Category: Gardening Tips

Garden Bulbs To Plant For Spring Colour

1/11/2019

It's that time of year again when gardeners can be found busy planting bulbs. Whether it be for a clients garden or my own i use a selection of traditional favourites like Daffodils, Tulips and Alliums chosen for their hardiness, suitability for our local clay soils, height and most importantly their colour. I like to create colour combinations which suit the planting designs i’m creating for each client. Tulips are particularly useful for creating waves of colour in that first year whilst the other plants establish. Below are some of my favourites which can be picked up from garden centres now.
Tulips –They are available in every colour under the sun and look stunning through the months of March, April & May. They can be planted directly in the ground or in plastic plots to be plunged into gaps in the border whilst they flower and then lifted out to make space for something else later on. Tulips can look fantastic when planted in blocks for a contemporary look or in waves amongst other perennials...

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Climbing Plants for Colour, Scent and Screening

5/7/2019

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On a warm summers evening what’s better relaxing beneath a climber clad pergola or against a warm wall smothered in fragrant blooms? There are all sorts of climbers available in our local garden centres and nurseries. Which to choose to cover a pergola, fence, arch or an obelisk can be a tricky when you’re faced with so many.
Colourful Climbers
Clematis are rightly popular, they come in such a huge range of colours and there’s one for every site and every season. The brightest and most bold are the summer flowering hybrids like ‘The President’ & ‘Hagley Hybrid’. They flower prolifically on long shoots from May to September depending on the variety. These love sunny spots but the alpine and macropetala types will cope with shady spots too. Clematis climb by wrapping their leaf stems around supports, so wires stretched over a surface will give them the means to spread......

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Tackling Garden Weeds

21/6/2019

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I often meet clients who have just taken on a new garden only to find it plagued with weeds which can be so discouraging. A bit of know how can make all the difference so detailed here are a few common garden weeds found in our area and the best way i've found to tackle them. I’ll be looking at traditional weeds as opposed to out of control cultivated plants.

There are two main types of garden weed; the annual and the perennial.
Annual weeds
Annual weeds are those which have a one year life-cycle i.e. Germinate, grow, flower and set seed all within one year. They can over-winter as small immature plants and are often ephemeral – they will have several generations in one year. A couple of the worst offenders in gardens in our area are:
Groundsel - Produces seeds all year round. It is characterised by small clusters of yellow blooms on short plants which produce fluffy seeds, easily spread in the wind or my animals. Although hoeing and hand picking seedlings is effective, be sure to pick up all material from the surface of the ground as Groundsel will very easily re-root. Mulching the surface can help reduce weed germination.
Hairy bittercress –becoming more prevalent in gardens, Bittercress germinates, flowers and sets seed very rapidly – in a matter of weeks! Short flower stems flick seed around the surrounding soil. Hoe or hand weeding at first sight before flowering will help to avoid colonisation of the ground. Bittercress is also a problem in containers where it can go un-noticed and fill the compost surface with seeds...

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Low Maintenance Gardening Tips

23/5/2019

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Gardening can become a chore for those who are time poor, but there are ways to reduce the time and effort it takes to keep the garden looking good all year round. When i visit new clients to discuss their needs for their gardens and look at how i can design or enhance their spaces to fulfil their requirements, one of the first questions i ask is how much time they can devote to looking after the plants, lawns and hedges and so on so that i can tailor the design to suit.
From my experience it is often the lawn which requires most care during the spring and summer as it grows abundantly and needs a trim every week or two. Some planting demands deadheading and regular trimming to keep it in shape and then hedges need a haircut once or twice during the year to keep them looking at their best. For some it is weeding which takes up so much of their time and it is difficult to keep on top of the weeds if they are allowed to run riot early in the season.......

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Tips for Tending the Garden in the Summer months

18/5/2019

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Time is precious and we all seem to be short of it these days. As the summer approaches we turn our thoughts towards relaxing and enjoying warm summer evenings in the garden with friends, for a BBQ or a glass of wine. But with our hectic lives it can be easy to forget about the garden and leave it to it's own devises. However if we can spare a little time it is possible to create a green and verdant space which we and our friends can enjoy.

Watering and feeding the garden during the warmer months not only helps to establish new planting but it also makes the most of established plants - encouraging new growth the flowers to brighten up the garden. Here are my tips for watering and feeding your garden to make the most of it during the summer months.....

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Advice Hub
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Author: Bel Grierson

Expert Plantswoman and Garden Designer with 20 years experience in horticulture. Bel loves to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with those with gardens large and small.

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Advice Hub

Garden Bulbs To Plant For Spring Colour

Climbing Plants for Colour, Scent and Screening

Tackling Garden Weeds

Low Maintenance Gardening Tips

Tips for Tending the Garden in the Summer months

Author: Bel Grierson

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Mrs Phillips - Ratby, Leicestershire

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Mrs Munden - Thrussington, Leicestershire

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Mrs Harrison - Woodhouse Eaves, Leicestershire

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Mr Stapleton - Rothley, Leicestershire

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Mr & Mrs Bayley - Loughborough, Leicestershire

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Mr & Mrs Benussi - Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire

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Mr Goodman - Loughborough, Leicestershire

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Mr Corner - Rearsby, Leicestershire

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