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Category: Gardening

General gardening tips and hints

Scented Wild Flowers by Family

Scented Wild Flowers by Family

Opium may be a perfume that owes it’s history derived from wild poppies.
Wild meadow

Masses of wild flowers can produce a scented atmosphere that is second to none. Many plant families have scented species so sniff out your favourite.

Explanation why Wild Flowers are Scented

  • Scent is the oxidisation of essential oils of flowers and leaves.
  • Oils are mainly found on the upper surface of petals.
  • The most scented flowers are those with thick velvet like petals which slow down the evaporation of the scent.
  • Double white flowers like the rose are especially fragrant.
  • Oils are produced in inverse proportion to colour pigment which is why orange and scarlet flowers tend to have less scent.
  • Scent is classified into 10 and more groupings.

Evening Primrose …

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Easy and Easier Dahlias

Easy and Easier Dahlias

A cactus with a dinner-plate sized flower.

harrog-059
Cactus Dahlia

Easy Dahlias
Dahlias are the showiest of flowers with a wide range of flower types. If you want neighbours to stop in amazement to gaze at your garden give dahlias a chance. The colours available are brilliant and clean with a showy appearance. If kept deadheaded they will flower strongly until the first frost.

How to Grow Easy Dahlias

• The biggest and widest range of dahlias are grown from tubers (the thick finger like roots often sold in plastic bags at garden centres)
• Select your varieties via the pack picture and read the label to see what sort of flower to expect. There are good value mixed packs available
• Plant in the garden from early April about 6 inches deep or per the instructions on the pack. Give the plant space to grow, big varieties need 24 inch spacing.
• Growth comes from where the stem meets the tuber so take care not to damage that part. A tuber finger on its own will not grow. …

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10 Quick Gardening Tips

10 Quick Gardening Tips

Some plants ward off insects from more delicate plants.

Menston taggets

  1. It pays to think ahead for the garden. Wallflower seeds should be sown in June or July for the next spring –
  2. Deadhead plants that have flowered
  3. Occasionally water your plants with a solution of seaweed extract as a plant tonic and water newly sown seeds with a dilute solution as it helps germination
  4. After a prolonged rainy spell mulch your plants leaving a saucer effect to collect more water
  5. Water African violets and cape primroses from the bottom by placing pots in a shallow bowl to take up the water they need.
  6. With the increase in cost of all fuel plan what heat you need in the greenhouse this winter. hardier plants may survive in a cold greenhouse whilst tender plants may be over wintered in the house.
  7. If you have an unsightly boundary fence turn it into a ‘Fedge’. Weave Forsythia, Winter Jasmin and or Variagated Ivy (hedera canariensis) between the fence posts and palisades and get your cross between a hedge and a fence.
  8. For an aromatic low hedge try Rosemary the scent from which also confuses the carrot root fly
  9. Grow horseradish in drainpipes inserted vertically into the ground to get straight roots
  10. Your salads can be perked up with the thinning from salad crops and onions or leaves of other plants like the peppery taste of Nasturtium leaves

London jan 13

feed the birds by all means but draw the line at Geese.

Use Shrubs for Lower Maintenance

Use Shrubs for Lower Maintenance

It is no surprise that annuals need replacing every year. Shrubs are great for lowering the amount of maintenance needed in your garden. Big shrubs can cover larger areas and need very little care and maintenance.
Rhododendron
Rhododendrons can have a wide spreading habit over may yards or the smaller varieties will suppress other plants in a smaller bed.

Weigelia Varigata

This shrub grows over six feet high and covers a four foot circumference. When in full flower it is very striking and the variegated leaves have interest through summer. It is easy to propagate from 12 inch long cuttings of semi ripe wood and it is a rapid grower reaching good proportions in two years. Other varieties like Bristol Ruby forsake variegated leaves for very strong coloured flowers in June and July with a late show if you cut off the old flowers but for low maintenance don’t bother.

Varigated Weigelia in the sun

Photinia Red Robin

This is a shrub that can be left to develop or trained up a single stem. It is part of a family of Photinias that include small trees. For this variety of Photinia fraseri five feet is a reasonable size but it will continue to grow to a hight and spread to 10 feet. The shiny evergreen leaves are bright red in spring and apart from the danger of a bit of frost to the new leaves the shrubs are hardy. Again I don’t prune my photinia but when it gets to large i will cut it back which will encourage more red leaves at the expense of flowers

Two year old Photinia

Growing Calceolaria (Lady’s Purse)

Growing Calceolaria (Lady’s Purse)

I have done OK growing Calceolaria from seed but have then killed them off after flowering. Must try harder as my teachers used to say.

Calceolaria Walter Shrimpton

This Calceolaria is growing in a plunge bed of gravel inside a large  alpine house. The variety is called Walter Shrimpton and as you can see it is very floriferous given the right conditions.

