Ivydene Gardens Private Garden Maintenance: |
Pruning Removing dead or unwanted shoots or branches from a plant. Pruning can encourage more and vigorous growth in the plant.
Topiary The art of clipping and training trees and shrubs into various, usually intricate, geometric or free shapes.
Deciduous Of plants that shed leaves at the end of the growing season and renew them at the beginning of the next: semi-deciduous plants lose only some of their leaves at the end of the growing season.
Evergreen Of plants that retain their foliage for more than one growing season; semi-evergreen plants retain only a small proportion of their leaves for more than one season. |
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Maintenance Plan The maintenance plan should include the full name of the tree or plant, the type and extent of the pruning to be undertaken, the best season for pruning (on the Plant Pruning Page of the Plants Section), any necessary feeding or mulching and any deadheading of flowers required. If you do not know the name, then you may be able to identify it from the photographs in the A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants in the Plant Species section of the Library or from the Comparison Pages on the Plant Photographic Galleries. However, when pruning and shaping any individual tree or shrub, do not forget that it is to integrate with those plants around it. Please do not ‘haircut’ your shrubs, unless you are into topiary. Pruning is not the same as a quick trim, and does a lot more than keeping a shrub in a particular shape.
Pruning GuidePruning needs an effective pair of secateurs and loppers to make clean cuts, and aims to renew the deciduous shrub growth above ground bit by bit, over three or four years. Find the following data on the shrub plant you want to prune: The first pruning cuts should always aim at removing dead, damaged and diseased shoots, starting from the base of the plant. Then remove any crossing branches and recreate a balanced natural shape (If the natural shape is horizontal branches, then remove the vertical branch that is crossing it). If possible, remove a quarter of the oldest main branches/trunks of deciduous shrubs each year to create a 1, 2, 3 and 4 year old main branch system. Having done this you are now ready to execute the instructions given in the following Group to which the plant belongs.
Group 1Spring-flowering, deciduous and evergreen shrubs (flower up to June) i.e. Forsythia, Ribes, Cytisus, Rambling and Climbing Roses, some Clematis, Mahonia, Rhododendron and Erica x darleyensis.
Group 2Summer-flowering deciduous and evergreen shrubs (flower from June onwards) i.e. Potentilla, Weigelia, Roses (except Ramblers and Climbers), some Hypericum, Cistus, Calluna, Erica cinerea, Erica tetralix, Erica vagans, Rosmarinus and Thymus.
Group 3 Spring or summer-flowering shrubs that bear berries or attractive fruits (deciduous or evergreen).
More detailed information may be obtained from "The Pruning of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" by George E. Brown in the Gardening section of the Library.
Key Messages
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A rose hedge can be created by untangling the rose and tying it to the next one reasonably horizontally. You may like to exceed creating 12 feet of rose hedge a day!! |
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Maintenance Humour After every flight, pilots fill out a gripe sheet which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft:- Pilot: Dead bugs on windshield. Engineers: Live bugs on back-order.
Pilot: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear. Engineers: Evidence removed. Pilot: DME volume unbelievably loud. Engineers: DME volume set to more believable level.
Pilot: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick. Engineers: That's what friction locks are for.
Pilot: IFF inoperative in OFF mode. Engineers: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
Pilot: Suspected crack in windshield. Engineers: Suspect you're right.
Pilot: Number 3 engine missing. Engineers: Engine found on right wing after brief search.
Pilot: Aircraft handles funny. Engineers: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.
Pilot: Target radar hums. Engineers: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
Pilot: Mouse in cockpit. Engineers: Cat installed.
