tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6957175137882370252024-02-19T17:39:53.900-08:00greenfingersguidesHelping you get the best from your garden 365 days a year.Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-38747748448265748972011-10-04T02:38:00.000-07:002011-10-04T02:38:24.213-07:00SUPER BROCCOLI IN FIGHT AGAINST CANCER<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><style>
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</style> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I was reading today that M&S (they don't miss a trick do they?) are the first to start marketing a new super-broccoli called Beneforte. It apparently contains a high quantity of glucoraphine ( found in other broccoli varieties but at lower levels) which helps reduce the risks of bowel and prostrate cancer as well as preventing heart attacks and strokes.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4502404.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4502404.stm</a> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">It's interesting to see that a large number of the big supermarkets are taking a huge interest in these superfoods as well as kick-starting a trend for marketing some of the older 'Heritage' fruit and vegetables. Tesco I believe are selling Heritage cultivars of amber and yellow carrots. (Daucus carota) so look out for more of our old Heritage varieties coming onto the marketplace. This seems to be a growing trend and one that gives us as consumers, more choice. Which can't be a bad thing can it?</span></div></div>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-85983291722999464122011-09-27T02:53:00.000-07:002011-09-27T02:53:41.328-07:00ASTER-LA-VISTA-BABY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Oh it's been a lovely afternoon, with a bit of late summer sun and to the garden-I-will-go. Those <a class="zem_slink" data-mce-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aster_%28genus%29" href="http://www.theopengardencompany.co.uk/" rel="wikipedia" title="Aster (genus)">asters</a> have been bugging me. Don't ask me how (they weren't there last year) but they came up in the very front of a raised border so look very awkward towering above the otherwise rather lovely foliage plants in that bed. Such a shame too. It's a gorgeous violet thrumming with bees, but it's a wrong ' un where it is.Plants can do that you know. It might be you just inadvertently moved a plant and took a handful of roots with another one as you did so and then eh viola! A lovely plant in the wrong place.<br />
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I know I tell everybody not to move plants that are in full flower because they are at their weakest, so unable <a href="http://lovelucysummers.wordpress.com/"><i>to take my own advice</i></a> I dug the whole plant up, all 3ft tall and wide of it and moved it. There hypocrite that I am, but it bugged the life out of me that it was looming in the wrong company.<br />
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Lashings of water and a bit or organic compost and it will be fine by morning.<br />
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</div>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-40146942298237343722011-06-07T09:10:00.000-07:002011-06-07T09:10:12.509-07:00Britains's Gardens Swoon in Mini Heatwave!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These beautiful hot sunny days are absolute bliss aren't they? If only England could have a summer that was reliable like this five months a year. Still, summers very decidedly here, so let's enjoy while we can.</div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But whilst our spirits soar and our level of optimism improves when the sun warms our cheeks, your garden plants don't feel the same way. They get hot, dry and wilt. Many of you will have wished that you knew how to help your garden cope with these hot spells as you dash about with the hose morn till night to quench the inexhaustible demands for water.<br />
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First off you could buy my book, 'Drought Tolerant Plants which goes all the way in detailing how you can sit back with a glass of wine on a summer's evening instead of running about like a trainee fireman to satisfy your plants' demands for water. <br />
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Available on Amazon <span style="color: red;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: red;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drought-tolerant-Plants-Greenfingers-Guides-Summers/dp/0755317599</span></div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgyEqJU4VWgkLr-OYpBtZQwScL59dz6kf4n-5SzY-rSmDDfj3eR_C3wVDdP10L__jtZjGr3nBu8CfCSJCM8iLikO7DBCYw0SY6zA3c7q-oFyLtXgW1kCnoYwNwLBW1Hl1A85H9clltaIc/s1600/DSCN5370.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgyEqJU4VWgkLr-OYpBtZQwScL59dz6kf4n-5SzY-rSmDDfj3eR_C3wVDdP10L__jtZjGr3nBu8CfCSJCM8iLikO7DBCYw0SY6zA3c7q-oFyLtXgW1kCnoYwNwLBW1Hl1A85H9clltaIc/s320/DSCN5370.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, if you don't have it yet, damage limitation is the key.</div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Water early in the morning and late at night when the soil will hold on to water more effectively.</div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Add some swell gel to extra compost and top dress your pots with it; better that you mix the compost and granules together to fill the pot at the start of the year, but we are where we are, so a top-dressing is better than none. This will reduce your watering time to a couple of times a week instead of every day.</span></div><div style="color: #e69138;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3.Replace some of your traditional plants with some gorgeous drought tolerant plants that can withstand arid conditions. Or aim for a drought proof border entirely, so at least that is one bed you won't have to fret about. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://theopengardencompany.co.uk%20/"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div></div>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-26186753920108227312011-03-17T09:32:00.000-07:002011-03-17T09:32:13.638-07:00Wild Primroses<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am reminded today ( by an enquiry from a gentleman in Norfolk) of the sweet simplicity of our native Wild Primroses.</span></div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know I have written them up in my book 'Fragrant Plant's (now in book shops March 2011) and the low-maintenance, easy-going nature of this semi-evergreen perennial with clusters of sweetly scented pale yellow faces make this an endearing and enduring favourite.</span></div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rXDiyNxtzYymAIqPRbDDdodajLq-IypH2-ufNUCereHqsb4RM36eJ1xDHZaxjGL-TYZ068GxbO_n7q7BFRqqzs6Hq_1FiPbvyUdSJEP8pYUGqDcI0oCtWoHCiunXcZv9V1d7AMlM0DI/s1600/primula-vulgaris-lr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rXDiyNxtzYymAIqPRbDDdodajLq-IypH2-ufNUCereHqsb4RM36eJ1xDHZaxjGL-TYZ068GxbO_n7q7BFRqqzs6Hq_1FiPbvyUdSJEP8pYUGqDcI0oCtWoHCiunXcZv9V1d7AMlM0DI/s320/primula-vulgaris-lr.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Wild primrose (Primula vulgaris)</span></span></td></tr>
