Vegetable Garden Planting Guide, Easy To Follow Vegetable Garden Tips

Vegetable garden planting guide, starting and planting a vegetable garden made easy with "how to" articles taking you from A to Z of growing all your own vegetables. Starting a vegetable garden made easy.

Vegetable Gardening Tips and Advice, Starting a vegetable garden? Deciding on a vegetable garden layout

In the previous articles on how to start a vegetable garden we looked at what is necessary in starting a garden in general and more specifically the first steps in starting a vegetable garden, now we are at the fun stage of planting a vegetable garden and where we decide on our vegetable garden layout, which plants to grow where, and of course, how to grow all those beautiful vegetables.

Planning a vegetable garden and planting a vegetable garden

Now we are at the stage of thinking about which vegetables we would like to grow. However, one of the key areas of growing vegetables is an area known as crop rotation.

Basically, all this means is that you do not grow the same vegetables in the same patch of years in sucessive years. This avoids nutrient depletion, and ongoing soil and/or pest problems. It's not complicated and I will provide some sample rotation plans and discuss how to layout your vegetable garden in the article on vegetable garden layout. It is important to do as different plants place different demands on your soil. Your soil can grow depleted and tired if the demands on each patch are not varied over the years.

How to start a vegetable garden, soil care and types

We have discussed the soil types before but it is worth running over again, just a little refresher. As previously mentioned , crop rotation is important. Along with that you will probably be adjusting the soil a little bit one way or another depending on what is growing where.

Once you know the general condition and type of soil you are planting your vegetable garden in, you will be able to adjust accordingly.

A very simple method to test your soil type is to pick up a small handful of soil. Now, wet it and remove any stones. Now, try to roll it into a worm type shape!

If you cannot roll it into the worm shape it means you have a light , sandy type soil. If you can roll it but it then loses shape, you have a good soil, this type of garden soil is often referred to as "loamy".

Vegetable garden soil, don't fight nature when planting a vegetable garden

Don't try to change your entire soil type when planting a vegetable garden. Grow plants that grow well in your particular type of soil. Of course you could change the soil type of smaller areas, but to do so on a large scale would be a huge undertaking.

It is generally easier to adjust what you are growing rather than your soil, smaller bed make it a lot easier if you want to change your soil. With smaller bed you could do it one at a time.

Vegetable garden planting in sandy soil

Sandy soils dry out a lot quicker than clay, so will need careful monitoring for watering. On the plus side sandy soils heat up a lot quicker than clay.

Carrots in particular like sandy soil if its nutrient value has been boosted by adding good mature compost. The compost also helps with moisture retention.

Try to avoid walking on sandy soil as a layer forms on top which makes it difficult for seed to break through.

Starting a vegetable garden with clay soil

Clay soils are really the reverse of sandy, so the opposite of everything stated previously about sandy, with the exception of one thing, try to avoid walking, as much as possible, on clay soils.

Add good rich compost and sharp sand to make clay type soil lighter to work with and better for growing in.

What you are looking for is a nutrient rich, reasonably moisture retentive, workable soil.

If you need more information on soil types you can always refer back to the article, starting a vegetable garden

It's now time to decide on your your crop rotation plan and vegetable garden layout. When that is decided ,come back to this page for links to all the "how to grow" articles for many, many different types of vegetables.

Vegetable Garden Planting, 'How To' Articles

Looking forward to the taste of Asparagus in spring is without doubt one of the great joys of starting a vegetable garden. Discover for yourself how to grow Asparagus

If the thought of growing Broccoli of your own appeals to you, read our article on how to grow Broccoli

Want to know how to grow Cabbage?, use our easy to follow guide to growing Cabbage

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Vegetable Garden Tips, Starting A Vegetable Garden Made Easy

Vegetable garden tips for those just starting a vegetable garden as well as the more experienced gardener. Effective easy to follow vegetable gardening tips. Vegetable garden planting guide, starting and planting a vegetable garden made easy!

Whether an experienced vegetable gardener or a starter our vegetable gardening tips will give you all you need to know to get your gardening experience off to a good start. Full of practical easy to follow gardening advice ranging from how to grow all the different types of vegetables. Also included are a vegetable garden planting guide and vegetable garden layout plans to get you off to the best possible start.

There are many practical reason for starting a vegetable garden but the greatest advantage of all is the pure pleasure to be had from growing and eating your very own vegetable.

No matter how little or large your garden is there is always some way of growing vegetables. A little creativity and good solid gardening advice will go a long way. Read our articles below on how to grow a huge selection of vegetables as well as our practical vegetable garden tips and not alone will you know how to start a garden but you will be able to maintain it as well.

Starting a vegetable garden is easy once you follow my guide. Easy to follow "how to" vegetable garden tips that make it easy to be growing your very own vegetables.

Vegetable garden layout guide shows you how to layout your vegetable garden in the most efficient way possible both for you and your vegetables.Vegetable garden planting made easier!

Vegetable garden planting guide, starting and planting a vegetable garden made easy with "how to" articles taking you from A to Z of growing all your own vegetables. Starting a vegetable garden made easy.

Our how to grow Broccoli guide shows you everything you need to growing Broccoli including vegetable garden tips that take you through the whole process of starting a vegetable garden of your own.

Know how to grow asparagus easily with our vegetable garden tips, easy to follow guide to growing mouth-watering tender asparagus in your own garden.

Our growing Cabbage guide shows you everything you need to know whether you are starting a vegetable garden or looking for vegetable garden tips.

Learn how to grow tomatoes and enjoy fresh sweet tomatoes grown in your own garden. Growing tomatoes is simple with our easy to follow guide.

Learn how to grow pumpkins and squashes successfully with our vegetable garden tips and grow your very own pumpkins in your own garden.

How to grow cucumbers made easy is just one part of our easy to follow vegetable garden tips that will have you growing your own vegetables such as the cucumber varieties Burpless Tasty Green and Carmen in no time.

How to grow peppers and chillies provides you with all the basic information you need to start growing your own peppers and chillies such as Purple Beauty and gypsy peppers. Our vegetable gardening tips show you everything you need to know about starting a vegetable garden of your own.

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How To Plant Roses, How To Grow Roses Made Easy

How to plant roses and grow roses easily in borders and island beds, including how to grow climbing roses. All you need to know about growing roses.

Rose Gardening Tips and Advice, How to plant roses, climbing rose bushes and rambling roses

Firstly, you need to prepare a hole approximately twice the size of the roses roots. This hold should be about 18 inches away from the wall.

Try to shape the base of the hole in such a way that it is about 45 degrees running away from the inside of the hole. Now place a generous amount of nice, rich mature manure mixed with soil in the base.

Now place the rose in the centre of the hole and fill in the hole. There should be a mark of old soil on the rose so do not plant the rose so deep that you cannot see that line.

This line/mark should be just above the surface. Now gently firm the soil in around the rose and give a good watering.

Water well in the first year after planting, it is not as important in subsequent years once the rose is established as they are deep rooted plants.

Now you need to place a series of horizontal wires secured to the wall at approximately 6 inches apart. Now you need to tie your climbing roses along the first one or two wires in a fan effect.

Doing this means that your rose shoots are kept horizontally and thus by nature the rose will send new shoots upwards. you then do the same with those. this means you get even and full coverage with on practically all of the area you are growing your climbing rose on. It also makes rose bush care maintenance easier.

How to plant roses as a hedge when starting a rose garden

Planting roses as hedges can work very well in many gardens, especially if you are not looking for a very formal shaped hedge. Another advantage of this is the fact that the care of roses in a hedge is very little other than some deadheading of blooms and a touch of light pruning. As with any plants choosing the correct rose for the job is vital.

Ideally when growing roses as a hedge you want to look for the following qualities, hardy, disease resistant, plentiful and continuous blooms with lots of foliage.

For a small hedge you will be single row planting at about 10 inches apart. The best types of roses for this job are patio rose types or dwarf floribunda type roses, these will grow to about 30 inches tall.

