As native grasses such as little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium and cvs., Zones 3–9) and prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis and cvs., Zones 3–9) increasingly gain traction in gardens, exotics such as miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis and cvs., Zones 4–9) are losing favor because of their invasive tendencies. But not all exotic grasses are troublesome and need to be avoided. Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis × acutiflora and cvs., Zones 5–9) is a natural hybrid of C. arundinacea and C. epigejos, which are both nonnatives and prolific self-sowers, but the hybrid rarely sets fertile seed—a major plus for an exotic grass, right? So why are other reed grasses—‘Karl Foerster’ aside—so underused? To answer that question is to understand the phenomenon of ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass (C. × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’).
Growing Organic Vegetables Best Tips
01.08.2023 - 15:11 / gardenerstips.co.uk / tejvan
Homegrown vegetables are definitely worth the time and effort and organics are even better. Growing vegetables will reward you with a fresh and tasty supply of your favourite vegetables. You can also have the reassurance of knowing how they were grown without the unnecessary spraying of countless chemicals.
These are some tips to get the best results from growing organic vegetables.
Organic Fertiliser
To get the best vegetables you need to feed the growing plants well. Fortunately, there is a range of suitable organic fertilisers such as pelleted chicken manure, well rotted manure and many others. These organic fertilisers also have the benefit of realising the food over a period of time and helping to improve the soil structure.
Year Round Cropping Season.
A carefully planned vegetable plot can provide vegetables all year round. Obviously in summer, autumn, it is easier to harvest vegetables, but, don’t forget to grow winter cropping vegetables such as leeks, and purple sprouting broccoli. Fresh vegetables during winter are even more appreciated by the cook!
Make Use of Your Own Compost.
One of the great resources for any gardener is recycling old plants into next years compost heap. Learn how to make and use a good compost heap; it will provide you with a good supply of excellent organic matter. If you continually work on improving the soil, the job of growing vegetables will get easier.
Order some Well Rotted Horse Manure.
If you are taking over a neglected garden or your soil is in poor condition. It is advisable to take in a delivery of some well rotted horse manure. This will provide a long term benefit for the garden and improve the condition of the soil.
Crop Rotation.
Some of the basic principles of gardening
Best Tips To Start Your Hydroponic Garden - Fantastic Gardeners
Hydroponic gardening is a method that uses a supply of water with other water-fertilizer solutions to grow plants. Hydroponic systems grow faster than other conventional ways, and more importantly, they are suitable for all seasons.
Growing Snake’s Head Fritillary
This is a popular variety of Fritllaria grown in wet meadows. It is often found in Oxfordshire.
Tips for Your Front Garden
Lovely climbing rose on the front of this house
Tips for Growing Giant Vegetables
This is one of the many books in my collection but the only one to focus on growing big, bigger and biggest vegetables. If you want to grow giant vegetable for exhibition or to get large crops then there are many pointers in ‘How to Grow Giant Vegetables’ by Bernard Lavery and below.
Growing Penstemon
Penstemon are one of the most underated herbaceous perennials. Relatively easy to grow they can give an uninterupted display of flowers for several months.
Growing Blue & White Delphiniums
Delphiniums are stately border perennials which come in a wonderful variety of colours. Strong blues and clear whites are colours which are often hard to find in the garden. The delphinium is one of the few plants to give a true blue colour. The delphinium also adds greatly to the height of the garden. If well staked it can tower above the other foliage to give an eye catching display.
Seeds For Children to Grow With
Some of the other varieties good for growing with kids include:
Growing My Vegetables in Containers
You can grow fresh relatively clean vegetables in containers. This is useful for gardeners with restricted space or where you want vegetables close to the kitchen door.
Gardeners Tips for Growing Foxgloves -Digitalis
Foxgloves are native to the British isles and can be grown relatively easy here in the UK. They provide an excellent addition to any cottage garden. There distinctive spikes of flowers can be up to 4-5 feet high and they offer a new dimension to any garden. They also attract bees for their extensive nectar.
Tips for Growing Bamboo in UK
Bamboo is an intriguing plant, which contains over 1,200 species ranging from specimens 6 inches tall, to varieties which can grow upto a foot a day and reach over 130 feet. With the 1,200 species there are varieties which deserve a reputation for being an invasive plant. In the above picture, you can see how the bamboo is spreading away from the wall and is popping up in the middle of the front garden. This particular variety is not too bad, and digging up the rogue runners once a year is sufficient to keep it in check.
Tips for Composting Leaves
See composting accelerators.