Pilot: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer. Engineers: Took hammer away from midget |
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Now onwards to weed, prune and mulch your plants,
before having a well-earned rest!! |
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A minor point to remember is the following penalties from Tree Preservation Orders: A guide to the Law and Good Practice:-"Penalties 9.13 Anyone who cuts down, uproots, tops, lops, wilfully destroys or wilfully damages a tree in a conservation area without giving a section 211 notice (or otherwise in contravention of section 211) is guilty of an offence. The same penalties as those for contravening a TPO apply (see Chapter 10 of this Guide). For example, anyone who cuts down a tree in a conservation area without giving a section 211 notice is liable, if convicted in the Magistrates' Court, to a fine of up to £20,000. Anyone who carries out work in a way that is not likely to destroy the tree is liable to a fine in the Magistrates' Court of up to £2,500. Replacement Of Trees: Enforcement 9.14 If a tree in a conservation area is removed, uprooted or destroyed in contravention of section 211 the landowner is placed under a duty to plant another tree of an appropriate size and species at the same place as soon as he or she reasonably can. 116 The same duty applies if a tree is removed because it is dead, dying or dangerous or because it is causing a nuisance.117 The duty attaches to subsequent owners of the land, although the LPA have powers to dispense with the duty.118 The LPA may enforce the duty by serving a tree replacement notice under section 207 of the Act (see Chapter 11 of this Guide). 109 See regulation 10. 110 Anyone proposing to cut down a tree in a conservation area on the grounds that it is dead, dying or has become dangerous is advised to give the LPA five days' notice before carrying out the work, except in an emergency. 111 Diameter as measured at 1.5m above ground level. In the case of multi-stemmed trees, the exemption applies only if the diameters of all the stems are less than 75 millimetres or 100 millimetres, as the case may be." If as the owner you do nothing, there is no problem despite the fact that the main yew tree at St Margerets would rot internally; fall apart and die off. If you prune one leaf off the tree then you can be fined £2500 - if you have not got the neccessary permission from your local authority.I was handed a sheet stating best practice for trees from the the local Tree Officer from the local council on 20 May 2011. Contained in the first section of that sheet of best practice I read that carpet may be laid round the tree to conserve moisture. The yew tree is at the top of a mound of waste subsoil put there from grave-digging. Most of modern carpet backing is plastic and therefore if that was done, the rain would fall on the carpet and run off it beyond the drip line of the tree, thus dehydrating the ground under it - and thus kill it. Putting the carpet there would also stop the Carbon Cycle and the Nitrogen Cycle and so the tree would die of aphyxiation. Then under enforcement, you would pay £20,000 for killing the tree and have to replace it. Then you can repeat the cycle.....Do remember to get permission in writing from your local authority tree officer before doing ANYTHING in your conservation area garden each time you want to maintain your garden and a statement that the authority would pay to correct the situation if you followed its permission requirements / best practice; which then damaged anything in your garden.Before you buy a property in a conservation area, do make sure that under the Replacement of Trees: Enforcement, that you would NOT be liable to replace a tree that was removed by a previous owner without permission - in writing.In other words, do not buy:-
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DISCLAIMER: Links to external sites are provided as a courtesy to visitors. Ivydene Horticultural Services are not responsible for the content and/or quality of external web sites linked from this site. |
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1. Colour Wheel of All Flowers |
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Primary Colours:- Secondary Colours:- Tertiary Colours:- |
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2. Bulb Colour Wheel 7 Flower Colours per Month in Colour Wheel below in BULB, CORM, RHIZOME and TUBER GALLERY. Click on Black or White box in Colour of Month. |
BULB, CORM, RHIZOME AND TUBER INDEX - There are over 700 bulbs in the bulb galleries. The respective flower thumbnail, months of flowering, height and width, foliage thumbnail, form thumbnail use and comments are in the relevant index page below:- |
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3. Bee-pollinated plants in Colour Wheel of 12 Flower Colours Per Month |
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Inner circle of Grey is 12 months of Unusual or Multi-Coloured Flower Colour |
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4. Rock Garden (Alpines) suitable for Small Gardens in 53 Colours |
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FLOWERING IN MONTH |
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5. Bloom in Month with 12 Flower Colours per Month |
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Private Garden Maintenance Pages So, you want to improve your Garden Maintenance? |
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Choose 1 of these different Plant selection Methods:-
1. Choose a plant from 1 of 53 flower colours in the Colour Wheel Gallery - 2. Choose a bulb from 1 of the 7 Flower Colours of the 720 bulbs in the Bulb Plant Gallery - 3. There are 6 Plant Selection Levels including Bee Pollinated Plants for Hay Fever Sufferers in 4. Rock Garden (Alpines) suitable for Small Gardens in 53 Colours - 5. Choose a plant from 1 of 12 flower colours in each month of the year from 12 Bloom Colours per Month Index Gallery - 6. Choose a plant from 1 of 6 flower colours per month for each type of plant:- 7. Choose a plant from its Flower Shape:- 8. Choose a plant from its foliage:-
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9. when I do not have my own or ones from mail-order nursery photos , then from March 2016, if you want to start from the uppermost design levels through to your choice of cultivated and wildflower plants to change your Plant Selection Process then use the following galleries:-
I like reading and that is shown by the index in my Library, where I provide lists of books to take you between designing, maintaining or building a garden and the hierarchy of books on plants taking you from
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There are other pages on Plants which bloom in each month of the year in this website:-
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DISCLAIMER: Links to external sites are provided as a courtesy to visitors. Ivydene Horticultural Services are not responsible for the content and/or quality of external web sites linked from this site. |
• Watering Schedule - Far and away the best course of action against slugs in your garden is a simple adjustment in the watering schedule. Slugs are most active at night and are most efficient in damp conditions. Avoid watering your garden in the evening if you have a slug problem. Water in the morning - the surface soil will be dry by evening. Studies show this can reduce slug damage by 80%.
