Latest Articles

Raised Beds and What Not to Do

2012-05-24T14:08:42Z

Raised beds and what not to do has been written on behalf of Notcutts by Ronnie Tyler of Hurtled to 60 and Now Beyond. In this article Ronnie offers you well guided steps to creating perfectly raised beds.

Are you like me and don’t have time to tend to an allotment but want to grow your own vegetables? Last year I decided I would have my own mini-allotment at home.

My garden is relatively small and as space is at a premium, I thought of growing vegetables in with the flowers, but the heavy clay and finding room within the beds was not feasible.

A raised bed seemed an ideal solution; it would give me a plot to grow vegetables, in the best conditions and with good quality soil.

Decision made, I trotted down to my local garden centre and bought treated wood planks that slotted together into a 1 metre square bed. I also returned home with 3 large bags of organic compost, a bag of manure and enough vegetable seeds to start off a market garden.

However, I suffered a clear lack of forethought and before you rush out to buy your raised bed, think about the following:

1.   Decide where you are going to build your raised bed and make sure that it will look aesthetically right when in situ;

2.   Bear in mind that at ground level your dug base may look ok, but when the raised bed is assembled it could look like something that has dropped out of the sky – mine certainly did;

3.   You need to mark out and dig over the existing soil, it’s no good just emptying sacks of compost into the bed and hoping your vegetables will be happy with this; and
4. Don’t underestimate the number of bags of compost you need. I had to go back and buy another two bags.

Carried away with the excitement of owning a vegetable plot, I sectioned off nine squares with string and sowed different vegetables in each section with a central wigwam for runner beans. This was absolute overkill - a one square metre raised bed does not make an allotment. This year I have been sensible with only four squares for carrots, leeks, Swiss chard and rocket and a row of garlic in the middle.

I recommend you buy a raised bed cover, mine has been invaluable especially this Spring. It means you can start off your seeds in the ground earlier and it provides protection from the elements.

Of course, if you don't want to grow vegetables you could use it for your very own cutting garden.

Ronnie Tyler of Hurtled to 60 and Now Beyond has written Raised beds and what not to do on behalf of us here at Notcutts. Starting her blog six months before her 60th birthday, Ronnie has since re-titled her blog’s name because she has fallen in love with writing and photography, much like our Mr McGregor. From life’s little events to everything horticultural, Ronnie explores every possible angle.

Gardening Guide - Planting French & Runner Beans

2012-05-18T08:53:36Z

Mid May is the time to prepare for planting French and Runner Beans into the garden or large containers. Both these delicious vegetables are frost tender and do best in a sheltered, sunny position away from strong winds, to encourage pollinating insects. Beans need plenty of water once they are established.

What you will need

Seeds or plants
9cm pots (for seed sowing)
Multipurpose compost (for seed sowing)
Blended stable manure or garden compost
Bamboo canes – 240cm (8 feet) are best
Twine
Slug and snail control
Organic fertiliser such as fish, blood and bone or pelleted chicken manure
Watering can, fork, spade, trowel and gardening gloves

Sowing the seeds

Your local garden centre will have runner bean plants for sale but, given the ‘late’, cold season, there is still time to sow seeds either directly into the ground or into pots for planting out at the end of the month. For best results, sow two seeds into a 9cm pot, using which ever multipurpose compost you prefer, and keep the pots in a cold greenhouse or utility room until the seedlings begin to appear. It is important not to let the pots get too wet or the seeds may rot - cold temperatures will mean poor germination as well.

Hardening off the plants

Once the seedlings appear, harden them off by leaving the pots outside during the day, in a sunny sheltered part of the garden. Bring them in at night for about a week and then leave them outside until you are ready to plant out. The plants will be big enough to put into their final positions when they have grown two ‘true leaves’.

Pest control

Slugs and snails are particularly fond of bean plants, so make sure that you use a form of control from the moment the seedlings appear until they are well established in their final positions!

Preparing the ground

As mentioned previously, beans need plenty of water to grow and crop well. Adding liberal amounts of organic matter such as blended stable manure will act as a sponge to hold in moisture. The bean trench can be prepared ahead of time, whilst you are waiting for the plants to germinate and grow on! Take out a trench of soil about 120cms wide and however long your rows will be. Fork over the base and then add plenty of blended stable manure or well rotted garden compost to the top of the trench. Replace the soil over the manure.

