Garden Supplies News » Chelsea Flower Show

The Irish Sky Garden And Rooftop Growing

hughe — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:48:27 +0000

Last week I wrote about the preparations for the Chelsea Flower Show and included some links to pictures of some of the more unusual show gardwns. One of these was the Irish Sky Garden designed by Diarmuid Gavin which won a Gold medal and The RHS People’s Choice Award. I found this video tour of the garden:

While a sky garden hoisted by a crane is just a novelty for the show, rooftop gardens are a practical way to grow crops when other space is not available. This article by Sean O’Driscoll examines the different ways that people are using their rooftops and how to overcome the weight problem. Lightweight containers and ultralight soil mixes using coconut core and perlite is how one group solves the problem. Others adopt a structural approach to strengthen the roof so that it can stand the extra weight. Read more..

A few weeks ago I planted a Japanese maple in my garden so I was naturally attracted to this article on “Tips and Hints for Pruning Japanese Maples”. “Caring for Japanese maples requires regular, light pruning. The trees have an attractive shape naturally but may require careful removal of the branches for the desired look, to prevent branches from rubbing together, and to maintain size.” Read more..

Chelsea Flower Show And Peonies

hughe — Mon, 23 May 2011 12:50:31 +0000

In my last post I mentioned the preparations for the Chelsea Flower Show and this is the week that the show opens its doors to the public. Each year sees more and more ambitious designs to the extent that there is some adverse press comment that the structures are taking over from the flowers. For example here is Louise Gray writing in the Telegraph “Chelsea extravagance reaches new heights” .

Her article has a picture of the Irish Sky Garden taken from above, but to get a real idea of what it looks like you need to see the picture in the Daily Mail which also shows the 30 foot high B&Q tower garden.

Some of the more conservative exhibitors were wearing “quiet smiles of satisfaction” as the weather stepped in and high winds meant that the sky garden had to stay on the ground and the tower garden took on a slight list as reported in The Independent.

After the earthquake and tsunami which devastated his country in March the Japanese designer decided that he would have to abandon his plans, but changed his mind last month and resolved to create a new garden to send a message to the world that Japan was fighting back. This story also comes from The Telegraph.

And I could’nt leave this topic without mentioning the South Korean garden which has as its main feature the smallest room.

A few days ago I visited a local garden and found this magnificent peony in full bloom. There were several specimens in the garden, but this one called Mischief was being featured as the Plant of the Week. My excuse for including this picture is this article by Jennifer Jewell in anewscafe.com which has information on both the history of the peony and tips on cultivation. And as I have discovered peonies require patience. It will be many years before those in my garden reach the size of Mischief. Read more..

Skyfarming High In The Sky And Bee Nest Boxes

hughe — Wed, 11 May 2011 09:29:24 +0000

“Why garden high in the sky?” asks Linnea Due writing in the East Bay Express. The obvious answer is to increase the growing area by making maximum use of the space. Mind you to describe it as “high in the sky” is somewhat of an exaggeration when what the article goes on to discuss is using a trellis or other form of support on a wall or fence. But the author has a good point when she suggests that your crops will be easier to inspect when they are at eye level. They will also be less likely to suffer from pests when growing up in the air and not lying on the ground.

For Linnea Due the reasons are not just practical: “But to me, the best excuse for going up is aesthetic. Trellises, arches, hanging baskets, and the like add texture, varying focal points, and hidden nooks to an otherwise flat-as-a-pancake landscape. Once you try vertical gardening in your yard (it’s a must on a balcony, where space is premium), I guarantee you’ll never go back to ground level”. Read more..

For a real “high in the sky” experience you will have to visit the Chelsea Flower Show later this month. Skyfarming is the description given to this nine meter tall tower growing system. One wall is covered with plants while the others support solar panels which provide electricity to power the water pumps that push water from a borehole round the hydroponic growing system. Inside the tower, along with the stairs are greenhouse areas for propagation, and a compost chute. There is even an insect hotel with ninety bedrooms. Read more..

Bee nest boxes are a waste of time according to a recent study carried out by the University of Stirling. In the UK bumblebee nest boxes have become the must-have accessory for gardeners keen to help wildlife. But over a four year study not a single commercial nest box “became occupied or showed any sign of inhabitation” according to the report. The study involved the placing of 736 nest boxes in gardens and farms in southern England and central Scotland. Over the period of the study an average of only 23 nest boxes were used by bees, just over 3 per cent of the total. Read more..

Organic Weedkillers And Chelsea Flower Show

hughe — Thu, 27 May 2010 09:50:26 +0000

Controlling broadleaf weeds in the lawn has always been a problem and particularly so for organic gardeners who do not use chemical weedkillers. In my garden I have several clumps of wild promroses that self seed naturally through the borders and provide a fine display in the spring. What is not so welcome is that they seed equally vigorously in the lawn. This is in addition to the usual crop of daisies, dandelions and the other common weeds that spoil the look of the grass.

But help may be at hand. Recently I came across a product which claims to be both organic and effective. Iron X is a selective weedkiller for lawns. It contains iron in a chelated form which you dilute in water and spray on the grass. The iron has no adverse effect on the grass, but kills most broadleaf weeds. And it is fast acting – within hours of application, broadleaf weeds turn black and begin to die.

At present Iron X is only available from Gardens Alive where you can find a list of the twenty weeds that it controls.

Maria Rodlale, CEO and Chairman of Rodale, Inc, has her own secret organic weed control method. This one is not for lawns, but rather those awkward places where weeds sprout among rocks and cracks in paving stones. Simple in the extreme – just boil a kettle and pour hot water on your weeds. Apparently it works best on smaller weeds. Read more..

It’s Chelsea Flower Show time again. In fact it’s nearly over. The show has been running all this week and there are some stunning exhibits. I’ve found this short video from YouTube which is an introduction to the show, but if you want to see more including tours of all the show gardens go to the BBC website.

Chelsea Flower Show

hughe — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:36:51 +0000

The Chelsea Flower Show, that highlight of Britain’s gardening year, opens to the public today. At the preview yesterday Prince Charles was presented with the Royal Horticultural Society Victoria Medal of Honour by the Queen. This is the highest award the society grants. Only 63 people can hold it at a time in recognition of the 63 years of Queen Victoria’s reign. The medal was awarded to the prince for his “passion for plants, sustainable gardening and the environment”.

The article covering the Prince’s award also mentions a few highlights of the show. With the economic downturn there are fewer sponsored gardens this year and exhibitors have been spending less on their creations including one made from scrap and recycled materials. One uncoventional exhibit has flowers made from plasticine – described as low maintenance by its designer.

: Image via Wikipedia

One unexpected guest yesterday was a garden gnome which was sighted in an exhibit submitted by a member of the RHS ruling council. This caused some surprise since garden gnomes are bannned by the rules and lead to automatic disqualification. But it appears that the offending creature was removed before the judges arrived. Read more..