Supermoon 2017 - don't miss your chance to catch spectacular astronomical event

All you need to know about December's 'Cold Moon' over Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell

from getreading - What's On News http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/supermoon-2017-dont-miss-your-13958099

Berkshire to be hit by bitterly cold -4C wind chill

Weather forecasters say temperatures will feel much colder in Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell

from getreading - Arts & Culture http://www.getreading.co.uk/weather/berkshire-hit-bitterly-cold-4c-13975270

The Great Big Berkshire Pantomime Guide - the best Christmas shows you won't want to miss

Here’s our round-up of the top pantomimes and shows this festive season

from getreading - Arts & Culture http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/great-big-berkshire-pantomime-guide-13964829

New Contemporary Garden course discount – 10% off! Plus ‘Top 5 Hard to Kill House Plants’

Learning With Experts (formerly My Garden School) is offering Middlesized Garden readers a 10% off their New Contemporary Garden course, taught by RHS Ambassador Jamie Butterworth.

The New Contemporary Garden course by Jamie Butterworth will cover house plants as well as space gardening.

The New Contemporary Garden is an online gardening course, designed to help people get into gardening, no matter how small their garden, patio or balcony is. It also covers house plants for those who want to grow plants without any garden at all.

Use the code MIDGARDEN at checkout to get 10% off the course.

Down-sizing or Generation Rent?

In The New Contemporary Garden course, Jamie shows how to make the most of compact spaces both inside and out. He will highlight the potential of different areas from a balcony to roof terrace, sharing design principles to convert any space into a growing area.

The course will also help growers to plan properly, how to plant for food as well as for ornamental flowers. It’ll include the latest trends and ideas, plant variety recommendations, top tips on sustainability and maintenance advice. And he’ll use real examples of small spaces and contemporary green areas.

Jamie, who was a finalist in BBC3’s Young Gardener of the Year, said: “A windowsill can be a garden. You don’t need acres and acres of space. Young people are simplifying and stripping back and having a lot of fun doing it.”

Elho balcony planter from my post on 2018 Gardening Trends.

The New Contemporary Garden course

It’s an online course, comprising four tutorials.  It offers lifetime access to course content and a flexible study program that fits around the individual. You can complete optional assignments and get online support from the Learningwithexperts.com community. All students will have direct access to their fellow classmates in the online classroom.  Students who want direct feedback on their work from Jamie can upgrade to his £159 course.

Full details of the course are available to view at www.learningwithexperts.com/gardening/courses/the-new-contemporary-garden.

Jamie Butterworth’s top 5 house plants

Are you buying house plants, either for yourself or as a present? Here are Jamie’s top 5 ‘hard to kill’ recommendations:

‘I live in a small 1 bed flat, with no balcony and only windowsills for plants,’ he says. ‘So I have to be creative in which plants I grow, and where I grow them.

Aspidistra in the pink pot – it’s one of Jamie’s Top 5 ‘hard to kill’ house plants.

‘There is a common misconception that house plants are difficult to grow. This is all down to which plants you choose. And I, too, have to choose bullet proof plants, as working away from home a lot means they can sometimes go days without water.

Tried and tested in my own apartment.

They look great and, most importantly, are difficult to kill.

1. Ficus lyrata (Fiddle Leaf Fig) – A fantastic, large leafed Ficus (related to the Fig). Boasting large, waxed, veined leaves that make quite the statement. Be careful though, this can grow quite large, plant it in a decent sized pot and place somewhere with lots of light. Not a plant to use if you have Cats or Dogs, as it can be poisonous to them.
2. Spathiphyllum wallisii (Peace Lily) – My all-time, absolute favourite house plant. After having the starring role in ‘Hot Fuzz’, I just had to get one. Impossible to kill, and will reward you with beautiful, cupped white flowers. Wait until the leaves start to wilt and drop, and only then water, they will bounce back in a matter of hours. See, told you it was easy.
3. Calathea rufibarba (Velvet Calathea) – A truly beautiful house plant with fantastic dark purple stems that lead to elegant dark strapped leaves, a brilliant plant to add character to indoor planting.
4. Aspidistra elation (Cast Iron Plant) – As the name would suggest, this is as hard to kill as they come. An easy plant to grow, and produces handsome, elegant foliage that will help to green up ‘that’ dark corner.
5. Araucaria heterophylla (Norfolk Island Pine) – Yes, an indoor conifer! Related to the monkey puzzle tree, but without the sharp spines! This is certain to be a talking point for visiting friends and family. Normally found growing in warmer climates, such as southern Spain and the Canary Islands, am unusual, quirky, but hard to kill option

How to get the 10% discount

The New Contemporary Garden course is available from Learning with Experts. Use the discount code MIDGARDEN when prompted at checkout.