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</div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Another fond favourite is 'ye olde' cowslip, (Primula vernis) which as a child I remember growing alongside cowpats along the riverbanks in Sussex.</span></div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWI28TKJC_ncFhtxG3twqCsDfTLd-W1TWpAYw3JqwXIIsDTzJdVGRYIOPUdk97RZGO-IYHBYuGJVf_D8drg1-K2Nc_ga3jMLMATWwol7ZHbr0aQnIB65VrklZYEK09B0EFMbWdoZcicnA/s1600/220px-Primula_veris_ENBLA03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWI28TKJC_ncFhtxG3twqCsDfTLd-W1TWpAYw3JqwXIIsDTzJdVGRYIOPUdk97RZGO-IYHBYuGJVf_D8drg1-K2Nc_ga3jMLMATWwol7ZHbr0aQnIB65VrklZYEK09B0EFMbWdoZcicnA/s1600/220px-Primula_veris_ENBLA03.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Primula vernis </span></span></div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Both are easy to grow from seed too; though you can buy many wild flower plantlets online or at specialist nurseries. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Plant in sun or partial shade in rich, moist soil.They are excellent beneath trees, shrubs or hedges or littering grassy banks with their sunny disposition. Divide every three years after flowering. Deadhead regularly to prolong flowering. </span></div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Spring has Sprung at last. Hurrah!</span></div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Lucy x </span><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div></div>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-34698481121764434082011-01-19T13:05:00.000-08:002011-03-17T09:15:40.901-07:00Garlic<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I want to talk to you about garlic. </div><div style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's all very well growing herbs and veg, which as a gardener I am supposed to do with consummate ease. But as well as being a gardener, I love to cook. If the produce I use is rubbish, then the end result is likely to be pretty poor too. (<b>Move over Gordon </b>- I know the process minutely from seed to gob and I can tell you what works and what doesn't.)</div><div style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is no doubt that the fat, succulent elephant and French garlic is a far superior animal than say, the small rounded hard garlic heads we are flogged by British supermarkets. The reason they flog us this nonsense is that it stores longer than larger cloved garlic so is economically more viable.</div><div style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Elephant garlic has huge cloves, the size of a wrestler's knuckle and is milder, sweeter, more flavoursome (and in my not-so- humble opinion) far superior herb than the 'hard-necked' stuff.</div><div style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You are going to have to go further than Sainsbury's, 'Tesco metro' or 'Happy Shopper' to find it. The local deli, farmer's markets etc will provide sublime hedonism where the large food 'sheds' stumble; you will pay more, but boy is it worth it.</div><div style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of our favourite dishes we cook in our family is whole roasted chicken liberally studded with garlic. Use the hard-necked English varieties you will find the flavour is sharp, peppery and a bit astringent. Use large cloved garlic and <b>OH WHAT BLISS.</b> Sticky, caramel, soft sweet cloves that slip gently from the skin.</span><br />
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<b style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Take my word for it.</span></b><br />
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<div style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>And whilst I'm on a rant, is anybody else fed up with supermarket fruit and veg that is tasteless, under-ripe and hard as bullets? </b> I bought three avocados that took at least a week to ripen even though I prodded them overnight to test their ripeness. EVERY night they remained a hard as marble. Suddenly I woke up one morning and the buggers were soft enough to use. Yippee. EXCEPT. When I cut them open the flesh was brown. Right up there with pears. There is only a nano-second in a pear's life when it is honeyed perfection.</div><div style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>INSIST</b> when you next go to the supermarket that you will not put up with this cold-stored, tasteless, invariably overpriced garbage. You vote with your pennies. Old haddocky though it may be, even the busiest of us can report inferior merchanise to a store manager. Five minutes complaint from one in thirty of us and we shall see the quality of our fresh produce elevated to something approaching edible. </div><div style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There. I'm done.</div></div>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-85761938715398691572011-01-06T04:11:00.000-08:002011-01-06T04:12:24.267-08:00BORDER FLOWERS SHORTLISTED FOR REFERENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR<div style="color: purple; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was thrilled to learn that my latest book BORDER FLOWERS waas shortlisted for reference book of the year 2010.</span></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">All that hard work recognised at last .....</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vfOJFLfGm7SoWvNJk4YzhkvPfFjYZs2RXvOZj_JDkg-0yRINpx0edi1L_UVVZfoAJD1tuNsXpk8jpFGf9tUAFH9pnZOLtHzDz5hW8JTiMMhoh698rel2aUf4KSD9JdkzF2TGxFJTQFg/s1600/Border+flowers+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vfOJFLfGm7SoWvNJk4YzhkvPfFjYZs2RXvOZj_JDkg-0yRINpx0edi1L_UVVZfoAJD1tuNsXpk8jpFGf9tUAFH9pnZOLtHzDz5hW8JTiMMhoh698rel2aUf4KSD9JdkzF2TGxFJTQFg/s320/Border+flowers+cover.jpg" width="241" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Border-Flowers-Greenfingers-Guides-Summers/dp/0755317602/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294315829&sr=1-7">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Border-Flowers-Greenfingers-Guides-Summers/dp/0755317602/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294315829&sr=1-7</a></div>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-48184557128555974472011-01-06T03:07:00.000-08:002011-01-06T04:21:04.245-08:00Sowing sweetpeas<div style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Hi and Happy New Year to all budding gardeners.