The siren song of the garden centre

It’s spring and our garden centres are at their busiest: tools are tidily lined up, garden furniture has been moved near the entrance, and bedding plants by the thousands are tiered on shelves like strange horticultural cakes. The gardening industry waits all year for these few months. It doesn’t matter about the weather, it’s time to sell, sell, sell. And I don’t blame them – it’s an industry which is worth around £5bn a year.Like most gardeners, I love a trip to my local nursery or garden centre. I enjoy wandering among the plants and all the associated paraphernalia. I often lose track of time in such places. I’ve been known to get lost on a Homeric odyssey after setting out for something as simple as a bag of compost. Even at the supermarket, I am often guilty of slipping plants in among the yogurt and the crisps. I can’t help it. It’s like a reflex.

Last weekend was no exception. I was at a local garden centre. I have no memory of what I actually went in to buy, but I found myself looking at a new spade. It was a beautiful spade – solid, split ash handle with a sharp steel blade so fine you could slice butter. It looked durable yet elegant, as if it would extend from my hands like a part of my own body. With a tool such as that, I’m convinced I’d be the Gandalf of gardeners. Before me seedlings would rise and dance and flower. Blackspot would retreat from my roses and blight would never settle on my potatoes. I’m sure I could grow tomatoes outdoors. With a spade like that I could probably control the weather; the rain would fall at necessary intervals and the sun would blaze in the sky. As for the foxes, they wouldn’t even dare to enter my garden.

All I need is that spade.

However, the tool I garden with now is ever so slightly different. In my garage, hanging on the wall in all its glory, is a B&Q value spade. You know the one – ugly, green plastic handle with an inexpensive composite blade that is starting to rust. It’s a spade straight from the bottom shelf. It’s an object made cheap and sold cheap; a spade which is easy to forget. If my spade was a plant, it would be an evergreen shrub in a mixed border – necessary but utterly uninteresting.

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Yet here’s the thing: my little value spade has taught me a valuable lesson about garden centres and all their glossy marketing. Like most life lessons, it is something quite simple to understand yet hard to accept. My spade has taught me that you really only need the most basic of implements to create a satisfying garden. I didn’t always think this way. Even from the start of my gardening life, I would look at magazines and drool over ridiculously priced terracotta pots and greenhouses which probably cost more than my first flat. Like a boy in a sweet shop, I felt as if I wanted one of everything. I was sure I needed that rustic potting bench. I was certain that those Victorian glass cloches would make my courgettes grow better than any piece of plastic. And wouldn’t that rototiller make short work of my clay soil? I had to have them all.

Luckily for me, my budget, and my wife, didn’t allow for such extravagancies. So when I got my first allotment, off I tromped down to the local DIY chain and bought my value spade. I think it cost about £7. I placed in in my trolley as a child would put broccoli into a grocery basket. The thought “necessary evil” entered my mind. All in good time, I thought, I’d upgrade to tools of a more Titchmarsh standard. I was sure I was just cutting my teeth and that things would change.

That was 10 years, two children, and an entirely new garden ago. And through it all has been my little green value spade. We’ve stay together like a married couple. At times the relationship has been trying, and there were moments when, in silent anger, we both contemplated separation. But, in the end, my spade and I have persevered and forged a good life together. Yes, we’re happy. We’ve made it.

Of course, if you want to recreate one of Capability Brown’s sweeping landscapes, then you are going to need deep pockets. However, for us commoners, there are economically viable solutions to any plot. When it comes to tools, simple is usually best. I get by on most days with a trowel, my value spade, and a garden fork. And really, who needs a dibber when you have a perfectly good finger. As for plants, basic packets of hardy annuals can be planted and will return year after year. Perennials spread easily too. I have found geraniums and leucanthemums growing in my beds which have jumped over from a neighbour’s garden. After a few years and several divisions they are now filling up my garden for free. Many people are happy to share and swap plants or give away old equipment. I’ve found gardeners are some of friendliest and most compassionate people I have ever met; ask for help and they’ll be happy to get you started. In short, while we would all love unlimited resources, the reality is that most of us garden on a budget and we all find ways to creatively cultivate the garden we desire.


Therefore this spring, as usual, I will attempt to control my spending and try to remember that glossy gardening equipment isn’t always necessary. That said, I am planning another trip to the garden centre in the next few weeks. Oh, and don’t tell anyone, but I may go back and look at that spade. It’s just so lovely. Maybe I will buy it. Maybe. It would be nice. I probably won’t, but it’s worth a look. Just don’t let my value spade find out; I wouldn’t want any hurt feelings.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com

The most effective method to keep your patio nursery alive through winter

The Majority of planters surrender when harvest time hits and don't venture out on the grass again until spring yet there are a lot of exercises to keep a patio nursery being used amid the winter months which mean you don't need to sit inside fiddling with your window wicker container. Given the length and profundity of this winter it may be worth keeping up a year long cultivating arrange else you may not get sloppy for a long time.

