Stone Sculpture For or Against

I saw this lion at our local garden centre. He was guarding the entrance and looked the ferocious part.

Stone Sculpture Pros and Cons

• Stone looks good in the right place. It creates a better effect when local stone is used
• Reconstitutes stone looks good in the show room and for several seasons. For some reason it weathers more rapidly or looks less crisp a couple of winters later.
• Stone is heavy and not easy to move around or steal.
• Sculptures without natural sunlight get more moss and lichen than well lit sculptures

Sculpture Comments

• Large scale sculptures work best in larger gardens. It is worth balancing scale as too small a sculpture can get lost from view.
• White or light stone sculptures should be set against a dark background
• Small sculptures can be mounted on a plinth with great effect.
• Sculptures work well in pairs. Natural items work best in odd numbers
• Old and valuable stone items should be insured, bolted down or alarmed. Thieves will steal anything!

A resin and composite stone sculpture like that below will cost significantly less than a stone sculpture.

Gardening Book of the Month Botanic Art

‘The Golden Age of Flowers: Botanical Illustration in the Age of Discovery 1600-1800′ by Celia Fisher is a lavishly illustrated book of the most beautiful illustrations from the 17th and 18th centuries.
The organisation is alphabetical with a text that outlines origins, derivation of names and the properties for which the flower was most valued.

The book could become one of your most valued coffee table books or a suitable Christmas present for a relative.

The 17th and 18th centuries saw a surge of interest in the horticultural and gardening with new plants. This led to a ‘flowering’ of botanical illustration and witnessed the production of some of the greatest books of plant illustration ever produced, including such outstanding examples as the Hortus Eystettensis, the work of Maria Sybilla Merian, Thornton’s Temple of Flora, Banks’s Florilegium and Sibthorpe’s Flora Graeca.

• During this period several developments took place that led to a significant increase in the popularity and output of botanical illustration. The first was the development of the process of engraving on metal in the 1600s, which revolutionised illustration.
• The second was the development of the new Linnaean system which was helped, in part, by the high quality of illustrations produced at the time.
• The third significant development was the epic voyages of discovery which recorded and collected the exotic plants encountered in remote uncharted lands.

In this lavishly illustrated new book, ‘The Golden Age of Flowers’, ‘Celia Fisher has selected over 100 of the most beautiful flower images from this period. The flowers are arranged in alphabetical order, and the text that accompanies them outlines their origin, the derivation of their name and the properties for which they were most valued. This beautiful new book will appeal to anyone with an interest in botanical history and illustration, and flowers and gardening’.

Celia Fisher is a renowned expert on flowers and fruit in art and books. She is the author of Flowers and Fruit, Still Life Paintings, Flowers in Medieval Manuscripts (The British Library, 2004) and The Medieval Flower Book (The British Library, 2007). This title is available from Amazon for £17 post free in the UK

Botanic Art in Wales

Arum maculatum (Lords and Ladies) from Flora Londinensis (1777-1787) published by William Curtis.
Hand-coloured engraving: 46cm x 31.5cm.
Flora Londinensis included all wild flowers growing within a ten mile radius of London, which was then surrounded by fields and undrained marshland. The hand-coloured illustrations are exceptionally delicate and precise so it is surprising that it failed to attract many subscribers. After ten years, Curtis had to admit financial defeat and in 1787, he produced the smaller Botanical Magazine, which is still in production today, over 200 years later.

Further information can be seen on Rhagor, the collections based website from Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. Creative Commons on flikr NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

Slug and Snail Pellets Poison

Slug pellets are one of the best selling garden products on the market. The reason is simple, slugs are the biggest and most persistent pest out of all garden pests. Left unchecked, slugs can decimate seedlings and even established plants. Slugs have a fondness for the most delicate and beautiful plants – they rarely eat our weeds!

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

Rodent Removal and Remedies UK

Rodents are active at this time of year. In late summer they think about shelter for winter and start building nests in warm areas like old garden huts or garages.
A second problem comes as rodents scavenge for food to see them through winter.

