• Blood Meal – high in nitrogen for grass and leafy growth e.g. Vegetables like Cabbage
• Bone Flour / Meal – Nitrogen and Phosphate. Quick acting for strong growth.
• Fish Meal – low Potash, high Nitrogen and Phosphate.
• Fish / Blood / Bone – Nitrogen and Phosphate. Apply around plants on planting
• Poultry Manure – Good all round plant food. Helps for soil preparation and for putting around new plants.
• Rock Potash – good for flowers and fruits. Offers slow release of potash over a couple of years.
• Seaweed Meal – Nitrogen and Potash. Also excellent source of trace minerals.
• Wood Ash – High in Potash. Good for fruits and flowers. Quick acting.

Organic Plant food for bedding plants

Also consider liquid organic feeds such as:

• Compost Tea
• Comfrey feed and
• Liquid Seaweed.

Related

• Home made organic garden sprays
• Best Plant Food
• Fertilizers for growth
• Organic Plant Food at Amazon
• Read more about Organic Seaweed

There are many different methods of dealing with slugs such as:

• Beer traps – slugs fall in and drown
• Slug gone wool pellets (wool fibres have tiny barbs on).
• Biological control.
• Using a penknife to cut them in half.

Some people advise putting egg shells and sharp gravel around plants. However, this often fails to work and is both time consuming and unsightly.

If you don’t fancy the above methods, slug pellets are an effective choice for dealing with a large number of slugs.

Some Advice on Using Slug Pellets.

• Don’t spread them too Thickly. It is better to spread a small number over a large area. Some people pile them up like pebbles on a beech, but, this doesn’t really increase their effectiveness.
• Push Underground. After broadcasting slug pellets on soil, use a hoe to push some pellets under the soil. Most slugs are active below the soil. Pushing them below surface makes the soil more attractive and also prevents them killing birds like Thrushes.
• At Glee garden trade show 2011 I saw a slug bell that is designed to disguise the pellets but from who or what?

• Slug Pellets at Amazon

Related

• Tips for dealing with slugs and snails
• Slug free hostas

These Gunnera leaves have been used as a natural frost protection. Before the first frosts, you can place some straw over crowns of plants and keep them in place by the giant leaves. This helps to offer some frost protection which should help them survive the cold of the year. As an added advantage it also looks quite attractive in its own right.

Fleece Protection for Plants.

Horticultural fleece is a simple but effective tool to wrap around individual plants or cover a row of tender plants / vegetables.

Horticultural fleece can also be a great way of protecting plants and vegetables from pests such as cabbage butterfly.

Individual Plant Protection

If you have a few pots which would benefit from frost protection, you can buy these individual plant fleece liners. Plant fleece protectors

This is a more expensive way of buying fleece, but, maybe more convenient for a small number of plants or pots.

Tips on Using Garden Fleece.

• Make sure it is well pegged down.
• Take advantage of any natural frost protection such as moving pots to a sheltered south wall.
• Remember fleece protection will keep temperatures higher, but, it cannot guarantee against frost.
• For tender plants, you have to keep them inside.

Poly Tunnels

For a bigger range of frost protection, the best option may be a poly tunnel. This is a cheap version of a greenhouse. It doesn’t look too attractive in the garden, but, it is pretty efficient and helping frost protection. Poly tunnels

Cloche Protection

For a more attractive garden frost protection, try a Cloche. These look both elegant and help provide environment of a mini greenhouse, though bear in mind in late summer they can become quite hot on a clear sunny day. Cloche protection

Natural Frost Protection

These Iris Unguicularis have been placed against a south facing wall in a dry, free draining soil. A good free draining soil is often as important as protection against cold. A combination of wet and cold can be much more damaging than just frost.

Begonia plants are often the first to succumb to air frost. get the corms inside and protected for winter before the ground is also frozen.

Dahlia leaves go black as soon as they are bitten by the frost bug. Then is the time to cut down the haulms and dig up the tubers for winter storage in dry frost free conditions.

