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Month: October 2016

Compost and Composting Advice

Compost and Composting Advice

As would be Compost Kings our articles on composting can be found by key word search in the box. To get a full view of the ‘gardening industry’ that is now ‘Composting’ you could also read up on some other web sites. Some web pages may only be fit for composting themselves but at least the web does not smell.

Whatever you choose to do about composting, remember well rotted garden compost has been great food for many creatures and they will have left all their waste products as nutrients in your compost. Despite this free excrement do not expect your compost to be the only fertiliser you need. Garden compost excels when it is used to condition the soil.

Some Composting Links

Green Guides not girl guides but plans for your new compost heap
Reduce Landfill encouragement from Texas (Cattle produce may be) to compost
Wiggy Wigglers Worm suppliers  that worm your their way into your garden.
Compost Guide – A complete guide to composting?
Worm Composting Guide – Learn how to vermicompost with a worm bin.
Garden Organic Advice on the cornerstone of organic gardening
Master Composter Backyard Composting – Build a garden compost pile, build bins, worm composting, trench composting, soil incorporation, glossary, compost reference of organic materials, troubleshooting, FAQ, Message Board.
Compost Instructions with thanks for the ideas
Best Foxtail Lilies Eremurus

Best Foxtail Lilies Eremurus

The best Foxtail Lilies can grow to 7 feet tall and form clumps of outstanding spires of star shaped flowers with showy stamens.

Best Varieties

Eremurus robustus only flowers for three weeks or so, but for that brief period it can be the star of any garden.
Eremurus stenophyllus has bright yellow flowers with orange tiped stamens giving a two tone effect as they mature. The plant looks spectacular in prairie style planting and has earned an AGM.
Eremurus Ruiter hybrid ‘White Beauty Favourite’ has tapering blooms that can last for several weeks as cut flowers.
Eremurus cultivars such as Cleopatra can have orange or peach coloured flowers.
Eremurus × isabellinus Shelford hybrids

Growing Tips

Eremurus needs good drainage, full sun and a cold snap in winter to induce flowering.
Shelter from strong winds to protect the tall blooms.
The root system is fascinating with a central growing point which is encircled by fleshy, finger-thick tapering roots. These should be planted in a shallow hole but on top of a mound of sharp sand.
Foxtail Lilies grow away quickly in spring, forming a rosette of bluish-green strap-shaped leaves up to 4ft high, from which the flower spike rises during late April to flower in May. The flowers open progressively from the bottom of the spike.
After flowering allow the plant to die back and remain dormant until next spring.
Use a mulch that stays fairly dry such as shingle or bark and this can protect new growth from frost.
To help Foxtail Lilies self-seed, leave the flower spike standing into autumn and the seeds will ripen and drop.

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Cactus Dahlias Flowering Until November

Cactus Dahlias Flowering Until November

Dahlias are having a good year due to the summer rain. Slugs permitting my Cactus Dahlias will have given one of the best shows for several years by November when they get cut down and stored. As I expect the flower power will still be present until the first frosts in November I am going to give them a foutnightly tonic of liquid fertiliser and a further mulch.

Cactus Dahlias are reputed to all derive from one plant Dahlia Juaresii brought to Europe from Mexico in 1863. After many decades of cross breeding, a Dahlia strength, we now have many forms that contain some or all of the Cactus traits.
On a Cactus Dahlias the petals are narrow from tip to base and the bloom appears full. The ray florets or petals are pointed, narrow and revolute. That is they curve outward from the centre of the flower.

The Semi Cactus form on the other hand has a far broader base to the petal whilst still being pointed at the tip if the petal.

Top Dahlia Tips

  • Deadhead as regular as clockwork.
  • Pick vase flowers in big bunches as that acts like deadheading. Do not be afraid to snap off a large stem not just a short flower stem
  • Let air circulate around Dahlias, they like there own space.
  • To get big blooms pinch out the small side buds of your chosen bloom and any others that will take energy from your flower.
  • Dahlias are heavy feeders so I give them a lot of compost and generous fertilser from pre-planting until they are lifted for storage.
Scented Cut Flowers

Scented Cut Flowers

How do you chose the best flowers to grow for scent? Well if you want good scent in the home I recommend some flowers below that cut and last in a vase and provide nice scent.

Phlox paniculata or Desussata the perennial plant with large heads of flower on 2-3 foot stems is a favourite of mine. The white version above has a sharper scent than the even sweeter smelling pinks and bi-colours.

Roses are the recognised queen of scents in the garden and the strong stems also make them good cut flowers. Mme Hardy is a damask variety with prickly stems that has superlative white blooms. Rose oil or Attar of roses is a perfume distilled from Rose damascena and Rose centifoilia so flowers with this pedigree are likely to be ‘good smellers’.

Carnations used to smell of cloves with a hint of cedarwood but some of the intense breeding for the cut flower industry has reduced the depth of scent in some varieties. The British National Carnation Society has an interesting article on the subject of scent.

Autumn is the season to select bulbs for next year. Why not try more Narcissus for cutting or in a bowl. Yellow Cheerfulness, the single white Actaea or the traditional Pheasant Eye are fragrant choices. The smaller Jonquilla Narcissi are also an interesting and varied group to grow for scent.

Thinking of spring brings me back to my favourite Peonies which carries a sweet scent in a bowl of water or as part of an arrangement. Sarah Bernhardt is the smelly variety below.