Disclosure: 

I haven’t been paid a fee for this post, nor will I get an affiliate fee if you buy the course through the links in it. I just like to send out an occasional mid-week offer. However, I am an affiliate for Learning With Experts via the lime green ‘online gardening courses’ advertisement on the right. And if you buy your course by clicking on the ad, you’ll still get the discount and I may get a small fee, although it won’t affect the price you pay. So the choice is yours – click on the links within the post or the advertisement on the right! I myself have bought an online learning course via Learning With Experts, and I paid the full cost. It’s Clive Nichol’s Photographing Flowers course, and it’s fab. I will report back in another post. There are some great tutors on Learning With Experts, which is why I’ve accepted their ad.

The post New Contemporary Garden course discount – 10% off! Plus ‘Top 5 Hard to Kill House Plants’ appeared first on The Middle-Sized Garden.

from The Middle-Sized Garden http://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/new-contemporary-garden-course-discount-10-off-plus-top-5-hard-to-kill-house-plants/

Bracknell Santa Dash raises more than £25,000 for charity

It was a Santa and reindeer filled morning in Swinley Forest

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/bracknell-santa-dash-raises-more-13959438

Milder air to banish arctic chill but it will get colder in Berkshire first

Weather forecasters are predicting temperatures will increase at the weekend

from getreading - Property http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/milder-air-banish-arctic-chill-13968766

Instagram giveaway

Former eyesore offices above The Lexicon in Bracknell to be converted to flats

Could these be the perfect apartments for millennials - just above Nando’s in The Lexicon?

from getreading - Property http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/property/former-eyesore-offices-above-lexicon-13962684

Laser show wows at the end of Wokingham Winter Carnival

People braved the cold and the roadworks to enjoy this year's carnival

from getreading - Family & Kids http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/wokingham-winter-carnival-2017-13958875

26 November

Jam jar Christmas – how to decorate with garden clippings

I love jam jar flower arrangements, so I’ve asked florist-tutor Julie Davies how to do jam jar Christmas decorations.

Jam jar Christmas decorations created with empty jars, twigs from the garden and foraged pine cones…

Julie and I did a ‘how to make a twig wreath‘ post and YouTube video last Christmas, which proved very popular, so we’re back for Twigs at Christmas 2. It’s the right time of year to be pruning trees, so it’s a great way of combining gardening and Christmas decorating.

First, the jars…

I have a shelf crammed with jam jars, many with several layers of label on them. And jam jar labels do not simply wash off!

My jam jar collection – not usable for decorating as they are…

Google came up with two methods for getting sticky label residue off jam jars. First, I soaked them all overnight in soapy water, and scraped off most of the label.

Then I mixed 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda in the US) with 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil and worked it into a paste. I smeared this on the sticky residue and left it for 30 minutes, then scrubbed it all off with wire wool. You can use any cooking oil.

The second method uses cheap household vinegar. Spray the vinegar over the residue, and leave for 30 minutes, then scrub off with wire wool.

Jam jars – get rid of the sticky residue of labels before decorating

Whichever method you use, you’ll need to wash the jars again in hot, soapy water. Both methods were effective, but perhaps the soda + oil method was just slightly better.

You could buy empty jam jars online if you don’t collect jars. And you wouldn’t need to clean them.  Note: I’m an Amazon affiliate, so I may get a small fee if you buy through Amazon, but it doesn’t affect the price you pay. Everything we use in this post is also easy to buy at any supermarket or garden centre.

Julie says that straight-sided jars are easier to decorate than bulbous ones or the Bonne Maman ones with their octagonal sides.

The equipment you need…

You probably already have everything you need for Christmas jam jars somewhere around in the house. Apart from jars, you only need rubber bands, scissors, secateurs and garden twine. Julie picks her rubber bands up from the street, where they get dropped by the postman.

And you need some twigs or other garden clippings. Julie used birch twigs, which often get blown onto pavements in high winds. Generally, you shouldn’t take anything from parks, forests or verges without asking permission, but it’s very unlikely that anyone will worry about you picking up fallen twigs.

It takes around 10 minutes a jar…

Twist the rubber bands around the jar. If it’s a tall jar, you may need two rubber bands – one high up and the other low down.

Step 1 – snap the rubber band round the jar

Then, taking small handfuls of twigs, poke them under the rubber band, to go around the jar.

Poke the twigs under the rubber band, and spread evenly around the jar.

Finally, cut the the twigs sticking out at the bottom, so that the jam jar can sit flat on a surface.

You can also use…

As well as birch twigs, you could also use dried flower stalks and seedheads. Julie made another jam jar Christmas decoration with dried fennel stalks and heads. She also recommends something green and woody, like rosemary, which won’t dry out too quickly.

Dried fennel stalks and seedheads (right) with birch on the left.

We set three or four jam jar Christmas decorations along the mantelpiece. We interwove some ivy along it, and also some pine cones, which Julie foraged in the summer.

Is it legal to pick up pine cones and twigs from the ground?

The Magna Carta stated that every common man had the right to pick up deadwood, but this was rescinded in 2008. Now you cannot legally take fallen wood, seeds or leaves from, for example, Forestry Commission land. To take from private land, you need to ask the landowner.

