. Don't try and compost meat products though as you will only attract rats. Small amounts of grass cuttings can be added, but be careful, too much and you will turn it into a slimy mush. Fresh bonfire ash or sawdust can also be added.

Dung from herbivores such as horses and chickens is also good. And believe it or not, human urine is brilliant for compost - yes, peeing on your compost heap can actually speed up the process!

Remember never to add any diseased material to your compost, you will only spread the disease later.

Looking after your compost heap

Stuff on the outside of a compost heap rots much slower than the material in the hot centre of, so it is very important to turn your compost heap regularly. Start turning your compost a few weeks after you have finished adding material to it. If you have a large space, it might also be worth transferring the whole heap to another location, mixing and turning it as you go.

Good compost when ready can be put to many uses in the garden. Use as a mulch in early spring to keep down weeds and help with water retention during warm weather. You can also use your compost to fill outdoor planters when you are ready to plant up your spring and summer arrangements. Whatever uses you find for it, you will have the satisfaction of knowing you have created an organic growing medium all your own and done your bit for recycling in the process.

“A Garden is a Friend You Can Visit Anytime” (Anon) – quotations from gardeners ancient and modern

Thu, 05 Jan 2012

Garden lovers down the centuries have penned their knowledge and love of gardening for us all to share – some funny, some wise, others just beautifully poetic.

General garden quotes

"There is no spot of ground, however arid, bare or ugly, that cannot be tamed into such a state as may give an impression of beauty and delight." - Gertrude Jekyll

"To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." - Mahatma Gandhi

"Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get" - Mark Twain

”The bad gardener quarrels with his rake” –American proverb

“Criticising another’s garden doesn’t keep the weeds out of your own” – Proverb

"The man who has planted a garden feels that he has done something for the good of the world." - Vita Sackville-West, poet and novelist, 1892-1962

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." - William Shakespeare

"Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." - Francis Bacon

"Gardening adds years to your life and life to your years." – Anon

"Where but in a garden do summer hours pass so quickly?" – Anon

“Gardening is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it” - Anon

Our relationship with the garden

“How deeply seated in the human heart is the liking for gardens and gardening” – Alexander Smith

"The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies." - Gertrude Jekyll

“Our bodies are our gardens...our wills are our gardens” - William Shakespeare

“How fair is a garden amid the trials and passions of existence” – Benjamin Disraelli

"Nothing is more the child of art than a garden." - Sir Walter Scott

"Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful: they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul." - Luther Burbank, botanist 1849–1926

“He who plants a garden plants happiness” - Proverb

The vegetable garden

"Plant carrots in January and you'll never have to eat carrots." - Anon

“They’re like two peas in a pod” – Proverb

“Life is an onion and one cries while peeling it” – French proverb

Judge a tree from its fruit, not from its leaves” – Euripides

“Plant your seeds in a row, one for the pheasant, one for the crow, one to rot and one to grow” – Garden lore

On weeds

“A good garden may have some weeds” – Thomas Fuller

"Sweet flowers are slow and weeds make haste." - William Shakespeare

"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them" - A. A. Milne

"A man of words and not deeds, Is like a garden full of weeds." - Nursery rhyme

"It is not enough for a gardener to love flowers; he must also hate weeds." – Anon

On herbs

“Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission” – Anon

“Grow mint in the garden to attract money to your purse” – Folklore

“It takes an honest man to grow n parsley well” – Garden lore

On flowers

“Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflict” – Sigmund Freud

“Earth laughs in flowers” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Be both the gardener and the rose” – Anon

“Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead” – Oscar Wilde

Mottos for sundials

It is traditional to put mottos on a sundial.

Come along and grow old with me; the best is yet to be

Let others tell of storms and showers; I mark only the sunny hours

Be as true to each other as this dial is to the sun

Hours fly, Flowers die. New days, New ways, Pass by. Love stays

Attracting wildlife to your garden

Tue, 03 Jan 2012

How often do we stop to think of all the wildlife we share our outside space with, and are we even aware of the many varieties of creatures who live in our garden? Garden Planters believe wildlife in a garden can not only be a pleasure to watch, but many species actually provide benefits to our garden we might not be aware of.