Other Resources

Royal Horticultural Society RHS ‘Gardening for All’
National Council for Conservation of Plants and Gardens ‘Conservation through Cultivation.’
Garden Organic National Charity for Organic Gardening.
BBC Gardening

Your Gardening Business

Your Gardening Business

Autumn may seem a strange time to start a gardening business but it is the time to focus on what you want to do. Get all your ducks (or seedlings) in a row and ensure you have the detail sorted and with that I include enough cash to see you through and chosen customer groups.
Book Cover

How to Start Your Own Gardening Business An Insider Guide to Setting Yourself Up as a Professional Gardener is a useful tutorial if you want to set up a gardening business. I recommend you consider your aspirations and limitations carefully and either set up a ‘Life Style business’ or consider becoming a qualified, professional career gardener.

 

Garden Customers

  • Core customers are probably going to be proud garden owners, the elderly and the time poor who will pay someone else to do the hard work.
  • Dedicate time to plant raising and selling if that is one of the products you are offering.
  • Lawn cutting can be a specialism but needs the right mix of equipment and skills.
  • Consider businesses as customers as the work will be regular and more care and maintenance than creation and innovation.
  • There is a need for more gardeners in spring, summer and autumn but do not let that put you off. There are other services you can provide during winter such as tool maintenance sharpening and servicing (outwork it if you are not confident)
  • Try avoid unnecessary travel that will eat into your productive day.

 

Life Style Gardener

  • There are many jobs from spring onward for jobbing gardeners. Lawyers hang out a shingle but for gardeners a post card in the post office usually suffices.
  • Labouring on hedges and lawns for the infirm or doing small construction and garden maintenance projects are within the grasp of most hobby gardeners.
  • If your work is good then word of mouth should get you lots of referals.
  • Hourly rates in the North of England vary from £6- £20 per hour depending on the level of horticultural skill, experience and quality of garden. Ask around amongst those already in business.

Career Gardener

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Coloured Leaf and Leaves

Coloured Leaf and Leaves

Before the Autumn leaf colours start to invade our senses I am just recapping on the leaves that have made an impact for me this summer.

Outdoor Leaves

  • Coleus is a colourful exhibitionist of a plant. A whole range of colours can be combined on one or two plants like the assembly in the above plant pot.
  • Cotinus coggygria, the Smoke Bush, has been one of my favourites this summer with the royal purple leaves acting as a back drop to paler coloured leaves particularly of various grey foilaged plants.
  • Cineraria Maritima has provided the grey and blue grey interest for several darker corners. With the poor summer I have not had any of the straggly yellow flowers to steal any thunder.
  • Zonal Geranuims vary in the amount of colouring they carry but some varieties are grown for the shades in the leaf. The plant in the photo below has yellow, bronze and greens in separate banding on the variegated leaves.

gera

Indoor Leaves

  • After many year and too many alcoholic drinks the Apidistra in our local pub has gone to the great brewery compost heap in the sky. Still my wife is Cast Iron in her belief that it was a boring plant.
  • Begonia rex on the other hand have contorted leaves withribs of many colours.
  • Codiaeum variegated plants have come hot foot and hot colours to the fore in recent seasons.
  • It may be cheating to include the coloured bracts in cream, pink and notably red of the Pionsettia but with Christmas coming I do not think you will hold it against me.

Gardeners Tip – Use coloured leaves in some areas as an alternative to flowers when designing your garden layout.
You do not need flowers to produce colour in your houseplants. In addition to Begonia Rex and its relatives why not try growing some Codiaeum, an easy to maintain leafy plant.

Codiaeum

Codiaeums are interesting foliage house plants also called Joseph’s Coat.

Codiaeum Cultivation Tips

  • This variety is called ‘Petra’ but you may also find ‘Eugene Drapps’ with long lance shaped leaves almost entirely yellow.
  • Keep plants moist and in good light with a temperature of at least 60-70° F.
  • Root 6 inch cuttings taken from the top of the plant at 70° with a bit of bottom heat.
  • Plants can be encouraged to branch by pinching out the growing tip.
  • Frequent feeding is needed except in winter when growth slows.
  • Large plants will have lots of roots so it may be worth potting up a size using loam based compost.
  • Red spider mite can be a problem with Codiaeums
  • Without good light but not full scorching sun the colouring will not be as strong and bottom leaves may be shed.

Codiaeum Madiera

Autumn Lawn Treatment

Autumn Lawn Treatment

Lawns give us many years of loyal service and ask for very little in return. We cut them to within an inch of their lives and walk all over them without a care.

Treat Your Lawn

  • Pick up Autumn leaves before they start to rot on top of your lawn. Compost them separately if you expect a lot of leaves.
  • Apply an Autumn feed which aims to boost healthy root growth to last through winter like Levingtons Evergreen. This is rich in potassium to help roots and lighter on nitrogen.
  • Raise your cutting blades as the soils is wetter and the dew heavier.
  • Apply a moss killer before scarifying if you are troubled with moss
  • Repair any edges or bald patches
  • Aerate your lawn by scarifying, spiking or hollow tining. Scarifying also removes the brown thatch around the roots that has built up during summer
  • Top Dress the lawn with a mixture of two parts sharp sand with one of fine soil.

Tips for New Lawns

Winged Insects in your Garden

Winged Insects in your Garden

This summer has been damp and the plants have grown lush. In some way this has contributed to a dramatic cut in the number of greenfly on my roses and other plants (perhaps they found other feeding grounds or did not mate as prolifically).

By contrast there have been lots of Bees and Flies and last week the Wasps came for my plums and apples. On the bright side it has been easier to get some photographs that would other wise not been practical. The fly wings show up well against the Cystus that if flowering for the second time this year.

Like many gardeners I regard Ladybirds as posative helpers in the garden. It is therefore a concern to be confronted with the aggressive Harlequin Ladybird that is invading  and threatening our 45 native species. Originally from Japan it was introduced to North America 20 years ago as an aphid control and it now out numbers all American species. Log any UK sightings here.