The law on theft is not always considered applicable to wild plants, but it’s complex. The Woodland Trust has foraging guidelines, but the best thing you can do is to ask.

Anything else to worry about?

Fire! I love Pinterest. It has wonderful Christmas decorating inspiration. However, I’m deeply alarmed by the sight of jam jar Christmas decorations with foliage, pine cones, etc inside the jam jar, with a candle that will inevitably burn down to ignite it all. And as for pillar candles wedged straight into greenery – well, that’s a house fire waiting to happen. Dried twigs and some evergreen foliage burn very quickly.

Tea lights inside jam jars are probably the safest form of open flame you can have. But be sensible – don’t leave them unattended, and use the glass to keep the flame away from the flammable materials. The jam jar Christmas decorations on our mantelpiece vary in how flammable they are. I’d suggest battery tea lights for the frondy fennel, for example, while the rosemary jar has shorter stems, so should be fine with a live flame.

The rosemary jar (far left) has stems no higher than the rim of the jar. It shouldn’t be a fire hazard with a live tea light. But the dried fennel (centre) should have a battery tea light or fairy lights wound round it.

I bought the mini baubles and wooden star silhouettes a few years ago from Cox & Cox. They still stock them, but you could use any mini baubles.  And the fairy lights are a short string of battery-operated lights like these.

Flowerstart, Julie Davies’ four week online flower arranging class comes via three emails a week.

She’ll talk you through finding the “happy” place for your flowers, whether flower food works, the visual value of your flowers and choosing flowers for different events. Each week will end with a practical task – using a mix of written instructions, photo tutorials and video. You’ll get to create a contemporary arrangement in a glass vase, an arrangement in a vintage tea cup and saucer, an informal arrangement in a jug and a tied posy.

You can take the lessons at a time to suit you – join in week by week, or stagger them out to suit you. Julie will be on-hand throughout to give you support and feedback through a dedicated private Facebook group. Julie’s YouTube channel is

Try it with the video:

Have you heard of #vlogmas? It’s a challenge for YouTubers to do a short video every day in December. I’ve decided to do it (gulp!) – and I’ve added an extra dimension to the challenge. Each video has to be relevant to Christmas and gardens in some way, with decorating tips, mini interviews or ideas for things like winter pots. Do come along – subscribe to the Middlesized Garden YouTube channel, and let me know if there’s anything you’d particularly like me to cover.

Lots of people say they don’t want to do videos because they don’t like the sight or sound of themselves on screen. I am one of those, so I will report back as to whether going on screen every day makes it any easier!

However, here on the blog we’ll just be coming out once a week on Sunday morning as usual! Do join us.

Pin for reference:

 

The post Jam jar Christmas – how to decorate with garden clippings appeared first on The Middle-Sized Garden.

from The Middle-Sized Garden http://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/jam-jar-christmas-decorate-garden-clippings/

Meet the Crowthorne schoolgirl rescued by Wonder Woman in Justice League film

Constance Bole stars in the Hollywood blockbuster

from getreading - TV & Film http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/tv-film/meet-crowthorne-schoolgirl-rescued-wonder-13938793

James Bond manor house on the market for a cool £4.95m

Manor house featured in Bond film Quantum of Solace

from getreading - Property http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/property/james-bond-manor-house-market-13949955

Saturday quiz

Can you name all the plants in this beautiful old botanical illustration? Post your ideas in the comments below, by tweeting @wildflower_hour or by commenting on our Facebook page. Answers tomorrow in our weekly round-up of the flowers you found growing wild in Britain and Ireland.

 

from #wildflowerhour http://www.wildflowerhour.co.uk/blog/2017/11/25/saturday-quiz-6/

Wanted: instagrammers

Can you help grow #wildflowerhour on Instagram? One of our aims is to spread a love of botany to millennials, and Instagram is where they tend to hang out. Currently it is the smallest audience for #wildflowerhour, but it could be a really powerful way of promoting a love of beautiful, weird and wonderful wild flowers.

If you are on Instagram, please tag your wild flower posts with #wildflowerhour, and follow our official account as well. If you also have ideas about how to reach out to people on Instagram, which really is the most beautiful social network, we’d love to hear from you. You can join as an ambassador, who aims to spread the word about #wildflowerhour, or as someone who wants to help actively manage the Instragram account.