</b></div><div style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I just wanted to let you know I have some new gardening tips for you on Youtube. </div><div style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Check them out: they're to the point, jargon-free and by watching them (they are only short so it won't take you much time) you'll exactly how to get the job done quickly and easily. There are tips on sowing sweet peas, pruning wisteria, clipping box, cuttings and division etc. I'll add more as the year goes on.</div><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=httpgreenfi0d-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0755317610&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=httpgreenfi0d-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0755317580&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;">&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=httpgreenfi0d-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;o=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;p=8&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;l=bpl&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;asins=0755317610&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;fc1=000000&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;IS2=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;m=amazon&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;bc1=000000&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;f=ifr" style="padding-top: 5px; width: 131px; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=httpgreenfi0d-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;o=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;p=8&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;l=bpl&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;asins=0755317610&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;fc1=000000&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;IS2=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;m=amazon&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;bc1=000000&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;f=ifr" style="padding-top: 5px; width: 131px; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"&amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;</iframe>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-27688062816376339582010-12-03T07:42:00.000-08:002011-01-06T02:59:39.660-08:00Stock Photo: Robin and Snow<a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-robin-and-snow-image12426210?sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4cf90fec78f4afba,0">Stock Photo: Robin and Snow</a>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-85649473973650061522010-12-03T05:02:00.000-08:002011-01-06T02:59:39.660-08:00LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Oh mercy me. It seems only months ago we hung up our snow shovels, yet here we are again entombed in the chilly white stuff. But since we've got no place to go, let it snow ....</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="background-color: white;">The box balls look like outsized Christmas puddings and everywhere is overlaid with a crisp thick layer of royal icing. Very seasonal. Plump, chatty robins, ever the opportunists seem to be almost pleading for me to step out with a few vittels and as I write this, one has just perched rather atmospherically atop a box ball. Excuse me whilst I dash a quick pic off on my phone..... Xmas card material ... Bugger. He made off before I got there. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="background-color: white;">Now you are probably a tad nervous about the outcome once the snow melts. If your garden if packed with hardy plants, you really don't even have to furrow your brow. Your plants will come through. A bit chilled and browning in spots, but come spring they will surprise you with their endurance and be as good as ever. But what about the less hardy plants you've been growing? </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="background-color: white;">If you didn't manage to protect vulnerable plants with either thick layers of fleece or bought them inside to a frost-free zone, the chances are they may well have turned their toes up. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="background-color: white;">Nothing you can do now.If they are goners so be it. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="background-color: white;">Wait for the thaw and inspect the damage. If the tops of the plants are soggy, mushy and brown, just remove the slimy growth. Now pack the crown of the plant with bracken, straw or fleece. I am not saying they will survive, but if the rootstock has remained unharmed you are in with a slim chance (roughly translates as wafer-thin) that they may revive come warmer weather. Otherwise you are just going to have to grin and bear the fact, you did too little too late and the garden is going to have to be re-stocked to compensate for those fatalities. Never mind, we learn through experience.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="background-color: white;">However, all is not doom and gloom. As one plant dies, another is born and to this end, don't forget it is Tulip planting time. I am the worst offender for planting tulip bulbs late, as I normally manage it around Christmas Eve. But this year the snow has served as a timely reminder; as I searched around for the snow shovel, I came across the stache of tulip bulbs I bought in Amsterdam earlier in the year. So now they are all lined up in a kitchen cupboard, waiting for the big thaw and I shall for once be on time with my bulb planting. Hurrah! Don't plant straight away. Let the snow and water run off for a few days (and pray there isn't any more white stuff on the way) before you go a-digging.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="background-color: white;">I was also reminded of how magical snow was when we were young. </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Forget our 'bah-humbug' adult view of snow. Remember the fun we had speeding down hill on old tea trays and soaking wet socks steaming on the radiators when we finally made it home, cheeks as red as Rudolph's nose and eyes shining with excitement? I</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="background-color: white;">nstead of seeing it as a grave inconvenience, embrace it in childlike manner.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="background-color: white;"> When was the last time you made a snowman? Well, snowman- making tops today's To-Do' list. Maybe even a castle igloo or perhaps I shall be a snow angel for a few minutes.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">(No snickering those who know me well and will immediately refute the word 'Angel' and 'Lucy' would ever be found in the same sentence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="background-color: white;">I've just passed the sweetest little boy reclining on dad's sledge, his head propped up on a bag of groceries, cocooned in a blanket, his little eye round with wonder. That's the way to travel.