Archive | August, 2009

Growing Blinking Big Beetroot

By on August 5, 2009 in Fruit, Vegetables & Herbs, Tips for Growing Series, Tips Hints and Ideas

There are many different kinds of Beet and that is the root of the problem. Beetroot Bulls Blood shown above is  ornamental, edible and is a heritage variety worth seeking out. Seakale beet, Chards and Spinach beet are grown for their edible leaves and the young green leaves of all Beetroot can be eaten in [...]

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Killing Slugs

By on August 4, 2009 in Pests, Problems and Health, Tips Hints and Ideas

I grow slug food, not deliberately but that seems to be the fate of my Hostas. Now is a time to kill off the juveniles slugs before they start laying eggs for overwintering and I am considering organic nematodes that you just water in. Mix up a paste in a watering can, water in and [...]

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Sedums and Saxifrages

By on August 3, 2009 in Books, Flowers and Plants

A pleasant mix of Stonecrop Sedums and Saxifrages or Saxifraga, as some would have it, are in flower at the moment. Stonecrop has taken my interest after reading about green roof plants.  I also have a friend who has created a Sedum Seat on an old dining chair by planting up the padded seat area [...]

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Know Your Onions

By on August 3, 2009 in Fruit, Vegetables & Herbs, Tips Hints and Ideas

The necks of my Onions have just ‘gone over’ a bit earlier than usual but that could be down to the heavy rain we have had during July. Harvesting is a simple affair as I have pulled the Onions away from the soil to break the roots and left them in the sunshine to dry [...]

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Hebe Shrub from Cuttings

By on August 2, 2009 in Shrubs and Trees

This purple Hebe is flowering about 2’6″ high in a compact format. I would like to make a low hedge of Hebe (Veronica)  to breakup the outline of a large border and this variety amongst many others suits me well. Hebe Cuttings Now is a good time to take a series of cuttings to root [...]

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Annual Alyssum

By on August 2, 2009 in Flowers and Plants

Sweet Alyssum is one of the best smelling annuals you can grow. The flowers have a marvelous honey scent all summer and these  Alyssum ‘Royal Carpet’  are a different purple to the shades you normally see. Carpet of Snow is the best selling seed variety that flowers traditional white. The seedlings clump up into a [...]

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