yardz

NEW VISION OF WATERFEATURES FOR 2010

These stunning new waterfeatures were shown to the trade for the first time at GLEE, the garden & leisure show at the NEC in Birmingham.

These amazing 'living sculptures' are equally at home indoors in a conservatory style enviroment but would be great outside on the patio. The have a high gloss resin finish with LED lights. Various sizes will be  available from small desk top to the impressive 90cm high Madrid. They will be available in five vibrant colourways: Moondust Silver, Midnight Black, Grenadine Red, Sunrise Orange and Citrus Twist Green.

They should be available in the new year though the smaller sizes will be on offer for Christmas. 

 

 

POWERWASH SATURDAY

The 'Indian summer' continues in sunny Devon leaving the ground too dry and hard to do any planting for the autumn. So this weekend out came the power washer. It is surprising how dirty decks can get over a summer but the power washer brings the colour back ready for the wood to be treated to protect it over winter. I shall wash the deck over with Brintons Patio Magic to remove any remaining algae and to clean off any green algae stains that the powerwasher couldn't remove.

HANGING AROUND WITH YOUR MICRO-VEG

Another new GLEE product: The Sprouterpouch from www.hi-gro.co.uk  £2.25

'Grow your own micro-veg in your own kitchen. All you need to do is add water, sprinkle the seeds and leave to grow. Tasty micro-salad in days! Hang on the window using the attachment provided or sit on a windowsill.'

Three options available - white mustard, red cabbage and rocket.

http://www.hi-grow.co.uk/details.php?p=60itle=

 

 

GROW YOUR OWN WITH GLEE

The main trade garden and leisure show, of the year, GLEE, took place at the NEC in Birmingham early this week. Most of the new products on show were again related to 'grow your own'. Many were suitable for our smaller growing spaces.

Erin, www.leisuregrow.com, showed a new range of seed growing kits, called Eco Grow kits. The kits come with fibre pots made from recycled and sustainable resourses, reduced peat or coir compost and quality seeds. They are great for novice gardeners as they all come with everything you need and good information on how to grow. They also are producing a mushroom kit that promises up to two indoor harvests of white cap mushrooms.

CANDY COLOURED PATIO CHAIRS

I have recently found a great American site www.apartmenttherapy.com whose tag line is 'saving the world, one room at a time'.

These chairs are on one of their posts - they look perfect for enjoying a long 'Indian Summer'!

'Check out this set of four playful vintage scoop-type chairs. They're made of durable metal and are slatted to easily resist water - so feel free to put them outside, or give them a creative home indoors.'

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/scavenger/candycolored-patio-hoop-chairs-350-new-york-scavenger-095928

HEATHERS JUST RIGHT FOR AUTUMN COLOUR

Winter flowering heathers are an easy way to add maintenance free colour to your hanging baskets and containers. There are a wide range of flower colours available from White through pink to the deepest red. Foliage also varies from dark blue green to bright gold.
Starting to flower now they should last through to early spring. Plant in an ericaceous, lime free, compost and try underplanting with dwarf bulbs such as grape hyacinths, scilla, or dwarf narcissi for that extra touch of colour after Christmas.
Look out for them now a your local garden centre.

WINTER GRASSES FOR AUTUMN INTEREST

My winter cone basket from last year that had a mixture of evergreen grasses underplanted with muscari (grape hyacinth) has grown well during the summer. With regular watering and feeding the grasses have filled out well and have flowered over the last month or so. I've now returned it to by the front door as an infil until I plant this years winter hanging offering.
Grass hanging baskets are great if you don't have a lot of time for care and watering and seem to put up with the worst the weather can throw at them. When the grasses get too big just plant them in containers or in beds.

AN ALADIN'S CULTI-CAVE

New from the makers of Tidy Tent, www.tidytent.com, is the Culti-Cave, a transparent grow house providing 200cm x 80cm x 167cm of protected growing space. It is ideal for tomato plants, cucumbers, melons or strawberries to spread and grow in two grow bags. Also perfect for growing salad greens over winter. Its modular, so you can zip two or more units together. It can be attached to a wall,fence or shed, or installed free standing with optional pegs and guy ropes.

Ideal for small spaces and it also looks rather funky!

Not available to buy online but should be available at garden centres soon. £59.99

FIREWORKS WITH THE NEW PENNISETUM

Spotted this new grass at the Four Oaks Trade Show last week.

This NEW Multi-colored Purple Fountain Grass, Pennisetum Fireworks, is a rapid grower and prolific bloomer with creamy,pinkish, red-burgundy color throughout both foliage and purple foxtail-like flowers.

It is a superb grass for containers or for making a focal point in beds. Definitely worth looking out for next year.

GROWING YOUR OWN LIVING WALL

Further on in my travels this week I found Ball Colgraves Verti-Garden at the Four Oaks Trade Show in Cheshire.

The Verti-Garden allows you to plant your own 'Living wall' using a very simple system.

'Vertical gardening has never been easier with the VertiGarden modular system.
Each VertiGarden panel takes 16 plants and can be planted with young plants and grown on horizontal until plants are established, or plant with Pack or Pot bedding and hang immediately.
Each 0.2 square metre panel has it's own built-in irrigation which can be connected to a drip field irrigation system, or a slow feed header tank.
Additional panels can be hung one under another and the irrigation simply connected between them.
grow one VertiGarden panel in place of a hanging basket, grow two or more for a unique, imaginative display.'

Verti-Garden should be available in some garden centres and I'm sure will become more popular in the future. It will be great for growing a vertical veg garden in restricted places.