Archive | January, 2009

Funny Gardening Video

By on January 31, 2009 in Gardening

Jeremy Clarkson of BBC Top Gear offers a radical way to deal with those pesky weeds (presumably effective for dealing with slugs as well…)

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Easy and Easier Dahlias

By on January 31, 2009 in Flowers and Plants, Tips Hints and Ideas

Cactus Dahlia Easy Dahlias Dahlias are the showiest of flowers with a wide range of flower types. If you want neighbours to stop in amazement to gaze at your garden give dahlias a chance. The colours available are brilliant and clean with a showy appearance. If kept deadheaded they will flower strongly until the first [...]

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Primrose in Spring

By on January 30, 2009 in Flowers and Plants

Coming soon to a garden and hedge row near you the fresh green plants with the primrose yellow flowers. Primroses are part of the Primula family of  over 400 species of which cowslip oxlip and primrose are the 3 UK natives. They are easy to grow from seed or by division after the plants have [...]

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A Picture Post

By on January 30, 2009 in Flowers and Plants

My garden is a thing of beauty and a job for ever. My photos however are shaky double exposures.

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Pelargoniums or Geraniums in January

By on January 28, 2009 in Flowers and Plants

Pelargonium more often called Geranium Something Special – Fir Trees Throughout January  this Pelargonium has been in constant pink flower on my desk.  Each of 14 pips or mini buds opens to a 5 petal flower in a bunch of florets to make up the overall flower head. Three or four are in colour at [...]

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2009 Weather Permitting

By on January 27, 2009 in Books

Drought or a rainy wet summer whatever we are going to get there is a book by the doyen of British gardening Beth Chatto. Her garden in Elmstead Market Essex is worth a visit for the gravel garden alone and her treatise on Drought Resistant Planting or gravel gardens are equally captivating. If you imagine [...]

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Garden Angel

By on January 26, 2009 in Garden Design

Harlow Carr has a garden guardian angel amongst the trees and rhododendrons in the RHS garden. The stainless steel works well in winter with the dark looming trees in the background. This sculpture is one of many that have been introduced into the garden since the RHS took over from the Northern Horticultural society and [...]

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Indoor Primula Tips

By on January 26, 2009 in Flowers and Plants, House & Greenhouse plants

Indoor plants that are in full flower in January include the strongly coloured Primula Obconica shown above. They look good in traditional blues, pinks and white with the new Twilly series including a strong red. There are plenty of long lasting blooms particularly if you pick off dead flowers. The hairs on the back of [...]

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Growing Hyacinth MultiFlora

By on January 23, 2009 in Flowers and Plants, House & Greenhouse plants

I have seen these multiflowered hyacinths in florists shops but never thought to grow them from bulbs. When I saw one in B&Q bursting with 11 shoots from one bulb I parted with my money hoping for flowers on each stem. I have seen them called Roman hyacinths, Festival hyacinths and multifloras but they are [...]

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Camellia Species

By on January 23, 2009 in Books, Flowers and Plants, Trees and Shrubs

Waxy flowers of Camellia ‘Satans Robe’ and the even more waxy leaves of the camellias are one of the early joys in the spring garden. There is a range of camellias to suit most conditions and if you can’t find the lime free soil most varieties need they will grow in a pot of ericaceous [...]

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