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="background-color: white;">Oh and most importantly of all:</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: #274e13;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY YULETIDE </span></span></b></span></span></span>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-91905254865554791662010-10-25T08:26:00.001-07:002011-01-06T02:59:39.661-08:00Planting Asiatic Lily Bulbs<object style="background-image: url("http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/x2AGR6nQdMU/hqdefault.jpg");" height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/x2AGR6nQdMU?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/x2AGR6nQdMU?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-67246719856283873532010-10-25T08:26:00.000-07:002010-10-25T08:26:23.243-07:00Pruning Wisteria<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3GH5lurC-FQ?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3GH5lurC-FQ?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-67571853285819978282010-10-25T08:24:00.000-07:002010-10-25T08:24:40.290-07:00Division by Lucy Summers author of Greenfingers Guides<object style="background-image: url("http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/hoKNMPgOtVE/hqdefault.jpg");" height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hoKNMPgOtVE?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hoKNMPgOtVE?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-71916781676451272862010-10-05T08:10:00.000-07:002010-10-05T08:35:57.109-07:00Lucy's Top Ten Plants for autumn - Love Lucy<div style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">OK. So I know it's been raining for ages and everything is keeling over from being sodden for days. However, if your garden looks dull and colourless after the razzmattazz of summer, it's time you pulled your finger out and jazzed up the autumn flower beds, because we could all do with a bit livening up in this dull weather.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For more ideas on how to keep a steady stream of colour and interesting foliage in your borders throughout the year, try my Border flowers book</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0755317602/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0755317599&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=1VXNXG6A9T2HWPE1ZDKM">http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0755317602</a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's my top gorgeous perennials for adding zing to your autumn borders. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Anemone hupehensis 'September Charm'</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Has pale pink single flowers and golden centres held on tall upright stems above the deep bushy green leaves</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chocolate cosmos (Cosmos astrosanguineas) Ht. 90cm x 45cm</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Luxurious, deep chocolate, maroon-brown velvet flowers </span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrACFjJCav-jrdSxYBxW3QX2TvtSFBbUcd-I7D_JrWfk587rEBxfGhyphenhyphenSCi-nO8YLoCodYzdTQj331el-agW2BaP6ATRyPSIlLbIAQBI4gxD8rfNqRvZmyeUdyQ4T7G5QAQdKBRdFW8q0E/s1600/DSCN5567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrACFjJCav-jrdSxYBxW3QX2TvtSFBbUcd-I7D_JrWfk587rEBxfGhyphenhyphenSCi-nO8YLoCodYzdTQj331el-agW2BaP6ATRyPSIlLbIAQBI4gxD8rfNqRvZmyeUdyQ4T7G5QAQdKBRdFW8q0E/s400/DSCN5567.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbtYfSliZ7nd7NqlUHaAVvpQB4cuufxw9iRJ6RuwuK0PDNzhvT-NlBKcuhprV0E98oo1pCQ_R7vY0E1ylZaZVPWDKRYxMZhj8-VKOeAtoXX94K0At1K1s6zNe8gc9UmpdR0n7ocOD1iQ/s1600/DSCN5573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbtYfSliZ7nd7NqlUHaAVvpQB4cuufxw9iRJ6RuwuK0PDNzhvT-NlBKcuhprV0E98oo1pCQ_R7vY0E1ylZaZVPWDKRYxMZhj8-VKOeAtoXX94K0At1K1s6zNe8gc9UmpdR0n7ocOD1iQ/s320/DSCN5573.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca 'Citrina' Ht. 1m x 1m<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pale green pea-like leaves with pale lemon yellow flowers almost non-stop throughout the year, but its particularly unusual colouring in the autumn and winter months, plus it's frenetic flowering make it an all-round winner</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dahlia 'Bishop of LLandaff' </span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ht. 90cm x 90cm</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Opulent deep red flowers with claret-stained foliage</span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gaura lindheimerii Ht. 1.2m x 1m<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> delicate winged white flowers all the way</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> to the first frosts</span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX__fwD05TqQJjWNEPHBtice3m7pT4f_iYwkXY6t5S-DD7ruUUId0IkthLw2YcyEiCHEbmRd30qh42pFt5ThVuxzixD-kOTi0R1duZaaSpdj-F2stei3QajEsccw6QUCHi1QkCFav5Hq4/s1600/GauraLindheimeri070923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX__fwD05TqQJjWNEPHBtice3m7pT4f_iYwkXY6t5S-DD7ruUUId0IkthLw2YcyEiCHEbmRd30qh42pFt5ThVuxzixD-kOTi0R1duZaaSpdj-F2stei3QajEsccw6QUCHi1QkCFav5Hq4/s320/GauraLindheimeri070923.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gentiana x stevenagensis Ht. 10cm x 15cm<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Charming, flared trumpets of zure blue with white and dark striped throats sit against deep green narrow leaves; sulks in overcast weather only opening its blooms with the sun. But boy what vivid autumn colour</span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaybrcOjpL5SfKtJO1lIhzatDCXtX3phSoXpSGiTs3yiVx3vyPnVQXZcSnRRaMWW9FBJrPcnRsCo0UwQ29fP2S39b9o7KEzUADIK7U8q1rcv4wotAnzxECq2OArowltgf5Q_YNOCxJwDM/s1600/gentiana_strathmore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaybrcOjpL5SfKtJO1lIhzatDCXtX3phSoXpSGiTs3yiVx3vyPnVQXZcSnRRaMWW9FBJrPcnRsCo0UwQ29fP2S39b9o7KEzUADIK7U8q1rcv4wotAnzxECq2OArowltgf5Q_YNOCxJwDM/s320/gentiana_strathmore.