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Monday, 12 May 2008 |
Camellias originate from eastern Asia, Indo-China and Japan and are long-lived, evergreen shrubs. They were grown for many years as subtropical plants in greenhouses and indoors as house plants, but many varieties will also survive in the garden. Grown for their beautiful flowers that appear early in the season, starting from late winter, Camellias are one the most beautiful and elegant shrubs that you can grow in your garden. They are suited for a border or woodland garden but also as specimen plants in the garden or in containers. Some varieties were bred to withstand frosts up to minus 18 Celsius degrees (-0.4 F). If you live in an area where frosts are more severe than this, you can still grow Camellias in your garden but wrap them with rush mats and hessian to provide insulation. Never use polythene.
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Making a growing-bag support |
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Thursday, 01 May 2008 |
Making a growing-bag support Growing bags become more and more used for growing short-term plants, such as low-growing vegetables, that will only be there for one growing season. Some gardeners also use growing bags for cultivating cucumbers, peppers, eggplants or tomatoes. After such a crop you can still use the growing bag for a second time to grow salad crops such as lettuce or radishes, because the growing bag will contain a fair amount of fertilizer residue left from the previous crop without the need for any extra fertilizer. A common problem encountered when you grow tall plants in growing bags is that the bags don’t have the necessary depth to allow for stakes to be used as supports. But you can solve this problem by building a frame around the bag and fastening the support structure to the frame so that the plants grow up toward the support.
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Wednesday, 30 April 2008 |
Basil, also known as Sweet Basil, is the common name for Ocimum basilicum, a popular, sweet herb of the Mint Family, grown for its flavorful foliage. Basil is originally native to India and other tropical regions of Asia, where is grown as a perennial. In cold area is grown as an half-hardy annual because it is a tender herb, very sensitive to cold, with best growth in hot, dry conditions and should not be planted outdoors until the weather is warm. Basil is a low-growing herb that grows to between 30-60 cm tall, with opposite, light green, silky leaves 3-5 cm long and 1-3 cm broad. The foliage releases its wonderfully spicy fragrance just brushing against it. The flowers are insignificant, but very popular with bees and butterflies, edible, white in color and arranged in a terminal spike. If the plant is allowed to flower, it will produce seedpods containing small black seeds, which you can save and sow in the following spring.
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Wednesday, 23 April 2008 |
Skimmia japonica (Japanese Skimmia) is a genus of four species of slow growing evergreen shrubs and small trees, grown as garden plants for their foliage, flowers and showy red fruits. Their sizes when mature can reach 60 cm to 1.5 m high and 1-2 m wide. It makes an excellent choice near an entryway or garden path or as a foundation planting or for growing in containers placed on your patio. One of the best choice for small gardens.
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