Nasturtiums how to grow

Nasturtiums in the garden

Most of us can claim to have grown a nasturtium or two by about age six, as nasturtiums large seeds make them a favorite "day-care project" (along with beans and sunflowers), and because they germinate so quickly (in 10 to 14 days)- presumably before budding young horticulturists lose interest. But familiarity shouldn't breed contempt: These annuals have handsome, shield-shaped leaves and bear unique, helmethaped flowers in hot. vivid, carnival colors.

Nasturtium flowers contain about 130 milligrams of vitamin C per lOO grams.

Nasturtiums belong to the genus Tropaeolam (meaning "trophy"), which comprises about 85 species that are

indigenous to the mountainous regions of Central and South America. Forms of our common garden nasturtium— T. majus, a South American native found from Colombia to Bolivia—have been grown and selected in the Americas and Europe for more than 350 years.

All of the nasturtium plant (except the root) is edible, and there's no doubt our ancestors looked upon nasturtiums primarily as food: The common name giving a nod to the unrelated genus Nasturtium, which

we recognize as watercress.

Nasturtiums how to grow

When growing your nasturtiums in containers, remember to use soilless potting mix or just plain peat moss that's been well-moistened; the least hint of nitrogen will produce leaves like lily pads, but not a single flower. Like morning glories, nasturtiums manufacture all the food they require through photosynthesis, so lay off the 20-20-20, and simply savor the flavor while enjoying the view!

• Sow nasturtium seeds in situ outdoors in beds or containers one centimetre deep in a full-sun location, one week before your last frost date.
• In beds and borders sow nasturtium seeds in nutrient-poor soil (amend rich soil with sand and peat moss).
• Harvest young nasturtium leaves and flowers as soon as they're fully open.

Nasturtiums perfect partners

Grow nasturtiums together with other annuals and tender perennials that bloom in the same color palette and that will tolerate the same lean growing conditions, such as:

FIESTA GITANA' DWARF CALENDULA (Calendula officinalis Fiesta Gitana Group) 

ANNUAL CHOCOLATE COSMOS (Cosmos ctrosanguineus)

ZONE 8

'YELLOW FLAME' GAZANIA (Gozonia 'Yellow Flame' [Big Kiss Series]) ANNUAL

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Outdoor decorating ideas

Outdoor decorating ideas

Having beautiful garden gives you lots of inspiration decorating ideas. Look at our outdoor decorating ideas for new ideas. Create relaxing area in your garden.

Nice decorating ideas on outdoor resting areas.

One of the easiest outdoor decorating ideas is using a hammock with lot of pillows and fabric throws.

Create a romantic tea setting around your lavender bushes.

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Small garden design ideas and plants

Small garden design

Find here lots of small garden design ideas. This enclosed courtyard garden bursting with annuals, perennials and climbers shows you don’t have to sacrifice flower power to have a successful small space.

Small garden design

At Weavers House, Barrie and Maggie Thorpe have created a small but densely planted garden, which satisfies their dual needs of little work but maximum plant pleasure. When the couple moved to Weavers
more than 18 years ago, the 12sq m garden was completely grassed over, and the uninspiring view from the house was of a down-at-heel, corrugated iron garage, with a lean-to aviary attached to it.

For someone with Maggie’s gardening credentials - she worked at Bressinghams in Dorney near Windsor, owned and ran a garden tour company, and has lectured on gardening - this was destined to be a shortlived
outlook. The size and scale of the space, though, was perfect for this pair, as they were then newly retired. Barrie was adamant that he no longer wished to mow lawns, shape edges and cut hedges, but Maggie knew that she wanted to continue to grow bulbs, roses, clematis, shrubs, trees and herbaceous plants.

small garden design, small garden

Small garden design

The canvas was essentially bare, so it was simple to start from ground level. They also wanted to reduce the daily maintenance of their small garden. So they measured out four 2sq m beds, two raised beds and a number of smaller planting areas that fit snugly against walls. Then they put in place an underground
watering system, with snakes of black leaky hoses laid into the main beds. Next came the paving - millstone flags - linking beds and forming paths wide enough in places to be used as terracing. All of it was designed
to do away with edges and lawns.

The eyesore of the original garage with its corrugated iron walls and roof, and leanto aviary appendage, is transformed. Now its refaced creamy-white clapboard walls and terracotta-tiled roof are the backdrop
for a more attractive view from the house, particularly from the Gothic-style windows of the conservatory.