Useful Products

• Horticultural Fleece at Amazon.co.uk
• Cloche at Amazon.co.uk

Related articles

• Frost Damage to plants
• Winter Flowering Plants
• Growing Veg in the greenhouse

A simple but very effective way to take better photos of flowers is to invest in a mini tripod.

This enables a steady hand and the ability to get sharper pictures. It also enables you to use a wider field of focus and slow shutter speed without blurry photos.

To get even sharper photos you can use the shutter delay function on your camera. This means it takes 2 seconds to take photo after pressing the button. This means you don’t shake the camera when pressing the button.

The tripod is easily manageable and bendable. The only downside is that you may have to get low down to operate it. Just think it is like weeding on your hands and knees. However, getting to ground level helps take interesting flower photos as you taken at the height of the flower rather than looking down.

At only £12, it’s not a big investment but can make a big difference.

One word of note, make sure you get the right tripod. If you have a heavy SLR camera you need a sturdy model which will support its weight.

From a field of crocus with a wide depth of field F29. (could try landscape on compact)

Compare that photo to this

This is using low F number (typically what you get if you chose macro (flower symbol) option. You can see, with a low f number you can’t get the whole picture in focus. A low number is good if you want to isolate a particular flower. But, sometimes you want the whole garden effect.
Joby Gorrila pod at Amazon.co.uk

• Winter Iris Photos
• Crocus Photos

Some general tips on Compost heaps.

It is best to have at least two. This means you can be adding to the second whilst the first is rotten down. For leaves, you will want a dedicated leaf composter – which will be a simpler wire netting or plastic bag.

The bigger the compost heap the better; it enables a higher temperature of composting. This higher temperature means quicker decomposing and more likelyhood of getting rid of disease.

There is a simple art to making compost heaps. Essentially add a mixture of material. See: Tips on making a compost heap.

Plastic Compost Bin

The plastic bin can work well at composting. However, you may need to work harder at watering the compost. My plastic bin tended to dry out. It does have the advantage of keeping the compost in a small area.

Wooden Compost Bin

For a wooden compost bin you can make your own, or buy a pre-made bin like this small one for £25. – Wood Compost bin at Amazon.co.uk Personally, I prefer wooden construction to plastic in the garden. Also, it allows for easier aeration, you can poke a stick through the sides to get some oxygen. This bin is easy to assemble, and the time saved on making your own is probably worth it, unless you enjoy DIY.

Free Compost Bins

Often councils have special offers on compost bins and it is possible to get compost bins free or at vastly reduce rates.

Some cheap / free compost bins may be available here – Recycle Now

Books on compost heaps at Amazon UK

• Benefits of compost bins

_{photo by Wilip Von Ree}

Birds are struggling through our cold winters in the USA and the UK. Soon they will be hatching and fledging so they need access to water and the gardeners answer is a bird bath.

Where to Locate a bird Bath

• Birds will use a bird bath if they feel safe and have an escape route into cover.
• Locate the bath near suitable hedges or trees
• Make it hard for cats to lurk near the bath using vegetation as cover
• Place the birdbath where the birds can see the area around it and where there are no hiding places for predators
• Place away from direct sun as this prevents algae growth in the bath.

What Features are Needed

• A shallow bath is adequate and a deep bath dangerous.
• The birds need a place to stand and a perch or twig may help.
• Bird baths on a pedestal are most popular.
• A small diameter bath allows birds to see over the edge and be prepared for danger.

Other Tips for Bird Baths

• Ensure good hygiene by cleaning out every week.
• Ensure water during frosty times – this is when birds need it most.
• Nature provides bird baths in ponds and puddles. They are not accessible in freezing weather but like your fish pond it is worth keeping a space ice free. see picture

• Garden with a bird bath on Gardeners tips

Related

• Bird Baths from Amazon
• RSPB advice on Bird Baths
• Bird Barn

Unfortunately, in recent years, garden theft has been on the rise. Plants, furniture and statues can all be  subject to being stolen

Here are some tips on what can be insured in the garden

Some of the best ways to get garden insurance cover

Home and Garden Insurance -Protect your home and garden with comprehensive home and garden insurance.

