Allotment-Garden : UK : Video : Pictures : Information

Crocus Flowers in February Photos

2012-02-25T04:15:00.001Z

Crocus flowers brightening up dull February days

Crocus flowers are brash and cheeky and like to exist in gangs

If you want to use these photos you can as long as they are not used for commercial purposes or altered in any way. Please give a link back to this page. See Creative Commons Licence

Witch Hazel (Hamamelis Jelena) the ultimate winter flowering bush

2012-02-05T11:37:00.001Z

Witch Hazel Flower

If you are looking for the ultimate winter flowering bush then one can do no better than Witch Hazel and the variety we found Hamamelis Jelena. We found this amazing bush on a brisk winters day at the begining of February 2012. The flowers, a bright coppery-orange in colour, give off a warm glow as though from a gently wood burning fire. Very impressive with much wow factor.

The picture above showing the bush overall can never do justice to the impression it makes as you pass by it.

Wheelie Bin recycled as a wheel barrow

2011-12-02T21:39:00.001Z

Wheelie bin converted to wheel barrow

Found this burnt out wheelie bin dumped on the allotment and converted it into a useful wheel barrow.

You can see at the bottom of the wheelie bin where the plastic has melted. So I cut most of the burnt out top section leaving the bottom half to hold waste and soil.

It's not the perfect solution by any means. It does tip over for emptying with a bit of effort by pulling the wheels up and pushing the top down. Because the wheels are made of solid plastic it would never be as efficient as inflated tyres over rough ground so one tends to pull it along rather than push it.

However it does hold a surprising amount of top soil and rubbish when you need it.

Not as efficient as a brand new shiny wheelbarrow of course but it does work after a fashion when one gets used to its peculiarities and is now used all the time.

I have used a abandoned damaged product, recycled it and made good use of it. And of course it was free !

Wheelie bin wheel barrow

If you have recycled anything in the same way let us know in the comment box below, it would be great to hear of your ingenuity and resourcefulness.

Please make a comment before you leave

Identifying frogs and toads : PDF : Information

2011-11-18T03:48:00.001Z

We found a frog on the allotment and if you have trouble working out if it's a frog or toad or any type of amphibian here is a useful PDF for identifying frogs and amphibians in your garden from the Amphibian and Reptile Group UK (ARGUK)

Recommended Book - Allotment Month by Month By Alan Buckingham

2011-11-16T07:31:00.001Z

Allotment Month by Month By Alan Buckingham

Allotment Month by Month By Alan Buckingham from Amazon.co.uk
This is a book I use all the time. Working and growing on the allotment can get to be a complicated task trying to remember what to do, when and what to grow. Alan Buckingham's book helps to simplify this process. A clear well thought out book with lots of pictures, monthly tasks, details on individual vegetables, fruits and herbs. If you are having problems with pests and diseases there is a also a trouble-shooter section to help combat them.

Crab apple fruit tree in an arch

2011-11-02T06:55:00.001Z

Crab apple arch in walled garden

A graceful arch of crab apples in the walled garden at Arley Hall Gardens in Cheshire, UK. The time of the year is late October and this cultivated crab apple is dripping in juicy fruit. I'm certain it will be covered in apple blossom at the beginning of the year which would be a delight.. Don't know the variety but they look healthy and delicious as can be seen below. This idea would make a great addition to any garden if there is the space, patience and ability to make use of all those crab apples.

Crab apples aplenty

10 facts about the crab apple

1. The crab apple is the ancestor of the modern cultivated apple.

2. The wood of the crab apple is very consistent in form and excellent for woodworking.

3. Fruit is used for crab apple jelly and wine because of the high content of pectin.

4. Crabapples are widely grown as ornamental trees, either for their flowers, the colour and shape of the fruit or both.

5. Crab-apples are popular for use in bonsa.

6. The wood of the crab apple as with all apple trees gives off a pleasant scent when burned.

7. Also the wood when burned can be used for smoking of food.

8. The fruit is rarely eaten because it is sour in taste. This I know because I have tried to eat crab apples raw.

9. The wood is good for cooking because it burns hot and slow with little flame.

10. Certain types of crab apple are placed in the orchards of ordinary apples as an aide to pollination.

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Pictures of Green Beans : Vegetable

2011-10-09T06:00:00.000+01:00

Vegetable : Green Beans

Lots of green beans to eat, yum yum !