If you want to grow a medium sized rose hedge of about 5 feet tall you could choose Hybrid Teas, Floribunda Type Roses or Shrub Roses.

The preferred method for planting rose bushes in this case is to plant in two staggered rows with about 18 inches between them. Some different types of roses that are suitable for this job are are Ballerina, Pink Parfait, Frau Dagmar, Alexander, Icerberg

If you desire a tall rose hedge, i.e. over 5 feet tall, use shrub roses or tall floribunda type roses. Plant these roses in a straight line about 3 feet apart. Suitable types of roses for this purpose are Chinatown, Scabrosa, Rosa Rugosa Alba, Penelope, Roseraie de l’Hay.

How to plant roses in an island bed

The bed of roses as an island surrounded by well tended lawns is a classic scene that has lost none of its appeal over the years.

If this method of growing roses is something that appeals to you there are somethings you should consider.

For the most dramatic effect when growing roses this way, choose one colour, the bigger the rose bed the bigger you will need your roses, this is especially the case if you want to enjoy some of that color from a distance.

If the bed is going to be particularly large you should consider some standard roses or tall roses for planting in the middle. This gives height to the bed and the tiered effect still leaves the shorter roses on the outside more visible.

When looking at the different types of roses for this situation there are some guidelines that you should follow.

Roses need to be repeat and heavy flowering and in quick succession.They need to have plenty of foliage and a good spread of blooms.They should be able to deal with cold weather.They should be able to deal with wet weather.Roses should have good disease resistanceBigger roses for bigger beds, smaller roses for smaller beds

Work out approximately how far your roses are likely to spread out, you want to have the full width of the rose no nearer than about 20 to 24 inches to the rose bed border

Even with smaller rose beds you will need a certain amount of room not just for the rose to grow but also for you to be able to work in around it and possibly underplant it if you wanted to. Make the bed at least 5 feet wide.

To provide full coverage from all angles, stagger your roses when you are planting them. This really cuts down on any possible bare spots.

How to plant roses in borders

Growing roses in borders opens up a world of opportunities for dramatic effects and colour co-ordination.

In general borders are ares of a garden that are only accessible from one side, for example a border grown along a wall. However, you can have borders along your driveway and/or lawns.

Growing roses in borders along walls, sheds and other structures is usually an informal planting scheme. The taller plants including the roses are planted to the back with the other plants generally decreasing in size as they go to the front of the border.

It is also a great opportunity to start growing climbing roses and rambling roses, in fact it is a great opportunity, if your border is large enough, to try out several different types of roses.

Ideas for planting roses in borders

Firstly make sure you have allowed enough room for the eventual size of all plants once they reach maturity.

Use Floribunda type roses and then climbers and ramblers to do exactly as their name suggest, you could even place small arches or other structures with your bed to highlight these roses and add even more dramatic effect.Grow your roses in a mixed bed with other plants and use a group of 5 plants of a particular type and color in a group. This provides a great drift effect of both color and foliageIf you choose the lighter pastel colored roses, shrubs with grey leaves work brilliantly with pastel colored rose types.Evergreen plants with a distinct shape such as conifers are ideal to create a backbone or skeleton to the border.Underplant your roses with possibly bulbs or smaller evergreen plants to provide some colour when the roses are not in bloom.

Remember the general rules for how to plant roses regarding preparing your soil, digging your hole and watering as described in the article on Growing Roses

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Growing Roses, How To Plant and Grow Roses Like An Expert

Growing roses is my complete guide to growing roses for beginners and experienced alike. From how to plant roses, how to prune roses, rose bush care maintenance as well as growing roses from seed and cuttings and how to grow roses in containers.

Rose Gardening Tips and Advice

With so many rose types to choose from your choices are endless. It can be a little overpowering at first, especailly when you consider that there are almost as many places to plant roses as there are different types of roses.

How to grow roses, colour choices

For many rose growers the idea is to plant roses of one colour. This is fine if it suits but it is neither always practical nor desirable. Others choose to go the complete opposite, in that case they choose a large selection of different coloured roses. Personally, my choice lies between those two options.

The choice of colour is your own decision but I would plant roses in grouping of 3,5 or 7. This way you get a strong representation of each colour and you can also co-ordinate your colours. This is probably the best of both worlds when it comes to choosing your rose colours.

Growing roses and underplanting with other plants

The bareness associated with the part of the rose nearest to the soil can easily be solved by sowing other plants around the base of your roses.

The main advantages of this are that there is colour when the roses are out of bloom and the underplanting hides the bare lower parts of growing roses. Opt for plants that do not have to be lifted and are shallow rooted. Bulbs are usually an excellent choice.

If you choose to underplant be aware that rose bush care maintenance can be a little more difficult because of the reduced amount of space between the roses, mulching will have to be done a little more carefully. Also be aware that other plants will avail of the nutrients in the soil around your roses so you need to make up for that by keeping the soil reasonably rich.

Different types of roses to choose from

Types of Hybrid tea roses, especially the rose types known as Floribunda are perfect for beds. These roses work very well when planted as a large grouping of the one color rather than a combination of differnt colours. The Floribunda and Hybrid Tea rose type are also excellent when used in borders.

Climbing roses and Rambling roses can be grown up through and over practically anything, so everything is up for grabs. Walls, trees,pergolas,screens and arches. just be aware that ramblers are best avoided for growing on walls as the reduced air circulation sees Mildew become a problem.

Shrub rose types are generally for borders and several different types of shrub roses are also excellent for use as hedges e.g. Rugosas are particularly good as are some of the Gallica rose types.

Ground Cover roses vary from very low growing, almost ground hugging, to about 5 feet tall. Very disease resistant they are great roses for covering those parts of your garden that you wish weren't so obvious.

Miniature roses usually do not exceed 14 inches in height. These rose types are rapidly becoming a household favourite because of their versatility. They can be used rose beds as well as edging of lawns and borders. Also a very useful way of growing roses in containers. A great way to start out for the novice rose grower useful for growing roses for beginners. Thinking of growing roses indoors? with the right conditions these types of roses can be used for growing roses indoors.

Patio roses are different types of roses to miniature roses, in fact they are smaller versions of Floribunda roses. They too can be used in beds, for growing roses in containers and as edging on paths, driveways.

How to buy roses for growing

Opt for a rose that has a nice uniform shape, for many the ideal shape is that of a goblet, or wine glass, and that has 3 or 4 good stems. If possible stay away from roses that have been pot bound i.e. in the pot for a long period of time, often years.

Pick a rose with a well developed and healthy root ball. Look for 2 or more stems about the thickness of a pencil, there should be no white stems.

One method of judging if a rose is pot bound is if you can see roots growing out through the bottom of the pot. Moss like growth around the base of the plant is also a tell-tale sign. It's not totally critical, but if you can you are better to avoid them. Bare-root roses ( roses not in pots) are the cheapest and these types of roses can be planted anytime from November to March.

Preparing soil for growing roses, how to plant roses

Plant your roses in a site that has a reasonable flow of air but at the same time is not exposed to very strong winds. Roses prefer a lot of sunlight to perform really well. Watering roses in the first year is very important but it is not a a big problem after the first year as their roots go deep and this makes them reasonably drought tolerant.

Of all the different types of roses that exist they all have one thing in common, they prefer a well draining soil. They will survive on most soils but they won't thrive if there is poor drainage. Dig the soil to a size approximately twice the size of the roots. Now add in lots of good rich compost and a good rose fertilizer.

Place a mound of nutrient rich compost at the bottom of the hole. If drainage is poor make the hole a little larger and add a few shovels of sharp sand at the very bottom. Place rose in hole and fill back the hole. Firmly, but gently firm up the soil around the base. The best time for planting roses is in late October or November when there is still enough heat in the soil to encourage new root growth.

Now place several inches deep, of good rich mulching around the base of your rose.

This is going to be your roses home for a long time to come, so get them off to the best possible start.

Rose bush care maintenance

the trick with rose bush care maintenance is doing the right jobs at the right time. Once you have a general plan of action and stick to it a lot of the hard work is taken out of growing roses.