Bees, hoverflies and other insects

Bees are among the most beneficial insects for a garden. They pollinate flowers and crops. The best way to attract them to your garden is to provide them with some of their favourite plants such as lavender, foxgloves, rosemary, sunflowers and bluebells. Ladybirds, hoverflies and even wasps will help control garden pests such as aphids and caterpillars. Hoverflies like marigolds and salad crops. Ladybirds hibernate in dry crevices, so make sure you leave some dead perennials until early spring so as not to disturb them.

Frogs and toads

Frogs and toads both eat slugs, snails, insects and worms. So try and avoid using slug pellets to encourage them rather than kill them. If you want to encourage frogs and toads into your garden you will need to provide some kind of pond. It doesn't have to e a large pond, just somewhere where they can breed and spawn. Frogs may also hibernate in the mud at the bottom of a pond. Frogs and toads also hibernate on land and like to hide during the day, so provide them with piles of stones, broken outdoor planters and rotting logs. It's also worth remembering that toads often hibernate under the soil, so be careful not to disturb one when you start to dig in early spring.

Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs are among the most beneficial of creatures to have in your garden as well as being a joy to encounter. They eat loads of pests including slugs, snails, caterpillars, beetles and other insects. Encourage them by providing foraging areas, food, protection and hibernation areas. Leaf litter and log piles make good foraging areas for hedgehogs. You can also feed your resident hedgehog with tinned dog or cat food especially in late summer when they will be building up their fat reserves ready for hibernation. Leave the food in empty outdoor planters so that the hedgehogs can get at it but it is protected from foxes and cats. Remember to protect hedgehogs from bonfires; they will often crawl into a pile of garden debris to sleep, so make sure your heap is hedgehog free before you light your bonfire. Encourage them to hibernate in your garden by leaving piles of leaves in corners or behind sheds for them to use as nests.

The most important factor when encouraging wildlife into your garden is not to use insecticide or slug pellets. If these don't actually kill wildlife outright, it will reduce the amount to food available to them and so make your garden an unattractive prospect.

Arrangements of winter bedding plants

Fri, 30 Dec 2011

Here are a few of Garden Planters favourite ways to brighten up outdoor planters in winter.

Arrangement for an old stone urn

This year I have been lucky enough to acquire an old stone urn on a plinth which stands about three feet off the ground. I have placed it in the middle of my lavender bed which contains varieties of English lavender interspersed with clipped round box balls. Once the flower heads have all been cut from the lavender they overwinter happily creating a bed of silvery grey along with the deep bright green of the box. To compliment this I chose three different types of winter bedding to plant up the urn. Around the outside I alternated trailing ivy to soften the edges with cineraria Silverdust, a lovely upright plant with silver grey foliage to compliment the silver of the lavender. For the centre of the arrangement, I chose two types of viola. I love violas, both in spring and winter. They aren't as garish as pansies but still have those sweet happy faces guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. On this occasion I chose a pure white variety and viola Adonis, a gorgeous pale blue and white with a slightly darker centre. Thinking ahead to spring, I also dotted a few bulbs of a dwarf narcissus into the arrangement to provide a burst of sunshine to herald the new season.

Winter hanging baskets

This year we bought some lovely vintage hanging baskets for our shop made in an aged metal with a sturdy choir lining. In order to show the baskets off to their best we decided on an arrangement of more delicate winter bedding plants to create a pretty look to compliment the vintage style of the baskets. We chose tiny winter cyclamen in pinks from pale to cerise, and white. Added to the cyclamen is trailing ivy, a dwarf euonymus and violas in a complementary colour depending on the choice of cyclamen.

There are other winter bedding plants which make equally attractive arrangements in hanging baskets. You could choose pansies alongside cineraria and ivy. Primulas and carnea or winter flowering heathers also look stunning. Bulbs like crocus and iris also do well in hanging baskets. Plant up your hanging basket now and it will provide you with stunning colour right until March or April.

