Blossoms on the Go Garden Centre Owner Shirley Brohan has some solid advice this week. Break down mammoth jobs into smaller goals and focus on one task at a time.
With so much choice this time of year, it’s very hard to focus on what you want to do in the garden and around the home. Here are some tips: break down tasks like filling pots, hanging baskets, and adding more to the beds and borders. Just break it all down, put them in a list, and do them one at a time. We have lots of choices to offer, which can be overwhelming.
If it’s hanging baskets you want to start with, three trailing plants are enough for a 12-inch basket. Add an extra plant if it’s a 14-inch basket. They will fill out, I assure you. Then, the next question is whether you want a centerpiece in the middle of your basket. I find that if they are too high, they cannot be seen, but this is a matter of personal taste. Sometimes, I add bedding plants to give a bit of extra color, like lobelia or busy Lizzie. Again, this is a personal choice that can add more color.
When you are filling pots, many of you like a centerpiece like a geranium or an African daisy and then some trailing plants in the front like petunias or bacopa. Add some of your favorite bedding plants; I find begonias are long-lasting and make great summer bedding.
Window boxes are filled similarly to pots. I find it easier to start with a centerpiece.
Some like trailers to overhang, while others prefer mixed bedding plants like alyssum, which has lovely white and purple flowers that are very pretty in the front and long-lasting.
I skipped a bit about what to fill them with. I use good quality potting compost and add Osmocote fertilizer and Stay Wet gel. This provides a long-lasting feed and helps to keep plants moist.
The important thing to remember is to add the Stay Wet to the bottom of your pots, then top up with potting mix and add the Osmocote to it. This will help your flowers to be fed and bloom longer.
It’s a joy to watch plants grow and flowers swell out to enjoy the beauty they give over the next few months. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. As always, enjoy your garden!
