Mortar is used not only to ’stick’ bricks together, but also to keep bricks apart. There is a slight variation in size between bricks, which would make laying very difficult if there was no way to adjust for the different sizes.
Also, bricks are one of the few building materials that ‘grow’ slightly with age, and if there was no separating medium, the brickwork would fail. Read the rest of this entry »
Of the 700 different varieties of geranium, around seven are used to produce essential oils. The most exquisitely scented essential oil is Geranium Bourbon, which is obtained from Reunion, an island in the Indian Ocean that produces half the world’s total supply, and Algeria.
Steam distillation of the leaves and stems, gathered before flowering, produces a yellowish green to brown oil with a powerful aroma. It is a joyful, mentally uplifting oil and a great favourite. Its perfume makes it a valuable addition to many therapeutic but otherwise unattractively scented oils. Read the rest of this entry »
Maxatawny, an Indian word whose translation’is “Creek Where the Bears Walk,” is the site of Rodale Press’s new Organic Gardening Experimental Farm (OGEF). This land was originally farmed by a German family. Rodale purchased the chemically farmed acreage. The acquisition of these 122 hectares (305 acres) in eastern Pennsylvania has opened the door to more extensive research in agriculture production based on simpler and saner techniques. The farm fits nicely into other Rodale activities. It is on the not particularly fertile soils of this farm in Emmaus that Rodale’s Research and Development people have set up their Home Utilities Workshop to test small-scale gardening and farming tools and equipment. Devices like seed and bean sprouters and food driers are tested in the Fitness House Kitchen, also in Emmaus, which uses food produced on the farm. Rodale’s findings are published and disseminated throughout the world. Read the rest of this entry »
These are the essential tools, used during soil cultivation, sowing and planting.
Here is a selection of garden tools used for pruning, cutting hedges and grass, plant propagation and other tasks of this nature.
If you cannot regularly attend to watering, consider an automatic system which runs from a header tank connected to the mains water supply (or a semi-automatic system which is supplied by a reservoir).
Most herbs are easy to grow. The following selection provides a variety of flavours to complement home-grown vegetables and enhance everyday food. Site the herb patch in a sunny well-drained spot near the kitchen. Some of these herbs will also grow well in containers.
Fabric designs over the centuries have mostly derived their inspiration from nature and in particular from plants and flowers. It is no different today: the largest choice in wallpapers and fabrics is still in the floral ranges. Even the occasional abstract design is more often than not based on natural forms. We all love flowers and therefore use them as decoration wherever possible. The choice is immense now and there is every style of design available from very smart, small- scale, all-over flower patterns to great splashy chintzes smothered with full-blown summer garden flowers, ideal for curtains. Read the rest of this entry »
Yellow means warmth and sunshine, light and brightness. Golden yellow is not commonly used on large areas in interiors but toned down with white or cream the softer shades of sand and butter yellow are very popular. As in nature large patches of bright yellow need the contrast of plenty of green to cool them down. Imagine a bed ofdaffodils in strong sunlight then imagine the same flowers planted in grass. The first is overpowering, the second is calmer and much more pleasing. Yellow and green is one of the freshest combinations you can use. To make it sparkle even more add lots of white too. Creamy-yellow rooms need a highlight or two of brighter yellow and there are plenty of flowering houseplants which come in all shades of yellow from pale primrose to chrysanthemum gold to fill the bill. Read the rest of this entry »
Colour is profoundly important in our lives and nowhere more so than in the houses we live in. Very often the first choice made about a room is what colour it should be. Colour can be used to our advantage to create a mood, highlight something special or even trick the eye. Houseplants will do all this, used either on their own or in a subtle mix with fabrics, paint, carpets and furniture. Nowadays there are hundreds of plants to choose from, and more and more flowering types are appearing in a vast range of colours. It is therefore important to consider the whole subject of colour in some detail to get the best from your plants and maybe take a fresh look at how you use them in your home.
Although pastel colours are now very fashionable, pale powder pink is not the most popular colour for living rooms. Many people, however, choose soft coral, peach or terracotta as the basis for furnishings as it is a welcoming and warm colour and very easy to live with. Read the rest of this entry »
Although for much of the time we choose a houseplant because we like the look of it, we sometimes pick one to fill a special position, where we know from experience it will be highly successful. As well as the obvious places there are dozens of other less obvious ones throughout the house which, with a little thought, can be transformed by the right choice of plant. Most houses have alcoves and recesses, dull corners or redundant fireplaces, all of which could do with being brightened up and put to good use. Even the most unlikely spaces can make a home for some ‘kind of plant. Here are ideas for plants to fit any odd empty corner you might have. Read the rest of this entry »
The quality of domestic water supply varies tremendously from area to area and this is an important consideration when it is to be used for watering orchids. The pH is particularly important and should ideally be on the acidic side at a value of about pH 5. Very hard water is not good for orchids but beware of chemical water softeners; these introduce chemicals just as injurious to your plants as the hardness. The householder can collect rain water from the roof if this is preferred to the domestic supply, but if you live in an upstairs flat you will have no choice other than to use water from the tap. In this case, if you find that the water is hard and alkaline, a harmless method of softening is to suspend a nylon mesh bag full of peat in a bucket of the water for a few days. This will absorb much of the lime content and lower the pH. Whatever the source of the water, it should always be given to the plants at room temperature. It is always a good idea to fill the watering can the day before it is to be used, to allow the temperature to adjust and unwanted chemicals to settle. Read the rest of this entry »
Hanging baskets and wall-mounted pots provide you with more opportunities for creating colourful displays outdoors, on house walls and even on outbuildings such as the garage or shed. They are mainly for summer displays since plants, even if hardy, often do not survive winters in these containers, except in areas where winters are very mild. Hanging baskets or wall containers are relatively small, and the soil in them can quickly freeze solid. There is not much one can do to prevent this, except to hang baskets of plants in a cool but frost-free greenhouse during freezing weather.
