June Maintenance

What to do in your garden in June

·         Plant out summer bedding

·         Plant up containers

·         Plant out Cannas and Dahlias

·         Continue to thin out hardy annuals if they are overcrowded

·         Lift and divide snowdrops and bluebells

·         Lift and divide overcrowded bulbs

·         Keep newly planted trees and shrubs well watered

·         Annuals can still be sown such as Calendula, Godetia, and Clarkia

·         Perennials such as Delphiniums and Lupins can be sown directly into drills outside once the seed heads have ripened and started to split naturally

·         Pinch out the tips of Fuschias to encourage a bushy habit and more flowers

·         Once your sweet peas start to flower, pick them out to encourage more flowers

·         Dead-head and cut back oriental poppies to just above ground level to stimulate new growth

·         Near the end of June, cut back hardy geraniums to encourage new flowers and foliage

·         Cut back bulb foliage as soon as they have died down naturally

·         Stake tall or floppy perennials to prevent wind damage

·         Tie in and train climbing plants to their supports

·         Prune out overcrowded or dead stems of evergreen clematis to maintain a good shape

·         Harvest flower heads from your lavender to use in baking

·         Winter bedding plants can be sown from May to July ready for the following winter

·         Hellebore seed can be harvested once the seed heads have ripened. The seeds need to be sown immediately whilst fresh, and need a winter’s cold season in order to break their dormancy in order for germination to occur

·         Spreading and trailing plants should be trimmed back after flowering to encourage fresh growth and new flowers

·         Pinch out the leading shoots on plants such as Chrysanthemum and Helianthus to encourage bushy plants

·         Divide Hostas as they come into growth

·         Divide Primula after flowering, planting in a nursery bed until they are ready for planting out again in the autumn

·         Hoe borders to prevent annual and perennial weeds from spreading and seeding themselves

·         Tackle bindweed as and when it appears

 

(Information provided by www.thompson-morgan.com and www.rhs.org.uk)

 

May maintenance

Apologies for not posting this at the beginning of May but I thought I'd still share it with you so you know what to tackle next May.

   

What to do in your garden in May

• Thin out hardy annuals
• Herbaceous perennials can still be divided
• Divide Hostas
• Trim back spreading plants such as Aubretia and Alyssum after flowering to encourage new growth
• Prune Penstemons by cutting all the old shoots back to the base provided there is new growth at the bottom, if not then cut to just above the lowest set of leaves
• Take cuttings of tender perennials such as Fuchsia and Pelargoniums
• Take softwood cuttings of shrubby herbs such as sage and lemon verbena
• Prune out overcrowded and dead stems of early-flowering clematis after flowering
• Tie in climbing and rambling roses
• Tie in sweet peas to encourage climbing
• Prune spring flowering shrubs after flowering
• Cut back flowered shoots of Choisya to encourage a second flush of flowers in autumn
• Trim lavender plants
• Feed and water container plants
• Top-dress permanent pot plants to refresh the compost
• Plant up pots and baskets of summer bedding and harden off before placing in position
• Inspect your plants for pests and diseases
• Pick off larvae of rosemary, viburnum and lily beetles as soon as they are seen
• Look out for signs of blackspot on roses
• Earth up potatoes
• Continue to weed beds and borders
• Prune wall-trained pyracantha, removing any shoots that are coming away from the wall

(Information provided by www.thompson-morgan.com and www.rhs.org.uk)

 

Apologies

I'd like to just take a moment to apologise for not updating the blog for awhile.
Unfortunately I've been off sick from work so haven't been able to update the blog with new pictures and information from around campus. But I'm back at work now so I'll be sure to keep you all updated as we progress through the year.
We're in the run up to graduation now so we're working hard to get the grounds into tip top shape ready for the week of the 25th July which means I should have lots of photographs to share with you over the coming weeks.

National Gardening Week

This is just a quick post to let you all know that it is National Gardening Week from the 11th April - 17th April. It was founded by the Royal Horticultural Society five years ago and is now the country's biggest celebration of gardening. There are events all over the country and if you go to http://www.nationalgardeningweek.org.uk you will be able to find out what is taking place near you.
Keep an eye out for Friday 15th April as that is National Open Gardens Day and quite a lot of gardens are free to visit on this day.

