Tag: gardening
September’s garden plant of the month: cushion chrysanthemum
Continue reading September’s garden plant of the month: cushion chrysanthemum
Kids: get green fingered this summer!
With the summer holidays in full swing garden projects are a wonderful way for adults and children to get outside in the fresh air, and positively direct pent-up energy into something meaningful and constructive. Continue reading Kids: get green fingered this summer!
August garden plant of the month: Gentian
July’s plant of the month: Potted summer bulbs
- The plants are undemanding and can be placed in both the shade and the sun. The temperature does need to remain above at least 5-8 °C, but that won’t pose a problem in the summer.
- Make sure that the soil never dries out, so water regularly, particularly when the plants are placed in pots or containers. The bulbs and tubers mean that the plants can survive through a slightly drier period, which is handy when you go on holiday for a week.
- Give plant food once a fortnight to ensure lavish flowering. Remember, the plants are only for decoration and not for consumption.
The Power of Food Festival programme launched
The Power of Food Festival
17th & 18th June Continue reading The Power of Food Festival programme launched
National health campaign urges DIY enthusiasts to take care this Easter
NHS 24 is appealing to DIY enthusiasts and gardeners to be mindful of accidents and look after themselves this Easter. Continue reading National health campaign urges DIY enthusiasts to take care this Easter
Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre community garden
Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust’s Growing Communities for Health small grants scheme has provided funding to a number of community garden projects. Continue reading Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre community garden
Garden plant of the month: Spruce
We have long known the Spruce is the most popular Christmas tree. With its fine, slightly prickly needles it takes pride of place in many a living room. But the Spruce is also a popular evergreen conifer in the garden. Its attractive shape means that the Garden Plant of the Month for December can shape the whole look of the garden combined with other shrubs and conifers.
From big to small!
The Spruce (Picea) is a hardy needle conifer that ranges in size from 50cm up to 50m. For those that produce cones, these will hang at the ends of the branches. This garden plant is often supplied without roots, and therefore needs to be placed on a wooden cross or metal stand. Increasingly we are seeing Christmas trees with rootballs and even miniature Spruces with an attractive conical form – Picea glauca ‘Conica’. The decorative value is determined by the arrangement of the branches bearing the needles (actually the leaves) and the tree’s shape. By placing the spruce in water, you can help prevent needle shed. The Spruce definitely shapes the look of a garden so it’s a good idea to plant a solitary tree which has room to grow.
Caring for the Spruce
Follow a couple of simple tips to keep the Spruce healthy and looking its best. Plant in a damp, moderately nutrient-rich, somewhat acidic soil – the Spruce can tolerate both shade and full sun.
Replanting a Spruce with roots in the garden requires some care. When buying the Spruce, check that there is a sufficiently large rootball at the bottom of the tree, and preferably place the tree on a Christmas tree stand containing water and shrub food. Because the plants have been standing indoors in the warmth for three weeks, the transition outdoors is not always easy. A frost-free period is therefore important in order to allow the plant to root properly in the garden. Caring for miniature Christmas trees in the home is often much easier as long as you water the plant regularly and place it in a light spot. The cooler the spot, the longer the plant will continue to flourish.
Spruce pruning tips
With most Spruces, particularly the dwarf varieties, there’s no need to prune. If a larger Spruce is getting too big or too bare, prune the plant ideally in spring (April, May). Use ordinary hedge clippers for this and snip a few centimetres off the ends of the branches. This will keep the shape nicely symmetrical and bulk out the spindles.
More information about Spruce and other garden plants can be found at Thejoyofplants.co.uk.
Free seeds from Grow Wild Scotland
To celebrate winning a National Lottery Award (Environment Category) Grow Wild are giving away over10,000 FREE Scottish native wild flower seeds to be sown this autumn, click here to register for your FREE seed packet www.growwilduk.com .
Please share this email with your impressive network of community organisations and partners and encourage them to register. This special opportunity ends at midnight onSunday 9th October 2016. If you would like to create a personalised seed packet offer to share among your groups, members, audience, clients or contacts please let me know.
We do also have some seed kits left for autumn sowing should you wish to kick start a transformation project or event. Please get in touch.
Claire Bennett
Grow Wild Scotland Partnership Manager
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0131 554 2561 | 07917 264891