David Domoney

Tag: beginner gardening

  • How to plant spring colour in containers: Step-by-step guide

    How to plant spring colour in containers: Step-by-step guide

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    I love container gardening because it allows you to put plants anywhere, even right by your front door. That’s especially important in spring, when the garden is still coming to life – I want see a bit of colour!

    Planting containers with bright spring colour is sure to put a smile on your face. Flowers lift our mood and it’s exactly what we need in this damp, drab weather.

    There are loads of plants to add a splash of spring colour to your garden. Here’s a few of my favourite spring flowers, plus a step-by-step tutorial on how to plant up stunning spring containers.

    How to plant spring colour in containers

    Step 1: Check the drainage

    Good drainage is very important in container gardening. If water gets trapped in the plant pot, air can’t get to the plant’s roots and it may rot and die. The problem is even worse in spring, which is a typically wet time of year.

    Most flower pots and containers should come with some drainage holes already in the bottom. But I always drill a few extra ones into plastic or wood containers, just to be safe.

    Add a layer of gravel or broken pottery to the bottom of the container. This stops the drainage holes getting blocked by lumps of compost.

    Half fill your container with general purpose compost, and you’re ready to plant!

    Step 2 – Choose your plants

    skimmia japonica rubella best plants for winter flowering

    The best container gardens make use of larger containers with several plants in them. This helps create a mix of height, shape and colour for a stunning display.

    I always start with a centrepiece. This is usually a bigger feature plant that goes in the middle. In the video above, I’m using a Skimmia.

    Great spring centrepieces

    • Skimmia japonica
    • Dwarf conifer (Cupressus Goldcrest is good)
    • Hebe
    • Osmanthus burkwoodii
    • Viburnum
    • Tall spring bulbs like daffodils and tulips

    Around the centrepiece you need lower-growing, colourful bedding plants and flowerings varieties. In the video I use a selection of primroses, which have a vivid flower colour and nice leafy foliage.

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    Best plants for spring colour

    • Primroses
    • Pansies
    • Spring bulbs like crocus and dwarf iris
    • Ornamental cabbages
    • Polyanthus

    You can also add trailing plants like ivy around the edges to drape down the sides of the container.

    Want more inspiration? Check out these unusual container ideas.

    Step 3 – Plant your container

    Start with the large centrepiece. Carefully take off the pot and place the plant in the middle of the container. Nestle it into the compost so it sits straight and fill in with compost to hold it in place.

    Next make small holes in compost around the edges where the bedding plants will go. Remove them from their pots and plant them as you did with the centrepiece.

    Aim to make the container feel full and lush – nothing looks sadder than a half-empty flower pot. Firm in the soil to hold the plants in place and top-up with more compost if there are any gaps.

    Try to get the final compost level a couple of centimetres below the rim of the pot. If you fill the container right to the top, compost will spill out when you try and water it. Now give the container a good water.

    Step 4 – Where to put your spring container

    Make the most of your spring containers by putting them somewhere you can see them clearly. This may be by the front door or on the patio near the kitchen window.

    If you place your container against the side of the house you might need to give it a bit of extra water. This is because it will sit under the eaves and won’t get as much rainfall.

    You can also lift pots up onto pot feet to help drainage. I use old wine corks!

    Your stunning spring container should give you months of pleasure. Make sure to refresh it when the bedding plants start to die with some summer-flowering varieties like fuchsias and geraniums.

    Want more spring colour? Here are my top 12 flowers for spring.

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    For more garden planting ideas, check out my blog:

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    Or check out my Pinterest board for more ideas:

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  • Rescuing the bees: What to do if you find a wild bee colony

    Rescuing the bees: What to do if you find a wild bee colony

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    No doubt some of you know that I’m a beekeeper. I got my first colony in 2014 and now have three hives. Bees are vital for the environment and ecosystem as pollinators, and so much fun to keep!

    But beekeeping is not just about looking after your own bees. Sometimes bee colonies set up home in the wild, often in houses, sheds and gardens. Experienced beekeepers can rescue wild bee colonies and move them to safety in a managed hive. bees David Domoney

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    Rescuing a wild bee colony

    Just last week, a farmer found a wild colony when he was cutting a hedge along a roadside near Stratford-upon-Avon. He chopped off the top and discovered an active colony nestled among the branches.