We have now had a general look at the different types of roses and what to look out for when buying them as well as giving you an idea of what soil type is necessary.

The articles below will take you through everything you need to know on how to grow roses and as you read them you will see that growing roses is indeed far easier than you might have heard.

How to plant roses

This article shows you how to plant roses in a bed, as well as growing rose hedges and of course how to plant roses in borders.

How to prune roses, pruning climbing roses and rose bushes

Over the last 20 or so years a far simpler but equally effective method of rose pruning has evolved. No longer is there the great mystery of how to prune roses.

A great economical and fun way of increasing your stock of roses

As time passes on you might be interested in how to grow roses from seed.

Growing roses in containers

Whether for space reasons or for variety rose growing in containers is fun and beautiful. You could also consider rose growing indoors.

The link above takes you to a page that explains the traditional methods of pruning roses bushes and climbers but also shows you and equally effective but far simpler method of pruning roses.

Taking care of roses is easy using the year round calender which lays out month by month the various tasks for rose bush care and maintenance all year round.

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Growing Roses From Seed, Growing Your Own Types Of Roses

Growing roses from seed is easy and great fun with our easy to follow guide to growing your very own different types of roses that will be distinct to your garden.

Rose Gardening Tips and Advice, Growing your own types of roses

Roses in general have received a bad reputation as being difficult to look after and the whole process of gardening and caring for roses deters a lot of people from even trying to grow roses.

As with many things associated with gardening a little planning and preparation goes a long way and the rewards far outweigh any effort you might need to put in.

The great thing about growing roses from seed is the fact that you never quite know what type of rose you are going to end up with. There are often some very odd results and it is this very fact that makes the process so appealing. Roses grown from seed are far more likely to be different than most other types of roses. These can be roses that add a distinct visual appeal to your garden and of course there is also a good story attached to it.

How To Grow Roses From Seed

You can choose two different types of roses or you can choose two different varieties of roses from the same rose types.

The seed parent acts as the female. This will be fertilized to produce the seeds. The pollen parent acts as the male providing the pollen to the female for fertilization

Plant your two roses for growing from seed into separate 9 inch pots. Put these in a cold frame or cold greenhouse in February.Late May or early June is the time for the next stage in growing roses from seed. This is referred to as the pollination process.Gently remove all the petals from a half open flower on the chosen seed parent.Remove all the antlers and place a small clear plastic bag over the remains of the flower and gently tie it closed around the stem.The next step in the process occurs the next day and is known as pollination day. Remove a flower from your chosen pollen parent rose.Remove all petals.Remove the bag from the seed parent. Now brush the antlers of the pollen parent off the stigmas of the seed parent. This is transferring the pollen. Replace the bag over the seed parent.If you are feeling confident and want to try to grow a lot of roses from seed it is a good idea to label them with details of the specific rose types used.Leave the seed parent (bag) for a few weeks until early autumn. At this time the rose will have had time to grow 'hips'. These hips will be full of seeds. Now remove the hips and put them deep under compost in a pot. Label the pot and leave outdoors for the winter.In February bring in the hips and get a bowl of water and squeeze the seeds from inside the hips into the water. Some seeds will float, some will not. You need the seeds that do not float. These are the fertile seeds.Get rid of the seed that do float, these are not of use to you.Using specially formulated compost for seeds and cuttings gently place the seeds a little under the surface of the compost. As soon as the first true leaves appear move each one to a pot of its own.It won't be long until some blooms appear. Some will produce blooms others will not. This is now the time for choosing which roses you want to continue growing and which you don't.Continue growing your roses as container grown roses until the following season.Next season you will have the choice of continuing to grow your roses as normal or to bud them onto rootstocks in July. Growing roses from seed can be a little bit of a lottery but well worth trying.

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How To Grow Asparagus, Guide To Growing Asparagus Easily

Know how to grow asparagus easily with our vegetable garden tips, an A to Z of starting a vegetable garden and growing your very own vegetables.

Vegetable Gardening Tips and Advice, Starting a vegetable garden and growing Asparagus

Looking forward to the taste of Asparagus in spring is without doubt one of the great joys of starting a vegetable garden.

One thing you need to be aware of when groing this plant is that it is perennial. i.e. it will come back year after year. So, ideally you need a place to grow it undisturbed for a few years.

If you give it the care and attention it deserves, Asparagus could reward you with a bountiful crop for up to twenty years.

Vegetable garden planting tips for how to grow Asparagus

This plants demands good quality, rich soil. It will thanks you for many years to come if you plant it in a free draining, nutrient rich soil. Do make sure to keep the area around your Asparagus weed free.

The best way to start gardening with asparagus is to buy root systems, which are known as crowns, in mid spring. If you feel you have the space and want a plentiful supply try planting a dozen crowns. Younger crowns, i.e. one year old, will transplant far easier than older crowns, but you will have to wait two years to let the plants establish themselves, then you can harvest.

Older crowns (two or three years old) can also be got, and these can often be harvested the following year, however they do not always transplant as well as the youmger roots.

Plant in early spring if the weather is not too cold or wet.

Dig a trench that is comfortably wide enough for the roots of the crowns to be well spread out,now, make a ridge in the centre. Prior to planting Asparagus crowns soak the crowns for a couple of hours,now, place each crown on the ridge, 45cm (18inches) apart. Cover the crowns well with loose soil, to a depth of about 10cim (14 inches). Rows should also be spaced roughly 45cim (18inches) apart.

Growing Asparagus, aftercare tips

This plant owes its origins to the Mediterranean and as such watering is not top priority. However, keeping the bed weed free, certainly is. The best way of keeping the weeds down is to apply a good thick layer of mulch, 3 to 4 inches. The added bonus is that it will maintain moisture around the plant so watering will rarely be an issue.

As mentioned before, these are perennial plants, so they prefer not to be moved. Be prepared to give over a portion of your vegetable garden to these plants for some years to come.

Asparagus beetle is is a serious threat and unique to this plant. The adult beetles are 1/4inch long and black with yellow blotches on their wings, while the larvae are grey in color. These love nothing more than feasting on the leaves and bark of the asparagus in both Spring and Summer. Beetles and larvae can be hand picked off the plants, and the damaged plants should be burned. Violet root rot, is another serious threat, it is caused by a fungus that attacks the roots of asparagus. The signs that this root rot is present are unhealthy-looking, yellow fronds in summer. If you dig up your Asparagus plant, you will find purplish-brown thread-like filaments across the roots. Get rid of affected plants and burn them.

If you are planting in a slightly exposed site the plants will appreciate the support of a stake to stop their roots rocking in the wind.

How to grow Asparagus from seed

Growing asparagus from seed does require some effort and patience, because of the fact that you have no Asparagus roots to start off with. It will be at least three years before you can start harvesting. Sow into a seedbed in late spring. Sow 1 cm (1/2 inch) apart and thin to 15 com (6 inches). Leave the plant to grow on for a year. Lift the crowns the following year, planting them in their final growing position as described above

Harvesting Asparagus

Harvest your Asparagus spears by cutting them in mid-spring, when they are about 30-45 inches high.Using a sharp knife, cut carefully about 2.5cm(1 inch) below the soil surface

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Growing Herb Garden Plants, Starting An Herb Garden Made Easy

Guide to growing herb garden plants shows you all you need to know about how to start a herb garden of your own, including ideas for growing herbs in containers.

Herb Gardening Tips and Advice

One of the joys of starting a herb garden is that anyone can do it. Even if you do not have a garden, pots of basil, thyme, chervil, marjoram, parsley and mint can be grown on a windowsill , in troughs, old containers, sacks or practically anything that can hold a plant. Lack of space is not a major issue if you are thinking of starting an herb garden.

Growing Herbs Made Easy

The most important element in successfully growing herb garden plants is making the growing conditions as similar as possible to those the plant would grow in normally. If the plant comes from a warm climate choose a warm place in your garden, if the plant likes good drainage then you need to grow it on a slope or in very well drained soil.