Providing supports

You will need to make a support for your beans to climb up and the method used depends on room. For a small area or if you are growing in a container, make a ‘wigwam’ of bamboo canes. For the vegetable garden, a long row of crossed bamboo canes with others tied in horizontally is probably a better method. This should be put in place before you plant out or sow the seeds directly.

Planting out

Before you put the plants into their final positions, dust the ground with a light sprinkling of fish, blood and bone or pelleted chicken manure and gently work this into the surface, taking care not to disturb the manure below. Plant the beans two to a cane and water in well. They will soon begin to climb the supports.

Aftercare

Make sure the plants are watered well in dry weather and begin picking as soon as the beans are long enough. If the plants look yellow (this can happen in cold weather) or need a boost, feed with a liquid fertilizer such as Notcutt’s Pour and Feed. Use scissors when picking, to avoid damaging smaller beans and flowers that will still be developing. To test if a bean is ‘stringy’ snap it and if it breaks cleanly it is perfect to use. Pick regularly to ensure a longer cropping season and use any surplus for chutneys or freeze them for later use.

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Summer Containers

2012-05-09T14:22:11Z

Mrs McGregor and I had another trip to our local garden centre today and we were amazed at the variety of bedding plants available for summer colour! The range seems to grow each year and we are always keen to try something different in our pots.

‘Half hardies’ are raised from cuttings and will flower until the first hard frosts of winter. I like to bring some of the containers into the greenhouse over winter and many of them have survived, including Diascia which I have even overwintered outside in a sheltered area near the house. They are easily increased from soft wood cuttings taken early in the spring and will flower well in the first year.

This year we have been taken with Calibrachoa (Million Bells), which have flowers that look tiny Petunias and small, rounded leaves. The plants have a mound like, slightly trailing habit and come in a wide range of colours from white and pale lavender to coral pink and terracotta orange, often with a darker centre to the flowers. In previous years, we have grown the rightly popular Surfinia Petunias, with their large, velvety flowers and long trailing stems, but they tend to be very vigorous and can swamp other plants in the same containers!

The trailing Verbenas have stiff stems and clusters of flowers in flat heads, which are much loved by insects including the Hummingbird Hawk Moths that we get in the garden occasionally. They really do look like a tiny Hummingbird and it is always a thrill to see them darting about from flower to flower! Mrs McGregor is particularly taken with the bicoloured varieties of Verbena in pink and white and another with crimson and white striped petals. Teamed with some golden leaved Helichrysum and a darker flowered Calibrochoa, a pot of these will brighten up the area by the back kitchen door.

We have just had the front door painted a blue green colour and I have bought three Ivy Leaved Geraniums (Pelargoniums), which have bright, coral orange flowers that will give a lovely contrast in the open porch. Plants by our front door are often sadly neglected; when we are rushing out we always think ‘I will water that when I get home!’ and then the job is not done. Pelargoniums are extremely drought tolerant, so they will be well suited to that hot, dry position!

I always like to change the compost when I plant up my summer containers, to get rid of any soil borne pests and eggs that they may have laid. The plants always seem to grow better in new compost. I also add a moisture retaining gel, to help cut down on the watering, and some Osmocote slow release fertilizer to help feed the plants over the summer. Once this is all mixed together, we can start to plant up the containers. If frost threatens, I cover with some newspaper or horticultural fleece and of course we are always on the lookout for slugs and snails!

Happy Gardening,

Mr McGregor

Gardening Guide - Taking Soft Wood Cuttings

2012-04-30T09:33:16Z

Now that the garden is springing into life, there is plenty of fresh growth on perennials such as Phlox, Sedum, Cat Mint and Aster, which will flower later in the summer and early autumn. Giving these plants a trim in May, sometimes known as the ‘Chelsea Chop’, produces bushier plants with more flower stems. An added bonus is plenty of soft wood cutting material so that you can increase your stocks easily to replace old plants or simply use a favourite one in other areas of the garden.

Phlox cuttings cut to a node, lower leaves removedHere is a quick guide to taking soft wood cuttings successfully so that you get results like a professional!