Green Beans and their flowers

Beside being delicious to eat they the flowers of green are very nice to look at and would not be out of place in the ordinary garden.

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Video : Terracotta Pots : Easy self watering irrigation for plants

2011-10-04T09:05:00.001+01:00

Here is a very useful system for watering your plants while you are away, keeping plants watered for up to 3-4 days without your intervention

Pictures of Aster flowers thriving in the autumn sunshine

2011-09-30T22:48:00.001+01:00

Aster Flowers thriving

In a corner of the allotment there are Asters that are thriving. Click on the images to see more.

Aster flowers closeup

The reason might be that the soil is slightly more damp and has lots of organic matter incorporated into the soil.

Aster Flowers

The time of year is late September, early October.

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Scandal of plastic waste in the soil : Poll Vote

2011-09-25T06:20:00.000+01:00

Plastic Waste found on the allotment

Today I am going to have a whinge about the amount of waste plastic in the soil.

This photo shows the amount of plastic waste dug up on the allotment in just three rows. Plastic seed trays, carrier bags, bottles, bottle tops, sweet wrappers, and many unidentifiable tiny bits of plastic.

It would be a good idea to find other ways to not use plastic products in the garden or a least think about finding ways to use them the least. All plastic waste should be gathered in one place and disposed of in proper plastic recycling bins now provided by many local authorities.

Forgive me for going on about it but all this plastic waste can't be good for the wildlife, the ecology or the general environment and just as important the food that we grow.

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Answer to poll so far.Yes : 2No : 0

Giant bug home (house) for insects

2011-09-13T08:00:00.000+01:00

Giant bug home for insects

Here is a giant bug home for insects that I came across the other day. They are usually small, the type you can place on a wall or fence but this one is made out of pallets that that have been piled up on top of each other. It's like a palace for all gods very little creatures. In all the nooks and crannies can be placed bits of wood, straw, paper, cardboard, plastic pipes etc. Anything where insects can hide, seek shelter, breed and hibernate.

Please send in your garden tips, suggestions or make a comment before you leave, it would be great to hear from you

Personally I have a great aversion to insects crawling all over me, don't mind the odd ladybird, but spiders, centipedes, earwigs and general assorted creepy crawlies just make me cringe.

But that is not the point, they need someone to go and as long as they don't come near, I am happy.

The bug house is the perfect place. Ladybirds and Lacewings, both essential in the garden or allotment like these places. Apparently it is a great location for them to hibernate during the winter. When they come out in the spring they can feast on plant destroying aphids.

The bug home will also create a more balanced eco-system in the garden, more insects, more birds, the natural environment can only gain big time.

Construction of giant insect bug house

Following the example of the bug house above I decided to construct one myself. On the allotment there are many railway sleepers that have gone rotten through age and the damp. These are excellent bits of wood that insects would love to feast on. Rather than burn them or chuck them away into landfill why not just let them rot down naturally ?

There is the view that an allotment or garden should not be totally neat and tidy, that there should be places for the natural wildlife to exist in. If it's all tidy then the natural ecological balance is taken away. This bug house is there to redress that balance.

So here is some photos of how I built this giant bug insect house. I hope all the insects and bugs thrive in this munchable Eden of rotting wood.

This is the first layer, with three long pieces of rotting railway sleeper. The most rotten going in the middle. There are lots of gaps between them so the insects can find there way in and hideaway, places to lay eggs and generally hang out.

In the gaps smaller scrapes of wood are placed that will rot down nicely over time.

Some old straw was also stuffed into the crevices, it won't take long for this decay.

Adding a couple more layers of railway sleeper completes the basic structure of the bug house.

