Garden And Gardener » garden

Bedding plants

Sarah — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:44:05 +0000

Buy your plants from a reputable supplier. Buy more plants than you need to account
for any plants dying off during the growing on process or from being damaged once
in situ.

The idea of bedding plants is to provide a seasonal change of appearance to
your garden. Ensure you have got the right bedding plants for the season. There
are two main seasons for bedding plants. Summer plants which you buy in late
winter if you are growing on, or late spring if you are buying them garden ready.
Winter plants which you buy in autumn for planting. The varieties are different
with many of the summer bedding plants not being frost hardy which means they
can be damaged by a late frost. Winter plants should be very hardy though and
easily cope with frosts.

Make sure you plant your half-hardy plants out after the last frost. If you’re
not sure when the date is then it is worth asking neighbours who grow lots of
plants in their garden. The last frost date is usually earlier in the south
of the UK and later in the north, with the start of June being considered about
right for Northern parts.

Feeding the plants to get them to flower more is an excellent idea. Buy a high
potash fertiliser and read the instructions on the packet. You usually feed
every two to three weeks but some products allow you to feed a more dilute version
of the fertiliser every day as you water.

Watering is important too. Check the individual plant recommendations as some
plants prefer the soil dry. Plants that come from hot countries originally tend
to prefer hotter drier weather. Plants in hanging baskets and tubs though will
need more watering as there is less soil for the plants to root into looking
for water. Failure to water hanging baskets often enough will result in plants
dying. If this happens then you can replant the basket with any remaining bedding
plants that you happen to have left over. Adding water retaining products to
the basket is a good idea. Baskets are especially vulnerable as they have a
smaller volume of soil to retain water and they are up in the air and subject
to more wind which can aid evaporation.

Slugs can be a problem eating your tender bedding plants. There are treatments
available which you water on and they kill all slugs for many weeks. Whilst
expensive they are cheaper than having to replace all your plants. If you want
to grow hostas then a slug treatment is sometimes the only way to allow the
plants to get established enough.

If you put sun-loving plants in a shady area of your garden then they will
not do as well as if they were in a sunny part. Planting in the sunniest areas
of your garden will give you the best chance of fantastic flower displays. There
are shade loving plants suited for shady corners. If you have no flower beds
in sunny areas then either put a bed in if you have lawn, or create tubs and
flower boxes on paved areas in the sunshine.

Spikey succulent

Sarah — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:33:02 +0000

I have this in my garden. It’s a close up of the end of a spikey succulent. Low growing but spreads easily. Think it has yellow flowers. Suspect it’s a sedum but will take a photo of flowers in summer for an ID.

Freecycle for free garden tools

Sarah — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:22:38 +0000

If you’ve just got a garden because you’ve moved house, or maybe you’ve just got to the top of the allotment waiting list … and you need some garden tools, where can you get some for free?

You should ask neighbours and friends if they have any old tools they don’t need any more. Check your local freecycle – there are some amazing people out there who’ll have a rummage in their shed and see what they have spare. Be prepared to travel though – check your own nearest group first. For me this is Oldham Freecycle, but I also subscribe to Manchester Freecycle too as it’s very close by and sometimes things listed there are closer. Keep an eye out for tools – but a polite request is always worth a try!

Find your nearest Freecycle group in the UK here (It’s also international)
We’ve used it to get rid of plants, an old lawnmower, and even rocks!
Polite reasonable requests always go down better with people. Ask for something too extravagant and people will think you’re being cheeky.

What’s the most hated job in the garden?

Sarah — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:37:16 +0000

You need facebook to answer this quick question
- What’s the most hated job in the garden

Victorian Kitchen Garden

Sarah — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:55:42 +0000

Victorian Kitchen Garden is highly recommended

Interesting plants

Sarah — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:48:52 +0000

Some lovely plants for the garden. Pretty plants with different looks for your garden

Acer and Bamboo Pleioblastus Plants from Additionsdirect.co.uk £17.00
Content: 1 Acer (9cm), 1 Bamboo (9cm). The Acer Atropurpurea is one of the most reliable acers. The young foliage is a spectacular transparent red. Later in the season the leaves turn into a deep purple-brown-red. Ideal for small gardens. The wonderful variegated foliage on the dwarf bamboo makes it a highly decorative addition to ny garden. Its bright yellow and green streaks provide an eye catching focal point. Acer delivered in a 9cm pot approx 30cm tall, bamboo delivered in a 9cm pot approx 15cm tall.

Mini leaf bamboo plant from Furnitureatwork £100.00
Help bring nature indoors with this lifelike replication of the mini leaf bamboo. Natural bamboo trunks with polyester leaf foliage in authentic shapes & colours. 9 stems with generous 1045 leaf count. Fixed into your choice of plant pot with expanding foam to ensure stability. Finished with slate & moss for a very natural overall look. Easily maintained with regular dusting. Clean with weak washing up solution. 170h(cm). Choice of pots(see below). Pot type: blue gloss(plastic), square silver(plastic), square bronze(plastic), green(plastic), medium black(fibreglass), stainless steel, crocodile print(vinyl covered mdf), leopard print(vinyl covered mdf), world map(vinyl covered mdf).

Bamboo wavy stem plant from Furnitureatwork £111.00
Help bring nature indoors with this lifelike bamboo plant. Natural preserved stems with polyester leaf foliage in authentic shapes & colours. Natural wavy multi stem canes. Fixed into your choice of plant pot with expanding foam to ensure stability. Finished with slate & moss for a very natural overall look. Easily maintained with regular dusting. Clean with weak washing up solution. 198h(cm). Choice of pots(see below). Pot type: blue gloss(plastic), square silver(plastic), square bronze(plastic), green(plastic), medium black(fibreglass), stainless steel.

