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Gardening articles that may not include tips

Architectural Phormium

Architectural Phormium

Tips for Growing Phormium

  • Phormiums make a striking architectural plant and feature in your garden.
  • Called New Zealand flax the sword like leaves are leathery and useful for flower decorations.
  • This variety of variegated Phormium tenax is 6 foot tall.
  • Plants are usually vegetatively propagated  so look like the parent plant.
  • Some plants can be grown from seed but I have no experience.
  • Try Phormium as a potted plant.
  • Propagate by division cutting slices from the edge of a root ball.

Lots of varieties including, Apricot Queen, Black Edge, Bronze, Bronze Baby, Co-ordination, Copper Beauty, Coppershine, Dark Delight, Duet, Emerald Isle, Emerald Pink, Evening Glow, Gold Sword, Jack Spratt, Jester, Maori Sunrise, Pink Panther, Pink Stripe, Platt’s Black, Rainbow Maiden, Rubra, Sundance, Surfer Boy, Thumbelina, Tom Thumb, Tricolor, Yellow Wave. are available from http://www.fernwood-nursery.co.uk/phormium.htm

phormium1

Rhododendron Care and Deadheading after Flowering

Rhododendron Care and Deadheading after Flowering

now
It is hard to know where to start with Rhododendrons and the 850+ species. Perhaps a good book will help the beginner get an overview.

Book Cover

Failing that there is membership of the RHS specialist section The Rhododendron, Camellia & Magnolia Group.

www.rhodogroup-rhs.org/ This society controls ‘The International Rhododendron Register and Checklist’ of the named 29,000 +varieties, cultivars and group names.

Gardenerstips

  • Look out for plants with the Award of Garden Merit including the following Lepidote species Augustinii, Edgeworthii, Keiskei, Racemosum and Yunnanense.
  • Elepidote species are generally larger and AGM’s include Niveum, Morii, Fluvum, Arboreum and Decorum.

Soon the display of colourful Rhododendrons will falter and be over for another year. I still like the leaf colours, textures and shapes and Rhododendrons are easy to for.
There are some good tips to get a great show next spring, it is never to early too start.

rhodo-seed-heads

Deadheading Rhododendrons

On the above photo the petals have just fallen and the long,  tubular seedheads are just beginning to form.
It is not worth letting the seedheads fill up and develop as you are unlikely to be trying to breed your own from seed. So any energy put into the seedheads is energy lost from next years plant and flowers.
If you look closely on the next picture you will see that at either side of the seed spikes there are leaf buds. Generally there are two leaf buds for each dead flower.

pinch-twist

It can be a long job on a large Rhododendron but I pinch out the seedheads to divert energy back to the shrub and give the leaf buds space to develop.
Pinching the often sticky seedsheads, I give a twist to break the stem just above the new leaf joint. It only takes a little practice, you soon pick up the knack without causing any damage. To me it is therapeutic on a warm spring afternoon to be helping channel the natural energy into plants that have given so much pleasure already.

leaf-buds-left

Here you can see the seeds have been removed and added to the compost heap. The light green new buds will generate leaves and new branches that can develop in the space now vacated.
Failing to deadhead is not to say leaving the shrub to its own devices will be a failure but as we are growing for ornamental purposes every bit to care helps. In the wild Rhododendrons manage quite nicely thank you without this TLC.

Rhododendron Care after Flowering

Try some commonsense housekeeping but leave the pruning shears in the shed.
New flower buds for next year are formed on Rhododendrons during summer so I try keep them well supplied with water.
Rhododendrons are shallow rooted so they like a drink and an occasional feed of ericaceous fertiliser.
After flowering and a wet spell in late spring I often give the Rhododendrons a top dressing of peat (Agh! I hear some of you say but it is the natural ericaceous medium for Rhododendrons).
I also sometimes spray with diluted Miracle Grow ericaceous fertiliser.
Keep the area weed free. I find the canopy of Rhododendron leaves works well keeping weeds down.

Five Primrose Pictures

Five Primrose Pictures

Primroses that bloom in the spring tra-la seemed a good title for these pictures with short pithy comments attached.

Primrose
Hedgerow primroses grow well in the shade but flower better when a bit of sun breaks through the woodland branches waiting for their new leaves.

