Posts Tagged ‘pots’
Written by admin on 09 February 2010
Absolutely everything you need to know to grow healthy, fresh organic food
November in the garden last year was a bit bleak to say the least. Early really cold weather finished off the annuals and the dahlias had to be put into storage. What a difference this year.
The weather did turn cold, the cold winds suggested a repeat of last year but instead the cold winds went away and unseasonal mild weather returned. The result is that the Dahlias are still looking good, the Cosmos are still stars in the border, Geraniums are still flowering en mass and Busy Lizzies (Impatiens) in sheltered spots are flowering their hearts out.
It is strange looking out of the window into the garden. There are trees that have completely lost their foliage due to the strong weekend wind, others with no foliage but have berries hanging like coloured baubles, Acers that are showing there beautiful autumn foliage, shrubs with autumn colour, roses still blooming and annual bedding still in flower. There can be no doubt however that we are well into autumn, the Sycamore leaves are thick on the ground with still more to come off this majestic tree. The leaves of most the trees in the garden are easy to gather using my Stihl Leaf Blower / Garden Vacuum but the shear bulk of wet Sycamore leaves make the job hard work.
I can report pleasing results from my summer containers this year apart from two bowls that sit either side of the steps down to my front lawn. Why I cannot say but they have just not looked good all summer and yet two other large pots a few feet away using the same compost and plants from the same sowing are still looking good. This weekend I removed them thinking that I may discover a problem at the roots but no, the compost was full of healthy root. I have replanted now with Winter Flowering Pansies that I sowed earlier this year so it will be interesting to see if they fare any better.
The one problem, if you can call it a problem, of summer bedding still doing well in containers is that I do not have the heart to uproot them as I know I should and the Winter Flowering Pansies really need to be planted out. Still, I am sure I will wake up one morning soon to see bedding that has collapsed and had enough!
The last of the cucumbers have been picked and eaten this week. What prolific croppers they have been. Just two plants have provided more than enough cucumbers for the family and there were plenty to give away. If you have not tried the smaller fruiting varieties that grow just big enough to provide one meal then I urge you to do so. Picked fresh, still crisp and used in a salad or put onto sandwiches, excellent.
Tags: container, containers, cucumber, cucumbers, flower, garden, garden diary, garden tools, gardener, gardeners, gardening, geraniums, hints and tips, leaves, plants, pot, pots, roots, roses, salad, shrub, shrubs, trees, wildlife
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Written by admin on 09 February 2010
Absolutely everything you need to know to grow healthy, fresh organic food
When you go away on holiday in the height of summer it is always a worry that friends or neighbours cannot get round often enough to keep up the watering. Everyone is busy and they cannot be expected to lavish all the love and care that you would yourself. One of the good things about taking a vacation this time of the year is that most things will survive well enough with a watering every other day. This has been the case with my week away rambling in the wilds enjoying the fresh air.
The birds have had to find alternative arrangements for the week but they are slowly finding the food again. Each day is bringing back more feathered friends.
Only a week away but I can see significant changes. Autumn colour in plants, tree and shrubs that was not present a week ago. The grass is not growing so quickly, it is cooler and the days are getting shorter.
There is still plenty of colour in the garden from flowers and the colour from the flowers is being joined by foliage colour.
The Rudbeckias seem to have been flowering for weeks as do the white Cosmos. The large flowered Dahlias have certainly been worth waiting for and have provided good value.
The tomatoes are coming to an end now. There are still tomatoes on the vines but it is doubtful whether they will all ripen. Of course I can pick them and ripen them inside but my preference is to use the green tomatoes in chutney. The theory is that we will eat the chutney through the winter months but believe me it has no chance of lasting that long no matter how much we manage to make!
The Runner Beans are also coming to an end, there are still some to pick but do not look as appetising as a couple of weeks ago. Very likely they will be a bit hard and stringy.
One success of this year has to be the Mini Iceberg Hearts lettuce. Sown close together in a deep box they have done well and hearted up into nice crunchy heads. They stand for a long period and the cut heads will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
I sowed seed of Winter Flowering Pansies a few weeks ago and they are ready to go into their winter locations now. Two containers can be cleared to make way but I am pleased to say that the other containers that will home them are still full of flower. Sorry pansies, you will just have to sit in trays a little bit longer.
Tags: birds, container, containers, feathered friends, flower, garden, gardening, plants, pot, pots, runner beans, seed, shrub, shrubs, tomatoes
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Written by admin on 09 October 2008
Absolutely everything you need to know to grow healthy, fresh organic food
It seems that home improvement stores are making their gardening supply and nursery stocks more expansive year by year. I think this is because DIY lawn care and gardening is the easiest to break into as a homeowner.
You can buy gardening products in various stores or nurseries, or you can order gardening products from catalogues, or even order them online. The trick is in knowing what you need for the jobs you plan to undertake.