Other favourites

I have a weakness for old outdoor planters and they don't have to be large. Small old Victorian terracotta pots dotted around the patio filled with violas, pansies, the lovely foliage of ajuga, bellis and primula, all provide a splash of colour on even the dullest of winter days.

Finally, if like me, you have an old apple tree, or any other tree for that matter in your garden, why not plant a few hardy cyclamen around the base. Choose the tiny hardy varieties rather than the blousey larger ones which are more suited to indoors. Just a little bit of effort now will give such pleasure when you gaze upon your garden for the winter months to come.

Bespoke natural Christmas decorations

Mon, 19 Dec 2011

Here at Garden Planters, we love to bring some of the garden indoors for Christmas. The smell of pine as you brush past a real tree evokes the spirit of this special time of year. There are many other garden plants traditionally brought in during Christmas that not only have ancient meaning but can also make your home look and feel really special.

Door decorations

Decorate a bought wreath with ivy and holly collected from your garden. Make sure the holly has plenty of berries (you may have some competition from hungry birds)! You can also add pieces from pine trees with small cones attached, the blue pines make a lovely contrast to the deep green of the holly and ivy. If you are using a bought wreath simply wind the ivy and through the branches of the wreath until you reach the desired effect. Then add your sprigs of holly and pine by attaching them with florist wire. You can easily make your own wreath. I have had some success by using the thin but pliable branches of silver birch bent into either a circular or heart shape and then decorated as above. To finish why not add your own personal touch by attaching a few trinkets from old jewellery or a special bauble or two.

Another effective way to decorate your front door is with a swag. These are so simple to create and look stunning. Collect branches of pine, yew, holly and any other evergreen you have handy in the garden. Starting with the pine branches as they tend to be flat and splayed, make a slight fan shape and bind together with florist wire at the top. The add branches from other evergreen plants interspersed with sprigs of holly. The finished swag should be fan shaped with holly sprigs added last to show off those stunning red berries. Finish the decoration by winding some red florist ribbon around the top and make a bow with which to attach the swag to your door.

Decorating your tree

While I agree that every Christmas tree needs the sparkle of baubles and tinsel, why not also use some natural materials as well that not only look great but smell wonderful too. The orange tree in my conservatory has only managed a few fruits this year so I have used these along with a couple of cinnamon sticks to make some pretty decorations for my tree. Slice the oranges thinly and place on a baking tray. Blot the slices with kitchen towel to remove excess juice then place the tray into a warm oven and leave the slices for around 3 hours to dry out. Once they have dried and cooled simply make a small hole at one end and thread a coloured ribbon through to make a simple but delicious smelling decoration. If you want to try something a little more fancy, then try threading a ribbon through a couple of cinnamon sticks before adding the orange slice. Fresh pine cones also make great tree decorations. You can spray them silver or gold, but I prefer to keep them natural. I have even been known to decorate some of the ornamental trees growing in outdoor planters in my garden in this way. A few cones and orange slices look stunning on bare branches.

Decorating with holly and ivy

Ivy was traditionally brought into the home at this time of year to ward off evil spirits and creatures such as goblins. I have an abundance of ivy in my garden and there is nothing I like more at this time of year then to bring long strands of ivy into the house to decorate the beams in my rooms. To the ivy I add sprigs of holly, easily attached to the beams with the aid of a staple gun.

The only drawback to decorating with natural plants is the warmth inside our homes. If you have an open fire or wood burning stove, then it is best to leave the holly and ivy outside until the last minute to avoid it drying out too much. However you decorate your home at Christmas time, try bringing in a bit of the garden's winter bounty and I am sure you will find it adds a little something extra to this special time of year.

Garden Planters source unusual outdoor and indoor planters, and other garden related gifts - whatever your taste, be it traditional, modern or just a bit quirky, we will have something for you. Run by two qualified and creative gardeners, Garden Planters will also plant up your chosen planter with an arrangement of your choice. We believe garden planters are an integral part of any garden - they enhance the overall design and say a little something about the person to whom the garden belongs.

