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12 tips to save time in the garden: 6

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28/03/2015

A mowing strip using block pavers

Edging-

Keep edges to a minimum by making the lawn shape simple. Install a mowing strip (a hard surface level with the lawn) along the edges of the lawn so that the lawn mower can trim right over the edge. Any awkward tufts of grass and rough areas can be dealt with quickly using a nylon -line trimmer.

Further information:

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

Old School Gardener

Tags: edging, garden, lawns, mowing strip

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PicPost: Gaze boy!

Filed under: Design — 3 Comments

27/03/2015

Gazebo near Gay Village, Montreal via Pierre Fitch

Tags: garden, gazebo, montreal, wooden buildings

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Clay Cross Council: ‘an expression of the will of the people’

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26/03/2015

Municipal Dreams

Clay Cross takes its place – alongside Poplar – as a hallowed place in the Labour pantheon: a site of struggle and resistance, a town where a Labour-led council fought valiantly for its people, whose socialism was less an abstract ideal than part of its living fabric. All that came to a head in the famous 1972 Rents Rebellion. But it was rooted in a history, community and politics of much longer vintage. This post will look at that at that longer story and try to answer the question why there, why then – and, by extension, why not here and why not now.

In the early nineteenth century Clay Cross was little more than a hamlet at a crossroads. A cross stood at the intersection of Clay Lane and Thanet Street and from that it is said to have derived its name. But its history begins in 1837 when George…

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Gardening With Allium

Gallery

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Amazing mosaic flower detail

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ruarkmosaicart

I discovered this amazing mosaic flower detail on Instagram. It is made by Sicis: The Mosaic Factory, based in Italy. This specific mosaic is made from lovely glass tiles and is going on a wall. The colour ranges available in glass tiles make designs for walls & floors endless. The details on these flowers are superb and I love the 3D effect and delicate copper and gold sparkle on the leaves. For more on my work and more beautiful mosaic photos, check out my Instagram acount: Ruarkmosaicart

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Appreciation of Nature and the Outdoors

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Photo Nature Blog

I recently created this video showing some of the work I’ve done. I hope you enjoy it. 🙂

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7 plants for Dry Shade

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Symphytum grandiflora ‘Hidcote Pink’

1. Mahonia aquifolium- yellow flowers in February and May

2. Symphytum grandiflora ‘Hidcote Pink’- pink flowers in March and April

3. Iris foetidissima ‘Variegata’- scarlet berries from September until November

4. Geranium x oxonianum ‘Wargrave Pink’- pink flowers from May to September

5. Dryopteris filix-mas- a deciduous fern

6. Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae- green cymes in March and April

7. Luzula nivea (Snowy Woodrush)- evergreen and good ground cover with white flowers in mid summer

Iris foetidissima fruits

Mahonia aquifolium

Luzula nivea

Old School Gardener

Tags: dry shade, garden, plants

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Build yourself a Pallet Compost Bin

Filed under: Recycling projects, Soils and soil improvement — 4 Comments

25/03/2015

From BBC Gardener’s World: As the growing season gets underway, so does the green waste that can be composted. So why not make DIY bin, using an old pallet?

Make a compost bin to achieve the satisfaction of turning kitchen and garden waste, into rich, crumbly compost. This will make your plants and crops thrive – so keep them, and your local landfill site, happy. Find the link here.

Old School Gardener

Tags: compost, garden, pallet, recycling

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Ducking and Diving at Blickling

Filed under: Blickling Hall- rebirth of the Walled Garden, Community Gardening, Heritage Gardens & gardening — Leave a comment

24/03/2015

Tidying up in the Moat

Trusted, that’s how I felt. Assistant Head Gardener, Steve told me that the Head Gardener wanted me to prune some shrubs in the double borders at Blickling.

Buddleja, Fuchsia, Black Elder and also Pawlonia were the target, following on from the start I made a couple of weeks ago. Pruning Pawlonia always worries me; as you may know they can be left unpruned and will produce purple flowers. But they are mainly grown to create wonderful foliage and so quite hard pruning- involving some saw work- is needed. I came across some quite thick stems that on the face of it look substantial, but as you cut in their hollow insides give way easily and you feel slightly less of a vandal.