Where To Grow Herbs

It is very unlikely that you will have the ideal soil and growing conditions for all the herbs you want to grow. You will need to compromise especially in the type of soil needed. This is easily done by growing some of your herbs in containers, pots and window boxes.

Annual herbs such as chervil are plants that move from germination to seed in one year. Because of their short growing season there are going to be gaps in the bed or pot where they were growing.

Biennial herbs are plants that germinate and produce green growth in the first year. They survive the winter and then flower and set seed in the second year. If you want them for their seed or flowers you need to leave them in place for two years. If you just want their foliage you can remove them at the end of the first year.

Perennials form the backbone of any garden and this applies equally to an herb garden. These are permanent plants that will be in place for many years.

Naturally there are going to be differences in the eventual size of plants. Some will be low-growing, others will be tall. The eventual size of the herb will need to be allowed for when it comes to positioning the herb.

Usually the tallest herbs go to the center of the herb bed or to the very back. The shortest herbs usually are planted to the front. If you are growing your herbs in containers you will have many more options as you can arrange them according to their needs and at times your personal preference.

Herb Garden Layout Plan

Once you have thought about the plants you want and how they might grow in your garden it is time to think about the layout of your herb garden.

If there are certain elements you want, such a cartwheel effect, include this in your plans. There is always a temptation for the beginner to try to get every detail perfect. Spend most time on getting the conditions right for the plants. The design aspect can come later. Gardens tend to evolve and you can change and adapt your garden over the following years.

There are some basic considerations when thinking about the layout. You need to be able to comfortably access all the plants in all the beds at all times of the year. You will want room to move your wheelbarrow around your garden. Paths should be at least twenty-four inches wide

Try to limit the width of your herb beds to a maximum of forty-eight inches wide. This will mean that you can reach in from most sides of the bed to the center of the herb bed. Storage space, potting area and access to water are other considerations.

Your first year will be a case of trial and error. Do spend time planning the layout but do not become anxious about it and spend too much time on it.

Work out planting schemes for individual beds and borders on separate sheets of paper. Keep it simple at first. Plant taller plants in the middle, smaller to the outside. Plant in blocks of five or seven for both the practical and visual element.

A series of small to medium sized herb beds, each planted with a single type of herb, will provides simple but effective blocks of color and foliage. Larger plants will need larger beds as will a large collection of different herbs.

As with many tasks there is an order of work that needs to be followed so you should also draw up a schedule of the work involved. This will greatly reduce the mess and delay. Planting itself is almost the final task and this will not be happening until the Fall in milder areas, or spring in harsher climates.

When you have designed your basic plan you can now mark it out in your garden. Use stakes tapped into the ground and joined with strings to mark the basic outlines of your herb beds. At this stage you should know which plants are going in which bed. Now is the time to start getting that soil into good condition and ready to grow your own fresh herbs.

Preparing The Soil For Herb Garden Plants

Start preparing your soil in the Fall. Turn the soil over with a fork. This is better than using a tiller which tends to turn up too many stones. Remove the roots of weeds. If you are comfortable with using weed killer you could apply a systemic weedkiller at this stage. If you are starting your herb garden in spring do not use weedkiller.

If the area you are preparing has been covered in grass or a lawn you can skim the grass off using a spade. Cover the grass with black plastic in order to kill the grass. You can then work the remaining soil back into your bed.

To grow healthy plants you will need the following factors to be present. Enough moisture to achieve steady growth but not so much that the plant is waterlogged. Sufficient heat to maintain growth. A good supply of nutrients and minerals. A weed-free growing environment.

Improving the condition of your soil and proper placement of your herbs will fix all those issues. After turning the soil it is time to add plenty of nutrient rich compost or well rotted farmyard manure. If you have a clay type soil add plenty of sharp sand to help with drainage.

If your soil is sandy it will be easier to work with and will have good drainage. However sandy soil is not good at retaining essential plant nutrients. Add plenty of garden compost or mature farmyard manure. You will need to do this every year for very light or sandy type soils.

General Guide To Herb Garden Season

Below is a general guide to the season as it applies to herbs. Remember to take into account your local growing conditions regarding ground temperature, wind etc.

Early Spring herb Garden Plants

Chervil, coriander/cilantro and parsley can now be sown outdoors. Basil, marjoram and curled parsley can be sown indoors. Parsley can now be harvested and the bigger perennial herbs such as chives can be divided

Mid-Spring

Dill, coriander/cilantro, marjoram and pot marigold for sowing outdoors. Basil and parsley for sowing indoors. Bay, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme and all types of tarragon can be placed outdoors. Sage, bay and parsley should be ready for harvesting. Trim lavender, bay and sage to encourage new growth.

Late Spring herb Garden Plants

basil, borage, chervil, dill, coriander/cilantro, fennell and nasturtium can be planted outdoors. Mulch container grown herbs. Chives, rosemary and sorrel should be lifted and divided. These herbs will appreciate this and will be re-envigorated.

Summer Herb Garden Plants

basil, borage, chervil, dill, coriander/cilantro, fennell and nasturtium can be sowed outdoors. Containers and pots need to be weeded regularly. Feed plants once a week for the next two weeks in early summer. Mulch around mint and parsley. Water regularly and deadhead any herbs that have flowered.

Autumn Herb Garden Plants

parsley, marjoram and oregano should now be trimmed back to encourage fresh growth. The dropping temperatures will kill basil if it is not provided with a warmer location or some protective cover.

Winter

Not a lot is going to be happening, most herb garden plants are now dormant and will appreciate a generous helping of mulch at their crowns. Now time to start planning your herb garden for next year.

Container Herb Garden Plants

A shortage of space is not the only reason to consider growing herbs in containers. Container herb garden plants can be highly decorative and can provide another visual dimension to your garden. Using Ericaceous compost also provides you the opportunity to grow plants that do not like lime soil.

Herbs For Sunny Window Boxes

chives, dill, lemon verbena, marjoram, nasturtium, rosemary, sage, scented-leaved geraniums, tarragon, winter savory

Herbs For Lightly Shaded Window Boxes

bay , chervil, chives, French sorrel, mint, parsley, wild strawberry

Herbs For A Window Sill

basil, chives, parsley , thyme, chervil, marjoram, sage

Herbs For Heavy Soil

chives, fennel, sorrel, mint, sage, sweet cicely

Herbs For Sandy Soil

chervil, coriander, fennel, marjoram, tarragon, anise, chives, cumin, alfalfa, rosemary, thyme

Herbs For Chalky Soil

elder, juniper, rosemary, sage, chicory, marjoram, thyme

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How To Grow Peppers and Chillies Made Easy

How to grow peppers and chillies provides you with all the basic information you need to start growing your own peppers and chillies.

Vegetable Gardening Tips and Advice

From South America originally both peppers and chillies require quite a bit of sunshine. If you can provide both of those and have the the space and time they are a nice addition to your kitchen garden.

These will perform to their best if grown under glass, if you have a sunny fence or wall you could also grow peppers against those in pots or grow-bags

Growing peppers, choosing the soil and site, Grow in pots or grow-bags, and give them plenty of shelter from winds but good sunshine.

Sowing and transplanting peppers and chillies

Peppers and chilies must be sown inside and need a temperature of at least 7o degrees to germinate. A heated propagator is ideal for this purpose. Sow your peppers in early spring sow at about 3 quarter inches deep in pots or seed trays.

When the seeds have germinated you must keep them at a temperature of at least 57 degrees. Prick out the pepper seedlings into individual 3 inch pots when they reach 2 inches tall. Gradually lower the temperature over the next few weeks to harden them off. In late spring when the plants start filling the small pots, transplant them into grow-bags or large pots. Do not leave them outside until early summer.

How To grow Cucumbers, aftercare routine

When the fruits start to swell on peppers they might need some support. Chillies will manage fine without supports. Both plants will need plenty of water in very dry weather. They will also appreciate a feed of a high potash fertilizer weekly during flowering. A homemade comfrey or nettle fertilizer is ideal for the task. To promote bushy growth remove the the growing tip by pinching it out when the plants reach about 12 inches tall.