[contact-form]

from #wildflowerhour http://www.wildflowerhour.co.uk/blog/2017/11/24/wanted-instagrammers/

Ice forecast as cold snap to hit Reading and Berkshire this weekend

It's going to be a cold but bright weekend but beware of icy patches in the evenings

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/ice-forecast-cold-snap-hit-13947584

Blue plaque remembers Reading activist Phoebe Cusden

The social campaigner who forged first links between Reading and Dusseldorf after Second World War has been remembered

from getreading - Berkshire History http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/berkshire-history/blue-plaque-remembers-reading-activist-13943899

Easthampstead Park Conference Centre could be sold in bid to save Bracknell council cash

Easthampstead Park conference centre and wedding venue could be sold as Bracknell Forest Council seeks ways to save money

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/easthampstead-park-conference-centre-could-13936889

£29 million approved for controversial Reading transport schemes

Funding has been approved for South and East Reading Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) schemes

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/29-million-approved-controversial-reading-13938255

Berkshire temperatures to drop this weekend as snow creeps across country

Wintry showers could make it to the south but no snow is forecast for Reading yet

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/berkshire-temperatures-drop-weekend-snow-13937853

Norovirus outbreak shuts school for two days

As many as 150 pupils at Hawkedon Primary have been affected by the winter vomiting bug

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/norovirus-outbreak-shuts-school-two-13931707

Strong winds to hit Berkshire

A yellow weather warning has been issued for Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/strong-winds-to-hit-berkshire-13931767

Body of elderly man found at Whitley home

The man, believed to be in his 70s, was dead when officers from Thames Valley Police arrived

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/body-elderly-man-found-whitley-13928980

Wild Flower Half Hour podcast

This is exciting. We have a podcast! A really cool one. Every fortnight during the winter – and every week during the summer – Isabel Hardman will talk wild flowers with people who love plants so much that they just can’t quite handle it. This podcast isn’t aimed at plant nerds (though we know you’ll listen too), but at people who just love nature and want to learn more about it. Actually, if you’re really a plant nerd you will know that there is always more to learn about wild flowers.

In this launch episode, Isabel speaks to Leif Bersweden, who wrote a book about his gap year mission to find all the orchids that grow wild in the British Isles (and asks him why he wasn’t getting drunk in Thailand like most other teenage boys), chats to Trevor Dines from Plantlife about the Back from the Brink project to rescue some of our most vulnerable plants from extinction, and discusses our #thewinter10 challenge with Louise Marsh of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Enjoy.

from #wildflowerhour http://www.wildflowerhour.co.uk/blog/2017/11/19/wild-flower-half-hour-podcast/

Bloggers’ picks – the best Christmas gifts for gardeners

I’ve asked a range of leading bloggers to recommend the best gifts for gardeners. I set a price limit of under £50.

And by gardeners, of course, I mean ‘anyone who loves their garden.’

Note: There are affiliate links to Amazon in this post, which means I may get a small fee if you buy. But it doesn’t affect the price you pay. I’ve also given alternative buying options wherever possible.

For gardeners struggling with weeds…

That means most of us! I’m starting with Alison Levey’s suggestion for a practical Christmas gift for gardeners. Alison writes The Blackberry Garden blog, which is currently the UK no 1 gardening blog according to Vuelio. She describes herself as an ‘obsessional amateur’ and writes about her garden, garden visits and garden related subjects.

Alison suggested a Sneeboer ‘wrotter’ – ‘a great name and an extremely handy-looking tool. You can never have too many weeding tools.’

It’s available on Amazon as a Sneeboer weeding fork, but the cheapest place I found to buy it is Peter Nyssen, where it is called a ‘wrotter’ (£21 at the time of writing this).

Gifts for gardeners who travel alot…

Michael Perry (Mr Plant Geek) emailed me from China with his suggestion for plant lovers who travel alot. Michael is a ‘plant hunter’, horticultural new product developer, TV presenter and social media expert. His blog posts over the last year have come from China, New York, Japan and more.

Michael Perry – although I think he has since dyed his hair either silver or purple…

‘Gifts for gardeners? There’s just one obvious choice for me – the Plant Messiah book by Carlos Magdalena!’ says Michael. It’s sub-titled ‘adventures in search of the world’s rarest species. ‘I’m sure you know it. It’s an indulgent storybook about some of the world’s most amazing plants and, in some cases, how they were saved! Whilst I am travelling so much I can’t always be around plants, but this book, I CAN!!!’

Michael also has his own range of gardening clothes and accessories, including the Rude Botany range. These are t-shirts and more with slightly ‘rude’  (or even quite rude) sounding botanical names. They’d make good Christmas presents, too.

Christmas gifts for the veg grower

Firstly, a gift suggestion from Michelle Chapman of Vegplotting. She started blogging about her allotment in 2007, but soon found that the blog grew beyond that. Vegplotting now covers most aspects of gardening and grow-your-own, as well as food, travel, lifestyle and her home town of Chippenham.

‘A Christmas gift?’ she said. ‘That’s a no-brainer because I mentioned my choice in my post about Glee  – the gardening industry exhibition held every September.  It’s the Haws 5 litre metal slimcan watering can. My colour choice would be Claret to match Santa’s jacket, though there’s plenty of other colours to suit every gardener’s taste.’

Michelle Chapman would love to get this Haws metal watering can for Christmas.

‘It’s great quality, not too heavy when full, British made and the kind of thing I wouldn’t buy (I’d go for much cheaper). But I’d be ridiculously delighted if someone bought this for me. What’s not to like? I already have the wellies to match ;).’

