Agapanthus are great container plants that will grow and flower for many years in the same pot. They have wonderful strap like deep green shiny leaves that last from early spring to the first frosts. Above these leaves the flowers are bourne on tall stems, normally in shades of blue but look out for the more stylish white varieties. The flowers start in late spring on into early summer so fill a gap between spring bedding and summer bedding.
Blog posted here.
There are now many vertical planting systems on the market but not all are suited to the smaller garden. The Polanter Vertical Garden System on the other hand looks perfect for yards.
The system,available from www.bau-outdoors.co.uk, is based on simple vertical tubes with planting holes distributed along the length. The tubes can be joined together to create longer planting tubes. It comes in eight great colours - light green, pink, lavander,blue,terracotta, green, black and white.
Available from £21.99
http://www.bau-outdoors.co.uk/Outdoor/vertical-planters
This kit from www.seedpantry.co.uk was introduced to yardz via one of our favourite sites, www.mytinyplot.co.uk.
This Window Salad kit is an easy way to grow a variety of salad plants on your windowsill including lettuce, onions, raddish aned herbs. It comes with full instructions in a stylish box that would make a great present, all for only £14.99.
The Window Salad Kit is just one of many growing kits that www.seedpantry.co.uk supply. There are kits for all seasons and interests as well as a Little Potter kids for the youngest gardener.
The amazing roof top garden at Great Ormond Street Hospital designed by Andy Sturgeon is just one of the gardens open to the public as part of The Great London Garden Trail. The Society of Garden Designers, the RHS and the publishers DK have teamed up again to organise the opening of a range of private gardens on Bank Holiday Monday, 3rd May.
The gardens range from small courtyard gardens to large family gardens and are spread across London. All the gardens are open from 12.00 - 5.00pm and entrance is free.
Check out the website for further details and a downloadable map-pack.
http://www.dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk/static/html/features/gardentrail2010/gardentrail.html
www.dwell.co.uk are known for their stylish yet affordable furniture sold online and from their exciting high street showrooms. They are now moving outside the patio door with this Glow Tub Chair and coffee table.
'A stunningly simple tub chair that can be used indoors or outdoors to add ambience to warm summer evenings, containing an LED light source, it slowly changes colour through 7 differing hues and is controlled by a small pocket sized remote control. The chair is rechargeable directly from the main and has a battery life of 5 hours.'
Glow Tub Chair £249.00 Glow Tub Coffee Table £149.00
It was interesting to see this weekend Leucojum flowering amongst clipped box balls in the shaded avenues of Canary wharf in London. As they were quite tall and enjoying the shade I expect they were Leucojum aestivum Gravetye which is tallen than the more commomly grown Leucojum vernum.
Leucojums are grown from autumn planted bulbs but in suitable situations will increase and flower year on year.
A great new introduction for growing in containers, Hebe Goldrush, grows to only 60cm in 4 years. It is a compact evergreen shrub with super spear shaped variegated leaves. An extra bonus are the pink flower clusters in spring and early summer.
Should be available in garden centres now or online.
www.shrubsdirect.com £8.50
I'm not mad on overtly natural materials in small urban gardens but these Willow Spheres from one of yardzs favourite sites www.gardenbeet.com look really good.
"Each sphere is traditionally coated in boiled linseed oil, the metal is left untreated to allow the surface of the metal to colour and blend in with the garden'.
50cm sphere £90.00
Paradise on a deck!
Garden floor cushions in a stunning array of fabrics from www.jab-uk.co.uk.
Dream on!
Just what you want to get your BBQ party going on a warm spring evening.
These cups come in a range of twenty four different nose images. The cup is raised to your mouth - your nose is transformed with a new nose. Choose your own nose with no need of surgery! Mixture of male and female noses as well as a selection of animals for the more adventurous.
www.lazyboneuk.com £4.99 for 24 12oz cups
