Wellington and Barrow

2011-11-30T07:55:00.000-08:00

Maggies Last Ever Blog December 2011

This time last year we were shivering under a blanket of thick snow. This year I still have hollyhocks and summer bedding still in flower in the back garden! It has been a strange year altogether with unseasonal weather throughout. This Autumn has been the driest and warmest for many years - lovely for us but i wonder how it will effect the trees next year. Time will tell.

There is very little in my vegetable plot at this time of the year, other than the leeks. (as I do not grow Brussels or cabbage) The rest of the garden has been dug over and the soil left in large lumps for the winter frosts to break down. Next spring I will again dig a trench and fill it with well rotten compost where I am going to grow the runner beans. The winter raspberries have been wonderful this year but are just about at an end now. They need to be chopped down to ground level in the spring and now is a good time to give the canes a good feed to help with fruiting next year.

As we look forward to Christmas, you might be looking for a present for a child which is a little different. The children's garden tool set from Planto makes an ideal gift, especially when accompanied by a few packets of easy to grow seeds to promote an early interest in gardening. The tools can also be useful in a sandpit as well as the soil.

The borders are losing their colour as the Summer bedding fades and dies but this year I have added colour by planting some Heucheras. Their neat, close-growing habit makes good ground cover and they are available in all sorts of colours and the purple varieties look particularly spectacular when planted with grey leaved Senecio. They are evergreen and will produce pretty flower stalks in the summer.

Now is the time of year to get next years seed catalogues, make a pot of tea and dream of next year's planting schemes. I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a healthy, happy New Year!!

Happy Gardening!

2011-11-01T05:02:00.000-07:00

Maggies Blog November 2011

As you put the clocks back, and the plants start to go dormant, it is a good time to reflect on what has done well this year, and what was not so successful so that you can plan next year's garden. As the days shorten it is a good time to flick through the seed catalogues with a cup of tea and dream about next summer!

I keep a notebook to jot down tops and reminders so that I (hopefully) don't make any planting errors twice. For example, if a plant grows larger that I expect, or if I plant something out too early, I can refer to my notebook to jog my memory next year.

If you are tidying up the borders, don't be too enthusiastic because the dying foliage gives protection to the new buds at the base of the plants, as well as giving shelter to garden wildlife. Although the weather is still very mild I feel sure that before long we will be felling the chill of winter frosts.

I have taken the pots in which my hostas are growing into the cold greenhouse as they have died back now. Next spring I will take them out of the pots, split the roots and return them to the posts with fresh compost. It keeps them at their best and ensures the posts are not overcrowded. Before putting them out a smear of Vaseline around the rim of the posts - it helps keep the slugs and snails at bay.

Do not let the falling leaves lie for too long on the lawn. A good way of collecting them up is to do it with the lawn mower. This chops them into small pieces which helps them to rot down. Do not put them into your composter with the usual kitchen waste etc. because they rot down at a much slower rate. Place them in a container made from chicken wire, or even in a large garden plastic waste bag which has had holes punched in it. Make sure they are damp as dry leaves take even longer to decompose. Give them a good stir every few weeks to introduce air to the mixture and check moisture level. You will eventually finish up with a wonderful leaf mould ideal for mulching.

Happy Gardening!

2011-08-02T02:12:00.000-07:00

August 2011

The vegetable plot is in full swing at the moment. All the hard work earlier in the year is now paying off an I am picking lots of fruit and vegetables including, French beans, courgettes, tomatoes, raspberries and peas.

This is the first year I have picked my own cherries had lots of fruit on this season. Because it is a miniature and therefore not very tall, I was able to cover it with the Planto Tomato Fleece (which has so many uses!) The birds have been unable to get at the cherries and they have ripened in the fleece.

The runner beans seem slow to set this year. As in other years, I have sprayed the flowers with sugar water to encourage the bees, so hopefully I will be picking very soon. Because it have been dry this last couple of weeks I have given them a few good watering's to help the beans swell.

Every so often I like to walk round the garden with secateurs, a rubbish bag and a pencil and paper. I tidy up with the secateurs- an odd branch here and a dead branch there, but if something need more attention I note in down on the paper and return to the job when I have more time. It is a good way of keeping everything neat and tidy but not overlooking the bigger jobs.