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Heuchera 'Obsidian' Ht. 45cm x 30cm<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dark, almost ebony black-purple rounded polished leaves with claret stems of small airy, creamy white flowers</span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">from June to July</span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">; </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">but it's the outstanding jet foliage that makes this a must for spring, summer and autumn borders</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fGrDEcM5r6I-SJzbxlPHj-Oyy6zY1WRUNnysYzKY3cWFMKUJip3t5pnBAaC5IDtkVApsFl5nVpAWTQhxB2uKiFO1f3jjIUk7_n0JxSwTCq3WyWlHVgncdUYseM8Wrwaiainhlx8grm4/s1600/images-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fGrDEcM5r6I-SJzbxlPHj-Oyy6zY1WRUNnysYzKY3cWFMKUJip3t5pnBAaC5IDtkVApsFl5nVpAWTQhxB2uKiFO1f3jjIUk7_n0JxSwTCq3WyWlHVgncdUYseM8Wrwaiainhlx8grm4/s200/images-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Phlox paniculata 'David' </span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ht. 1.2m x 1m</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gorgeous, gloriously scented pure white flowers on upright stems from July to November</span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIk_E9bKDac2LKl13lVBlXb2EzQ1VBm1COEvrYMH5f3W4yqV6VOM4JIvMuIj_dQ3ZWxwPh3iAl9Gf8_zaoTa5Nd1CcwGsBzLh_eNTe558wbMau355NgVUHfp6uAnVonbFddNChLb5vx4/s1600/DSCN5565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIk_E9bKDac2LKl13lVBlXb2EzQ1VBm1COEvrYMH5f3W4yqV6VOM4JIvMuIj_dQ3ZWxwPh3iAl9Gf8_zaoTa5Nd1CcwGsBzLh_eNTe558wbMau355NgVUHfp6uAnVonbFddNChLb5vx4/s320/DSCN5565.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Verbena 'Homestead Purple' Ht. 30cm x 60cm</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mine's been in violet-blue flower since late May and will continue to flower generously well into November</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Verbena bonariensis Ht. Up to 2m</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Self-supporting wiry, sparse stems topped with open sprays of rich purple flowers</span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></b>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-14739994612915604952010-08-20T03:26:00.000-07:002010-08-20T09:39:03.128-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDu6lpN0m_vUwk1r9eBSBZLDU75mGLFcf5V8cOH4qbt8SS2PI6RGbc2ske278RlVRewVvvI00-l22-BvbMKGZzaVF7pMINGGQN9IoPSQMBke79A3VIcukj7rn2VQrZP16jNiu6ZIIJg8/s1600/images-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDu6lpN0m_vUwk1r9eBSBZLDU75mGLFcf5V8cOH4qbt8SS2PI6RGbc2ske278RlVRewVvvI00-l22-BvbMKGZzaVF7pMINGGQN9IoPSQMBke79A3VIcukj7rn2VQrZP16jNiu6ZIIJg8/s320/images-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I stole this delicious recipe from a friend who bakes like an angel.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p>You will need:</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p>Finely chopped rose petals <b>OR</b> rose sugar<br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p>OR</o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p>English lavender</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p>300g plain flour</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p>100g caster sugar</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p>200g butter</o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p>(Make sure you <b>ONLY </b>use English lavender petals; <i>Lavandula augustifolia</i> is ideal as other species can prove quite astringent.)<br />
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p>1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p>2. Cream together the butter and caster sugar. </o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p>3. Add the petals or rose sugar and blend well into the creamed mixture</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #351c75; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p>4. Now sieve flour into the creamed mixture until you get a soft dough. Chill the mixture in the fridge for about an hour.</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p>5. Roll out your dough to the required thickness (about 0.5cm is ideal) Cut out into desired shapes, round and hearts look pretty.</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p>Place them on a pre-greased baking tray and dust lightly with caster sugar.</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p>Bake for approximately 15 minutes until pale golden brown. </o:p></span></div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><o:p>Cool on a wire rack and eat them up. One batch lasts about 3 minutes in our house!</o:p></span></div>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-53374503481507764642010-08-15T13:03:00.000-07:002010-08-15T13:03:39.166-07:00Horseguard Heaven<div style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the main, I abhor pub gardens. Nasty ill-mown grass, ghastly<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> childrens' play areas where no self-respecting child would be tempted to play, banned dogs and nasty, splintery wooden tables arrayed with lonely ashtrays.</span></div><div style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>HOWEVER </b></span></div><div style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you ever happen to be winding by Petworth in West Sussex on a day when the sky is blue above, birds are on the wing, the snail's on the thorn and all's right with the world - then a small diversion to the village of Tillington to the Horse Guards Inn will complete your happiness. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It is rare a thing to sit in a pub garden endowed with unpretentious cottage garden charm, careless whimsy and so obviously tended by a loving hand. </span></div><div style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The garden at the Horse Guards Inn is the nearest thing you'll get to a hug. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_i8TtG5f74WeKBRm7IbvcQbWfZCkjLcwOzjv6831bTRe2PrKotvgvTkXRxJmp7JbT-roxTmOXRBYb_0c5-LaRNsoTkgPVBrMuKsAP0zoa1u1gBFzxh_zFhOGKcXgTxPmq3I3vwdaJ3vo/s1600/IMG_0174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_i8TtG5f74WeKBRm7IbvcQbWfZCkjLcwOzjv6831bTRe2PrKotvgvTkXRxJmp7JbT-roxTmOXRBYb_0c5-LaRNsoTkgPVBrMuKsAP0zoa1u1gBFzxh_zFhOGKcXgTxPmq3I3vwdaJ3vo/s320/IMG_0174.JPG" /></a></div><div style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
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</div><div style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Delightful touches abound; small upturned terracotta flower pots remove the peril of any sharp snags on the hurdle fencing; sunflowers past their best still sway gaily amongst a profusion of cottage plants providing food for scavenging birds and whirling butterflies alight on the budlejas as you sip your bitter shandy. Scattered hay bales make suprisingly comfy seating amongst more traditional wooden tables and benches whilst courgettes, fennel, white cosmos and herbs all thrive side by side in cheerful harmony. Plants and trees are potted higgeldy-piggedly in old lead planters and old stone flagons decorate the paths. </span></div><div style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LKBGQrXvDbj7DkMdOb0gfPmKQaibeZZwi8jK0JgiK_ZxFuWixDP7F4YMqGDlngpkpHBdERVzvO_cjeLeaPn6NSIeKGq_H4cyDuhuGZPXNmgu5QoMFj-CGbQfqBRDnAXirttvVbBicDE/s1600/IMG_0163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LKBGQrXvDbj7DkMdOb0gfPmKQaibeZZwi8jK0JgiK_ZxFuWixDP7F4YMqGDlngpkpHBdERVzvO_cjeLeaPn6NSIeKGq_H4cyDuhuGZPXNmgu5QoMFj-CGbQfqBRDnAXirttvVbBicDE/s320/IMG_0163.JPG" /></a></div><div style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are too many seductive touches to this garden than I care to mention. It has no grand planting plan or clever plants and certainly the snottier garden critics amongst you won't see what all the fuss is about. This garden isn't in the style of anything, doesn't try to be something it isn't and therein lies it charm. It's there because a pub needs a garden for the punters but the wise Misha, the garden's creator and publican, understands that a public space and a private garden needn't be mutually exclusive. </span></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Her</span><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> husband Sam wryly commented,</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #134f5c;">"You know what they say, a well-tended garden - a neglected husband..."