Rodent Food and Damage

• Mice love to eat crocus and other newly planted bulbs.
• I have found rats like the warmth of my compost heap to say nothing of the kitchen food scraps they can find on the heap.
• Rodents chew sacks and even wires and can make holes just where you do not want them

Remedy these problems with a chemical product or opt for a humane trap.
Keep food stocks in safe containers

Humane traps leave you with the problem of disposal. It isn’t right or fair to the animal. For example if you catch a grey squirrel it is illegal to let it go again. There is no legal poison for home owners to use on squirrels.
So that leaves lethal traps designed to do what it says in the name.

Garden Frost Protection

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

Sow and Stich Silk Flowers

Something a bit different that might appeal during the long winter nights when gardening gets tough.

‘Stitch and Sow’ are a range of Embroidery kits with a packet of seeds to grow alongside the Embroidery you are creating. Indian silk fabrics are provided and the A5 sized flower range includes
Cornflower or Lavender
Geranium (Pelargonium)
Lupin or Poppy.
Sunflower (Grow your own Van Gogh)

A4 sized kits include Morning Glory, Foxglove, Dahlia and Hearts-ease.

Abacus Designs are the supplier

Humate Biologically Active Plant Food

Humic acids are eco-friendly compounds derived from soil, peat, and humus. Humic substances are formed by the microbial degradation of dead plant matter and when used as plant food it seems to be a form of recycling.
Humic product vendors claim they greatly improve the soil and promote beneficial micro-organisms and bio-life within the plants root zone area.
I first encountered these new products at the Glee show for garden centres and horticulturalists in Birmingham in September

Claimed Benefits

• Stimulates seed germination
• Promotes  rapid root development and helps layering
  
• Reduces transplant shock
• Promotes increased immune system and resistance to pests and disease
• Decreases watering requirements and stimulates weak plants
  
• Grows green foliage, thicker stems and larger buds
• Reduces residual pesticides and nitrate
  
• Backed by 40+ years of research in organic Humate base agriculture products
• Works in any growing medium…no expensive hydroponics necessary, and no need to change the growing medium between crops

Humates consisting of biologically active fulvic acids and humic acids are crucial to life on earth because they provide a biochemical bridge between mineral and living plant matter. Humic and fulvic acid are powerful chelaters and help to increase nutrient absorption.

Green OK have a range of products which also include good old NPK so the plants shouldn’t suffer if you decide to experiment.
They are part of the Latvian Institute of Humic Studies and the product are just arriving on the shelves of UK retailers

Snake oil or a breakthrough in plant nutrition? Well seaweed is a great additive so will Latvian soil extracts work as well? I have yet to try the products but hope too soon. I will report back

Organic Hoof and Horn Fertilizer

Hoof and Horn or ‘Hoof and Horn Meal’ is a valuable organic fertilizer.
Ground in to a powder the hooves and horns of animals from slaughter houses makes this nitrogen rich granular fertilizer. The cooked, ground, dehydrated cattle hooves and horns also contains phosphates for root growth.

Using Hoof and Horn

• Fine ground the Hoof and Horn will provide a quick hit of nitrogen and some phosphates.
• A coarser ground product will be slower to release the goodness.
• Hoof and Horn is usually worked into the top of the soil at about 2oz per square yard.
• Take care as fine roots can be burnt if applied to thickly.

Uses of Hoof and Horn

• Hoof and Horn is a useful top-up or stop-gap organic fertilizer for nitrogen hungry plants and on poor soil.
• Used to increase green leaf growth and on vegetable when they have overwintered.
• Hoof and Horn increases root growth
• Organically improves soil structure
• Top dressing of Hoof and Horn as a stop-gap measure when growing hungry vegetables including brassicas, tomatoes and lettuce.
• Can be used instead of manure on rhubarb plants and around large fruit trees such as Nectarine and Peaches
• Hoof and Horn is sometimes used as a compost activator to speed decomposition

