Sunday, 8 March 2015
Friday, 6 March 2015
Thursday, 5 March 2015
Maintaining the raised planters
Topping up the planters with new compost and gently
aerating the top few inches of soil.
Wednesday, 4 March 2015
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
Monday, 2 March 2015
How to plant and grow bulbs - free advice from Thompson & Morgan
Bulbs
make an excellent display planted in containers or borders, especially daffodils,
snowdrops, crocus and tulips in spring. They are one of the easiest and most rewarding
garden plants to grow. Provided
you plant them at the right time of year at more or less the right depth, they
will reward you year after year with a reliable display of blooms.
For top tips and expert advice please visit the Thompson and Morgan website here.
Cumbria County Council Healthy Weight project grant scheme success
We are very pleased to confirm that we have been successful in a recent
application to Cumbria County Council Healthy Weight project grant scheme.
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As a result we have been awarded a grant which is to be used to help us provide training
workshop sessions. The grant can be used to pay for a training facilitator and
to purchase items such as; hand tools, soil and compost, plants and seeds,
cooking equipment, refreshments, cleansing supplies, office supplies and a
contribution towards our annual insurance costs. Thank you to all involved, it is very much appreciated and will make a real difference.
Sunday, 1 March 2015
What to do in the garden in March
There's always something to be doing in the garden, whether
it's pruning, tidying or sowing, so Thompson and Morgan have put together a
list of their top gardening tasks for March.
For more information and free expert tips and advice please visit their website here
Sowing tomato and pepper seeds in the poly tunnel
Tomatoes:
Some of the health benefits of tomatoes include:
Are a good source of Vitamins A, C and E.
They are low in calories, typically containing only 14
calories per 100g. They contain virtually no fat and no cholesterol.
They contain minerals such as potassium, which has been
linked to lowering blood pressure and calcium, which is vital for healthy bones
and teeth.
Peppers:
Some of the health
benefits of peppers include:
Vitamin C - red and yellow peppers have four times as much
vitamin C as oranges. Vitamin C can help to reduce the risk of heart disease
and high cholesterol, boost immunity, and protect against arthritis and
diabetes.
Vitamin B6 – they contain vitamin B6 and folic acid which encourage
healthy blood vessels, and are key defences in the fight against heart disease
and stroke.
Friday, 20 February 2015
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
What to grow in small spaces...........
It is remarkable just how many vegetables can be grown in a small area or raised planters.
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For example, the following are all suitable for small spaces:
Lettuce/salad leaves
Lettuce/salad leaves
Beetroot
Purple broccoli
Early potatoes
Shallots
Garlic
Courgettes
Kale
Spinach
Carrots
Cherry
tomatoes
Runner/broad
beans beans
Top tips………….
If space is
limited, choose crops which you like to eat.
Avoid
growing crops that take up a large amount of space or take a
long time to grow.
Choose leafy
vegetables that you can harvest a few leaves off and they will keep growing (known as
cut and come again veg) For
example; celery, spring onion, rocket, coriander, chard and parsley.
Tuesday, 17 February 2015
What to do in the garden in February
Wondering what to do in the garden in February?
Prepare
vegetable seed beds by removing all weeds and digging in new soil and compost.
Plant new
rhubarb crowns now.
In the
greenhouse/poly tunnel you can start sowing vegetable seeds such as leeks , tomatoes,
parsley, sweet peppers, onions and celery.
Early
varieties of potatoes should be chitted (laid out in trays and allowed to form
short sprouts) in a cool, light, frost-free place ready for planting towards
the end of March.
February is
your last chance to sow garlic – get the cloves in the ground before the end of
the month.
For inspiration
and free in depth month by month tips and advice you can visit:
Saturday, 14 February 2015
Friday, 13 February 2015
How to prevent pests and diseases - free advice from Thompson & Morgan
Was your
garden destroyed by pests and diseases last year?
Make sure
you know the signs and act fast to protect your crops.
9 reasons to grow your own at home from Vertical Veg
If you'd like a high quality pdf of this poster to help
promote container growing, you can download one from the Vertical Veg website here.
Thursday, 12 February 2015
Harvesting and sowing phacelia seeds
Phacelia is a quick growing hardy annual green manure and is
ideal for sowing from March until September. It will grow up to 1metre in height
and suits most soil types.
It has beautiful scented purple/blue flowers which form dense fern-like foliage.
It smothers weeds and has an extensive root system that improves the soil structure.
It smothers weeds and has an extensive root system that improves the soil structure.
Phacelia is listed as one of the top 20 honey-producing
flowers for honeybees and is very attractive to bumblebees and hoverflies. (hoverflies eat a lot of aphids).
A small patch, especially near to vegetables, will help to
attract pollinating insects.
After flowering it can be dug in to help build up the
organic content of your soil and also makes an excellent cut flower and has a
long vase-life with strong stems.
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
Monday, 9 February 2015
Start your growing season now........
The Royal Horticultural Society has produced free expert tips and handy advice to
help you grow your own fruit and vegetables. For more information please visit their website here.
Sunday, 8 February 2015
Friday, 6 February 2015
Wednesday, 4 February 2015
Tuesday, 3 February 2015
Sunday, 1 February 2015
Ten great crops to grow in containers - free advice from Vertical Veg
Growing crops in small space? Vertical Veg has produced a list of 10 great crops you can grow in containers.
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For more information please visit the Vertical Veg website here.
Friday, 30 January 2015
Thursday, 22 January 2015
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