Richard Chivers is also an allotmenteer blogger. His blog, Sharpen Your Spades, is a family, allotment and kitchen garden blog. He says that a new fork or spade would always be welcome under the tree, but he has several other suggestions.

‘A seed packet organiser is invaluable for all my packets of seeds – I was given one similar to this by Burgon & Ball.’

‘Wellies’ photo from Richard Chivers’ blog – with an excellent reminder that we could add gardening gifts for children to our Christmas list!

Richard raised the issue of gifts for children of garden-lovers, which is an excellent point. ‘I bought a very nice child size tool set for my daughter Ava earlier this year. Its been fantastic for making her feel part of the gardening – something that’s her own. Unfortunately it came from Wilko and I don’t think they do it anymore. It was £10.’

I’ve had a look for children’s gardening tools on Wilko, but couldn’t find any. However, they may return next summer. The only children’s gardening tools I’ve personally used with children are Kent & Stowe Kids Range.)

For the gardener who loves to preserve & pickle…

…why not get them into brewing their surplus produce? Brew-your-own used to be 1970s hippy, but it’s now 2018 hipster. Nick Moyle is one of the Two Thirsty Gardeners, who blog about growing your own and turning it into wine, beer, lager and more.

Their book, Brew It Yourself, distills (ha-ha) all their best recipes and would be a great Christmas present in itself. I thought it would be mainly aimed at men, but my jam-making and pickling female friends seized upon it (see this review of Brew It Yourself on my YouTube channel.)

And Nick’s suggestion for the gardener that brews, pickles and preserves is ‘a nice selection of Kilner jars and bottles.’

Kilner clip top bottles make a great present for the homegrown brewer, pickler and preserver.

‘I always find that no matter what you’ve been making, the resulting drinks always seem to taste nicer if they’re presented in a lovely bottle,’ he says. ‘And Kilner jars are the best for infusing. If you get a small selection as a gift then, if you’re lucky, you might get a filled one in return.’

The professional gardener’s present

David Marsden is a professional gardener, and writes The Anxious Gardener, winner of the 2015 Garden Media Guild blog of the year.

‘As a working gardener, friends and family almost always buy me gardening related gifts,’ he says. ‘So, a present which has nothing whatsoever to do with the garden would be a delight. Having said that, I rarely spend much on decent work-clothes, so a strong pair of multi-pocketed work trousers, with knee-pad pockets too, would be very welcome. Or else a bottle of excellent single malt.’

Questioned further on what type of trouser he’d like to be given, he sent this link:

 I’m convinced! I’d quite like a pair myself.

For the owner of a large garden

Anne Wareham, the Thinkingardens blogger and author of The Deckchair Gardener says that she’d like a new strimmer.  She and her husband, photographer Charles own Veddw, a major garden in Monmouthshire.

According to Alan Titchmarsh, Veddw is one of the ten best British gardens and the hedges alone at Veddw are worth a visit. So strimmers are an important part of Anne’s gardening armoury.

I told her I’d met a parenting blogger who’d moved into a house with a well planted garden. The blogger knew nothing about gardens and had no time (children, job, blog etc…) So she and her partner strimmed the garden all over in autumn, down to the ground in some places. ‘And it sprang up just as good the next year,’ she said.

Anne says that this is very much their approach at Veddw (though I suspect a very much higher level of expertise lies behind it). Certainly there are lots of useful gardening short-cuts in The Deckchair Gardener – it would make a good present for gardeners who’d like to do less and enjoy their gardens more.

Anne wouldn’t be drawn on which brand of strimmer she’d like, as she hasn’t bought one recently.

For the crafty or thrifty garden lover

Emma Varnam is a top crochet, knitting and design blogger and author of several books on knitting and crochet. Her Christmas present suggestion is an enamel mug with a delightful mug cosy you can make yourself.

The pattern for this charming mug cosy is on Emma Varnum’s blog.

She’s created a mug cosy pattern, which you can find on her blog (it’s free).

‘Enamel mugs are perfect for drinking that warming cuppa in the garden as they are more robust than our favourite china,’ she says. ‘However it is always a great idea to have a mug cosy to protect your fingers from the heat of the enamel and keep your delectable brew warmer for longer.’

‘Make the mug cosy with chunky yarn and purchase a lovely Falcon enamelware mug. You can often find enamel mugs in charity shops.’

Emma’s latest book Granny Squares Home – 20 Crochet Projects with a Vintage Vibe would also be an excellent present for a craft-loving garden or interiors addict.

For the urban cottage gardener

Julie Quinn writes The London Cottage Garden blog about small urban gardens where colour and profusion are important. ‘I’d choose the Collier Campbell Archive  book for two reasons.

The Collier Campbell Archive – a book of pattern and colour to inspire the colour-loving gardener.