1. Choose vigorous, non flowering shoots that are ‘true to type’ so that an even batch of cuttings is produced.

2. Collect the cutting material just before you are going to use it and pop it into a damp polythene bag along with a label detailing the plant name and date. Any plants in containers should be well watered the night before the cuttings are taken.

3. Use a sharp pair of secateurs or scissors and cut the material longer than needed – it can be cut to size when you make the cuttings.

Leaves cut by half to reduce water loss4. If you are using pots to strike your cuttings, mix multipurpose compost with Vermiculite or Perlite at roughly half and half quantities to ensure good drainage and water well. Notcutts also sell a range of Jiffy pots, which are watered to expand the peat in them. The cuttings can then be placed in these individually.

5. Make the cuttings by using the top five to eight centimetres of growth and cutting on a leaf joint (node). Remove the lower leaves with a knife or scissors, taking care not to damage the main stem. Leave the portion of stem that will be in the soil bare to help stop the cutting from rotting.

6. Plants with large leaves, such as Phlox and Penstemons, should have their upper leaves trimmed by half to prevent water loss whilst the cutting is rooting.

Potted into small pot of compost and vermiculite ready to go into propagator7. Dip the bare stem portion of the cutting into rooting powder and insert it into well watered pots of compost or Jiffy pots or strips. Remember to label the container with the date and plant name! Cover the cuttings with a propagator lid or polythene bag kept clear of the leaves, to help prevent them drying out.

8. Once the cuttings have been taken, they can go into a propagator in your greenhouse or a windowsill propagator in your house. Use a hand sprayer set on a fine mist to keep the leaves of the cuttings moist, if necessary, until they are rooted.

9. The cuttings will soon show signs of rooting and will begin to grow away. Once the roots are seen at the base of the pot or coming through the Jiffy pots, they can be potted on individually into a small (9 cm) pot and grown on ready for planting out into the garden!

Many perennials and summer bedding plants such as Pelargoniums (Geraniums), Marguerites (Argyranthemums) and Osteospermum (Cape Daisies) can be increased from soft wood cuttings, so why not try this rewarding technique for yourself?

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On the Allotment

2012-04-28T11:15:20Z

Much like my garden, my allotment is springing in to life, with the first sowings of Broad Beans, early Peas and salad leaves coming up, along with Radish and the first of the early potatoes. All of the digging and waiting patiently until the soil had warmed up has been worth it! The onion sets are also starting to grow away and I am now walking down with my ‘swoe’ whenever the soil is dry enough, to hoe between the rows and keep the weed seedlings at bay!

Flea Beetle damageI am also watching anxiously for any damage by mice. Last year they took out all of the broad beans on a neighbouring plot and a couple from my first sowing. The shoots were left standing in the ground but there were no seeds beneath them! Mice can also affect Sweet Peas and eating Peas in the same way; I lost a whole row of Mange Tout to them! This year I have planted the rows further from the hedge, hoping that the lack of cover will make them think twice about their foraging trips! Covering the rows with spiny sticks can help deter them and an old farmer said I should soak the seeds in paraffin before planting them.

Last year my salad leaves of Rocket and Mustard were badly attacked by Flea Beetle, which nibbled the leaves and left pale brown spots on them. This didn’t affect the flavour but made them look less appetising. I have noticed that the same pest is again having a feast and when I gently brushed the seedlings with my hand, the shiny dark beetles dashed out leaving no doubt whatsoever! I have decided not to plant these leaves on the allotment anymore, but have sown some in containers by the kitchen door – no flea beetle and more convenient for picking! Radish are also affected, but only the leaves so I will still have the tasty ‘French Breakfast’ to add to my salads and sandwiches through the summer!

Loose leaved lettuce seedlings growing on!The early potatoes are beginning to come through their earth mounds, so I have earthed them up this week, to bury the tubers more deeply and protect the young growth from frosts. I still have some second early and main crop potatoes to plant and hope to get to this during the week, as well as sowing more seeds - the first of my carrots and beetroot included!

I like to sow my lettuce in modules every two weeks and plant them out in any spare gaps once they are big enough to fend for themselves, along with a sprinkle of organic slug pellets! Mrs McGregor likes to have a supply of loose leaved Lettuce so I sow the red leaved ‘Lollo Rosso’ and frilly green ‘Can Can’ in old bedding plant six pack trays. The leaves on these can be cut off individually or I cut a whole plant, wash the leaves and store them in the salad spinner in the fridge where they will keep for a week and taste just as fresh!

