Archive for January, 2014


Make your own Bird Cakes ready for the RSPB Big Garden/School Birdwatch

Filed under: School and childrens' Gardening, Wildlife and Nature — 2 Comments
22/01/2014

Gardening With Children's avatarGardening with Children

This weekend it is the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch (25-26 January), so why not take part in the world’s largest wildlife survey, it will only take up an hour of your time, all you need to do during the hour is to record the different species of birds that you see and the highest number of each species that you see at any one time. Schools and Youth Groups such as Brownies and Cubs can get involved too by taking part in the Big Schools’ Birdwatch again by watching and recording birds for an hour but this can take place 20 January – 14 February. Send in or register your results online, these results are invaluable and will be used to monitor our bird populations and help with their conservation.

If you are going to take part it is a good idea to put out plenty of bird food and

View original post 279 more words

Comment

What Can I do with all those plastic bottles? #2

Video
Filed under: Gardening techniques, Grow your own food, Recycling projects — Leave a comment

An inspiring movie about how to create food growing areas using recycled bottles, buckets and other containers.

Old School Gardener

Tags: , , , ,
Comment

A-Z of Perennials: W is for Watsonia

Filed under: A-Z of Perennials, Gardening techniques — 5 Comments
21/01/2014

Watsonia-close-upA genus of around 60 species of perennials, Watsonia (‘Bugle Lilies’) are usually found on rocky or grassy slopes and plateux in South Africa and Madagascar.

Most are plants typical of the fynbos area in south Africa, adapted to a Mediteranean -type climate, but some occur along the eastern and inland areas of the country and have adapted to a wider range of conditions, mainly a continental climate with summer rainfall. Many species occur mainly in the mountains, though some occur in sandy flats and marshy areas.Watsonia species were introduced as garden ornamentals to Australia in the mid-19th century and were widely grown by the 1940s.

The genus is named after Sir William Watson, an 18th century Brtiish botanist. Growing from corms, they have erect, usually sword- shaped leaves at the base and are grown for their spikes of tubular flowers in shades of red, orange, pink or white. Stems grow to between 1.2 and 1.7 metres tall. Watsonia flowers for up to 4-5 weeks in spring, which makes it a really interesting plant for perennial borders.

They have an erect growing habit, do not need any staking or support and have blooms that add a ‘zing’ to a garden for weeks on end!

The plants are a little tender, so can only be grown successuflly in places with little or no frost, or alternatively in a greenhouse or conservatory. Spring and summer growing varieties can be grown outdoors in a border and then lifted in the autumn and brought under cover for the winter. They can also be grown in containers.

Watsonia borbonica
Watsonia ‘Wedding Bells’
Watsonia Tresco hybrid
Watsonia pillansii
Watsonia ‘Lakemount’

The most commonly cultivated species is the pink-flowered Watsonia borbonica and its white mutant ‘Arderne’s White’. These were crossed with Watsonia meriana and other species in the early 20th century by breeders in Australia and in California to produce a wide range of cultivars. Watsonia has been eclipsed in popularity by Gladiolus and other bulbs, and is now largely neglected by the nursery industry.

Under glass they should be grown in a loam-based compost with added sharp sand and leaf mould, in full sun. They should be watered freely when in growth and liquid fertiliser perhaps added every month. Outdoors they can be grown in light, well drained soil that does not dry out in summer. A dry mulch can help protect against frost during the winter.

Watsonia with grass
Watsonia tabularis
Watsonia fulgens
Watsonia pyramidata
Watsonia meriana- detail of cormlets following flowers

Further information:

Plant profile- Watsonia

Growing Watsonia

Watsonia on Tresco, Isles of Scilly

RHS- Watsonia pillansii

Old School Gardener

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment

Please share to show my pupils how far a photo can go (even if you don’t want it to!)

Filed under: This and that — 1 Comment

takaita's avatarNot about everything

Sharing this, because it seems an interesting lesson.

I am teaching E-safety to my pupils at the moment and wanted to try a little experiment. Please share this photo and see how far it gets, I want to show my students how easily photos etc can go viral, even when you may not want them to. Share it and see how far it goes!

1607017_10151583722947706_704715591_n

View original post

Comment

Green Monday

Filed under: This and that — 2 Comments
20/01/2014

From the RHS:

‘Blue Monday? Not for gardeners! A new survey has shown that Brits truly are a nation of gardeners with 77% saying they garden and 82% saying it makes them feel happier! A whopping 70% also said that given the choice, they would prefer to spend their working day in a garden. Inspired? See our films of horticulturists explaining their jobs make them happy, and join us on Twitter all day tweeting with ‪#‎GreenMonday‬: http://bit.ly/1b1PJcu’

I’ve just come in from some garden foliage clearing – crisp, sunny afternoon, wonderful sunset….happy.

Old School Gardener

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment

Help build the policy case for play

Filed under: Play, This and that — Leave a comment

Tim Gill's avatarRethinking Childhood

This post asks for your help in building the case for play. I am writing a report – aimed at Government – that gathers together evidence for the difference that play facilities and initiatives can make to children, families and communities. And I need your help in pulling together this evidence. I hope you agree this is an important and urgent task, given the scale of recent cuts to play facilities.