Common vs Garden Insurance article at Telegraph

This provides a long shadow over neighbouring gardens, restricting the plants that they can grow.
The Leylandi can also dry up neighbouring gardens. Firstly the tree takes up water, however, it also provides a large rain shadow depriving the soil of water. This can make it difficult to to grow anything in dry shade.
It is not particularly attractive. The Leylandi could be described as a useful utility plant. Good for screening the garden but hardly much to look at. When it is towering 50 feet over your garden covering it in a dense shade, it is hard to see any redeeming features in the plant.

If regularly pruned to a reasonable height (e.g. 2m – the height of a tall man), the Leylandi can do its job without annoying its neighbours.

Dealing with Leylandi That are Too Tall.

If you are a keen gardeners and have a garden overshadowed by Leylandi that has been allowed to grow unchecked, you are probably quite disappointed that your gardening has this rather unwelcome problem.

The first port of call is to speak politely to your neighbours asking if you can agree to limits its height. It can be difficult to approach people, you don’t want to fall out with your neighbours, and we instinctively don’t like interfering in their property. However, remember that you do have a right to raise the issue because it is affecting your garden and property. To get the best response from your neighbour try doing the following.

Avoid a confrontational attitude. Don’t blunder round and start shouting that your garden is dying because of their trees. This is not a good idea. Try to find something else to speak to your neighbours, try and find a common cause over something, this makes them feel they are not just neighbours but friends. Here they are more likely to try and do you a favour.

In most cases, people may not prune the conifer simply because they don’t have time or don’t think about it. One option to leave open is to offer cutting it yourself or at least sharing in the costs of cutting it down. If this is a big hedge, it may be a bit much. But, it might be worth it, if you really want to cut it down. If you meet the neighbour half way it is much harder for them to refuse.

Legal Approach.

In 90% of cases a friendly approach should help to improve the situation. But, unfortunately, there may be cases where that isn’t sufficient and a neighbour refuses. In this case, it may be necessary to refer the situation to the council. You will need to provide evidence you have tried dealing with the issue privately. f the council deems the hedge excessive, they can ( under the anti-social behavior act 2003 ) order it to be reduced in height to two metres. Failure to comply with this order could mean a fine of £1,000.

Related

• Conifers in the Garden
• RIP Leylandii at BBC

1. Evaluate the % of Weeds and Grass. If a lawn is primarily moss and other weeds, it may be best to start again, through clearing lawn and sowing new turf.
However, if grass still dominates despite many weeds, it can probably be rescued.
Start by cutting at a high level and slowly reducing height of cut.
Rake the lawn to remove a lot of thatch and moss. After raking is a good time to cut the lawn.

2. Feed with Nitrogen based feed in spring /summer to give grass good start and help it outcompete weeds.

3. Use General weedkiller to tackle the weeds in the lawn.

Best Lawn Weed Killers

Lawn weed killers

• For bare areas try reseeding, first clearing out the lawn and then sow seed making sure it is well watered.

• Water in summer to maintain strong grass growth.

• Improve Drainage. Try aerating the lawn through spiking and a good regime of raking. This will help the lawn.
• In autumn feed with a potassium based feed to help strong roots.
• Provide paths in very wet and muddy areas. Sometimes it’s best to give up an area of lawn in a really unsuitable spot. Decking takes much less maintenance…

General Tips for lawn Care

There are some things that are said to help remove moles, but, they are not guaranteed to work permanently.

You can try these in mole holes

• Burning Wood,
• Disinfectant in holes
• Creosote.
• Moth Balls

The mole hills are unfortunately unsightly, however, at least moles don’t do any real damage to plants, they are more a nuisance value than anything. If you really want to get rid of them, you may be best of employing the services of a professional mole catcher / killer. However, if you live in a very rural environment, you may have your work cut out as they are likely to keep returning.

Mole Catching

Human Mole Trap

This simple mole trap is put in a mole’s tunnel, it catches moles without killing them.