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Articles from Floral and Hardy | Selfgrowth.com
- Mistletoe - Where Did It Go? - by Submitted on Jan 05, 2012 from Floral and HardyMistletoe - second to the Christmas tree, it is the staple yuletide plant. Songs are written about it, doors adorned with it and kisses won under it, but this seasonal decoration and great matchmaker is under threat, it is believed. The RHS is awash with rumours that the fabled mistletoe is in ...
Views: 810(1 vote) - A Climber for Every Corner - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2012 from Floral and HardyA while ago we released an article on the increasing encroachment of urbanization on personal green spaces, stating some means by which a lack of space can become an opportunity, rather than a hindrance to creativity. This week we want to follow that up with a selection of wall based planting ...
Views: 702 - Backyard Bog Gardens – How to Build your Own - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2012 from Floral and HardyThe benefits of a water-based garden are numerous –from attracting wildlife, to providing an environment for different types of plants that you might otherwise not be able to accommodate, however, you may wish to build a pond in your garden and the presence of small children or animals does not ...
Views: 1743 - Bamboozled! - by Submitted on May 16, 2012 from Floral and HardyA short time ago, in our review about the RHS London flower show, we talked about the value of natural screening in the garden and this week we wanted to devote some more time to the subject, and specifically the benefits of growing Bamboo. It’s a rare and wonderful plant that can engage you on ...
Views: 722 - Black as the Night - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2012 from Floral and HardyWe are continuing this week with our regular editorial concerning the qualities of specific colour tones within the garden, how best to take advantage of them through your planting choices, and how properly to plant and then maintain the cultivars you select. This week’s colour is the elusive ...
Views: 591 - Blooms on Canvas - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2012 from Floral and HardyNature, and more specifically its minutiae, comprises probably the oldest topic of recorded artwork - dating from the documentation of prehistoric animal and tree life in the cave scrawls of our ancestors, to Van Gogh’s Irises, arguably the most lucrative bouquet in history. This week I'll be ...
Views: 752 - Blue Foliage Plants - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2012 from Floral and HardyFollowing on from last week’s article concerning silver toned foliage, this week we will be covering the colour blue, and a selection of the most effective cultivars for displaying this hue. As has been mentioned previously, it is interesting to consider the time of year that your foliage will ...
Views: 811 - Britain in Bloom 2012 - by Submitted on Feb 14, 2012 from Floral and HardyWith the New Year, the Royal Horticultural Society ushers in a new batch of contestants for the annual ‘Britain in Bloom’ competition, where hopeful communities from all over England compete to be honoured as champions of Britain’s ecology. The objective of this RHS phenomenon is to encourage ...
Views: 498 - Building a Night Garden - by Submitted on May 23, 2012 from Floral and HardyThe week before last I was lucky enough to attend Custom House’s Grand Designs convention, wherein over a thousand different exhibitors displayed a range of new products, techniques and disciplines, applicable not only to interior design and decoration but also (on a smaller scale) to ...
Views: 735 - Bulbs For Your Summer Borders - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2012 from Floral and HardyAs is often the way in England, our snow has waited for the false security of nearly spring to… spring upon us! However, not to be caught out, we’ve prepared a list of bulbs that will be available to buy soon, to be your first strike back against our belligerent and unpredictable climate and ...
Views: 586 - Caring For Your Compost - by Submitted on Jan 27, 2012 from Floral and HardyThere are fewer habits a gardener can develop that are of greater benefit than composting. Dedication and persistence are rewarded with a cost effective means to fertilize your garden, not to mention a practical use for your garden and household green waste. So, this week’s editorial will focus ...
Views: 638 - Chelsea 2012 – The People’s Champions - by Submitted on Jun 08, 2012 from Floral and HardyFollowing on from last week’s update on this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, we wanted to include a piece concerning your, the ‘people’s’, choice winners. Every year the Royal Horticultural Society awards two designers with this auspicious title based on the many thousands of votes they receive from ...
Views: 685 - Chelsea Flower Show 2012 - by Submitted on Jun 07, 2012 from Floral and HardyLast week saw this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, an event of special significance for one of its garden’s sponsors, Brewin and Dolphin, for they were celebrating their 250th anniversary. So, with an eye to our horticultural heritage, we thought it appropriate to research the history of the Chelsea ...
