December 2011
What
a year it's been! I have just finished my final planting job of the
year and it's a relief to get the last of those plants and bulbs in
because the freezing cold weather seems to have arrived.
This September I started running my first local course to help people who would like to design their own gardens but lack the confidence. It was a huge success with the group learning a lot from eachother as well as from me.
Everyone learned how to survey their own garden and came up with a new design as well as planning their planting.
Another course is planned to start in February 2012. There will be just 8 places and their will be 8 sessions in all.
Please give me a ring on 07711 888627 to find out more, or email me Tracy@tracyfostergardendesign.co.uk
The cost will be £99 per person for all 8 sessions so it would make a lovely Christmas Present for anyone keen to re-develop their garden. Each session lasts 2 hours and takes place in warm, comfortable premises in north Leeds.
I hope to see you in February!
5th April 2011
FIVE
THINGS TO DO THIS APRIL
1. HELP OUR HOGS!
Did you know
that Hedgehog numbers are declining?
This is not just because of factors such as insecticides and road traffic.
Each hedgehog
needs a patch of land equivalent in size to about 10 typical gardens in order
to live so he needs to be able to wander safely from garden to garden.
The current fashion for fencing off every inch of our gardens means that the
little creatures cannot get from one garden to the next and this is reducing
their chance of survival.
The British
Hedgehog Preservation Society advises cutting a hole about 5 inches square in
the bottom of your fence in a couple of places where the hogs could enter and
leave your garden. Be careful not to leave any sharp edges.
We can also
help Hedgehogs by making sure our garden netting for fruit and vegetables is fixed
at least six inches above the ground so that the animals do not get tangled
(the resulting injuries can be very serious).
Other
dangerous items include empty cans, plastic pots, plastic rings from six packs
of cans and rubber bands so please pick them up and bin them if you see them.
2. THE
If you have
sown seeds for vegetables already, you will be busy pricking out seedlings and
keeping everything well watered.
You can sow
any of the following indoors this month: Runner beans, French beans,
Courgettes, Cucumbers, Marrows, Pumpkins, Squashes, Sweetcorn and Tomatoes.
Outside, you
can sow: Beetroots, Broad beans, Sprouts, Cabbages, Broccoli, Carrots, Chard,
Leeks, Lettuces, Peas, Radishes, Spinach and Spring Onions.
If you are new to veg growing, I recommend lettuces and radishes for a quick,
easy crop.
Plant potatoes
out this month along with any Lettuces and Cabbages that you started off
indoors.
3. GARDENING CLUBS are
a great idea. You can exchange seeds, plants, and advice as well as getting to
know other gardeners and having a good time.
In Leeds, the REAP gardening group meets every
month and is open to everyone. It is informal and friendly and there is no
charge, just come along and join in.
This month’s meeting on Saturday 23rd
April is ‘The Big Sow’ – we will be exchanging seed and getting ready to sow.
Bring any spare seed if you have it and come and join us at the ‘Open Door’ 225
Lidgett Lane between 10am and 12 noon.
4. TREAT YOURSELF!
This year’s Harrogate flower show runs
from 14th to 17th of April. It is a joy just to go and
look at all the scrumptious, fresh spring flowers, but it is also the very best
place to look for unusual plants, sculptures and garden furniture to buy.
Look out for the displays of jewel like Auriculas in little ‘theatres’ lined
with black fabric so that the flowers really stand out.
5. CARE FOR THE BORDER
Look after your flowering plants to
ensure that you have a lovely, colourful garden this summer.
Put supports in place for your tall
plants. You can use bought plastic rings supported on canes or you can use
sticks and twigs that you have pruned from shrubs such as Dogwood or
Pull up any weeds, then put a layer of
garden compost around each plant to feed it and help to conserve moisture.
Once you have emptied out your compost
bin, you can start making your next batch of compost!
2nd March 2011
In March, the garden is really waking
up, not just the plants, but the animals too. In warm spells, hedgehogs and
bats may come out of hibernation, toads will start to find their way back to
their ponds and frogs will begin mating.
WHAT TO DO IN THE GARDEN IN MARCH
1. GROW PLANTS FOR YOUR POTS AND
BASKETS
For anyone who has the space to grow some bedding plants from seed, it is much
cheaper and you get a much better choice of plants than buying them from the
garden centre. They will need starting off in the warm, and growing on in an
unheated greenhouse or on a cool windowsill.
You can also keep the price down by buying plug plants and growing them on
yourself. I do this for certain plants that are not available from seeds, such
as Petunia surfinia – the lovely trailing, scented petunias that are very
useful for filling containers and producing flowers over a very long period.
It’s a sure sign of spring when you need to start cutting the lawn. Make
sure you don’t try to cut it short to start with, so set the blades to the
highest setting. Wait for a dry day and
give the lawn a rake over first to make sure the grass is all ‘sitting up’ to
be cut.
You should only need to cut once or twice in March.