‘Firstly the designs of Sarah and Susan are a history of our baby boomer lives in patterns and colours. They follow in the tradition of William Morris, and since the 1960s  their fabrics have influenced fashion and interior decorative design:  1960s Liberty florals, 1970s Jaeger dresses and 1980s Habitat sofas in a Bedouin stripe. ‘

The Collier Campbell ‘Seaside Garden’ fabric – beautiful!

‘Secondly this book full of vibrant patterns is an inspiration to a cottage style gardener – so many different colour combinations and all pleasing to the eye.  Whether your taste is a soft tapestry of pastels or deep earthy tones of North Africa, you will find a page in this book that speaks to you.’

The Collier Campbell Archive can also be bought at the Fashion & Textile Museum shop.

My own suggestions for gifts for gardeners…

I’ve mentioned several already, but I’d like to add one more. I think most garden-lovers would really enjoy Monty Don’s new book, Down to Earth. (And the Amazon price is particularly good at the time of writing). I’d particularly recommend it if you know someone who is just starting out gardening, although I think we can all learn from it.

There’s a video review of Down to Earth here:

Inspiration for your Christmas decorating

I love Christmas so the next few weeks on the Middlesized Garden will be about your garden and festive decorating. But don’t go away if you’re not a Christmas- lover  – normal gardening will soon be back!

I’ve kicked the Christmas season off with a short video on Christmas colour themes. Red, of course, is traditional – but see how festive pink, orange, blue or white can also be:

 

 

One last word on gifts for gardeners…

You will have noticed that no-one has mentioned hand cream. Just saying!

Pin for reference:

 

The post Bloggers’ picks – the best Christmas gifts for gardeners appeared first on The Middle-Sized Garden.

from The Middle-Sized Garden http://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/bloggers-picks-best-christmas-gifts-gardeners/

Saturday quiz

Can you identify the plants in this lovely old botanical illustration? Post your answers in the comments, tweet @wildflower_hour, or comment on our Facebook page.

from #wildflowerhour http://www.wildflowerhour.co.uk/blog/2017/11/18/saturday-quiz-5/

Stunning seeds

Isn’t this poster by #wildflowerhour member Kevin Widdowson utterly stunning? It’s also incredibly useful in helping us identify wild plants by their fruit. Here, Kevin explains why he’s done it. Enjoy learning.

Just because it’s nearly winter doesn’t mean the opportunities for botanical adventures are over.  Whilst we enjoy the intricacies of shape and colour, the real point of wildflowers is reproduction.

At this time of year I get fascinated by the multitude of ways plants produce fruit. Over the past few months I have been collecting, researching and photographing different types of fruit to investigate the variety of mechanisms that plants use to protect and disperse their seeds.

Poster by Kevin Widdowson

As you might expect, plants in the same family usually adopt similar methods (think of the pappus of Asteraceae or the cupule of Fagaceae). In fact fruit can often be used as a diagnostic feature to identify a plant to species level. This is particularly the case for the Brassicaceae family.

Poster by Kevin Widdowson

Poster by Kevin Widdowson

Moreover, what captures my imagination about these highly functional structures is how beautiful they are. I hope this inspires some of you to get out and do some autumnal botany. The next obsession to get me through the winter will be winter tree identification. Can’t wait.

from #wildflowerhour http://www.wildflowerhour.co.uk/blog/2017/11/16/stunning-seeds/

Wargrave schools ask parents for cash for 'pens and glue' to cope with funding cuts

The schools in Theresa May's constituency have blamed Tory cuts for the plea

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/wargrave-schools-ask-parents-cash-13909575

Reading traffic gridlock caused by Thames Water works in Caversham

Drivers were reporting taking hours to travel very short distances due to the work in Church Road

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/reading-traffic-gridlock-caused-thames-13904619

Top 10 Christmas films to watch with the kids

We've put together a list of some of the nation's favourite family Christmas films to get your inspired for some post-turkey sofa time

from getreading - Family & Kids http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/top-10-christmas-films-watch-10618160

The Winter Ten

Have you had a go at our #thewinter10 challenge? It’s a weekly feature of #wildflowerhour during the winter that pushes us to try to find ten plants in bloom. More on how to join in here.

The tweets we’ve had so far have shown quite how bright and floral the darker months can still be. And now, each week, we’ll be listing the #wildflowerhour members who’ve made it to 10 once again. Congratulations to everyone who has joined in so far.

