Paul asks…
Flower Border garden tips.?
What are the some of the main rules or guidelines for creating a good attractive border garden? Including elements like spacing, bunching, colors, heights, species etc. I have a space that is 10 feet wide and 12 feet long between the fence and the street. Thanks in advance.
GardenersCardiff answers:
All good advice so far, so I won’t repeat. But will add my 2 cents about planting. When planting perennials, it’s best to do them in groups of at least 3.
It’s nice to have perennials as a backbone of your garden, and to supplement with annuals, until they get established.
I always underplant my perennials with spring flowering bulbs, so as to extend the season of bloom in my garden.
As the perennials begin to come back to life in the spring, their foliage will camouflage the yellowing foliage of the spent bulbs.
When planting annuals, I generally dig a good sized hole, and put 3 plants in together. It’s showier that way.
Then I neaten everything up with a nice dark mulch—something like Cyprus is nice. Cocoa Shells are terrific too, if you can find them
A mulched garden is good for many reasons.
1) aesthetics. Especially in a new garden, there will be a lot of empty space and the mulch allows you to get away with fewer plants.
2) mulch helps the soil retain moisture, so you don’t have to irrigate as frequently.
3) mulch inhibits weed seeds from germinating and sprouting.
***Don’t forget Miracle Grow!!!
George asks…
Garden Plants?
My son lives in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. His birthday is next month and he has asked me to take him to a local garden centre and buy him some plants to stock his ragged garden. The garden is east facing (so sunny, but also not that warm), he doesn’t know what soil he has (acid, alkaline, chalky, etc) and i need to find some easy, low-maintenance plants for him, but also something with a bit of colour. I am compiling a list from the huge RHS book, but can anyone help me make that list a bit longer? Also, if i can’t get them from a garden centre, what is a good website to order from?
Thank you all SO much for responding to this question. I have extended it for 4 days. Have made a long list, and also tried to email all respondents. Am very grateful. Bless you all. Barry.
GardenersCardiff answers:
My gardening tips are to create an easy to maintain garden with seasonal interest, rather than just a summer splash.
The plants that I use are:
Phormiums – come in range of leaf colours, variegated, green, reds to purple. Grows from 2′ to 5′ with large flower spikes, when established and in a good sunny spot. Spear shaped leaves.
Buddleia – the butterfly bush – showy flowers, attracted butterflies, from around June. Only need pruning hard, around Feb, then just let them riot. There’s also a variegated form, with purple flowers, otherwise flower colours from white, pinks to purple.
Lavenders:there are alot of different types:
Hidcote is around 18” tall, lovely dark blue flowers.
Old English: ‘lavender’ blue flowers, around 2-3′ tall.
French: these have coloured ‘wings’ ontop of their flowers.
All are best with a fairly harsh spring pruning, stops them getting leggy.
Heuchera’s: good for semi shaded areas, fantastic choice of leaf colours and textures, plus flowers too.
Sedum Spectabile is 1 of the easiest plants to grow: roots easily too, if he takes cuttings next year onwards. Attracts butterflies.
I’d add some grasses, for leaf texture variation. Festuca Glauca is a short very blue grass. Otherwise, there are tons of colours from red, to variegated green/white or golden.
A Peony will flourish in the same spot for 50years +, so is really easy and showy. Some come with scented flowers.
Daylilies are lovely summer flowering herbaceous plants, yellow, reds etc. (Hemerocalis is the botanical name)
Phlox paniculata are herbaceous summer flowering plants, whites to pink. Very easy.
Foxgloves are easy, but the typically grown types grow from seed one year, flower and die the next. Good in partial shade, especially for back of borders, as they can reach 6′ tall. Maybe you could start some from seed yourself, and post or take them to him?
Roses could be ok, either climbers or freestanding. Require an annual prune. Good long season colour.
Hardy Geraniums are easy showy plants, with long flowering periods – don’t confuse with the summer bedding geraniums, which aren’t hardy and thus not perennial in UK gardens.
I love Oriental Poppies, Papaver Orientalis – mine are just about to flower now. From white to pink, red, orange. Many with contrasting colours in the centre of the flower. Herbaceous.