3. PRUNE DOGWOODS GROWN FOR WINTER
BARK
The lovely red stems of certain dogwoods look amazing on a bright
winter’s day and pruning in March is essential to make sure they look as good
next year. The current year’s growth is always much more brightly coloured, so
plants are cut back, almost to the ground now so that they can put on lots of
extra growth over the spring and summer.
4. SOW VEGETABLE SEEDS
It’s sowing time! Many seeds can be
sown outside now, but don’t be too hasty as the weather can still be cold.
Towards the end of the month you could consider planting beetroots, carrots,
parsnips, radishes and spinach.
In the warmth of the house, you can start off peppers and chillies, tomatoes
and sweet corn.
5. COMPOST
Start the growing season by turning
all your compost to help it rot down quickly now that the temperatures are
rising. You can remove any mulches that were used to protect plants through the
winter and add them to the compost heap.
3rd February 2011
Get ready for the busiest time of the garden year.
It is time to change gear as the growing season begins.
Daylight hours increase noticeably throughout the
month with sunrise at 7.49 on 1st of February, and sunset at 16.49.
By the end of the month the sun will rise as early as 6.54 and set at 17.43
meaning the day is a whacking 1 hour 49 minutes longer, increasing by
approximately 4 minutes each day. (Times given are For Leeds, West Yorkshire).
MY
TOP FIVE THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH
Every February
I wash out my seed trays, clear the kitchen window sill and start sowing seeds
for the season. Summer is on its way!
You will be
able to start with some flowers such as lovely Cornflowers or Snapdragons, or
an exotic climber like Eccremocarpus scaber – just check the seed packets to
see which ones are suitable to start now.
Good
vegetables to start off indoors now include lettuces, onions and summer
cabbages as well as some chillis and peppers.
Dead head your winter pansies to prolong flowering
and don’t forget to water all your outdoor pots and containers, especially the
ones next to the house walls as they will get less rain. Water them in the
morning when there is no frost forecast.
February is
the perfect month to plant living willow screens, tunnels, archways, fences or
bowers. I have been practising my skills and I’m itching to get planting and
weaving!
Now is a good time to take out the pump and clean
the filter. Towards the end of the month clear out all the dead leaves and
debris form your pond, but leave it by the side of the pond for a day or two so
that any creatures living in it can crawl back into the pond before you clear
it away onto your compost heap.
Don’t have a pond yet? If the soil is not frozen,
you can dig out a new pond this month. Make sure it is at least 60cm deep in
places.
If your hedges look ready for a trim, now is a
good time to do it, before the birds begin to make their nests. Did you know,
that it is an offence under section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act of
1981 to intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird whilst
it is in use?
Cut the hedge so that it is slightly narrower at
the top than the bottom, that way light will get to the whole thing and the
base of the hedge won’t go straggly.
Look out for
Snowdrops, early blossom, the first crocuses and beautiful white or wine red
Hellebores
Don’t forget you can email me with any gardening questions, and do let me know how the cold weather we have had has affected your garden.
questions@tracyfostergardendesign.co.uk
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17th January 2011
Gardening in January
With January comes the hope of Spring, fresh
beginnings and plans for the coming year.
It may not be a traditional gardening month, with
most gardening books suggesting that now is the time to sit by the fire and
dream, but here are a few things that the keen gardener could be doing this
month.
- When the ground is not frozen, you can still
plant out any bare rooted trees and shrubs, including fruit bushes. Choose
a reputable supplier, order your bare root stock and follow the
instructions they supply when the plants arrive. Imagine great strings of
redcurrants, shining like jewels in the summer sun. Or enjoy the brilliant
winter bark of a Dogwood or a Silver Birch by planting one now.
Bare rooted trees and shrubs are dug up directly from the fields in their dormant season and they cost much less than their pot-grown counterparts. What’s more they are lighter and easier to plant. - In snowy periods, make sure that you knock
the snow off evergreen shrubs as well as tall plants. Snow gets very heavy
and can easily strip off branches form trees and shrubs, or flatten
vegetable crops. My Brussels Sprout Plants were crushed by the December
snow, but I did manage to salvage the little sprouts for Christmas day.
- Keep your bird feeders full and look after
your feathered garden visitors – they really need your help at this time
of year.
- Make your new years resolutions for your
garden. Maybe you would like to grow some vegetables, to have the garden
redesigned, to plant some flowers from seed, to start a gardening course
or join a gardening club. If you plan it now, you can make it happen as
the year progresses.
- Plant some lovely Lilies! They can be planted
from autumn, right through to March or April.
It is best to plant them when the soil outside is not too cold, or you can plant them in pots in a frost free greenhouse or shed at any time in the winter. Many of the varieties look much better in pots than in the borders and they can be brought out to enjoy when they are looking and smelling gorgeous in the summer. I am planting Martagon lilies which are tall and natural looking and will look perfect at the back of a partly shaded border.
- What went wrong? This is a good time to think
about what didn’t work in the garden last year and find a solution. You
can email me at the address below if you have any gardening questions.