You will obviously need the basic landscape garden tools no matter what you are planting, such as a hoe, spade, and maybe even a shovel. You must have watering supplies, like a hose, sprinkler and watering can. Other possibilities include a spade, a pot (if you are pot planting), and a pair of gloves for comfort, some pruning shears and a rake. Then, of course, there are the essentials such as the lawn mower and weed whacker, but we are mainly going to focus here on the basic landscape/gardening tools and leave the grass for another day.
When first starting a garden you will definitely want some type of mushroom mulch, manure or peat moss to properly amend your soil. There are a few types of potting soil that you can also add into your slurry including organic potting mix, seed starting potting mix, cactus potting mix, and root development potting mix, just to name a few.
Once you have your garden planted, you must have gardening chemicals so that you can add nutrients to the soil to ensure a healthy plant life. Miracle-Gro is one of the most popular growing enhancements for plants. There are many different types of Miracle-Gro to choose from and what kind you choose will depend on what you are trying to grow. The good thing about Miracle-Gro is that it is labeled very well with easy-to-follow instructions. This same brand name can also be found on insecticides and fungicides with that same easy-to-follow labeling.
If you are growing vegetables or herbs, you may need different gardening tools than regular flower gardens require. If you are growing tomatoes for example, you will need a tomato cage and ties to protect the plants against the wind. Many plants, mostly vines, are designed to grow on something and you will have to have a fence or trellis of some sort.
You can also find tools for the landscape that serve a greater purpose than just “function,” and that being “form.” In other words, they can also come in the form of decoration. There are decorative flower pots, sundials, plastic figurines, stones or bricks for a pathway or looks, and even lawn furniture. The big trend in country gardening is to find old, weathered and rusted garden tools and plant those in and amongst the greenery. Decoration will add to the charm and uniqueness of your garden and is an excellent way to give it a personal touch.
The winter months will bring a whole new set of gardening products to store shelves. When the frost hits the prime place to put your plants are in a greenhouse. However, if you do not have a greenhouse for whatever reason, a tarp of some sorts can be used to cover plants up at night. You also might need a light source, like a heat lamp, to both keep plants warm and give them extra light. In addition, you are going to need a snow shovel or maybe even a snow blower, as well as some good quality snow melter.
New and upgraded gardening products are always popping up on the market. It seems like every day there is some gardening product that claims to be bigger and better than the last. While many gardening tools are not a necessity, they sure make the job a lot easier and more enjoyable. Fall time is a great time to pick up deals on lawn and garden tools as the season is nearly over and they are often found on clearance. Check them out today!
When the basics of your new garden are in place you will want to enjoy it, Summerhouses and Garden Rooms are ideal places to relax.
Tags: flower, flower garden, flower gardens, garden, garden tools, gardening, gardening products, greenhouse, growing vegetables, herbs, lawn mower, lawns, organic, plants, pot, pots, seed, soil, tomatoes, vegetable
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Written by admin on 13 June 2008
Absolutely everything you need to know to grow healthy, fresh organic food
It is June and everything in the garden is starting to flourish, especially the weeds!
Spring Flowering Plants and Bulbs
If you have not already done so cut back dead bulb but do wait until the foliage dies down naturally as cutting back too early can lead to no flowers next spring.
Lift and divide overcrowded clumps of bulbs after they have finished flowering, overcrowded bulbs may stop flowering.
Cut back clumps of spring and early flowering perennials. Hellebores and Pulmonaria produce new and attractive foliage and stay more compact.
Cut back the flowered stems of Euphorbias back to ground level leaving the more attractive foliage. Take care not to get the milky sap on your skin as this can result in blisters.
Summer Bedding Plants
A great way to produce a good show of bedding is to sow hardy annuals directly into the ground. There is the possibility of your garden landscape scheme not turning out as you have dreamt as there is always the danger that one of your sown varieties fails. It is a good idea to have back ups sown in trays whether that be hardy or half hardy annuals.
The hardy annuals sown outdoors should now be thinned out. Do this if practical in two or three stages at fortnightly intervals. Final spacings should be between 4-8in (10-20cm) using the higher figure for tall or spreading plants and the lower figure for smaller plants.
If you have not sown under cover and the weather has not been perfect for early sowings it is not too late to direct sow for the garden seeds of a few fast growing, late-flowering hardy annuals such as Clarkia, Calendula (pot marigolds) and Godetia. I did this in my first ever garden and was very pleased with the result.
Use annual bedding to fill gaps in herbaceous borders.
Plant out dahlias and cannas and if there is no longer a danger of frost.
If you have not already done so it is time to plant out your summer bedding and seed-raised plants. Always make sure they are well watered in, keep moist during dry weather and try to water an area wider than just where you have planted your young, succulent and delicious to eat youngsters. It can help to put slugs and snails off the scent where just damping the area where your plants have just gone in gives them excellent conditions to slide in and munch.
