Composting Quiz
by Diane - April 3rd, 2024
Beginners guide to composting video – nice and short!
You can compost anything that has lived! But don’t compost meat, bones or fish at home. Send that to your local council to compost.
Free stuff for your allotment
by Diane - March 31st, 2024
by Diane - March 31st, 2024
Shop now at Thompson and Morgan
Nurserymans Choice Annual Summer Bedding Mix
36 plugs ONLY £5.99 with any order
Lavender Duo
24 plug plants ONLY £5.99 with any order over £30
An outstanding cordon cherry tomato for glasshouse or outdoor culture. Tomato ‘Sungold’ has an exceptionally high sugar content, which easily rivals ‘Gardeners Delight’, making its attractive, golden-orange fruit irresistibly sweet and juicy. The high yields of delicious thin-skinned fruit (each approximately 13g) are ideal for salads or as a tasty snack. This popular variety also has good resistance to tobacco mosaic virus and fusarium wilt. A hardy nature ensures this vigorous performer will crop well into winter in a cool greenhouse. Height: 200cm (79″). Spread: 50cm (20″).
These are my favourite cherry tomatoes to grow. They ripen quickly and produce huge amounts of fruit, You need to pick regularly though else they’ll over ripen and split – but they are so delicious you’ll be happy to put the time in every day to collect the ripe ones!
Utterly lovely fresh and can be roasted too for sauces.
April in the garden
by Diane - March 31st, 2024It’s the end of March today, so I’m looking ahead to tomorrow!
The clocks have gone forward, so it’s lighter later which is always a bonus for anyone who works!
April is the month when hopefully the weather turns from constant rain to warm and sunny. The ground is saturated and we don’t need more rain to add to the problem.
Some better temperatures would be good too, although you’ll note the weeds are growing already.
Weeding now is easier as the soil is damp and the weeds are coming out fairly intact. You do need to give them a proper shake else you end up composting half the garden! If the soil was dryer you could hoe, but when the soil is damp I find weeds are as likely to reroot where you leave them. If it’s warm and dry the weeds you hoe off dry.
Anyway, enjoy this fun quiz!
Solar Wax Extractor
by Diane - November 19th, 2019I’ve not used a solar wax extractor but we have one built ready, but we need replacement glass for the top as this got broken.
I’ve just watched this excellent video that offers some great hints on how to maximise the wax you get out of brood frames.
It’s often said you don’t get much wax from brood combs, but this video explains how you might ensure you get more.
Quite a short video but well worth while watching.
The Nation’s Favourite Gardens
by Diane - November 6th, 2019The Nation’s Favourite Gardens – winners announced
Coton Manor Garden in Northamptonshire has been named the Nation’s Favourite Garden to visit. Coton’s owners, Ian and Susie Pasley-Tyler, were given their award at a presentation held by The English Garden at London’s Garden Museum on Monday night.
The English Garden joined forces with the National Garden Scheme and Viking Cruises earlier this year to find the Nation’s Favourite Gardens. Throughout spring and early summer nominations poured in for favourite gardens from among the 3,500 that open their gates to the public through the National Garden Scheme.
Those nominations were narrowed down to a shortlist of 30 gardens by a panel of judges: National Garden Scheme chief executive George Plumptre, garden designer Paul Hervey-Brooks, garden photographer Clive Nichols and The English Garden’s editor Clare Foggett. During late summer and autumn the public voted for their favourite shortlisted gardens to produce the winners: one for each of the Scheme’s six regions and one champion of champion with the most votes overall.
The regional winners are: Kew Green Gardens, London, in the South East; Horatio’s Garden in Salisbury for the South West; The Manor House, Stevington for the East; Wollerton Old Hall in Shropshire for Wales & The Marches; Larch Cottage Nurseries in Melkinthorpe, Cumbria for the North; and Coton Manor Garden for the Midlands and overall.
Clare Foggett, editor of The English Garden said: “Any of the gardens on the 30-strong shortlist would have made very worthy winners, but we’re delighted that these six gardens have been voted the winners in their respective regions. They obviously all strike a chord with their visitors and have become much-loved places to visit.”
George Plumptre, CEO of the National Garden Scheme said: “We were quite bowled over by the quantity and range of nominations which illustrated very powerfully the huge diversity of our gardens. English Garden readers voted in huge numbers and so it was a great achievement for the six gardens that were our regional winners and in particular for Coton Manor, the well-deserved overall winner. Having opened for 50 years in aid of the National Garden Scheme, 30 of them under the loving care of the present owners, Coton Manor typifies the loyal support which we are so lucky to have from so many garden owners and visitors.”
