Garden And Gardener

Everything for the Gardener and their Garden

Archive for March, 2012

Asparagus crowns

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012

Spring PLanting asparagus at Thompson & Morgan

Asparagus officinalis 'Ariane' - Part of the Alan Titchmarsh Collection - 5 crowns

Asparagus officinalis ‘Ariane’ – Part of the Alan Titchmarsh Collection – 5 crowns £9.99
 Asparagus ‘Ariane’ has performed brilliantly for me over the past couple of years. Once planted in deep, rich soil, the plants needed little in the way of fuss. The thick shoots are very tender, and produced in quantity. Harvest the later spears too, for very tender, fine spears with even more delicate flavour. Height: 150cm (59″). Spread: 45cm (18″).

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Cauliflowers

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012

How many to plant? Do you like one a week? One every two weeks?

If you sow more than you need then offer them to a neighbour.
Cauliflowers at Thompson & Morgan

Cauliflower 'Coloured Collection' - 30 plants - 10 of each variety

Cauliflower ‘Coloured Collection’ – 30 plants – 10 of each variety £14.99
This superb range of coloured cauliflowers will provide you with a variety of tastes, textures and nutritional values. Harvest coloured curds through the summer; as autumn approaches the colours become more pronounced, continuing until late November. Height: 45cm (18″). Spread: 60cm (24″).Please note: Delivery is subject to plant size, and adverse growing conditions during production may delay despatch schedules. Collection comprises:Cauliflower ‘Cheddar’ (Orange) – (Summer – autumn heading). Aptly named for its stunning yellow-orange heads containing a high level of beta carotene. Cauliflower ‘Gitano’ (Romanesco) – (Autumn heading). A Romanesco type which is one of the most nutritious brassicas you can grow. Deep green heads with an erect pyramidal curd full of spirals. Cauliflower ‘Nessie’ (white) – (Summer – autumn heading). An outstanding cauliflower producing pure white curds which wont discolour.

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Leek seeds – start off in March

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012

Leek seeds at Thompson & Morgan. If you’ve not started them off already then get ordering!
Start them in a tray and then prick out into pots and then transplant out when they are more the size of pencils.
Leeks are great winter vegetables and an essential for every garden.

Leek 'Cairngorm' F1 Hybrid - 1 packet (40 seeds)

Leek ‘Cairngorm’ F1 Hybrid – 1 packet (40 seeds) £2.99
The first F1 leek from seed, produced by British breeding from specially selected top prize-winning show leeks! This stocky variety has superb vigour and uniformity making it ideal for growing individually as a pot leek. Early autumn maturity makes Leek ‘Cairngorm’ ideal for the show bench as well as outside in the vegetable plot, where stems will stand until after Christmas. Height: 45cm (18”). Spread: 30cm (12”).

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Start off in March

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012

A fab hint I’ve just read today is to dig the trenches where your potatoes are going to go and leave them open for a few days. This allows the sunshine to get to the bottom of the ground and warm it up a bit. I don’t know how effective this is – and equally if you have a frost then the frost would get to the bottom of the soil too.

Get your purple sprouting broccoli seeds in now too. Or order your plants from T&M now.
New items at Thompson & Morgan

Broccoli 'Rudolph' (Extra Early Purple Sprouting) - 15 plants

Broccoli ‘Rudolph’ (Extra Early Purple Sprouting) – 15 plants £5.99
One of the earliest varieties producing large, high quality, rich purple spears with an excellent flavour. The tender spears of Purple sprouting broccoli ‘Rudolph’ can be harvested from early autumn, but are at their best from November onwards, making a great addition to your Christmas dinner. These large framed plants are super hardy and will provide an excellent yield in the coldest months. Height: 90cm (36″). Spread: 60cm (24″).Please note: Delivery is subject to plant size, and adverse growing conditions during production may delay despatch schedules.

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Grow your own veggies

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

Don’t struggle germinating plants – buy them ready done!

Grow your own vegetables from just £6.99

Save money and enjoy the delights of your home grown vegetables to enjoy with
Salads and other delicious recipes
These Jumbo Ready Plants are grown in individual cells and measure approximately
8-12cm in height from the root of the plant to the top of the stem These plants
can be grown on or planted straight out as you choose

Order today for despatch between end of March and end of May.

