One colour hanging basket, pink Petunias with some trailing ivy.
Welcome to Gardenandgreen.co.uk a website that began in 2007, that has information and content covering gardening, nature and greener living.
Original published date > 19th June 2009
Dr Ivor Davis, Master Beekeeper and trustee of the British Beekeepers Association suggests ten things which everyone can do to help preserve our honey bees.
Honey bees across the world are under threat because of virulent viruses transferred by the varroa mite. Nearly all colonies in the wild have died out and without beekeepers to care for them honey bees could disappear in a few years.
1. Ask your MP and MEP to lobby for more funds for bee health research
Beekeepers are worried that not enough is known to combat the diseases that affect honey bees. Bee pollination contributes £165 million to the agricultural economy. The BBKA has costed a five-year £8 million programme to secure the information to save our bees. During this period, honey bee pollination will contribute more than £800 million to the government coffers – yet the government only spends £200,000 annually on honey bee research. Even a former DEFRA Minister, who’s Department holds the purse strings to finance this, has said without this extra research we could lose our honey bees within 10 years. Write to your MP or MEP to support The Bee Health Research Funding Campaign. Campaign details are on www.bbka.org.uk/
2. Plant bee friendly plants
Where there are few agricultural crops, honey bees rely upon garden flowers for a diverse diet of nectar and pollen. Encourage honey bees to visit your garden by planting single flowering plants and vegetables. Go for the allium family, all the mints, beans and flowering herbs. Bees like daisy shaped flowers - asters and sunflowers, also tall plants- hollyhocks, larkspur and foxgloves. www.britishbee.org.uk has leaflets on bee-friendly trees and shrubs.
3. Join the beekeepers
Beekeeping is an enjoyable, fascinating and interesting hobby – and you get to eat your own honey too. Local beekeeping associations run courses every year to help new people to take up beekeeping, find the equipment they need and a colony of bees. Programmes allow enthusiasts to become Master Beekeepers. For information visit the British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA) web site www.bbka.org.uk/
4. Find space for beehives
Many would- be beekeepers, especially in urban areas, find it difficult to find a safe space for their colony of bees. If you have some space in your garden, or know some who has, contact your local beekeeping association and they could find a beekeeper in need of a site. It is amazing what a difference a beehive will make in a garden. Crops of peas and beans will be better, fruit trees will crop well with un-deformed fruit and your garden will be buzzing!
5. Buy local honey if you can
Buying local honey helps local beekeepers to cover costs of protecting bees. Local honey is processed naturally and complies with all food standards requirements without damage to the honey. It tastes different to foreign supermarket honey and has a flavour that reflects local flora.
6. Do not keep unwashed honey jars outside the back door
Believe it or not but honey brought from overseas can contain bacteria and spores that are very harmful to honey bees. If you leave a jar outside, it encourages honey bees to feed on the remaining honey. There is a good possibility that this will infect the bee who will infect the rest of the colony resulting in death of the colony. Always wash out honey jars and dispose of them carefully.
7. Bee friendly
When kept properly, bees are good neighbours, and only sting when provoked. Beekeepers wear protective clothing when they are handling bees. If a bee hovers inquiringly in front of you when unprotected, do NOT flap your hands. Stay calm and move slowly away, best into the shade of a shed or a tree. The bee will soon lose interest. It is worth remembering that bees do not like the smell of alcohol on people, or the ‘animal’ smell of leather clothing, even watchstraps. Bees regard dark clothing as a threat – it could be a bear! Bees are sometimes confused by scented soaps, shampoos and perfumes, best avoided near the hive.
8. Protect swarms
Swarming is the natural process by which colonies of honey bees increase their numbers. If you see a swarm contact the local authority or the police - they will contact a local beekeeper to collect the swarm. Honey bees in a swarm are usually very gentle and present very little danger. They can be made aggressive if disturbed or sprayed with water. Just leave them alone and wait for a competent beekeeper to arrive.
