The Daily Telegraph report that a new range of Organic Seeds are to be available from Duchy Originals. This announcement coincides with Prince Charles visit to Ryton the Garden Organic establishment (HDRA).

It amuses me to see amongst the range of tools on sale at Duchy Originals a Dutch Hoe but may be I am confused somewhere with the Prince of Orange.

If you want a new idea in seeds that will help create an eco-friendly garden try these mixed from Wallis seeds.

Beetle and Insect Bank a mixture of grasses to encourage beetles and insects to feed and breed. Can be planted in a small area in the garden

Pollen and Nectar Mix. A good mixture of flowers and grasses for butterflies, insects and birds to feed. A sunny area may be best but a small space will suit.

Wild Bird Mixture of plants producing seed or providing cover for birds. Ideal for small birds like finches, buntings and sparrows.

Clover Mix - red and white clover ideal for butterflies and helpful for bees

Bumble Bee & Butterfly mix to attract what it the name implies plus other insects

Now for the good news the seed mixes are available for less than one pound per packet. Four times quantities weighing 100gms will cost upto £2.50 but that will be a mass of seeds and subsequent plants.

The picture of the great yellow bumblebee is from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust http://www.bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk/

There are many families, species and varieties of grass suitable for ornamental purposes. Weather you want a prairie grass-scape, a potted plant or a focal point in a formal garden then there is a grass to suit. Grasses are well suited to a range of landscaping projects.

The Fescue, Pennisetum, Panticum, Carex, Miscathus, Stipa and many other species are covered below. A recommended variety is given where ever possible along with shore notes. Grasses are perennial unless stated to be annuals.

Blue Fescue (Festuca ovinia var. glauca) are mound-forming, semi-evergreen perennials used as specimen plants in borders and rock gardens.

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Lawns are cut regularly to encourage side shoots, prevent flowers and seeds and to keep the grass tidy. Some attention should also be given to other grasses to encourage production of fresher growth at the beginning of the growing season and to control flowering.

Pruning Bamboo

• All bamboos look better when scruffy, broken or damaged shoots are removed. Weak side shoots and branches often look unattractive.
• Thin dense thickets to create space for the flexing stems of new shoots. Cut out old canes with loppers or a pruning saw close to the ground.
• Thin out other shoots to create a balanced, airy clump.
• Prune above a node to prevent die back
• For more growth from dwarf bamboos cut down to soil level in early spring and treat like a hardy perennial to get fresh clean foliage.
• Some bamboos are invasive and the tough, springy roots need to be removed or root pruned annually. Plant a barrier at least 18 inches deep around invasive types.
• Bamboo can be turned into Topiary as the leaves grow more abundantly after pruning and the culm won’t grow
• Bamboos need to be replaced every 10-15 years

Cutting Ornamental Grass

• Evergreen grasses should have leaves and seed heads tidied up whenever the start to look unkempt
• Damaged stems should be cut off regularly
• If you want to avoid too many self sown seedlings cut off flower heads before they mature or you will be hoeing out all unwanted plants
• Cut young foliage and flowers for drying well before they are in full bloom
• Cortaderia or Pampas grass has sharp edges so take care when pulling out old leaves. Cut out flowerheads as low as possible. If still cluttered cut out some new grass to create space.
• Grasses that aren’t evergreen should be cutback hard in early spring before new shhots start
• On tussock forming grass remove the lower leaves that are close to the soil and may harbour diseases

The best times of year for sowing a lawn are March and early September. The ground will be warm or warming up and there should still be enough moisture to encourage the grass to grow. Dependant on the location and use of the lawn choose a seed mix not one individual variety. For sports fields they use rye grass but this is too coarse so avoid Rye grass mixes.

Grass Sowing Tips

• Rake a fine tilth and firm the soil down without compacting it
• Remove stones and check the ground is level filling hollows
• Apply phosphates
• Mark areas and sow half the seed in one direction top to bottom then sow the other half side to side or hire a seed sower.
• Roll the lawn twice to bring the seed into firm contact with the soil and bring a little moisture to the surface.
• Erect a barrier to stop people walking on the new seeded area and put up cotton or bird scarers
• Finer grass has smaller seeds so shake or mix your seed well before sowing

Pointers for Greener Grass on new and established Lawns

If you want a nice new green sward or are content to allow flowers in a natural setting consider these quick tips to help you. Set your expectations and match your actions to the plan for best results.

• For an economic new lawn use seed but put turf around the perimeter so you can cut a neat edge
• Seed should be chosen for the type of lawn you want fo-ine grass is no use for lots of family games
• Keep paving or edging stone lower than the grass so you can mow up to the edge
• A cheap lawn spreader or seeder can be made out of a jar or tin can with holes in the lid
• Water with Epsom salts to get rid of toadstools and fairy rings
• Trim the edges of the grass for a neat look it is more important than short grass
• If the stripes after mowing are pale then the grass is being sqeezed not cut and the cylinder lawnmower needs resetting so the cutting blade is near the bottom plate
• Use lawn sand to avoid weed killers poisoning the clippings as compost or mulch
• Don’t apply fertiliser to wild-flower lawns
• If a lawn edge is damaged cur out a rectangle of turf and turn it around so the rough edge is in the midst of other grass that will knit it back into shape and the good edge will be on the outside.

Bellis or Daisy is recognised by it’s flat rosettes of oval leaves and small white yellow eyed flowers. They tend to form colonies that hug the ground to smother out nearby grass. From the boots of the ‘My old mans a dustman’ song, ‘it takes such a job to pull them up that he calls them daisy roots’ the best treatment is a selective weed killer that may need a couple of applications. Alternatively each root can be dug out by hand.

Dandelion leaves are recognised by long hairless coarsely toothed leaves that form large rosettes. They form dense mat to suppress the nearby plants or grass. The flowers are bright yellow and self-seed freely from Dandelion clocks the globular seed heads we blew as children. The long tap root will regrow unless removed completely or killed by systemic weed killer. Spot treat the weed with a touchweeder or selectively apply a weed killer. Burning and boiling water on the leaves may have some impact on crazy paving but i don’t find it works on lawns.

Buttercups stunt nearby plants and make the lawn look uncared for. remove by hand or normal weed killers.

Clover has shamrock shaped leaves (not real rocks as you find in rockeries). Clover stays green in drought and as a leguminous plant its roots provide nitrogen for grass but the pink or white flowers are intrusive. As clover thrives on poor soil feed the lawn and use a grass box on the mower to remove seed heads. Lawn sand may be used to treat the problem.

Plantains have large leaf rosettes that can smother grass and compete for vital nutrients. Fork out by hand or treat individually.

Annual meadow grass hosts harmful eelworms and is hard to control with weed killers. The leaves are short tufts and strap shaped with tiny coarse flowers. in summer they can die back leaving patches. Feed the lawn well and use the grass bow when mowing. really bad investations may need re sowing or turfing.

Moss is a dense low growing mat of greenery that affects badly drained lawns. It is too short to be cut by a mower but a lawn that itself is cut too short can attract moss instead of grass. Feed the lawn with a weed and feed fertiliser or use lawn sand containing a moss killer. Scarify and improve drainage by forking over the lawn

Lawn Tool Tips

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