A Pot of Pastel Colours for Summer

Buck the trend for hot sizzling summer colours and opt for
cool pastels instead.

Osteospermum

There are lots of little osteospermums in garden centres
and nurseries in the summer months of May June and heaps of
colour choice.I like them because they flower well into
autumn and if we have a mild winter they should survive.

Marguerite

I use alot of marguerites in my planting arrangements
because of there cottage garden looks.They flower well into
autumn but are not as hardy as osteospermums.They have a
great variety of colours to choose from to compliment the
other flowers in your pot.

Petunia

You can get some pale colours in petunias such as pale pink
in the Surfinia series which is a very popular series that
can be found in most garden centres.Also Mr Fothergill's
catalogue has a new series called Fanfare with a lovely
pale pink flower called Appleblossom.

Nicotiana

Each year I sow nicotiana seed but only single colours so I
can co-ordinate my colour schemes.At this time of year May
June look out for good sized plants at the garden centres.
How to Plant Your pastels for Summer Pot

1. Drainage is really important in pots so start by lining
the bottom with a number of broken crocks, or use pieces of
broken up polystyrene.Then fill a third of the pot with
container or multi purpose compost, breaking down any large
lumps with your fingers as you work.

2. Because the marguerites, osteospermum and nicotiana all
grow to about the same height, plant these towards the back
of the pot.Depending on the size of your pot ,you might
only need one of each plant.Place the petunias around the
edge at the front and then firm everything in with more
compost.

3. Now give the pot a good soak.Make sure you keep it well
watered throughout the summer, especially over the first
couple of weeks as the plants establish.To make sure you
get the best blooms feed fortnightly with a liquid feed.Do
not forget to deadhead regularly to keep the flowers coming.

More Pretty Pastels

Geranium

Geraniums are so versatile and there are dozens of
different colours available.Many people only consider the
gaudy reds and oranges, but the softer pinks are
lovely.They can be tricky from seed so try taking cuttings
or buy plug plants.

Diascia

Diascias have a long flowering period and if you can cut
them back after the first flush of flowers, they should
give you a repeat performance.They have become quite
popular so they are widely available as young plants in
lots of different colours.

Nemesia

Nemesia ia a cheap and cheerful filler often used to plug
gaps in borders, but its also great in pots.It can flower
from summer to christmas and is a spectacular sight.Look
out for pale apricot and lemon colours.


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Want to find that pefect Garden Container Planter or Pot
for your planting arrangements then visit
http://www.mygardencenteronline.com .
Also while your there why not checkout our full range of
plants and seeds.

 

Lawn Care - What's the Best Length

It seems like all it would take is pushing or riding the
lawnmower over the grass. But there's more to it than that
if you want a beautiful and healthy lawn.  The first step
to overcome is deciding on the proper length. This depends
on several things, such as the type of grass, how much sun
the grass gets each day, how much it rains, and so on. Here
are some of the benefits of mowing less often and letting
the grass grow longer.

Saves Time

Keeping most grass a little longer saves effort cutting.
Allowing the lawn to grow an extra week between cuttings,
mowing every two or three weeks instead of every week,
reduces the effort by up to a third. That saved hour or two
can be well used on other activities - fertilizing, weeding
and other needed tasks.

Grows Slower

The grass grows faster when it is short and slows down as
it gets longer. So since the length increases at a higher
rate at first and then decreases as the blade grows to be a
couple of inches or more, remember this: The longer the
blade, the slower the growth.

Grow Deeper Roots

Deeper roots are encouraged by longer grass. Grass and
weeds compete for the same nutrients and space in the soil.
With longer roots, the grass takes up more of the space and
gets more of the nutrients, leaving less for the weeds.

Another benefit of longer roots is it the grass reach
moisture deeper down, making the grass better fed and
stronger.

Needs Less Water

Here's another interesting fact: Longer grass can keep in
moisture better. So not only do you save time by mowing
less frequently, but you save money on water as well. This
is really important in some areas that often experience
drought.

Gets More Sunlight

It's healthier for grass to grow a little longer for
several reasons. For instance, longer grass has more
surface area for photosynthesis, the biochemical process
that turns sunlight and compounds into energy used for
reproduction and growth.

Reduces Weeds

Allowing the grass to grow longer actually reduces weeds
and the time needed for weed maintenance. Since weeds need
sunlight and warmth in order to grow, just like nearly
every plant, longer grass blades prevent weeds from getting
started.

Problems with Long Grass

There are problems that can increase if the grass grows too
long. Not only do you have to put up with a shaggy lawn,
but grass that is too short encourages lawn bugs and
mosquitoes. The latter prefer cool temperatures, and the
longer grass gives them a place to enjoy the shade. So
keeping your lawn down to a moderate length will reduce the
number of bugs.