Then the roof is added, some old pieces of plywood with a log to stop the wind blowing it away. It does not matter if it leaks a little as long as it is generally dry and sheltered in the bug house itself.

Here is the completed bug insect house. A mansion, a palace for insects to thrive and breed. The word will soon go out to all the local insect population that this is the IN place to live. There will be a bit of fighting and scrapping over who gets the best corner but then over time it will hopefully settle down and the local ecological balance be restored to it's former glory.

Useful links for Bug Houses

BBC - Breathing Places - Make a bug home:

"Attract bugs to your garden

to sustain a healthy ecosystem."

The RSPB: Advice: Building insect homes:

Toby the garden frog who loves slugs

2011-09-09T11:44:00.003+01:00


Toby the Garden Frog

This is photo of a nice big frog we found on the allotment. We've called it Toby, but we don't know if it's male or female. He (or she) just sat there one day long enough to take a photo. It's good to know that the allotment is frog friendly because we have seen him a few times or maybe one of his relatives.

We have no pond as yet but hope to have one soon to get more of his family to breed and hopefully eat all those slugs that seem to eat everything up in sight.Apparently there is a debate on whether frogs actually like eating slugs but we live in hope. Anyway its nice to know frogs are about the place.

If you have a photo of a garden frog in your garden or allotment send it attached to this >>email<< and we will publish it here.

Interesting links on frogs

Common Frog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
As usual on Wikipedia lots of information, this time, on the common frog.

Do frogs eat slugs?:
A question is asked: do frogs really eat slugs or is it the hedgehog ?

Guardian : How to make your garden frog friendly

"Frogs are under threat worldwide, from habitat loss, pollution, introduced species and, more alarmingly, a new deadly parasitic fungus known as amphibian chytrid. If you want to play your part and ensure their survival in your own back yard, there are several things you can do."

How to make a wildlife pond:

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Spring Cabbages

2011-09-06T07:57:00.001+01:00

Seedlings are still going on the allotment under the cold frame, about half seem to have survived but are still too elongated, but we live in hope.

Giant garden slug

2011-09-01T07:59:00.002+01:00


Giant garden slug found

This is a photo of a giant slug that I found in the undergrowth at the bottom of my allotment. It is obviously well fed as it is over 3 inches long and happily munching away.

I know slugs are one of God's little creatures, they love eating anything green but hey, they are sent on earth to test our tolerance and endurance, they grow big on the fat of the land and they are trying to eat as many seedlings, plants and fruits on my allotment as they can leaving me with little or nothing for me to eat.

Dilemma ? : I am trying to find a way of discouraging them without harm, but it is so difficult.

If anyone has any ideas of how to stop them eating my plants without destroying them I would be very grateful.

Growing Cabbage - Video - Links - Information

2011-08-23T07:47:00.004+01:00

Its coming up to the time to sow those spring cabbages for next year. Here is a list of links and information that can help you on your way to grow the best cabbages.

Spring Cabbage F1 Seedling planted late September

Video on Growing Cabbage from Seed

High quality links on growing spring cabbage

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage

Did you know that China, by a very long way, is the largest producer of Cabbage in the world. This Wikipedia article discusses the basics of what the cabbage is all about.

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/cabbage_spring_page1.asp

All you need to know about sowing and growing the spring cabbage plant. Several nice compact pages of useful information. I use this site very often.

http://www.hartley-botanic.co.uk/gardening-tips/growing-vegetables/how-to-grow-spring-cabbage
More information on how to sow and grow the spring cabbage. Useful and well set out.

50 Ways to Kill a Slug - Interesting and humourous book

2011-08-12T07:29:00.000+01:00

50 Ways to Kill a Slug (Gardening)

"Are you being bullied by a mollusc that slimes all over your garden and munches through your favourite delphinium? Take a stand against slugs with 50 alternative, organic, natural, chemical and humane solutions to slug problems"

from Amazon.co.uk

Watching Chives grow on time lapse video

2011-08-08T09:04:00.007+01:00

Here is an interesting time lapse video on Chives.