Small garden plants

Now climbers including Rosa Iceberg and Graham Thomas, and clematis such as ‘Duchess of Albany’ and
‘Markham’s Pink’ clothe a new trellis here all summer. Auriculas thrive in pots under the shelter of a smart verandah, and a birdcage on the table pays homage to the former inhabitants of this area, when it was an aviary. Also making a nod to the avian past is the statue of Papageno, the bird seller in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, which sits in a swathe of Rosa ‘Ballerina’ in one of the beds.

Maggie uses for her small garden design lavender rather than box to edge the beds, as it attracts bees. In a small garden, she feels, it’s essential to bring in wildlife such as bees and birds, as they offer extra dimensions of movement and sound, as well as visual delights.

Small garden plants: Rosa Pomponella; Rosa Graham Thomas

Small garden plants:long-flowering Alstroemeria ‘Red Beauty’ makes a great cut flower; large-bloomed Clematis ‘Jackmanii Superba’

Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ is her lavender of choice because of its dense, deep colour and compact height. Its size and scale make it a perfect wrap-around to complement the plantings that rise and fall inside these beds throughout the seasons. Maggie trims the lavenders back twice a year and often has to replace individual plants due to wear and tear from herbaceous plants that lean on them.

Shrub roses such as Bonica are the mainstay of the beds, with herbaceous plants of all sorts adding to the display in their turn. Density of planting allows her to use layers of plants to provide shape, texture, colour and fragrance in the beds.

In her small but very well-appointed greenhouse, Maggie sows annuals such as colourful cosmos and corncockle (Agrostemma githago ‘Ocean Pearl’), which she uses to fill any spaces and provide a
floaty, willowy feel. Many seed companies offer small or low-growing versions of popular annuals, but Maggie feels that these just emphasise the smallness of a space. She prefers growing tall plants that offer colour and in many cases fragrance. Larkspurs and sweet peas are among her favourites. ‘I like to dot annuals about in the garden each year… it stops the space from looking solid and full. Delphiniums and verbascums look permanent, but with the addition of annuals the garden has an airy, light look.’

Small garden plants: wonderfully scented honeysuckle, Lonicera periclymenum ‘Belgica’; Eryngium giganteum pops out above pink roses; small star-shaped flowers in neon pink make Clematis ‘Princess of
Wales’ stand out.


As the small garden is so densely planted, it is important to feed the plants. Beyond the small garden gate, Maggie has space for three compost bins into which she delightedly adds grass clippings from her neighbours. She uses the compost as a mulch in winter, and whenever there are new plants to go into the ground.

In a small garden, everything is available to view at once, unless you are able to use plants to conceal. For Maggie, the pivotal plant in the garden is a holly, an Ilex aquifolium ‘Argentea Marginata Pendula’,
which is home to the garden’s resident robin. As it is evergreen and beautifully variegated, it provides colour and shape all year round. Hollies are slow-growing, and Maggie keeps this specimen under control by clipping it back in winter. Then she uses the cut foliage for indoor decorations at Christmas time.

She uses pots for additional growing space. In one, there’s a Cornus controversa, which Maggie admits isn’t ideal, but where space is restricted and some plants have to be had, this is the only solution. So Barrie’s wishes for a low-maintenance garden are fulfilled; and Maggie has skilfully planted so densely that her plot offers as much pleasure as a garden double its size.

Small English garden:

Weavers House, 37 Swan St, Boxford, Suffolk
CO10 5NZ. Open for Boxford Open Gardens
on Sun 2 June. Turn to pg 80 for Maggie and
Barrie’s advice on small cottage gardens.

PHOTOGRAPHS MARCUS HARPUR | WORDS BARBARA SEGALL

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Bluebell cottage garden in rural Cheshire

Cottage garden in rural Cheshire

Bluebell Cottage Gardens and Lodge Lane Nursery- is a beautiful hidden

gem tucked away in a quiet corner of the Weaver Valley, Cheshire. During spring,

its bluebell woodlands put on a spectacular show and in summer the herbaceous

borders come to life in a whirlwind of colour and foliage. 

Bluebell cottage garden in rural Cheshire

Backing on lo the Trent and Mersey Canal, (he land features a garden and plant nursery, 

a three-acre wildflower meadow and ancient bluebell woodland. The nursery is an RHS partner

nursery, specialising in hardy herbaceous perennials, but it's a far cry from the

commercialism and large-scale production of corporate plant shops. Owners Sue

and David Beesley deliberately avoided turning Bluebell Cottage Gardens into

a one-stop garden shop, preferring to let visitors spend some time exploring the

scenery and picking up new skills. "It's never going to be some kind of Wyvale," says

Sue, describing the cosy tearoom which offers self-service tea and coffee, locally-

made cakes and Cheshire ice cream. "The idea of this little place is that you make

your own tea, sit down, read some books. It's quite nice because we get people

wandering in and perching up for the afternoon during a hailstorm."