Don't Cut it Too Short

Cutting grass does not hurt it in any way as long as it
isn't cut too short. Grass grows from the base (called the
crown), not from the top. If you are careful not to damage
the crown with the lawnmower, the grass will do fine. Be
careful of bumps in the yard that can cause the lawnmower
to dip too deep into the grass and dig into a crown.

In summary, if you keep the grass a little longer in hot
weather and a little shorter in cool weather you will
achieve the perfect balance.


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Grab plenty of tips and tricks for making your yard and
garden healthier and more beautiful. Carol Stack and her
family live on a large piece of property where they enjoy
trying out new gardening ideas. Carol's website,
http://www.freegardentips.info covers lawn care, organic
gardening, landscaping and more.

 

Grow Your Own Garden Fruit Trees for Real fruit

When visiting a supermarket have you never wished you had a
few garden fruit trees? Have you ever noticed how purchased
fruit these days is bit inconsistent in quality?  Sometimes
it will be fine, but mostly is tasteless, too hard or too
soft.  The pears are rock hard, you can push your fingers
through the plums, and the peaches start growing mould
before they are soft enough to eat.

Some of this has to do with forced growing and artificial
fertilizers, and some on picking too early, and being left
to ripen during shipping.  Much of the foreign grown fruit
is picked unripened, and then ripened in the ship's hold.
This leads to fruit with the taste and texture of wet
cardboard. Why not grow your own?  It is both cheaper and
better for you, and the taste is far superior to anything
grown and shipped from thousands of miles away, and fed on
who knows what.

Even a small garden can be used for growing fruit trees,
and there are apples, peaches, pears, cherries and plums
suitable for the smallest garden.  And these are just a few
of what is available that be grown in shapes suitable for
training along fences and walls, and up garden mesh and
netting. You don't need a massive orchard for garden fruit
trees any more if you know how to train them properly, and
what varieties are best for growing in your local
conditions.

If your garden is susceptible to early frosts, you should
purchase trees that flower later, or you will lose the
flowers before they can develop into fruit. Irrespective of
your conditions, you should be able to grow a selection of
apples, pears, plums and so on and even apricots and
peaches if you have a reasonable amount of sun.  Even
grapes can be grown in temperate climates.

You should buy your stock from a good supplier that knows
what you need for the areas in which you live.  It is
always best to buy local, since if they can grow it then so
can you.  Many people travel to warmer climates and return
with fruit trees that looked great in 35 degrees of sun,
but are stunted in your chillier 25 degrees.  You should
choose a selection of fruits suitable for your climate, and
at least two of each.  There are some self-pollinating
varieties of fruit around, but it is safer to have two
trees - you also get more fruit!  If you are purchasing
more than one variety of each fruit, then make sure that
their pollen is compatible.  In fact if you are buying two
trees for pollination, then they should be different
species, but compatible with each other.  Your supplier
will have this information for you.

You should also check out the fruit provided by each and
make sure that it is what you are looking for.  You don't
want a Bramley tree if you want a desert apple, and some
plums are naturally sour while others are sweeter.  The
same is true of grapes, and some of the sweetest wines can
come from very sour grapes. Make you're your vines are
desert grapes, and not cultivated for winemaking unless
they are also suitable for eating.

The rootstock is very important, because fruits trees are
generally propagated on rootstocks.  Depending on the
rootstock, an apple tree can grow to 5 ft or 25 ft in
height and spread. The size of the tree will be determined
by the size of your garden, so you should check with your
supplier what the eventual size will be.

When buying a fruit tree, keep in mind that the older tress
can be hard to transplant, so try to get a tree no more
than two years old. Don't purchase too young or you might
have to wait some years for a fruit, and the best type of
plant is a bare root plant rather than ones in containers.
If your garden is small, then many species of most fruits
are suitable for espalier,  fans and cordons.  In a small
garden, the cordons take up least space and provide a good
crop of fruit from a single supported stem.  However, if
you have a lot of fencing space, or can put up a few
trellises, then fans and espaliers would make good use of
that space.  Most fruit trees can be grown in that form.

Irrespective of whether you grow the full sized trees, or
in dwarf or trained form, garden fruit trees will provide
you with fruit that is ripened on the tree and that tastes
like fruit and not cotton wool.  If you are careful with
your source of supply, and ensure that your variety is
suitable for your climate, then there is no reason why you
should not be a successful fruit grower, independent of
supermarkets for your fresh fruit.


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Want to find that perfect Fruit tree for your garden  then
visit http://www.mygardencenteronline.com .
Where you will find a full range of
apple,pear,cherry,plum,apricot and alot more other types of
fruit trees.