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Author: hortoris

Rabbits a Pest in the Garden

Rabbits a Pest in the Garden

Book Cover

Hungry Rabbits seem to eat virtually anything and I am not keen to satisfy their appetite. Not only that but they can cause other damage to plants and young trees. So in general I am disapproving of rabbits.

Symptoms of Rabbit Damage

  • Rabbits feed on a wide range of vegetables and ornamental plants grazing them close to the ground. My Muscari bulb shoots provided a tasty spring snack.
  • All they leave are short sprouts that may or may not grow back (to provide the rabbits with a second helping)
  • Even rose shoots have been gnawed away on my neighbours prize shrubs.
  • The bark of young trees is often gnawed to sharpen the teeth of the pesky rabbits.

Control of Rabbits

  • Erect a Rabbit proof fence all around the garden of 1″ wire mesh. It needs to be 4 feet high and 12″ buried below ground to stop Colditz style break ins over or under.
  • Use an animal repellent like Renadine or Wild Animal repellent
  • Get a Jack Russel or other suitable dog.
  • Move home

Some Rabbit Resistant Plants

  • Alchemilla mollis or Aquilegia
  • Bergenia or Foxglove
  • Clematis or Euphorbia
  • Dahlia and Peaony
  • Primula and some Hemerocallis
Growing Camassia Bulbs

Growing Camassia Bulbs

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Camassia is a genus of summer flowering bulbs that naturalises well in gardens. The leafless flower spikes have blue and occasionally violet or white star shaped flowers.

Culture and Growing Tips

  • The plant thrives in moist conditions in meadows, alongside streams and near ponds.
  • The soil needs to be high in humus, not waterlogged and otherwise the plant is easy to grow   forming  big clumps.
  • Camassia may be divided in autumn after the leaves have withered.
  • Bulbs should be planted 4″ deep in the autumn. Additionally the plant spreads by seed.
  • Leaves are slow to die down when grown in grass.
  • Flower spikes range from 1′ to 5′ tall dependent on variety.
  • Grow nfrom fresh seed or offsets from around the main bulb

Camassia

Camassia Varieties

Bird Cherry – Prunus Padus

Bird Cherry – Prunus Padus

Prunus padus blossom

Not the the traditonal blousy Japanese cherry but the purple-leaved bird cherry is a more unusual choice for the large garden.

Bird Cherry Description

  • Smaller than the wild cherry it will still grow to circa 20-30 feet with a similar spread.
  • Dark purple shoots appear in spring followed by coppery-purple foliage that gradually fades to green.
  • The dark foliage is the perfect foil for the delicate pale-pink flowers, which are held on elongated clusters.
  • The flowers have a delicate almond scent
  • These are followed later in the year by astringent black fruits which birds adore.
  • The bird cherry will grow on most neutral to alkaline soils and is particularly good for chalky soils.
  • Often seen in mixed hedges that support wild life.

Bird Cherry Varieties

  • Albertii is a vigorous free growing fome of Prunus Padus
  • Clorata has an AGM for young coppery leaves and pale pink flowers.
  • Waterii grandiflora long racemes of flowers and also has an AGM
  • Prunus padus commutata The Mayday Tree is of medium height (30′), low-branched and has a compact, rounded canopy that may reach 20′
Tips for Growing Meconopsis the Blue Poppy

Tips for Growing Meconopsis the Blue Poppy

Mecanopsis Crewdson hybrid

The blue poppy is one of the truly stunning blue flowers to grace any garden. I predict a growth in interest in Meconopsis over the next few years as nurserymen increase saleable stock following some intensive nation wide trials.

Cultivation and Propagation of Meconopsis

  • The family contains perennials and monocarpic plants that die after flowering.
  • Soil should be neutral to acidic with plenty of humus.
  • I find they need plenty of moisture and are often grown alongside streams.
  • Meconopsis, are hardy but often short lived, preferring shade and a cool position to full sun.
  • Grow from fresh seed. Clump forming Meconopsis sheldonii should be divided every 3 years

Mecanopsis

Species and Varieties

  • Meconopsis grandis can grow 3-5′ tall with stout stems bearing nodding cup-shaped blue flowers.
  • Mecanopsis cambrica, quintuplinervia and cultivars can be propagated by division.

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Growing Acer as Small Trees

Growing Acer as Small Trees

leaves

Acer are renown for the colour of their leaves in Autumn. Careful selection of varieties will produce great spring colour in addition to your Autumn blaze of glory.

leaves

Select the varieties that are classified as shrubs. ‘Japanese Maple’ Acer japonicum and palmatum will give you the desired results.

Other Acers like Field maple, Sycamore, Red or Silver Maple are all medium to large trees 50′ plus.

Paper bark maple and Snake bark maple have interesting bark and grow to be small trees 15-25 feet tall.

leaves

Acer japonicum Vitifolium is one of my favourites not shown here. It has salmon coloured fan shaped  leaves that turn red in Autumn.

