Look After Your Containers

This species of plants originate in central China. The closely related species R. molle japonicum come from Japan. Both these deciduous varieties are relatives of the popular Ghent and Knapp Hill hybrids.

It may be boring but what better way to set off your garden than by getting everything neat, tidy, sorted,  spick and span.

Summer is over and we had the first Autumn frost last night 26th September. It was only a light frost and we have some cloud cover for the next few nights so it won’t be as cold tonight. Still I set-too to protect some plants.

Climbers can look really great if you do some preparation. Select an appropriate wall to train your Climbers against or use a free standing structure like this metal frame for the blue Clematis.

Check how you compost looks then use these tips to make it look and perform better.

Late winter and unseasonal snow has left many garden soils cold and inhospitable. Spring is the time for new root growth and annual plants and vegetables need the best start possible. Vegetables and ornamental plants need a bit of warmth to get established and growing away. Clay soils is traditionally slow to warm through as they hold a bulk of water.

Grafting in the 19th century was a significant method of increasing stock of trees and plants as the photograph of East Anglian life by PH Emerson shows.  The objects of Grafting are to bring a bush or tree into an earlier fruiting than it would do naturally; to produce good fruit from an inferior plant; or to save space by putting dwarf scions on to rampant growing trees. The stock or subject is the base tree and the scion or graft is the portion of the branch to be imported.

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.

To coin a phrase ‘Sustainable Gardening is for Life not just a passing fancy’. It is easy to drop sustainable gardening when it gets tough but here are a few tips to help you stay the distance.

March is a good time to feed your Pears, Plums, Greengages and Blackcurrants.

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.