Aralia plant from Furnitureatwork £126.00
Help bring nature indoors with this lifelike replication of the Aralia. Natural preserved black bamboo trunks topped with polyester leaf foliage in authentic shapes & colours. 5 stems with generous 1233 leaf count. Fixed into your choice of plant pot with expanding foam to ensure stability. Finished with slate & moss for a very natural overall look. Easily maintained with regular dusting. Clean with weak washing up solution. 180h(cm). Choice of pots(see below). Pot type: blue gloss(plastic), square silver(plastic), square bronze(plastic), green(plastic), medium black(fibreglass), stainless steel, crocodile print(vinyl covered mdf), leopard print(vinyl covered mdf), world map(vinyl covered mdf).

Bamboo clump plant from Furnitureatwork £137.00
Help bring nature indoors with this lifelike replication of the bamboo clump. Natural preserved stems with polyester leaf foliage in authentic shapes & colours. 15 natural stems & with generous 1984 leaf count. Fixed into your choice of plant pot with expanding foam to ensure stability. Finished with slate & moss for a very natural overall look. Easily maintained with regular dusting. Clean with weak washing up solution. 210h(cm). Choice of pots(see below). Pot type: blue gloss(plastic), square silver(plastic), square bronze(plastic), green(plastic), medium black(fibreglass), stainless steel.

Bamboo plant from Furnitureatwork £143.00
Artificial bamboo plant. Maintenance free, simply dust down from time to time. Low in cost when compared to real plants. Can be sited where you want, when you want, no need for natural light. Design of pot may vary from that shown. Plant height 140(cm).

Golden Bamboo 150-180cm from Garden Bargains £24.99
Golden Bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea

Bamboo (Black) – 2 plants in 9cm pots from Van Meuwen £17.98
Easy and trouble free, with outstanding architectural presence! Graceful towering stems turn from dark green to lustrous polished black, by their third year. Clump forming and non invasive, the Oriental Black Bamboo forms a striking evergreen focal point for borders and large patio containers. Height: 5m Spread: 3m.

Order Begonia Destiny now

Sarah — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:19:06 +0000

Jersey Plants Direct just added these new products

Begonia Destiny Patchwork 50 Plants + 20 FREE £11.99
An established favourite with our customersThese early order Patchwork Collections are made up of 6 separately sown and labelled colours giving you the opportunity to create your own uniquely designed planting scheme. Limited AvailabilityOur best selling Begonia Destiny is an established favourite. This strong upright bedding plant has fully double flowers in a colourful mix of red, orange and yellow. It is a profuse flowering plant and will provide colour in your garden all summer long. Orders must arrive by Saturday 31st December

Begonia Destiny Patchwork 100 Plants + 60 FREE £11.99
An established favourite with our customersPatchwork collections are varieties where we have been able to sow the colours separately. These will be supplied to you in trays where each colour is clearly labels giving you the opportunity to create your own uniquely designed and colour coordinated planting scheme. Our best selling Begonia Destiny is an established favourite. This strong upright bedding plant has fully double flowers in a colourful mix of red, orange and yellow. It is a profuse flowering plant and will provide colour in your garden all summer long. Orders must arrive by Saturday 31st December

Order Geranium Parade now

Sarah — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:16:43 +0000

Order these fantastic plants today at Jersey Plants Direct. Very pretty bedding plants, traditional geraniums always look great in summer. Order early to get this fab price.

Geranium Parade Patchwork 50 Plants + 20 FREE £10.99
Colourful long lasting displays from this favourite geraniumThese early order Patchwork Collections are made up of 6 separately sown and labelled colours giving you the opportunity to create your own uniquely designed planting scheme. Limited AvailabilityThis is a beautiful coloured geranium that will bring lasting colour to your garden throughout the summer. The large flowers in reds and pink will brighten your borders from June to October. A well loved Geranium! Orders must arrive by Saturday 31st December

100 Geranium Parade Patchwork + 60 Plants FREE £10.99
Colourful long lasting displays from this favourite GeraniumPatchwork collections are varieties where we have been able to sow the colours separately. These will be supplied to you in trays where each colour is clearly labels giving you the opportunity to create your own uniquely designed and colour coordinated planting scheme. This is a beautiful coloured geranium that will bring lasting colour to your garden throughout the summer. The large flowers in reds and pink will brighten your borders from June to October. A well loved Geranium! Orders must arrive by Saturday 31st December

Rosemary – grow your own from a cutting

Sarah — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:44:08 +0000

Rosemary at Thompson & Morgan

You can buy seeds and plants at Thompson and Morgan. Or you can do what I’ve just done.

I bought a packet of rosemary from the herb section of my local supermarket. I only wanted a couple of pieces for a recipe I was doing but had to buy a whole bunch. I decided to freeze some and then just as I was putting some in the freezer I decided I’d have a go at rooting a couple of pieces. I was pretty sceptical whether they’d take as I dind’t know how long they’d been in the shop.

But I stuck two pieces in a small vase of water on the windowsill in my kitchen and waited. After about 10 days I noticed one had started to root, a few days later so had the other. After a couple more days I carefully potted them up. Result! I now have two rosemary plants that cost me virtually nothing! I should have tried more! I am almost tempted to buy a whole pack and try and root the whole lot! If nothing else they would be good for selling for fund raising for our allotment!

Of course I might just have been lucky and got the right pack of rosemary pieces, but if you want to try you’ll only be spending 69p or so and you’ll have plenty of fresh rosemary to cook with!

Seed swappers

Sarah — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:26:13 +0000

Just seen this site Seed Swappers

Very interesting idea – you tell them what seeds you have to swap and ask for a few if you see any you fancy. Good for people who don’t know a lot of local gardeners!