9. Encourage local authorities to use bee friendly plants in public spaces
Some of the UK’s best gardens and open spaces are managed by local authorities. Many recognise the value of planning gardens, roundabouts and other areas with flowers that attract bees. Encourage your authority to improve the area you live in by adventurous planting schemes, and offer to help look after them if resources are in short supply
10. Learn more about this fascinating insect
Beekeeping is fascinating. Honeybees have been on this earth for about 25 million years and are ideally adapted to their natural environment. Without honey bees the environment would be dramatically diminished.. Invite a beekeeper to come and talk to any local group you support and give an illustrated talk about the honey bee and the products of the hive. They might bring honey too. Honey bees are a part of our folklore and are one of only two insect species that are managed to provide us with essential services
Artificial grass alternatives - natural garden ideas that are low maintenance
A short video with some alternatives to artificial plastic lawns, which are not good for the environment, or garden wildlife. A lot of people find grass lawns high maintenance, so with heavy marketing from companies, the idea of getting a plastic lawn instead is something people think now as the main alternative. Take a look at these possibilities, which all require much less maintenance than a grass lawn, but look so much nicer than a fake plastic lawn that will gather dust.
Growing roses advice from David Austin Roses
Roses are seen by many as a difficult plant to grow, one that needs specialist treatment. My neighbour was a classic example. he was sure he wouldn’t be able to grow roses because of the difficulty of pruning them. I insisted he try a few, gave him a few hints, told him how easy it was and now, of course, he is delighted with them.
The problem may well have started in the 19th century when many of the roses, and especially the Teas and Hybrid Perpetuals, were very weak and disease prone (just about all have disappeared now) and they undoubtedly did need a great deal of encouragement to keep them going. It didn’t improve in the first half of the 20th century when most of the Hybrid Teas were similarly poor. It wasn’t until the introduction of Peace in 1945, that the situation started to improve. Many of the roses (especially the Old, English and modern shrubs) being offered by nurseryman today are much tougher by comparison and are easy to grow.
Variety Choice
The easiest way to grow a rose well is to choose a strong and reliable variety. With so many varieties available it is often just as easy to choose a beautiful rose that is tough and reliable as it is one that is weak and disease prone. So do your research, seek advice locally and from nurserymen.
Choosing a Position
Like most other garden plants, roses hate too much competition at the roots especially in the first 2 or 3 years while they are getting established. The roots of the already established plant will take full advantage of your efforts to improve the soil, leaving little for the rose. An overhanging canopy of leaves will not be appreciated by roses either. So don’t plant them too close to trees and shrubs.
As long as it is a bright position many roses do not require too many hours of direct sun each day - about 4 hours is sufficient for many varieties especially the English Roses, Old Roses and other shrub roses.
Planting
Roses should easily live for 10-15 years so it is well worth putting some extra effort in preparing the soil. Roses love lots of organic matter, so incorporate a generous quantity of well rotted manure, garden compost or sol improver into the soil to a depth of 18”/45cm before planting. The addition of some bone meal will also help. In recent years mycorrhizal fungi have become readily available and are definitely worth sprinkling onto the roots at planting time. They form a very close association with the rose roots and swap water and nutrients for sugars.
Plant the rose with the bud union about 2”(5cm) BELOW ground level. This will help to prevent wind rock and encourage rooting from the base of the stems.
During the Growing Season
While the roses are still young, keep a sharp look out for invading roots of neighbouring plants and, of course, keep them free of weeds. Once they are established you can be a bit more relaxed and, in a mixed border, allow some and interesting and intimate combinations to develop.
One of the easiest and most effective ways of improving the growth and flowering ability of your roses is to make sure there is always plenty of moisture around the roots. So if the soil starts to dry out, especially during the spring or summer give it a good, deep soaking.
An annual mulch of well rotted manure or compost applied each spring will also help keep the soil moist and cool and will also feed the soil. The latter is a vital ingredient in keeping any plant, and particularly roses, happy. It will help them to fight off pests and diseases without the need for so much (if any) input in terms of sprays.
Roses appreciate a fairly rich soil, especially the repeat flowering varieties, therefore apply some fertiliser in late March or early April and again (if repeat flowering) in June. We have our own David Austin rose food which is very effective, it is organically based and releases its nutrients over a number of weeks. There is more and more evidence that seaweed is extremely beneficial to roses and, indeed, most plants so look out for a fertiliser that contains it.
Pruning
Pruning is easy. The 2 main deciding factors are:
1. How tall do you want the rose to grow?
2. Does the variety repeat flower or not?
The aim is to encourage the rose to flower as freely as possible, produce good quality blooms and, very importantly, be an attractive and appropriate size and shape.
