Blog for Designs 4 Gardens and Janina Baker in Luton

A garden greenhouse – it always pays off!

November 19, 2020/in Blog /by admin

Every year winter appears and disappears outside the windows, playing tricks on us. Despite the sunny weather, we have to wait until spring for beautiful flowers and green lawns. If we want to enjoy gardening next year also during the winter months, it is worth considering building or purchasing a greenhouse. It also has the potential to become the defining element of our garden! Although we associate greenhouses with rural areas and the large-scale cultivation of vegetables and flowers, there is no reason not to put up an elegant greenhouse in the corner of our suburban garden. It all depends on our goal!

A greenhouse in a home garden will work especially well because it provides ideal conditions for the cultivation of edible plants such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, strawberries, but also basil and arugula. Its warmth extends the growing season. It is also extremely important here that the conditions for plant development in the greenhouse are much more stable than in the field. Although growing ourselves on a small scale, we will certainly not meet the full demand of our family for vegetables and herbs, the occasional consumption of plants cultivated by our own hands can bring us great satisfaction. In addition, in the greenhouse we can also grow many varieties of exotic plants, for example our cacti will feel great in it. Working in the garden has a relaxing effect on many people, it is worth extending this relaxation!

Greenhouse decision – what to consider?

First of all, we need to determine how much we are willing to spend on building a greenhouse. The choice is really huge now, so you need to think carefully about the answer! For example, greenhouses covered with glass or polycarbonate sheets will be much more expensive than those covered with plastic film. What is our goal? Do we just want to try our hand at gardening, or are we really going to spend a lot of time and effort doing it? Or maybe we care more about diversifying the space in our garden? In the latter case, plastic foil will certainly not work! If, however, we are just starting our adventure with cultivation, we can consider the popular mini greenhouses.

Right location

The functioning of the greenhouse will require a perfectly sunny place. Therefore, it should be built in the southern zone of our plot, preferably on the east-west line. When designing the roof, we should take into account the different sun angle in summer and winter. Therefore, the roof slope angle between 25-35 degrees will be the best in the year-round perspective. Of course, the location should be adjusted to the specifics of our plot. The place for the greenhouse must not be wet, puddles are not desirable here! The temperature inside will also be influenced by the wind. Naturally, we will not choose a shaded place or a place which may become so in the future due to the development of trees. There are also factors other than natural ones. If our young children or grandchildren often play in the garden, the glass greenhouse should not necessarily be within the reach of their or their balls.

Proven methods for controlling weeds in your garden

November 12, 2020/in Blog /by admin

Weeds are a challenge for any garden owner. They take away water, light, nutrients and space from plants. Garden weeds, removing them is laborious and sometimes unsuccessful. How to get rid of weeds in the garden. Learn about weed treatments that will reduce their amount in the garden. Weeds in the garden and weeding – a gardener’s guide. Weeding the garden.

Weeds in the garden are the bane of most of us. Are there any effective remedies for garden weeds? How can I get rid of them? Or maybe some weeds should be left in the garden?

Weeds in your garden

Why is the garden so easily taken over by weeds, while the plants we grow often grow poorly and get sick? Because weeds are local plants that are well adapted to the habitat in which they live. The weeds in the garden are expansive – they create strong roots, strong stolons or spread with thousands of seeds. Delicate garden varieties usually do not stand a chance against garden weeds. Weeds are wild plants that are perfectly adapted to the local environment. That is why weeds grow well, although no one sows or cares for them.

Weeds removal

Hence the need to systematically remove weeds. For ecological reasons, however, it is better not to use herbicides on garden weeds, because they poison the soil and reduce the biodiversity of the environment. Besides, their use in the garden should be limited as they also affect the cultivated plants.

Limiting the amount of weeds

To reduce the occurrence of weeds on our plot, it is worth starting from the beginning, i.e. reducing the possibility of these undesirable plants. While it is not so easy on the lawn, it is possible in a bed or a corner with shrubs. A good way is to mulch the soil. We can use organic bedding, e.g. bark or wood chips. This will reduce the occurrence of weeds in large numbers and improve the soil conditions of other plants. We also have the option of using synthetic bedding, e.g. foil or agrotextile. It is an effective way to reduce weed infestation with little effort. Synthetic mulches last for many years and do not require regular control, as in the case of organic soil cover. It is also important not to introduce weed seeds into our garden yourself. When we buy gardening soil, always choose one from a good producer, preferably one in bags with a ready substrate. Sowing material for a lawn or a bed should also be free of weed seeds. It is worth choosing closed packaging available in garden stores, then we can be sure that it is a selected, high-quality product.

Manual weed removal

It is best to get rid of the weeds early in the season when they have not yet developed seeds. It is particularly important for annual species, as these easily reproduce by falling seeds. The cheapest and easiest way to get rid of weeds is manual removal. We can choose a hoe, shovel or just our own hands. She weaves fairly quickly with a hoe when she has a properly sharpened blade. However, some weeds, especially perennial ones, do not respond well to this treatment. On the contrary, it stimulates them to reproduce and grow, e.g. by rhizomes. Therefore, when removing them, we also dig out what is underground, but so as not to damage the roots and get rid of the entire lump, not just part of it. To undermine the weed, we can help ourselves with a pointed spatula.

Manual removal is effective if we perform it regularly, even every week, or every two. Otherwise, after some time, we will not deal with a large number of unwanted guests and the return to the original state of the garden will be more difficult.

