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| The staff here at Living Gardens are so full of handy hints and tips for your garden that they just have to share them with you all. Check back here regularly to see more of your questions answered. | ||
Winter is here! We have some helpful hints to keep your garden looking its best through the colder months... |
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Q:
What planting can i do in November? |
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Kerry says... | |
| It’s getting colder out there now ,but as long
as it’s not frozen now is the time to plant your trees and hedging
. Depending on what you are planting dictates the size of the hole
you will dig . Trees need a hole twice the width of the pot that
it’s come in and twice the depth , this means you will not
be trying to squash the roots in a hole too small , enabling the
trees to spread its roots comfortably. First fill the bottom half
of the hole with Westlands Rose, tree and shrub compost and a small
handful of bone meal if required .This will give your trees an excellent
start. Place your tree in the hole, and place a piece of drain pipe
or an old plastic bottle with the bottom cut off next to the roots,
then back fill your hole with compost with the top of the bottle
or pipe showing above the ground, this enables you to water into
the hole and get moisture directly where it is needed. If in a windy
spot, stake your tree well with a tree stake going at an angle against
the upright tree and tie in a figure of eight with a tree tie or
a pair of tights for support. Depending on hedging variety you can make a slit in the ground with a spade push your plant into the hole and heel it in. Water everything in well and keep your plants well watered for
the next 18 months to ensure they take well. |
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Kerrys
top 3 tips on winter garden maintentance |
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| 1. Protect winter pots from cracking in the frost by lifting slightly off the floor to allow for drainage you can do this with 3 or 4 pot feet placed under your pot | ||
| 2. Add winter colour to your garden with winter flowering Heathers ,pansies ,Violas and cyclamen | ||
| 3. Clear away any fallen leaves off your trees and roses and compost them , if you suffered with black spot or similar diseases in the year and your fallen leaves are infected put in the wheelie bin instead, to stop the disease from over wintering in your compost and causing problems next year | ||
Q:How
will I know when my sweetcorn are ready to be harvested? |
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Kerry says... |  |
| Sweetcorn is generally ready for harvesting in August when the silks turn brown and individual kernels release a creamy liquid when pressed. Remember sweetcorn require a lot of water to produce a good, sweet, tasty corn on the cob. | ||
Q:
At what stage should I harvest my courgettes? |
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Kerry says... |  |
| Courgettes are usually ready to harvest in July, they should be harvested when they are approximately 4 inches (10cm) in length. Do this regularly to prevent them turning into marrows. Water and feed well. | ||
| SPRING 09: | ||
Q:
My daffodils have just finished flowering. Should I cut them back? |
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Tracey says... |  |
| The
short answer is no! Although it is tempting to cut back the unsightly
yellowing leaves of Daffodils that have finished blooming, it is always
best to leave them for at least six weeks after flowering has finished
– longer if possible – before removing them. The foliage
absorbs nutrients from the sun and air which feed the bulb, building
up the bulbs energy ready for next year’s display.
It is best to deadhead them once they have finished flowering. Otherwise the plant will divert energy from building up the bulb and put it into seed production. This job takes a little time if you have a large number of bulbs, but you will be rewarded by your efforts with a beautiful display the following year. Finally
you should apply some Miracle-Gro Bulb Booster granules to your
bulbs after flowering has finished, to provide the bulb with a sufficient
store of nutrients for the following season. These can be simply
sprinkled on and gently worked into the top layer of the soil. |
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| Miracle-Gro
Bulb Booster is available at Living Gardens for just £2.99 |
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Q:
My patio is covered with green mould, algae and moss from the bad
weather over winter. What is the best way to clean it ready for summer? |
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Greg says... | |
| Although many people like to use a power washer to clean their patio, we at Livingstone Landscape Centre do not usually recommend it. Power washers are too powerful for most concrete slabs and not only do they blast out the grout from the gaps in your paving they can also cause damage the surface of the slabs if used on too high a setting. Instead we recommend using a cleaner that contains no bleach or acids as these too can damage the surface of your paving. There are a number of good products on the market that are very easy to use such as Patio Magic! With Patio Magic! all you need to do is dilute it, water on with a watering can or sprayer, brush off any heavy growth of moss and leave the product to dry and do its work. It’s that simple! | ||
| Patio Magic! is available at Living Gardens for just £12.99 | ||
Q:
I would love to have a go at growing my own vegetables this spring
but I don’t have a big enough garden for a vegetable plot
or a greenhouse. Is there anything I could have a go at growing? |
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Kerry says... |  |
| You’re in luck! Due to popular demand there are now many different types of vegetables that are suitable for growbags and container growing outdoors. Many of these have been bred into compact bushy plants intended specifically for container growing in smaller gardens. At Living Gardens, choose from a variety of vegetable seeds and young plants including Spinach, Spring Onions, Lettuce, Salad Leaves, Carrots, Beetroot, Aubergine, Courgette, Peppers, Chilli Peppers, Tomatoes, Beans & Peas. Many of these can be planted outdoors straight from seed or as young plants after all risk of frost. So there really is no reason why you shouldn’t have the opportunity to taste the amazing flavour of home-grown vegetables! | ||
Q:
How do I install a post anchor for my fence? |
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Greg says... |  |
| Firstly check the positioning of underground services
before using a post anchor. Secondly prepare your equipment and tools.
