Landscape Juice

Nagan Johnson to open garden for the NGS Yellow Book

Deborah Nagan & Michael Johnson are keeping their fingers crossed for a sunny day on Saturday August 8th, because their garden at 225a Brixton Road, will be open to the public for the National Garden Scheme.

The front garden, turns out not to be about veg’ at all. Working at the front of the house has meant that we have met our neighbours, writes Deborah Nagan.

Whilst watering or digging we have the time to stand and chat. They have helped lift tonnes of soil and share our delight in rows of tulips followed by rows of poppies. They wait, hopefully, for a share of the crop!

Recognise the horticulture industry as a true profession

Do you want to see the horticulture industry taken seriously - is it time to stand up and put gardening and landscaping and the many other trades, that collectively make up horticulture, on the map?

I have started an E-petition on the No 10 Downing Street website.

How to plan your garden design

Kerrie John is an RHS Silver Medal winner and when - comes to designing, she knows a thing or two.

Kerrie shares a few of her tips on what you should be considering before engaging with a garden designer and remember, getting the design right is just as important as the integrity of the build - get it wrong and you could be staring at it for years.

Most of you probably have a garden, be it an urban city courtyard or rural country retreat, writes Kerrie John.

Cheshire's Hough Garden is open to the public

Visit one of Cheshire's organic gems this weekend

Hough Garden, Alderley Edge, Cheshire, is open to the public this weekend on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd August.

Earth-friendly gardening writer John Walker has visited the garden several times and regards it as one of the most inspirational and beguiling private organic gardens in the UK, and says: "Peter Woollam, over the past nine years, has created a half-acre organic kitchen garden that's as pleasing to the palate as it is to the eye.

Cycad Encephalartos altensteinii re-potted at Kew

An ancient cycad - believed to be the oldest pot plant in the world and the oldest at Kew - has been re-potted by the staff at Kew's Palm House.

The huge Jurassic cycad - Encephalartos altensteninii - is truly King of the Palm House and was collected plant hunter Francis Masson, from the Eastern Cape region of South Africa in the early 1770s.

Masson was commissioned by Sir Joseph Banks to join the Resolution on Captain Cook’s second voyage around the world.

Maintenance of a garden after it has been designed

Having a new garden designed and built is just the beginning of a journey. Because the planting is usually the very last job to be done and provides an instant effect, many clients get the impression that its then state, is timeless.

Regular contributor, Claudia de Yong shares her thoughts on how to approach your new garden after completion with tips on maintenance.

One of the best feelings for a garden designer is seeing your client’s happy face when you have just finished a project on their garden. It is so rewarding knowing that what you have designed and built will be enjoyed and continue to give great pleasure for many years to come. Writes Claudia de Yong.

How to grow cucumbers in the United Kingdom

Did you know that the cucumber plants grown in modern production facilities are all female F1 hybrids - apparently females will crop earlier and support intensive production methods.

The plants are also more tolerant to plant pathogens such as mildew and cut down the use of fungal sprays.

To get cucumber fruit to the table the plants are propagated through November and December before being moved greenhouses in December and January - the fruit can then be picked from January onwards until the plant is exhausted.

What does landscaping cost?

If you are planning to have your garden landscaped in the near future you will need to do your homework on the potential costs involved.

If you are looking for an industry standard charge-out rate or a set cost per metre or perhaps a menu of garden features, then you are going to be disappointed because such a thing doesn't exist.

It is fair to assume that as a consumer you are looking for the best possible service at the lowest possible price but, if you are looking for a deal based purely on price alone and you do not take the skill or the experience of your contractor into consideration, then you could be on a slippery slope.

Ladybird surprise for Blackdown Horticultural Consultants

A swarm of Ladybirds - thought to be around ten million in number - has descended on the sedum matting of Blackdown Horticultural Consultants' 'greenroof'.

Ladybirds feed on aphids and greenfly and because this year has seen an explosion of these plant eating parasites it is thought they have attracted greater numbers of ladybird for one big feast - the ladybirds are expected to stay until autumn.

Potato 'Blightwatch' information

It is not just farmers who have to be on their guard when it comes to the ravages of potato blight.

Vegetable gardeners have to be vigilante too and anticipating the weather conditions that allow the Phytophthora infestans spores to proliferate, can be a bit of a lottery.

Spores can develop as temperatures rise above ten degrees - usually in humid conditions approaching 80%.