Gardening
Gardening posts
Free Fuschia Plants from Cuttings
I love my fuschia plants in the summer. I have them in baskets and planters around the outside of my house. They are tender varieties so I have to replace them or overwinter them in my greenhouse. I also increase my plant stocks by taking cuttings and it could not be easier. Who wouldn’t want gorgeous free plants? You will need: Fuschia plants Sharp scissor or secateurs Container for water and cuttings, a glass works well. (I used a set designed to keep my cuttings separated so that I know which ones came from which plants) Water Multi-purpose compost and small plant pots Step 1: Cut some growing shoots…
September Gardening – Top Tasks for the Garden – edited for 2019!
The summer is coming to an end. Everyone has the back to school feeling. The garden, however, can still look stunning. These are a few tasks that I think are really important for September gardening. This page contains affiliate links meaning I earn a commission if you use those links at no cost to you. I only recommend brands I use and trust. Dead-heading Flowers If you want your plants to carry on producing beautiful blooms (and why wouldn’t you?) then you need to keep dead-heading. Make sure that you look around the garden every couple of days and take off all the faded blooms. You need to cut them of…
Successful Seed Sowing
Do you love flowers in your garden? Well, you can enjoy hundreds of flowers for very little cash. Grow your own from seed. Of course, this also extends into vegetables and ‘growing your own’. Best of all sowing seeds is really easy to do. I am going to show you a step by step guide using annual lupin seeds: This page contains affiliate links meaning I earn a commission if you use those links at no cost to you. I only recommend brands I use and trust. You will need: Packet of seed. I recommend Suttons Seeds for reliability. Seed tray Seed compost (or multi-purpose compost) Propagator lid or clear plastic…
Upcycle a broken garden table
Last summer I treated myself to a small round glass garden table to put next to my swing seat. It was to hold my cold drinks in the glorious summer weather (if we got any). This Amazon table is very similar to it. It was lovely and then disaster struck. I got the hosepipe caught round it and pulled it over. The glass smashed and that was that! However I kept thinking that I could re-use the frame and make a new table. I decided to upcycle it! This spring I got on with it. It was all Royal Wedding fever so I took a patriotic theme. I will share…
June Top 10 Tasks for the Garden
Summer is well and truly here. It is time to get outside and enjoy the garden. Sit out with friends, hold a barbecue and most importantly admire all your gorgeous plants. You still need to find time for a few jobs to keep it all looking beautiful. Here are my top 10 jobs for June. 1) Prune summer flowering shrubs Any shrubs that have already flowered in the spring can now be pruned to keep them in shape and encourage bushy growth. Examples of spring flowering shrubs are philadelphus and lilac. It is also worth noting that if your clematis have already flowered then they can also be pruned.…
Planting up hanging baskets and pots for summer
This post is all about planting up your hanging baskets and pots with summer bedding for glorious summer displays. I will share how I do mine and any tips that I have. So, find your plants and favourite pots and let’s go! You will need: Plant pot or hanging basket multi-purpose compost plant food water storing granules (optional) plants water Tutorial 1) Setting up Set up your work area with you pot or basket and a supply of compost. I am currently using a mix of multi-purpose compost and peat free multi purpose compost. I am trying to go peat free but I am having mixed results so…
May Top 5 Tasks for the Garden – Updated for 2019
May is a really busy time in the garden and it is looking fantastic. The variety of greens is spectacular and there are many flowers to enjoy. So get outside and enjoy it! My top five jobs to do this month are: This page contains affiliate links meaning I earn a commission if you use those links at no cost to you. I only recommend brands I use and trust. 1) Plant hanging baskets and pots in May May is the time to plant up your hanging baskets and pots if you are doing your own. If you are anything like me you have lots of tender summer plants waiting to…
Tasks for April in the garden
Top 8 jobs to do in April in your garden to maximise your enjoyment throughout the summer. April is a busy and exciting time in the garden. So, weather permitting, get out there and enjoy it. 1) Weeding Yes, weeding is number one as it is the most important. The weeds are just getting going really well. As the weather warms up and all our favourite plants start to grow so do the weeds. At the moment they are small and come up easily as the ground is wet. Also, they have not had time to flower and seed (and multiply). It is not a very exciting task but you…
Tasks for the garden in late March
Late March is when it starts to get busy in the garden. It is not obvious when you look but I am very busy. I have been making pots, planting on seedlings/plug plants, moving snowdrops and tidying up a bit. Biodegradable Plant pots Firstly, I have been busy making newspaper plant pots which I have explained in detail in an earlier post. They are great for seedlings as the plant’s roots do not get disturbed when they get planted out into the garden. I plant the whole thing out. Summer Bedding During the week the first of my plug plants arrived by post. I was expecting them by the end…
Free Biodegradable Plant Pots from old newspapers
Free biodegradable plant pots sound good but is it too much effort? I don’t think so and I will show you how to make them and I will convince you of their merits. If you have concerns about you local newspapers and their ‘green credentials’ then consider reading this article by permaculture news. If you are still concerned contact your local newspaper to ask about their dyes and bleaching agents. This page contains affiliate links meaning I earn a small commission if you use those links at no cost to you. I only recommend brands I use and trust. It is that time of year when we all need lots of…