Regardless of the fact that you simply need to plan for the spring you can develop cover crops which won't just furnish you with a movement yet enhance the dirt for the following season. Fertilizer will likewise keep on breaking down giving you a lot of fuel to kick begin your cultivating when the sun begins to sparkle.

In the event that you are hoping to develop plants amid the winter it is evident to pick to develop them in nurseries, cloches or cool casings. You might need to get ready by planting knobs, for example, daffodils, day lilies and tulips in the late harvest time/early winter which will no doubt blossom towards the end of winter before the spring season even starts, so you don't need to exit to an infertile patio nursery come spring.

To appreciate shading over the cool months take a stab at developing plants in compartments or brought beds up in which you can control the temperature, the dampness and give a superior soil to them to survive the chilly. These plants wouldn't ordinarily be the pride of your patch yet they will give some movement and when spring arrives you can plant them specifically into the ground and let them flourish.

For an essential supply of supplements for any evergreen plants and a key to keeping up the strength of your greenery enclosure through the winter it is useful to screen your treating the soil and ensure it gets turned consistently and has new natural material. It is additionally an incredible asset for new plants in the following season when the fertilizer has settled.


There is a determination of ice strong yields can make utilization of your dirt and give an arrival on the off chance that you need to develop a few vegetables amid winter. Snappy developing vegetables like turnips can be a decent expansion that may not make extraordinary results all through winter but rather offer an advantageous cultivating action.

7 tips for 'Garden Warfare 2', whether you're undead or a vegetable

1. Try Super Brainz or Kernel Corn first
For brand-new players who aren’t sure where to start among the new characters, Super Brainz is probably the most versatile zombie.The dual ranged and melee main attacks are both forgiving in terms of accuracy, and the vortex special ability is a powerful way to get outof a tight corner.

On the plant side, Kernel Corn is the most classic of the newcharacters, an all-around solid pick. Like Super Brainz, it has apowerful attack for escaping mobs of baddies. Add extra firepowerfrom the missiles or the butter airstrike, and you have strong toolsto help press the advantage in combat.
As you find your footing, though, each of the other characters have somepowerful options. Citron is hard to kill and Rose can manage thebattlefield with crowd control. The Imp’s small size makes it atricky moving target while Captain Dreadbeard can strike from afar.

2. Don’t forget alternate abilities
The original Garden Warfare took its time rolling out special attacks. You had to unlock all three for each class and got a video focused on the new skill. In this sequel, there is a splashy video that shows all three special skills, but not how to control or execute them. It's best to find a chill game mode to experiment with your attacks and how they can complement each other.

Also, the game doesn’t explain that some abilities have additional controls or power-ups. For instance, two of the new zombie classes have different main attacks depending on whether they’re zoomed in or not. That means Super Brainz and Captain Dreadbeard can throw down at close and long range — just decide whether or not to look down your scope. Citron also has additional controls for its ball mode, allowing for mobility and damage. Even though the action can get chaotic mid-game, sneak a peak at the controls in the lower right corner of your HUD to make sure you know all the skills at your command at any given time.

3. Infinite ammo still has a cooldown
Some of your hero options have main attacks with infinite ammo. If that weapon is any type of gun, though, "infinite" does still have some restrictions. Both Citron’s orange beam and the heroic beam for Super Brainz will overheat if you sit on the trigger for too long. So even though you don’t need to reload, you’ll still need to take pauses.Super Brainz has unlimited punches for his melee heroic fists, but those attacks have pacing built in. It’s a triple-hit that ends on a big uppercut. The zombie takes a quick breather before he can continue pummelling, even if you’re still pressing the trigger.Plan accordingly.

4. Stickers (and coins) are your friends
Given the casual origins of the mobile Plants vs.Zombies game, one might assume that a mechanic of coinsand stickers are just cosmetic. Think again. The stickers, boughtwith in-game coins, include a range of content that can have a bigimpact on your gameplay options.

First, they contain the small minions that help you out inGraveyard Ops or Garden Ops missions, as well as the central flagcontrol game. Those can offer a big boost, especially when you’replaying solo. Second, they have alternate costume pieces for each ofthe heroes. Again, these aren’t just for show. These alternateidentities can include different weapons and skill upgrades. Forinstance, you can turn Rose’s attacks into frosty, slowing ones, orCaptain Dreadbeard can become a more damaging fire attacker. Besideslooking cool, these customizations can give you a little extra edgein the multiplayer matches.

Just about any activity in the game can reward you with coins. So keep playing and keep up with buying packs.

5. Check the Quest Board regularly
Garden Warfare 2 puts more responsibility onplayers to manage their progress through the levels than itspredecessor. The good news is that with this model, you can level upquickly by choosing the quests that match the characters and gamemodes you enjoy the most. Those quests offer experience mutipliersand stars, an in-game currency for unlocking special reward chests.

