Container Gardening

Chamomile is great for herbal teas as well as healing, I will show you how to grow it, you can figure out how to use it! Chamomile is easy to grow in containers or in small herb gardens so it should be suitable for growing in your garden however big or small it is.

There are 3 main different plants sold under the name ‘Chamomile’.

Double Chamomile – This is often solid as a small plant by garden centers. They are harder to grow from seeds so are often divisions from other plants

German Strain – This is an annual chamomile which is quick to grow. They produce an abundance of flowers over the summer months.

Roman Chamomile – This is the perennial version, these plants are generally a little larger with less flowers.

Germination of the seeds is not high and you should expect a germination rate of about 50%. Sow the seeds in March and a temperature of around 55-65F being careful not to cover the seeds as they do require a small amount of light for germination.

Once the seedlings are a few inches tall you can transplant them into larger pots. Chamomile seedlings don’t mind being transplanted but the larger plants hate being moved.

Harden the plants off to outdoor temperatures and once all risk of frost has gone you can plant them outdoors or just keep them outdoors in pots.

Soon after the plants will start to produce flowers which can be harvested, if you are growing a double flowered variety the plants may produce another set of flowers later in the year.

I thought I would share a few tips with you about growing basil. As I am sure you are aware basil is a key ingredient in many Italian and Indian dishes meaning it should be something you grow.

Basil is a small, easy to grow plant meaning it is quick and easy to grow it in containers.

It is almost impossible to buy fresh asparagus anywhere in the UK or US.

Basil originates from India where it is a sacred herb.

Basil loves hot weather.

Sweet Basil is the top variety to grow and one you should try.

When harvesting always take the top leaves first, this will ensure more leaves form quickly.

It is best to feed your basil twice a month.

Anyway, it’s getting late here so I am off to bed. Speak soon!

Coriander is a fantastic herb for the kitchen, it has so many uses and tastes amazing. This superb little herb is ideal for growing in containers or on the windowsill, however you will have to use a pot which is at least 12 inches deep to allow for the long taproot.

Below I have provided you with a few simple steps to follow which will ensure you have no problems growing your own coriander.

1). Sow seeds half an inch deep after all danger of winter frosts has passed. It will not be long before the seeds begin to grow, once they are large enough to handle thin the seeds to 4 inches apart.

2). Keep a close eye on the young seedlings as the soil needs to be continually damp however once the plants establish they will need little water.

3). If you want to harvest the leaves harvest the entire plants once they are 6-7 inches tall.

4). If you are looking to save the seeds you will have to wait a while longer, the seeds will ripen at the end of the summer. Cut the whole plants down and hang them upside down to dry.

Let’s get growing!

In my blog I do mainly focus on container gardening but growing vegetables is raised beds is also something that I want to talk about here.

The basic principle is to have a number of raised beds which are ideally 4ft x 10ft in size. The beds are divided by paths which I recommend are covered with wood chippings or are flagged to prevent weeds growing. It’s that simple.

Growing vegetables in raised beds takes a lot of work out of gardening, you won’t be standing on the raised beds so no major digging will be required, less bending down will be required as well as a number of other benefits.

I will be talking about growing fruit and vegetables in raised beds more over the next few weeks. Please, if you are interested in learning more about raised bed gardening post a comment

In my blog I do mainly focus on container gardening but growing vegetables is raised beds is also something that I want to talk about here.

The basic principle is to have a number of raised beds which are ideally 4ft x 10ft in size. The beds are divided by paths which I recommend are covered with wood chippings or are flagged to prevent weeds growing. It’s that simple.

Growing vegetables in raised beds takes a lot of work out of gardening, you won’t be standing on the raised beds so no major digging will be required, less bending down will be required as well as a number of other benefits.

I will be talking about growing fruit and vegetables in raised beds more over the next few weeks. Please, if you are interested in learning more about raised bed gardening post a comment

As the summer season is now in full swing and the whether is beginning to brighten up it is now time to consider sowing and planting winter vegetables.

Second cropping potatoes are one of my favorite vegetables to grow over winter. By planting these special cold stored potatoes outdoors in August will ensure that you can harvest fresh potatoes from October to Christmas.

Please Note – You should not plant potatoes from the supermarket or saved from spring’s plantings. Special cold store seed potatoes should be bought from a reputable seeds supplier.