You will need:
- A sledge hammer Then clear your work area ready to start and have a quick measure up to see if everything is going to fit as desired. You can use a length of string at this point to show where your fence will run. You’re now ready to put in your first anchor. Use the driving tool and sledge hammer to put the anchor into the ground (fig1). Check the anchor with the spirit level as you go to make sure the anchor remains straight. The anchor needs to be vertical otherwise your posts will not stand straight (fig2). Now you have the anchor securely in the ground you can fix your first post (fig3). Continue to ensure the post stands upright and level with your spirit level as you tighten the clamp bolt firmly (fig4). With your first post in you can now attach your first panel. This will allow you to install your second post anchor without having to measure. Fixing panel clips to the post will make attaching the fence post easier but they are not necessary (fig5). Use the edge of the panel and the string as a guide for the anchor but still check as you go with the spirit level to maintain the post will be vertical (fig6). Repeat this process and the fence will be up in no time. |
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| WINTER 08/09: | ||
Q:
How can i prepare my greenhouse for Spring? |
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Kerry
says... |
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1.
First of all you must clear out all the old plants and sweep out
your greenhouse to remove any debris. |
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Q:
I’d like to spruce up my garden furniture, as it has been
outside all winter and is looking a bit worse for wear. How can
I do this? |
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Andrea says... |  |
| If
you have plastic or metal furniture, you can use a soap based cleaner
diluted in warm water and a cloth to gently wash away the dirt. It
is best not to scrub or use abrasive cleaners or you may damage your
furniture.
Tidying up hardwood furniture requires a little more time and care. To start with clean the furniture with a good quality hardwood furniture cleaner such as Alexander Rose or Jeyes furniture cleaner. Then apply teak oil or hardwood oil, which are usually available in liquid form to be applied with a rag/brush or alternatively a product that can be sprayed on. Alexander Rose also offer a good quality treatment system which consists of Timber Treatment Plus to be applied after cleaning, followed by Timber Sealer which should be applied 7 days after the treatment product. The
above steps, followed annually, should keep your garden furniture
in tip-top condition for years to come! |
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Q:
I have a bird table in my garden, which seems to get visited by
Wood Pigeon’s and Magpie’s the majority of the time.
How can I attract smaller species of bird as we approach nesting
season? |
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Tracey says... |  |
Unfortunately bird tables with a high roof or no roof tend to attract larger species as they are nice and sturdy for them to land on. This does tend to scare off smaller species such as finches and tits. The best way to attract a variety of small species is to have seed, nut and fat feeders positioned in different areas of your garden. You could hang feeders from trees or brackets attached to fence posts, walls or buildings. Another alternative is to purchase a Gardman Feeding Station Kit which consists of a pole (that can be driven into the ground or placed in a Gardman Patio Stand) and a number of hooks to hang bird feeders from, a water saucer and feeding dish. The added advantage of these station kits is that cats are unable to climb the pole to attack the birds. |
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| Do
you have a question for our team? Send your query into info@livingstoneuk.com and we may use your question on our site |
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