Azalea In Patio Container

Look at the great colour of the flowering heads on my azalea!

I was given this plant as a gift from my wifes auntie a few years ago and it’s been fab.

It could do with being repotted now as it’s gone a bit leggy as it’s slowly outgrown the terracotta pot.

It flowers every year around late April and lasts a few weeks. The photo doesn’t do the colours justice because as I look at the plant now from the kitchen window it’s a beautiful deep pink.

Unfortunately the azalea has attracted the attention of Archie - our new black labrador puppy - he’s rather partial to having a little nibble at the branches and flowering heads!

National Nettle Week

It’s Be Nice To Nettles Week from 13-24 May, 2009 with the intention being to remind you that the nettle is not just the weed with a strong sting!

Now, you’ll probably not encounter any nettles in your patio containers and tubs but you may well find them in your garden. You’ll certainly stumble upon nettles in urban park areas and out in the countryside. The intention of the Be Nice To Nettles campaign is to educate you on the important natural role that nettles play. Click here and find out why there’s much more to the nettle than the sting.

Patio Water Features

Even the smallest of patios and outdoor spaces have room for an attractive water feature. Made in a variety of sizes and from materials such as slate, granite, copper and stainless steel there is something for every taste from traditional to contemporary.

Watching and listening to a water feature is very calming and relaxing and more of us enjoying the benefits of one. Of course some water features are visually stunning too, with some of them making you think how does that work?

Popular water features at the moment are steel tubes, spheres and rock features. You’ll find a very wide choice of features at UK Waterfeatures.

Daffodils In Pots Are Out

Well I’ve seen a few pots and containers with daffodils in bloom around my neck of the woods (Wirral). Great to feel that spring is on the way - it’s getting much lighter at night too!

How about you - what flowers have you spotted? Seen anything unseasonly early?

Bird Boxes

As the forthcoming St Valentines Day sees the start of National Nest Box Week it’s a good time to start thinking about getting a bird box for your patio or garden. As spring approaches the birds will soon be our in full force (and song!) and they’ll be looking out for suitable homes.

A traditional wooden bird box (not a novelty one - the RSPB doesn’t recommend such nest boxes) is both practical and inexpensive. The popular Garden Bird Supplies online shop is a good place to start looking for one!

My Japanese Maple

This is my Japanese Maple as it was on the 5th April and you can just see that it’s starting to bud having been asleep over the winter. I just love the colours this tree displays - the spring leaves are a vibrant red and the change of colour in autumn is always something I look forward too.

I’ll take a photo of the tree this week to show this years leaf growth and those fantastic colours.

Lily In a Broken Pot

This plant is a Lily (sorry, not sure of the proper name yet, I’ll find out) and it’s been a great buy. I bought it about four years ago now, plonked it in some potting compost and done nothing but water it. I do cut the stalks back once it’s finished flowering - though I suspect I’m not doing it correctly. It’s starting to grow now again this season and it’ll continue to do so quite quickly before producing some very showy flower heads …wait and see!

The problem is the pot - as you can see! The frost has finally won it’s fight with the terracotta and the top bit has cracked off. I’ll leave it as is for this season and simply repot it later on

What’s On My Patio?

I think I’ll bare all so-to-speak and blog about the plants that I’ve got growing in containers on my patio.

We’ve only got a smallish garden and it has two patio areas - one in front of the kitchen window which doesn’t get full sunshine and another small paved area at the side and rear of our garage. This second patio does receive more sunshine which is good but the downside is it’s a small area that also needs to accommodate our table and chairs and the permanently in-situ water butt.

I think blogged about the plants will spur me on to do more container gardening - though I’m not sure where I’ll find all the time, what with our internet search company and the other horticultural love of my life - my allotment!

If you happen to blog about your container gardening exploits - please do let me know, it’d be great to hear from you.

Cheers

John

Crocus To Supply Homebase

Internet gardening retailer Crocus has announced a deal to develop and manage an online plant shop for DIY chain Homebase.

Crocus is the UK’s largest online garden centre and was founded in 2000. Last year the internet retailer had sales of about £10m. In addition to plants and flowers Crocus offer a range of garden related products including:

• tools and equipment
• ceramic and wooden planters
• storage products
• patio furniture
• gifts

Click here to visit crocus today

Stackable Patio Planters

Trusted retailer John Lewis currently have a range of plain, painted zinc patio planters you can handily stack when not in use. Fill with colourful plants for a dramatic, contrasting look. The planters are frost resistant.

Click here to view the range.