yardz

URBAN GNOMES

Urban Gnomes from Vitamin.

An alternative to the traditional garden gnome. Comes in a cool range of graphic designs. 21cm high. £49.50

http://www.vitaminliving.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=14

WHAT A MISTAKE TO MAKE - OR HAVE I?

Last year I planted a 'Russian Vine', Fallopia baldschuanica, against one of my yard walls. I knew that Russian Vine was a rampant bully that grows at a 'mile a minute' but I had a new small garden and very bare 8' brick walls.

This month, having covered a large area of those walls, tried to throttle any tree or shrub within its extended reach, and now heading for neighbouring gardens, you would think I would be reaching for the spade to dig it out!

But no, wait, it is justing starting to flower, beautiful blush white flowers covering its growth along the length of its growth and it looks superb. I will keep it - but I will have to make sure it knows who's master and prune and clip it back as required.

www.crocus.com £7.99 3ltr

TYRED OUT

I understand that we now have a shortage of bark chips that are used by gardeners as a decorative natural mulch. They are being used as fuel in power stations and will become more and more difficult to get for garden use.

A newish product, 'Dunweedin', was introduced last year as an environmentally friendly alternative to bark.It is made from recycled tyres that are granulated to form a realistic bark substitute. Available in a range of colours - blue, granite, plum, brown and terracotta, it is also impregnated with citrus to not only mask any lingering rubber smell but also to deter cats and dogs. 10kg £7.99 500kg £325.00

www.dunweedin.co.uk

RADIO WAVES

Perfect for our British summer!

The THYKO radio designed by Marc Berthie, is a rubber covered AM/FM radio. Available in red, blue, yellow, green and grey. £38.30

http://www.madeindesign.co.uk/prod-Tykho-Lexon-refla42r.html

KNOT GARDENS

Inspired by English needlework patterns, Knot Gardens originated in the Tudor period. Today they are once again becoming popular as features in ornamental vegetable gardens. Using old gardening methods the low knot garden hedges were formed using individual plants grown and clipped until they had reached the required size.

Today, though, www.boxknot.co.uk have made the process simpler with their Boxknot kits. These kits contain a pattern, there are some great contemporary patterns, hedging plants already grown to size in metre long troughs and all the equipment including a spade and pruners to plant and look after your knot.

Looks great idea for a new look yard that will be reasonably low in maintenance needs and stunning to look at.

http://www.boxknot.com/contemporary.html

THE REAL THING

Sedum cauticola 'Coca Cola'

Wondeful ground cover that forms a grey blue mound. The foliage darkens with age and it produces starry pink flowers in late summer. Loves sun and prefers a well-drained soil.

THE SINGLE MAN'S BIRDHOUSE

I'm mad about modern wild bird care products with real design and saw these in one of my favourite sites www.myurbangardendecoguide.com

'Birdhouse

A pet is ideal against the single man‘s loneliness. But a hard working single man can‘t take the responsibility. Our birdhouse is glued on the outside a window, so the single man can watch his birds grow up from the inside!'

 

CUBE

CUBE designed by Jan Melis for Sywawa

A stool, table or parasol base - the garden furntiture with a retro 60's feel. Available in white, lime and taupe with orange, red or black cushions.

http://www.sywawa.be/CUBE.10.0.html

PRINTED POTS

Amazing  Amazing  Amazing....

These printed pots are made of fibreglass and can be produced with stock prints or custom prints - change with the season, change with your mood!

They have a built in planting pot and a stainless steel cap.

http://www.obbligato.co.za/printed.htm

GAY FEATHER

Gay Feather - Liatris spicata Kobald

My Liatris is just about starting to flower. It has superb long lasting spikes of magenta flowers that will carry through to the end of September. Birds and butterflies love them. They give a great vertical accent to container planting or grow them between blue grasses such as Festuca glauca. You can buy them as ready grown plants or as I did by them as dry corms in the spring.

www.crocus.com