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Garden leaves have their uses

Alan — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 07:41:20 +0000

When autumn arrives there is a great change in scenery as the leaves begin to change colour. What was once green, turns into a great array of red, brown and yellow. While this is a very beautiful time of the year many people find it a rather repetitive time as they have to spend a lot of hours raking up leaves and throwing them away.

There are ways to use these leaves that are environmentally friendly and mean that they do not have to go to landfill. They can even be used to create eco-fuel which is carbon neutral but for most people there are simpler options they take advantage of.

For people with a fireplace it is possible to burn the leaves without any processing but this can be a difficult process as they tend to burn fast. If you want to take advantage of using them it is best to buy a log maker. This is device that will allow you to turn fallen leaves into logs which you can use on the fire.

A log maker will turn wet leaves into a log and then squeeze out any excess water. They will still need to dry for a time but when they have you will be left with a perfectly formed log which you can use in your fireplace.

The best thing about creating these logs is that they are carbon neutral as long as you collect the leaves from your own garden or somewhere you can easily walk to. When they are being burned the leaves release carbon dioxide but no more than they removed from the atmosphere when they were growing on the tree. This means that they are the most eco-friendly fuel you can find they also carry the additional advantage that they are completely free.

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Cosy conservatory furniture to enjoy your garden in the winter

admin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:21:35 +0000

For most people winter means that the gardening season is over, however, if you have a conservatory you can continue to enjoy your garden even during the winter months. Of course, the winter brings with it a cold nip in the air which is why you may want to make a few investments in your conservatory to make sure that you enjoy your garden instead of quickly retreating back into the main inner areas of the home in an escape to get back into the warmth.

One of the first things you will need to think about are heaters that can be hung from the conservatory walls or ceiling to help add some heat to the chilly rooms. Most of the time these can be purchased at a reasonable price and the addition of one to two heaters depending on the size of your conservatory may be all it takes in order to get the warmth that you are after.

For smaller areas of space there are also heaters that sit neatly on the floor or in a cabinet shape to help make them more adaptable to small spaces without ruining the overall look and comfort of a conservatory.

The other major factor you will need to consider is conservatory furniture so that you can be comfortable while sitting and relaxing inside of your conservatory. As the winter months tend to be colder you will want to choose warmer types of furniture such as leather sofas or those with cloth surfaces to help absorb the limited amount of heat so that you are comfortable and warm while in your conservatory.

By adding in a few pillows and throws or blankets over your furniture is another great way to update the look of your conservatory practically during the winter months.

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Native hedging great for your garden and wildlife

Alan — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 05:55:21 +0000

Native hedging refers to a mixture of British Shrubs and trees that are deciduous, fast growing and tough. Therefore is should not be a surprise the best hedge plants to use are those that have been there since the ice age.

The element that is key in hedge plants is Hawthorn which is the country’s best overall hedge plant. This will make about 50% of the mix and should be mixed in with the other varieties that you decide to plant in order for the hedge to be strong and thorns the entire length.

The rest is most often made of five or more other species from about twenty to choose from but the most common are dogwood, blackthorn, guilder rose, field maple, hazel, wild rose and wayfaring tree. In the countryside, the need for native hedging is obvious, but for the city there are a number of reasons why it is good as well.

All of them have lived and thrived for centuries in the British Isles and can withstand any foul weather, heavy pruning or poor soil. The only place they will not thrive or work out is in a marshy spot or soggy ditch. Willows, dogwoods and alders are also natives and will thrive in those areas.

These types of plants for hedges are great for wildlife. Native bees, birds and mammals have evolved along with these native plants for many years they ideally suit one another. After your different groups of flowers have given food for a myriad of butterflies and insects the native hedge could boast crab-apples, hazel nuts, rose-hips plus guilder rose, wayfaring trees and sloe.

This type of country hedging is great to distract squirrels. If you have fruit in your garden and squirrels are causing a problem the food the hedge has will be a great alternative to those crops of yours. If you work hard on protecting the bushes and fruit trees you may find the squirrels will opt for the option that is easiest.

The native hedge plants often come hedging packs that are ready made and with names like Conservation Hedging or Conservation Hedge Mix. There are generally about six species of plants with the Hawthorne making up 50% of the pack. Since they are less expensive you will not get to choose the mix since the batches will be pre made by suppliers and the quality should be equal to if you had selected them yourself.

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Skyfarming at the Chelsea Flower Show

Alan — Fri, 13 May 2011 03:19:33 +0000

Growing food on a vertical plane, Skyfarming, rather than on the horizontal usually would be reserved for the sci-fi theatre where the gardeners ride around in jet-packs in order to tend to their plants. But there is a food garden being built that is 9 meters tall for UK’s top garden show, the Chelsea Flower Show.