</span></span><span style="color: #134f5c;"> </span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(Oh I doubt that very much Sam.) </span></div><div style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Play it again Misha.</span> </div><div style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9iO0Gi80ACMQ8Mw1tp0ieUucxxOCEZpzalzT2gMXd_tfPbbmanRVmiaLCucCds3unAkGof-sRvwL8B974-vFUkfR3X4DAO-kqsMI2qHC1PZAkbo34rJGTKFU1yiNP2fDPPxAVAE1cQ0/s1600/IMG_0156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9iO0Gi80ACMQ8Mw1tp0ieUucxxOCEZpzalzT2gMXd_tfPbbmanRVmiaLCucCds3unAkGof-sRvwL8B974-vFUkfR3X4DAO-kqsMI2qHC1PZAkbo34rJGTKFU1yiNP2fDPPxAVAE1cQ0/s320/IMG_0156.jpg" /></a></div><div style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">P.s. Sunday lunch was good too and the offered cream teas could not have a more apt backdrop.</span></div><div style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rw9tVsX4B4rkXQlS-criYWcfeJ_q7diz8q2b0U12jHZXWNmDzVNavadGA55slO8-2H3ZIQ5IvnH3gkK37yK34k32O9l8n4ZvqpNlPPY7UqAy72KAgciLGm94SW6VfZOViQrMSFLWOFc/s1600/IMG_0166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rw9tVsX4B4rkXQlS-criYWcfeJ_q7diz8q2b0U12jHZXWNmDzVNavadGA55slO8-2H3ZIQ5IvnH3gkK37yK34k32O9l8n4ZvqpNlPPY7UqAy72KAgciLGm94SW6VfZOViQrMSFLWOFc/s400/IMG_0166.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: #134f5c;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Even the log pile was architectural and stylish, whilst no doubt providing a luxury apartment for over-wintering lace wings, so the ecological slant was accommodated too.</span></td></tr>
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</div>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-51532995794599969852010-07-31T05:34:00.000-07:002010-07-31T05:34:19.876-07:00Damage limitation in drought<div style="color: purple; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just a quick update. I am repeatedly being asked how to rescue plants that are already scorched, swooning or have fried in the the heat. So how or indeed, can you rescue a plant that already has been torched? Is it dead or not?</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes and No. </div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>For perennial</b>s; If there is still a fair amount of healthy green growth, cut the plant back to the the low basal growth give it a feed and just <b>water it regularly</b> and you should be able to nurse it back to reasonable health. If the plant is brown from top to toe but when you tug it, it still clings solidly to the soil the chances are the roots are still hanging in there. Cut back all growth completely and ruthlessly, water regularly and it may well put out new growth between now and October.</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><b style="color: purple; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shrubs</b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">; Much the same as above. Cut out all browned growth (where practicable) and reduce the overall height of the shrub by say a third, so that the plant doesn't have to work so hard keeping all that foliage going. Put a thick ring of organic matter around the base of the plant. <b>Water it well three times a week- a few gallons please not just a tiddly splash from the watering can!</b> Crispy-looking trees too can benefit from organic matter and perhaps a leaking hose at night to sustain them</span>. <span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Let me know how you get on ...</span>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-47737739035068294792010-07-20T07:31:00.000-07:002010-09-29T09:03:21.187-07:00Tulips from Amsterdam<div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>I am in love</b>. </div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have just spent three days in Amsterdam. </div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The canals, the relaxed pace of life, the pretty streets and bijou shops. And the flower markets of course. A veritable Aladdin's flotilla of greenhouses chock full of every bulb you can think of, with small packets of cannabis stuffed in the gaps to tempt the tourist into a novel souvenir. Large recently dug agapanthus tubers coud be bought by the kilo but I fell for the scrambling charms of Gloriosa Rothschildiana (Glory lily) a North African native which is elegant as it is beautiful. Deep green polished leaves show off the large spidery, crimped petalled magenta-pink petals in July making this a climber of distinction.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> a tender tuberous rooted perennial climber</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> related to the Lilium family and will require cold and frost protection in all but the mildest areas in the UK. It gets to about 6ft so I intend to start it off in a pot pot and transfer it into the border around May when all frost risk has passed. Perhaps I shall also grow one on the patio against a sunny wall for exotic colour and shape. But they are adaptable and you can grow them against a trellis, sunny wall, up an obelisk or against a short pillar.</span></div><div style="color: #3d85c6;"></div><div style="color: #3d85c6;"></div><div style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Why not have a go at growing this lovely exotic climber next spring as it really is easy?</b></div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The roots come pre-packed in chippings. So just plant them on their sides in pots, say, about 3-4" deep and cover with compost. Water them well, thoroughly soaking the compost and then allow any residue to drain away. If kept in a warm room new shoots will appear in two to three weeks. Keep them watered regularly as they grow, but don't drown them - they won't appreciate waterlogged soil. If you want to save the tubers for next year, simply stop watering around October and let the foliage die back and the compost dry out completely. Store the pot housing its tubers in a warm dry spot over winter and then its back to the green house for them the following spring so they can show off all over again next summer.</span><br />