Coming to Life

2012-04-25T08:36:34Z

The garden is really coming to life now with plants growing and changing daily! The early spring perennials, so welcome after the bareness of the winter months have all but finished their show for another year and will spend the summer making larger clumps for next year. Our Pulmonaria ‘Blue Ensign’ was particularly good this year. It started to flower in February and was covered in the deep blue flowers that are so loved by early bumble bees on warm days. I like to cut Pulmonarias to the ground, leaves and all, once they have finished flowering. They then grow a new carpet of leaves through the summer that make good ground cover in our shady border. The Heuchera ‘Amethyst Myst’, also in this area has flushed into new growth with deep purple leaves that are overlaid with silver veins. I have noticed that it is starting to get woody now, but it has been such good value for the last few years, I will definitely be replacing it with some new ones later in the summer! I have planted some orange Tulips behind the Heuchera and the effect is stunning!

HeucheraThe winter flowering Honeysuckle has made a huge bushy plant with arching branches that are taking over one corner of the garden, so today I have pruned it back to size. It is invaluable for winter flowers and scent from November through to March, and one of the hardiest and most reliable of winter flowering shrubs. The Caryopteris (Blue Spiraea) that is near the Honeysuckle, flowers in late summer and autumn, but now that it has come into leaf, I can tidy it up with a light prune to remove the straggly growths from last year. I love the flat heads of blue flowers later on and so do the butterflies and bees!

I had forgotten how many empty pots we have, stored at one end of the garden, so I decided to plant up a couple with hardy bedding plants to add some colour until the summer bedding plants can be put outside safely in May. The new varieties of Pansies and Violas are much more weather resistant than some of the older types, so after much deliberation over the beautiful range of colours, I have purchased some of these from our local garden centre and planted them into multipurpose compost, incorporating some slow release fertilizer granules to cut down on the liquid feeding required. With a little care and dead heading, they will flower through the summer. I have quite a few Primula auriculas and these are doing well in a collection of terracotta pots, but have almost finished flowering now. I like to replace their gritty compost every couple of years to prevent Vine Weevil grubs attacking the roots; Primulas are a particular favourite of these annoying pests!

The Clematis that I pruned back in February are all shooting away again and I am now on the warpath against slugs and snails with my organic slug pellets. A small amount of rain brings them out in force!

The Hardest Working Greenhouse

2012-04-19T07:57:06Z

The Hardest Working Greenhouse has been written by Helen Johnstone on behalf on Notcutts. Helen runs a blog called The Patient Gardner where she records and shares her endeavours and inspirations that have shaped her life in and outside the house.

I sometimes think that my greenhouse must be the hardest working greenhouse in the country. It is only small (4ft x 6ft) but it is full to the gunnels all year round.

In the spring, at the start of the growing season, there are pots and trays of seeds and seedlings on the staging which runs on both sides of the greenhouse. Under the staging lurk pelargoniums, dahlias and watsonias waiting for the weather to be warm enough for them to go outside. As the season progresses and the weather warms up the seed trays make way for tomatoes and cucumbers. I remove one set of staging and generally squeeze in 3 or 4 tomato plants in the gap. I also had two cucumber plants in there last year as well as pots of cuttings and late sown seeds. Come Autumn and the tender perennials are itching to get back in to the greenhouse before the coldness of winter sets in. The tomatoes and cucumbers are evicted to the compost heap, the greenhouse given a wash and clean up and preparations made for winter. By Christmas the greenhouse is full again with tender perennials, succulents, pots of cuttings and there is only just room to squeeze in my potted Bottlebrush bush.

I keep the greenhouse frost free with a simple thermostatically controlled electric heater. As my greenhouse is sited close to the house I am lucky to have electricity running to it. I have never bothered to insulate the greenhouse with bubble wrap. Partly because I think this will cause too much condensation especially given the smallness of my greenhouse and this leads to grey mould but probably the real reason is that I just can’t be doing with all that fiddling around securing bubble wrap. Even in the recent two very cold winters I didn’t lose anything and my electricity bill didn’t rocket.