How to create your own Christmas table decoration

Mon, 12 Dec 2011

What could be easier or nicer than bringing inside some of the garden plants that are looking their best at this time of year to create your own bespoke Christmas table decoration. Using traditional festive plants such as holly, ivy, spruce and eucalyptus, Garden Planters will show you how you can make a table decoration that will be admired and enjoyed by all your guests.

What you will need

You will need a plastic plant saucer or a florist saucer around six inches diameter and a piece of round florist oasis. You will also need a tall candle, a few matches or cocktail sticks, and an elastic band. For the foliage pick some holly, ivy, spruce and any other evergreen you have in the garden.

Let’s get creative

After soaking the oasis in water for a few hours, place it in the centre of the saucer you are using. Starting with the spruce cut the branches into two lengths. These will form the widest part of your decoration. It adds an extra something to the decoration if you can find branches of spruce with a few cones on them. Work symmetrically by pushing one branch into the bottom of each side of the oasis. Now fill in the sides with shorter lengths of spruce, ivy and holly.

Cut your matches or cocktail sticks in half and place four at intervals around the base of the candle. Secure with the elastic band. Place the candle in the middle of the oasis and push the matches/cocktail sticks into to the oasis to secure. You now need to fill in the rest the decoration with foliage. Choose pieces of eucalyptus, holly and spruce and work upwards towards the crown of the decoration, making your branches of foliage shorter as you reach the top. The overall aim is to create a pyramid shape making sure that none of the oasis is visible through the foliage. If you want to add a bit of sparkle to your decoration, you can secure a pretty bauble or two into the oasis using florist wire.

Your table decoration is now ready to take centre stage. This type of decoration also looks great placed in the centre of a Christmas wreath to make it look that little extra special. Our grey willow wreath candle holder is just the thing!

Some special festive plants

Thu, 08 Dec 2011

Most of us make an effort to decorate our houses for that special time that is Christmas. Garden Planters sourced some more unusual varieties of popular Christmas plants such as the Christmas tree, holly and ivy as well as some other plants you might consider bringing indoors for the festive season.

Which are the best Christmas trees to buy?

No home is complete at Christmas without a Christmas tree. In recent years ethical considerations as well as the ease of less mess has seen a revival of artificial trees. Don't get me wrong, there are some very attractive and imaginative alternatives to the real thing on the market, but for me you just can't beat the real thing. The irresistible smell of pine and for me, twinkly lights just don't have the same effect as when they glint off the shiny dark green needles of a live tree.

So let's deal with the issue of mess first. There are some varieties of tree you can buy whose needles are very slow to shed. Probably the best tree to buy is the Nordman Fir Christmas tree. With their lush green needles they give off the most intoxicating scent of pine and are soft to the touch, so won't prick your fingers when you decorate it. They are well known for the excellent needle retention and are affordable because they are quick growing. Another variety which is relatively new on the market and known for its good needle retention ability is the Fraser Fir Christmas tree. They tend to be a blueish-green in colour and are not quite as bushy as the Nordman. Finally, the Pine tree is also one to consider. Again, these trees have good needle retention and in addition, have a very sweet smell.

A far as the ethics of cutting down perfectly healthy trees only to discard them a few weeks later is concerned, why not buy a potted tree? These trees can be taken outside after the festive season placed in your garden in suitable garden planters to keep until next year. There are also some companies which will provide you with a container tree and then take it back from you so that it can be used again the following year.

Another popular plant at Christmas time is the poinsettia. Often mistaken for flowers, the brightly coloured bracts come is shades which vary from a pale yellow to plum red. They are often discarded once Christmas is over, but with a little care can be kept all year round till their bracts colour again the next year. Poinsettias come from warm climbs so be careful to keep in a warm temperature and place in a sunny spot if you can. If your plant wilts once you get it home it is often due to a change in temperature from a cooler shop to your warmer home and there is often not much you can do about this. They do not need much water. So as a rule don't water until the surface of the compost feels dry and then water enough so that some drains out of the bottom of the pot.