I am also very interested to know about any plants that have not been hardy in our cold winter weather in recent years. Did you lose fuchsias, passion flowers or other plants in last year’s cold winter?
questions@tracyfostergardendesign.co.uk
10th January 2011
HOW CAN A GARDEN CAN MAKE YOUR BUSINESS GROW?
In today's difficult times here's an idea that could give your business the edge!
Imagine
being able to put your business details into the hands of thousands
of people, interested to learn what you can offer them?
An RHS Show is the perfect way to get your message across!
The
Hampton Court Palace Flower Show welcomes over 160 000 visitors over
the six days of the show - queuing at the show gardens to pick up
information about the garden and its sponsors.
BBC TV coverage throughout the show attracts 1.6 million viewers and this, with over 18 hours of radio coverage and 81, 000 web visits to the show site make this a perfect way to reach so many people.
You
could use the show for corporate entertaining, bringing guests to the
fabulous gala evening, or you could launch a publicity campaign
advertising you presence at the show! The success of the garden makes
great news for your website, attracting traffic for months after the
show has finished.
What Sort of Business Can Benefit?
Any! All types of Businesses, Charities, Educational establishments.. Anyone wanting to raise their profile.
For example recent shows have seen involvement with Alpro soya, Anglian
home improvements, Grand Marnier, Quilted Velvet and many, many others.
How Much Does This Cost?
Sponsoring
a whole show garden can cost anything from £10,000 upwards BUT this
year I have applied for a category of garden that may attract other
funding meaning that most of the garden will be paid for!
Ring me or email me now to discuss how you could share the benefits of a show garden from as little as £500.
Of
my four previous show gardens, two have won RHS gold medals and three
have been awarded 'Best in Category' attracting additional press
coverage.
Call Tracy Foster on: 07711 888627
or email tracy@tracyfostergardendesign.co.uk
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12th December 2010
Christmas Gifts for Gardeners
Here are a five of the best ideas for gifts for
the gardener in your life!
The garden centres have a very limited stock of seeds at this
time of year as they clear everything out to make room for Santa’s Grotto, but
seed companies sell them directly so you can order them online or from a seed
catalogue. How about lovely, scented Sweet Peas or seeds of an unusual vegetable?
I would always be glad of a sharp pair of secateurs, in fact it’s
handy to have several pairs. Good
manufacturers also offer spare blades and sharpening tools. Prices for
secateurs vary from about £20 to £50.
A garden fork is also a good idea, as some garden jobs really need two forks and most gardeners only have one.
Something to help keep organised. How
about a lovely enamel box to store all your seed in?
Or a nice note pad to record the details of what has been
planted and how it has done? (from about 50p).
Little envelopes for seeds are also really useful from about £6.70 for 100.
29th
Nov 2010
Top Vegetables and Fruit to Grow
Until recently, I have been without a vegetable plot for a number of years and I was naturally over enthusiastic when it came to planting seed in my new beds. It became apparent as the season went on that I had not chosen wisely in every case! One bed sat for months, stuffed with developing swede plants and giving me no space to plant the things I actually like. Swedes are OK, but they are probably the cheapest thing in Tesco. Why was I wasting my space?
I asked around in my local gardening group to see what other people would recommend if space is tight.
TOP 10 VEGETABLES (in no particular order)
Salad leaves – cut and come again
varieties produce crops over a long period, grow quickly and taste lovely. They
are easy to grow.
Dwarf Green Beans – Crop well in a
small space.
Herbs like Parsley and Coriander – Easy to grow and expensive
to buy in the supermarket.
Beetroot – Really easy, grows
quickly, you can eat the thinnings in salads as well as mature beetroots and
they are so much nicer when fresh and not soaked in vinegar as they are in
supermarkets.
Broad Beans – Easy and high
yielding.
Runner Beans – Easy, High
Yielding and really attractive plants too.
Swiss Chard – Easy, tasty and
pretty. Rarely available to buy from the supermarket.
Spinach – We all love both
ordinary and perpetual spinach. It is quick to mature, easy to grow and has so
many uses.
Purple Sprouting Broccoli – Has a high yield
and is ready in winter when there is not much else to harvest.
Leeks – Good winter crop.
We also like growing garlic, chillis and tomatoes. Tomatoes and chillis
can take a bit of effort to grow, but you can grow them in pots, there are so
many varieties to choose from and they are just delicious when freshly grown.
FAVOURITE FRUITS
Strawberries – So delicious, they are easy to grow and plants send out runners to
increase your stock.
Raspberries – Very easy to
grow, don’t mind a bit of shade and if you grow two varieties you can enjoy
fruits from early summer to the first frosts.
Rhubarb – Unfussy, simple
to grow and delicious – everyone can spare a little corner for this.
MY CONCLUSION?
You need a really good reason to give your space to a particular fruit or vegetable. Ask yourself?
Is it easy to grow?
Does it produce good yields
Can you grow much nicer varieties than the one(s) you can get in the supermarket?
Is it expensive to buy?
Does it taste much better when it is really fresh?
For Advice on how to design your perfect productive garden visit www.tracyfostergardendesign.co.uk
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