Another spring flower show to get you in the mood for gardening. The Malvern Spring Flower Show is another highly recommended event, running from May 6-9. So if you’re not busy this weekend and feel in the mood for some gorgeous flowers, new show gardens and the opportunity for some expert mentoring I would try to make it to the show.
GB in the Birmingham Mail
We were lucky enough to get some local press last week. Some of our products and tips for getting into gardening were shared in the Birmingham Mail which meant a mini-photoshoot for us and some of our best selling products.
“WITH summer just a sniff away, all thoughts turn to Al Fresco dining and enjoying outdoor living.
But does your garden look more like a jungle than a wildlife sanctuary? Would you struggle to know one end of a spade from the other? There’s no need to panic, says garden designer and writer Alice Bowe.
Alice, who runs online store Garden Boutique from Birmingham’s Custard Factory, in Gibb Street, Digbeth, says instead of being daunted, novice gardeners should head straight outside and get digging.”
Read the rest of Make a Garden Glow.
Compost Awareness Week
(image via Apartment Therapy)
If you’re not making compost by now you’re missing out on one of the easiest, most rewarding methods of recycling around. Now is the perfect time to get involved, with Compost Awareness Week running from 2-8 May and a plethora of web-based resources at your fingertips.
Why compost?
Composting might seem a bit unnecessary considering that you can buy bags of it ready-made at any garden centre, but the environmental benefits of making compost out of your kitchen waste are vast. In a landfill air circulation is hampered and methane gas is released during decomposition which is harmful to the environment. In an above-ground compost pile or bin oxygen allows the compost to break down releasing hardly any methane which is much more environmentally friendly. The organic matter produced will be a great plant food rich in nutrients and act as a water-retentive layer and a protective mulch. It will also be peat-free, which is another environmental benefit.
The Can O Worms is an ideal size for getting started.
Give It a Grow
The theme of this year’s Compost Awareness Week is ‘Give it a Grow’ – extend your recycling and composting into new activities such as growing your own fruit and vegetables or starting a wormery. You could also think about trying out new things in your composter – scrunched up paper, vacuum cleaner contents and shreaded leaves and green waste are all suitable for composting and will reduce your contribution to landfills even further.
A cute kitchen compost bin means you won’t forget to sort kitchen waste every day.
Top Tips for Composting
1. Start off small – not only in terms of the volume of your compost bin but also the contents. Shred leaves and paper, break up food waste and crumble egg shells. This will make decomposition quicker.
2. Water, water, water – compost needs water to speed up the process, so water little and often for the best results
3. Toss and Turn – dig in with a fork or trowel to turn the compost and break it up. If you don’t have a lot of strength go for a small compost bin or two bins you can split the compost between.
Books available from Garden Organic
Resources
For more information, advice and tips try:
1. Home composting at Recycle Now
2. Garden Organic composting pages
3. BBC compost gardening guide
4. Your local government website
Places to go, flowers to see…
This Bank Holiday promises to be an eventful one, whatever the weather. If you’re a flower afficianado head over to the Bath Spring Flower Show from 1-3 May. An ideal day out for families with a range of activities from cooking demonstrations, a Green Living Tent and a children’s activity tent. Plus, of course, dozens of flower stalls to drool over.
Alternatively you might partake in the RHS Great London Garden Trail on 3 May. It’s a rare opportunity to look into 10 gardens usually closed to the public, including the Great Ormand Street Hospital roof gardens and John Brookes’ gothic cottage garden, which is every plantsman’s dream (above right). The event is open to all, and absolutely free.
And if you haven’t been yet this year you could always check out Kensington Roof Gardens, the spectacular theme gardens above Kensington High Street (banner pic). They recently launched a gardener’s club which is perfect for green fingered city dwellers.
Spring Flower Shows
Heading up this year’s spring/summer flower shows is the Harrogate Flower Show, which starts today and closes on April 25th. Show highlights include college garden design, a live kitchen garden and a beautiful daffodil and tulip show.
And if you’re a tulip enthusiast there’s still time to catch one of the De Jager Tulip Mania shows which are taking place at various locations around the UK:
• Chatsworth (as part of their Spring Florabundance) – Saturday 1st May to Thursday 6th May;
• Leeds Castle – Tuesday 20th April to Tuesday 27th April;
• Lost Gardens of Heligan – Monday 26th April to Monday 3rd May
• Waddesdon Manor on Thursday 1st April to Friday 30th April and
• Powerscourt, Ireland – Wednesday 14th April to Sunday 18th April.
It’s also the last chance to catch this year’s daffodils at the Late Daffodil Show at the RHS Wisley, from the 27th-28th April. There’s also a Glorious Spring Flowers show there on the 28th, and with the weather so far this month being so bright and beautiful it’s the perfect time to visit.
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