View original post 799 more words

Comment

Drama at Quinta da Regaleira, Portugal

Filed under: Great Gardens, Heritage Gardens & gardening, Portuguese Gardens — Leave a comment

IMG_8203

So, this is it, the final stop on our final day in Portugal (well, at least this visit). The Quinta da Regaleira is one a group of grand palaces with grand gardens and estates in the mountain top resort of Sintra, a few miles from Lisbon, and famous as the retreat of the royals and the rich.

It consists of a romantic palace and chapel, and a luxurious park featuring lakes, grottoes, wells, benches, fountains, and a vast array of exquisite constructions. The palace is also known as “Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire”, from the nickname of its first owner, Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. The estate has had many owners through time, but in 1892 it was purchased by Carvalho Monteiro who then set about creating a place where he could gather symbols that would reflect his interests and ideologies. With the assistance of the Italian architect Luigi Manini, he installed in the 4-hectare estate a range of enigmatic buildings, believed to hide symbols related to Alchemy, Masonry, the Knights Templar and the Rosicrucians. The architecture is an eclectic mix of styles, constructed in the first few years of the 1900’s and completed in 1910.

Beutifully carved stone adorns the many structures in the gardens..

After a number of other owners, and a period in which it fell into disrepair, the estate was bought by Sintra Council in 1997. Extensive restoration was undertaken, and the palace and surroundings were opened to the public one year later.

Most of the estate consists of a dense woodland park crossed by many roads and footpaths. The woods are neatly arranged in the lower parts of the estate, but left wild and disorganized in the upper parts, reflecting Carvalho Monteiro’s belief in primitivism. Decorative, symbolic and leisure structures are dotted aorund the park and there is also a mysterious system of tunnels, which have multiple accesses including via grottoes, Chapel, Waterfall Lake, and “Leda’s Cave” beneath the Regaleira Tower. Their symbolism has been interpreted as a trip between darkness and light, death and resurrection.

The “Initiation Well” or “Initiatic Well” (sometimes referred to as the “Inverted Tower”) is a 27 metre staircase that leads straight down underground and connects with other tunnels via underground walkways.Water is a frequent element with two artificial lakes and several fountains and the Aquarium, built as if it were naturally embedded in a rock.

The Initiation Well- looking up…
..and down…
..accessed via dark grottoes and tunnels…

I loved the playfulness of the park and children of course love its quirky touches, secret passages and tall towers. Quite a place and a fitting end to our latest Portuguese trip.

Superb detailing inside the palace..
Luigi Mannini

Source: Wikipedia

Old School Gardener

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Antscape!

Filed under: PicPosts- great photographs, Wildlife and Nature — 3 Comments
19/01/2014

PriyanClicks's avatarPriyanClicks

030114antscape

View original post

Comment

Scaling Up Sustainable Land and Water Management Practices

Filed under: This and that — Leave a comment

canwefeedtheworld's avatarOne Billion Hungry: Can We Feed the World?

ID-100135195Land degradation and declining soil fertility are major threats to agricultural productivity and food production, particularly in the drylands of sub-Saharan Africa, where land management practices, high fertiliser prices and water shortages contribute and exacerbate the problems. The World Resources Institute have previously calculated that to eradicate food insecurity we need to produce 69% more calories between 2006 and 2050, while at the same time protecting the world’s water, climate and ecosystems. A new report by the WRI entitled Improving Land and Water Management, instalment four of their Creating a Sustainable Food Future series, outlines some of the land and water management practices that can mitigate land degradation and increase agricultural output. They highlight four practices that are particularly promising, which along with raising yields and productivity can increase incomes, natural capital and resilience to climate change. These are:

Agroforestry – the integration of trees and shrubs onto farms

View original post 482 more words

Comment

Soil

Filed under: Gardening techniques, Soils and soil improvement — Leave a comment

fred streeter

‘The soil,is a wonderful thing….treat it like a good old friend…give it the sort of nourishment it really appreciates…keep it in good heart – and it will reward you by growing almost anything your heart desires.’

Fred Streeter, the ‘Radio Gardener’

Old School Gardener

Tags: , , ,
Comment
Finding Nature

Nature Connectedness Research Blog by Prof. Miles Richardson

Families Connect

Norfolk Green Care Network

Connecting People with Nature

Discover WordPress

A daily selection of the best content published on WordPress, collected for you by humans who love to read.

Susan Rushton

Celebrating gardens, photography and a creative life

Unlocking Landscapes

Writing, photography and more by Daniel Greenwood

Alphabet Ravine

Lydia Rae Bush Poetry

MU Library Treasures

TIME GENTS

Australian Pub Project, Established 2013

Vanha Talo Suomi

The Journey from Finnish Rintamamiestalo to Arboretum & Gardens

Marigolds and Gin

Because even in chaos, there’s always gin and a good story …

Bits & Tidbits

RANDOM BITS & MORE TIDBITS

Rambling in the Garden

.....and nurturing my soul

The Interpretation Game

Cultural Heritage and the Digital Economy

pbmGarden

Sense of place, purpose, rejuvenation and joy

SISSINGHURST GARDEN

Notes from the Gardeners...

Deep Green Permaculture

Connecting People to Nature, Empowering People to Live Sustainably

BloominBootiful

A girl and her garden :)

Winterbourne House and Garden

greygoosedotco.wordpress.com/