Wendy Atkin-Smith, Managing Director of Viking UK, said: “We were pleased to support the search for the nation’s favourite garden, especially given that the nominees were chosen by the public and encompassed a diverse range of gardens across England and Wales. Gardening is very close to the heart of Viking guests and in a recent survey two thirds said that being outdoors is the key to wellbeing. At Viking we share our guests’ passion for nature and horticulture and we are involved in many garden-related events. We look forward to welcoming visitors to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival presented by Viking in July next year.”
Garden Images
Please use photographers credit where given
A link to images from these gardens can be found at: http://bit.ly/TEGVikingShortlist
The Winners
SOUTH EAST
Kew Green Gardens in London is actually five discrete but adjoining gardens that combine to form one large and unique space extending over one-and-a-half acres. Borders are low and contribute to viewing, while clematis and roses climb between gardens to unite the whole.
MIDLANDS
Old yew and holly hedges bring structure to the 10-acre grounds at Coton Manor in Northamptonshire. Herbaceous borders are a speciality and are especially eye-catching in late summer. An adjacent nursery is stocked with plants propagated from the garden.
NORTH
Larch Cottage in Penrith, Cumbria, is well-known for its nursery but the surrounding gardens are important in their own right. Find a Japanese dry garden, flowing perennial borders, a small lake and even an Italianate columned garden specifically for shade plants.
SOUTH WEST
Designed by Cleve West, Horatio’s Garden at the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury, Wiltshire, features low, sinuous limestone walls and densely planted beds that double as seating. The garden opened in 2012 and is maintained by a head gardener and volunteers for the benefit of long-stay patients.
EAST
Kathy Brown’s garden at The Manor House in Stevington, Bedfordshire beautifully combines garden rooms and views. In late spring, cherries, lilacs and orchard trees blossom above meadows of camassias, while wisteria flowers above swathes of alliums.
WALES & THE MARCHES
Wollerton Old Hall, near Market Drayton in Shropshire is well-known to many and loved for its picture-perfect borders with towering delphiniums, timbered 16th century house bedecked with climbing roses and immaculate mirror-like water feature.
ENDS
Funding awaits student horticulturists
by Diane - November 1st, 2019
1 November 2019
Funding awaits student horticulturists
If you’re a student, who’s passionate about horticulture, send us a scholarship application form.
The David Colegrave Foundation scholarship season is open.
Nursery work placements. Production and marketing experience. Access to plant research and sustainable horticulture. These career driven opportunities are all within reach to horticulture students.
If that’s not enough, how about money for college tuition and accommodation fees, books and equipment, or for extra training courses.
Funding is available to help turn keen students into breeders, nursery managers, horticulture lecturers, head gardeners, plant health inspectors, or whatever it is that fulfils their desire for gardening.
Last season’s student winners have worked wonders since receiving their scholarships. Here’s what they have to say…
“If anyone is considering applying for a scholarship, I highly recommend they do as this has been an absolute fantastic opportunity for me.”
“This scholarship has been an incredible support and opened up so many new options and possible career paths.”
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to grow as an aspiring horticulturist. The money has helped me gain valuable hands on experience and will also help me in the future to achieve my goals.”
“Winning a scholarship gave me the financial freedom to pursue a number of horticultural interests.”
“Thank you for the incredible opportunity, helping me to further my knowledge and to gain experience that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to.”
At a thousand pounds or more, a DCF scholarship can really boost learning potential. This year there are 7 scholarships to apply for:
Ball Colegrave Sponsored Travel Scholarship
Up to £1,500 to fund travel to Europe in order to develop knowledge and experience in bedding plant production and marketing. An employee in the early stages of their career at a commercial bedding plant nursery, or a student studying horticulture with an interest in commercial bedding plants should apply.
British Protected Ornamentals Association – Peter Seabrook Bursary
£1,000 to support one or more students studying commercial horticulture. The scholarship is also available to schools and horticultural colleges to finance trips for students over 16 years of age to leading commercial horticultural establishments.
Horticultural Research Scholarship
£2,500 to support applied research within the horticulture industry. Students who are keen to pursue a research career in the horticultural industry should apply. This includes undergraduates, postgraduates and those studying for doctoral degrees.