Flowers that Bloom in the Spring, tra-la
The inspiration for these five pictures of Primrose in their many colours.

Primroses in Spring

Leaves can die back shortly after flowering. The longer they are green the more they are feeding the roots and plant for future flowering.
Water and feed after flowering, you would be hungry and thirsty after producing so much seed and progeny.

Haworth primroses

Some colour look good and faithful on computer screens. I think that this applies to these Primroses.

Primrose
Bred as a double flower this Primrose has interesting colouring. Some plants can be over bred and are then hard to keep from one year to the next. This is the second year of this plant.


Picture and other credits

Primrose seeds at Thompson & Morgan
Flowers that Bloom in the Spring, tra-la by cobalt123 CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 ‘Perky blooms in full glory, seen at the entrance to the Westin Hotel at LAX in Los Angeles. I don’t know what these are, so an ID is appreciated. I now believe these are primrose flowers. There were many colors and varieties of these flowers, which must be hardy against peaks of high and low temperatures and the gusty winds near the airport.’
Primroses in Spring by Chiot’s Run CC BY-NC 2.0 ‘…this one plant is 7 years old. All the other ones died, but this one blooms every spring…’

 

Dream of Spring Flowers

Dream of Spring Flowers

Spring Flowers

As it comes up towards Christmas there is less you can do in the garden. Perhaps it is time for gardeners tips to help you dream of your perfect spring garden.

The mix of plants  varies according to location and a gardeners peccadilloes. Bulbs are a firm favourite from Africa to Zetland. The range and selection is enormous and you are seldom disappointed for the first season at least.

Snowdrops followed by Aconites and Daffodils start the spring show. A bold splash of colour from Primroses, Primulas and Tulips above will kick start your garden patch.
Rockeries look a picture in spring as the smaller plants get to bloom their socks off.
My personal favourite is the Rhododendrons and Azalea bed below.

Rhodo blossom

Alternative Spring In Madeira

Cure and Avoid Blackspot on Roses

Cure and Avoid Blackspot on Roses

Black spot

Black spot is an ugly and plant threatening, fungal disease causing problems with Roses. Due to ,my inattention my roses were ravaged this year!

Avoid Black Spot

  • Keep the ground clear of any diseased leaves or plant matter.
  • Burn affected leaves, do not compost as this just recycles the spores.
  • Use clean tools or dip them in fungicide particularly those that contact the sap like secateurs or loppers.
  • Buy disease resistant varieties of rose.
  • Allow air to circulate. Black spot likes humid conditions so water carefully.
  • Beware black spot can be transmitted from plant to plant. Good hygiene is vital.

Treating Black Spot

  • Remove and destroy infected material.
  • Spray with a systemic fungicide on both sides of the leaves and the stems of affected plants.

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Inverewe Garden and Rhododendrons

Inverewe Garden and Rhododendrons

Rhododendron

Interesting Facts about Inverewe Garden

  • A National Trust for Scotland garden famed for its exotic plants despite being further north than Moscow and St Petersburg.
  • 100 acres of garden created by Sir Osgood Mackenzie and Lady Mackenzie in the 19th century.
  • The north of the garden around the shores of Loch Thurnaig have been occupied since the Iron Age.
  • The warm currents of the Gulf Stream help to create a micro climate that produces an oasis of colour and fertility where exotic plants from many countries flourish.
  • Himalayan rhododendrons, Tasmanian eucalypts and many Chilean and South African plants are featured, together with a large collection of New Zealand plants including the National Collection of the genus Olearia.
  • An area named the Bambooselem was planted in the 1880’s. Many of the Bamboos have since flowered and died but the name deserves to live on.

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More Gardening Books for Kids

More Gardening Books for Kids

Last month I listed three popular gardening books for children based on my observations at RHS library. Here are some other books that can be bought from Amazon by clicking on the cover.

Book Cover
‘Grow It Eat It’ is a book for adults and kids to work on together.

Book Cover
‘Starting Gardening’ sets out simple gardening skills in a fun manner.

