yardz

CONES OR DOMES

 

CONES OR DOMES

For the last two years I have been using cone shaped hanging baskets instead of the traditional bowl shaped ones. To start with it is because I liked the shape and style of the cones - they make a statement even when they have just been planted.

But now I realise that they are actually better in relation to plant growth than the traditional shape. The extended cone shape provides not only a large volume of compost for plants to root into, but also allows a much longer root run which is important in dry weather.

Two environmental benefits is that due to the baskets being made of recyclable materials such as 'banana leaf'' they use up few finite resources in manufacture and also as moss is not used to line the baskets, diminishing wetlands are not being stripped of sphagnum moss.

So what started as a style decision has left me with baskets with better plant growth and flowers.

CHELSEA STYLE

THE CHELSEA TEAK LOUNGER

WOW! A stylish teak lounger for under £200. The Chelsea adjusts to a myriad of positions to allow you to acheive the most comfortable sunning position. Fade and water resistant cushions are available in Forest Green, Navy Blue or Ecru at £89.99 each.

www.cyan.co.uk  £199.99

POD WATERING FOR MINI HEATWAVES

THE HOZELOCK AQUAPOD

The Aquapod was released last year but the wet summer meant that there were few sales and the product stayed on the shelf. It is though a great idea, and perfect for the smallest of small gardens where containers rule.

Holiday watering a problem? Concerned about metered water and wastage? Very busy or a little forgetful? This new Aquapod automatic irrigation system from Hozelock uses up to 90% less water than traditional handheld watering methods and allows you to programme a watering schedule if you are busy or when you are away on holiday.

Ideal for patio containers, Aquapod blends in harmoniously and is quick and easy to install.
The kit can water up to 10 plant pots at a time by fitting a special attachment to one tap or standpipe with the water pressure reduced to 4 litres per hour. It is equipped with hoses and at the end of each one is a self-cleaning pressure regulating dripper. Each hose can be pulled out and rewound independently to suit the layout of the patio to give maximum flexibility.

The Aquapod is available at most garden centres or on line.

http://www.hozelock-aquapod.co.uk/where-to-buy

THE SUN JAR

THE SUN JAR

The Sun Jar stores sunlight throughout the day so that you can use it at night.

It's made with a traditional Mason jar and high tech energy lighting. With the jar is an highly efficient solar cell, rechargeable battery and low energy LED lamps. the Mason jar is completely water tight so it can be left out in all weather conditions.

www.suck.uk.com  £20.00

DUNE - LEISURE FURNITURE TO DIE FOR

  

The sun has at last arrived for a brief visit over this green and pleasant land so the noise of bbqs being cleaned and loungers being dusted off has been heard in gardens and yards throughout the country.

Because we seem to get so little prolonged sunny periods, what happened to global warming and our proposed Mediterranean climate, garden furniture needs to be decorative, stylish and architectural. It needs to be great to look at so that it is a feature in its own right. The Dune Collioure reclining chair, designed by Pascal Margue and manufactured by Fermob, fits the bill perfectly. It is available in a range of bright stripy tear proof fabrics, that will brighten even the gloomiest of summers days. There is also a matching folding chair in the same range.

www.madeindesign.co.uk

FRUIT OR FLOWER

Courgette Black Forest F1

With the trend for own grown food taking over as the main use of our gardens, due to the desire to grow food with a knowledge of how its been grown and also the price of food due to the so called 'credit crunch', where does that leave us yard tenderers?

A small area dedicated to vegetables can look superb, just look at some of the potagers that can be found in older gardens, but it needs a lot of upkeep and knowledge of rotation and successional sowing of crops. But do all these crops give us a return in the form of decoration? Is it wrong under the present conditions of world food shortages to want to concentrate on only growing ornamental plants?

On the other hand we can compromise by growing plants that are decorative, what could be more stunning than the courgette flowers above, and yet provide us with a useful and cost effective crop.

BALCONY EVERGREENS

Berberis thunbergii Admiration

When people think of evergreen plants, large and dull generally comes to mind. But there are a wide range of evergreen plants that are neither large or dull. In recent years plant breeders have produced some really good additions to this range of plants. Two of them are both in the berberis family - Berberis Tiny Gold and Berberis Admiration. They are both available at garden centres now.

Berberis Tiny Gold is very compact growing only to 30cm. It has amazing yellow green leaves. Admiration though still compact grows a little larger up to 50cm. It has stunning orange red leaves with a yellow edge which change to a nice orange in autumn.

Both these hardy plants are perfect for balcony window boxes or containers. They can be grown and clipped into a low formal hedge or allowed to grow more loosely.

Both are definitely worth looking out for.

 

Berberis thunbergii Tiny Gold

EASY OUTDOOR GRILLING

Doing the weekly shop in the supermarket last night, I came across the George Forman Indoor/Outdoor Grill 14036 on offer for only £49.99. (George Forman offer price £59.99)

It is very stylish, has a good size grill and is cheap and easy to use. The other great benefit is with the British weather always so unpredictable, it is simple to carry the grill inside if your bbq party is interrupted by rain. Its compact, so is perfect for our smaller spaces and ideal for balcony use in apartments where it is against the lease to have gas/charcoal bbq's.

http://www.georgeforemanoffers.com/product_details.php?products_id=555

URBAN FLOWER TRAY

An amazing design for a mundane item.

The tray has sensuous round spaces on each side to store, for example newspapers, cutlery and napkins allowing for tidy organisation of the items on the tray. It also sits comfortably on the lap.

It is an elegant combination of materials: laminated lime tree wood with a simple and stunning laser engraved pattern inspired by the theme of nature transformation, acrylic and chrome. It is very light.

www.empty-me.com  £49.00

HANGING BASKETS - THE SUMMER 2008 COLLECTION

This years theme for the cone baskets is a multicoloured 'baroque' style using a mixture of purple, pink and carmine flowers offset with lime green foliage. The plants were planted in a specialist hanging basket compost which included water retention granules and slow release fertilizer.

The plants used are:

Verbena magelana Midnight Purple, Petunia Duo Satin Pink, Petunia Hurrah Purple Vein, Geranium Horizon Violet and Lysimmachia nummularia Aurea.