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Archive for July, 2011

Gardening During A Drought

Monday, July 18th, 2011

Summer is an exciting time for gardeners but, following the driest spring in over 100 years, UK Gardeners are facing a difficult time ahead.

According to the Met Office, England and Wales recorded the driest Spring since 1893 and it has meant problems for gardeners.  Already this has meant gardeners having to plant seeds quicker and be more selective when deciding what to plant.  They also need to consider how plants that will fare well in a hot dry summer will do when the cold eventually returns.

Of the recent dry weather, East Anglia was the worst affected area in the country as it has seen the driest spring for 101 years.  And in Kent, gardeners are having to take extra measures to preserve that status.

Best plants for dry weather

  • English Lavender
  • Rosemary
  • Trees and shrubs
  • Geraniums
  • Lilacs
  • Ornamental alliums
  • Pelargoniums
  • Petunias

Dr Phil Gates, a senior lecturer in botany at Durham University, says “It’s a confusing time for gardeners as a lot of things that can be put in are high risk and may not survive the winter”.

Plants to avoid

  • Bedding plants
  • Salad crops such as lettuce and rocket
  • Busy Lizzies
  • Salvias

Plants such as geraniums and petunias are flourishing, as are wild flowers, whereas water-absorbing busy lizzies and salvias have all been given the cut.  Gardeners are using hanging baskets with reservoirs to stop water seeping through the bottom as well as water retention tablets.

Dry weather gardening tips

  • Scrape back the surface to make sure water goes to the roots
  • Re-use house water, collect rain water
  • For vegetables, step up watering two weeks before eating
  • Water late at night so it’s absorbed before evaporating
  • Add a layer of mulch to keep moisture in
  • Don’t cut the lawn too short in the summer
  • Put soaked newspaper under crops that need lots of water
  • Use screens or windbreaks to reduce effects of drying winds

As average temperatures have increased the growing season has extended and when to plant seeds has also changed.  If you want your roses to bloom perfectly in June, you really would have had to have planted them in October rather than in March, so that the roots can be established and get a good soaking over the winter months.

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Hampton Court Flower Show

Monday, July 11th, 2011

If you were unable to attend this year’s show at Hampton Court, here are 4 top highlights:

1. The Conceptual Gardens. Unique to Hampton Court, these are gardens, usually designed by young designers, that explore ideas not usually found in conventional gardens. There was one comprising entirely of edible fungi: more interestingly all the action is underground and only visible through a series of periscopes.

2. Jon Wheatley and Anita Foy’s vast show feature, the RHS Edible Garden. This included fruit and nut orchards, wild plants for free foraging, a vegetable garden, an olive grove and even a hot house full of tropical fruit.

3. Roses: not only all the main rose nurseries but a rosy pavilion celebrating Lewis Carroll and Alice in Wonderland.

4. In a large blacked-out tent was the first night garden showing how to use lights in the garden.
Call Artscape, a previous Hampton Court show winner, to discuss ideas for your garden.

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Herb Gardens in the Summer

Monday, July 4th, 2011

With summer approaching, now is the time to plan for long, hot days and adding more fertilizer to support the herbs for the last part of the growing season.

Most fertilizers only last about 60 days before washing away, after which your soil needs some extra attention.  If you have been pinching and using your herbs, the plants are putting all their energy into forming more stems and leaves so they also need that extra food that a little fertilizer will offer.

Watering While Away

Summer is also when many families go away on holiday. This may mean that gardens suffer due to lack of watering.  After watering thoroughly right before departing, make arrangements to have your herb gardens watered in one of these ways:

  • Have a friend or neighbour water on a set schedule. If you have container gardens or raised beds, be sure to water more often than an in ground garden.
  • You could try this technique – use a cotton rope, twirl it around the plants (under the mulch) and place one end in a gallon jug of water.  The cotton rope will act as a wick and draw up water as the soil dries out. You may still need to ask a neighbor to fill the gallon jug if you are gone longer than a week or the weather is hot and dry while you are away.
  • Set up automatic watering using timers and hoses.  This is not as difficult as it sounds and the equipment is available at many gardening centres.

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