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What Flower is This? Unusual Tulips!

What Flower is This? Unusual Tulips!

No prizes but this is a Tulip called ‘Sensual Touch’. It is amazing what breeders are able to create with modern technologies.

As this is Tulip season I have included a few more less common pictures of Tulips that I have found on my travels this spring.


Blousy flower


Fringed Tulips

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Pricking Out Guide

Pricking Out Guide

Plants grown from seed need to be given space to grow by ‘Pricking Out’ or thinning.
This process gives young plants space and nutrient necessary for healthy growth.

Guide for Pricking Out

  • For seeds grown in seed trays, ‘prick out’ the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle.
  • Use a small tool or dibber to loosen the seed compost and lift out the seedling.
  • Hold by the first green leaves not the roots.
  • Plant in rows in a new tray of multi purpose compost using a dibber to make holes. Firm the compost around the plant.
  • Space the seedlings 1-2 ” apart depending on the vigour/size of the plant you are growing.
  • Water using a watering can with a fine rose.
  • Shade from direct sunlight for a couple of days.

Other Pricking out Activities

  • Prick out into modules to save time and further root disturbance when planting out.
  • Bigger plants like Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Dahlias etc can be pricked out into individual pots.
  • I put Mesembryanthemums direct into the garden after hardening them off.
  • Seedlings grown in Jiffy pots are best potted into there own plant pot.
  • When starting off sow in modules or cells. Seeds can be sown individually or in small number where the weaker seedlings can be sacrificed to allow the strongest to grow. (Thinning out).

Seeds sown direct into their final position in the garden may need to be spaced. Pinch or pull out seedlings that are cramped, to leave a space between your selected plants for growing on. Carrots and plants that don’t tolerate root disturbance are treated this way.

Seeds sown in a garden seed bed can be pricked out if required but I sow them thinly enough to be able to just move them once into the final growing position.
Some flower mixtures are best just broadcast and left to grow where they germinate.

Tip
If you are growing a seed mixture transplant a range of seedlings not just the largest. Often different coloured flowers grow differently at the seedling stage.

Movement in Your Garden

Movement in Your Garden

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The day was still and the only movement was the lazy (none PC) smoke drifting from a brushwood fire but it made me think of movement in my garden.


Natural Movement.

  • Grasses have grown in popularity with prairie planting creating drifts of fine plumes of seed heads wafting in the breeze.
  • Fine leaves, particularly the well coloured Acers, are one of my favourites.
  • The fast running and gurgling stream provides stimulation to several senses at the same time.
  • Tall thin plants like bamboo are grown for their ability to move in a breeze. Verbena bonariensis and tall back of the border plants are also useful
  • Visiting birds and insects are great for movement. Make sure your garden attracts them.

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Man-made Movement

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Veronicastrum Height & Vertical Form in Gardens

Veronicastrum Height & Vertical Form in Gardens

Veronicastrum grows and flowers 3-6 feet tall and adds height to many gardens.

Tips for Growing Veronicastrum

  • Native to American woodlands and prairies, Veronicastrum likes rich moist soil.
  • With full sun or light shade they grow towards the light and may need staking in windy locations but grow well with other back of the border perennials.
  • Flowering is in late summer in whites, purples and pink, they are Bee friendly.
  • Leave the spikes to add winter interest and for seeding.
  • Use as cut flowers either fresh or dried.


Hardy Varieties to Grow

  1. Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Album’ has an airy white spire of tightly packed flowers.
  2. Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Facination’ grows on stiff stems but the mauve flowering spikes droop slightly whilst still adding height to the back of borders.
  3. Veronicastrum roseum ‘Pink Glow’ is the colour it claims to be and mixes well with other late blooming perennials.
  4. Veronicastrum sibiricum (above)  is lower growing at 3-4 feet
Apple Blossom in Pictures and Notes

Apple Blossom in Pictures and Notes

Apple blossom

2010 seems set to be a great year for Apple Blossom. All around there seems to be vast quantities of blossom on each tree – let us hope there are enough Bees to go around when it comes to pollination.

I was surprised when I looked more closely at the size and colour on the blossom of different trees and have reproduced some varieties here. As you may remember there was a lot of frost damage on a row of cordons but, touch wood, my main trees remain unaffected.

The late arrival of warm weather is playing into the hands of pollination as most varieties seem to have opened at the same time. This will bring the insects out and help cross pollination to produce a good crop of Apples.

Apple blossom

Glowering skies loom over this tree but showers of rain are an occupational hazard for Apple blossom. As long as the rain drains from the tree and is not trapped in pockets to cause wood rot there is no problem.

I have to admit to a spray regime after blossom fall to protect my fruit to deter insects

Apple blossom

This eating apple has dark red skin and I will have to look in my old note book to remind me of the variety. Still I am not surprised to see that it has pinker blossom than the James Grieve.

Each blossom was larger than the old half-crown and made a wonderful sight.

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