Growing peppers and chilies, pests and diseases. The same pests and disease that affect tomatoes also affect peppers and chilies. Read the article on how to grow tomatoes

Varieties of peppers to grow Gypsy is a tasty pepper with tapered fruits that mature from yellow trough orange to shiny red and are quite easy to grow. Purple Beauty an early variety of peppers with dark, glossy skins which turn red when ripe

Variety of Chilies to grow One of the easiest chilies to grow is the wonderfully named Hungarian Hot wax,. This variety has long pointed fruits which begin yellow and sweet and get hotter as they ripen.

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Starting a vegetable garden, How to start a vegetable garden, tips and advice

Starting a vegetable garden is easy once you follow my guide. Easy to follow "how to" vegetable garden tips that make it easy to be growing your very own vegetables.

Starting A Vegetable Garden Tips and Advice

Let's start at the beginning and have a look at what tools you need when starting a vegetable garden of your own.

Vegetable Gardening for beginners and pros

When starting a garden choosing the proper tools for the job is a vital part of the process. If you can afford to it's always better to try to buy better quality tools. They would get plenty of use and pay you back many many times over. Of course if you cannot afford the more expensive tools then by all means choose cheaper tools and you can always upgrade later on.

Essential vegetable gardening tools for home vegetable gardens

Spades - ideally you should have two spades, a wide spade and a narrow spade. T or D shaped handles is a matter of personal preference as is the choice of a plastic or wooden handle. T or D shaped handles is a matter of personal preference as is the choice of a plastic or wooden handle.

Forks - If possible you should get two forks, wide and narrow,

Rake- A rake is an essential for working your vegetable garden soil and levelling of your vegetable beds. A steel head and a long handle is the preferred option.

Wheelbarrow - A good strong but lightweight wheelbarrow is an essential, you just will struggle without one. Always choose a pneumatic wheel ( pump up).

Hoe - Once again you have the choice of two and if you can get both you should do so. Essential for weeding and marking out your vegetable drills.

Watering can - Even if you have a water source there are many times when a watering can will be more useful.. No need for anything expensive.

Gardening Gloves - Another vital piece of gardening kit. You will be glad you bought a pair! Don't be afraid to buy a pair larger than what might fit snugly, as the larger size won't leave your hands feeling so constricted.

Cord, Garden Line, Small Stakes Very helpful for marking out borders, drills, beds etc.

These are the basic tools needed when starting a vegetable garden, and as time moves on you can invest in more tools such as secateurs etc.

Starting a vegetable garden and preparing your soil

How much work you need to put in here depends on the the condition of the soil, what was growing there previously etc. It can seem like a daunting process but that little bit of extra effort put in now will repay you many times over for years to come.

If your plot has never grown vegetables before it means that the soil won't be in as bad a condition as if it had, for the vegetables would have used up the nutrients.

If you are lucky enough to have nettles growing in your garden then just chop them down and into the soil. Nettles are full of goodness and your soil will thank you.

A great idea for nettles is to place them in a bucket of water for a few days. This makes a brilliant plant tonic. If you have any Comfrey throw it in with the nettles and you have a very powerful plant tonic.

Knock all above ground growth back to ground level. Do not remove trees as they could be very useful as wind breaks, shelter and even for growing plants up through the branches or even around the stem.

Everything else that has been chopped back to ground level can now be left to rot. Unfortunately you will still have the problem of what to do with the remaining roots. Try to get rid of as many as you possibly can.

Most of the underground root stem will start to grow again and if you do not want to use chemicals it will be an ardous task to deal with.

Initially you might be well advised to use a chemical weedkiller combined with some hard graft, you could also use the method listed below.

Just plant away and try to deal with whatever unwanted growth appears, when it appears.Use plastic sheeting, cut slits in the sheeting and grow your plants in the slits. Over time the plastic suppress the weeds by removing the sunlight.A better but more expensive version of the plastic sheets idea are the porous membranes type material. These keep the weeds down but also allow enough moisture and air in to keep the soil healthy.

These are also very useful if you are starting a garden but are not growing vegetables.

Vegetable Garden Soil and Planting

Naturally, your own particular soil condition will play a large role in whichever decision you make. Your soil might be light and easily workable or your soil migh be clay and very heavy to work with.

This part of the process does require some work but as with many things the secret is in the preparation, it is no different when starting a vegetable garden

The best way to approach it is to do it in steps, don't try to do everything at once, remember this is about the journey not the destination. Only do as much as you can reasonably handle at one time.

In the next section of starting a vegetable garden we figure out what your soil type is and which is the best approach to start off with. When you have that part sorted you can then move on to the exciting part, deciding on your vegetable garden layout. So, on to the next stage, soil types for vegetable garden planting

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Growing Roses From Cuttings, Growing Rose Cuttings Successfully

Growing roses from cuttings means you can grow your favorite different types of roses without spending a fortune, an easy to follow guide to increasing the amount of roses in your garden.

Rose Gardening Tips and Advice

An excellent way of growing many different types of roses is to grow your own from cuttings of roses that are already in your garden.

It is not difficult to do but you will need to have patience as it does take a few years to see the fruits of your work. It will usuually take 3 to 4 years before the rose cuttings reach maturity.

Unfortunately not all rose types are suitable for propogating by cuttings. Hybrid Tea rose types are not suitable for growing roses from cuttings but there are many other options as climbing roses, rambling roses, shrub roses and floribunda roses usually work well with cuttings.

Growing roses successfully from cuttings

Cuttings are best taken in September.Using the current years growth choose a nice, green shoot about the thickness of a pencil.

Remove all leaves except the two at the top of your chosen shoot.

Use a clean sharp secateurs and cut your chosen shoot to about 8 to 9 inches long. Directly below a bud cut at a 45 degree angle.You will need to leave the bud on your chosen shoot.

Place the bottom of your shoot with the bud into some hormone rooting powder, now shake off excess powder.

Choose a slightly shaded part of your garden and dig a small trench. Try to make the back of the trench reasonably straight.A trench of about 6 inches is deep enough. Now place some sharp sand at the base of the trench. Go to a depth of 2 inches of sand for the bottom.

Place your rose cuttings into the trench to a depth where the two top leafs are just above ground level. preferably keep the cutting to the back of the trench

Now firmly press in the sand at the bottom of your cutting. Now push the loose soil around the cutting and firm in. This firming in is done with your heel and this is where the gardening expression of "heeling in" comes from.

Give your rose cuttings a good drink of water and gently re-firm the soil. Over time and especially after frost make sure that the soil around your rose cuttings remains firmed in at the base of the cutting.

Do not let the soil around the cuttings dry out during the following spring and summer.If any buds appear remove the gently using your thumb and index finger.

The end of the following september or november you should be able to plant your roses grown from cuttings. I usually pot them up for another year to give the roses a chance to form a good rootball.

The above system for growing roses from cuttings is generally very successful and although patience is required it is also a very satisfying way of growing roses if you are thinking long-term..

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How To Grow Broccoli, Growing Broccoli Made Easy

Our how to grow Broccoli guide shows you everything you need to growing Broccoli including vegetable garden tips that take you through the whole process of starting a vegetable garden of your own.

Vegetable Gardening Tips and Advice

Broccoli comes in two forms, the first type is known as 'Calabrese' or Italian Broccoli. Calabrese has one large central floret, it is sown in late Spring and harvested in late summer.

The other type of Broccoli is often referred to as 'Sprouting'. This type needs a far longer growing period. It is planted one year and is harvested in the mid-winter period of the following year.

Vegetable garden tips for growing Broccoli

Both sprouting broccoli and Calabrese need a good, compost rich soil. If your soil is not rich enough give it a good tonic by adding lots of mature manure and compost.