The flip side of that player agency is that you’re in charge ofkeeping your quest log full. You can have as many as seven activequests at any time. More completed quests means faster leveling andmore access to chests.

6. Explore and play the main map
Rather than spending time in lots of menus, GardenWarfare 2 has created an open-ended main map where playerscan direct their own session. With hubs for the solo quests,character selection, splitscreen, multiplayer and more, there’splenty to explore and play in the main areas for the zombies andplants.

But don’t forget to wander outside the strongholds. The flagcontrol game at the center is a great way to test your skills andearn coins. Plus you may find chests or quests hidden around the map.These can offer big rewards fof coins or stickers, which, as we’veexplained, further your characters’ awesomeness.

7. Read the in-game tips
Finally, the in-game tips appear at the bottom of the screenduring loading. Some of them just emphasize the universe’s oddballsense of taco- and brain-fueled humor, but others have good insightsto help your game strategy. For instance, did you know that the Imp’smech is more susceptible to Citron’s shock attack? Stay alert inthe down time and you may just learn something valuable.  

Source: http://mashable.com/2016/02/29/plants-vs-zombies-garden-warfare-2-tips-guide/#nUqZNOfJHgqB

How Much Water Do Vegetables Need?

A good general guideline is an inch of water per week, either by rain or watering; in arid climates, it is double that. In hot weather, vegetables need even more water, up to about ½ inch per week extra for every 10 degrees that the average temperature is above 60 degrees.

By definition, the average temperature is the daytime high plus nighttime low, divided by 2. So, if the high is 95 and the low is 73, the average is 92 + 73, divided by 2. The answer is 82.5. In this case, the garden needs at least another inch of water. This explains why most vegetable gardeners in hot climates just laugh at the “1 inch of water per week” recommendation. That simply doesn’t work in really hot weather for squash, eggplant, tomatoes, and other crops that need lots of water and have big leaves that wilt easily.

You can measure an inch of water by putting a rain gauge or even a plastic container or other container under your sprinkler, soaker, drip, or other watering system. You’ve applied an inch of water when the vessel collects water an inch deep.

Source:bonnieplants.com/library/how-much-water-do-vegetables-need/

Planting Rose Bushes – Step By Step Instructions To Plant A Rose Bush

Planting roses is a fun and enjoyable way to add beauty to your garden. While planting roses may seem intimidating for the beginning gardener, in fact, the process is very easy. Below you will find instructions on how to plant a rose bush.

Steps for Planting Roses

Start by digging a hole for planting the rose in. See if the depth is right for your area. By this I mean that in my area I need to plant the actual graft of the rose bush at least 2 inches below what will be my finished grade line to help with winter protection. In your area, you may not need to do that. In areas that get cold winters, plant the rose bush deeper to protect it against the cold. In warmer areas, plant the graft at the soil level.

The grafted area usually is easily seen and looks like a knot or bump out just above the root system start and up onto the rose bush trunk. Some rose bushes are own root and will not have a graft at all, as they are grown on their very own roots. The grafted roses are rose bushes where a hardier rootstock is grafted onto a rose bush that might not be so hardy if left on its own root system.

Okay, now that we have placed the rose bush in the planting hole, we can see if the hole is deep enough, too deep or too shallow. We can also see if the hole is big enough in diameter so as not to have to bunch the roots all up just to get it in the hole. If too deep, add some of the soil from the wheelbarrow and pack lightly into the bottom of the planting hole. Once we have things just right, we will form a little mound in the center of the planting hole using some of the soil from the wheelbarrow.

I put 1/3 cup of super phosphate or bone meal in with the soil in the bottom of the planting holes for the big rose bushes and ¼ cup in the holes for the miniature rose bushes. This gives their root systems some great nourishment to help them get well established.

As we place the rose bush into its planting hole, we drape the roots carefully over the mound. Slowly add soils from the wheelbarrow to the planting hole while supporting the rose bush with one hand. Tamp the soil lightly, as the planting hole is filled to support the rose bush.

At about the half full mark of the planting hole, I like to add 1/3 cup of Epsom Salts sprinkled all around the rose bush, working it lightly into the soil. Now we can fill the planting hole the rest of the way up, tamping it lightly as we go ending up by mounding the soil up onto the bush about 4 inches.

Tips for Care After Planting Rose Bushes

I take some of the amended soil and make a ring around each rose bush to act a bit like a bowl to help catch the rainwater or water from other watering sources for the new rose bush. Inspect the canes of the new rose bush and prune back any damage thereto. Pruning off an inch or two of the canes will help send a message to the rose bush that it is time for it to think about getting to growing.

Keep an eye on the soil moisture for the next several weeks — not keeping them too wet but moist. I use a moisture meter for this so as not to over water them. I sink the probe of the moisture meter down as far as it will go in three areas around the rose bush to make sure I get an accurate reading. These readings tell me if more watering is in order or not.

Source:http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/