Pruning is also an excellent aid in the fight against disease. So the first step is to cut out any stems that are dead, diseased or rubbing against each other and any particularly weak growth. Also look for the oldest stems, cutting them out will encourage stronger young shoots which will stay healthier and produce more flowers. The next step depends on what type of rose you have.
Shrub Roses
The remaining stems need to be cut down by a certain amount according to the roses’ ability to repeat flower and how tall you want them to grow. Remember also that if you prune too hard you will lose a very important part of a shrub rose’s character – the attractive, rather informal growth. It is often a good idea to leave all but the very weakest side shoots.
Roses that do not repeat flower, such as the gallicas, damasks, albas etc. bloom on the previous season’s growth. If you prune too hard you will get few or no flowers, so take about a quarter to a third off.
Repeat flowering shrub roses such as the English Roses and most 20th century shrub roses can flower either on the previous season’s growth or from new stems that come right from the base. So you can prune these a bit harder - down to about half, although, somewhere between one third and two thirds is fine.
Bush Roses
Bush roses - Hybrid Teas and Floribundas - should be pruned harder, down to a third or even less, harder pruning will tend to encourage fewer but finer flowers. Cutting out the weaker stems is more important with these roses than the shrub roses.
Climbers
Climbers flower on side shoots, these should be cut back to 3 or 4 buds. If possible train some of the main stems at an angle to encourage side shoots and hence more flowers. Only when the main shoots are a few years old and reducing in vigour should they be cut out, hopefully to be replaced by young growth.
Ramblers
Ramblers should be left to ramble at will unless you need to constrain them, in which case, prune them as climbers although you may need to be more rigorous in the removal of main stems.
Pruning should be followed by a thorough clean up of all the fallen leaves and cut stems.
Timing
The best time to prune roses is in the period of maximum dormancy which is usually over Christmas and on into January and February. Any later and you are likely to be cutting off significantly sized young shoots. This will be a waste of valuable energy and will encourage soft new shoots that are more likely to be damaged by late frosts.
The position and angle of cut has been a major issue in the past but we certainly do not worry about it when we prune our thousands of roses here at the nursery and I think the results speak for themselves. If you have the time and you want to get it just right the cut should be made just above the bud and at a slight angle away from it.
Pests and Diseases
The incidence of diseases is very much controlled by the genetic resistance of the rose and hence the importance of choosing disease resistant varieties. The better a rose is looked after the healthier it will be so good feeding, watering and pruning are all
helpful. If you have a number of roses in your garden and there are one or two that are particularly unhealthy then consider digging them and replacing with healthier specimens. Spraying is an option although you don’t have to use fungicides, foliar feeds like Maxi Crop and SB Plant Invigorator can also be very effective.
The main pest in this country is aphids and they are easy to deal with. You can of course spray them but I always find it easier to deal with them by squashing with finger and thumb or knocking them off with a strong jet of water. Beneficial insects are also very effective so do whatever you can to encourage them into the garden.
I hope this will encourage you and maybe your doubting neighbours too, to plant some more roses and also to grow them well.
David Austin Roses is one of the world's premier rose growers. At their Shropshire nursery they have created nearly 200 new types of English rose and they have won 14 RHS gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show. (Pictured: Founder, David CH Austin and his son David JC Austin.
To order roses online or to find out more about visiting their rose gardens and nursery visit;
www.davidaustinroses.com
Variety Choice
The easiest way to grow a rose well is to choose a strong and reliable variety. With so many varieties available it is often just as easy to choose a beautiful rose that is tough and reliable as it is one that is weak and disease prone. So do your research, seek advice locally and from nurserymen.
Choosing a Position
Like most other garden plants, roses hate too much competition at the roots especially in the first 2 or 3 years while they are getting established. The roots of the already established plant will take full advantage of your efforts to improve the soil, leaving little for the rose. An overhanging canopy of leaves will not be appreciated by roses either. So don’t plant them too close to trees and shrubs.
As long as it is a bright position many roses do not require too many hours of direct sun each day - about 4 hours is sufficient for many varieties especially the English Roses, Old Roses and other shrub roses.
