RHS Chelsea Flower Show – A Centenary Celebration
Can you quite believe that Chelsea starts tomorrow? I mean, I know it’s May, but still! I suppose the late start to the year has started me off on the wrong foot rather and I can’t believe that the worlds biggest and best (in my opinion) flower show has already begun for those folk lucky enough to get a PR pass – or be in the royal family. 
Due to the significance of Chelsea 2013 – its hundredth year, don’t you know – RHS have brought out their beautiful hardback ‘A Centenary Celebration‘ book. Its pages are crammed with info, gardens and historic photo’s to get you in the mood if you’re not able to get to Chelsea this year. Even if you do – it’s worth a read.
One of the lovely things about A Centenary Celebration is that is split into distinct historical eras for easy reading. We start off in 1827 before the Chelsea Flower Show even began and end up in 2013, so there’s actually over 100 years of history crammed into the pages. The RHS aren’t scant on pictures, and if you’re more of a flick-through-the-pages reader like me, it’s amazing to see the developing show and changing trends within the images themselves.
There are a lot of nice little touches with this book, one being that you’ll happen across a little section about Chelsea from a judge’s, garden designer’s or groundsman’s point of view. This offers some additional insight into the show and works well with the overall historical nature of the book. Meanwhile, if you’ve ever been trawling through computer files looking for your past Chelsea snaps, then you can just dive into this hardback instead because there’s inspiration everywhere you look. Whether it’s a nostalgic ‘aha, I remember that,’ or a ‘ooh, I haven’t seen that before‘, there’s inspiration to be had.
This really is a gem of a book, and it celebrates Chelsea with a welcome mix of nostalgia and inspiration. Whether you’re preparing to beat your way through the garden show masses this year or not, A Centenary Celebration offers a rich and informative read with plenty of images to capture the eye.
If you’d like to pick up a copy of RHS Chelsea Flower Show: A Centenary Celebration (9780711234512) then there’s a special offer price of £20.00 (inc UK p&p). All you’ve need to do is call Bookpoint on 01235 400400 and quote the code 46CFS.
Enjoy!
Guest Blog – 5 things to buy for you garden this spring
This week I’ve got a guest post written by freelancer Steve Nelson. Steve enjoys spending time in the outdoors, gardening and cooking in his spare time. The weather’s finally starting to warm up, and so if you’re in the mood for some shopping, then he’s got some great gardening ideas.
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With the spring season under way and warmer months ahead, now is a wonderful time for gardeners and outdoor enthusiasts. Of course, every year spring gardening brings on a number of activities and purchases. From researching the best new flowers and plants to put into your garden, to purchasing basic essentials such as a new pair of hedge trimmers from mysmartbuy.com or some new gloves for rugged yard work, there are always things that need to be done.
However, what can truly make spring gardening enjoyable and unique this year is to add a few accessories and new features to your garden. This keeps things interesting year in and year out and gives you ways of improving your garden that go beyond simply keeping the plants fresh and healthy. Here are 5 specific items and accessories you might want to purchase for your garden this season.
1. Stepping Stones
Stepping stones can make your garden more accessible and enjoyable in a matter of minutes. Of course, you’ll need a strategic path or area prepared to lay down stones, but having a stone path through, around, or alongside your garden completely changes its atmosphere for the better. This invites people to spend time in your garden and gives you a better way of moving through it.
2. Birdbaths & Bird Feeders
Inviting birds into your garden is a wonderful way to improve its atmosphere. Of course, too many birds could be a problem, but a single birdbath and/or bird feeder can be a very nice addition. Plus, birds provide natural pest control for your garden, which saves you from having to use harmful chemicals on the environment.
3. Statues
Statues and garden figurines are very popular, and can often be purchased at normal gardening centres. Too many of these statues can become a bit tacky, but one or two tasteful statues can serve as elegant and interesting decorations within your garden. This can also be a great talking point when visitors see your garden.
4. Furniture
Just as these other items provide your garden with a more active and inviting atmosphere, furniture provides you and your family and visitors with actual places to spend time in the garden. Whether it’s something as simple as a single bench, or something a bit more involved such as an outdoor dining table or a gazebo, furniture can completely change the functionality of your garden.
5. Lighting
Finally, you might also consider making your garden a bit more unique by installing lighting to use at night. Of course, the best gardens maintain a natural feel, but having a few lights strategically placed to allow you to spend time outside at night can be a wonderful touch.
Ideal Home Show – 2013
If you’ve ever wanted any inspiration for your home and garden, then the Ideal Home Show is where it’s at. This year, Anglian Home Improvements invited me along to have a good old nosey through the stalls, and whilst you might not think it, there was some great gardening ideas on offer.
