Spring jobs on the allotment – Prune Autumn Raspberries and plant Onion Sets

The weather is a very popular subject with the British people and who can blame them, one minute it’s sunny the next its cloudy, it can be warm one day and freezing the next or blowing a gale, foggy, raining, sleeting or snowing and if we are very unlucky a combination of all of these.

Just over a week ago I thought Spring had arrived, on my plot I began digging in earnest, the sun was shining, it was warm, I weeded the beds, dug one of them over and forked in some Chicken Poo ready for my Onion Sets which I planted 4” apart in rows, leaving 9” between each row, this year I am growing Setton and Sturon. Onions Sets are very easy to grow and only need occasional weeding, feeding and watering if the weather is dry during the growing season.

Autumn Rasberries

The next job was to prune my Autumn Raspberry Canes down to the ground, I forked in some Chicken Poo, applied a mulch from my Compost Bin and placed the old canes across my onion bed to deter the birds from pulling the sets out of the ground as it is said they think they are worms. Autumn Raspberries fruit on this years new canes, which may need to be thinned out in Summer if they are overcrowded, I prefer them to Summer Raspberries as they flower later, avoiding the frosts, and fruit later, extending the fruiting season, you can pick delicious Raspberries well into late Autumn, it is still not too late to plant some Raspberry Canes.

Since that lovely sunny day we have had biting easterly winds, freezing temperatures and snow, the frogs in the garden pond have been waiting patiently at the bottom for over a month, this weekend they are very active, we did a head count on Friday evening with a torch and counted 30+, we have 8 blobs of frog spawn so far.

Spring surely must be just around the corner

Gill

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Gardening on a Budget?

We have got just the thing…

hot out of our warehouse this Spring is our new range of

Thrifty Raised Beds

At the Recycleworks we have been thinking about how to Grow your Own vegetables and fruit as easily and economically as possible whilst still getting the maximum yield from a wide range of crops, so we have developed a range of budget Raised Beds which will appeal to everyone:

• Families – the family budget is being pinched, now is the time to Grow your Own and reap the benefits
• The first time gardener – perfect starter beds and entry into Grow Your Own
• The accomplished gardener – a great product to extend your growing area
• Schools – affordable and well within the budget
• Community Groups – great for getting people involved in gardening, socialising and working together.

The beds are available in 3 sizes:

1. The Thrifty Classic – 80cm x 80cm
2. The Thrifty Long – 80cm x 105cm
3. The Thrifty Big Square – 105cm x 105cm

with a choice of three heights for each size: 14cm, 28cm, and 42cm and a choice of two colours : Chestnut or Green.

Assembly instructions are supplied with each Raised Bed.

To help you grow the maximum yield and to remove the guesswork if you are new to Grow Your Own each raised bed also comes with a growing/planting guide including ideas and tips on suggested crops, planting, positioning, watering and feeding.

To warm up the soil before planting why not add a Compost Duvet or a Raised Bed Watering Kit to make watering easier and more economical in the long summer months.

Prices start from £15.55 making them very affordable to everyone.

You will surprised at how much you can grow in such a small space – you can’t beat the taste, texture and smell of freshly picked produce.

Gill

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Bonfire Night Crafts and Fun

Halloween has been and gone and Bonfire Night on 5th November is fast approaching, excitement is building again in our household or maybe it’s all those Halloween ‘treats’.

Here is a great activity for children of all ages to get them in the mood for Bonfire Night.

Make a Blow Paint Firework or Bonfire picture

You will need

• Coloured paper or card
• Runny paints in various colours
• Straws
• Glue
• Glitter

To make your pictures

1. Place spots of paint of various sizes and colours on your paper/card.
2. Use a straw to blow the spots of paint in various directions to make the fireworks or the flames of the bonfire.
3. Put different colours next to each other so that they mix together to make some great effects.
4. When you are happy with your picture let it dry then add some glue and sprinkle with glitter to make your fireworks sparkle.