The Double Borders

Pruning underway in the double borders

Pawlonia tomentosa foliage

Pawlonia flowers

I didn’t spend any time in the walled garden, but you might be interested to listen to a 15 minute interview that BBC Radio Norfolk did with the Project Manager, Mike. Here’s a link to it.

This wasn’t my first visit to Blickling this week. I also attended a lively and stimulating induction day for new staff and volunteers. We had a tour of the house and park. Our guides were really enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Some interesting facts about Blickling that we uncovered:

The Manor has been owned by two kings- first Harold (he with the arrow in the eye problem) and subsequently by his successor William the Conqueror
There have been three houses on the site, the current one (which began building in 1619), built within the moat of the older houses
Anne Boleyn (Henry VIII’s second wife and with the ‘neck ache’) was probably born at Blickling in around 1501
The designer of the current house was Robert Lyminge, a well know Dutch architect who had previously designed Hatfield House- he was paid the princely sum of 2 shillings and sixpence (‘Half a Crown’) a day
King Charles II visited the house in 1671 and knighted the owner, Henry Hobart
Blickling Estate today employs around 40 staff and has some 450 volunteers!

Walled Garden Project Manager,Mike explaining his plans to the staff and volunteers induction group

Head Ranger Dave Bryant describing the layout of Blickling Park

After the pruning – where I was engaged in conversation with several visitors- I joined the other volunteers in the moat for some general tidying up. We managed to complete the two remaining sides (of three) within a couple of hours and it did look satisfyingly neat. Paul, the Head Gardener came round to thank us for our efforts and was very complementary about my pruning; it’s nice to feel valued!

In the Moat…

Apart from various pieces of masonry that had fallen off of the moat walls, I also discovered a metal object (see picture)- any guesses as to what it might be?

This week’s mystery object.. any ideas?

Old School Gardener

Tags: black garden, blickling, crocus, drone, garden, glasshouse, narcissus, national trust, norfolk, pruning, walled garden

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PicPost: Dog’s Teeth

Filed under: PicPosts- great photographs — 1 Comment

23/03/2015

Dogtooth violet (Erythronium americanum) via Mariani Landscape Blog

Tags: dogs tooth violet, erythronium, flowers, garden

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Edging-

Keep edges to a minimum by making the lawn shape simple. Install a mowing strip (a hard surface level with the lawn) along the edges of the lawn so that the lawn mower can trim right over the edge. Any awkward tufts of grass and rough areas can be dealt with quickly using a nylon -line trimmer.

Further information:

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

Old School Gardener

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1. Mahonia aquifolium- yellow flowers in February and May

2. Symphytum grandiflora ‘Hidcote Pink’- pink flowers in March and April

3. Iris foetidissima ‘Variegata’- scarlet berries from September until November

4. Geranium x oxonianum ‘Wargrave Pink’- pink flowers from May to September

5. Dryopteris filix-mas- a deciduous fern

6. Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae- green cymes in March and April

7. Luzula nivea (Snowy Woodrush)- evergreen and good ground cover with white flowers in mid summer

Old School Gardener

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From BBC Gardener’s World: As the growing season gets underway, so does the green waste that can be composted. So why not make DIY bin, using an old pallet?

Make a compost bin to achieve the satisfaction of turning kitchen and garden waste, into rich, crumbly compost. This will make your plants and crops thrive – so keep them, and your local landfill site, happy. Find the link here.

Old School Gardener

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Trusted, that’s how I felt. Assistant Head Gardener, Steve told me that the Head Gardener wanted me to prune some shrubs in the double borders at Blickling.

I didn’t spend any time in the walled garden, but you might be interested to listen to a 15 minute interview that BBC Radio Norfolk did with the Project Manager, Mike. Here’s a link to it.

This wasn’t my first visit to Blickling this week. I also attended a lively and stimulating induction day for new staff and volunteers. We had a tour of the house and park. Our guides were really enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Some interesting facts about Blickling that we uncovered:

Apart from various pieces of masonry that had fallen off of the moat walls, I also discovered a metal object (see picture)- any guesses as to what it might be?

Further Information:

Old School Gardener

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