Here are this week’s champions:

Winter botanising – 4 of #thewinter10 #wildflowerhour pic.twitter.com/V6bn97gLko

— Sarah (@sarahlouise194) November 9, 2017

Yellow Corydalis
Tansy
Creeping Buttercup
Prickly Sowthistle#wildflowerhour #thewinter10 – bit early tonight pic.twitter.com/9rNXsOIAA0

— David B Burbridge (@DavidBBurbridge) November 12, 2017

#thewinter10 No 1 #wildflowerhour Nipplewort (Lapsana communis) on disturbed ground at Loysey Wood near Monmouth. pic.twitter.com/prSvdIMsZg

— anneontheshelf (@anneontheshelf) November 12, 2017

Great Mullein, Shaggy Soldier, Green Alkanet, Feverfew (Verbascum thapsus, Galinsoga quadriradiata, Pentaglottis sempervirens, Tanacetum parthenium) – allotment, Radnage, Bucks, 081117, #thewinter10, #wildflowerhour pic.twitter.com/y2mfa9UQni

— Babs Spence (@babsspence1) November 12, 2017

#wildflowerhour #thewinter10 All from urban pavement cracks or grass verges. 1-4 Groundsel, (poss) Fat Hen, Knotgrass & Smooth Sow-Thistle pic.twitter.com/oJT5RD37KL

— Dolly (@dolly_and_dj) November 12, 2017

@BSBIbotany @wildflower_hour #thewinter10 getting tougher and having to look harder! (names in comments)#wildflowerhour ❤ pic.twitter.com/4qHUVSLuo3

— Lesley McCue (@lesleyannmccue) November 12, 2017

1-3 for #thewinter10 are the yellow things I'm having a go at this week: dandelion (with hoverfly), cat's ear and bristly oxtongue. #wildflowerhour pic.twitter.com/KNzjNFonnP

— Longrun Meadow (@LongrunMeadow) November 12, 2017

1. Spotted this small patch of Common Centaury (Centaurium erythyraea) flowering on a bank #wildflowerhour #thewinter10 pic.twitter.com/kYP4oFATu3

— Killanne Development (@KillanneWexford) November 12, 2017

#wildflowerhour #thewinter10 1/10 Common Poppy pic.twitter.com/Qeqh3bbtw7

— martin dove (@martindove2014) November 12, 2017

1-3 of #thewinter10 #wildflowerhour Red Campion, Red/Purple? Clover and Red Dead Nettle pic.twitter.com/88X7fbqClu

— Community Action for Nature (@CANforNature) November 12, 2017

Wildflowers photographed at Sharpenhoe Clappers this morning with the exception of the periwinkle and feverfew which were found in the gardens at Woburn Abbey this week. #wildflowerhour #thewinter10 pic.twitter.com/JDZnu7HzDJ

— VenetiaJane's Garden (@VenetiaJane) November 12, 2017

1-3/10 Wild Angelica, Water Forget-me-not, Meadowsweet all @natsurroundings #wildflowerhour #theWinter10 pic.twitter.com/VAq3gaSbKr

— Simon Harrap (@NorfolkNature) November 12, 2017

Just about made #thewinter10 this week for #wildflowerhour. Honeysuckle (1/10) pic.twitter.com/u6WtNrxBL7

— SK53 (@SK53onOSM) November 12, 2017

Water Forget-me-not near John Donne's Summerhouse on the canal #Pyrford One of #thewinter10 #wildflowerhour @BSBIbotany pic.twitter.com/EToKK3FD2G

— Marion Malcher (@Marion_Malcher) November 12, 2017

 

And you can see the full feed of #thewinter10 contestants here:

#thewinter10 – Curated tweets by wildflower_hour

from #wildflowerhour http://www.wildflowerhour.co.uk/blog/2017/11/13/the-winter-ten/

Gun owners across Berkshire urged to surrender unwanted weapons and ammunition

Police have launched a 14-day project to collect items at stations across the Thames Valley

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/gun-owners-across-berkshire-urged-13884187

Reading man among three people sentenced for using fake money in businesses across Berkshire

The three used counterfeit twenty pound notes to acquire legitimate money in change

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/reading-man-sentenced-fake-money-13890444

Don’t dig up dahlias for winter! What to do instead….

I don’t dig up dahlias to store them at the end of the summer.

I’ve been growing dahlias for fifteen years, and I only dug a few up once. They died.

But the dahlias I’ve left in the ground, year after year, have filled our late-summer borders with glorious colour.

All these dahlias were planted between eight and three years ago. I have never dug any of them up to over-winter.

Although, perhaps the borders are not exactly the colours I originally planted. But more of that later.

As soon as people see the late-summer border, they ask two questions. The first is always ‘do you dig dahlias up for winter?’

Our dahlia border

Of course, those who have ‘proper gardens’ almost always dig up their dahlias. Then they store them expertly, and they have places to do so.

But we’re a bit short of storage here, and my over-wintering expertise isn’t up to much either.

So this post is about middle-sized garden tactics, not ‘proper gardening.’

How not to dig up dahlias

Firstly cut away the dead and dying foliage. I find some of my dahlia stems are so thick, they need loppers not just secateurs. (I particularly like Wilkinsons Ultralight Loppers, because they really are so light.)

Note: links to Amazon in this post are affiliate links, which means I may get a fee if you buy through them, but it won’t affect the price you pay. I’ve only linked to products I’ve tried myself and liked.

Once you’ve taken away all the vegetation, cover the dahlia with as big a mound of compost or mulch as you can. Pile it on, making sure that the stems are well covered to protect the snow and rain getting in down the hollow parts.

Then add a stick to show you’ve got a dahlia there. It’s as simple as that.