Our local nursery has just started to sell plants of Calceolaria Sunset Red and Sunset Orange and I have bought a plant to try. It is not yet in flower so I hope it lives upto the Orange tag. Previously I have tried growing these plants from seed but I have been careless with the very fine seed and had only the success I deserve i.e. nil!.

Calceolaria Facts and Cultivation

  • Calceolaria originate from South America and are generally bushy perennial plant that grows 12″ tall.
  • The distinguishing and most attractive feature is the slipper like flowers blooming on short stems.
  • The leaves are soft, fleshy and often grey-green.

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Growing Tuberous Begonias in the UK

Growing Tuberous Begonias in the UK

The second raving post about Begonias.
Beggars Begonias

Begonias are native to all parts of the world except Australia and Europe. The South American species have been bred in England since the 1860’s and we can now enjoy many colourful varieties. Grow as houseplants or for borders.

Growing Begonias from Tubers

  • Growing begonias couldn’t be easier. Buy good stock, firm to the touch.
  • Plant the rounded tuber with the indented surface upwards and the roots downwards.
  • Start tubers off between February – April in frost free conditions. You can put several in a tray until new roots are formed.
  • Cover with damp peaty compost until only the top of the tuber is visible level with the compost.
  • When the tops are 2-4″ tall roots should be good enough to pot-on. That is plant in the begonia in it’s final home be it indoor pot, outdoor container or border.
  • Water in then leave until compost is on the dry-side to encourage new roots to search out more moisture.
  • Thereafter water and feed your pot begonias as they are thirsty plants.

Begonia Buds

  • Begonias are very free flowering and may try to flower before enough energy has been built up.
  • When the first small bud cluster is as large as a 10 pence piece lift it upwards and backwards and snap it off.
  • Future flowers will reward you for this effort.
  • Begonias bud in 3’s and the central bud is the dominant male which will be double. The single female side buds can be taken off to channel the energy into the main flowers.
  • Bedding begonias do not need to have the side buds taken off but do nip out the first buds to get a strong plant.

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In Praise of Frost

In Praise of Frost

The last in my quartet of posts about Frost for this winter. Roll on spring as opposed to spring on rolls.

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Jasmin nudiflorum

‘If winter comes can spring be far behind’ or should that be changed, due to global warming, as the season merge. Due to lack of seasonal frost many spring flowers have been appearing through late Autumn and my Primula and even Wallflowers are showing lots of colour.

What we need is a series of crisp hard frosts to let everyone and everything know that the season has changed. Animals can go into hibernation (instead of the squirrels stealing the bird food) and plants can become dormant or die back as they are programmed by nature to do.

My Dahlias have given sterling service but now I wish the stalks a happy burial on the compost heap but I always wait for them to catch the frost first. Other plants are looking forward to getting frosted and what will the ‘sprouts taste like without a bit of cold weather.
If it was rain that encouraged winter dormancy then everything would have shut up shop way back. The soggy ground would appreciate some frost sending worms deeper and breaking the claggy ground.

Bulbs need some cold weather to develop the best roots so come on Jack lets have some cold weather. In previous years I have lifted crowns of Rhubarb to get a bit of frost but I am leaving them in the ground this year and will see if it has a negative effect or not.

So come on Jack Frost get on your Icicle and pedal down and arrange a cold snap for British gardeners.

Hoar Frost in my Garden

Hoar Frost in my Garden

A hoary old chestnut or an updated post from 2012?

mvuf 006

What is Hoar Frost

  • Hoar frost is airborne crystalised frost caused by rapid cooling of plants whilst the air is still and moist.
  • It tends to be shorter lived than a full frost when temperatures remain well below freezing.
  • ‘Air hoar frost’ can cover bushes and plants with ice crystals that look like white hair.
  • Cold air flows down into hollows and can create frost pockets.
  • Rime is a thicker ice deposit often created in windy conditions.

Damage and Treatment After Hoar Frost

Bring Back Gardeners Buttonholes

Bring Back Gardeners Buttonholes

Many proper gardeners wore shirt and tie but few wore the button hole flowers they grew. We are starting a campaign to bring back button holes!

Buttonholes are ‘not just for weddings’ but they have dropped down the fashion stakes as gardeners have concentrated on garden design rather than sartorial elegance. How many gardeners now wear a suit and tie to work but pre war that was a different matter.
I am thinking of starting a campaign to bring back the regular wearing of a floral buttonhole but first I intend growing more buttonhole flowers.
National buttonhole day could be on your particular anniversary, April Fools day or my choice would be 30th June to offer a good selection of flowers.

Flowers For Buttonholes

  • I was torn between a Rose bud and several other species for the top of the list but Roses won. There are numerous varieties and colours now available and you can cut many buttonhole flowers from one plant.

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