In addition the Low Cost Living House (a must-see if you’re thinking about reducing your energy bills or have a plot of land and want to build an eco-flat pack house – I dare to dream), there are several little show gardens on offer. These are small and compact; so perfect if you’re living in a town or city and environment where space is at a premium. Like all show gardens, it’s important to take away inspiration rather than trying to re-make the entire look, as it’s often the case with show gardens that they’re just that – for show, but not necessarily the most feasible backyard gardens.
I love this idea for maximising space and creating some height and structure in a small garden. The deck isn’t that high that it would intrude on neighbours, especially with some well placed fencing, but it does create space underneath. This could be used for planting shady species – in this setting they had a small pool with moisture and shade loving ferns – but it could also be a great garden storage area.
For entertaining purposes, the garden on the left is great. With raised beds, the plants will be more manageable and you’ll need to spend less time gardening, and more time having friends and family over. Meanwhile, solar panels on your shed or garden office’s roof? Ideal….I could do with that to power my laptop whilst I’m tapping away writing for the many hours of the day.
Another must-see is Anglian Home Improvement’s Only Fools and Horses stand. If you loved a bit of Del-boy and Rodney, you can see a mock up of their famous flat, along with a modern interpretation. There’s even a chance to get snapped pretending you’re in that famous chandelier scene. So, if you’ve got a chance, head down to Earls Court before April 1st, it’s definitely worth a look…you can spoil yourself to champagne and a fish platter too.
Cheers, Anglian!
Guest Post – Transform your garden into a mini orchard
YouGarden is an online gardening centre run by three horticulturalist who have over 50 years combined experience. They have one simple ethos “Gardening for Everyone” and sell everything for from easy to grow veg and flowers to YouGarden fruit trees and exotic palms.
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Starting your own mini orchard could be easier than you think – providing you choose your plants wisely, there’s no reason why you can’t start growing your own fruit!
Many varieties of fruit thrive in the UK, from apples to pears and peaches to apricots. How successful your crop is will depend on the conditions in your garden, and of course how well you look after the plants.
The good thing is that starting an orchard doesn’t need to take up a lot of space. Not everyone has an expanse of land to start planting apple trees on, hence why mini orchards have become so popular.
How to plant your mini orchard
A great way to grow fruit trees without taking up too much room is to plant them in pots.
This comes with all sorts of advantages – not only is it easier to maintain their size, but if you feel like rearranging your garden once in a while, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem!
All good garden centres and online stockists should have fruit trees ready for you to take home and plant. If you’re lucky, some of them might start bearing fruit sooner than you think.
There are advantages to different types of containers. Clay is heavy and stable, while plastic tends to be weather-proof and durable. Whichever you choose, make sure there is plenty of opportunity for drainage at the bottom – broken up pieces of old clay pots are a great way to achieve this.
Keeping your mini orchard healthy
Once your mini orchard has been successfully planted, there are several tasks you will need to carry out every so often to keep the plants in top condition.
Make sure that the trees are watered generously – it is best to allow the surface of the compost to dry out before watering again, but try not to let it become bone dry.
More hardy fruit can be left outdoors during the winter months, but other varieties should be moved inside a greenhouse to protect them against damage.
Every year, you might want to think about replanting your fruit trees into bigger pots to allow the roots to grow. You will eventually find that you no longer need to do this, but it is an especially important process for young trees.
It is also a good idea to prune your trees during the early years, as this can prevent problems from arising in the future.
Become a Wisley gardener for the day
As you may have read on my blog before, RHS Wisley are having a ‘pansy plant-in‘ on October 2nd, 2012. With the autumn weather definitely starting to show its face, and the RHS wanting to bring some colour to their autumnal and winter gardens, it’s the ideal time to get those overwintering pansy into the ground. And, now YOU have the chance to a Wisley gardener for the day.
The good folks over at the RHS are offering members of the public the chance to not only help with the plant-in, but to get behind the scenes at the start of the day and enjoy a container and basket workshop run by Wisley staff. The day starts at 9:30am, and the lucky few will be able to get great tips on container planting from top notch gardening experts. After the workshop is complete, you’ll then be able to participate in the ‘pansy plant-in’, filling beds, borders and containers around the stunning Wisley gardens with a huge array of pansies and violas. You’ll even get lunch thrown in too!
Tickets for this fantastic opportunity are available on a first come, first served basis. You need to be free on October 2nd, and able to get to RHS Wisley for 9:30am. If you want to participate, then simply email trials@rhs.org.uk. Remember, get in quick so you don’t miss out!!