It shows chives growing over 3 days. Basically it is much better than watching paint dry as it shows how fast chives really do grow.

Please don't forget to make a comment or ask a question before you go

Chives are in effect onions where you eat the green stalks and flowers and bulbs, a very versatile herb plant.

The green stalks are taken from the plant, using a nice sharp pair of scissors, chopped up uncooked and added as a topping to many recipes. The stalks are useful in giving a gentle onion flavour to dishes such as pasta, corn on the cob or adding to the butter that is used in baked potatoes.

You can also use the flowers by soaking them in white vinegar for a couple of weeks.

Growing Chives

Chives must be one of the simplest herbs to plant and grow. They will grow in many situations but really prefer reasonably moist fertile soil. Fertility of the soil can be increased by adding some well composted manure before planting. They don't really like the heat of a full sun all the time, so some shade from the moving sun would be of benefit during the day. They can survive drought but again would benefit from some watering in really hot weather.

Buy Garden Raised Beds

2011-07-28T08:58:00.030+01:00

FSC Wooden Economy Raised Bed - Single Layer from Amazon.co.uk

These easy to assemble garden plots comprises 8 pointed posts - ready for knocking into the ground and eight sides boards. The Wooden Allotment Plots are manufactured from wood that comes from FSC certificated Northern European Forests. They have been treated with a non-toxic preservative that will not kill the worm, bugs in the compost or spoil your plants. Standard 15h x 250w x 90d cm

You can get more info on raised beds here

Search for Garden Raised Beds on Amazon.co.uk

Using builders bags (bulk bags) for composting

2011-07-21T12:10:00.049+01:00

When clearing a garden or as in my case an allotment, builders bags can be very good for holding lots of waste top growth when left for a year or so rotting down quite nicely turning into a loam type soil.

Cold or Slow Composting
Let me say this process is not like traditional composting where the organic waste is turned over manually every few weeks. The bag is filled and completely left to its own devices for a long period, with nature doing all the work without our intervention.This process is known as cold composting as the waste does not build up heat as we see in the normal composting process.

Using builder bags for composting

Collecting Garden Waste

Collect all the garden waste you can and shove it all in as hard as you can into the builders bag making sure all four corners are compacted as you fill it up. Mix some soil and grass and even perennial weeds but avoid woody material as this takes ages to rot down, if ever. If you find a few garden worms chuck them in as well as they will have a perpetual feast and help in the composting process.

Please don't forget to make a comment or ask a question before you go

Long row of builders bags for composting

Above you can see a row of builders bags filled with tons of garden waste composting away. The main problem with this is that are not exactly aesthetically pleasing making your garden or allotment appear as a building site. Most builders bags are in very bright colours so its is very difficult to miss them. Do what I didn't do and put them in a place where they are not so obvious.

The other thing is to make sure on the location of the filled bag as once it is full it becomes too heavy to move elsewhere.

Garden waste for composting in builders bags

The above image shows the typical garden waste that can be thrown into the builders bag. Basically it is anything and everything, except woody waste. It really will rot down over a year or so in the confines of the bag to be reused again and spread over your garden or allotment.


Covering builders bags for composting with carpet

Each bag I understand holds about a ton of soil and so far I have filled and emptied about ten bags. If you don't want weeds re-emerging from the top of the bag it's important to cover it with some old carpet or perhaps cardboard weighted down with a couple of bricks.

Comfrey growing in builders bags

One can grow plants in the top of the builders bag whilst the waste is rotting down. Above are comfrey plants feasting on the garden waste and below shows nettles gorging away in the same manner. Once established these plants can take care of themselves and suppress any weeds coming out the top.

Nettles growing in builders bags

Where can I get free builders bags ?

You certaintly can get them for free. Scout around your local neighbourhood, see if there is any building work going on. Nearly always there are empty bags laying outside empty or piled up on the inevitable skip ready to be taken away. Ask, always ask, the home owner or builder for permission to take them away. You are making good use of them, recycling them, and preventing them from landing up in landfill, for the time being at least. So far no one has refused me, I nice big smile goes a long way.