Views: 834 - Choosing a Lawnmower - by Submitted on May 11, 2012 from Floral and HardyWhile mowing the lawn may seem a mundane and at times trying task, it needn't be. Indeed the maintenance of a fresh, emerald swath can be extremely therapeutic, provided you have the right tools for the job, however, it can also be a real pain in the neck if you find yourself ill equipped. ...
Views: 691 - Clipping the Clematis – a guide to proper pruning - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2012 from Floral and HardyClematis are one of the most beautiful, versatile and, subsequently, popular additions to the British garden. Due to their ability to grow vertically on walls and trellis, in containers, or horizontally entwining with other plants and shrubs, it is no surprise that, once you have this cultivar ...
Views: 581 - Culpeper Gardens - by Submitted on Jun 28, 2011 from Floral and HardyIf you get the chance to visit Leeds Castle in Kent this summer, don’t miss out on the Culpeper Gardens, located just past the castle and restaurants. It is a traditional garden named after the castle’s 17th century owners, but despite its mature appearance, it was only started in 1980. We ...
Views: 619 - Divided We Stand - by Submitted on Apr 02, 2012 from Floral and HardyPlant division is one of the most common, not to mention cost effective practices that ensures consistent propagation. This means you can get new plants that are true to the original for free, and now is a good time to do it for many cultivars. In this piece we will discuss the proper ...
Views: 665 - Don’t Make a Folly of Foliage! - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2012 from Floral and HardyWell it was inevitable – we have run out of colour schemes for your gardens bloomers, so natural progression dictates we focus now on the foliage of a garden and how this can be tailored to suit your colour choices. As with the floral side of planting, the hue of foliage is affected by the ...
Views: 657 - Don’t Soil Your Chances - by Submitted on Mar 02, 2012 from Floral and HardyThe importance of soil types in the different areas of your garden cannot be overstated, as the ph level (alkalinity versus acidity), density and moisture retention can all serve as major factors in the success of the plants you try to cultivate. Aside from this you also have the fertility of ...
Views: 672 - Drugs you wont get arrested for growing in your garden!! - by Submitted on May 20, 2011 from Floral and HardyAs winter approaches and we must all endure the mediocrity months till Christmas, only dulled further by the flu and fevers autumn promises, Floral and Hardy present to you a list of our top ten, easy to grow herbal and medicinal remedies that can be cultivated as part of a vibrant and ...
Views: 523 - Earth Plants are Easy - by Submitted on Jan 16, 2012 from Floral and HardyWe are all perhaps familiar with the stress and difficulty that comes from attempting propagation of our beloved perennial plants using cuttings or division, particularly the ever present threat of diseases that are so easily spread through such techniques. And once you’ve got the past the ...
Views: 571 - Emeralds and Evergreens - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2012 from Floral and HardyGreen is the colour on the agenda this week and, with the last frosts of spring soon to be behind us, we can expect a lot more of it in the coming months. The primary connotation of green is, of course, its prolific occurrence in nature and this is the primary reason green is such a popular ...
Views: 428 - Expanding your Horizons - Tricks to Make your Garden Look Bigger! - by Submitted on Jan 22, 2012 from Floral and HardyWhile an experienced gardener will have a knack for best taking advantage of the space they’ve got, for example with the correct balance of small to large plants or how their borders are positioned, there is one magic trick none of us can perform and that is expanding the space itself. Of ...
Views: 1366 - Femme Fatales - by Submitted on Aug 24, 2011 from Floral and HardyOn the news recently it was reported that a very short sighted council had planted a bed of ‘Monkshood’ in a town in the Lake District - fair enough they're a beautiful flower, however to plant them in such close proximity to a children's area indicates a gross lack of research, as these are one ...
Views: 594 - Five Snow Whites (no dwarves) - by Submitted on Mar 05, 2012 from Floral and HardyContinuing our weekly periodical on colour based cultivars, we bring to you a selection of white and cream hued blooms to accompany those other tones we’ve already covered. The White Garden at Sissinghurst is a famous example of the use of this single colour scheme, although it is of course ...