    He contacted a beekeeping farmer, who put him in touch with Brian Donley, chairperson of the Stratford and District Beekeeping Association.

    Brian set out to visit the colony to assess the situation and what equipment was needed. The next day he returned and cut some of the hedge away. Then he was able to lift out the combs.

    He placed it in type of beehive called a national hive with a double brood chamber. It’s a large one to take the length of the six combs the colony had built.

    The cold weather meant that the bees remained tightly clustered and none of them flew out to try and defend their home. You can see them between the combs in the image below.

    The colony is now back in Brian’s apiary with a big block of baker’s fondant on top. The bees were close to starving after spending so long withstanding frosty temperatures in the hedge. Now they have a safe home and plenty of food to build up their strength.

    Brian estimates that the bees had probably been living in the hedge since last summer, because the comb was still a white-yellow colour and pretty clean.

    It is unusual for a wild colony to set up home out in the open like this. And even more so for the bees to have survived this long into the winter, especially with all the wet and freezing cold we have had recently.

    Alternatively check out the BBKA’s list of events to find out what’s on near you.

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    What should I do if I find a wild bee colony?

    Finding a wild bee colony in a hedge is fairly rare. Bees usually build hives in hollow trees, but there aren’t many of those left today. Most of the time when people find a wild bee colony, they have set up home in a brick cavity in a house or down a chimney.

    But if you do find wild bees in your house, garden, property or on your land, Brian’s advice is to leave them well alone! Contact your local beekeeping association with the details from the British Beekeeping Association website (BBKA).

    It’s a charity that will send a volunteer beekeeper to check over the site and safely remove the colony.

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    How do I become a beekeeper?

    Beekeeping is immensely rewarding for gardeners and I love it! You don’t need any formal qualifications to become a beekeeper, but you should join your local beekeeping association – find the details on the BBKA website.

    The associations run local training courses to help you get set up. They will be able to put you in contact with other beekeepers so you can ask for advice and learn from them. They also run taster days throughout the year so you can go along and give it a try.

    If you live locally, come along to the Stratford Association’s Introduction to Beekeeping Course starting in February.

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    For more garden planting ideas, check out my blog:

    [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ layout=”1_2″ spacing=”” center_content=”no” hover_type=”none” link=”” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” last=”true” border_sizes_top=”0″ border_sizes_bottom=”0″ border_sizes_left=”0″ border_sizes_right=”0″ first=”false”][fusion_text]

    Or check out my Pinterest board for more ideas:

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  • 101 things to do in the garden this year: Outdoor living ideas

    101 things to do in the garden this year: Outdoor living ideas

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    Having a garden is fantastic. It’s your own little slice of nature right on your back doorstep.

    But sometimes it can feel like a constant chore. The grass needs cutting, shrubs could use a prune and weeds are popping up everywhere. Now, gardening jobs are important because they help you keep on top of the plants and stop them turning wild.

    But gardens are meant to be fun too! So here’s 101 ideas for you to do in the garden during the year. Some are practical, some are fun and some are plain silly. All of them should get you outside and enjoying the garden.