We all love Bonfire Night, keeping warm by a nice bonfire, watching stunning and often noisy fireworks and eating lots of party food, sweets and treats (click here for some delicious Bonfire Recipes) but …

don’t forget the Wildlife in your garden on Bonfire Night

At this time of year hedgehogs, frogs, toads and newts are looking for a nice, cosy, warm and safe place to hibernate and to them your bonfire looks ideal so a few hours before your party and before it goes dark have a good look inside and at the bottom of your bonfire to check for any creatures and move them to a safe area of your garden.

Position your firework display away from trees and hedges where birds may be roosting.

your pets

Make sure that your pets are kept indoors as fireworks are a common phobia for dogs and cats as they often find the loud noises and bright lights frightening. Provide a safe and quiet place for them to hide, keep curtains and windows closed and leave the TV on or play music to mask the load bangs.

and your safety

Fireworks and bonfires can be very dangerous if care is not taken so click here for advice on bonfire and firework safety and follow the firework code.

Have a happy, safe and fun Bonfire Night.

Gill

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Join The Recycleworks Wildflower Seed Project 2012/2013

We have had a great response to our Wildflower Seed Project 2012/2013 from schools, and community associations that support children, if you want to get involved, start collecting your seeds now before the plants have dropped them all and register your group before 31st October 2012.

Seed storage tins

What you need to do 

If you are not already a member join our FREE Gardening with Children Club, which gives schools and community associations supporting children of all ages access to lots of information to encourage children to learn about gardening, grow their own fruit and vegetables and to care for their environment as well as member’s special offers and discounts.

 

Once you have received your welcome email with your exclusive Membership Number register your school/group FREE for our ‘Wildflower Seed Project 2012/2013’ before 31st October 2012 via email to sylvia@recycleworks.co.uk quoting your Membership Number, School/Group Name, Address, Contact Name, Telephone Number and email address.

 

We will then send you 5 FREE seed collecting tins to store your valuable seed in until the spring, when we will then contact you via email with details of our ‘Wildflower Seed Propagating Kit’ perfect for schools and groups and containing everything you need to sow and grow your wildflower seeds as well as sowing and cultivation instructions.

 

Collecting Seed

Collecting seeds is a wonderful thing to do with children and they will learn where seeds come from. Not only will they be rewarded with free seeds but also lots of free plants too in spring and with the satisfaction that they have grown them themselves from ‘their’ seed.

 

Some of the most rewarding and valuable seeds to collect are from Wildflowers and Nectar Rich plants which provide food for our bees, butterflies and pollinating insects, by growing these you will be giving back to nature and enriching your environment.

 

Here are some of the many plants that are beneficial to insects: Buddleia, Ox Eye Daisy, Borage, Verbena Bonariensis, Evening Primrose, Calendula, French Marigold, Teasel, Thistles, Foxglove, Cornflower.

Ox Eye Daisy

Where to look for seeds

The best places to find wildflowers are in uncultivated areas such as on grass verges, under hedges, on the edges of parks/playing fields (where the grass cutters can’t reach), church yards and farmland that is grazed. Nectar rich flowers can usually be found in gardens. You may need to ask the landowners permission before entering their land to collect seed.

 

How to collect seed

You will need paper bags or envelopes, scissors and a pencil.

Some seed heads will shed their seeds very easily, simply empty their contents into your bag, or cut off the ripe seed head/pod and place in your bag then write the plant name on the bag and also where it was growing in sun/shade or in dry/wet soil this will help you when you grow your new plants next year. If some of the seed heads/pods are damp, lay them out on paper to dry before removing the seeds. If you are not sure of the name of the plant cut off the seed head/pods and a leaf or take a photograph so that you can identify it later.

Evening Primrose

Storing your seed

Some of the seeds will need to be cleaned by removing the husk and extracting the seeds from their pods/seed heads as these may contain small insects too. Place your dry seeds in a cold, dry and dark place until February/March. This can be in a container in the fridge so that they go through the natural cold winter conditions. It can be in a sealed tin (which will protect them from insects and animals) in the shed, but dry, cold and dark is important. If they get wet or warm they may start germinating and if it is too early for spring they will not survive.