Views: 637 - Flavoursome Fungus - by Submitted on Jan 04, 2012 from Floral and HardyThis week I bring you the first in a two part piece concerning those fine fungal frequenters of our forests - the mushrooms. This first part concerns the edible of their kin that you should look out for on your next woodland walk. Of course our meagre list of five doesn’t account for even 1% of ...
Views: 631 - Floral and Hardy’s Top Ten Drought Tolerant Plants - by Submitted on Apr 04, 2012 from Floral and HardyTo help your garden cope with the hosepipe ban and our seemingly changing climate, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite drought tolerant plants: 1. Abelia grandiflora – a large, easy-to-look-after, semi-evergreen shrub - properly tended it can reach heights of 1.8 metres and will bear ...
Views: 807 - Floriade 2012 - by Submitted on Apr 18, 2012 from Floral and HardyIt is 2012 and aside from a certain birthday party here in the UK, we have several things to celebrate, not least of which is Holland’s Floriade, the ten-yearly festival that, as of this year, has been going strong since its inception in 1960. The theme for this year’s expo, which takes place in ...
Views: 685 - Flowers in Poetry - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2012 from Floral and HardySince time immemorial flowers have been the subject of literature, paintings and poetry, not only for their beauty but more significantly the connotations that their individual appearances, uses and detriments evoke. Consider how often Shakespeare would characterize flowers or even use them ...
Views: 764 - Flying the Flag - by Submitted on May 18, 2012 from Floral and HardyOne of the major headlines that have dominated the domestic press runs this year has been Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee, the celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th year on the throne - a feat only achieved once before, by her grandmother Victoria. And her celebratory tour of the country, and, ...
Views: 766 - Free Trees! - by Submitted on Aug 11, 2011 from Floral and HardyIn honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Woodland Trust have recently announced their plans for a commemorative woodland. The initiative looks to purchase a introductory five hundred acres for the new site from various private and public land owners. The idea could be regarded as an homage ...
Views: 567 - Friend or Foe? - by Submitted on Apr 17, 2012 from Floral and HardyIt is oft disputed whether an insect population as a general concept is beneficial or detrimental to a gardener, however this subject cannot be decided with a simple black/white frame of mind. Like their micro equivalent bacteria, there are types and species of creepy crawlies that can be ...
Views: 726 - From Here to Serenity - by Submitted on Apr 12, 2011 from Floral and HardyThis week we'll be departing from domestic gardening conventions to appreciate the traditions of a more exotic vein of horticulture, one whose stylistic boundaries, while not necessarily correlating with European tastes, are still invaluable as a source of inspiration - namely the design, ...
Views: 519 - Gardening Around the World: The Top Ten Gardens to Visit – Part 1! - by Submitted on May 21, 2012 from Floral and HardyAs gardening is such a global pursuit, is important that those of us who hold an interest in horticulture should be encouraged to pursue the purveyors of the craft’s excellence – and to the ends of the earth if possible! With summer holidays approaching, we now have an opportunity to tailor any ...
Views: 776 - Gardening Around the World: The Top Ten Gardens to Visit – Part 2! - by Submitted on May 22, 2012 from Floral and HardyContinuing, as promised, from last week’s article which began this title race for, what could be considered, ‘the greatest garden design standing’, we now have for you numbers 6-10 of the premier league of horticulture. As with the first section, our aim has been to maintain the standard of ...
Views: 698 - Gardens through the Ages - by Submitted on Mar 06, 2012 from Floral and HardyAs a pursuit built as much on our own foresight as it is on our creativity, it is important to reflect on the schools of thought that drove previous horticulturalists, because, as influential as the great painters and film makers are on our artistic heritage, so of course must be the gardeners ...
Views: 650 - Good enough to eat - by Submitted on Mar 17, 2011 from Floral and HardyWe are all familiar with vegetable flowers in the form of Cauliflower, Broccoli and Artichokes, but other, more ornamental flowers have been used in the cuisine of cultures all over the world for thousands of years. The Romans were keen on them, as were the ancient Chinese, and European medieval ...
Views: 622 - Green Roofing - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2012 from Floral and HardyContinuing the theme of the importance of sustainable gardens, here we will discuss what are known as ‘Green Roofs’, the different types available and why they have become such an integral part of modern horticultural planning. As one can ascertain from the name, the basic premise of a Green ...
