Gardening

Pond

Eleocharis palustris (Common Spike-Rush)

• Winter Hardy
• Blooming period: Summer - Autumn
• Height 40 - 80 cm
• Spread 30 - 50 cm
• Depth 0 - 10 cm

Hydrocharis morsus ranae (Frogbit)

• roduces small kidney shaped leaves and miniature white flowers
• Loose/Free Floating
• Spread: 2cm - 7cm
• Position: Full Sun/Part Shade/Shade
• Flower Colour - White
• Flowers: Jul - Aug
• Die away in the autumn and will re-appear in the spring. The colour of the leaves vary from green to brown.

Water Milfoil Myriophyllum Spicatum

• Oxygenating
• Feathery green foliage on light, often pinkish, stems. Small pink and green flower spikes up to an inch high appear above the water surface in summer.
• Does not die away to small pieces for the winter, but retains its foliage.
• Full Sun - Part Shade
• Growth: Fast
• Flowers: May - Jun
• Can be dropped in pond as a weighted bunch but it benefits from being planted in soil. Once established this plant can grow as deep as 3m.

Water Lilly: Dwarf Doll House

• Partial Sun
• Flowering: May - September

Outdoor

Bearded Iris

• Prefer dry summers
• Adhere to good garden hygene

Blackberry

• Support to allow free air circulation
• As soon as the blackberries have been picked, cut the stems which have produced berries this year to ground level. Don't prune any stems which have not produced fruit this year: they will be the ones which produce blackberries next year.

Blueberry

• Like free-draining acid soil
• Full sun or light shade
• Better crop if grown with another species
• Mulch in spring
• Produce fruit on branches that were produced the previous year
• Locate the oldest canes and remove one or two at the base each year (Nov-Mar). Remove the old canes that don't produce much fruit to make way for younger, more productive canes.

Buddleja

• Invasive species in some areas
• Attracts butterflies

Chilli Pepper

• Min temp 12 C
• 30 cm pot (indoors) or harden outside in May
• Pinch tops occasionally to bush out

Clematis

• Like shaded roots, tops in sun
• Acid intolerant

Digitalis (Foxglove) Digitalis

• Likes partial shade to shade
• Likes acid soil

Delphinium

• Likes sun
• Do not like being moved
• Do not like drying out

Fig

• Sheltered position in sun
• Restrict roots so grow in pot
• Prune established trees in June, shortening all the side shoots back to five leaves from the main framework of branches
• In September, remove any fruit larger than small pea size. The remaining tiny, embryo fruit towards the ends of the shoots will over-winter and, providing they have protection from icy blasts, will ripen the following year.
• rune the tree in late spring, removing shoots and buds that are pointing inwards, as well as those pointing directly out from the wall, and any growths damaged by late frost. Remove debris and prunings, and apply a 10cm (4in) deep layer of farmyard manure over the root area.
• When the fruit starts to swell apply a high-potash liquid feed such as tomato fertiliser weekly.

Fritillaria Meleagris

• Flowers Apr-May

Gooseberry

• Sunny, sheltered position
• Fruits form on old wood and around the base of last year's growth. Therefore prune back the previous year's growth to two buds.
• Prune out any shoots that are growing into the centre of the bush, and cut back leaders by one-third
• Check leaves regularly for caterpillar damage and control by hand
• Standard gooseberries make excellent plants for tubs. Choose a pot 35cm (14in) deep and wide and fill with a loam-based compost. Healthy shoots can be cut in autumn and early winter to use as hardwood cuttings which can be used to raise new bushes.

Horseradish

Perenial herb, harvest Oct-Dec: dig up root, about parsnip size. Leave small section of root for following year. Harvest leaves in Spring or Summer for salads.

Prefers well drained soil in full sun or partial shade.

Japanese Anemones

• Like cool roots
• Does not like disturbance

Lavender

• Likes sun, sheltered position, well drained sandy/gravely soil
• Will suffer in damp soil for too long
• In pots, requires large ones for deep roots

Lily of the Valley

• Can spread widely and difficult to control

Loosestrife (Yellow)

• moist to dry, full sun to partial shade

Muscari

• Bulbs multiply quickly in good soil
• Sun or light shade

Piony

• Don't like being moved
• Don't plant very deep

Poppy

Black Paeony (Papaver Somnniferum)

• Almost black petals
• Flower Jun-Sep

Primula

• ""Pommom""

Raspberry

• Remove any thin canes, or suckers that come up outside 12"" radius. Prune all canes that bore fruit last year; they won’t fruit again. These will have grayish, peeling bark.

Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia)

• ?

Royal Burgundy (Red Sun)

• Hybrid Japanese Cherry
• Max 20ft in 10 years

Rhubarb

• Like partially shaded free draining soil
• Divide every 5 or 6 years during dormant winter period

Rudbeckia (Coneflower)

• Full sun or partial shade

Snake's Head (Fritillaria Melegris)

• Full sun or partial shade
• Should not dry out completely or get waterlogged

Snowdrop

• Bulb division

Tulip

• Black Parrott

Notes on attracting wildlife

• Dog rose – finches enjoy their hips
• Primrose – when they flower in spring, they produce nectar and

finches are attracted to their seeds

• Marigold – nectar for insects and a good choice if combined with a

vegetable patch

• Lavender – smells great and bees love the flowers, finches love the seeds
• Honeysuckle – another great fragrance, both birds and insects are drawn to the nectar and berries are an additional food source for birds and small mammals
• Michaelmas Daisy – their flowers attract butterflies
• Ivy – its flowers provide nectar for insects and berries for the birds and it also offers good shelter

Lawn

• Grasscycling
• Mulch