Ivy has been a popular plant for decorating the home since ancient times. It is often thought that it was brought into the home at this time of year to ward off evil spirits and creatures such as goblins. If the common ivy from your garden is not decorative enough, why not try and get hold of varieties such as Sulphur Heart which has large leaves with irregular central splashes of pale yellow or lighter green. Or Sweetheart ivy, so named because of its heart-shaped leaves.

It is said that the early pagans brought holly into the house to provide the fairies with a warm place to sleep. Christmas wouldn't be the same without holly. Its uses at Christmas are essential, in table decorations, swags and door wreaths. A rather beautiful variety is Ilex Argentea which has a bright cream edge to its leaves.

Mistletoe is another iconic Christmas plant. This attractive evergreen was widely known in ancient times for its medicinal as well as magical properties. Nowadays we associate it more with a stolen kiss from a particularly attractive festive guest! But beware mistletoe can be poisonous if eaten.

Other festive indoor plants you might like to give as gifts include Solanum capsicastrum or Winter Cherry. A ready decorated gift, this plant has berries change colour from green through the oranges and finally into a bright red. The Christmas cactus is another favourite and very easy to keep.

What do you get a gardener for Christmas?

Fri, 02 Dec 2011

If you have a garden related gift to buy this Christmas and you aren't sure where to start, here a few ideas that are both practical and imaginative and also won't break the bank!

Garden tools

There are many tools both useful and innovative that you can buy at a reasonable price. Here are my top five. Kneeling pads are a good gift and don't have to be totally practical. As well as practical plain colours, I have seen some great funky designs. No gardener should be without a trusty garden knife. If you do choose this as a present, make sure you buy a reputable make. Another invaluable gift is a good pair of multi-use secateurs. A tip however, most gardeners have their preferred brand for essential tools such as secateurs, so try and do a little digging first!

Something I just couldn't be without in the garden is my plastic garden trug. These lightweight round trugs come with handles and in various different sizes. But best of all, they are available in a range of lovely bright colours. A great gift! You should be able to get them from any reputable garden centre or online. My final gift in this section is garden gloves. Yes, I know they can be pretty unimaginative. But why not splash out on something a bit luxurious. A lovely pair of soft leather gloves will have your particular gardener exclaiming in delight.

Plants, seeds and bulbs

Like most gardeners, I like to keep abreast of the latest trends in plants and bulbs. I often mark catalogues with new plants and varieties I like the look of. If the gardener in your life has left catalogues lying around, why not take a peek and see if there is something special you can buy for them. Seeds are another great and inexpensive gift. If you want to be a little different, why not search for old and rare varieties of plants and vegetables or seeds taken from famous gardens. A collection of spring bulbs is always a great present at Christmas. Most gardeners are already making plans for spring and so will love a few bulbs either for their borders or garden planters.

Something special

If you really want to splash out why not buy tickets for your favourite gardener to visit one of our famous spring or summer garden shows like Chelsea or Hampton Court. Alternatively you could buy vouchers to visit a famous garden or other attraction. And if we are really talking special - why not book a tour of some famous gardens abroad such as Italy or France!

Stocking fillers

Finally, here are a few ideas for inexpensive stocking fillers. Garden scissors and string set - there are some lovely and practical vintage style sets available. Every gardener needs a pot of hand cream or gardener's handwash or scrub. A pretty tin seed box in which to store those valuable seeds. Or, you could look for a stylish thermometer for the greenhouse.

String and scissors set featured in Gardener's World magazine

Thu, 24 Nov 2011

Garden Planters were thrilled when our vintage string and scissors set was chosen by BBC Gardener's World magazine to feature in their December issue as a must have stocking filler for garden lovers. It's sometimes difficult to find that extra special something to please the gardener in your life, but maybe our string and scissors set along with the other products chosen by Gardener's World will give you some inspiration and make the task that much easier this year!

