My front garden is South facing, when we first moved here the front had plastic laid down and pebbles galore with just 4 small pots and a few Hebe shrubs; it felt lifeless.
My first job was to get it all up and let the soil breath again, a good digging over and just could not wait to get planting.
Three years on and plants are maturing; it even has its own compost bin.
I am even trying to create an all year orchestra of flowers to brighten every day of the year.
Unfortunately my children seem to take great delight as you may have read previous articles to pluck the blooming flowers.
This time a casualty was my Alliums flowers, my Zantedeschia is starting to flower and I just hope they don’t notice.
Hot Weather! To water or not to water?
Mulching this is where the composting comes in that rotted stuff you have been wondering when and what to do with well you can mulch around the base of the plants and it’s like thermal jackets on your boiler except your helping to retain moisture improve soil structure, another tip is to water early evening.
Trees and shrubs
Unless they have just been planted the best thing is to really improve the soil by adding rotted manure or compost to prevent moisture loss and if you do need to water use a can and water through a hose (for trees) and arrange soil so that the water does not run away from base of plant.
Solanum 'Crispum' the blue and
Fromentodendron 'californian glory
Plants that are constantly watered roots will sit on the surface when really roots need to anchor in and get to the moisture below prepare for times of drought and hose pipe bans!
Happy Gardening and don’t forget your sunscreen!
Top 10 tips
- Keep your containers watered regularly even if it rains and give a regular feed
- Lawns mowed fortnightly or even weekly leave clippings on to recycle nitrogen and let worms aerate the soil just brush the worm cast unless it's a bowling green!
- Keep up with the weeds in your borders there after your plants light, nutrients and moisture!
- Keep an eye out for pests hand remove and sponge squash with some soap
- Train and tie in your climbers
- Mulch around your plants and borders to protect moisture loss and improve soil structure
- Keep a small area wild to encourage biological predators and pollinator's for those pests and nettles make good compost activators and you can make your own liquid feed
- Regulary check your wormeries the bins with the tap may need emptying, either dilute for liquid feed or stick in your compost bins
- Regular clipping of hedges or topiary designs example privet and box
- Plant up annual bedding to brighten your borders for summer
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