Bluebell cottage garden in rural Cheshire

In keeping with this informal set up. Sue has added a new 'demonstration

vegetable patch', complete with raised beds featuring classic English vegetables,

permanent fruits and salad. Here, visitors arc free to take notes, swap lips and

generally learn more about vegetable growing. "We just show people round and

exchange ideas, and people can discuss their own vegetable plots," says Sue.

"I think it's especially useful for relatively novice veg growers. You might want

someone to show you around their allotment, but how do you go about that — if

you walk onto an allotment there's usually all these people looking fierce and busy!

So we've set up ours as a place to stand around and chat about vegetable growing.

We've also got a little shop with some basic seeds, plants and organic fertiliser."

Bluebell cottage garden in rural Cheshire

COTTAGE GARDEN ADDRESS BOOK:

Bluebell Cottage Gardens    Lodge Lane Nursery is open Wednesday to Sunday and on Bank Holidays.

To plan your visit or to find out about the education and leisure events held throughout the year, visit: www.lodgelanenursery.co.uk, email: info@lodgelane.co.uk or call 01928 713 718.

Sue is creating a garden for this year's RHS Show at Tatton Park, from 22 to 26 July. For further

information about the show, visit: www.rhs.org.uk/whatson/shows/tattonpark2009.

Find out more about Reaseheath College's horticulture courses at: www.reaseheath.ac.uk.

BLUEBELL COTTAGE GARDEN

Since moving into the cottage in February 2007, Sue and David have

transformed the overgrown land into a flourishing cootage garden and nursery. Apple,

cherry and pear trees can be found in a canal-side orchard, and the 1.5-acre

garden includes a pond, a rockery and an abundance of colourful flowers.

A circular wall encloses an area next to the cottage, the size of a typical

suburban back garden, where Sue uses her skills to illustrate what can be

done in a relatively small amount of space. "It's the size of most people's back

garden," she says. "I use it as a way oi encouraging people to do away with

creating straight borders around square gardens. Because in the summer you

can't see the wall, it's filled with flowers and foliage - it's really pretty."

Looking to the future, determined Sue has two main ambitions for the

cottage gardens and nursery: firstly, to develop the demonstration vegetable plots; and

secondly to create a new exotics garden, inspired by late gardener and writer,

Christopher Lloyd. "Sometimes people have a very English concept of what a

garden ought to be," she says. "One of my instincts is to have a tropical garden

with plants like bananas. One of the reasons I really love Christopher Lloyd's

garden in East Sussex is that he ripped out the rose garden, planted it with

exotics and broke all the rules. He'd plant pink next to orange and say, 'Come

on then, tell me it doesn't work'."

Bluebell cottage garden in rural Cheshire

It's this progressive way of gardening that drives Sue to keep changing and

evolving the gardens; creating new vistas and altering planting arrangements to

ensure a sense of continuity and flow. An archway to one of the garden's many

sections is inscribed with the words 'Cette Vic M'aime', meaning 'This life loves

me'. The site is so full of colour and such a place of tranquillity, that it's hard to

see how anyone visiting Bluebell Cottage Gardens could think otherwise.

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4 Bright Spring Garden Plans

Bright Spring Garden Plan

Yellow daffodils, red tulips, purple grape hyacinths, and white hyacinths spring garden plan bring to this rock garden new life!

Bright Spring Garden Plan

PLANT LIST

A. 5 Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis): Zones 4–8
B. 50 Grape hyacinth (10 groups of 5 each) (Muscari armeniacum): Zones 3–8
C. 70 Daffodil (14 groups of 5 each) (Narcissus ‘King Alfred’): Zones 3–10
D. 40 Darwin hybrid tulip (8 groups of 5 each) (Tulipa ‘Red Apeldoorn’): Zones 4–8

Spring Garden Plan #2

1. Forsythia ovata.
2. Corydalis bracteata.
3. Narcissus х hybridus 'Goblet'.
4. Corydalis solida.

Spring Garden Plan #3

Spring Garden Plan

1. Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'.
2. Pinus mugo 'Hesse1.
3. Narcissus x hybridus 'Goblet'.
4. Corydalis buschii.
5. Muscari armeniacum.

Spring Garden Plan #4

Spring Garden Plan #3

1.   Forsythia ovata.
2.   Picea abics 'Nidiformis'.
3.   Corydalis bracteata.
4.    Corydalis ambigua.
5.   Narcissus х hybridus 'Goblet'.
6.   Vaccinium vitis-idaea.

