Autumn Colour

Add autumn colour to your front steps. These pots are so easy and they dont cost much. Best to plant up atleast 3 post so that they can be grouped together to create a WOW factor other wise fill one large pot.

I’ve used the following plants:-

Variegated Euonymus

Cyclamen

Variegated Ivy

Fine Leaf Ivy

Ornamental Cabbage

Autumn flowering Heathers

Solanum

Brighten up those short dull days with blooming colour.Colour At The Front Door

The Constant Gardener Design. Co

Here is a little update of what we are currently doing.

Since having some of our design work exhibited at the Chelsea Flower Show this year and helping Diarmuid Gavin with the planting on his Gold Medal winning ‘Irish Sky Garden’ we have been incredibly busy.

We have recently finished doing the planting schemes for the back and front garden of a client in Hadley Wood. The clients came back from holiday and had a wonderful surprise to see a garden with lots of flowers and colour. We opted to do the back garden in a Mediterranean style with palms in large aged pithoi around the pool. Oleander standards in terracota underplanted with verbena draping out of the pots, were placed near the house. Lots of herbs and bedding were also used to give infusion of colour into the garden.

We are currently working for a client in St Johns Wood, designing a lovely court yard garden. This is going to be very lush using a colour palette of greens, purples and whites within raised beds. The court yard will provide a private space to relax in.

We are also currently doing some consultancy work with a property developer and we have won a contract with another property developer to design the gardens at their new development in Stoke Newington.

Lots of hard work but also exciting times ahead for The Constant Gardener Design. Co

Keep watching this space for some photos to come.

BEING ECO FRIENDLY BY HOME COMPOSTING

Many of us do care about the planet we live in. One way we can help is by home composting. This is an environmentally friendly way of dealing with garden and kitchen waste (not cooked food).

Composting is a biochemical process where naturally occurring microorganisms help to break down organic matter, producing what we know as garden compost. Adding this to your garden soil will improve the texture and quality of your soil, increase fertility, help conserve moisture and improve the plant growth.

Local waste amenity centers sell a selection of composting bins. Use a bin to compost your waste organic matter. This will help to insulate the heap. The heat helps to accelerate the decomposition process. Position your bin on bare earth, allowing drainage and soil organism access to the organic matter. Make sure that the bin has a lid. This will help prevent the compost heap from drying out and maintains moisture within the heap.

Do not put diseased plants, perennial weeds, seed heads, cat & dog waste, plants recently treated with herbicides, meat, fish and cooked food scraps into the composting bin.

In order for the composting process to work efficiently it requires a balanced supply of water, oxygen and good mix of organic matter. The heap should have a good mix of wood chippings and carbon rich waste such as woody prunings. These will decompose quicker if they have been shredded. Shredded paper will help to absorb the decomposing smell. Dead leaves can also be added. Grass clippings, kitchen vegetable waste and manure will help add nitrogen to the compost.

Make sure the compost heap is turned periodically. This will prevent the heap from getting compacted and the oxygen levels dropping. It also helps to accelerate the decomposition process. In dry weather make sure the compost heap remains moist.Put in some earthworms into your compost bin. They will also help to churn the organic matter inside. However if you do put in earthworms avoid putting in any cistrus waste such as orange and lemon peel

There are acceler.ators on the market that can be added to your compost heap to further speed up the process of composting. As an alternative a bucket of farmyard manure can be added to every 15cm layer of compost.

Start doing your bit for the planet today and get composting. Your garden will thank you for it.

How do I encourage my plants to continue flowering?

The best way to do this is by deadheading. By taking off the dead flower heads the plant will put it’s energy into making more flowers. If the dead heads are left on, the plant will put its energy into trying to form seeds.

How do I prevent slugs and snails from damaging my plants?

The most commonly used are slug pellets. Be sure to scatter thinly as these can be harmful to other animals and pets. Nematodes are a biological control, which are not harmful to pets and other animals. Other deterrents are rock granules, eggshells, or copper tapes and rings.

What insects and animals are good for the garden?

• Ladybirds
• Bees
• Moths
• Butterflies
• Hoverflies
• Lacewings
• Hedgehogs
• Toads
• Newts
• Birds

What can you put into a composting bin?

Grass clippings, All vegetable matter (not cooked food), Egg shells, Hair clippings, Dust, Lint from tumble dryers, Shredded paper and cardboard (this helps to absorb the decomposing smell)

Do not put citrus fruit or peel (oranges and lemons) into the compost bin as the worms do not like them.

Water saving exercises:

1. Water plants at the base so that the water gets to the roots where they need it most. Water on the plants will evaporate.
2. Water during the cooler parts of the day so that less water evaporates. Best time is after sundown.
3. Get a water butt in the garden and collect rainwater. This will help if you are on a water meter.
4. Mulch your beds and borders. This will reduce water evaporation.