One steel wall of the garden structure is all plants while the other is entirely solar panels. The water pumps that push the water from boreholes through the hydroponic system are powered by the panels. There are stairs inside the tower along with a compost chute and an area for propagation.

There are large window boxes on the wall that are for plants that include peppers, tomatoes and nasturtiums. Next to the boxes along the wall there is a wall of herbs that include chamomile, oregano and thyme. These gardens the designer said are not about putting them in the middle of the city but it is about how Chelsea is about ideas that are larger than life.

Everything within the garden is edible even the vertically trimmed lime trees have leaves that can be made into tea while the mulberry has a crunchy beery. There is an insect hotel to help with the natural wonders of insects that were made by children including one that made beds for earwigs. What is serious about the entire project is for people to establish ecology in their own gardens.

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Setting up a vegetable garden

Alan — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 01:45:14 +0000

Setting up a vegetable garden can be both challenging and enjoyable although you may find the experience somewhat difficult to begin with. There are some difficulties but the end result is easily achieved. You need to set goals just as you would in any project.

Choose only vegetables that you like and enjoy eating. This will ensure that you begin your garden in the right frame of mind. You will treat the garden more as a hobby rather than a job. When the vegetables arrive on your dinner table you will know that your investment has paid off.

Investigate the space required for the type of vegetable you will be growing. This will give you an overall picture of the amount of ground needed and will ensure you don’t cramp certain vegetables. If possible prepare more space but if unavailable consider growing some types in containers. Should space be limited you may need to reconsider some vegetables you intend growing.

Establish your area, preferably a sunny spot and prepare the ground by turning the soil, composting and mulching. The soil should be very well prepared and it is important that you find an area with plenty of sun. You can now begin your planting.

Ensure that you plant vegetables appropriate for a growing season. As an example, potatoes, peas, cabbages and turnips should be planted for harvesting in autumn or spring. Squash, cucumbers and eggplant should be considered for the hot summer months

Seeds can be purchased from nurseries, garden and hardware stores. You can even order seeds online should you encounter difficulties locally. You will require seeds that have been harvested within the past year. January and February are the best months to order online. Seeds can be started indoors then transplanted outdoors in early spring.

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Weeds and rubbish will become Edinburgh garden

Alan — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 07:06:56 +0000

One area of New Town Edinburgh that has been overtaken by weeds, fallen debris of trees and brick walls, has been marked for conversion into community allotments. They previous Georgian tenements were demolished back in 1967. They were along MacKenzie Place near Stockbridge. The only parts left are sealed brick cellars beside Water of Leith, below Doune Terrace.

The conversion will be completed in 2012 and was funding was provided by a grant from Edinburgh World Heritage and money from Edinburgh City Council, totalling £91,000.

Director of Edinburgh World Heritage, Adam Wilkinson said, “We’ll be converting the cellars into a more elegant allotment storage solution than a bunch of metal sheds. Also, it will be a great benefit to provide allotments closer so people won’t have to travel so far. We are glad to be cooperating with World Heritage Site on this project.”

The site is already being cleared and the soil tested. The retaining wall will be rebuilt in places and new doors placed on the cellars.

Environmental Leader, Councillor Robert Aldridge, said that the allotments will be given out to residents and locals who are on the waiting list. However, the Council have had to rethink their strategy for managing the new rise in interest in gardening allotments. Compare the 400 waiting in 1998 to the 2000 people on the waiting list last year.

Aldridge added, “This plan is riding the city of a section of land that has gone to wilderness and it contributes to a healthy lifestyle that includes gardening. Our people will have the pleasure of growing their own flowers and vegetables, which contributes to community contentment.”

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Lost garden discovered in Scotland

Alan — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 06:22:13 +0000

Historian Louise Yeomen has discovered the location of the “lost garden”. The garden was planted in Scotland to commemorate the completion of The Great Michael, at the time, the most powerful ship in Christendom, according to Chroniclers.

In 1511, the garden was planted in Hawthorn with the exact measurements of the ship, but was later on destroyed in the 18^th Century.

Historians and Archaeologists have struggled to locate the garden, until Dr. Yeomen managed to identify successfully its location while investigating the warship’s history. Near Auchteararder, Perthshire, Dr Yeomen found the garden in the furthest point from which the oak wood for the ship was gathered.

‘According to 16^th century chroniclers, the craftsmen who built the warship commemorated its completion by planting the garden based on the real dimensions of the ship,’ added Dr Yeomen

‘Many have doubted its mere existence, but here we are,’ added Dr Yeomen. ‘The garden eluded historians. Why was it planted in Perthshire, so far from the sea, remained a mystery.’