Traditionally hanging baskets are made from a widely spaced mesh of strong galvanized wire and are bowl-shaped. They are generally supported with three chains. Plants can be planted right through the wires in the sides to create a ball of colour. Such wire baskets are inclined to dry out rapidly in warm weather, so frequent watering is a must — at least twice a day. Read the rest of this entry »
A garden, of whatever size, that can be seen at a glance is far less interesting than one divided into separate areas. As you move from space to space, the garden seems to unfold with a satisfying element of mystery and surprise. In all probability the area will also feel larger than it really is, since you can spend time absorbing the character of each component part before moving on to the next. This technique has been used in the design of many great and famous gardens and, although your backyard may be considerably smaller, the principle remains much the same.
This simple, flower-laden trellis sits on top of a low brick wall that part-straddles the garden. Such a divider is particularly effective as it lets you catch a tantalizing glimpse of the `room’ beyond, making it all the more attractive. Read the rest of this entry »
Trellis, or treillage as it is sometimes pompously called, has a long pedigree as a garden feature. In its original form, it probably consisted of a woven screen of branches used for fencing or to support trained fruit trees against a wall. Today it is primarily used as a decorative element, but with careful planning you can combine this with the traditional approach to produce a very attractive screen, wind-break or base for climbing plants.
The most widely used type of trellis consists of thin strips of wood nailed together to form a diamond or squared pattern, but there are many other possibilities. Plastic is increasingly available and, if of good quality and simple design, can be quite acceptable. Wire, steel and wrought-iron have long been used in a variety of ways, ranging from strands of wire stretched between posts to delicate filigrees that reflect the architecture of an adjoining building. One of the great advantages of free-standing trellis is, of course, the ease with which it can be erected. Read the rest of this entry »
When it came to the job of making paths I discovered that this was a subject on which Walter had very strong views, and I had many lectures on how to achieve perfection. He felt that there was nothing to beat a good gravel path, and a good gravel path was so hard that nothing would spoil the surface and weeds would find no foothold.
Turning the barton into a well-made drive, big enough to take a dozen cars, was a big operation. We were lucky in being spared the problem of drainage. There is a big slope from the malthouse to the gate—as friends have discovered when they have not braked their cars properly!
The first thing we had to do was to level the surface, and then dig out the foundation. A good foundation is the secret of a good drive, we had it and there has never been any trouble since. I often wish we had taken as much trouble with our lawn as we did with the drive. Read the rest of this entry »
I learnt a great deal from Walter that first year of gardening. The first thing I learnt was that he knew a great deal more about the subject than I thought he did. I was a complete novice, and I thought that he was too. I knew he had had gardens and gardeners, but I assumed that being very busy he had left all the planning and work to them. I may say I got very tired of one particular gardener during that first year. He was quoted at me morning, noon and night until I came to hate his name. Everything he did was perfect, he never neglected anything and he always did all the jobs that needed doing at the right time. It was no good for me to tell Walter that I had to sandwich my gardening between housekeeping, household jobs and a certain amount of social life. In his opinion there was no excuse for not getting things done at the right time. Read the rest of this entry »
After the seed is sown it must be raked well so that it is covered with earth, and then the surface has to be firmed again. After that we require gentle rain but, if it is not forthcoming, artificial watering must take its place, using a spray or a fine rose. The idea is to have the seed as closely embraced by damp earth as possible so that when germination takes place there are no air pockets to discourage the tiny thrusting roots. Birds sometimes enjoy a meal of grass seed, so it is really safest to cotton the ground after sowing.Once a lawn is made it really should not require a lot of attention if it is cut regularly. To keep it in good condition a light dressing of granulated peat mixed with a little bonemeal and dried blood should be given in the winter. If there are weeds a selective weed-killer is used at the end of March, and in April a dressing of lawn sand will encourage new growth. Moss can be removed by raking and if rolling is done a spiked roller should be used to aerate the soil. Rolling with an ordinary roller does more harm than good, particularly with very heavy soils. The use of a lawn mower regularly gives it all the
rolling it needs. Read the rest of this entry »
Rue, with its sharp pungency, must have been popular as a ’strewing herb‘ in the Elizabethan days, but it really has too definite a flavour for cooking. It is, however, one of the loveliest foliage Plantand is a welcome addition to any border. R. Jackman’s Blue is the best form, with its bushy growth and very blue leaves. The pale yellow flowers are quite pleasant, used with the leaves with more distinct yellow flowers. Variegated rue is pleasantly delicate in ton( and makes a lovely splash of light in a dark corner. Read the rest of this entry »
Everyone would like to have a herb garden— a little oasis of old world plants and delicate fragrance, with clipped hedges of box or lavender, rosemary or santolina. But it needs a big garden to allow space for such a pleasant corner, and someone with plenty of time, for such a garden, like a Victorian posy, must be kept very trim to be effective.
Even without a herb garden herbs seem to lend themselves to original treatment. I have heard of people putting down an old cartwheel and putting different herbs between the spikes, and sometimes ladders are used in the same way in a long narrow space. But I have never known how the herbs were trained to keep in their own little enclosures. Most herbs are rather woody and distinctly unneat in growth. I defy anyone to keep a healthy sage within bounds, and though one might induce parsley, chives or winter savory to stay between bars, tarragon and mint would wander away underground and come up, quite unabashed, in someone else’s territory. Read the rest of this entry »