Compare Hoof and Horn to Other Fertilizers

• Hoof and Horn Meal is is equivalent to Blood Meal in Nitrogen content. The nutrient availability is slower, which is better for organic crops causing less leaf burn.
• It nutrient availability starts at around 4-6 weeks and can lasts 12 months.
• It contains Phosphorus for stem and root growth.
• Hoof and Horn nitrogen content is comparible with Blood Meal. The slower release rate of the former is better timed with plant uptake rates.
• At normal application rates it will not be damaging or wasteful.
• Hoof and Horn has a strong smell that may attract animals but it dissipates more rapidly than that created with Bone Meal.
• Not seen packaged up as frequently as it was at one time Hoof and Horn is worth looking out for

The nearest substitute we have found is Chempak 2 a product range supplied by Thompson & Morgan

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Gardening Glove for Every Finger

Gardening gloves come in a variety of colours and sizes. As I found out at the Glee show in the NEC on from Sunday to Wednesday this week the colours and sizes also relates to the number of manufacturers and resellers.

Tip and Uses for Gardening Gloves

• I prefer to do as much gardening as possible without any gloves.
• Sharp, spiky leaves and prickly prunings are an exception and I need good thorn proof protection
• When occasionally calling upon chemicals, like disinfectants for my dirty plant pots, I use the old standby rubber glove or Marigold
• When lifting or moving something slippy or awkward to hold gloves may give you extra purchase.
• When your hands are cut, grazed or damaged then gloves can keep them clean and prevent infection or further damage
• I collect free horse manure from a local stables and when it is wet and ripe I have been known to wear some gloves.
• Freezing weather should be a time for gloves but I find they generally get in the way.

Heavy duty leather working gloves and others available form Amazon

You knew I couldn’t resist a terrible pun and gloves in the garden, having no palms but some hand-some fox-gloves I opted for this picture – wait til I get my mits on the person who gave me my sense of humour.

Potato scrubbing gloves available from Thompson & Morgan

I have fingered it out at last a finger stall will protect a damaged finger better than an elastoplast.

Gardening Book of the Month October 2011

Directions for the Gardiner and Other Horticultural Advice by John Evelyn 1660-1706 and edited by Maggie Campbell-Culver is this months interesting selection.
Do not expect many photographs as they had not been invented in the 17th Century when this book of diary entries and collected works were first created. Instead expect a learned document of gardening observations from long ago.

John Evelyn Scholar and Author

• John Evely was a noted diarist and contemporary of Samuel Pepys
• He wrote ‘Sylva or a Discourse on Forest Trees’ a significant work on trees and timber management
• Included in ‘Directions for the Gardiner and Other Horticultural Advice’ are 3 works as originally created.

• ‘Kalendarium Hortense’ gives month by month advice on work in the flower and kitchen garden. (A first gardeners tips project!)
• ‘Directions for the Gardiner’ lists plants, tools and gardening terms.
• ‘Acetaria’ deals with salad crops and there preparation for eating.

John Evelyn Gardiner and Gardener

• As a royalist during the Civil War he saw the Prince of Orange’s garden in the Hague and in Paris saw the Tuileries, Luxembourg gardens and ‘Cypress cutt flat and set even as a wall’
• In 1652 he set up home in Sayes Court in Deptford now sadly only a small urban park marks the spot.
• Undoubtedly he was influenced by the hedges of Europe including the Pope’s garden and the Elysium at Villa Borghese
• The main features at Sayes Court in the 17th century included
• a long terrace walk overlooking an elaborate box parterre;
• a large rectangular area planted with many different species of trees, inset with walks and recesses;
• avenues and hedges of ash, elm, and holly; and a long walk.
• large kitchen gardens and a great orchard of three hundred fruit trees;
• In 1660 Evelyn was a member of the group that founded the Royal Society.

Book of The Month

This book contains over 300 pages of detailed work both by John Evelyn and the editor who has stitched it all together into a useful resource to dip in and out of.
John Evelyn works in print including his diary are available from Amazon The Directions for the Gardiner and Other Horticultural Advice can be found on Amazon by clicking on the book cover above.