RHS Wisley ‘Pansy Plant-In’
It seems that with all my talk of pansies, the powers that be have sat up and taken notice. I kid you not, I only went and got an email about the RHS Wisley ‘pansy plant-in’ moments after I posted my last blog. But, of course, it IS that time of year already and now’s your chance to get in on the action.
If you haven’t already headed to RHS Wisley, then I can’t say enough how much you really ought too. It’s a good idea to take an entire day out for visiting the gardens because they’re very extensive, and if you’re rushing around, then you won’t get the chance to sit on the garden furniture and take everything in. Also, depending on how your bank balance is, you might want to take (or not) your wallet depending on your spending discipline.
The perfect time to head down to Wisley if you want a little autumn inspiration is on Tuesday October 2nd, when the RHS will be holding their ‘pansy plant-in’ session. On the 2nd, approximately 80 RHS staff members and volunteers will be popping in 5,000 pansies and violas in the top terrace border to lift the garden for the winter months. VertiGarden, hanging baskets and containers are also going to be planted up throughout the gardens, offering the ideal chance to see Wisley in all its autumn beauty and get some inspiration whilst you’re at it.
If you want to know a little more about the pansy plant-in and Wisley’s autumn colour then head over to the RHS website and take a look at just how amazing your winter garden could look this year.
Guest Post – Fashion for Home
Fashion For Home is a web based company who specialise in affordable and stylish furniture for your home. With a variety of products available you can kit out any room in the house, be it a bedroom, lounge or an outdoor space at an affordable price. They’re also environmentally friendly, creating chic products with a green ideal.
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At Fashion For Home you can find many unique designs. They are constantly pushing the boundaries between functionality and aesthetics using a minimalist ideal. Their products are never overstated. They don’t jump out at you and scream ”LOOK AT ME” but rather offer a graceful dignity in design whilst also offering the pure functionality they were made for. The armchair on the picture has an interesting style of design, one that harkens back to the sixties as well as minimalist Asian culture. It offers style and grace whilst also offering comfort. This wouldn’t look out of place in any home, and is offered at a great price. Click here to see.
The materials used by Fashion For Home are green and eco-friendly. The above armchair is made from hard ash, steel and premium wool sourced from responsible suppliers and which offers a complimentary aesthetic. This is a highly attractive point that this company has to offer as issues to do with the environment affect us all whether we like it or not. To see a company take active measures to protect the environment is a refreshing change.
Fashion for home also work a ‘made to order’ scheme. When you order a product, this product has to be made for you. They don’t have endless copies of their products hanging around in warehouses. This is a smart business plan and an innovative use of the internet, as it saves money on storage as well as money lost on wastage of products that haven’t been sold. I highly recommend visiting their website and browsing what they have to offer.
London Olympic Park offers landscaping beauty
I’ve been totally caught up in the Olympic frenzy this year. Having always loved the sporting occasion, I was excited to see the Games come to London. However, I was annoyed when I didn’t get tickets and became very frustrated about the whole event. Then, Mary managed to get me a ticket and I was once again enthused.
Us Brits are exceptionally good at looking down upon ourselves. At thinking that we couldn’t possibly accomplish the feats of other nations. We seem to prepare ourselves for the worst outcome before it happens; ‘the Games will be crap‘, ‘transport won’t work‘, ‘we won’t win anything‘. Then, we surprised ourselves and threw an incredible Olympics, won more than we ever had, and the Olympic Park…wow!
Beautiful planting flows in front of the Aquatics Centre
Why am I talking about the Olympics on a gardening blog? Because not only were the sporting venues well thought out, but the landscaping was too. I had heard about the wildflower meadows in the park, but hadn’t realised just however beautiful the Olympic landscaping would be. Winding their way like ribbons of colour by the Stadium, the Aquatic Centre, the concrete helter-skelter *ahem* piece of Orbit artwork, the colourful borders of planting are amazing.
Making the perfect place to meander alongside the beautifully restored River Lea, the borders have been crammed with planting. There aren’t only wildflower meadows here, but carefully thought out planting with echinacea, rudbekia and agapanthus throwing bursts of colour into the air. Tree lined lawned areas are the ideal place to stop and have a snack, whilst the Park Live where the giant screen hangs above the water is a stunning feat of genius for those creating an outside and landscaped amphitheatre.
I came away from the park being blown away by the level of detail that LOCOG have managed to attain. After the Paralympics the park will be closed for a year, but a lot of the landscaping is to stay. If you have Paralympic tickets, then I encourage you to take time to enjoy the scenery as well as the sport. And, if you haven’t got tickets, then I hope that visiting the park when it opens again in 2013/2014 will provide at least some of the landscaping beauty.