 

Some seeds can be toxic, take care when collecting seed and always wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

 

So make the most of this lovely weather and collect some wildflower seeds.

 

Gill

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Collect Wildflower Seed this Autumn to sow and grow next Spring

Collecting seeds is a wonderful thing to do with children and they will learn where seeds come from. Not only will they be rewarded with free seeds but also lots of free plants too in spring and with the satisfaction that they have grown them themselves from ‘their’ seed.

Some of the most rewarding and valuable seeds to collect are from Wildflowers and Nectar Rich plants which provide food for our bees, butterflies and pollinating insects, by growing these you will be giving back to nature and enriching your environment.

 

Here are some of the many plants that are beneficial to insects: Buddleia, Ox Eye Daisy, Borage, Verbena Bonariensis, Evening Primrose, Calendula, French Marigold, Teasel, Thistles, Foxglove, Cornflower.

Ox Eye Daisy

Where to look for seeds

The best places to find wildflowers are in uncultivated areas such as on grass verges, under hedges, on the edges of parks/playing fields (where the grass cutters can’t reach), church yards and farmland that is grazed. Nectar rich flowers can usually be found in gardens. You may need to ask the landowners permission before entering their land to collect seed.

 

How to collect seed

You will need paper bags or envelopes, scissors and a pencil.

Some seed heads will shed their seeds very easily, simply empty their contents into your bag, or cut off the ripe seed head/pod and place in your bag then write the plant name on the bag and also where it was growing in sun/shade or in dry/wet soil this will help you when you grow your new plants next year. If some of the seed heads/pods are damp, lay them out on paper to dry before removing the seeds. If you are not sure of the name of the plant cut off the seed head/pods and a leaf or take a photograph so that you can identify it later.

Evening Primrose

Storing your seed

Some of the seeds will need to be cleaned by removing the husk and extracting the seeds from their pods/seed heads as these may contain small insects too. Place your dry seeds in a cold, dry and dark place until February/March. This can be in a container in the fridge so that they go through the natural cold winter conditions. It can be in a sealed tin (which will protect them from insects and animals) in the shed, but dry, cold and dark is important. If they get wet or warm they may start germinating and if it is too early for spring they will not survive.

Some seeds can be toxic, take care when collecting seed and always wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

 

Seed storage tins

 

Join The Recycleworks Wildflower Seed Project 2012/2013

Schools or Community Associations that support children can register FREE to The Recycleworks Wildflower Seed Project 2012/2013 and they will receive 5 FREE Seed Collecting Tins to store their valuable seed until the spring, when they will receive details of a ‘Wildflower Seed Propagating Kit’ containing everything needed to sow and grow their wildflower seeds as well as sowing and cultivation instructions. Click here for more information.

 

So make the most of this lovely weather and collect some wildflower seeds

 

Gill

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Grow Carnivorous Plants on your windowsill

Bank Holiday Monday was a washout (again) and there was no possibility of getting out in the garden so we decided on some retail therapy – a visit to a garden centre. When we got there Thomas disappeared into one of the heated greenhouses and found some Carnivorous plants; he was fascinated by them as were some of the other children. We bought a Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea) and a Sundew (Drosera), to add to the Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia) that we already have in the greenhouse at home. 

Venus Fly Trap

The Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea) is perhaps the most well known carnivorous plant, its traps are made from special leaves that are folded in two with spines along the edges. Inside each trap there are three trigger hairs, two of these must be touched in succession for the trap to close catching its insect prey inside. The plant absorbs the nutrients from the insect and after about ten days the trap re-opens. It is not recommended that you make the traps close without an insect inside as this can weaken the plant.

Sundew

The Sundew (Drosera) captures its prey in a totally different way, each of its leaves have lots of little hairs that look like they are covered in dew but this is actually glue, when an insect lands on them it gets stuck and is then absorbed by the plant.

