yardz

FORMAL SUCCULENTS

As the rain and winds cover the North Devon autumn landscape outside its refreshing to to see how those in warmer climes garden. I found these succulents on www.faroutflora.wordpress.com  a fun site that's really worth a visit. 
What a great idea though planting in a regular pattern with succulents or any other mound forming evergreen - I think hanging baskets could be spectacular planted with succulents in this way. 

EVERGREEN LADY BIRD

Viburnum tinus has been a popular evergreen shrub in gardens for many years but is rather large for yards. A new variety, Viburnum tinus Lady Bird grows to only 120cm high forming a sphere shape. It has fragrant flowers that last through the winter from September to March combined with wonderful shiny evergreen foliage.

Well worth looking out for.

ECO FRIENDLY POCKET HABITATS

 
Pocket Habitats have been created by Arup Dusty Gedge and Sky-Garden(UK). They are individual modules made of recycled fibres that can stand alone or be grouped together. The Pocket Habitats have been designed to retain water and be a perfect enviroment for plants.

Pocket Habitats are a simple and eco friendly way of greening roof tops and any vacant spaces being easily moved as required.

 

www.pockethabitat.co.uk

COLOURFUL KALE

Kale is becoming very popular as a vegetable with the popularity of them as a cut and come again container veg. But the ornamental ones add spectacular colour to winter baskets and window boxes. Surround them with deep purple pansys or violas and an underplanting of purple dwarf iris for a stunning winter display.

OUTDOOR CYCLAMEN BIGGER AND BETTER

For the last few years we have had the small Cyclamen Miracle to bring stunning bright colours into our containers and hanging baskets for the winter months. They are hardy and will survive wet winters as long as we use a well drained compost.

Plant breeders are now introducing larger cyclamen plants for outdoor use. These are now available at garden centres for standing on the patio or grouping in a larger container. The colours are standard cyclamen colours ranging from red through pinks to dazzling white. The beautifully marked leaves are a real bonus.

Should be around £9.99 for a 20cm pot.
  

AUTUMN DWARF HEDGING!

Dwarf Coreopteris is becoming more popular as a perennial that is perfect for container growing. It can be grown from seed in the spring and should make good flowering plants by late summer. You can always buy them as small plants in the garden centre in late spring early summer. I've used them in black troughs as an edging to my deck - they look like a flowering dwarf hedge.

A PRINCESS OF CLEMATIS FLOWERS

Late summer flowers on climbers are a bonus especially on clematis. The small, luminous pink, tulip shaped flowers of Clemetis Princess Diana are stunning in the late summer and autumn sun. They prefer a sunny position but planted in water retentive soil or compost. Prune back to 7-8" in spring as they flower on the same years growth.

www.crocus.co.uk   £12.99 

FUNKY GREEN POCKETS

These green pockets by Maruja Fuentes are tiles made from recycled materials. They are tiles that work as planters to create an interesting green display or to conceal an uninteresting wall. The organic interlocking scale-like tiles come in a flat version to complete the design. Perfect for inside or out. Would be ideal for herbs outside the kitchen door or even leaf greens picked as micro-shhots. 
  

PETUNIA BLACK VELVET A WINNER FOR 2011

BallColgrave, one of the UK's main suppliers of bedding plant seed and plants the nursery industry introduced this new petunia at the Four Oaks Trade Show last week.

Petunia Black Velvet is the nearest to a true black that you are liable to find in petunias and will be great contrasted against lighter coloured bedding. Look out for it in your local garden centre next spring.
 

PINCHING YOUR PETUNIAS

The bad weather in August really ruined my Petunia sophistica Lime Bicolour in the hanging cones. They don't like rain very much as it damages the flowers and also causes weak growth that breaks. I bit the bullet and cut them right back. Now less than a month later they back flowering and looking good.