Garden Planters attend Leicester Winter Food and Craft Festival

Mon, 21 Nov 2011

To mark the arrival of the festive season, Garden Planters attended Leicester's Winter Food and Craft Festival in the city's outdoor covered market. We were one of over 200 stalls selling delicious food from all over the world and stunning crafts brought in by local people. The festival coincided with the switch-on of the Christmas lights in Leicester city centre, and is renowned as a highlight in the Market's calendar.

As well as our usual assortment of planted indoor and outdoor planters, we also displayed our range of festive wreaths decorated with festive holly and ivy, with our own special creative additions such as bells and trinkets. Many people were looking for something different to give at Christmas time and our range of garden gifts proved very popular.

We are doing a number of fairs in the weeks leading up to Christmas, so if you live in Leicestershire and would like to come along and browse some of our special gifts and planters in person then contact us and we will be happy to give you details of those we will be attending.

Feed your garden birds in Winter

Mon, 21 Nov 2011

As the nights start to draw in and temperatures drop, spare a thought for our feathered friends. Fallen fruits such as apples and autumn's abundance of berries will now soon be gone. Worms will go below the frost line in winter to 'sleep.' When this happens we need to provide a regular supply of food if our garden birds are to survive the winter.

Bird food

There are very many bird seed mixes available, depending on the type of birds that frequent your garden you might want to cater for specific tastes or if you don't have the time or expertise then it might be useful to buy a mixture containing plenty of flaked maize, sunflower seeds, and peanut granules. You could experiment with different mixtures, then sit back and observe the visitors to your bird table. Or why not decorate a tree with one of Garden Planters bird seed shapes. You may be surprised and children love to watch the birds. You may even entice them away from the television for a while. Get them to keep a diary of different species they see! When you have observed the different species of birds that visit your garden you might then start to identify and cater for their specific requirements.

Bird feeders

Whilst there is no need to spend lots of money on bird feeders, there are many available varieties to suit every budget, from the very basic to some very ornate. Use them to compliment your outdoor planters and provide a lovely focal point in your garden. The important thing to remember is to provide good quality nutritious food to encourage birds into your garden and to sustain them for the winter months ahead. Of course it is perfectly acceptable to feed the birds by simply scattering their food on the lawn but bird feeders will help to deter pests like rats, limit mess and also provide a little safety from cats. Whether you choose an ornate hanging bird feeder to grace your apple tree, a free standing wooden bird table or simply a net hung from any spare branch or even the line post, you will be doing your bit and the birds will reward you throughout the winter months.

Create your own bespoke Christmas wreath

Fri, 18 Nov 2011

Christmas is always a busy time for us at Garden Planters but its a time when we can get down to doing what we do best, being creative. Special gift planters, Christmas swags and Christmas wreaths. Of course many people are too busy to make their own and a simple holly wreath bought from the market does a good job. But if you do have a little time on your hands why not have a go at creating your own. It can be a simple and relatively cheap way of adorning your door with something a little extra special.

Garden Planters have sourced some truly stunning door wreaths this year. As an example of what you can do easily yourself, using natural materials, we have created an example using our Crazy Vine Wreath. This Christmas wreath was decorated using long lengths of ivy from the garden. Make sure the end of the ivy is secured by pushing it between a couple of vines making up the wreath base. Then simply wind the ivy in between vines securing the end once again when you reach the end. Repeat this process as many times as you like until you have created the desired effect.

If you want to add further decoration, why not fasten a couple of Christmas bells to your wreath like we have here. You could also use tiny baubles or even pretty bits from a broken piece of jewellery. Finally, just to add a bit of Christmas sparkle, we found a pretty Christmas heart as a centre-piece, secured with some Christmas ribbon.

Creating a beautiful indoor plant arrangement for a Christmas gift

Wed, 09 Nov 2011

At Christmas time its lovely to receive a gift that someone has taken the time to create themselves. So why not think about planting up an indoor display for someone you know?

