A Tour of The Garden
May 1st, 2011
A quick tour of one of our Gardens from the Gardeners Tips team. The garden is located in Menston, Yorkshire, England.
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Couch Grass Cures
April 26th, 2011
Couch grass is an invasive perennial garden weed. In the north of England it is called twitch but elsewhere it is called quick grass, quitch, dog grass, quackgrass, scutch grass, and witchgrass. The latin is Elytrigia repens or Elymus repens.
What is Couch Grass
- Couch spreads under ground and can get amongst your other plants.
- Couch grows on most soil types except those with a very low pH.
- It prefers heavier land but is able to spread by rhizomes in lighter soils.
- Couch growth is especially vigorous on uncultivated land.
- Common couch can form dense clumps that exclude other vegetation.
May Flowering Ornamental Shrubs
April 20th, 2011
I received a book for Easter entitled ‘Ornamental Shrubs for Temperate Gardens May Flowering’ by Edward Hyams. Since it’s publication in 1965 the botanic names of the odd variety may have changed (this is a continued source of annoyance to me as soon as I learn one Latin name it is changed into another). However the awe that spring blossom can produce may let me forget this minor issue.
This is my selection from over 50 shrubs and many species that Hyams recommends for May flowering.
Caragana – a broom like shrub Castanea alnifolia or pumila – sweet chestnut shrubs Ceanothus Cercis siliquastrum – Judas tree appropriate given my gift. Cestrum fro
Growing Okra or Ladies Fingers
April 16th, 2011
Abelmoschus esculentus or Okra aka lady’s fingers or gumbo is a flowering plant in the mallow family.The seed pods are popular as a vegetable in Caribbean cookery.
Growing Okra
- Okra is grown for its edible, hairy, green seed pods.
- Originating in Africa, the plant is cultivated in tropical and warm temperate regions around the world.
- Okra likes hot, sunny, humid conditions, a challenge for any British gardeners.
- A conservatory, greenhouse, low glass frame or cloche is best and a second covering of plastic over plants will help raise humidity more.
- The pods produce a clear edible goo when cooked and the bigger the pod, the tougher the skin.
- Grow plants from seed. T