For real dazzling spring colour in containers nothing beats Senetti -bright daisy like flowers in amazing colours. It flowers early in the year and can be planted out from about march. Its not frost hardy but with tolerate mild frost so covering with garden fleece with keep it chipper on cold nights. Senetti has been bred from the houseplant Cineraria and is becoming more popular being available in DIY stores and supermarkets as well as garden centres.
Greencup Coffee Compost is produced by www.greencup.co.ukand is made from a blend of coffee grounds, sand and as 'a bit of magic' as Greencup call it. As suppliers of coffee to the catering trade, Greencup thought there must be an answer to the resulting coffee grounds, and have now produced an interesting potting compost.
The coffee grounds compost has good moisture retention and regulates nutrient availability for controlled growth. Its meant to be great for tomatoes, cucumbers, geraniums, fuchsias and houseplants. The other side benefit is that slugs dislike coffee grounds so the compost can also be used around hostas and other tender plants to deter them.
http://greencup.co.uk/buy/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=9
Is it mad to plant potatoes in hanging baskets? I'm not sure. A deep hanging cone should give enough depth of compost and as long as its kept well watered, growth should be no problem. The leaves and flowers of the potato are quite decorative so you should end up with a decorative and interesting feature, and a plate full of the tastiest potatoes.
Well, mine went in on saturday. I've planted one Accent tuber in a deep cone in Westland Organic Vegetable Compost so I'll report back as things progress.
These classy El Cazaar pots are from www.thethirdnature.co.uk . The pots were designed for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show last year. The pots are available in three sizes and available from stock in three standard colours - black, grey and white or by special order in a wide range of colours. Prices for the large pot start at £130.00.
www.thethirdnature.co.uk have an amazing range of contemporary garden products - well worth a visit.
The reLEAF from www.sabz.fr is a stylish and simple way to use available rainwater to water your container plants. The aluminium leaf shapes are cleverly designed to direct rainwater as well as providing an interesting sculptural feature.
Available in three colours - blue, brown and orange.
The Chinese Redbud, Cercis chinensis Avondale, is a great tree for small spaces. Its pink pea like flowers are in blossom, covering bare stems. The Chinese Redbud makes a small multi-stemmed tree or shrub that carries heart shaped leaves that are bronze/burgundy when young, green in summer and turning yellow in the autumn.
If grown in a large container it needs a well drained loam based compost and positioned in a sheltered sunny spot.
Finding things for children to do in the garden is OK if you have space but for those with small yards or balconies it can be difficult.
The Designer Growing Kits from www.hi-grow.co.uk could solve this problem. These designer planters are available in three designs - George Giraffe, Pebbles and Grass with ladybird, and cost £19.99 each.
'The STICKLEBAG DESIGNER GROWING KIT comprises an illustrated growing bag, an inner lining bag, a set of 3 1.4metre collapsable bamboo canes, a triple cane topper/connector and a compressed fertilized compost disc which re-hydrates to 30 litres of peat free growing medium.'
The 'Egg' from www.chicubes.co.uk is a fun and interesting chicken house design that chickens can really live in. Each 'Egg' is hand made to order and is available in a choice of 100 colours. The 'Eggs' strength comes from its fibre glass construction and its resin finish makes it easy to clean. The small 'Egg' is suitable for a yard being able to house up to three hens.
£449.00 Small £800.00 Large
www.earthmaker.co.uk has developed a new compost bin that takes all the trouble and hardwork out of composting. It works aerobically, so its an eco friendly way of managing domestic organic waste.
The Earthmaker is easy to use as gravity does the hard work of moving your composter contents. Your waste goes in the top, is mixed and then moves onto a digesting stage and finally to the maturing level.
£147.46 delivered to mainland UK
These unique planters from www.squarerootgardenplanters.com use a system of suspended pots in a frame. This allows for easy changing of season planting, water can drain freely and the overall weight of the planter is reduced.
http://www.squarerootgardenplanters.com/squarerootgarden.html