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<br style="color: #3d85c6;" />Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-71114320328576404002010-07-10T13:34:00.000-07:002011-06-07T09:06:56.794-07:00Plants Swoon in Mini Heat-wave!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These beautiful hot sunny days are absolute bliss aren't they? If only England could have a summer that was reliable like this five months a year. Still, summers very decidedly here, so let's enjoy while we can.</div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But whilst our spirits soar and our level of optimism improves when the sun warms our cheeks, your garden plants don't feel the same way. They get hot, dry and wilt. Many of you will have wished that you knew how to help your garden cope with these hot spells as you dash about with the hose morn till night to quench the inexhaustible demands for water.<br />
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First off you could buy my book, 'Drought Tolerant Plants which goes all the way in detailing how you can sit back with a glass of wine on a summer's evening instead of running about like a trainee fireman to satisfy your plants' demands for water. <br />
<br />
Available on Amazon <span style="color: red;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drought-tolerant-Plants-Greenfingers-Guides-Summers/dp/0755317599</span></div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, if you don't have it yet, damage limitation is the key.</div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Water early in the morning and late at night when the soil will hold on to water more effectively.</div><div style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Add some swell gel to extra compost and top dress your pots with it; better that you mix the compost and granules together to fill the pot at the start of the year, but we are where we are, so a top-dressing is better than none. This will reduce your watering time to a couple of times a week instead of every day.</span></div><div style="color: #e69138;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3.Replace some of your traditional plants with some gorgeous drought tolerant plants that can withstand arid conditions. Or aim for a drought proof border entirely, so at least that is one bed you won't have to fret about. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://theopengardencompany.co.uk%20/">http://theopengardencompany.co.uk </a></span><br />
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</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-20064654077126460492010-06-17T02:15:00.000-07:002010-06-17T02:34:50.689-07:00"Summer afternoons - the most beautiful words in the English language.<div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nobody does a summer's day like England; but when we get it right (alas those days are so few) an English summer's afternoon takes some whacking.</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I had the pleasure of taking off for the afternoon to visit a beautifully sited wall garden on the Surrey/Sussex borders. It is only in it's seventh year and there is some promising activity going on. Lovely long pathways flocked with lavender; not entirely innovative but it's a proven formula and works effectively. Good old blousy roses were doing a great job; I espied the lively brash 'American Pillar' flowering its heart out as it always does. A lovely raised narrow rill flanked the south side of the garden, planted with water lilies that now the heat of the sun had gone, had closed their flowers and were dozing in the early evening shadows. Water features are rarely executed well, but this was the right size and scale for the garden and added a calm serenity as evening fell. One of the things that was noticeable that there might well be a dearth of colour or interest from summer into autumn. </div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you know that your garden falls into a sort of dullness in summer, try the old trick of growing some annuals in pots that you can plunge into the gaps that inevitably occur in once the spring borders have done their thing. Should your garden lacks any 'oompah' in autumn, go out and buy some great autumn flowering plants now to jazz it up a bit. How about the deep burgundy <i>Penstemon 'Blackbird'</i> the grass skirted golden yellow flowers of <i>inula hookeri</i> or those very effective brown drumstick flowers of <i>Helenium 'Autumn Lollipop</i>?" My new book <b>'BORDER FLOWERS' ( available from WH Smith, Amazon and all the usual suspects)</b> wil give you some great ideas and the plants are arranged by season, so it's easy-peasy to choose something fab.</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Keep an eye on the watering front; these hot spells take their toll and the winds too make soil dry out that much quicker. By the way keep dead nettles (lamium) well watered in this weather as they are the first to fall prone to powdery mildew. </div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But most of all enjoy your garden this summer. As Henry James was so fond of saying:</div><div style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Summer afternoons - the most beautiful words in the English language. " </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Hear hear, Henry.</span></b><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7yP1Px_F5O8WDbpfc5M9xcwU1TlUnTkIor4IgSkN35BF7wnXDWzXm3vMoULPZKXUo2SUsXX47XNj7LWqUWBAkLkSgHAxfaQOVd6rCHYtfrj_oI7KLH80drOSnDZlp7TgFc-smTjBKvME/s1600/C:U+knofofia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7yP1Px_F5O8WDbpfc5M9xcwU1TlUnTkIor4IgSkN35BF7wnXDWzXm3vMoULPZKXUo2SUsXX47XNj7LWqUWBAkLkSgHAxfaQOVd6rCHYtfrj_oI7KLH80drOSnDZlp7TgFc-smTjBKvME/s320/C:U+knofofia.jpg" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-81008462234465936482010-06-10T01:56:00.000-07:002010-06-10T01:57:01.161-07:00Chelsea Garden Sponosrhsip<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We are attempting the difficult task of finding a sponsor for the Chelsea Flower Show. If anyone can recommend any companies with large budgets that have gardening synchronicity please let us know. Thanks</span></span>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-27567643095534321782010-06-10T01:40:00.000-07:002010-06-10T01:50:25.114-07:00DROUGHT-PROOF YOUR GARDEN<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Cscript%20type=%22text/javascript%22%20src=%22http://www.freefoto.com/imagelink/?ffid=808-15-3312&s=s%22%20%3E%3C/script%3E"><script src="http://www.freefoto.com/imagelink/?ffid=808-15-3312&s=s" type="text/javascript">