Gaillardia have a broad colour range, for long summer periods of flowers.
Add some Hellebores for late winter, early spring colour:
Heeleborus Niger (Christmas ‘Rose’), white flowers or Helleborus Orientalis – late spring, whtie,pinks, reds. Herbaceous, but usually carry leaves through the year.
Lupins are also showy flowering herbaceous plants, in a wide colour range. Easy.
I’d add some bulbs, for flowering next spring:usually purchased/planted from around August. Daffodills/Narcissus, Bluebells, Scilla Siberica, Crocus, large flowered and species types, for easly spring flowers.
Tulips are lovely, but can be prone to rot, as you’re not sure of his soil type, might want to avoid. Best planted late autumn, even upto December.
Ref. Ordering: I’d shop around, as you’ll find variations in pricing. It’s also a really good idea to select the plants yourself, as you can pick the healthiest – I know he’s some way from you, but perhaps you could find some garden centres that are on your way, or local to him.
Hope these ideas help. I’ve chosen from what I grow and know are reasonably easy but showy plants.
Good luck! Rob
John asks…
Veggie gardening tips. Do’s and Don’ts. Please help.?
So I thought I’d try a new hobby out and thought about a veggie garden. I went out and bought seeds, soil, bricks, and even a small green house. Now I have the seeds germinating for just under 24 hours and they are sprouting already. What should I be prepared to do next? I know I cant just throw them in the ground and splash some water on them to make it work. Anything I can do to make this an enjoyable experience? Is there certain products I should buy? Any and all help is appreciated.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Gardening requires proper planning first and vegetable gardening needs proper timing as well. Immediately after the germination you need to plant them in containers at least.You may decide planting them outside later as well.You must have good containers or pots with sufficient drainage so that each plant grows healthily.Prepare the soil mix properly and fill the container with this soil mix. Leave the upper 15% part empty for all containers.Better if you prepare your soil mix yourself with perlite.You may also buy the appropriate soil mix from a garden store as well.
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Lizzie asks…
Gardening supplies north hollywood?
where in north hollywood is there a store for gardening (like indoor gardening) that has a website that i can check out right now
GardenersCardiff answers:
Hey Heeeeeey,
Hope I got the number of ‘e’s in your name right, lol. Here are some links, you might have to follow them to second links. There are some great nurseries in LA County, you might like to leave N.Hollywood to go and see some of them. Many yellow page listings (on the internet) also have web sites. Hope this helps you out some.
James asks…
Gardening and Floristry in Australia and New Zealand?
I wanted to ask some Australians and New Zealanders often they shop at Garden/flower shops?
It would be a place that sells Floral Arrangements, live plants (flowers, house plants, bushes, trees), gardening supplies, cards (like for birthdays, romantic cards, Valentine’s Day, and special occasions), some miscellaneous things like candies, jewelry, and statuettes.
I prefer self-employment over corporate employment. I do have a 4 year degree in business, so if I choose not to use my business degree its my option.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Our local Garden Centre has all of those things plus a large gift and kitchen shop and a lovely coffee shop/cafe. I know several keen gardeners who buy plants or garden supplies just about every week (in Australia, we can garden all year ’round) but I only go once a month or so and then only for the cafe and a browse in the kitchen shop. Every suburb used to have a small ‘garden nursery’ that sold only plants and garden supplies and perhaps a few cards and garden ornaments, but they’ve been largely supplanted by huge complexes like the one near us – it would easily cover several acres.
John asks…
Where’s the best place to buy gardening supplies/tools/plants/seeds?
I’m brand new to gardening and want to start gardening in pots. I don’t have a yard so everything will be pretty much in balcony. Since I’m new to this I don’t want to invest too much right away so I want to know where I should start and what place carries the cheapest pots, soil, fertilizer, seeds, etc. Any information related to any of this is welcome! Thanks in advance!
Wow thanks, I never even thought of looking at dollar tree or big lots, will check them out in addition to the others!
GardenersCardiff answers:
Dollar store has the best prices, but their selection is limited. Other than that, Walmart is the cheapest.
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