John Gibson Environmental Scholarship
£1,500 to support a student with a keen interest in environmental solutions and sustainable applications as applied to commercial horticulture.
Majestic Trees Sponsored Travel Scholarship
Up to £3,000 to fund a placement abroad at a tree nursery for a student who is passionate about tree production. This also includes the opportunity for a work placement at Majestic Trees, which could become a permanent position.
Markham – Colegrave International Scholarship
$4,500 USD for the opportunity to organise a work placement in a horticultural business in the US/Canada. The Scholarship is presented as a joint award from DCF and the American Floral Endowment (AFE), US.
Student Scholarship
£1,000 to each of up to 5 students to support their studies in horticulture. Preference is given to candidates who have an interest in ornamental commercial horticulture, especially with an emphasis on the bedding, container, pot plant and cut flower sectors.
The David Colegrave Foundation Scholarship Season is open now until 31 January 2020.
Applications are already coming in from the likes of The University of the Highlands and Islands – Argyll College UHI, The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise – Greenmount campus, Harper Adams University, Walworth School of Horticulture, Eden Project Learning, Nottingham Trent University, Myerscough College, Pershore college and Broomfield Derby college.
More colleges are encouraged to get on board and get their horticulture students applying.
To enter, complete an application form online at www.davidcolegravefoundation.org.uk.
Haynes Bee Manual –
by Diane - October 30th, 2019The best bee book for beginners. I love this book. I’ve got a copy and I recommend it to everyone who I teach beekeeping to.
It’s available at Wordery for the bargain price of £13.95 which includes free postage.
The HAYNES BEE MANUAL
Highly recommended. It covers everything you need to know for starting out as a beekeeper. It is a useful guide to read as an introduction and then useful ongoing as a reference.
The HAYNES BEE MANUAL is such a useful book, and in true haynes manual style is packed with plenty of diagrams and graphics to explain the text. It’s not text heavy so you can enjoy reading it with all the illustrations. It comes in so useful that you can use it as the main guide for taking your BBKA Basic assessment and you should do well. The photos are very clear and will help explain the practical craft of beekeeping.
The links on this page will go to Wordery and earn me a small % commission. This helps me maintain the site and allows me to write more articles.
advice for gardening with dementia
by Diane - May 2nd, 2019Admiral Nurse, Dave’s, advice for gardening with dementia
Dave Bell works on Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline which is staffed entirely by specialist dementia nurses
Maintaining physical activity, cognitive function and social interaction, all helps someone who has dementia to remain stimulated, feel valued and helpful.
Being involved in gardening can really contribute to a person’s wellbeing. Gardening is on-going and ever-changing; anyone who has a garden will recognise that there is always something to do! Even if you have no garden, and have only limited space (perhaps for a few pots on windowsills) this is an activity that can give great pleasure. It can distract, engage, add to routines and be a focus for physical activity.
Gardening can provide a fantastic opportunity for stimulation of all the senses. There are the sensations of touch – soil, flowers, bark (but mind the thorns!), and perhaps the feel of a gentle wind, of sun or rain. There is visual stimulation – an amazing range of colour and shapes, sunlight, as well as the wildlife a garden can offer. There are the smells of flowers and vegetables, of herbs or of a freshly mown lawn. And there are the sounds – birdsong, insects, and rustle of wind in trees; and of course, there is taste – eating fruit, vegetables, and even edible flowers such as nasturtiums or marigolds.
It may be that someone’s memory difficulties and cognitive disability can get in the way of a whole sense of what is happening in the garden However, much activity for someone who has dementia is in the ‘here and now’, and the enjoyment of sharing a current task. This can be so rewarding in a garden, where the calmness of the surroundings can also lead to developing and sustaining relationships, not only through doing things together but also through the talk that always takes place.
There are many physical benefits – including dexterity skills and broader exercise through potting, planting, digging, sweeping, weeding and pruning – which can lead to reduced agitation and improved sleep.
There are cognitive benefits too – in terms of getting the person to help plan the activities, and perhaps to choose seeds and consider how flowers and vegetables are organised in the garden.
There are also huge benefits socially. For example, a caller on the Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline said recently that she and her mother had never had so many conversations with others on their street as they did when they cut her hedge for an hour last summer, with Mum sitting on a chair, directing, while the daughter did the hard work!
Gardening activities for someone with dementia
There are many gardening activities which could involve the person living with dementia, whatever their disabilities. If they are physically able, they may be able to be prompted to do the tasks themselves. Otherwise, helping, or even just watching and feeling involved can be enough.