Sow Sprouting Broccoli under cover in late winter in seed trays or 7.5cm (3 in) pots, or outside in seedbeds in spring. Sow seed 1.5 cm (1/2 in) deep in drills 15cm (6 in) apart, and thin to 10cm (4 in). Move the seedlings to their growing positions when they are roughly 10-12 cm (4-5 in) high, and place them 60cm (2 ft) apart, in rows 60 cm (2 ft) apart.

Calabrese does not like to be moved once sown. Generally it is sown direct into its final growing place. Sow seed 1.5 cm (1/2 in) deep in Spring, two or three seed to each sowing spot, 15 – 20 cm (6-8 in) apart, in rows 20 cm (12 in) apart. Get rid of weaker seedlings over time, the strongest will then continue to flourish. Make successional sowings, this means that you sow some Broccoli every week, for a few weeks until early summer to prolong the harvest.

How to grow Broccoli, Caring for your Sprouting Broccoli after sowing

Make sure that sprouting broccoli seedlings are regularly watered until they are well established. As the plants begin to get larger keep them free of weeds. Protection from insects or birds is also very important, so cover your plants with fleece or protective netting. Your plants will be ready to harvest from mid winter the following year.

When harvesting time comes round, pick the central spear of the Broccoli plant first, it should be about about 10cm (4 in) long at this stage, and continue to pick the sideshoots as they get larger. If you continue to pick the spears every few days you are making sure that the plant will continue to crop over the next seven or eight weeks.

How to grow Broccoli, Caring for your Calabrese after sowing

Water calabrese seedlings well, especially in dry summers. Make sure that the plants a good soak a month or so after planting out to improve the yield. Cover with fine netting or horticulture fleece to protect from caterpillars. The first plants will be ready midsummer.

Growing Broccoli Seeds, an overview

Seed will germinate in about 1 to 2 weeks.

Stored seed should be okay up to 4 years.

The time between sowing and harvesting is approximately 12 weeks for Calabrese and 45 weeks for sprouting Broccoli

You can expect to get a yield of about 1.5 lbs per plant when growing Broccoli

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Growing Rose Gaujard and New Dawn Roses

Growing Rose Gaujard and New Dawn roses gives you two of the most popular of all roses. Discover all you need to know about growing these two different types of roses.

Rose Gardening Tips and Advice

Rosa Gaujard belongs to the types of roses known as Hybrid Tea roses. These rose types are considered by many enthusiasts to be the Queen of all roses. Hybrid Tea Rose types offer a large range of colors and scent ranging from moderate to very strong. They do not bloom as frequently as floribunda or shrub roses and can be less tolerant of wet conditions.

This beautiful rose is one of the most famous and well loved Hybrid Tea rose types. It is not quite as popular amongst show growers and traditionalists as they do not like what they consider its garish colors. It has little fragrance and its blooms do tend to split.

For most people these are minor disadvantages when compared to its advantages.

1. Rose Gaujard is very vigorous, very hardy, very long lasting.

2. Grows well in poor conditions and will tolerate a lot of rain.3. Blooms very freely with plenty of large and healthy leaves. These blooms will bear up to 30 petals light red in the inside and silvery reverse.

This rose types good disease resistance, plentiful blooms and leaves make rose gaujard an excellent choice for bedding.

New Dawn Rose, Rambling/Climbing Types of Roses.

The New Dawn rose belongs to the types of roses known as rambling roses. Rambling roses have been around since Victorian times and are ideal for pergolas, fences, arches, walls etc.

They have long flexible stems that carry massive trusses of small flowers. Usually they will only flower once and can be prone to mildew. Blooms are carried on new growth so removing old or dead wood is vital to maintaining its health and beauty.

Rambling roses are not as good for covering walls as their relative, climbing roses. However, they are spectacular as weeping standards, rambling through trees or as ground cover.

The New Dawn rose is a sport of once very popular rose called Dr. W. van Fleet. It is an excellent multi-purpose rose. Its blooms are semi-double, shell pink and fragrant. Although the blooms are small they are plentiful and appear throughout summer above glossy medium green leaves. Introduced in 1930 the New Dawn can be grown as a climber, a hedge or as a specimen shrub.

Want to know how to plant roses in a bed, grow rose hedges and how to plant roses in borders.

How To Prune Roses

The method for pruning roses has been greatly simplified over the years this article explains both the traditional and new methods for how to prune rose bushes.

Growing roses from cuttings

Growing roses from cuttings is far simpler than it sounds and this article explains how to do it.

Growing roses from seed

This method of growing roses is a little more advanced but still very simple.As time passes on you might be interested in how to grow roses from seed.

Growing roses in containers

Whether for space reasons or for variety rose growing in containers is fun and beautiful. You could also consider rose growing indoors.

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Josephs Coat Rose Makes Growing Climbing Roses Easy

Josephs Coat rose is a multicolored repeat flowering climbing rose that flowers until first frost. Roses like this makes growing climbing roses easy work.

Rose Gardening Tips and Advice

Josephs Coat rose belong to the types of roses known as shrub roses. Shrub rose types have received a bad name to the idea that they only flower once and are too large for the smaller garden. Some do only flower once, albeit for long periods, and some are very large.

Many however are repeat flowering and not massively large. Within the shrub rose types there are related types of roses such as Alba, Bourbon, Centifolia, China, Damask, Tea, English, Gallica, Hybrid Musk, Moss, Noisette, Rugosa and several others.

Josephs Coat rose belongs to the rose types known as Modern Shrub rose. There are approximately 20 different types of roses belonging to the category of modern shrub roses. Modern shrub roses contain all sorts of colors, shapes and sizes. Some are repeat flowering other just flower once. Some are single bloomed, others double. The only clear link between these types of roses is the fact that they were bred in the 20th century.

Named after the biblical character, Joseph, and his coat of many colours, this rose type provides an array of colours throughout the season. Josephs Coat is at its peak in June/July. It has medium sized blooms borne on large trusses. These blooms are yellow with red edges, semi-double and very slightly fragrant. As the blooms age the color changes from yellow through orange to finally, a cherry red.

It will keep flowering with colour variations all the way until first frosts. It is repeat flowering with dark green foliage. It will take a few years for this type of rose to reach its full glory. Unlike many climbing roses it is eay to get this rose to flower down at the base so you don’t get that "bare legs" look. It does prefer full sun and is reasonably disease resistant.

Many growers have reported difficulty in growing this climbing rose in harsher climates. Some have started growing Josephs Coat on its own roots and are reporting a far superior plant than the more generally available grafted plant.

First introduced in 1964 Josephs Coat will reach a height of 10 feet if grown as a climber. This rose type can also be grown as a specimen plant or as hedging. Pruning will keep it to about 4 feet tall but it prefers to be left to reach its natural height. It is reasonably hardy and is categorized for U.S. growers as in USDA zones 4 to 10

How to Prune Climbing Roses.

Newly or recently planted climbing roses do not need pruning. You only need to remove dead tips. Pruning climbing roses that are established can vary depending on which variety of climbing rose you want to prune.

Generally it is safe to remove all dead and diseased growth. Choose one main stem to remove each year to encourage growth of fresh, vigorous main stem. This will avoid having to prune out many dead main stems in the one year and thereby reducing the impact of your climbing rose. You can read more

how to prune roses.

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Growing Cabbage, How To Grow Cabbage Made Easy

Our growing Cabbage guide shows you everything you need to know whether you are starting a vegetable garden or looking for vegetable garden tips.

Vegetable Gardening Tips and Advice, How to grow Cabbage made easy!

There are quite a selection of cabbages available if you are thinking of starting a vegetable garden. These wonderful plants can be harvested in different seasons, for cabbage lovers this is great news as we can enjoy all year round.

Cabbages, a plant for all seasons

Spring cabbage is planted in midsummer and harvested the following spring; Collards or spring greens are simply spring cabbages planted closer together and harvested earlier, before the hearts have formed on the plant.

Summer cabbages are sown and harvested in the one year, planted in early spring and harvested in summer.

Red cabbages are sown in spring, harvested in the autumn.