Planting
Roses should easily live for 10-15 years so it is well worth putting some extra effort in preparing the soil. Roses love lots of organic matter, so incorporate a generous quantity of well rotted manure, garden compost or sol improver into the soil to a depth of 18”/45cm before planting. The addition of some bone meal will also help. In recent years mycorrhizal fungi have become readily available and are definitely worth sprinkling onto the roots at planting time. They form a very close association with the rose roots and swap water and nutrients for sugars.
Plant the rose with the bud union about 2”(5cm) BELOW ground level. This will help to prevent wind rock and encourage rooting from the base of the stems.
During the Growing Season
While the roses are still young, keep a sharp look out for invading roots of neighbouring plants and, of course, keep them free of weeds. Once they are established you can be a bit more relaxed and, in a mixed border, allow some and interesting and intimate combinations to develop.
One of the easiest and most effective ways of improving the growth and flowering ability of your roses is to make sure there is always plenty of moisture around the roots. So if the soil starts to dry out, especially during the spring or summer give it a good, deep soaking.
An annual mulch of well rotted manure or compost applied each spring will also help keep the soil moist and cool and will also feed the soil. The latter is a vital ingredient in keeping any plant, and particularly roses, happy. It will help them to fight off pests and diseases without the need for so much (if any) input in terms of sprays.
Roses appreciate a fairly rich soil, especially the repeat flowering varieties, therefore apply some fertiliser in late March or early April and again (if repeat flowering) in June. We have our own David Austin rose food which is very effective, it is organically based and releases its nutrients over a number of weeks. There is more and more evidence that seaweed is extremely beneficial to roses and, indeed, most plants so look out for a fertiliser that contains it.
Pruning
Pruning is easy. The 2 main deciding factors are:
1. How tall do you want the rose to grow?
2. Does the variety repeat flower or not?
The aim is to encourage the rose to flower as freely as possible, produce good quality blooms and, very importantly, be an attractive and appropriate size and shape.
Pruning is also an excellent aid in the fight against disease. So the first step is to cut out any stems that are dead, diseased or rubbing against each other and any particularly weak growth. Also look for the oldest stems, cutting them out will encourage stronger young shoots which will stay healthier and produce more flowers. The next step depends on what type of rose you have.
Shrub Roses
The remaining stems need to be cut down by a certain amount according to the roses’ ability to repeat flower and how tall you want them to grow. Remember also that if you prune too hard you will lose a very important part of a shrub rose’s character – the attractive, rather informal growth. It is often a good idea to leave all but the very weakest side shoots.
Roses that do not repeat flower, such as the gallicas, damasks, albas etc. bloom on the previous season’s growth. If you prune too hard you will get few or no flowers, so take about a quarter to a third off.
Repeat flowering shrub roses such as the English Roses and most 20th century shrub roses can flower either on the previous season’s growth or from new stems that come right from the base. So you can prune these a bit harder - down to about half, although, somewhere between one third and two thirds is fine.
Bush Roses
Bush roses - Hybrid Teas and Floribundas - should be pruned harder, down to a third or even less, harder pruning will tend to encourage fewer but finer flowers. Cutting out the weaker stems is more important with these roses than the shrub roses.
Climbers
Climbers flower on side shoots, these should be cut back to 3 or 4 buds. If possible train some of the main stems at an angle to encourage side shoots and hence more flowers. Only when the main shoots are a few years old and reducing in vigour should they be cut out, hopefully to be replaced by young growth.
Ramblers
Ramblers should be left to ramble at will unless you need to constrain them, in which case, prune them as climbers although you may need to be more rigorous in the removal of main stems.
Pruning should be followed by a thorough clean up of all the fallen leaves and cut stems.
Timing
The best time to prune roses is in the period of maximum dormancy which is usually over Christmas and on into January and February. Any later and you are likely to be cutting off significantly sized young shoots. This will be a waste of valuable energy and will encourage soft new shoots that are more likely to be damaged by late frosts.
The position and angle of cut has been a major issue in the past but we certainly do not worry about it when we prune our thousands of roses here at the nursery and I think the results speak for themselves. If you have the time and you want to get it just right the cut should be made just above the bud and at a slight angle away from it.