Tasks are there to do all year round, both indoors and outdoors.
- Planning – This can involve formal planning of how to lay out the garden. It can include a visit to a local garden centre together – a pleasant experience in itself. These are usually safe and easy to navigate places, often with disabled loos and usually with a café attached!
- Preparing –If the person is able, they can help (or be helped) with preparing beds for sowing, by weeding, removing stones and spreading compost. Getting pots and trays cleaned and ready for sowing is another satisfying task that can be done together.
- Planting – Planting seeds can be done together, both indoors and out. Together you can buy seeds and sow them in pots or trays in a greenhouse or on a windowsill. If planting directly into the ground, you can work together to make the rows and sow the seeds, and both be involved in watering and tending as shoots appear.
- Potting and planting out – As seedlings get strong enough, another shared task is repotting or planting out – careful dexterity may be needed, and lots of kneeling! Raised beds can make life a lot easier if you have the space. Again, the garden centre can be a good place to visit, to buy flowers and vegetables already in pots and ready to plant out at home.
- Maintenance – This is the on-going, and sometimes most challenging part of gardening! Weeding and watering, as well as fighting off bugs and pests can be a constant battle, but can be hugely satisfying. There are also tasks to do in dead-heading flowers like roses, or in thinning out of plants.
- Picking/harvesting – This is the fun part of gardening. Picking flowers together can be a wonderful experience. The joy of picking fruit and vegetables such as tomatoes, strawberries, beans, peas etc. can involve all the senses, and can be a great opportunity for reminiscing and sharing experiences.
- Using the produce –This can involve flower arranging or even giving bunches of freshly picked flowers to friends and family which can enhance a person’s sense of self-esteem. Using vegetables in cooking together is a multi-sensory activity, and having a herb garden, or even a range of herbs in pots in the kitchen, can bring back memories and encourage conversations. And it can be a very satisfying few hours spent making jam.
Case study
Anne, a lady of 92, had kept a garden at home, but sadly had to move to a nursing home as her mobility and cognition reduced. At first she became quite distressed and often called out, as despite the efforts of staff to keep her engaged and stimulated, she spent so many hours alone in the chair next to her bed with just the TV for company.
Fortunately the home found out from her family about her love of her garden and, when a room became available facing onto the garden, Anne was able to move there, where she had a French window that opened onto a patio and a flower bed beyond. Her daughter set up a variety of pots in her view.
Even though she was unable to do much of this herself, Anne could give directions to her daughters, smell and taste the flowers and produce, and, with a bird table set up in her view, could watch the constant stream of birds and even squirrels, come and feed. Her agitation and feelings of isolation were almost immediately reduced, and the new found pleasures enhanced her relationships with staff and other residents.
EXPLORE THE GARDENS OF PAULTONS PARK
by Diane - April 17th, 2019EXPLORE THE GARDENS OF PAULTONS PARK
Paultons Park is inviting horticulture enthusiasts to the Park after it closes to explore its ‘exquisite gardens’ at the first Exclusive Gardens Open Evening.
On Tuesday, July 9 2019, the Paultons Estate – home to the UK’s best-rated theme park Paultons Park, based in the New Forest, is inviting gardening enthusiasts and horticulture groups to roam more than 65 acres of landscaped parkland.
The Exclusive Gardens Open Evening will start at 6.30pm and guests will be able to explore the themed and formal gardens located within Paultons Park, such as the Japanese Garden which opened at the Park in 2017. The dedicated gardening team will be on hand to share the estate’s history and answer questions. During the evening visitors will see themed topiaries, copper water features, historic cedar trees, and much more.
James Mancey, operations director, said: “The Paultons Estate features exquisite gardens rich in history, with the original features laid out by English landscape artist Capability Brown, known as ‘England’s greatest gardener’. Several of Brown’s iconic and recognisable design elements can still be seen today.
“We’re excited to welcome our fellow gardening enthusiasts to Paultons Park for the first Exclusive Gardens Open Evening and share with them a variety of different gardens and features outside that Park’s usual opening hours.”
Tickets for this event are limited and on sale now at: www.paultonspark.co.uk. Tickets are charged at £10 per person, with £2 going to the Park’s chosen charity.
Family-friendly rides, the Trekking Tractors and The Dinosaur Tour Co. Jeep Ride will be operating during the evening’s event to transport guests through the gardens in which they operate. Light refreshments will be available to purchase in the Wild Forest restaurant.