yardz

LIVING CHRISTMAS BAUBLES

 

Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii Profusion   'Beauty Berry'

This is one of those shrubs that you either love or hate - there is no middle ground!

The purple berries glow in the winter sun and look most spectacular once all the leaves have fallen. Will grow in a reasonable sized container but may need a little pruning in the spring to keep it in shape.

'The beauty of this shrub is seen in Autumn. The leaves turn rose,violet or red and when they fall off the polished berries are revealed on bare stems.The clusters of berries in lilac ,violet or bright purple will persist well into December. Planted in groups these shrubs make a stunning display. Branches may also be cut for winter flower arranging. Plant in sun or light shade, in a protected spot.'

www.crocus.co.uk  £7.82

http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/callicarpa-bodinieri-var.-giraldii-profusion/classid.582/

HOT HOT CHRISTMAS PRESENT

 

This is a great gift for foodies and yardners, a complete chilli grow kit in an easily wrapped and postable container.

From http://www.pressies4princesses.co.uk at only £3.99 plus £2.99 P&P

Chillies Seed Pod

Self-contained growing kit for chilli plant

Contains, growing medium, seeds, drainage medium and instructions

Grow in the pod

Just add a capful of water to get growing!

Can be reused - just add new compost and seed

Ideal for the kitchen windowsill

Ultra trendy - looks great in stylish kitchens

Ideal gift for food lovers

http://www.pressies4princesses.co.uk/food-gifts/chillies-seed-pod.shtml

NEVER MIND THE HOLLY AND THE IVY

     

One of the best flowering evergreens for yard containers is Mahonia bealii. It has an architectural structure with whorls of large spiky,shiny green leaves.

The main beauty of this Mahonia are the bright double yellow flowers. Mahonia flowers throughout the winter months and then dusty blue berries continue the interest into spring.

WINTER BEAUTY

 

Clematis urophylla Winter Beauty

We generally think of clematis as those great colourful summer flowers but there are quite a few very interesting winter flowering clematis, of which Winter Beauty is one of the best for container growing.

'Attractive foliage and masses of creamy-white bell-shaped flowers mark out this evergreen winter flowering climber as something special. Excellent for training against walls or trellis. This variety requires some shelter as not fully hardy. Container growing is recommended. Height: 5m (16ft). perennial.'

www.rhsplants.co.uk   £22.99

http://www.rhsplants.co.uk/plants/_/climbers/clematis/clematis-urophylla-winter-beauty/classid.2000012216/

URBAN ORCHARDS

 

More and more people are growing vegatables in the smallest of spaces with great success. Short term crops provide salads especially throughout the greater part of the year but to date few people have moved on to perennial crops including 'top fruit'.

Apples, pears, plums and cherries can now all be grown in containers as 'mini fruit' trees. These grow on 'special' roots that not only prevent the tree growing very big but also spurs it to produce large crops. They are provided by the nursery as 5' trees that soon grow to heavy cropping 7'-8' plants. Plant in a soil based compost such as John Innes No.3 in a 24"-30" diameter container. They must be watered well throughout the growing season so its worth setting up an automatic watering system such as Hozelock's Aquapod.( www.hozelock.com )

www.gardenbargains.com have an offer of their Mini Orchard Collection - 1x Apple Braeburn, 1x Pear Conference & 1x Plum Victoria for only £29.99 +SH&I

 

LAST CALL FOR TULIPS

 

Parrot Tulip Green Wave

Highly unusual tulip with large ruffled flowers, pure green in the early stages, turning to a vibrant pink at the outer edges when fully open.

Last call for buying tulip bulbs. There are still a few left around on garden centre shelves which are by now usually marked down to clear.

It is now rather too late to plant daffodils and many other spring bulbs but tulips if in good condition can be planted as late as January.

Try looking for Parrot Tulips which flower in the middle of spring and are just an amazing splash of colour and form, Plant in low containers or bowls so you can look down right into the mouth of the tulip and enjoy the colours to the full.

   

SUMMER FLOWERS YIELDS WINTER SOUPS

 

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE

Jerusalem artichokes make a great decorative screen or just an architectural feature in the smaller garden. Planted in spring, the tubers that look like knobbly potatoes soon grow into tall stems of fresh green foliage. In late summer and autumn these stems produce bright yellow daisy like flowers, a welcome bonus at that time of year. Mine this reached almost eight feet high and survived the winds of North Devon.

The bonus of all this growth is what has been going on underground! The plants produce large quantities of new tubers in the same way that potatoes do. Dig them up at the end of autumn and dry the tubers out and store in a cool dark place.

'Jerusalem artichokes are very rich in inulin, a carbohydrate linked with good intestinal health due to its prebiotic (bacteria promoting) properties. These health benefits come at a price; the food can have a potent wind-producing effect.

Jerusalem artichokes also contain vitamin C, phosphorus and potassium and are a very good source of iron.

Cook as you would potatoes - roast, sauté, bake, boil or steam. If peeling or cutting, drop pieces into water with a squeeze of lemon juice to prevent discolouration. Unlike potatoes, Jerusalem artichoke can also be used raw (e.g. in salads) or lightly stir-fried.'

One of the best ways to use artichokes is combining them in soups with other things.

Carrot And Artichoke Soup

Serves 6 - 8 people

• 700 g (1&1/2 lb) Jerusalem artichokes
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 450 g (1 lb) carrots
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 75 g (3 oz) butter
• 1.5 L (3 pints) light stock
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Peel and slice artichokes then put them into a bowl of cold water to prevent them from discolouring. Peel and slice the carrots. Melt the butter in a cooking pot and soften the onion and celery for 5 minutes, then stir in the carrots and artichokes. Add some salt and put the lid on and let the vegetables sweat for 10 minutes on a low heat. Then pour in the stock, stir well, put the lid back on and simmer for a further 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Then liquidise the soup. Taste to check the seasoning, re-heat and serve.

Recipe from www.abelandcole.co.uk

A NEW LOOK AT SEDUMS

 

This image of a roof top garden in central London reminded me of how useful sedums can be in these type of exposed situations.

Sedums are hardy and evergreen and come in endless variations of foliage and flower colour. They are reasonably priced and spread quickly so are great for filling containers.

 Sedum are succulent-leaved plants with large flat flowerheads. Their leaves often have a bluey-grey tint to them, and are attractively fleshy, the flowerheads are shaped like umbrellas. Each flower has a papery case around it, giving an interesting texture to the flowerhead.

    

www.crocus.co.uk

 

SELF-WATERING WITH STYLE

 

Self watering pots for windowsills or on the patio tend to be rather functional in design. These from www.madeindesign.co.uk are far more stylish and interesting.

'In nature, plants draw up the water they need through their roots when they need it. The same principle is behind this functional and self-watering flowerpot which consists of two parts. On top a ceramic flowerpot, and beneath it a glass container, which functions as a water reservoir. Water is drawn up through nylon threads which hang down from the bottom of the pot, like extensions of the plant's roots. The Eva Solo flowerpot has been made to extend and improve the life of your house plants and indoor herbs. Just glance at the water level in the vase, and you will know immediately if the plant is thirsty... The vase reservoir can hold enough water for the plant to only need watering once a week, and possibly less frequently, depending on the circumstances.'

Available in white or anthracite and in two sizes.

GREAT GRASS ALTERNATIVE

     

Lomandra longifolia Breeze is a stylish container plant that makes a good alternative to using grasses. It has superb yellow flowers that are held amongst the green spiky foliage.

It is semi-compact in growth, growing to a height and spread of 750mm. Lomandra grows well in full sun and semi-shade and its tolerance of wind makes it a great roof garden and balcony plant.