Following on from last month when I wrote about the seemingly dead bushes and plants re sprouting, this month the Eucalyptus tree, which seemed to have dies during the severe winter, has started sprouting from ground level around the trunk. The tree will still need to be chopped down as there is no growth on it but it is nice to know that there is still life in the roots. I will probably prune the new growth hard back each year and keep it as a shrub, rather than letting it grow into a tree again.

I am still planting salad leaves at regular intervals in the greenhouse (although they will do equally well on a windowsill). They are a very quick crop to mature (only taking about two weeks) and are delicious when served straight from the greenhouse to the plate.

Happy Gardening!

2011-07-06T01:54:00.000-07:00

Maggies Blog July 2011

We keep hearing on the television that everything is going up in price and food is costing us more and more. All the more reason to grow your own vegetables and salad crops. You do not need a large patch, a patio planter would be fine for a few radish, onions and lettuce. Another idea is to grow vegetables in amongst the flowers in the borders- some dwarf beans have very pretty scarlet flowers. Why not give it a go? The act of picking home grown vegetables and eating them whilst still fresh from the soil is very satisfying.

I am pleased with the colour in my garden at the moment. All the bedding plants are planted out an are establishing themselves and spreading out to fill the spaces. It is nice to try mixing plants together so they grow through each other- a combination I like is lavender teamed with Alchemilla Mollis. The lavender looks stunning growing through the lime green.

Last month I wrote that I had to accept that some of the shrubs in my garden had still not sprouted, and were not now going to. I was going to dig them up but had not got round to it yet. However, some of them have suddenly put up new shoots. My verbenum shrub, for instance, has started to grow back right down at ground level. I have now cut it off close to the ground, to give the shoots plenty of space. It shows that in gardening one must not be too hasty.

The dahlia plants I put out recently were being eaten by slugs and snails so I have sprinkled a ring of crushed up eggshells round the plants to keep the pest at bay. If you put the empty eggshells onto a baking tray and put it into the bottom of the oven next time you are cooking something, it dries them out and makes them easier to crumble. It is a very green way of protecting young plants.

The marrow and courgette plants are beginning to flower well, but they do need plenty of water so remember to keep the soil around them moist in dry spells. I always sink a plant pot into the soil beside each plant which makes sure the water goes directly to the roots and ensures a good crop. They also benefit from a general fertiliser once the fruits are formed.

Happy Gardening!!

2011-06-27T02:48:00.000-07:00

Superlite Cloud

Great Festival Welly!!

Now Reduced from £45 to £29.95!!!

2011-06-17T02:23:00.000-07:00

Maggies Blog June 2011

May has been disappointing month, and although Kent and the South have had dry weather, we in the Midlands are back to wet and cold weather. The delights of a British spring!! I have been hardening off my leeks, runner beans and summer bedding in the hope of getting it planted out during the bank holiday but it has been so cold this week I have left it all in the greenhouse for now.

Once I do plant the runner beans out I will again be Using a Burgon & Ball patio planter in my daughters back garden so that she can enjoy just-picked fresh green beans! Just a few plants, climbing up poles, are enough to give her a good supply through the summer. if I grew no other vegetables, I would always make room for runner beans. There is nothing quiet like the taste of freshly picked beans, the shop bought ones cannot compare with them.

The tomatoes in the greenhouse are growing well, and as the first trusses have formed, I have started to give them a weekly feed. The tumbler plant, as the name suggests 'tumbles' down from the pot, but the other upright varieties need the side shoots nipping out, and also need the support of sturdy cane.

The asparagus bed has continued to crop well, and I will continue to harvest all the spears until the longest day (21st June). I do not pick any more after that date, but leave the ferns to develop and the roots to recover. In the Autumn after the first frost has turned the ferns brown I will cut down them down at just above ground level and give the bed a good feed with a general fertilizer. This ensures a good crop the following year.

The berries are forming on my blueberry bush so i will be putting a Planto Fleece jacket over it soon. The birds just adore blueberries and if the bush is left as it is I will not get on berry off it as the birds will have stripped it as soon as the berries start to turn. I have found that outting on a fleece jacket prevents the birds from getting to the fruit, and another advantage is that it keeps the shrub warm, which ripens the fruit earlier.