Pests and Diseases
The incidence of diseases is very much controlled by the genetic resistance of the rose and hence the importance of choosing disease resistant varieties. The better a rose is looked after the healthier it will be so good feeding, watering and pruning are all
helpful. If you have a number of roses in your garden and there are one or two that are particularly unhealthy then consider digging them and replacing with healthier specimens. Spraying is an option although you don’t have to use fungicides, foliar feeds like Maxi Crop and SB Plant Invigorator can also be very effective.
The main pest in this country is aphids and they are easy to deal with. You can of course spray them but I always find it easier to deal with them by squashing with finger and thumb or knocking them off with a strong jet of water. Beneficial insects are also very effective so do whatever you can to encourage them into the garden.
I hope this will encourage you and maybe your doubting neighbours too, to plant some more roses and also to grow them well.
David Austin Roses is one of the world's premier rose growers. At their Shropshire nursery they have created nearly 200 new types of English rose and they have won 14 RHS gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show. (Pictured: Founder, David CH Austin and his son David JC Austin.
To order roses online or to find out more about visiting their rose gardens and nursery visit;
www.davidaustinroses.com
Composting Tips
Composting garden waste is a great way of producing free, nutrient rich compost soil that can be used on vegetable gardens and flower borders. It reduces the need for trucks to come and take away waste. Here is some composting tips for beginners, plus some composter options below.
1. You can add kitchen waste as well garden prunings. Avoid adding non plant matter, such as meat, and fish scraps, as this can attract rats.
2. If you have a shredder use it to turn twigs etc in small pieces, avoid putting large pieces of woody stems in composters as they will take forever to decompose.
3. Composting works best when conditions remain constant, a good place in the garden for your composter, is in light shade.
4. Moisture also helps, so do not let the contents get dry, but at the same time, do not waterlog the composter. Ideally it should be damp to the touch.
5. Site your compost bin directly onto a soil or lawn surface, as this allows insects, worms and microbes to access the bin, and can help breakdown the rotting matter. It also helps with drainage.
6. From your home you can add tea leaves and bags, coffee grounds, egg shells, finished cut flowers, vegetable peelings, old houseplants, natural corks from bottles, plain paper bags, and your shredded Christmas tree. DO NOT add dog poo, cat litter tray contents, vegetable oils, bread, dairy products, bones, or cat / dog food.
7. The contents of your bin should be a mix of green and brown waste. About 30 to 50% should be green, such as weeds, dead annual flowers, grass cuttings etc, with the rest being brown waste, such as plain brown cardboard, straw, wood chippings, saw dust etc. This mix will maximise the composting process.
8. Avoid one material dominating the mix in the composter, and ensure the contents is turned occasionally, as aeration is required.
Compost bins available at www.gardenis.co.uk
How to make a Small Garden Wildlife Pond Quickly and Easily
The number of ponds has halved in Britain over the last century, but thankfully
there is a renewed interest in restoring and creating new ponds in gardens.
They are one of the best things you can do to make your garden wildlife
friendly, as they can attract amphibians such as frogs, toads, and newts,
aquatic insects, dragonflies and damselflies, as well as provide a drinking
source for birds. Preformed ponds are are a quick and easy way to make
a pond in your garden. Here are a few tips to make a great wildlife pond,
even in the smallest of gardens.
Buy a Preformed Pond
Preformed ponds are ready made plastic ponds, that just need to be
added to a prepared hole in the garden. They are a lot simpler to install
than pond underlay and liner. Flexible pond liner is great for larger ponds,
but for a small wildlife pond, the preformed ponds are perfect.
Gardenis.co.uk sell 3 sizes of preformed pond;
Small - 85 litres is about the size of a large Belfast sink
Medium - 200 litres is about the size of a small bath
Large - 420 litres, the surface area of an average fireside rug.
(Delivery is usually 1 to 2 days excluding weekends)
Available here. https://gardenis.co.uk/products/preformed-pond-3-sizes
Once you have bought a preformed pond you need to measure and create
a hole big enough to fit the pond.
Location
A good location for a wildlife pond is partial shade, with some sunlight and
shade during the day. Near a fence or shed can help protect it from extremes
of cold in winter, and heat in summer. Avoid positioning directly underneath
an overhanging tree, as the pond could become full of fallen leaves.