Containers, window boxes, garden pots and tubs can be planted up with summer bedding. They may sulk but if well watered in and covered with horticultural fleece on a cold night and they will soon establish and race away.
For more timely tips read The Flower Garden in June
Tags: container, containers, flower, flower garden, flower gardening, garden, garden ideas, garden landscape, gardeners, gardening, gardening advice, gardening questions, gardening tips, hints and tips, plants, pot, pots, seed, seeds, slug, slugs
Posted in Flower garden tips, Gardening for Beginners, garden, gardening tips | No Comments »
Written by admin on 22 April 2008
Absolutely everything you need to know to grow healthy, fresh organic food
Spring Flowering Bulbs
Dead-head or remove any fading flower-heads from primroses and pansies to encourage further flowers.
The foliage of daffodils and other spring flowers should be left intact but faded heads should be picked off. Do not be tempted to tie up the leaves of flowered daffodils to make them look tidy as was once the fashion, leave them to die down naturally so that all possible nutrients can feed the bulbs and help good flowering next Spring.
Keep a keen eye on the compost in pots of spring bulbs to ensure they stay moist, water well if it has dried out.
Clumps of spring-flowering bulbs benefit from a sprinkling of fertiliser. Bulbs naturally “clump up” and compete for any nutrients available in the soil. A bit of help will help them perform better for you next year.
More Gardening Tips for the Flower Garden in April
Tags: corms, fading flower, flower, flower garden, flower heads, garden, garden ideas, garden tips, gardening, gardening advice, gardening questions, gardening tips, hints and tips, leaves, lilies, plants, pot, pots, roses, seed, soil
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Written by admin on 08 February 2008
Absolutely everything you need to know to grow healthy, fresh organic food
If you are totally lacking a garden or balcony, you can use more decorative pots or containers.
If you place your vegetables correctly in your flat, they can act as decorative pieces as well as great food. The key for decorating with vegetables is to get creative. Wrapping a vine from a vegetable plant around a post or railing can make a nice accent.
Just be sure indoor plants are getting plenty of direct sunlight. Just remember, instead of concentrating on how your small space limits you, think of the fun and creative things you can do with vegetables in the area you do have.
See the full article at My Garden is My Space
Tags: container, container garden, container gardening, container vegetable gardening, containers, garden, garden ideas, garden maintenance, gardening, gardening advice, gardening questions, growing vegetables in containers, growing vegetables in small spaces, hints and tips, plants, pots, vegetable
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Written by admin on 20 January 2008
Absolutely everything you need to know to grow healthy, fresh organic food
Would you just love to grow vegetables, but you do not have the space?
While a big sprawling garden may be the ideal, quality vegetables can be grown even in the absence of a garden.
Many people who live in flats in crowded towns and cities still manage to grow great vegetables to enjoy.
When you don’t have a garden to plant in, you can turn to container gardening to grow your fresh fruit and vegetables. It’s easy to find pots and other containers, both large and small that work great on small back yards, flat balconies and even inside the home.
Plastic gardening containers can be purchased fairly cheaply and work well in most cases. If you are looking for something more stylish, you can buy or make wooden containers. These keep the soil temperature from fluctuating as much, but require more watering because they’re very porous. Wooden containers may not be the friendliest for using inside your home being more difficult to keep clean.
See the full article at My Garden is My Space
Tags: container, container garden, container gardening, container vegetable gardening, containers, garden, gardening, gardening advice, gardening questions, gardening tips, gardening vegetables, growing vegetables, growing vegetables in containers, growing vegetables in small spaces, hints and tips, plants, pots, vegetable
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Written by admin on 31 December 2007
Absolutely everything you need to know to grow healthy, fresh organic food
For those with a larger garden, planting up containers enables you to move them around to fill places in your borders when early bulbs or spring plants have died back, or in fact where plants have unexpectedly died off and a temporary solution is required.
Container gardening should come with a health warning. When you plant up one or two containers for your small space and love the result you will have the desire for more and more. There is nothing wrong with that apart from the fact that containers are high maintenance. They need watering. Even in the wettest of summer months they need you to provide water. The foliage has a tendency to act as an umbrella so you must make sure you get the water underneath the foliage and onto the compost.
These are your babies and they rely on you for food and water. You will be rewarded for your care and kindness. If you plant small shrubs in your containers you will probably have to make good use of your secateurs to keep them in shape and restricted to their allocated space. See the full article at My Garden is My Space…
Tags: container, container garden, container gardening, containers, garden, garden containers, garden ideas, gardening, gardening advice, gardening questions, gardening tips, hints and tips, plants, pots, secateurs, small spaces
Posted in Gardening for Beginners | No Comments »