I started the peas off this year by spreading them on damp kitchen paper, and leaving them in a light position in the kitchen. Once they were sprouting I planted them in rows in the garden. this gave them a good start and meant there were no gaps in the row where seeds have failed to germinate, They are now climbing up some garden netting which I have erected over the new plants. This will give them plenty of support and will make harvesting the pods easier.

Happy Gardening!!

2011-05-24T04:16:00.000-07:00

May 2011

With such lovely weather over the Easter Weekend the gardens have been able to catch up on some of their growth after such a long, hard winter.

I have had to accept that some of my shrubs are not going to recover, and have started the sad job of cutting them down and disposing of them. My job has been made easier by the fact that the secateurs i am using at ultra-sharp and fit comfortably into my hand. They are made by a Germany firm called Berger. I can thoroughly recommend them.

After i had cut all but a small piece of the main stem off my Senecio shrub I discovered a small shoot just above ground level. I have watered this well and scattered some plant food round the stem to give it a good start. The original shrub had got quiet leggy so this has given me the chance to start again and keep it well trimmed as it grows.

Although i have not yet planted my Runner Beans I have already prepared the bean trench. I have dug a trench about 30'' wide and 30'' deep and have lined the bottom with the contents of the compost bins. (it doesn't matter if everything is not fully composted down because it will be buried and continue to compost in the ground). I have then filled the trench back in with the soil and will erect the bean poles over the trench. Once the beans are in situ the roots will find the compost and it helps produce healthy plants. It also helps with moisture retention. Even if you do not have any compost, just lining a trench with old newspaper will improve water retention.

The asparagus has started to crop, although the very first spears were attacked and eaten by pigeons. I have resorted to covering the asparagus bed with a fleece blanket, to prevent the pigeons getting at it. I think a good accompaniment to lovely, fresh asparagus spears may be Pigeon Pie!!

The broad beans which I planted out last month are continuing to grow well, and now have flowers on them. I have also planted out some dwarf french beans and they are under a Planto Bio Fleece until they get established. I have held off planting the salad crops such as spring onions, radish and beetroot until there is some moisture in the soil. The seeds just will not germinate if the ground is too dry.

Now is a good time to plant up hanging baskets and patio pots. Although they cannot go outside yet, but need to stay in the greenhouse in case of late frosts, if they are planted up now they can build up a good root stock and begin to form flower buds, so they are well established by the time they are hardened off an put out.

Happy Gardening!!

2011-02-04T04:20:00.000-08:00

Maggies Blog February 2011

Here we are at the end of January and we can tell the days are drawing out slightly. It never ceases to amaze me that when the year is at it's worst, and the soil is iron hard, the crocus, daffodil and tulip bulbs wake up and spring to life. All over my garden I can see the leaves appearing and the promise of some colourful blooms are evident. The lovely snowdrops are already in bloom.

Even though I am not getting much gardening done this time of the year, I am still trying to find ways of beating the slugs and snails. At the moment I am saving all the egg shells, and ''baking'' them in the bottom of my oven, which makes them very brittle. I then crush them down and will use the resulting material to sprinkle around plants as they emerge from the soil to make a barrier, which is more bird friendly than slug pellets.

I also repeat another tip which I have mentioned before in my blog. Take a head of garlic and break it up into a saucepan with a pint of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the garlic to infuse as the liquid goes cold. Strain off the liquid and keep it in the bottle. When watering plants that are susceptible to slug damage use a tablespoon of the mixture per watering can full. The smell of the garlic is suppose to discourage the slugs.

It is vitally important to remember to feed the birds in this weather. The special seeds and nuts you can buy are ideal, but any kitchen scraps are welcome, particular favourites in my garden are cheese and fruit cake! (the robins love the currants and sultanas) The ground feeding blackbirds are particularly partial kind of apples, which I cut in half for them. I saved some of the bramley apples from last season which, although are not very good for human consumption, are fine for the birds.

After all the snow and ice some of the leaves of the plants are soggy and slimy. When you start to clear up in the garden, remember to protect your hands from the muck and the cold with a good pair of gardening gloves. I like my Planto Flex Gloves. They are hard wearing but light so make it easy to manipulate small plants when transplanting etc. They have a suede palm and breathable back with an elastic cuff for a snug fit.