Pitcher Plant

The Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia) has another method of catching its prey. The leaves of the pitcher plant are shaped like a funnel with a hood over the top, the lip of the funnel is slippery, the insect lands on this and falls in, it is trapped inside by backward pointing hairs and cannot get out, then it is absorbed by the plant.

Place Carnivorous Plants in a light position, and keep them well watered with rainwater.

The next day Thomas took his plants to show his grandma and grandad and for them to ‘feed in their conservatory’ as there are a lot of flies in there!

I remember having a Venus Fly Trap when I was about Thomas’s age.

Gill

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Grow your own new potatoes for Christmas Dinner

Delicious New Potatoes

Nothing beats the taste of freshly picked fruit and vegetables and the potato has got to be at the top of the list for taste in home grown versus supermarket vegetables, especially the new potato. I hate to mention Christmas in August, but why not spoil friends and family by serving up your own freshly harvested, home grown, new potatoes with your Christmas Dinner, they will be very impressed, and they make a great and healthier alternative to the traditional roast potato.

Carlingford Seed Potatoes

It might sound impossible ‘growing new potatoes in winter’ but it is very easy to do and they need very little attention, one of the easiest and most popular varieties to grow is Carlingford. To be able to harvest your potatoes at Christmas they need to be planted before the end of August, which doesn’t give you much time.

Potato Growing Bags

The best way to grow them is to plant them in potato bags or large containers in good vegetable compost. Once planted give them a good water, and place in a warm position outside where they will get off to a good start, make sure that they don’t dry out. As the weather turns colder protect the tops from any light frosts with fleece and then bring the bags/containers inside (greenhouse, polytunnel, porch, cold frame) before any damaging hard frosts and when the weather turns bad. The potato plants should have finished flowering after 12 weeks when they can either be harvested or you can cut the tops off and leave the potatoes in the compost until you need them. The benefits of growing them in bags or containers are that they can easily be moved indoors when the weather turns bad, it gives them extra protection from slugs and the harvested potatoes should be unmarked and look attractive.

Make sure that you grow enough, you don’t want to be short on Christmas Day, if you have a good crop they can be made into potato salad for your Boxing Day or New Year buffet.

Simply delicious

Gill

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School Jubilee Tree planting and holiday preparations for the school garden

Last week the Eco Committee members at Thomas’s School were invited by the Parish Council, in co-operation with the Borough Council, to plant a tree as a final act in the local Jubilee celebrations. The tree, an English Oak, was planted in open space land in the village so that it can be enjoyed by future generations and there will be a plaque put next to it to commemorate the Queens Diamond Jubilee. The children (including Thomas) put the top soil around the tree and sprinkled wildflower seeds around the base.

Thomas and the Jubilee Tree

Thomas has been on the Eco Committee this year and has thoroughly enjoyed being involved in the Eco work at school as well as providing his own input with regards to the wildlife that is in the school grounds. The School has put up bird boxes one of which has a camera, a bird table for feeding the birds, a nesting material holder, fat ball feeders and other bird feeders as well as insect houses.

Pembroke Nest Box

The school gardening year has come to an end and preparations have been made for the summer holidays. All the young plants in pots have been planted in the ground, climbing plants have been tied in and supports provided, and the raised beds have been weeded and covered with netting to deter unwanted visitors.

Enviromesh Netting

During the holidays Thomas and I will make regular checks to keep the garden ticking over until September this ties in well with feeding the school chickens as Thomas has been put on the ‘chicken rota’ again which I have to say I enjoy doing as much as he does. We are both looking forward to those super fresh boiled eggs!

Click here for our top 10 tips for caring for the school garden during the holidays.

Love your environment and enjoy your holidays

Gill

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A Simple Guide to pressing Flowers and Leaves

Pressing flowers, leaves and grasses is easy and fun, follow some simple steps to get the best results, and then enjoy making pictures, cards and bookmarks. Pressing flowers is a great way to preserve flowers and can be done throughout the year to record the Seasons, why not stick them in your Wildlife and Nature Diary or a Scrapbook.