I don’t use greenhouse shading any more either as whenever I have painted it on a drastic change of weather follows and we have a cold and damp summer! These days I tend to provide shading on hot days by throwing over some of those bamboo beach mats that we all buy on holiday. It seems to work quite well.

Being a small greenhouse I also don’t have any vents so any ventilation is dependent on the door. Working full time I have to make a decision at the start of the day whether to leave it open or shut. Again, I haven’t experienced any real problems with this. I usually leave a couple of watering cans full of water in the greenhouse to help with humidity and also pour water on gravel floor which also helps.

When I got my greenhouse I was initially obsessed with how I was meant to do things reading lots of books but I have realised that it isn’t that complicated and, as with all gardening, if you trust your instincts you will probably be alright.

Having a greenhouse has widened my horticultural experience. I can now grow lots of plants I couldn’t or struggled to before and each year I find myself experimenting with growing something that little bit different – this year I’m trying Bird of Paradise seeds.

By Helen Johnstone of The Patient Gardener

Green roof options…

2012-04-16T09:39:08Z

'Green roof options...' has been written on behalf of Notcutts by Claire Potter of Claire Potter Design. We believe that this is an interesting topic that will offer you, our readers an insight into how beautiful and sustainable a roof can be.

Over the last few years the green roof has gone from a relatively unknown construction feature in the UK to a standard mark for ecologically minded new building. But for those of us who want to recreate our own piece of emerald in the sky, what are the options? The first step is to look at your roof. This seems rather obvious, but the pitch of your roof will determine the type of system you will be able to use. Typically, the shallower the pitch of the roof, the more options you will have when it comes to the type of system and the plants you can grow.

The second step is to talk to your local Planning Authority to check whether planning permission is required for your works. If planning is indeed required, it is worth finding a suitable green roof specialist to advise of the type of system that would best suit your roof as they may be able to put together all the drawings for your application, along with the very important structural and waterproofing calculations.

Green roofs, while beautiful, can be very heavy beasts weighing anything from 50kg per square metre to over 150kg per square metre and it is essential that a qualified Structural Engineer is consulted at the earliest stages of the project to ensure that the proposed system can be supported by the existing building, or whether additional support would be required.

So once the structure and system are decided what are the planting options for a green roof?

To some degree this depends on the type of system you are installing, but to break it down into the most common in the UK the general options are:

- Sedum
- Grassed
- Wildflower meadow

The most common seen in the UK is the sedum roof as the plants are hardy, evergreen and can cope with fluctuating water levels. They also require very little growing medium, so the overall weight tends to be a great deal lower than other systems. They do not need mowing and tend to stay at a height of 10cm or under, so they are relatively compact and look very ‘neat’. Colours vary from lime green to bright red, so if you are so inclined you can even grow a pattern into your roof with plants being inserted individually or through rolled sedum mats which create an instant green roof.

Whilst generally considered the lowest maintenance solution for a green roof, the sedum option is not the most beneficial for wildlife as there is not a huge range of plants, so if biodiversity is your main concern and your roof will support it, the grassed or wildflower meadow could be the better option.

These systems are a great deal heavier as the soil and substrate depth is deeper and they are generally only applied to shallower or flat pitched roofs so the weight does not ‘slip’ down the structure, although steeper pitched grass roofs are sometimes seen in Europe.

Wildflower and grassed roofs tend to look a little wilder and unlike their sedum cousins they do need cutting, but they will support a larger range of wildlife through their variation in flowering times, nectar levels and food plants for larvae. They can look a little flat in the winter, but conversely they can be a riot of colour in the summer, so there is also the aesthetic element to consider.

Another option which is more common in Europe but is sometimes seen on a small scale in the UK is the herb roof – harnessing the drought tolerant characteristics of the sedum roof and the biodiversity of the grass roof. Thymes and marjoram are excellent for this type of planting as they thrive on almost nothing, produce flowers that bees love and smell fantastic. We have created green shed roofs using this type of planting, which have been incredibly successful and can be great solutions for car port roofs, porches and garages as well as garden buildings – just remember to check that the structure is strong enough for the system.

Creating a green roof is something to be planned, but with the right system and planting it can not only look beautiful, it can improve the thermal efficiency of your house by adding an insulating layer to your roof and support your local wildlife too.