Now is the time to think ahead and prepare the soil for the vegetables which will be planted later in the year. If you have not already do so, grab that spade and turn over the vegetable plot, leaving the clods of soil to be broken down by the frost. (apart from anything else it is a good calorie burner!) If you have already done this earlier, how about raking the soil and placing cloches over it to warm it up. If you have no cloches, even black plastic bags, secured with stones, will discourage weeds and help the soil temperature to rise.

Happy Gardening!!

2010-12-08T04:11:00.000-08:00

Maggies Blog December 2010

As I write this month's blog, the country is in the grip of freezing weather, with a lot of snow around. This is not the weather to be in the garden! Now is a good time to stay indoors where it's warm. All the seed companies have released next years catalogues so curl up in front of the fire and dream of next years riot of colour you will create in your back garden.

As we look forward to Christmas, you might be looking for a present for a child to promote an early interest in gardening. If you are, then can I suggest packs from the Secret Seed Society. They are aimed at children ages 3-7 and contain a story book, a packet of seeds, growing instructions and recipes to use the veg when it's ready to eat, together with a chance to join the online seed agent club.

As in previous years, the only crop left in my garden by now is the leeks. (You can grow winter cabbage and brussels, but as we are not particularly fond of them I don't). Whilst it is so cold and frosty it is impossible to dig up the leeks but once the cold snap has passed and the weather warms up you will be able to harvest them, and they will be fine.

The flower borders tend to look a bit sorry for themselves at this time of year. There are, however, lots of plants and shrubs which either flower during the winter or have interesting leaves, so with a bit of plannig the borders can look good all year round. I have a winter flowering Jasmine whose yellow blooms are a picture at the moment. I also have some varigated holly which, as well as brightening up the borders, is excellent foliage to bring into the house as part of the Christmas decorations.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy New Year!!

Happy Gardening!

2010-11-15T06:55:00.000-08:00

Maggies Blog November 2010

The clocks go back, the days shorten, but I quite like this time of year as is gives me a chance to tidy up the garden. The shrubs that have been rampant all summer and can now be trimmed back into a tidy shape, the bedraggled summer bedding can be pulled up and the patio pots can be emptied and put away (or refilled with fresh compost and winter flowering pansies for a splash of colour in the dreary months ahead). The borders need to be tidied up, but don't be too enthusiastic because the dead foliage gives frost protection to the new buds at the base of the plants, as well as giving shelter to garden wildlife.

The runner bean plants, which have been prolific all summer and well into the autumn, have now stopped producing and i have caught the frost, so i have cleared all the foliage off the supporting canes, chopped it up and put it into the composters. I cut the plants off at ground level and leave the roots in the soil as they are rich in nitrogen which leaches back into the soil as the roots rot and break down.

I have, as usual, put a few springs of mint into a pot in the greenhouse to provide fresh mint for the potatoes on Christmas Day. I just bring the pot into the kitchen and stand it on a light windowsill a couple of weeks before Christmas just so the warmth can give it a boost.

As you collect up fallen leave do not put them into your composters with the usual kitchen waste etc because they rot down at a much slower rate. It helps to chop them up by collecting them with a leaf buster (which chops them as it vacuums them up) or by spreading them out on the lawn and gathering them up with the lawn mower. Place them in a container made from chicken wire, or even in a large garden plastic waste bag which has has holes punched in it. Make sure they are damp as dry leaves take even longer to decompose. Give them a good stir every few weeks to introduce air to the mixture and check the moisture level.

I have bought all my fushias, lillies, hostas and palms in pots into the cold greenhouse. They will no be dormant through the winter so I will only water them sparingly. Most of these plants can survive some degree of cold, but do not like to be too wet as it rots their roots.

Happy Gardening!!!

2010-09-28T03:24:00.000-07:00

Maggies Blog October 2010

As the days shorten, another year seems to be slipping through our fingers. The rate of growth of everything has slowed down, which gives me a chance to catch up with the weeds!

The fruit is swelling on the trees and is ready for harvesting. Once again i have reached for my Planto Harvesting Bag. It can be carries with the handles, worn over one shoulder, or round the waist (which leaves both hands free for picking). This means the fruit can be cropped in perfect condition as it is not bruised. Once the fruit is gathered it can be washed in the the bag, due to the lightweight mesh construction.