Choosing your planter

There are many different types of planter available which are suitable for an indoor display. Garden Planters have sourced some lovely aged metal vintage style planters for a shabby chic look. For that extra special gift we have sourced a really stunning zinc pot surrounded by wire mesh and incorporating four candle holders. These make stunning table decorations when planted with a seasonal display or filled with a Christmas flower arrangement.

Choosing your plants

You could opt for traditional house plants for your gift such as streptocarpus, anthurium, begonia or the seasonal poinsettia, but I think a display of outdoor plants often works just as well and brings a bit of your garden indoors to be enjoyed at Christmas.

Winter flowering plants such as cyclamen, violas and pansies do well in indoor displays especially at a special time such as Christmas. As do winter flowering heathers and brassicas. Mix any of these with ivy or cineraria for a stunning display. All these plants come in colours associated with Christmas, so pick red and white cyclamen, green ivy and the pretty red berries of gaultheria or checker berry.

Planting your container

Use peat free compost and make sure there is plenty of drainage. A good tip is to use broken polystyrene pieces to help with drainage and reduce the amount of compost you need to use. This also makes the arrangement less heavy.

Lastly, it is worth remembering that most indoor planters can also be used as outdoor planters. Zinc and aged metal will weather, along with wood and terracotta but this only adds to create a timeless quality to enhance the design of your garden. So once Christmas is over the arrangement can happily live outdoors.

Whatever arrangement of plants you choose, a container planted by your own hand will make Christmas that little bit extra special for a friend or relative.

Garden Planters tips on growing vegetables in a small garden

Tue, 08 Nov 2011

Growing vegetables doesn’t always require a huge amount of space. Just because you have a small garden doesn’t mean you can’t grow your own delicious vegetables. A really good way to grow vegetables that takes up little space is in containers. In fact, some vegetables are easier and grow better in containers than they do in the ground. Also, contrary to what you may think, vegetables grown in containers can also make an attractive feature in your garden. Both of us at Garden Planters have thriving vegetable plots but we also like to grow a few of the more ornamental varieties in containers dotted around the garden.

So what vegetables are best grown in containers?

Most vegetables will do well grown in containers. Some have even had containers specially designed for them such as potatoes. But you can grow potatoes in any large container, empty dustbins are ideal and even bags can be used. There are advantages to growing potatoes in containers - it is easier to protect them from pests and you also don't have to worry so much about weeds.

All types of beans are also great grown in outdoor planters. Runner beans and French beans will happily grow in a container as long as you provide them with tall cane supports to grow up. Also, because they create a vertical display, they can be placed in the middle of a flower border to add height and colour with their pretty flowers that range from red and orange to purple and white.

As previously mentioned, some vegetables often produce better crops when grown in containers. Grown in pots, carrots and parsnips don’t attract pests such as carrot fly as easily as containers can be placed higher than ground level to avoid low-flying female flies. Carrots and parsnips also often grow straighter in compost that hasn’t any obstacles such as stones to distort growth.

Salad crops are very easy to grow in containers. Pots don’t have to be large and can be placed conveniently near to your kitchen door. Salad can even be grown in window boxes within easy reach of the household chef! Sow a number of pots with different varieties of salad crop in succession for a delicious variety of salad all summer and even winter long.

Compact plants such as sweet peppers, chilli peppers, aubergine and tumbling varieties of tomatoes are also ideal for growing in outdoor planters. Make sure these are placed in a sunny spot, away from damaging wind.

Herbs can be planted individually in pots or you can try growing ten different varieties in a strawberry planter. Place this in a sunny spot, near your kitchen for easy access. Garden Planters has a range of lovely pots and containers well suited to growing herbs. Whether you just have one variety growing on a window sill, a trio set of pots with some of your favourites, or one of our stunning stone troughs packed with culinary herbs, outdoor planters are a great way of keeping fresh herbs within easy reach.

What do I need?

Most vegetable plants do well in multi-purpose compost. If growing from seed, ether raise in small pots before planting into larger ones or scatter across the surface of the compost and water in. Read the packet first for instructions. You will also need to mix in a slow release fertiliser to feed the plant as it grows.

