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CROCOSMIA LUCIFER
The most stunning of red flowers, that are held above lush green spiky leaves. The foliage grows to over 1 metre high. A wonderful plant for a large container that gives foliage interest throughout the summer and an explosion of scarlet flowers throughout July/August. Can be bought as a ready grown plant in pots or as dry bulbs in spring.
FIRE BUCKET BARBECUE
Long ago before fire extinguishers were scattered at regular intervals folks would rely on the trusty fire bucket to extinguish any impromptu conflagrations or occurrences of spontaneous combustion. Thanks to some bright spark this humble item has been given a new lease of life as a super trendy Barbeque.
Instead of water or sand this Bucket actually contains Fire. Perfect for those alfresco cooking situations, the Fire Bucket BBQ is great for taking out and about, you can even use it to carry all the equipment in. £24.95
THE MANUAL
The design of very small gardens is not easy. It is harder than laying out half an acre or even your average sized suburban garden. Microgardens need structure, thrive on structure and will not be successful without it. So much valuable space is wasted through poor design and layout.
To find the perfect lead in design for the very small garden we must go back to the start of the last century and two pioneers in garden design. Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens.
Gertrude Jekyll was originally an artist but very poor site lead to her broadening her horizons in the field of plantmanship and gardening. She had a amazing understanding of the use of colour and the relationships of planting different plants next to each other. Her partner in laying out gardens was the architect Edwin Lutyens, the designer of the London Cenotaph and architect of myriad country houses. Lutyens believed in strong structure and layed out the hard landscaping of gardens with a clear definition of pathways, seating areas and water features.
Together they created some of the best gardens ever made in England. We can learn from them in the design of our small spaces. Seating areas, patios, decks, steps, etc should be very strong in their design. Initially the should almost overwhelm the area. But then the strong planting around and between these features should then soften and complete the design. There is an excellent book about the gardens they created - 'Gardens of a Golden Afternoon by Jane Brown ISBN 0 7139 1440 8.
MORE USES FOR TUB TRUGS
Tubtrugs® are the original 2-handled tubs that are the most useful tool for thousands of jobs around the home and garden. A Tubtrug® is great for carrying, mixing, pouring, scooping, plastering, storing, washing, gardening, pets – the list of uses for your Tubtrug® is literally endless!
Two extremely strong handles and flexible body make handling a Tubtrug® much easier than any normal bucket or tub.
Available in 15 fantastic colours, across 5 superb sizes, Tubtrugs® Flexible are the containers you can trust to help you get the job done.
Tubtrugs are great for garden and home use but in the smaller garden they make superb containers for growing veg in. They are deep enough to grow root veg such as carrots and pototoes and the bright colours contrast amazingly against fresh green foliage.
The tubs are available at most garden centres and DIY stores and the cost varies on size but normally around £5-6
THE WORLDS HOTTEST PEPPER
www.thompsonandmorgan.com supply the worlds hottest chilli - the chilli/hot Tepin(Atomic). This extremely hot birds' eye pepper can be grown from seed and will fruit happily on the patio in a sunny position. Beware - make sure you handle the seeds carefully.
THE SATURN DAY BED
The Saturn Day Bed, Suitable for 2 adults. This stylish item is great for relaxing in the sunshine or even under the shade of one of our Gazebos. Constructed with an aluminium frame and an outdoor pvc wicker. This item is weatherproof and fade resistant
Diameter: 176cm
Height: 30cm
Back height: 79cm
Available in cappuccino,2.5mm round weave in Cappucino or Natural Rattan Colour (price excludes cushions)
| Price: £499.99 |
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Delivery: £19.99 |
A tea garden is a great asset to those that like herbal tea. Mint and lemon balm make delicious herb teas ( simply cover a sprig of leaves with hot water and leave to infuse for five minutes). Both these plants are thugs and can easily take over a garden but when confined to a container they are easy to keep under control.
Chamomile tea is made from the daisy-like flowers - choose 'flore plena' which has more petals and less bitter.
We've found a great window box thats just right for growing a tea garden. It's nickel-plated powder coated in a super green. It stands out thanks to its plain functional style.
Can micro gardens be environmentally friendly? If small gardens are composed only of hard landscaping without any planting, how do the help the environment especially in urban areas. Some pundits expound how by just creating an outdoor area that is a retreat from society and an 'owned' space then we are more likely to use that space for recreation and not travel increasing our 'carbon footprint' to find recreation space.
The problem with plant free yardz is that they do not create conditions to attract or sustain wildlife. The baron wastes of new estates, where minimal planting in gardens exists do not allow the creation of green corridors where birds and mammals can forage out and settle. So to this end plant free yardz do not assist in aiding the environment. It is though not always the owners fault as there is not a lot of information to help. Gardens centres have been very slow in promoting plants, containers, composts, etc that are suitable for micro-gardens as most are still grounded around horticulture and not lifestyle.The only area that is changing is in the growing of vegetables with new ranges of grow bags, fertilisers and even vegetable plants bred especially for quick cropping on smaller plants.
In the future this space we call our own will become more and more valuable to us - and also to those retailers who can understand the needs of those whose gardens are less than fifteen square metres. YARDZ champions the use of plant material in micro-gardens in the hope that small exterior spaces be they urban or rural can provide more than a base for the sun bed and BBQ.
THE BLITZ GRILL
The »blitzgrill« with its powerful 9.2 kw burner is ideal both for catering and private use.
it is ready in just five minutes, is infinitely adjustable and, thanks to its gas firing, makes for hitch-free barbecue enjoyment.
the removable cast-iron barbecue plate is simple and easy to clean. comes with tubing, controls and barbecue plate. gas cylinder not included.
www.radius-design.com
Eryngium x zabelii Jos Eijking
A longlasting sea holly with the most stunning electric blue flowers. It starts flowering in June and lasts well into the autumn. Great as a container stand alone plant.
www.crocus.com £6.95