Claire Potter

Claire Potter Design
www.clairepotterdesign.com

Peas, Rain & Tulips

2012-04-12T10:59:28Z

My early peas have come up on the allotment and I have a good row, which will need to be staked soon! Last year, mice were a problem eating my Broad Bean seeds, so I have planted them further away from the hedge, hoping that the thieves will be put off by the lack of cover. I am watching anxiously; as yet no plants have emerged, but I can see no holes where mice may have been. Hopefully the rain that we have had of late will bring the plants up unharmed!

Because the nights have gone colder, I have decided to delay any more planting until the weather settles again – which gives me a chance to get back into the garden!

Now that we have had some rain, I have emptied another compost bin and spread more mulch around my shrubs and herbaceous crowns. This really is one of the best ways of conserving moisture in the soil and the borders look very smart when they are finished! Slugs are becoming a problem on some of my young herbaceous plants, so I have purchased more pellets. I like to use the organic ones based on ferrous sulphate which will kill slugs and snails, but are not harmful to other wildlife. Once the plants are growing away strongly, the need for slug pellets seems to decrease but I still have to keep an eye on my Hostas which I have resorted to growing in large pots to keep the slugs away! One of the Hostas has outgrown its massive container, but it is such a good shape that I have purchased an even larger one to plant it into, rather than divide the clump! Loam based compost with some long term fertilizer pellets should do the trick – the difficult part will be getting the plant out of the original container as it is very root bound and I would rather not break the pot! Having had problems getting plants out of pots before, I no longer buy those that curve in at the top – this makes the task even more difficult!

Many of the Daffodils have finished flowering now and the leaves have begun to die back. I like to leave these alone until they pull away easily, so that the bulb is built up for the following year. The Tulips that were planted last autumn are just beginning to flower. Their green buds are taking on colour each day and they will soon add another dimension to the garden, contrasting nicely with Heucheras and my early Border Cranesbills (Geranium). My Lenten Roses (Helleborus) have made huge clumps and have been in flower since January! They are still going strong and hopefully when they drop their seed, we will have plants with the same robust genes! I have cut away all of the tatty leaves from last year, but handsome new leaves are making fresh green carpets – I cannot think of better plants for dry shade!

Busy On The Allotment Again!

2012-04-05T17:14:08Z

I am feeling very pleased with myself having started planting on my allotment, even though I still have some digging to complete! The ground is drying out fast and makes digging heavier work, but I am hoping to finish one plot this week. I like to dig by hand rather than rotavate the ground so that I can pull out as much of the Couch Grass and other perennial weeds such as Dandilions and Dock Leaves as possible to cut down on work later in the season!

I have planted my First Early potatoes, which have been ‘chitting’ in their egg boxes for a few weeks now. The shoots have developed well – nice and green, slow growing and not spindly and white. They were about two centimetres long when they were planted. I began by taking out a trench of soil to a spades depth and forking over the base to loosen it. This trench was then covered with a thin layer of well rotted horse manure and a thin layer of soil covering that, so that the potatoes do not come into direct contact with the manure which may scorch them! Next I scattered in some pelleted chicken manure and tickled it into the soil making sure that I didn’t mix the manure with the soil layer. All this sounds complicated, but it is straightforward once you get into the routine. The potatoes were then laid in the trench a trowel’s length apart; that is about thirty centimetres. I like to nick the skin of each potato seed with my thumbnail, to encourage it to rot down once the shoot begin to grow away. Then it is time to say goodbye to the seed potatoes as they are buried in the trenches and the soil is slightly mounded up over them. They will soon begin to shoot and appear through the surface ready for ‘earthing up’ to begin, using the soil which is left to cover the shoots and protect them from any frosts. It also means that the tubers are buried deeper in the ground to keep them moist and prevent them becoming sun burnt and turning green and inedible, if they grow too close to the soil surface.

My First Early variety is Arran Pilot, a white skinned, waxy variety ideal for boiling in their skins after a quick wash under the tap – delicious! I should be able to start lifting the crop ten weeks after planting, when the flowers are fully open. I am always a bit disappointed with the first dig because the tubers are often smaller than I would like. However, I have found it is better to start digging early if there are only two of you, because the rest of the crop grows at an alarming rate given a shower of rain and potatoes are soon in continuous supply until after Christmas!