Tomato
Gardeners Delight
6 Jumbo Ready Plants, Only £6.99

Tomato
Gardeners Delight
12 Jumbo Ready Plants. Only £9.99 Save £3.99

Chilli
Peppers
6 Jumbo Ready Plants, Only £6.99

6
Sweet Peppers,
Only £6.99

Cucumber
& Courgette
6 Plants, Only £6.99

Runner
Bean
6 Jumbo Ready Plants, Only £6.99

Kudzu and horse manure compost recipe

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012



I’m not sure we have acres of Kudzu like on this video – but interesting all the same.

Using urine for composting

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012



Interesting video. He uses it to help break down straw bales and piles of leaves.

Compost needs:-
carbon, nitrogen, air, water and microbes. Carbon to nitrogen ration should be 30 to 1

Straw is carbon, as are leaves.
Urine is water and nitrogen.
Add some soil to bring microbes!

Geoff Hamilton used to swear by adding urine to the compost heap. I believe Bob Flowerdew does too!

Video to watch using a tumbler –


Brown : Shredded paper, cardboard, paper towels, straw or sawdust. Shredded stuff works faster and better.
Green : food scraps
Use ratio 3:1 so you have more brown than green.

Nettle tea

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

Wear gloves!
Pick freshly grown nettles – as many as possible. Chop down in a bucket with a spade. You could shred them in a shredder. Add water. Leave a couple of weeks. Use the liquid as plant food. It’s a good nitrogen fertiliser. Dilute to weak tea colour to water onto plants.
Good for producing green leaf!

Bluebells

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

Bluebells at Thompson & Morgan! Buy them in the green! English bluebells are very pretty spring flowers.

Bulbs 'In The Green' Collection - 30 bulbs 'in the green' - 10 of each variety

Bulbs ‘In The Green’ Collection – 30 bulbs ‘in the green’ – 10 of each variety £11.99
 Customer RatingPlant a carpet of colour with our ‘Bulbs in the Green’ Collection. Once established, these easy to grow, native bulbs require little maintenance. They will quickly cover the ground beneath deciduous trees and shrubs, or naturalise in grass for a spectacular springtime display.Bulbs supplied ‘in the green’, will have just flowered. Being supplied in current growth means the plants will be much easier to establish in your own garden. Collection comprises: English Bluebells – The nodding, violet-blue flowers of these hardy, native bulbs attract insects to their delicately scented flowers. Height: 30cm (12”). Spread: 8cm (3”).Snowdrops (single flowered) – Drifts of graceful nodding snowdrops signal winters end with an understated elegance. Height: 15cm (6”). Spread: 10cm (4”).Winter Aconites – A springtime carpet of golden–yellow blooms that will quickly multiply. Height: 8cm (3”). Spread: 5cm (2”).Useful links:How to grow bulbs, corms and tubers 

Bulbs ‘In The Green’ Collection – 60 bulbs ‘in the green’ – 20 of each variety £19.99

English Bluebells – 20 bulbs ‘in the green’ £11.99

English Bluebells – 25 bulbs £11.99

English Bluebells – 50 bulbs £17.99

English Bluebells – 50 bulbs ‘in the green’ £19.99

English Bluebells – 75 bulbs £20.99

Lavender plants

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

I love lavender. It’s such a lovely scented plant to have in the garden. The bees love it too!
It’s ideal for a hot dry sunny part of your garden and if it’s near the path then brushing past the plant with release the lovely smell too.

Thompson & Morgan has this range of lavender plants available.

Lavender 'Munstead' - 1 jumbo plug

Lavender ‘Munstead’ – 1 jumbo plug £5.00
 Customer RatingThis neat, compact variety of English lavender bears masses of dark purple-blue flower spikes. The fragrant stems of Lavender ‘Munstead’ are ideal for cutting or drying, and the nectar-rich flowers are particularly attractive to bees. Lavender makes an excellent low hedge or path edging where the perfume can be appreciated as you brush past the aromatic evergreen foliage. Height: 45cm (18”). Spread: 60cm (24”). Culinary note: Lavender flowers are edible. Culinary note: Some parts of these flowers are edible. For more details about edible flowers click here.

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