Water
Once the pond has been put in position, it is ready to be filled with water.
Ideally this should be rainwater, either from a water butt, or through rainfall.
If you are eager to get it full of water, and are installing during the summer,
when rainfall is less, and you might not have any in a water butt, it can be
filled with tap water. Leave for a few days so the water settles, chlorine
evaporates etc, before adding plants.
Plants
Planting some plants, such as marsh marigold or lady’s mantle, around the
pond edges will give some cover for frogs, toads or newts to hide amongst.
The ponds surface should be 50% free of pond plants such as water lillies,
so there is some light for submerged plants. Water lilies are grown in pots
that are placed on the ponds base, and the leaves and flowers float.
Submerged plants grow totally underwater. These are great for creating
oxygen in the pond.
Native British pond plants are best for a wildlife pond. Examples;
FLOATING - Water lily, common water-crowfoot, frogbit.
POND EDGES - Marsh marigold, globeflower, pillwort, brooklime,
watermint, lesser spearwort, water forgot-me-not.
SUBMERGED - Water violet, rigid hornwort.
It is possible to add a bog garden / mini wetland next to your pond,
this is achieved by adding soil onto pond lining or old plastic compost bags
etc. This will prevent the water draining away, making the soil boggy,
and ideal for pond edging plants.
Once complete it should start attracting some aquatic life, even in just
a couple of weeks, and added together with new ponds appearing in gardens
all over the country, will be playing a small part in restoring our wetlands.
Not only is it great for garden wildlife, they also look great as well!
Remember, if you have small children, ensure the pond is behind a
picket fence, to ensure they do not get close to the pond unattended.
Image credit - Jay Castor, Unsplash
Environment - Green Roofing
Angela Lambert of QLawns, & Enviromat on the benefits 'green roofing' can bring to your garden and to the environment.
Green Roofing using sedum matting products such as
Enviromat from Q Lawns is a relatively new concept for the landscaping
industry in the UK. Other European countries have been using sedum
matting and enjoying the benefits for some years now however, Britain is
catching up! Green roofs appear most years at Hampton Court and Chelsea
and celebrity gardeners frequently make reference to roof planting.
Sedum matting can be used for vast number of different
gardening structures and projects. A green roof on top of a garden
structure or a surrounding of sedum matting to disguise a pond liner is
the perfect, low maintenance way to bring vibrancy and wildlife into
your garden. Enviromat sedum matting consists of low growing, drought
tolerant sedum plants, grown on to geo-textile matting for versatility
and strength. It is delivered to site with approximately 95% plant
coverage and simply needs to be unrolled (like turf) and fixed onto a
prepared surface to create an instant garden.
Enviromat is low maintenance, it doesn’t need mowing or
trimming and only needs feeding once or twice a year with fertiliser,
perfect for clients who require easy to maintain gardens and ideal for
larger sites such as central reservations on dual carriageways where
access is difficult. Enviromat looks fantastic all year consisting as it
does of a random mix of evergreen sedum species that flower from early
Spring to late Autumn and then in the winter it can go a beautiful blush
red colour bringing all year round interest to the area.
“Sedums are ideal plants for the busy person who would
like to transform a piece of land into an attractive landscape feature
with a minimum of effort and very low maintenance requirements."
Professor Ray Stephenson
Used on the roof, Sedum Matting brings with it a range
of advantages including insulation against heat and cold, protection
against UV light – thus doubling the life of the waterproofing,
aesthetics, increased biodiversity and the knowledge that bringing green
plants to an otherwise barren area is helping to improve air quality
and combat the effects of global warming.
Q Lawns have published a simple guide to creating a
green roof using Enviromat, which outlines the criteria that the
building needs to meet before successfully installing the sedum matting.
Weight bearing capacity, drainage, the amount of sunlight, the slope
of the roof are all factors that must be considered carefully if the
living roof is indeed to survive. The guide is free and can be
downloaded from the web site at www.enviromat.co.uk or ordered direct
from Q Lawns on 01842 828266.
For more details about using Enviromat for landscaping,
contact either Angela Lambert or Hannah Driscoll at Q Lawns on 01842
828266. Email hannahd@qlawns.co.uk or sales@qlawns.co.uk or visit the
newly re-vamped website at www.enviromat.co.uk
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