Barking up the wrong tree...

On Tuesday the team of myself, Rach, Sam, and Carl spent the day spreading bark on the rose borders in front of the James Graham building.

We seemed to have all the possible weather combinations throughout the day from glorious sunshine to rain, to hail, to wind, and back again to sunshine, all on a repeat cycle. It seemed that as soon as I dared to remove my hood it would start to rain again. But in spite of the crazy weather we managed to get the borders covered and they look all the better for it.

We shouldn't need to re-bark these beds for another two years, so it'll just be a case of keeping on top of any weeds that dare to sprout up and ruin the display of lovely roses.

(Photographs taken by myself on 5th April 2016)

So many bulbs...

I mentioned in a previous post that we planted a variety of bulbs in September to November so I though it would be worthwhile showing you just what to look out for around campus this year.
It was my decision as to what we ordered for this years colour and we ended up planting 3500 bulbs to give a stunning display of colour. So far the campus is looking great with all the daffodils flowering and now the tulips are starting to appear.
So here's what to look out for:

Crocus sativus - Fragrant purple flowers in autumn

(Image from www.sativus.com)

Narcissi Sempre Avanti - White and yellow flowers in spring

(Image from www.99roots.com)

Allium Bulgaricum - 20-30 bell shaped flowers with a pink/red stripe in summer.

(Image from www.jparkers.co.uk)

Allium mixed - White, blue, yellow, and mauve flowers in May and June.

(Image from www.jparkers.co.uk)

Frittilaria Assyriaca - Deep purple/orange flowers in spring.

(Image from www.hartsnursery.co.uk)

Muscari Armeniacum - Purple/blue pea-like flowers in spring.

(Image from www.jparkers.co.uk)

Dutch Iris Mixture - A vibrant mix of colour in summer.

(Image from www.jparkers.co.uk)

Tritileia Queen Fabiola - Clusters of purple star shaped flowers in May and June.

(Image from www.jparkers.co.uk)

Tulip Rembrandt - Wide opening cream flower with an external pink stripe in spring.

(Image taken by myself)

Crocus Kotschyanus - Vibrant pink flowers in autumn.

(Image from www.jparkers.co.uk)

Tritileia Rudy - Up to 25 purple flowers per stem in May and June.

 (Image from www.jparkers.co.uk)

My apologies for the quality of some of the pictures but hopefully as these bulbs start to appear then I'll be able to replace them with photographs taken by myself.
We planted the daffodils and tulips around the channels of the buildings that look out onto the acre along with Macaulay, Priestley, and Bronte. The rest were planted in various locations around campus with several being planted in the rockery leading up the steps to Carnegie. So that area should look fantastic as the flowers start to emerge.
I hope you get to see the results of this mass planting and I will be keeping the blog up to date with the results as they appear.

April Maintenance

What to do in your garden in April

·         Keep weeds under control

·         Protect fruit blossom from late frosts

·         Tie in climbing and rambling roses horizontally to restrict sap flow which causes more side-shoots to grow, which in turn produces more flowers

·         Sow hardy annuals and herb seeds

·         Start to feed citrus plants

·         Increase the water given to houseplants

·         Feed hungry shrubs and roses

·         Sow new lawns or repair bare patches

·         Prune fig trees

·         Divide bamboos and water lilies

·         Sweet peas can be sown outside

·         Plant summer flowering bulbs in well-drained soil to prevent the bulbs from rotting

·         Divide clumps of herbaceous perennials

·         Prune tender plants such as penstemons and lavender, cutting just above the fresh, new shoots.

·         Apply a general purpose fertiliser to borders.

·         Deadhead spring bedding plants to continue the flowering period for longer

·         Mulch rose and shrub beds to ensure they retain moisture during dry spells and suppress weeds

·         Remove any reverted green shoots on variegated evergreens

·         Mow the lawn when necessary

·         Sow a wildflower meadow to increase biodiversity and colour in the garden

·         Trim winter-flowering heathers to prevent them from become leggy

 

(Advice taken from www.rhs.org.uk and www.thompson-morgan.com)