Back to the point, second cropping potatoes should be planted in the same way as main crop potatoes but just planted and harvested at a different time.

They are really simple to grow in my past experience, you may need to protect the potatoes if you live in a really cold area but that is all the care they really need.

I highly recommend that you try growing a few pots of second cropping potatoes!

There are many reasons one would desire to start an herb garden Along with many reasons there should also be a lot of thought put into starting an herb garden. The first thing that you should do is decide what your purpose is for having an herb garden. Herb gardens can be used for natural remedies, cooking, making natural oils, or insecticide. Whatever your reason is for starting an herb garden will determine how many seeds and plants you will need.

You will want to decide on what type of herbs you want to use. Do a little research on each herb to see what can grow in your region. Become educated on what type of soil, how much sun exposure and water each herb needs. It would also be advisable to know what kind of animals and insects cause harm to the plants. The more you know the better your chances are of having a successful herb garden.

In making your decisions you can visit the local nursery. The nursery might already have some herbs started as plants. If you can’t find plants anywhere, you can start your own garden out by using seeds and transplant into the garden at the proper time. Leave enough room for each plant to grow and expand.

Think of where you would like your herb garden to be. Herb gardens can be indoors or outdoors. An indoor herb garden will require containers for planting. There are many different styles of planters that you can use. You can purchase clay, ceramic, plastic, or even wood pots. You can also find containers that have room for multiple plants in it. Just make sure that the pots that you chose allow good drainage. Many smaller pots are best for growing herbs. You can keep the plants separated and avoid cross pollination in smaller posts.

The herbs will need water, fertilizer and pruning as they grow. Remove dead leaves and flowers from the plants as they appear. Herbs will need water when they are planted, but it is said that herbs are able to withstand droughts. You will need to fertilize your herbs at least once a month during their growing season. If your plants are looking unhealthy and you do fertilize them, it’s possible that the plants are receiving too much fertilizer.

When it is time to harvest your plants, use a sharp blade to cut off the healthiest branches. You will want to pick the leaves before the plants produce flowers. This is the peak time for the flavor of each plant. Wash all leaves in cold water before you dry them. To dry the plants, hang them upside down in the sun until all the moisture is gone. They will need to be dried completely before storage to prevent molding. Herbs can also be stored by freezing. You will first have to blanch the herb before freezing. Look in a cookbook to find the complete instructions for freezing herbs.

It’s getting late and I have had a busy day today so I am going to keep this post quick, simple and to the point! Hopefully I will have some spare time tomorrow to make a few posts here.

Tomato Tiny Tim is one of my favorite tomatoes to grow in containers and hanging baskets. The plants produce heavy crops of small cherry tomatoes which taste fantastic and love growing outdoors. The small dwarf bush tomatoes are extremely well suited to being grown in containers.

This is a variety that I personally recommend that you grow in your small garden! They are simple to grow and care for meaning that they are perfect if you have little time to garden.

I told you this post would be quick and to the point!

Container gardening is so easy and it is fantastic for people who are new to gardening. Beginners often find getting started the hardest step, but without taking just a little action and getting started you will never have the allotment or garden you dream of.

Just growing a few vegetables in containers can be enough to inspire you to get growing and have your own superb garden. Just planting a few lettuces, tomatoes, radish or the like in containers is enough to get started. Once the seedlings have grown a little you will find that the satisfaction is massive.

As a beginner you don’t want to jump in at the deep end, keep it small and manageable to start with. Once you have some experience however small creating the perfect container garden, allotment or back garden will be so much easier.

The key is just getting started, so that is something you should do. Sow a few seeds today, dig the new allotment over tomorrow!

Simple!

I have always been interested in growing things that are different to what everyone else is growing. Avocados seem to be something really different, well I bet you have never grown them have you?

I have done a bit of research and that Avocados can be grown successfully in containers which is great. The downside being that they are supposed to be really difficult to grow. I read on the “Fruit Expert” website that growing them indoors in a large container is another option as they don’t tolerate really cold temperatures.

Here is a short extract from the Fruit Experts website;

Pierce the seed with toothpicks and suspend it, pointed end up, over a glass of water. Roots should start to develop within two to six weeks. Then pot up the plant, leaving the tip just poking out of the soil. However, not all avocado seeds will germinate, so if your seed hasn’t sprouted after six weeks, try again with a fresh seed

The growing process seems to be a complex one but I am up for the challenge. I will keep you posted!