But take your anti-slug precautions early

The second question people ask is how I keep the slugs and snails off the dahlias. As you can see, I co-exist with slugs and snails. But I prevent them from winning by starting the battle early.

You may not feel inclined to take my anti-snail advice, having seen this picture. But at least I enjoy my dahlias as much as the snails do.

Best tip: I got this from a friend in the RHS. Start taking your anti-slug and snail precautions in February. Don’t wait until you see snail damage. I use ferric phosphate slug pellets, which are certified for organic use,and are pet and wildlife friendly.

I’ve used several brands, such  Bayer Garden Slug Killer and Sluggo 

Take a handful and simply throw them across the border in February. Don’t try to make little piles around where you think the plant will be. A light sprinkling will help protect your dahlias.

Some dahlias do really need to be dug up…

I must admit one thing.

Not all dahlias survive the winter protected by mulch, so I have lost a few over the years. The colour scheme is now dominated by reds and oranges, although the beautiful peach ‘Henriette’ has come back three years in a row.

This is Henriette. She is so pretty, and has come back every year for three years now, protected by a big pile of mulch.

Dark red Rip City and Black Cat dahlias have proved hardy, and also the orange Dahlia David Howard. However, the Bishop dahlias – with their black foliage – have never survived, no matter how much mulch I pile on top.

The dahlias that do come back seem extra vigorous, perhaps because of their nutritious much meal

So it’s a question of trial and error. And it also depends on where you live, – we’re in Southern England, so we have some quite mild winters and some harsh ones. It’s usually considered equivalent to a US hardiness zone 8, although it doesn’t quite match.

See it on YouTube

Do subscribe to the Middlesized Garden blog or YouTube channel for tips and inspiration from middle-sized gardens for middle-sized (and small) gardens. And let me know if there’s any gardening job, you’d like not to do, and I’ll try to find out how not to do it.

(Although Anne Wareham is pretty good at not doing gardening in her book The Deckchair Gardener)

Pin for reference:

The post Don’t dig up dahlias for winter! What to do instead…. appeared first on The Middle-Sized Garden.

from The Middle-Sized Garden http://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/dont-dig-up-dahlias-for-winter-what-to-do-instead/

Saturday quiz

Think you know your flowers? Try identifying all these in the illustration below.

Tweet @wildflower_hour, post on our Facebook page or in the comments below. Answers tomorrow.

 

from #wildflowerhour http://www.wildflowerhour.co.uk/blog/2017/11/11/saturday-quiz-4/

First World War fallen soldiers from Reading and Berkshire revealed

You can search the full records of the more than one million casualties of First World War using our gadget

from getreading - Berkshire History http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/berkshire-history/reading-first-world-war-soldiers-7527096

First World War fallen soldiers from Reading and Berkshire revealed

You can search the full records of the more than one million casualties of First World War using our gadget

from getreading - Berkshire History http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/berkshire-history/first-world-war-use-widget-7527096

Remembrance Day 2017: Put a poppy on your profile picture

Our widget lets you add a poppy to your avatar or profile picture to mark Remembrance Day on Saturday, November 11

from getreading - Berkshire History http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/remembrance-day-2017-poppy-profile-12143108

Homes in Berkshire left without water well into the evening

Thousands of homes in Berkshire were affected by a power fault in the water network

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/homes-berkshire-left-without-water-13876574

Do you recognise these plants?

One of the best things about #wildflowerhour is the way we all chip in and help each other out with IDs. You don’t need a PhD or years of experience to have a go at identifying the plants that other members find. So chip in tonight with the pleas for help – the worst that could happen is that you learn something new.

Plants needing ID – Curated tweets by wildflower_hour

from #wildflowerhour http://www.wildflowerhour.co.uk/blog/2017/11/05/do-you-recognise-these-plants-12/

Join the 1970s house plants revolution

Saturday quiz

Can you name all the plants illustrated in this picture? Post your ideas on Twitter, in the comments on our Facebook page, or in the comments below. Answers tomorrow.

from #wildflowerhour http://www.wildflowerhour.co.uk/blog/2017/11/04/saturday-quiz-3/

Live updates as local heroes celebrated at Pride of Reading awards

Chris Tarrant will help present the awards at a glittering ceremony celebrating community groups, businesses and individuals in Reading

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/live-updates-local-heroes-celebrated-13853065

Drivers warned as thick fog hits Berkshire for the second day in a row

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/drivers-warned-thick-fog-hits-13851757

Police launch manhunt after woman attacked in Winnersh park

The attacked tried to remove the woman's clothes but was scared off by her dog

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/police-launch-manhunt-after-woman-13851710

Berkshire drivers warned to take care after heavy fog hits

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/berkshire-drivers-warned-take-care-13846535

Could new Reading town centre trade pitches lead to hot sausage man's return?

Steve Riley left Reading town centre after a dispute with the council in 2014

from getreading - Business http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/business/could-new-reading-town-centre-13834895