‘But now we know; owing the dearth of oak wood needed to build the ship in this part of Scotland, oak had to come from somewhere else. Initial references to Kincardine has sent some on the wrong track for Kincardine on Froth; however this area was an unlikely source for the oak wood. We found Kincardine Glen near Tullibardine Castle to be the place we were looking for,’ explained Dr Yeomen.

A team from Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society have identified the exact location of the castle using Geophysical measurements.

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92,000 people Make Your Nature Count

Alan — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:30:44 +0000

More than 92,000 people took part in the RSPB summer survey, counting various species of wildlife in over 69.000 gardens in the U.K. The survey, called Make Your Nature Count, was organized by Richard Bashford of RSPB, who says that the number of residents who responded was deeply satisfying, and expressed his thanks to everyone who participated.

Participants were asked to look for different birds such as robins, blackbirds, thrushes and nesting house martins, to help discern how well (or how poorly) they are breeding and flourishing. They were also asked to look out for small mammals like moles, hedgehogs and roe deer, whose natural habitats are rapidly being depleted. Happily, survey results showed that some creatures are adapting well to less rural settings, and Mr. Bashford noted that U.K. gardeners can do a lot to promote the survival of the country’s precious wildlife.

Hedgehogs, whose rural habitat has been rapidly diminishing, were found in a surprising 30% of urban gardens, which is good news for hedgehogs and for gardeners, as the prickly creatures are great consumers of garden pests, and seem to be quite comfortable in urban areas. Moles were sighted by about 14% of the participants, with the majority in Wales and none in Northern Ireland. About 5% reported the presence of roe deer, almost all in Scotland – but then most people won’t see them except by chance and luck.

Among the kinds of birds counted in the survey, blackbirds, blue tits and woodpigeons were the most numerous, with about 90% of participants reporting their presence in rural and urban gardens. Swifts, jackdaws and greenfinches were the least common, with only about 16% reporting swifts. Migrant birds such as the house martin were spotted by only 4% of people responding.

RSPB urges everyone to get involved, take advantage of all the information made available by RSPB and many other organizations, and help preserve and restore the habitat for imperiled wildlife.

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Clarence House ‘Garden Party to Make a Difference.’

Alan — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 03:47:41 +0000

Prince Charles official residence, Clarence House, is going to be opened up to the public for viewing for the first time ever as part of a 12 day festival entitled ‘Garden Party to Make a Difference.’

The festival will offer the public a chance to see firsthand how the Prince has turned his garden into an eco-friendly area with improvements such as rooftop solar panels and an eco-system friendly vegetable patch.

Throughout the festival area will be over 100 exhibitions and displays that offer advice to attendees on how to create bee friendly gardens, construct green homes, and reduce dependence on electricity. Live performances from many well known musicians, comedians, and campaigners will also liven the mood while informing the public on the important issue of climate change.

Kevin McLoed is scheduled to demonstrate several different eco-cars, Alan Tichmarsh will give an instructional speech on organic gardening, and Dame Vivenne Westwood will be on the stage to discuss how clothes can be recycled.

Those in attendance will not only get the coveted chance to tour the gardens at Clarence House, but will also get the opportunity to walk through the grounds of the Marlborough House and the Lancaster House.

The festival takes place from September 8^th through the 19^th allowing ample time for Britons to take advantage of the exclusive opportunity. Tickets are not sold out yet although they are selling by the thousands every day so it is to your advantage to purchase now.

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Fear of fox attacks stops back garden wildlife feeding

Alan — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:51:12 +0000

Around one third of families in Wales are refraining from feeding wildlife in their gardens. Part of this is due to a fear of fox attacks, despite claims from wildlife experts that this may be an irrational fear.

Specifically, 28% of Welsh people are no longer feeding wild animals. For most families, it is because they do not wish to encourage animals to live around their homes. In a survey by E1 Entertainment, on which the findings are based, 34% of the people surveyed said that their attitude toward wild animals has changed following a recent fox attack on twin babies in London.

And 34% of those questioned who live in urban areas admit that their attitude towards all local wildlife has been affected by the fox attacks on twin babies in their London home. Pauline Kouppraris discovered her twin daughters, only nine months old at the time, covered in blood and crying following a fox attack on the two girls. This was back in June, when they were said to be in “serious condition” following the attack.

According to the survey, people are not especially fond of foxes. They were listed as the penultimate animal in popularity, with many families scared of foxes following by the recent incident in June.

According to Ted Burden of the London Wildcare Trust, the attack had an “adverse impact” on many people’s opinion of foxes and other wildlife in their garden. According to Burden, the incident was extremely rare, and foxes and other wildlife can help those with gardens by feeding on pesky rats.

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