A Flower Press

Firstly, you will of course need a Flower Press!

Before beginning we advise that only flowers from the garden should be picked and pressed. It is against the Countryside Code to remove plants from the countryside and wild flowers should always be left for the enjoyment of everyone.

Garden flowers ready for pressing

1. When selecting flowers to press always choose those that are looking their best, and are clean.
2. Removing moisture is the key, so begin by collecting the flowers when they are dry. Wet flowers can go mouldy.
3. Press your flowers as soon as possible to avoid them drooping or wilting.
4. Lay the flowers flat face down on the blotting paper. Take care to arrange leaves and petals as you want them to appear when the flower is pressed, try pressing flowers on their side to get a different effect. 
5. Place another piece of blotting paper or flower preserving paper on the top.
6. Place the two pieces of paper between two pieces of cardboard.
7. Place the layers into a flower press as follows, cardboard, paper, flowers, paper and cardboard.
8. Depending on the press you may be able to fit in several layers like this.
9. Tighten the wing nuts and leave to dry for a few days, longer if you use large, thick flowers.
10. Alternatively place the flowers between sheets of blotting or flower preserving paper and place inside a large book such as the phone book and leave for a few days.  Be careful to use enough plain paper sheets to protect the books from staining.
11. Experiment with different types of flowers. Pansies and violas are particularly easy and tend to keep their colour well. 
12. Note if the flowers turn brown during pressing it may be because they are taking too long to dry out  

Stunning yellow pansies

Pressing flowers the traditional way can take time and lots of patience but if you want faster results flowers can be pressed and dried in the microwave. Repeat the process in the same way as above but if you use your flower press you will need to remove the wing nuts/bolts and secure the wooden boards with wide elastic bands 2 or 3 along each side, if you use a book check that it has no gold embossing and remove any staples. Place in the microwave for two minutes on medium heat, allow to cool then have a look at the flowers to see if they are dry if not return to the microwave for another minute and check again, keep repeating until the flowers are completely dry. This method may need a little experimentation.

Pressed flowers loose their colour if exposed to light so avoid direct sunlight or humid rooms when displaying them.

Love your environment

Gill

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Take part in the Big Butterfly Count

This year from 14^th July – 5^th August take part in the Big Butterfly Count a nationwide survey run by the charity Butterfly Conservation. It was launched in 2010 and over 10,000 people took part, counting 210,000 butterflies and day flying moths, in 2011 more than 34,000 people took part.

 

Butterflies react quickly to change in their environment and are excellent biodiversity indicators making butterfly declines an early warning for other wildlife losses. This survey helps to identify trends in species as well as to understand the effect climate change has on wildlife and how to protect butterflies from extinction.

 

All you need to do is to count butterflies for 15 minutes preferably on a sunny day recording the maximum number of each species that you see at a single time and submit your sightings online before the end of August. You can submit separate sightings for different dates and places: parks, school grounds, gardens, fields and forests. This is a great family activity that you can do in the summer holidays, whilst you are on holiday or you could do it as a class activity at school if you have time before the end of term.

 

For more information have a look at the Big Butterfly Count website  there is also a handy Butterfly Chart to download and print which will  help you to identify and record the species you spot.

 

We all love butterflies, they are unique little creatures of varying shapes and sizes with dazzling vivid colours, but our native butterflies need our help. Butterflies are far less common now than they were 50 years ago, much of their natural habitat, wildflower meadows, heath land, woodland and peat bogs has been lost to industrial and housing developments and intensive farming. Your garden, however large or small, could be a haven for butterflies, providing food and shelter; even a window box garden can help.

 

Red Admiral Butterfly

 

To attract butterflies into your garden you will need to provide nectar rich flowers throughout the butterfly season, as well as food plants for the butterfly caterpillars to eat, click here for advice on which nectar rich plants to grow in Spring, Summer and Autumn and tips on gardening for butterflies. 

 

Peacock Butterfly Caterpillar on Nettles

Love your environment

Gill

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