Book Cover
If you think gardeners are getting younger then look at this Activity book for 3-5 year olds .
‘…All the activities are designed to develop important preschool skills and are based on the Areas of Learning for under-fives recommended by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.’ I am in favour of Kids learning but do we need gardening on the under 5’s curriculum?
I recently spent six months voluteering at the RHS library. I was amazed at the enthusiasm and interest of children in books and garden related matters.
Below is just a small selection of books that may make unexpected stocking fillers for Christmas.

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‘Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots: Gardening Together with Children’ by Sharron Lovejoy includes themed gardens like the “Pizza Patch” and the “Moon Garden”, and a list of the top 20 plants for children.

Book Cover

‘The Playground Potting Shed: A Foolproof Guide to Gardening with Children’ by Dominic Murphy will inspire young people to get gardening whether at home or at school.

Book Cover

The RHS starts off with the ever popular Sunflower on the cover of ‘Ready, Steady, Grow’. The book includes details of quick and easy garden projects

Books can be ordered from Amazon by clicking on the images above.

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Growing Ginkgo or Gingko Trees

Growing Ginkgo or Gingko Trees

Young Ginkgo

Ginkgo trees are sacred trees planted around shrines and temples in China. They do not flower but have male and female plants with male catkins and long stalked ovules.

Leaves of Ginkgo

  • The deciduous leaves are  fan-shaped with veins radiating out into the leaf blade.
  • The sculpted leaves are usually  2-5 inches  long borne on short woody shoots.
  • The old popular name “Maidenhair tree” is derived from the leaves.
  • The green leaves turn buttery yellow in autumn.
  • Ginkgo leaf extract is used to treat a variety of  conditions, including memory loss, asthma, bronchitis,  and tinnitus

Growing Tips for Ginkgo

  • Most trees available in the UK are male. They grow 50-150 feet tall.
  • Ginkgo biloba do not tolerate shade and grows best in environments that are well-watered and well-drained.
  • Ginkgo retains a prodigious capacity for vegetative growth. One tree in Hiroshima regrew after the atomic bomb.
  • Ginkgo is capable of sprouting from buds near the base of the trunk. It also can develop aerial roots.
  • Fossils dating back 250 million years testify to the longevity of the species.

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Children’s Bottle Gardens and Terrariums

Children’s Bottle Gardens and Terrariums

photo by medoriastar

Bottle Gardens for children can be entertaining and educational. Plants can be supplemented with small toys as any gardening is meant to be fun.

Containers and Bottles
At the larger end you may want a fish tank garden, which is easier to plant up and maintain. Cut a piece of glass to fit on the top.
An old sweet jar laid on it’s side or a goldfish bowl can be planted up
Clear glass is needed to get photosynthesis working.
The larger the bottle top the easier it will be to fill and maintain.

How to Plant up
Put in a 2″ layer of fine gravel to aid drainage
Cover with a layer of compost no more than 2-3 ”
Plant mini plants in the compost, taller growers at the back.
Cover again with a thin layer of gravel to hold soil in place.


Small Plants for a Children’s Bottle Garden

Select plants that are slow growing and dwarf in habit like:-

  • Polka dot plants Hypoestes phyllostachya
  • Friendship plant Pilea involucrata terxtured or lined varieties
  • Peperomias are compact with heart shaped leaves
  • African violets and the carpet plant Episcia both have good flowers

Cultivation of your Bottle Garden

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Tips for Dark Winter Gardening

Tips for Dark Winter Gardening

Book Cover

What can gardeners do in the cold wet months of December and January? The soil will probably be cold and wet as so will be the weather particularly if you live in the north of England.
Stay warm and dry and do all the cleaning and maintenance jobs you have avoided. When the growing season starts in earnest you wont have the time.

One tip for indoors is to invest in a ‘blue light’ or natural light bulb. This can con plants into thinking the days are a bit longer and the light levels a bit brighter.

A top ten tips

  1. Curl up with a good internet connection and browse away on the host of gardening web sites including Gardenerstips.
  2. Ask Father Christmas for a gardening book on your favourite subject or by a popular set of authors like Matthew Biggs, John Cushnie, Bob Flowerdew, and Anne Swithinbank.
  3. Plan your garden campaign for the coming seasons. Record what you want to achieve and the actions that will help you achieve it.
  4. Order your seeds and summer bulbs from a quality supplier.
  5. Check your over wintering plants, cuttings and stored vegetables.

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