Archive for February, 2015


Japan

Japan

Old School Gardener

Buddleja 'Ellen's Blue'

Buddleja ‘Ellen’s Blue’

1. Agapanthus

2. Aubrieta 

3. Buddleja

4. Iris

5. Nepeta

6. Rose

7. Wisteria

Old School Gardener

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Old School Gardener

choisya-shrub-white-flowerHedging-

Instead of a formal hedge that needs trimming twice a year, use an informal border of compact evergreen shrubs which don’t need pruning. If you want a hedge , choose one that is not too vigourous for the chosen position and that is trouble free.

Further information:

RHS- Evergreen shrubs

RHS- Planting hedges

Shrub profiles

Hedging plants

Source: ‘Short Cuts to Great Gardens’ (Reader’s Digest 1999)

Old School Gardener

 

GarryRogers's avatarGarryRogers Nature Conservation

There are also some other important points to consider regarding farm cost savings and higher production yields with mycorrhizae. The University of Wisconsin made a study of the effects of Mycorrhizal Applications Inc’s product called MycoApply on potato yields, profit and another extremely interesting thing about the application of phosphorus in the field. It was found that where conventional grown potatoes needed 120 lbs of phosphorus added per acre, under the mycorhizal applications to the potato fields, only 30 lbs was needed. Hence less phosphorus and more efficient mycorrhizal nutrient competition and uptake means less fertilizers. There was also an added bonus of more yield of potatoes per acre and profit by the usage of mycorrhizae into the soils. So drought tolerance, superior nutrient uptake which negated tons of fertilizers on industrial site, 200% increase in water hydration which made plants drought resistant and the added plus of less weeds…

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Municipal Dreams's avatarMunicipal Dreams

We left the Honor Oak Estate last week, perhaps as oppressed by the inequality and constraints that have marked the lives of our poorer citizens as by Nazi bombs.  1945 brought the defeat of Hitler; the struggle to achieve decent conditions for all our people would be longer-fought.  In this and for the new generation of planners, the Estate would feature as a warning of what to avoid.  The ‘neighbourhood units’ and ‘mixed developments’ favoured – in principle rather better than in practice – in the post-war years were a conscious reaction to the design failings of interwar council estates, of which Honor Oak was taken to be a prime example. (1)

Barville Close Barville Close

The General Election of 1945 saw a Labour landslide and a shift, it seems, in the politics and identity of the Estate too: ‘After the war we all went voting for Labour’, largely, as remembered, through the…

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This week’s little jaunt at Blickling was a revisit to the Winter Garden, which I helped to start clearing of leaves and generally tidying up, last week.

The crisp cold day began with more leaf clearing and I was soon joined by half a dozen other volunteers who were kind enough to start clearing and loading the various leaf piles I made as I went across the borders. Fortunately I’d finished raking by lunchtime and could begin ‘tickling’ the matted soil surface with a border fork; generally perking up the look of the borders, including revealing many more clumps of snow drops and hellebores and doing the odd bit of pruning to Dogwoods that were starting to layer.

After and hour the heavens opened- thunder, lightning and a heavy snow shower made the going rather more challenging. We continued for a while, but it was soon clear that the snow was settling and we couldn’t see the earth for turning, so ‘an early bath’ was in order. Thanks to the ‘Leaf Maidens’ who diligently gathered in next year’s leaf mould and worked with me to improve the appearance of this garden.

Sorry about the poor quality photographs- a combination of wet screen, poor light and shaking hands (in the cold) made for a bit of ‘shake’ on the ‘phone camera!

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WP_20150129_14_26_03_ProFurther information:

Blickling Hall website

Blickling Hall Facebook page

A 360 degree tour of Blickling Hall

Old School Gardener

 

nature playHere’s a final extract from the book ‘Noah’s Children’ by Sara Stein. This piece reflects on how as adults we are in danger of losing our ability to play and that this is part of a wider disconnect between humans (especially children) and the natural world about us:

‘One of the nicest things about the human race is our abiding juvenility….We’re fun; we’re funny. There is probably no species, not even chimps or wolves, in which there is as much behavioural congruence between adults and children.

Yet how ‘unfun’ we’ve gotten! Biking has gone pro; it is to be performed seriously (exhaustingly!) and properly attired. Even taking a walk has been transformed into walking – stylishly, with striped sweats and weighted mannerisms, to the purpose of fitness- and without an eye for what might be of interest along the way. In an article I read about dismantling playgrounds and abandoning school recess, a principal was quoted on the subject of improving academic performance. ” You can’t do that”, he said, “by having kids hanging on monkey bars.”…’

Coincidentally I’ve just come an interesting review of a new book about children, learning, play and nature. Here’s a quote from that:

‘Children play, and used to play ‘in nature’, outdoors. To some extent they still do, but probably not nearly enough. We inhibit their explorations, creativity, and self-testing. And the same goes for adults.’

You might like to take a look at the review here: ‘Learning with Nature and the Nature of Play’

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this series of extracts. I certainly found the book very stimulating and am currently enjoying Stein’s follow up to ‘Noah’s Garden’, all about natural plant communities and the like.

Old School Gardener

Finding Nature

Nature Connectedness Research Blog by Prof. Miles Richardson

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

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 :)