In the unlikely event that you can't find any locally or don't want to scrounge from other people you can buy

Garden Shop from Amazon.co.uk

The pictures on this page with the garden-allotment.com logo can be used under Creative Commons but may not be altered or used for commercial reasons.

Strawberries eaten by slugs or was it ants ?

2011-06-29T09:16:00.001+01:00

If a strawberry could express pain it's showing it very well here. I mean how would you like to be eaten alive from the inside out. Saw the culprits that may have eaten it, a very tiny little slug was in the middle nibbling away. Saw an ant clambering inside as well. Who is the guilty partner, I suspect the slug ?

Anyways, if one cuts away the affected parts and gives them a good wash under running water these perpetual strawberries just taste fine. Its important to get to the fruit before they do ! Not really into chemical destruction if it can be avoided. I planted them last year and this June is the first year that they are producing lots of fruit.

They are delicious, great in muesli if one can avoid eating them before one gets home, which is very difficult.

Some facts about strawberries.

The botanical name for strawberries is Fragaria × ananassa.

Strawberries surprisingly are technically not a berry but a part of the rose family..

There can be up to 200 seeds on the skin surface of a strawberry fruit. I've never tried it but it might be something to verify on a dull day if there is nothing else to do. Let us know the results if you have tried it.

The nutritional value of strawberries is superb as they are high in fibre, vitamin C and potassium. High fibre is good for bowels. Vitamin C is good for your immune system fighting against infection and apparently even helps prevent your skin going all wrinkly. Potassium in the diet is good for the heart, brain, kidney and muscle tissues.

They are also low in calories when eaten raw, it's a different matter when you eat them with lashings of cream or put them in cake and other mouth watering recipes.

So overall it appears strawberries are good for the body and good for the soul because they are so delicious being such cheerful happy scrumptious things to eat.

Questions on Strawberries

How long do strawberry plants last ?
Strawberry plants last about 5 years after which the strawberry bed should be relocated in another part of the garden. A complete new set of plants should be started rather than the old plants to prevent the build up of disease.

Many commercial growers of strawberries replace their plants every year but for us ordinary folks that might be a quite expensive process as well as a lot of unnecessary labour.

Where should strawberries be planted ?
The best place to plant strawberry plants is where they will be in the sun most of the day.. Yep, they love the sun.

Strawberries and Weeds ?
Weeds can be a problem so make sure before you plant the strawberries out that you remove any perennial weeds such as dock, dandelions, bindweed, etc because they will be difficult to get rid of later on. These tenacious weeds know how to keep going once they get a grip of the soil and smother the tender growing plants.

How much watering for strawberries ?
Because strawberries are largely composed of water the one thing they really do need is water so they can produce nice plump fruits. On the over hand one must not over water them to the point that the soil becomes waterlogged as this will encourage the roots and stem to rot. It is also important to make sure that the leaves do not become sodden with water as this will encourage viruses and fungi to invade the plant.

The way to reduce water logging and water born diseases in first place is to make sure the soil is reasonably well draining and has sufficient humus to save water for the roots without drowning them. This can be prevented by making sure the soil is prepared properly before the first plantings begin.

Best time to pick Strawberries ?

The best time to pick those delicious berries is in the morning time before the day gets too hot and softens the fruit.

Give us feedback and ask questions
We would be pleased to hear from you in the 'post a comment' form below, don't be shy. Do you have the perfect way to grow strawberries, your disasters, best ways to eat them or anything at all really, let us know ?

Search on strawberries @ Amazon.co.uk

Gooseberry Bush with hundreds of fruits

2011-06-17T05:05:00.009+01:00

Its the middle of June and the Gooseberry Bush has produced lots of fruits. Have been slowly picking off the bigger fruits from the clusters so the little ones have less competition and will grow into plumpness itself. The earlier fruits picked are not as soft as the older ones to come but they are great sliced into your morning muesli where they add a nice sweet crispy voluptuousness.