Disadvantages

The only disadvantages I can think of in growing vegetables in containers is that you need to be a lot more vigilant about watering. You might also argue that you can’t grow the volume of vegetables in pots that you can on a plot. But if you only have a small space any way, it’s always better to have a few delicious home grown vegetables than none at all.

Garden Planters have Christmas all planted up!

Wed, 02 Nov 2011

We at Garden Planters are turning our thoughts to Christmas and that extra special present. Our zinc planter with candles looks stunning with a seasonal display in festive reds, whites and greens. Our smaller vintage planters also make lovely presents planted with cyclamen and violas. Decorate with our Christmas gifts and you too will have Christmas all sown up!

See our planting service for details of ordering any of our containers planted up for Christmas gifts or Christmas table arrangements.

French lavender in Autumn

Mon, 31 Oct 2011

Just because the leaves have begun to fall from the trees doesn't mean you can't bring a bit of sunshine into your home. Plant up a gorgeous French lavender in one of our vintage planters and keep a little bit of summer on your window sill or in your conservatory. Choose a healthy lavender from your local garden centre, place in a sunny, bright spot, water sparingly and enjoy!

Garden Planters to attend Christmas Craft Market

Tue, 25 Oct 2011

After the success of our first few visits, Loughborough market has invited us to stand on it's prestigious new Christmas market which will take place on Friday 16 December. We will be busy planting our lovely containers with seasonal displays as gifts, as well as selling our range of garden related gifts as Christmas presents. We will also have our unique collection of decorated Christmas door wreaths and tied bunches on sale. So put the date in your diary and we will see you there!

Planting service launched

Fri, 21 Oct 2011

Garden Planters are excited to announce the launch of a new planting service.

If you live in the Leicestershire area we now offer a planting service for the garden planters we feature on our website. Whether as a gift, or for your own garden, just let us know what plants you like, the colours you prefer and we can do the rest by prior arrangement. We have many years creative experience in planting design and are confident we can provide you with something beautiful to cherish or to give.

Garden Planters at Loughborough Market

Sun, 16 Oct 2011

Garden Planters had our first stall on Loughborough Market this weekend. We received lots of very positive feedback from customers who loved our range of garden planters and gifts. We did particularly well with our lovely range of vintage planters, planted with a mix of seasonal Autumn plants such as cyclamen, heathers and violas. We had such a good day that we are hoping to have a regular stall - so come along to Loughborough market on Thursdays and Saturdays and we will see you there!

Winter pansies

Wed, 12 Oct 2011

Garden planters have been busy sourcing some rather beautiful colours for our supply of Winter pansies and violas. This pretty pink combination of violas look just stunning in our vintage style heart planters. Our vintage heart planters are equally at home either outside or in the home. If you plant indoor planters with violas or winter pansies, remember to keep them somewhere cool and light - a conservatory is ideal.

Cyclamen

Tue, 11 Oct 2011

Garden Planters have been busy planting up our new range of lovely vintage style planters with Autumn cyclamen. You can also use heathers, Winter violas and pansies, and stunningly colourful brassicas at this time of year. We have used moss to infill around the plants to enhance that vintage look. Our vintage planters are equally at home outside or indoors.

Autumn planters get the thumbs up!

Sun, 02 Oct 2011

At this weekend's Autumn Fair in Leicestershire we received some very favourable interest in the Autumn planting designs for our new range of vintage planters. Our Feed the Birds range of bird houses and feeders did well too, as did our new gift range.

Garden Planters at Autumn Fair

Wed, 28 Sep 2011

With our stunning range of vintage indoor and outdoor planters, we are attending an Autumn fair this weekend in Lecestershire. We have used a range of Autumn/Winter plants to create lovely displays - plants such as Cyclamen, Ivy, Callunas and pretty violas. We also like to use a range of herbs at this time of year which can then be brought inside at the first signs of frost and used all year round.

Remember, we can plant up our planters for you by special arrangement.