Earlier this year someone gave me some canes of autumn fruiting raspberries. I am delighted with them, they are producing beautiful large berries, which are darker red than the earlier varieties. Once these have finished fruiting, they need chopping down to the ground as they fruit on new wood, unlike my other variety which fruits on year old stock.

This year I grew my carrots next to the mint. To discourage carrot root fly, each time I harvested some carrots, I also chopped some mint down, and scattered the leaves around the rows of remaining carrots. It does seem to have worked, because the carrots are free of the dreaded fly.

I am not planting much this time of year, although, as in previous years, I still grow winter lettuce in the greenhouse. I just plant a few at a time, usually the 'cut and come again' variety, at two week intervals, which means I always have a steady supply of salad leaves.

I have again purchased my autumn bedding in the form of plug plants. They have been planted into trays and are in the greenhouse waiting to replace the summer bedding once that has finished. The summer pots look a bit sorry for themselves so I will be changing them over very soon now.

As soon as we get the first real frost I will be bringing my hostas (which are in pots) into the cold greenhouse. I prefer to bring as much as I can under glass just to be on the safe side. Most things do not need much water, just an occasional drink to keep them 'ticking over' until next spring.

Happy Gardening!!

2010-08-31T03:08:00.000-07:00

Maggies Blog - September

September is here already, where is this year going?! The nights are drawing in and we will soon be talking about Christmas!!

By now all the hard work throughout the year should be paying off in the form of delicious fresh vegetables and fruit straight from the garden to the plate. We are enjoying the runner beans, peas and tomatoes at the moment, with the plums and apples fattening up nicely for picking soon, As i have thinned out the beetroot and carrots and taste tender and sweet.

If, like mine, your outdoor tomatoes are not ripening up as quickly as you would like, it is a good idea to take most of the leaves off the plants. This lets the air circulate around the fruits and helps them to get every bit of sunshine to maximise ripening. I have also put the Planto Tomato Fleece Hoods on them now, as I have taken them off the blueberry bushes. (I have picked the blueberries which ripened wonderfully in the fleeces, without the birds having a feast!)

The blackberry canes are growing wildly in all directions and it had been necessary to prune them. Possibly not the correct time of year for this tack but they really are getting out of control.

Whilst doing this job I wore the Planto Arm Protectors which are brilliant idea! No more scratches and bleeding arms as the branches spring back and catch you unawares! They fasten with Velcro, so one size fits all and can be worn with any gardening gloves. A great gift for a keen gardener!

Some of the runner bedding is looking past its best and i have trimmed and dead headed my pots in an attempt to prolong their life. After tidying them up I gave them a dose of all purpose plant food to give them a boost.

I have given my lavender bushes a close haircut after flowering and they are forming neat shapes which will look attractive in the borders through the winter. Doing them now, straight after flowering, gives them a chance to recover before the cold weather sets in.

As my vegetable plants finish cropping I am composting the spent plants, digging over the cleared plot, applying a generous dressing of horse manure, and then leaving the soil alone so that the manure can break down and the nutrients can enrich the soil ready for next spring.

I am still planting lettuces in the greenhouse. If I just plant a dozen or so seeds at a time every two weeks it ensures a ready supply of leaves which are usually pest-free (although this week I found just one slug in a pot and it had done a lot of damage - I will be watering the pot with and infusion of garlic from now on to deter any other slugs with similar ideas!)

Maggies Blog - August

2010-08-02T02:27:00.000-07:00

The last two months have been a busy time in the garden. All the young vegetable plants that were nurtured in my greenhouse and lovingly planted out are now growing madly and starting to pay me back by producing delicious tender vegetables. The runner beans are coming at a great rate of knots. If your runner beans are not setting very well, a good tip is to spray the flowers in the evening with water that has some sugar mixed in. This attracts the bees which help germination.

The broad beans have not been prolific this year, I think it was because June was so dry and hot and as I was away I was unable to give them a good watering which I normally do in dry weather. The plants produced a lot less pods than normal.