Winter cabbages, including the the ever popular savoy, are a hardy breed of cabbage. These take the longest to reach maturitty, require loads of space and good firm soil so they can get their roots in nice and deep and firm to help avoid rocking from strong winds.

Vegetable garden planting tips for growing Cabbage

Growing Cabbages means you need to provide good, rich soil, with matured manure added in the autumn before planting. They prefer a firm soil so thread on the soil a little so that it compacts enough for the plant to remain stable in the soil.

Sowing your Cabbage

Sow all types of cabbage into a prepared seedbed, or raise seedlings indoors in trays. Outside, sow the seed about 1.5 cm (1/2 in) deep in drills 15 cm (6 in) apart. Thin seedlings to about 7.5 cm (3 in) apart as they mature. Move the plants to their final growing positions when they are approximately 10 – 12 cm (4-5 in) tall.

Transplanted Cabbage seedlings need to be watered generously until they are well established. If the plants start to be affected by insect pests cover with horticultural fleece or fine netting.

Cabbage Seeds, an overview

Seed will germinate in about 1 to 2 weeks.

Stored seed should be okay up to 4 years.

You can expect to get a yield of about .75 lbs to 3 lbs per plant from Cabbage

The time between sowing and harvesting is approximately 35 weeks for spring varieties and 20 to 35 weeks for Summer, Winter, Savoy and Red varieties.

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How To Prune Roses, Pruning Climbing Roses and Rose Bushes

How to prune roses easily and successfully, how to prune rose bushes and climbing roses is far easier than you think and is a vital part of growing roses successfully.

Rose Gardening Tips and Advice

Pruning roses is an essential part of rose bush care and maintenance. This is because a rose stem will only produce blooms for a few years until it becomes exhausted. At this stage the stem produces new growth lower down and the part of the stem above the new growth dies.

If the roses are left unchecked your roses will become a mess of old stems and new stems. By pruning rose bushes regularly you remove the old growth and encourage vigorous, healthy new growth.

Pruning Rose Bushes

The following method of pruning roses is suitable for standard roses and rose bushes

1. Completely remove all dead, damaged and diseased stems.2. Completely remove very thin stems, anything less than a pencil width. Remove stems that cross-over or are rubbing against other rose stem. Ideally you want to have the centre of your rose open. A goblet or V shape is the ideal shape when pruning roses.3. All your pruning cuts should slope upwards and outwards from the inside of the stem to approximately 1/3 inch above a dormant bud. A clean sharp secateurs is essential for clean cuts that do not damage your rose. This applies to all the different types of roses.

How To Prune Different Types Of Roses

How To Prune Hybrid Tea Rose Bushes

Newly planted Hybrid Tea Bushes should be pruned hard, back to six inches from the soil. This encourages the formation of a strong root system in a newly planted rose.

Established Hybrid Tea rose types i.e planted 12 months or more, a more moderate pruning is adequate.

Pruning Floribunda And Hybrid Tea Standard Roses.

Newly or recently planted should be pruned back to about 9 inches from the stem.

Established standard rose types should only be lightly pruned whilst trying to keep the stems approximately even in length after pruning.

How To Prune Weeping Standard Rose Types

Newly or recently planted need to be pruned back hard to about 6 inches from the stem.

Established weeping standard types of roses should be pruned in autumn. Do not prune new growth as this will form the base for the following years blooms.

Pruning Miniature, Shrub, And Low Growing Rose Bushes.

Newly or recently planted of these types of roses do not need pruning. Established roses of theses types only need a very light trim and the removal of dead or mildewed tips.

How to Prune Climbing Roses.

Newly or recently planted climbing roses do not need pruning. You only need to remove dead tips. Pruning climbing roses that are established can vary depending on which variety of climbing rose you want to prune. Generally it is safe to remove all dead and diseased growth. Choose one main stem to remove each year to encourage growth of fresh, vigorous main stem.

This will avoid having to prune out many dead main stems in the one year and thereby reducing the impact of your climbing rose.

Pruning Rose Bushes, Made Easy

Extensive tests were carried out by many rose societies aimed of measuring a new method of pruning roses, known as the easy-care method, against the more traditional methods of rose pruning.

The easy care method proved to be equally effective but far less troublesome and time consuming.

This method of pruning rose bushes simply involves cutting the rose back to half its height. Secateurs or hedge-trimmers can be used. No need to remove weak growth, although for appearances it would be better, and you can prune out dead wood at the base of the rose if you want to.

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How To Grow Tomatoes, Growing Tomatoes Made Easy

Learn how to grow tomatoes and enjoy fresh sweet tomatoes grown in your own garden. Growing tomatoes is simple with our easy to follow guide.

Vegetable Gardening Tips and Advice

There are very few people that do not like the taste of tomatoes direct from the garden. One of the other advantages of growing tomatoes is that they can be grown in containers to fill bare spots in the garden, they can be sown directly into the soil and sown in a greenhouse. Lets not forget the wonderful colour that they add, ranging from their best known red, to yellow,orange and even purple.

Tomatoes can be grown in a cordon shape or a bush shape. Bush shape tomatoes are easier to grow in the sense that they do not need supports and can be grown in containers or baskets.

Cordon tomatoes need support and can be grown along trellis or wig wam style supports. From cherry tomatoes to beefsteak tomatoes it will be almost impossible to eat supermarket versions once you have eaten your very own tomatoes from your very own vegetable garden.

How to grow tomatoes, choosing the soil and site

Sowing tomatoes from seed could not be easier, but if you want to get off to a quick start you can buy small plants from most garden centers. Sow tomato seed indoors in mid spring, scatter your seeds thinly into 5 inch pot and cover with a ½ inch layer of compost and then put a layer of compost and then a layer of cling film on top to help retain moisture.

Leave in a warm place, such as an airing cupboard, and watch for the seeds to germinate. Once the seedlings have emerged move the pot into the light. When they are large enough to handle transplant the young tomato plants out into individual 3 inch pots.

How to grow tomatoes, transplanting the seedlings

Tomato seedlings must be carefully hardened off before planting out in late spring or early summer, once all danger of frost has passed. If planting Tomatoes direct into the ground, plant cordons 16 inches apart, and bush cultivars 20 inches apart. Provide support for cordons, either up a single cane, or up a trellis or wigwam. Bush cultivars can be left to their own devices.

Growing tomatoes, the aftercare routine

Bush tomatoes do not need much attention, but cordons are more labour intensive,. The side shoots on cordons should be nipped out regularly as they grow to encourage upward growth. Use twine to tie in cordons to their stake as they grow. In midsummer when the cordon has reached its required height, pinch out the growing tip at the t of the plant to stop more flowers forming.

All tomato plants must be watered regularly. Those Tomato plants planted in open ground should not need feeding as long as the soil has been enriched with manure or compost., but those in pots or grow bags will reap rewards from a high potash liquid feed, such as comfrey or nettle tea, every week or so. The tomatoes can be harvested in mid to late summer. Leave them on the vine to ripen for the best flavour.

Pests and Diseases When Growing Tomatoes

Aphids and whitefly can attack tomato leaves, especially if you are growing Tomatoes in the green house. Spraying with insecticidal soap will often help. Stem rot is another problem caused by spores in the soil, and this usually occurs when the ground is cold and wet. At ground level, the stem starts to rot, turning brown and sunken, eventually causing the entire Tomato plant to wilt. Get rid of affected plants.

Blight can also affect tomatoes. Most likely to occur in cool, damp summers, the disease is caused by the spores of the fungus Phytophthora infestans and can spread quickly, rotting foliage and destroying whole plants. The first signs are unattractive blotches on foliage and fruit and a lot of creamy white spores on the undersides of the leaves, which spread down into the soil.

Plants need adequate space to help prevent the spread of blight. If your Tomato plants are affected, remove and destroy all of the affected plants.