Chemical weed control

In a situation where other, less invasive methods fail and the number of weeds continues to increase, it is worth considering the use of chemical agents, i.e. herbicides. They are effective and fairly easy to use. They will also not be dangerous if we follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the label. There are several herbicides that can come in handy in fighting weeds. The most commonly used is a selective herbicide, we use it topically. It removes weeds in the place where it was applied without affecting the previously planted plants. Non-selective herbicides are also available, but these destroy anything they encounter on their way, so only use them before setting up a garden.

When it comes to the way herbicides work, we can choose between contact and systemic. The former destroy plants in direct contact with them. The weed looks burned and eventually dies. They are mainly used to remove annual weeds. On the other hand, systemic agents penetrate deep into the plant, also destroying the roots. It causes their growth inhibition, deformation and dieback.

Why should we fight weeds?

Weeds make crops malnourished and dry – as a result, they grow less, produce less flowers and produce less fruit, which is so important when they have spread around the bushes of tomatoes, cucumbers, currants and raspberries. Although orchard plants are less susceptible to weed infestation, foreign species also slow down the growth of young apple or plum trees. On the other hand, when weeds entangle columnar types of conifers, their twigs turn brown under the cover of leaves and gradually “go bald”.

Weeds – an important prevention

When preparing a place for a lawn or a bed, dig it and pull out all the perennial weeds that grow thanks to the rhizomes, such as couch grass or ground elder. This is very important, because leaving at least a fragment of the rhizome in the ground will make the weed grow again. It is worth leaving the excavated area for some time so that other weeds germinate from the seeds remaining in the soil. When that happens, we remove them as early as possible.

Autumn garden cleaning and preparation for winter

October 17, 2020/in Blog /by admin

Summer is behind us a long time ago, the trees are showing more and more colorful leaves, the gardens are turning brown, yellow and purple, the days are getting shorter and the evenings and mornings are cooler. This is a sign that autumn is fast approaching. We will advise you on how to take care of the garden and everything that is in it before winter, so that you can easily welcome the next season.

Hide potted plants home

At the beginning of autumn, the potted plants that are sensitive to low temperature, decorating the terrace or balcony, should be brought home.

Sow and plant the plants

Many plants, mainly annuals (black seeds, cornflowers, poppies, marigolds, gypsophila) will bloom the next season earlier if sown in the fall. From mid-September, biennial plants (mallow, bluebells, foxgloves, pansies, daisies) and perennials can be transplanted to their target sites so that they can take root before winter. Large clumps can be divided. Plants planted with a lump of soil take best.

Feed the plants

A universal fertilizer for autumn use is compost (it can be fertilized until the end of November). For fertilizing trees and shrubs, mature compost, which is spread under plant crowns, or phosphorus and potassium fertilizers (nitrogen fertilizers are not used in autumn, because they extend the vegetation period of plants, which may cause them to freeze). Fertilizers should be distributed around the plants in a circular pattern (most active roots are on the edge of the crown), they can also be mixed shallowly with the soil.

Plant the bulbs

Spring-flowering bulbs that winter in the ground can be planted in September and October. It is worth doing it before the first frosts, because the bulbs must have time to take root before the onset of winter (until the middle of October, you should plant the bulbs of ornamental garlic, iris, sapphires, scallops, tulips, lilies and crocus bulbs).

After the first frosts, the places where the bulbs were planted should be covered with a 2-4 cm layer of bark or peat, dry leaves, straw or spruce branches. At the beginning of autumn, you can plant or replant some coniferous trees and shrubs, as well as evergreen plants. If we do this later, they may not be able to take root before the coming winter. In heavy soils, rooting may be more difficult; then planting is better to postpone in the spring.

Protect the plants from frost

Perennials are protected against frost in autumn, against soil freezing (usually it is done only in November). This can be done by mulching the soil with bark or leaves, as well as manure. Mulching prevents temperature fluctuations in the soil and helps to keep it moist. The plants are watered and trimmed to a height of about 15 cm, also covered with pine or spruce branches. The grass roots that are sensitive to frost should also be covered with twigs in the fall. Perennials that do not winter in the ground (dahlias, begonias, gladioli, gilding) need to be dug up, remove the above-ground parts, and the underground ones – rhizomes, tubers, bulbs – slightly dry, thoroughly cleaned and put for the winter in a dry, airy, cool room – at a temperature of 5 10 ° C. Bulbs should be stored in boxes filled with peat or sawdust, arranged so that they do not touch each other.

Regardless of the covering, some plants should be protected by the so-called mounding, that is sprinkling the roots with soil, leaves, bark or sawdust – up to a height of 20–40 cm. Even if the shoots are frozen in harsh winter, the branches will bounce off the lower, covered part of the plant in spring. This is how it is worth protecting hydrangeas, roses, clematis, young specimens of palm maples and buds. In periods of drought, evergreen plants should be watered even in winter – during the thaw, water evaporates through their leaves, which exposes the plant to drying out. Evergreen plants should also be shaded with shading nets that do not let in UV radiation and protect against wind. Potted plants overwintering on the terrace – properly secure. A small root ball, a small water supply, strong winds and winter sun rays increase evaporation, which makes the plant vulnerable to freezing.

The easiest way is to place the pot in the soil and make a mound of soil around the plant. If this is not possible, you can wrap the pot with straw or corrugated cardboard and place it in a wooden crate or in a cardboard box filled with bark, dry leaves or even newspapers or polystyrene pieces.

Plants wintering in this way should be placed as close to each other as possible and their shoots should also be secured, as in garden plants, with straw mats, coniferous branches, agrotextile (one that provides the necessary light access) or dry leaves (you can first wrap the plant loosely with a net, and then pour the leaves inside).