This shows the planting at Canary Wharf in the beds surrounding the large circular pool. All the formal beds and planters are filled with just one colour of Cyclamen Miracle. The deep red looks stunning against the severe hard landscaping and yet so simple.
It is a lesson that we can learn to use when using plants in our own much smaller spaces. Less is more and keeping to just one plant variety and just one colour can work better than a mixture.
Now is the time to decide to grow your own potatoes in containers. Llets be clear you are never going to be self sufficient in potatoes by growing them in containers in your yard. You will though have the enjoyment of seeing them grow and tasting the freshest tastiest spuds you could imagine and above all its great FUN!
There are a wide variety of specific containers for potato growing on the market from cheap and cheerful woven plastic bags to proper potato barrels - any will do but some are more stylish than others. If none suit you, choose a large container that fits with your yard style but make sure it is large and has good drainage.
It is easy to be put off by not knowing what variety to plant - garden centres can have upward of 50 different varieties and they can be confusing separated into earlies, mids and lates - what does that mean? It refers to the time of planting and harvesting. With container growing you should look for early potato varieties that grow and mature in a short space of time.
Three varieties I would recommend are:
Annabelle - A compact potato that produces long oval tubers that are yellow skinned with pale yellow flesh.
Charlotte - This is a great salad potato with pear shaped yellow skinned tubers with creamy yellow flesh. It has pale purple flowers. Great hot or cold.
Swift - Fast maturing with a short bushy growth. Holds a heavy crop of round smooth white fleshed tubers.
I'm not going to go into how you plant and care for them there are plenty of sites that give great information and instructions but just give it a go.
The new year, bringing, as we are daily informed, all the financial woes of the credit crunch we will find that our own personal space especially our outdoor personal space will become more valuable.
Holidays, leisure activities, retail therapy, etc. will all be more expensive as will the risk of the cost of food rising again due to the increased cost of fertilizers. How we use our own space will be paramount in living through these changes. Using the availabilty of your yard to relax, entertain and cultivate food crops will help stretch dwindling financial resourses.
Yardz over the coming year will hope to continue to post on interesting and useful items that will enhance your yardz lifestyle. The change in style and layout, I hope will bring a fresh and uncluttered look for 2009.
Yardz will be taking a break from posting until the New Year.
Thank you for your support in viewing posts over the last year. I intend to come back in the New Year with a new look and format but still with a passion on finding interesting things for the yard lifestyle.
Merry Chrismas to all my readers.
Found these amazing planters in www.designandlandscape.co.uk At £350.00 including VAT and delivery they are excellent value.
'These beautiful, hand crafted rainbow sandstone planters have been carefully chosen for their strength and beautiful markings and purple and green hues. Slant comes in three different sizes allowing you create wonderful combinations. It looks great planted but is equally beautiful on its own as a sculptural piece for your garden. With each piece totally unique, Slant is a superb choice for that unique style in your garden.'
http://www.designandlandscape.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/products_id/936
Garden centres are jumping on the 'Mama Mia' film bandwagon with the arrival in centres in time for Christmas of the Rose Mama Mia.
The rose has large double orange-red flowers that are fragrant and repeat flowering.
About £7.99 for a 3ltr potted plant.
The Eva Solo porcelain bird bath
I'm mad about well designed wild bird products. So many of the products we see around are badly designed and difficult to clean. Our birds and our yards demand better. This bird bath designed by Eva Sol is simple and classic - and worth every penny.
''This contemporary Eva Solo bird bath is shaped like a drop of falling water. Made from white-glazed porcelain with a stainless steel pole it can be placed directly into the ground or in a deep planter.'
www.bethstevens.co.uk £82.95
http://www.bethstevens.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of_Eva_Solo_Bird_Bath.html
Picea pungens Hoopsii Colorado Spruce
The Colorado Spruce makes a great conifer for containers. It likes full sun and protected from cold winds so is ideal for an enclosed sheltered yard.
It is a small to medium sized conifer that grows slowly to create a conical shape. Plant in an ample container using ericaceous compost as it prefers an acid soil.
The blue is stunning at any time of the year but especially in the cold sunny days of winter.
Treat yourself to one this winter, www.wyevale.co.ukhave plants in 3ltr pots starting at £6.25.
http://www.wyevale.co.uk/Picea-pungens-Hoopsii/0850024581,default,pd.html
Found these on the www.glowcompany.co.uk site. They are meant to be worn whilst clubbing but how useful they would be for a bit of midnight weeding!
'Using the latest glow in the dark (photoluminescent) technology these glow in the dark gloves by NovaGlow are both practical & fun. With the ability to recharge again & again the glow gloves just keep on glowing'
£7.95
Bullrushes from www.outer-eden.co.uk
Another alternative to christmas lights for the festive yard.
'It brings both colour and movement, as the steel 'stalks' are slightly springy, and the rushes will bob and sway naturally in the wind. The fluorescent yellow bullrush 'heads' catch the light in such a way that they appear to be lit from the inside.'
£275.00
http://www.outer-eden.co.uk/product_details.asp?c=109&d=3&p={ED2B8D11-7E4B-435F-B3DE-3DD5F3C26162}