Why Use Raised Beds with Video and Pictures

2010-10-23T21:04:00.018+01:00

Garden raised bed full of brassicas

Source

Raised beds are elevated structures usually made of wood, rock walls, stone, or even short lengths of logs in which the gardener can effectively provide a plant’s basic requirement. This idea of planting above the level of the ground has existed for centuries but seems to be getting more and more popular. Nine of the thirteen advantages to using these elevated designs are as follows:

1. In raised beds (whether for vegetables, herbs, succulents, or flowers), you can more efficiently amend the soil in such a way that a certain plant’s requirements are fully satisfied. For example, if a given plant requires an acidic soil, you can make sure your soil is acidic by first testing your soil’s pH and then, if needed, lowering your pH by adding sulfur. (Always check the directions first).

Videos on Raised Beds

Here is Video showing the some different types of raised beds, quite informative and interesting

How To Use Raised Beds in the City on Howcast

2. Even if you get cool, wet springs, the soil in raised beds will warm up at least two weeks faster than the soil in a regular garden. This early start gives the gardener the advantage of being able to begin working and amending the soil and planting that much earlier.

3. If you’ve experienced the resulting flooding and even lingering water in your garden after a heavy rain, you’ll appreciate the fact that when the soil is raised above the ground, drainage is possible. Therefore, unless the soil around the bed is flooded quite high, no matter how much rain you get, your plants in the raised beds will not get bogged down in puddles of water.

4. Because your plants are set up in containers which are not easily destroyed, it does not matter if the structure gets bumped by children’s toys or garden furniture. Your plants will not be affected.

5. One main factor is that you can organize your garden beds in whatever order you wish. You can create an orderly interesting panorama which will keep changing as the different vegetables and flowers in the raised beds go through various growth and color from month to month. Thus you can create interest and variety in spring, summer, fall, and even winter.

7. Your beds can be built any height or size. For the person in a wheel chair or a person who cannot bend for one reason or another, such as one with a knee or hip replacement, a a raised garden bed is the answer.

8. This one is a winner especially if you have problems with small animals! To stop gophers from tunneling up to your precious plants, you can encase the bottom of your container with close-meshed galvanized screenings before you add your soil. If you have squirrels, you can protect your bulbs by laying a layer of chicken wire across the top of your container as soon as you plant your bulbs. The wire can remain there forever. You needn’t worry! The growing plant will find its way through the wire. You can protect your berries from birds by using a nylon or wire netting. In other words, the wooden structure allows you to use whatever is necessary to enclose your plants to save them from “unwanted varmints”.

9. It is important to have air circulating in your soil. I remember my grandmother always making sure that the soil around her plants were loosened up “to allow air flow”. When you use raised garden beds, there is no need to walk on the soil or to use equipment. The result is that your soil will not get compacted; thus both air and water will more reach the roots more easily.

Regardless of shape and size, when raised beds are filled with nutrient-filled soil, the results are the same – lush plants and/or delicious, nutrition-filled vegetables.

Bio: A gardener since the 1970s , Marcie has learned the value of growing your own vegetables organically. - Download her new Free ebook "The Complete Guide to Organic Vegetable Gardening" or discover the other reasons why using raised beds is a good idea Isnare.com

Interesting links on raised beds

5 Reasons to Start a Raised Bed Garden Today!
"As concern grows over the safety of the food supply chain in America, more people are beginning to look at growing their own food. As follows are 5 reasons you should start a raised bed garden today!"

Fawcett: Raised beds
"RAISE the revolution ... elevated beds have changed gardening as we know it. And it's mostly for the better y!"

Using raised beds in winter to make compost from MySecretGarden
Here is a simple practical idea to make use of raised beds in the winter to create compost.

Additional Notes

Disadvantage of the raised bed with watering

The main problem and disadvantage with a raised bed is they use a lot of water because they can be so free draining.

The plants when planted in normal ground can at least search for ground water nearby but in a raised may not find water so easy because they are elevated above the ground.

If you use raised beds you need to make sure they are regularly watered so they don't dry out.