Blossom end rot is caused by lack of calcium and is particularly prevalent when there is a lack of water when the fruit first starts to appear. It appears as an ugly sunken dark patch on the fruit. There is no cure, but sufficiently watering your Tomatoe plants will help to prevent it

How to grow tomatoes, which cultivars to grow

How To Grow Tomatoes Indoors

Gardeners Delight is a cordon tomato with juicy cherry sized sweet and juicy fruit, this variety of also be grown outdoors and Shirley is a cordon tomato which is very reliable and heavy cropping

Growing Tomatoes outdoors

Golden Sunrise a cordon type with bright yellow, medium sized fruits, Red Alert is a bush cherry tomato, with heavy cropping and good flavour. Tigerella the attractive red fruits are striped with tiger like stripes, when ripe.

Growing cordon tomatoes

For something a little different try beefsteak tomato known as Black Russian which has purple red skin, this skin darkens as the large, slightly irregular shaped tomato fruit ripens.

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How To Grow Cucumbers, Growing Cucumbers Made Easy

How to grow cucumbers made easy is just one part of our easy to follow vegetable garden tips that will have you growing your own vegetables in no time.

Vegetable Gardening Tips and Advice

Cucumbers require a significant amount of heat and watering. Because of this ideally you would need a greenhouse if living in a cooler climate and lots of time to devote to watering. Both indoor and outdoor varieties available. Outdoor cucumbers tend to have a rough skin whilst the indoor variety have a far smoother skin. Cucumbers come in many varieties with both climbing and trailing varieties being available.

The older varieties contain both male and female flowers. The male flowers are the flowers that do not have a fruit forming behind them. These male flowers have to be removed otherwise the cucumber is exceptionally bitter tasting. Modern cucumber varieties do not have male flowers but contain only female flowers so the problem is removed.

How to grow cucumbers, choosing soil and site

Cucumbers love a compost rich soil. Add plenty of compost or well-rotted manure before planting out your cucumbers. When planting cucumbers outdoors they have to have a sheltered but sunny site

Sowing Cucumbers

Cucumbers are tender crops and should not be planted outside until early summer when the danger of frost has passed. For outside types, start seed off indoors in late spring in 3 inch pots, setting the seed on its side and covering with ¾ inch of soil.

Greenhouse varieties can be started earlier. When the young plants are big enough, start hardening them off, finally planting them out in early summer. Plant your cucumbers into mounds , this is the same method used for courgettes and marrows, placing them at least 2 ft apart.

How to grow cucumbers, aftercare routine

Cucumbers have to be watered at least twice a week in summer. If not watered adequately the fruits will not develop properly. They will appreciate a feed with a liquid tomato feed or comfrey tea once a week when the fruits start to swell. Pick the fruits when they are 6 to 8 inches long.

Growing Cucumbers,Pests and Diseases

Cucumbers grown under glass are prone to red spider mite and powdery mildew. Red spider mite affects leaves, flecking them with yellow before they turn brown and die. Keeping the greenhouse humid will help to control the problem. Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that can affect a wide range of crops, costing leaves and stems.

Cucumber plants that are very dry around the roots are especially prone to this. All cucumbers can get mosaic virus, which causes the leaves to become mottled and yellowy. There is no cure, so affected plants need to be destroyed immediately.

Indoor varieties of Cucumbers Carmen is an extremely heavy cropping and resistant to powdery mildew.

Outdoor varieties of cucumbers Burpless Tasty Green has a reasonably smooth skin with tender skin with good flavor and can be grown up a trellis.

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Starting A Garden, Easy To Follow "How To" Articles On Starting Your Own Garden

Starting a garden, including starting a vegetable garden, is made easy with our "how to" articles that guide you easily through the whole process. Everything you need to know about starting your own garden from scratch.

Gardening Tips and Advice, A beautiful and practical garden

Your garden needs to fulfill two tasks, it needs to be both practical and pleasant. You need to have a garden that you want to spend time in but at the same time it needs to suit your needs.

Most people want their garden to be a retreat, an escape from the pressures of life. With this in mind many gardeners both beginner and experienced choose to opt for informal garden layouts. They prefer to start a garden that does not have the harshness or rigidity seen in normal life.

To get this effect they will choose softer curves rather than straight lines, they will choose many plants that will spread and tumble across borders or lines with the effect of breaking up those lines.

But it does need to be practical. You don't want small, fiddly strips of lawn that are going to be a pain in the neck to mow. You don't want to grow trees that are going to cast a large shadow over your entire garden.

That may sound obvious but these are mistakes that are often made, don't make any rash decisions, as the expression, "act in haste, repent at leisure" springs to mind!

Gardening tips and advice for starting a garden

First of all , find out the aspect of your garden, a tall row of trees planted on the south side will cast heavy shadow over most of the plot. Find out where north is and plant with the suns path in mind.Make sure that your soil is well drained and in good shape before you plant anything, spend some time on this and it will reward you many time over. At the bottom section of this page you will find tips that will easily guide you through the process of preparing your garden for planting. Our section on starting a vegetable garden also includes a lot of good information on preparing your soil. This is an area that that key to your sucess in starting a garden that meets all your needs and wishes.Use trees and shrubs as the spine of your planting scheme. Make good use of evergreens, and that way you are sure that there is always something to look at all year round.If you are planning on including garden features that need sun e.g. greenhouse, these features will have to be sited in an open, sunny position.Most people do not have the time or money to get everything done quickly. If you can, try to start near your home, this will give you something to look at while at the same time hiding the more unsightly parts of your garden.Try to include a section of your garden that is not visible from your home or road, use this as a little haven, some where you can retreat to in private.Don't be afraid to look around and see what others have done with their garden. Ask questions as most people will gladly answer.Remember, there is no such thing as a perfect garden and that you will always be trying out something new. No garden stands still, gardens evolve and change with you.

Starting a garden, clearing your plot.

No easy way around this. Cut everything you deem unwanted down as close to ground level as you can.If you are starting a large garden, you might have to resort to using weedkillers. If so, please read instructions carefully and do exactly as stated.You will need to turn over the soil. Preferably you should dig it up with a spade. Using a rotovator only chop roots into smaller pieces and leaves them back in the soil to grow again. If it is going to be a large garden, you might have no choice but to use a rotovator. If so, try to pick out as much of the roots as possible.Using a spade means that you get deeper into the soil meaning that it is also easier to work in some some soil conditioner such as compost.Work in some compost into the soil and then cover the entire area with a good mulch of organic matter to a depth of about 3 inches.The type and amount of soil conditioner you need will depend on your soil type. When starting a garden from scratch knowing your soil type is vital. Below you will find out how to judge your soil type and what you will need to do to improve it.

Judging your soil type when starting a garden.

Sandy soils are `light` and easy to work but are often lacking in nutrients and quick to dry out in the heat of summer.Clay soils become very compacted and hard as rock and become spongy/stodgy when wet. They are very difficult to work with whatever the time of year. In addition this soil type is also very slow to warm up.Stony soils could be either sandy or clay type.Peaty type soils are generally very good to work with, they retain moisture well, for certain plants peat type soil will not work as peat is too acidic.

Improving your soil when starting a garden

Regardless of your soil type it is sure to need some improvement. Indeed, conditioning your soil over the following years will be a very important part of having both a beautiful and practical garden. In that regard the work you put in now will pay off many times over in the years to come.Unless something very dramatic happens you will never have to put in as much effort as you do at this stage.Very well rotted manure (preferably over a year old) and compost are ideal, but leaf mould and composted bark will also work very well especially with the addition of a general fertilizer. Leaf mould and composted bark need the fertilizer because they lack nutrients contained in compost and manure, which will fuel both beneficial soil bacteria and plants.A bucketful per square meter will do the trick. Work this soil conditioner into the soil in the Autumn/Winter period. If you soil is heavy clay, work in plenty of sharp sand to break it up and lighten it. Remember though that you still need the fertilizer as the sand contains no nutrients.If your soil is very stony you can try to remove some of them, but don't spend too long at it. Your time would be better spent adding plenty of good rich manure to the soil. This way your soil is rich and the plants will be well able to deal with the stones.

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