Read more:http://myenglishgarden.ucoz.ru/publ/vesennie_cvety_i_vesennij_cvetnik/7-1-0-44

Tips for Installing Your Garden

Before You Begin

Preparation is the key to creating a garden that will offer a lifetime of pleasure. Before you head to the

nursery, review all garden plan materials. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I have a suitable spot for this plan? The layout diagram shows the dimensions for

the plan. In general, you can enlarge or reduce the size of the garden by adding or eliminating plants,

although the character of the garden may change if you alter the size dramatically.

• Do I have the right growing conditions? Check the plant list to see if the plan will do

best in sun, part shade, or full shade. Be sure the plants are suited to your USDA Zone.

• Do I need to amend my soil? Most plants thrive in moist but well-drained soil. If you have soil

with lots of sand or clay, amend it liberally with lots of organic matter, such as compost.

• Is my soil’s pH and fertility okay? If you’re unsure, inquire about testing at your county’s

extension service office. Follow the recommendations that come with your test results if you need to

correct the soil’s pH (how acid or alkaline the soil is) or fertility.

Edging

Beds and borders are easier to maintain if they’re edged to keep surrounding grass or weeds from

growing in. Choose plastic, metal, stone, or brick—whatever you prefer. If you have lawn around your bed,

consider adding a 6- to 12 inch-wide swath of masonry or stone set even with the surrounding soil to act as a mowing strip.

Mulching

Mulch your garden after planting. Mulch conserves moisture, cools the soil, and protects against water runoff

and erosion. Organic mulches such as shredded bark need to be topped off every couple of years as the mulch decays. Mulches such as crushed stone are more permanent, but they do not improve your soil over time.

Aftercare

The first season of growth is the most critical. Water thoroughly every other day for the first two weeks, then give your garden about an inch of water a week for the rest of the season. The following year, you can let nature take its course, supplementing dry periods with deep watering.

You also should be diligent about weeding your bed during the first year. As the plants mature and fill in, there will be fewer opportunities for weeds to grow. A thick layer of mulch will also help keep weeds in check.

Ongoing Maintenance

Most plants will thrive with minimal care. If you need to prune trees or shrubs to maintain their shape or

size, do it in late winter before growth has started. The exception to this general rule is spring-flowering shrubs like lilacs that should be pruned immediately after flowering.

Spring Garden Plan. Create the Bed

To lay out your bed, use a garden hose to mark the outline. (Sprinkle flour along the hose for a temporary

mark.). Using a sharp spade, dig along the marked line to set the edge of your bed.

If the spot is currently covered by lawn, remove the sod using a straight-edged shovel or sod cutter. To make this easier, wet the area thoroughly, then use the shovel to cut the lawn into strips that are the width of the shovel and about 3 feet long. (Sharpen the edge of your shovel frequently with a file.) Use the shovel to pry up and roll back the strips of sod. Once the sod is removed, loosen the underlying soil with a shovel or a

power tiller.

Regardless of how you prepare your bed, use this opportunity to mix in organic matter (such as compost,

peat moss, or rotted manure) and loosen the soil at least 6 inches deep. Don’t mix in fertilizer unless your

soil test shows a need; in general, excessive amounts of fertilizer will do more harm than good.

After your bed is prepared, water it thoroughly and wait a week. This will allow weed seeds to germinate. Pull these seedlings or dig them back into the soil. Or spray them with an herbicide. Follow the instructions on the packaging, including the time to wait after application before planting.

Spring Garden Plan & Planting

If you have all of your plants on hand, keep them in their pots and set them out on the planting bed. This will

give you a preview of how the bed will look, and allow you to make adjustments before digging any holes.

When you are satisfied with the placement, plant your garden from largest to smallest container (usually

trees first, then shrubs, perennials, and annuals).

• Tree-Planting Gardening Tips: Dig a hole that’s twice as wide as the pot or root ball but no deeper. If the

tree is potted, loosen the soil slightly around the roots, then place the tree into the planting hole. For

balled-and-burlapped trees, loosen the burlap after the tree is in the hole. Cut away as much of the

burlap as possible. When the tree is in place and straight, fill the hole one-third with soil, tap firmly to

make good contact between roots and soil, then water. Repeat twice more until the hole is filled. Water

the tree thoroughly by letting a hose run slowly for 30 minutes.

• Shrub-Planting Gardenin Tips. Plant shrubs in a hole that’s about twice the diameter of the root ball. The

top of the root ball should be slightly above the surrounding soil level. Backfill with garden soil, taping

firmly to ensure contact between soil and roots. Water immediately by slowly running a hose at the

shrub’s base for about 20 minutes.

• Perennial- and Annual-Planting Gardeing Tips. Set these plants in soil at the same level they were

growing in the pot. Firm the soil around each plant with your hands, then water thoroughly.

Source: http://www.bhg.com

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