Gardeners Tips

Do you remember Bill & Ben the flowerpot men and their friend Little Weed?
Did they have gnomes in the garden and if not why not. These little stone or pot ornaments do not do any harm except when dropped on slugs.

The word Gnome is more pc than the German equivalent of Garden Dwarves hey-ho as Snowwhite wouldn’t say
Grumpy Gnome home
Keep Calm and talk to your Gnome
Stay off the grass only smoke tobacco
If you want to grow your own food look for bacon seeds

What do you call plant that self sows everywhere? A weed

Free weeds  – Pick Your Own!

 

Georgia O’Keefee painted some brilliant portraits of red Poppies some times upto 3 feet wide and high, even bigger than the real thing in my garden.The last photo shows how Red and Green work well together on a canvas or in a garden setting.
Oriental poppies are perennial and most Poppy species are easy to grow from seed of which 50 varieties are available from Thompson & Morgan

Poppy seedheads form in the capsules and when the seed is ripe the lid of the capsule opens to allow seeds to be shaken out. They are not all sown at once by this method so if conditions are not right some seed remains in the pod.
Seed is hard black and long lived.

The Poppy petals are sumptuous is texture and colour and can be very showy through-out summer if you select a range of varieties.

 

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Violas are perennial and grow best in well drained soil that has an open structure to encourage fibrous roots and promote many stems from the same root. They may get a bit leggy so cut back two or three times during the spring and summer to encourage new shoots and more flowers. Aid this by applying a liquid rose fertilizer or seaweed and keep watered.

Violas do not have the ‘blotch’ of the pansy but may have dark rays in the blue yellow or mauve petals. Violettas are very similar but with smaller flowers, compact habit and a good fragrance.

Many violas self seed but I try and collect seed from plants that I like. Sow the fresh seed on the surface of the compost but exclude light until they germinate in about 2 weeks.

Propagation to get more Violas for Free

• In the second week of June cut plants back to within 2 inches of the soil.
• When the shoots grow back to 3 inches long scatter some fine soil mixed with peat, amongst the shoots and keep well watered.
• In two or three weeks the shoots will have rooted and can be replanted in a shady spot
• Pinch out the growing tip to encourage branching
• Divide plants every two or three years in Spring as they start to grow or in Autumn but the results may not be as good as the rooted cuttings.
• Alternatively sow fresh seeds in July. Cover lightly but then exclude light for a few weeks until they have germinated. transplant in October to flower next spring.

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One gardeners Daisy is another gardeners weed. This Ox- Eye daisy is made up from numerous white ray flowers surrounding a bright yellow disk flower or florets the outer white petals are common in many daisies. Bellis perennis is the common daisy growing in meadows and many lawns. Lots of children will be familiar with the Daisy chains made by linking flowers together.

More exotic daisy plants can be discovered in this comprehensive guide.

Daisies are from the Asteraceae or Compositae family that has over 20,000 species from over 1500 genera that includes the Asters, Senicio and Sunflowers. …

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Tulips protected by a windbreak.

If you live in an exposed environment with strong winds, you will have to be more selective about the plants you chose. Bear in mind also, windy gardens may soon dry out. You will have to avoid plants which can easily get ‘wind burn’ – acers for example spring to  mind.

Gardeners often see wind as an ‘enemy’ of the garden – blowing over their prize delphiniums e.t.c. But, wind can have beneficial effects. Some plants like bamboo and grasses, look enchanting blowing in the wind. With careful planning, the windy garden can still do well. One tip is simply to see what is thriving in similar environments. Good plants for windy gardens include

Best Plants for Windy Gardens

Bamboo. Chose a non-invasive variety or grow in pots. Bamboo makes a great sound swaying in the wind. It also helps to offer a flexible windbreak, to provide more shelter.

Hydrangea. A low growing shrub with attractive blue or pink flowers in summer. In particular thrives in coastal situation with both wind and salty air.

Scot Heather – grows in a variety of conditions from exposed moorland to the town garden. Only real requirement is an acidic compost.

Sedge – Carex. A grass that looks great blowing in the wind. Tough pliable bronze foliage looks great in the wind.

Sea Lavender – Limonium – A much undervalued annual with attractive flowers in the height of summer, will be fine in windy environments.

Chilean Potato Tree – Solanum Crispum. A fast evergreen climber which will soon cover fence and provide more shelter.

Geraniums and Pelargoniums. These low growing annuals will be fine in windy conditions. This applies to over low growing annuals such as buzy lizzies.

Related

• Windbreaks for the garden
• Windbreaks for the Garden at Amazon.co.uk
• Trees exposed to wind
• Coastal wind suggestions

You only need subtle shade changes to achieve a striking effect with well chosen plants. Good companions complement one another in a range of ways.

These Euphorbia and Crocosmia work well together due to the shape and forms of the leaf and the similarity and warmth of colour.
Crocosmia will flower in a hue like that of the Euphorbia but later in the summer – see images.

For more information on Euphorbia read Top Ten Euphorbias

For more pictures and growing tips on Crocosmia see link

These Malva moschata are easy to grow perennials that flower strongly in mid summer. The pastel shade of pink is also picked out in the eye of the virtually white flower. …

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A small name but a large, 400 strong, species. There are many Sedum or Stonecrop family of plants to grow.

Growing Tips

• Sedum is a succulent plant that stores water in it’s leaves.
• As with other succulents they are often cultivated with Cacti but are easy to grow in a garden.
• Sedum varieties can make good ground cover from rose-shaped growths in shades of green, yellow and pink.
• Sedum are not heavy feeders and do not need good soil. That is why the above plant is growing in my wall.
• Sedum thrive best in full sun or a good light.

The Sedum society has a seed distribution and cuttings service.  Read more on Sedum and Saxifrages or Sedum Ice Plants

Sedum Matting …

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