How to get a cat free garden
YouGarden is an online gardening centre run by three horticulturalist who have over 50 years combined experience. They have one simple ethos “Gardening for Everyone” and sell everything for from easy to grow veg and flowers to YouGarden fruit trees and exotic palms.
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There is nothing more infuriating than seeing next door’s cat cheerfully digging up your borders after leaving an unwanted gift. Strangely, our feline friends like to dine at home and then pop round to the neighbour’s to do their business. Apart from the cat scat itself being unpleasant and unhygienic, all that digging and spraying can wreak havoc with your plants, especially if they’re not yet fully established.
It’s a tricky problem to deal with because even if your neighbour is sympathetic, it’s pretty difficult to restrict the movements of cats. And owners can’t usually be held responsible for their pet’s actions because under the law, cats are classed as being semi-wild.
So, if you’ve tried every humane solution from scattering orange peel through to sprinkling citronella and you’re ready to move house, why not plant some coleus canina instead? This remarkable plant is more commonly known as scardy cat and it gives off a natural moggy repelling whiff that will deter the most determined Felix. Best of all, it’s completely harmless to cats so you won’t harm them in any way. They just really can’t stand the pong and will go in search of pastures new.
Scardy cat is a doddle to grow and it will thrive with minimal care as it is drought hardy. If you’re lucky enough to get lots of snowman-building weather, then you may need to provide frost protection during the coldest snaps. Otherwise, coleus canina will grow happily enough in shady spots – but pop it in the sunshine for maximum results because the heat from the sun increases the odour. And the more perfume your plant creates, the fewer cats you should see in your garden.
Finally, an added benefit of coleus canina is that it is a pretty plant and it will provide you with lots of ground cover. As well as having attractive foliage, you can expect some unusual blue blooms in the summer. If you have a large garden, it can be worth planting scardy cat in numerous areas to create a total no-go area for our furry friends. Alternatively, because cats are super crafty, it might be wise to grow some in pots so that you can move them around easily if your local feline community decides to sneak off to a different corner in your garden.
Win tickets to Southport Flower Show
This year’s Southport Flower Show, taking place in just a few weeks time (16-19 August 2012) has more on offer than ever before.
Aside from the fantastic gardening attractions and stunning floral arrangements, this year’s show will boast the first year of the North West Food Festival, complete with a host of well-known celebrity chefs. There’s also the launch of the North West Book Festival, featuring authors from all genres.
Each day there’s something new happening, from talks and lectures, to cookery presentations in the kitchen, with experts on hand to answer your questions.
Star of Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, Simon Rimmer, has this year been announced as a patron of The Southport Flower Show, and will commence in his role, by supporting the launch of the first North West Food Festival.
The show has also confirmed that gardening experts Christine Walkden and Alys Fowler will be attending, along with Southport Flower Show’s patrons Sir Roddy Llewellyn, Professor David Bellamy OBE and Professor Stefan Buczacki - all on hand to offer tips and guidance.
There’s plenty on the bill to keep all the family entertained over the four days. For something dramatic, the main arena’s headline acts include jousting medieval knights and free flying birds of prey. And the drama is balanced by the charm of dog displays, featuring dogs of all shapes and sizes, including rescue dogs.
The bandstand line up will bring music to your ears, with the Morecambe Brass Band, the Fisherman’s Friend Jazz Band, the Biddulph Male Voice Choir and performances from the Southport Youth Drama Academy, to name a few.
The Guide To Gay Gardening has three pairs of tickets to the Southport Flower Show to give away (worth £32 a pair). Simply comment on this post (make sure you leave your email) and on Monday 13th the three winners will be announced.
*Please ensure you can attend so as not to waste an entry 
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For further information and to order tickets for the show, visit www.southportflowershow.co.uk or call & 0844 847 1555. Advance tickets cost just £16 and children under 16 go free.
Welcome to The Guide to Gay Gardening's new look!
Living in the grey smog of London utopia, I forge my little existence in a slightly loopy, hermity, hippy manner, sharing my life with the hens, cats and other menagerie that have somehow taken over my life.
If I'm not enjoying the great outdoors with my netbook in hand, I'll be snipping, pruning, planting, cutting, propagating, shovelling, or just plain admiring. You can even catch the occasional glimpse of me on the TV now and then!
Take the weight off for a while. Sit back, relax, read, send me feedback, but mostly just take a moment and look around you.....mother nature is beautiful.
Geoff Wakeling
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beautiful perennial geranium
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Red achillea
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My ladies are laying again! Hoorah. This is the haul I just got :)
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It's a little late this year, but the wisteria perfume is beautiful!
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California poppies
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