Environmentally there have been mumblings that raised beds use much more water than if plants were just planted in the ground and therefore are using up a scarce resource.

Please make a comment before you leave

Taking care of the Lawn before winter

2010-10-13T21:41:00.002+01:00

The classic lawn is a common sight in the typical British garden and many a casual gardener longs for a lush green area of grass even if their other gardening ambitions may be more limited. So here’s some good news for those who may not rate their own lawn care skills: if some basic maintenance tasks are carried out before winter arrives, a healthy, attractive lawn will be easily achieved in the following year.

Autumn is one of the busiest and most important times for looking after your lawn. With weather during autumn being quite variable and the nights drawing in quickly, the opportunities for some productive lawn care may be limited, especially for the weekend gardener, so keep a close eye on the weather forecast and use every opportunity as it arises.

Those who class themselves as lawn experts will be working through a busy schedule of maintenance tasks in the run up to winter. If you want to see professional evidence of this just take an autumn walk around your local golf course and watch the green keepers hard at work.

For the home gardener autumn lawn care tasks include continuing to mow as dry weather allows and removing thatch and moss by raking and scarifying. Spiking with a fork will aid aeration, while a more thorough job can be done by hollow tining. Bear in mind that this can be a very physical job if done manually on a large lawn, so consider hiring a machine to help. Once removed, the tine cores are swept up and a top dressing applied.

The benefits of applying a top dressing are twofold. First the lawn soil can be improved by application of the correct dressing and also any lumps and hollows can be levelled out. Again professional green keepers will take this task seriously and may carry it out every year, but the for the amateur lawn enthusiast applying an autumn top dressing once every few years is probably sufficient.

Top dressing materials contain a mixture of sand and sandy loam and are applied to a spiked or tined lawn using a brush, rake, lute or drag mat. Care should be taken to keep the top dressing dry before spreading and not to apply too much.

Early autumn is also a good time to sow a new lawn as mild, damp weather will help the new seeds get off to a great start. Wait until the really warm weather of August is over then get to work preparing the soil. Make sure your levels are correct, weeds are removed and the soil quality is high by adding extra nutrients.

You’ll need to work quickly and sow the grass seed before any heavy rains arrive and stop you getting onto the lawn area. The benefits of sowing a new lawn in autumn rather than spring are that natural rainfall is more likely and there’ll be less chance of people wanting to use the lawn before it is properly established. Also weeds will not establish themselves so quickly.

Other autumn lawn care tasks include the removal of fallen leaves as often as is practical and the application of an autumn feed product. Select one with a moss killer if your lawn requires it. Autumn is also the perfect time to repair any areas of lawn that may have been damaged or become worn out during the summer. In the family garden, favourite football areas or patches of lawn under children’s play equipment often suffer and need more attention.

Once all your hard work is done and your autumn lawn care schedule is complete you’ll be able to sit back satisfied and await the following spring and the return of a thriving, healthy lawn for everyone to enjoy.

About the Author : Marc Bartley is a writer covering home, garden and household issues. More information about carrying out autumn lawn care can be found by visiting the Love The Garden website. Isnare.com

Wildflower Seeds for Bees

2010-10-12T21:02:00.004+01:00

WILDFLOWERS FOR BEES - PACK OF SEEDS

Collection of seeds for wild flowers
Renowned for attracting bees
Create your own wildflower garden
Seeds specially selected by Thompson & Morgan
Blend of hardy annuals

from Amazon.co.uk

Pruning bamboo in your garden with video

2010-10-11T20:04:00.004+01:00

Source

Pruning Bamboo

October is the time to prune bamboo plants as they can be quite invasive if not kept in check. This can be done by using a sharp border spade and digging out any encroaching bamboo shoots as they appear. I do this anyway on a regular basis and it seems to work quite well. Of course any bamboo canes cut down are very useful in the garden for supporting other plants when needed. The bamboo shown above is a black bamboo which grows very tall, up to 15-20ft and is very elegant, but it should be kept under control before it takes over a garden.

Below is a very useful video on pruning and cleaning up a bamboo plant