</script></a>For years I gardened on heavy clay in East Anglia, which has one of the lowest rainfalls in the UK, and a long period of drought meant potential ruin for many areas of my garden. Large cracks opened up in the dry soil and plants keeled over from heat exhaustion.</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was more through necessity than choice that I began employing drought-combating measures in the garden, having witnessed far too many plant fatalities over a long, hot summer. There was insufficient water to cope with all the plants crying out for a drink, let alone time to water in the first place.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mulching was my first course of action, what a difference it made! My water regime was cut in half leaving more time for other gardening tasks.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then I started reading up on plants that were naturally drought tolerant and visited well-known ‘dry’ gardens to beg, steal and borrow any ideas, from drought-cultivation techniques to plant choices I could implement in my own garden. This meant choosing plants that were capable of withstanding prolonged dry weather, instead of being seduced by the more showy, leafy herbaceous plants that were so typically in my borders. Roses, lavenders and red hot pokers are drought tolerant so you can have fragrance and fantastic flowers in dry weather.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Cscript%20type=%22text/javascript%22%20src=%22http://www.freefoto.com/imagelink/?ffid=12-76-51&s=s%22%20%3E%3C/script%3E"><script src="http://www.freefoto.com/imagelink/?ffid=12-76-51&s=s" type="text/javascript">
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</i></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-64205551282980183362010-05-11T01:09:00.001-07:002010-05-11T01:09:44.649-07:00WISTERIA IN BLOOM<div id="breadcrumbs"> <a href="http://www.lovethegarden.com/">Home</a> \ Garden Blog <br />
</div><a href="http://www.lovethegarden.com/blog" title="Go to the Garden Blog landing page"><img alt="Garden Blog" height="120" src="http://www.lovethegarden.com/images/style/main/blog-banner.png" width="620" /></a> <h1><a href="http://www.lovethegarden.com/blog/wisteria-planting-pruning-and-after-care" rel="bookmark">Wisteria planting, pruning and after care</a></h1><h3> 7th May 2010, by Lucy Summers</h3><div class="image landscape right"><img alt="Wisteria in full bloom" height="200" src="http://www.lovethegarden.com/images/cms/1147.jpg" width="300" /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong>Wisteria is the king of climbers. It is the stateliest of climbing plants, with an imperial elegance, enchanting fragrance and the most spectacular flowers.</strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The wisterias are vigorous twining deciduous climbers with light green pinnate leaves, but it is the fragrant chandeliered flowers that you can see at this time of year that make them so admired.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are a great many varieties to choose from, some with larger flower pendants than others, and each with its own individual appeal. All, without exception, are highly perfumed, widely esteemed and ornamental.</div><blockquote style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> If you want to grow wisteria take time to plant it in an ideal spot, where it has plenty of room to grow – it can potentially grow into a large climber<br />
</blockquote><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some are tempted to grow wisteria over a large garden structure, but, because of the relatively brief flower period, it is best teamed up with later flowering clematis or roses to extend the period of interest.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong>Which ever wisteria you plump for, they all need:</strong></div><ul class="list" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li>Full sun</li>
<li>Fertile, well-drained soil</li>
<li>Strong supports from the outset – these are potentially very large heavy plants</li>
<li>Careful formative pruning – this will prevent them from being all leaf and no flower</li>
</ul>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-19053431282151826132010-03-31T08:08:00.000-07:002010-03-31T08:08:45.315-07:00Lucy's Easter plant pick<div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>The wild primrose <em>(Primula vulgaris)</em> is a delightful semi-evergreen native perennial forming low leafy mounds, each topped with sweetly fragrant, single, pale yellow flowers with marked, darker yellow eyes.</strong></span></div><div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Flowering from March to May, it’s a real Easter baby. The wild primrose is a charming plant for pots and containers in north-facing gardens, ideal for the small cottage garden, wild flower or woodland garden. Personally I just leave them to naturalise in wild grassy areas or along banks.</span></div><div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Still have the worst lemon tree on the planet. Something is ailing it - as nearly a year on I have one lousy, shrivelled lemon and feeble foliage. Maybe a root problem? Or may be something boring into the bark? The orange next door is positively blooming, so I really am at a bit of a loss why the old lemon is so dire and there is nothing more deeply unattractive than a meagre fruit tree. Any suggestions welcome.</span></div>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-695717513788237025.post-23037151123524178042010-03-13T03:09:00.000-08:002010-03-13T03:15:40.293-08:00Summer flowering bulbs<div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ah - spring has sprung and that's official. I try to keep visits to garden centres to a minimum - all full of ghastly Easter eggs and useless bits of frippery, that you could almost forget that they really should be all about plants. Nurseries are my thing. However, I had need of some seeds ASAP for an overseas friend and as I was wandering around the garden centre the other day I was surprised to see what a good selection of summer, autumn flowering bulbs they had. If you want to add more intricate layers to your garden planting, shoot out or go online and get some choice plants to enjoy later.</div><div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The huge <b><i>Crinum powelli</i></b> bulbs, available in both pale pink and white flowered varieties should set you back £2.00 -3.00 each, but will bulk up into a robust colony in three years or so provided they're planted a sun-baked hot spot, giving you lavish, exotic blooms for late summer to autumn. An old favourite <b>Acidanthera 'Muriele' (<i>Gladiolus callianthus</i>)</b> will give height (about 90cm/36in) to your borders with their graceful arching stems topped with exotic white, fragrant flowers with sooty-maroon centres.</div><div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Off you go then, spend, spend, spend!</span>Lucy Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13745358432217567350noreply@blogger.com0