    1. Cut flowerscut flowers for garden table and leafy stems to display indoors
    2. Reuse household items in the garden, like tins and ceramic pots as planters
    3. Grow nectar-rich flowers to feed bees and butterflies
    4. Put up a garden statue – even a small one makes a great focal point
    5. Feed the birds (and put out fresh water for drinking and bathing)
    6. Make an insect hotel with this guide
    7. Have a snowball fight
    8. Organise the shed and clear it out
    9. Host a BBQ party
    10. Grow veg in pots – radishes and chillies are ideal
    11. Get birdwatching! Join the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch
    12. Paint your front door
    13. Put in a new climbing plant to cover unsightly walls or fences
    14. Grow herbs
    15. Freeze fruit, herbs and edible flowers in ice cube trays for decorative drinks
    16. Play giant jenga on the lawn
    17. Plant spring bulbs
    18. Build an obstacle course
    19. Bake lavender biscuits with fresh or dried flowers
    20. Plant a treeplant a tree
    21. Play golf
    22. Sow wildflowers
    23. Pick herbs to make herbal tea – mint and chamomile are great
    24. Install a hedgehog highway by making a hole in the bottom of your fence (13cm x 13cm)
    25. Sharpen the blades on your tools
    26. Host a street party and invite your neighbours round for tea, cake and plant chat
    27. Put in some new solar lights
    28. Plant a stunning hanging basket
    29. Hang streamers, decorations and candle holders from tree branches
    30. Collect seeds from your favourite plants
    31. Put in a little sand pit (great for kids and adults!)
    32. Move any plants that aren’t growing well to a new home
    33. Add an arch and grow beautiful climbers over it
    34. Sit out by candlelight on a night
    35. Put up sun loungers or deck chairs
    36. Add a water feature – even a dish of water will do
    37. Build a scarecrow
    38. Grow fruitblank like apples and strawberries and eat them straight from the tree
    39. Plant a rose bush – guide here
    40. Make garden art using prints and stamps, and stick down foliage and flowers
    41. Play Frisbee
    42. Hold an Easter egg hunt
    43. Have a competition to see who can grow the tallest sunflower
    44. Customise terracotta pots with outdoor paint – make your own designs!
    45. Set up a scavenger hunt with the children
    46. Plant a seasonal container and change the plants every season
    47. Pick edible flowers to decorate cakes and drinks
    48. Have a water fight
    49. Make butterfly feeders with sugar water and scouring pads in a Tupperware box
    50. Clean the lawnmower blades and oil them
    51. Have a picnic on your lawn
    52. Start a new garden game like boules or croquet
    53. Paint your woodwork to refresh sheds, fences and gazebos
    54. Put window boxes up and grow flowers you can admire from inside the house
    55. Fill the paddling pool and splash about (or just dip your feet in)
    56. MulchMulch around flower beds to improve soil and suppress weeds
    57. Put up a teepee – stand bamboo canes in a pyramid and drape them with sheets
    58. Grow cress heads on the windowsill by sowing seeds in egg shells and drawing on faces
    59. Plant a fairy garden
    60. Grow a new type of vegetable
    61. Take cuttings to make more plants for free
    62. Start a compost heap – get the guide here
    63. Decorate in summer evenings with solar-powered fairy lights
    64. Make perfume by heating water with scented petals like roses
    65. Put up a bird table or bird bath where you can see it from indoors
    66. Host a seed swap party
    67. Light a bonfire to burn garden waste
    68. Press flowers
    69. Take bark rubbings
    70. Make fat balls for birds in winter and spring with this no-cook recipe
    71. Personalise your wellies
    72. strawberriesCollect interesting leaves
    73. Put up summery bunting around sheds, gazebos, arches or even your house windows
    74. Grow trailing strawberries in a hanging basket
    75. Build a den or fort
    76. Make jam jar candles with tea lights
    77. Force bulbs for growing indoors in winter
    78. Get kids involved in a nature trail looking for bugs, plants and wildlife
    79. Host a coffee morning and cake sale to raise money for charity (try MacMillan Cancer Care’s coffee morning)
    80. Make a wildlife corner with log piles, insect houses and hedgehog shelters
    81. Cook something different on the BBQ like sweet potatoes in foil
    82. Sit out by firelight on an evening with a fire pit
    83. Draw, paint or photograph your garden flowers
    84. Plant a cocktail window box with strawberries, mint and edible flowers
    85. Make candleholders out of recycled tin cans by drilling holes in a pattern
    86. Plant new winter colour with evergreens
    87. Grow scented flowers like lavender and sweet peas
    88. blank Build a sundial
    89. Make or buy new cushions for your patio furniture – look for weatherproof if you can
    90. Toast marshmallows over an open fire
    91. Throw a garden cocktail party with herbal-infused drinks
    92. Spend a sunny Sunday morning reading the paper on the patio
    93. Put in a second seating area like a bench or bistro set
    94. Host a garden treasure hunt, hiding objects around
    95. Make a seasonal wreath with leaves, twigs, pine cones and seed heads
    96. String fairy lights or bunting from the parasol
    97. Put down beer traps to catch pesky slugs
    98. Take cuttings and swap them with friends and neighbours to get new plants for free
    99. Grow something new and wacky! Red sunflowers are a great place to start
    100. Cut flowers and hang them to dry – lavender and hydrangea are ideal
    101. Sit out at night with the lights off and stargaze. You need a dark, clear night with no moon for the best viewing. Keep an eye out for the famous Perseid meteor shower around August 12 too

    What do you think? Is there anything I missed? Let me know in the comments below.

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    For more garden planting ideas, check out my blog:

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    Or check out my Pinterest board for more ideas:

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