Views: 807 - Haiti Survie - by Submitted on Mar 23, 2012 from Floral and HardyIn the wake of recent disasters that have stricken the country with poverty and forced its people into the tall shadow of starvation, and since the devastation of 2010’s earthquake that laid waste to much of the country’s infrastructure, the charity organization Haiti Survie has turned its ...
Views: 837 - Hedge Your Bets - by Submitted on Mar 02, 2012 from Floral and HardyIt can be a confusing affair deciding what varieties to use when planting hedges in your garden and the myriad of different species and their attributes can daunt the inexperienced gardener – we’ve all heard the nightmare stories of Leylandii disputes! The first point you should consider is ...
Views: 650 - Heed the Seeds! - by Submitted on Jan 10, 2012 from Floral and HardyThe January sales might not apply to gardening, but garden bargains can begin early with ordering seeds in preparation for the planting period of early spring to give yourselves plenty of inexpensive colour in the garden this summer. In light of this, here is a collection of six beautiful and ...
Views: 605 - Hi Ho Silver! - by Submitted on Mar 30, 2012 from Floral and HardyThis week we have a list of silver tinted cultivars to brighten your borders. A quick word on the colour silver - while you won’t achieve a mirror effect no matter how diligent your maintenance routine is, you can bring a bright, shiny feel to your garden with shimmering silver foliage. It’s ...
Views: 745 - How to Choose a Greenhouse - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2012 from Floral and HardyUnlike our previous piece about choosing the appropriate compost bin, the decision to invest in a greenhouse is an altogether larger investment and the greenhouse you choose will be dictated largely by the parameters of space and budget. You also need to think about what you will be using the ...
Views: 583 - Irrigation: What’s the cost? - by Submitted on Mar 08, 2012 from Floral and HardyOne of the key concerns that modern gardeners face is how best to utilize one of the most important resources to their projects, that is to say water. There are a of myriad different methods that deal with this problem and each has their own benefits and drawbacks, ranging from their basic ...
Views: 711 - Its a jungle out there - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2011 from Floral and HardyIn light of the rumoured approaching summer, and with the hope of warmer weather ahead, I present to you this week a list of tropical plants suitable for a metropolitan environment. City gardens often suffer, not just because of space restrictions or local conditions, but more commonly through ...
Views: 919 - Lawns in Spring - by Submitted on May 08, 2012 from Floral and HardyIf winter be our great discontent, then spring is the time of great uncertainty and none in recent memory has proved this the case more righteously than the one we are currently experiencing. So far we have seen several late frosts, one of the longest droughts in recorded history and now a ...
Views: 784 - Leaves of a Different Colour - by Submitted on Apr 17, 2012 from Floral and HardyContinuing our colour themes editorials about the different tones of foliage available to the gardener to provide interest and contrast throughout the seasons, we write this week about the anomaly of variegated foliage. The term refers to any foliage which is possessed of multiple leaf pigments ...
Views: 675 - London Orchid Show - by Submitted on Apr 02, 2012 from Floral and HardyA couple of weeks ago, the RHS celebrated its London Orchid Show in fine style, exhibiting the very best of England’s cultivars and awarding those of special merit. One of the country’s most prolific growers -The Chantelle Nursery - made quite an impact on the show with their Cattleya hybrids - ...
Views: 729 - Lopping the Limbs - A Guide to Winter Pruning Fruit Trees - by Submitted on Jan 22, 2012 from Floral and HardyEverybody loves fruit - it’s nature’s ice cream with more than forty flavours, it’s the backbone of our vitamin intake, not to mention a good looking addition to the garden. Those of us who have, are or will in the future, grow fruit trees will inevitably have to learn the art of proper pruning. ...
Views: 597 - Marauding Mushrooms - by Submitted on Jan 11, 2012 from Floral and HardyAs promised in last week’s editorial on delectable domestic mushrooms from Oysters to Puffballs, here is the twin article that will inform on the appearance, and effects, of some of Britain’s most dangerous fungus. 1. Yellow Stainer (Agaricus xanthodermus) Often confused, to the folly of its ...
Views: 744