My raspberry canes have nearly finished fruiting and, as usual, I will then cut the old ones off at ground level, tie in the new shoots and give them a good feed and water. Someone has given me some canes of an autumn fruiting variety which I planted earlier this year and are now growing well. Hopefully, I will get a second crop of my favourite fruit each year.

The wisteria plant that grows up the back of the house was beautiful earlier in the year when it flowered, but is now looking very straggly. I will be cutting back all the new 'leggy' growth, and tying in the rest to give it support. It may even flower a second time later in the year

All the spring flowering shrubs are likewise looking untidy and I like to give them a 'hair cut' to neaten them up (shrubs such as Spirea). To make the job easier I use the Planto Pruining Sheet. It fits round the base of the plant, collecting the clippings. Handles on the corners enable you to gather the sheet up with the clippings inside to put straight into the composter. No Mess. Brilliant!

I have been particularly pleased with a new planting scheme this year. After seeing a picture, I edged a border with Lavender contrasting with the lime green of the Lady's Mantle.

There is still time to get in a last planting of quick growing salad plants such as radishes, lettuce and beetroot. I will be planting more salad crops and, if the weather turns, I will just pop my Planto Bio Fleece tunnel over them to protect them until they are ready to eat.

Happy Gardening!!

Planto Products

2010-07-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

Planto is a small family company set up in Germany in 2003 by Friederike Sandt, passionate about gardening, and attention-to-detail in equal measure. Planto have a superb range of gardening products, from plant protection, garden eqipment to gloves and childrens gardening gitfs and they also have a range of beautiful garden hats.

They have just made a video of all their products check out these two videos of the full range of Hats and the full range of all the products.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xibE1SSmHrw Watch the Planto Hat Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tCL7IKo0e8&feature=channel Watch the Product Video

Maggies Blog June/July

2010-07-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

After a slow start following such a long, hard winter my seedlings appear to be growing well and catching up with where they usually are by this time of year.

I removed the cloche (i.e. Planto Bio Plant Tunnel) from the peas about three weeks ago and placed it over the broad beans that I had just put into the ground. The advantage of being under this is that the material it is constructed from is a fleece material which keeps the young seedlings warm and pest-free but lets in the moisture. The broad beans are in flower now and have made strong, healthily plants so I have now removed the tunnel from them as well. It folds down flat and is easy to store in it's original bag.

The potatoes that I ''chitted'' back in March are now in the ground and are doing well. As the leaves have been showing above the ground, I have been banking up the earth each side to protect them from late frosts. This also makes sure they produce plenty of tubers later in the year.

I planted up my summer baskets and containers about five weeks ago but kept them in the greenhouse to develop. They are now in flower and have grown to fill the space to give a good display. I am now putting them outside during the day to harden them off prior to putting them in their final flowering positions next week.

As always, I will continue to harvest all the asparagus spears until the longest day (21st June). I do not pick any more after that date, but leave the ferns brown I will cut them down at just above ground level and give the bed a good feed with a general fertilizer.

My daughter has moved to a new house with a small garden, but still likes to grow her own runner beans so we are trying them in one of the Burgon & Ball Patio Planters that are on sale this year. We have put a layer of pea gravel in the bottom of a Round Vegetable Planter for drainage, and filled the bag with a good quality compost. It is large enough to accommodate eight bean poles and this weekend I planted eight beans (still in their toilet roll tubes) against those poles. It will be interest to see what sort of crop can be produced. It should certainly keep the beans out of reach of the slugs!!

Happy Gardening

http://www.wellingtonandbarrow.co.uk

About Wellington and Barrow

2010-07-27T06:06:00.000-07:00

Wellington and Barrow is a rural, family run business which sits in the Derbyshire Dales, where the views can be kind but the weather can be so cruel.

We spent alot of time outside and in the garden so we want products that actually work and we have select brands and products that we belive in.

Wellington and Barrow specialises in the best, the unusal and innovative products for the garden.

We have a passion for what we do, whether it is in the garden or at work. We promote products that we use, love and appreciate, we belive that Muckboots, Planto and Country Essentials along with many more brands all have fantastic products.

It's not all about money, its about the vaule - products that do what they promise to do and which add to the enormous pleasure we get from gardening.

We would love to hear you comment and views.

Happy Gardening Everyone!!

http://www.wellingtonandbarrow.co.uk