• Seaweed - If you have access to seaweed, it's well worth the effort to gather. Seaweed is not only a good soil amendment for the garden, it's a natural repellent for slugs. Mulch with seaweed around the base of plants or perimeter of bed. Pile it on 3" to 4" thick - when it dries it will shrink to just an inch or so deep. Seaweed is salty and slugs avoid salt. Push the seaweed away from plant stems so it's not in direct contact. During hot weather, seaweed will dry and become very rough which also deters the slugs.
• Copper - Small strips of copper can be placed around flower pots or raised beds as obstructions for slugs to crawl over. Cut 2" strips of thin copper and wrap around the lower part of flower pots, like a ribbon. Or set the strips in the soil on edge, making a "fence" for the slugs to climb. Check to make sure no vegetation hangs over the copper which might provide a 'bridge' for the slugs. Copper barriers also work well around wood barrels used as planters.
• Diatomaceous Earth - Diatomaceous earth (Also known as "Insect Dust") is the sharp, jagged skeletal remains of microscopic creatures. It lacerates soft-bodied pests, causing them to dehydrate. A powdery granular material, it can be sprinkled around garden beds or individual plants, and can be mixed with water to make a foliar spray.
• Electronic "slug fence" - An electronic slug fence is a non-toxic, safe method for keeping slugs out of garden or flower beds. The Slugs Away fence is a 24-foot long, 5" ribbon-like barrier that runs off a 9 volt battery. When a slug or snail comes in contact with the fence, it receives a mild static sensation that is undetectable to animals and humans. This does not kill the slug, it cause it to look elsewhere for forage. The battery will power the fence for about 8 months before needing to be replaced. Extension kits are availabe for increased coverage. The electronic fence will repel slugs and snails, but is harmless to people and pets.
• Lava Rock - Like diatomaceous earth, the abrasive surface of lava rock will be avoided by slugs. Lava rock can be used as a barrier around plantings, but should be left mostly above soil level, otherwise dirt or vegetation soon forms a bridge for slugs to cross.
• Salt - If all else fails, go out at night with the salt shaker and a flashlight. Look at the plants which have been getting the most damage and inspect the leaves, including the undersides. Sprinkle a bit of salt on the slug and it will kill it quickly. Not particularly pleasant, but use as a last resort. (Note: some sources caution the use of salt, as it adds a toxic element to the soil. This has not been our experience, especially as very little salt is used.)
• Beer - Slugs are attracted to beer. Set a small amount of beer in a shallow wide jar buried in the soil up to its neck. Slugs will crawl in and drown. Take the jar lid and prop it up with a small stick so rain won't dilute the beer. Leave space for slugs to enter the trap.
• Overturned Flowerpots, Grapefruit Halves, Board on Ground - Overturned flowerpots, with a stone placed under the rim to tilt it up a bit, will attract slugs. Leave overnight, and you'll find the slugs inside in the morning. Grapefruit halves work the same way, with the added advantage of the scent of the fruit as bait.
• Garlic-based slug repellents
Laboratory tests at the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (UK) revealed that a highly refined garlic product (ECOguard produced by ECOspray Ltd, a British company that makes organic pesticides) was an effective slug killer. Look for garlic-based slug deterrents which will be emerging under various brand names, as well as ECOguard.
• Coffee grounds; new caffeine-based slug/snail poisons - Coffee grounds scattered on top of the soil will deter slugs. The horticultural side effects of using strong grounds such as espresso on the garden, however, are less certain. When using coffee grounds, moderation is advised. |
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It is worth remembering that especially with roses that the colour of the petals of the flower may change - The following photos are of Rosa 'Lincolnshire Poacher' which I took on the same day in R.V. Roger's Nursery Field:- |
Closed Bud |
Opening Bud |
Juvenile Flower |
Older Juvenile Flower |
Middle-aged Flower - Flower Colour in Season in its |
Mature Flower |
Juvenile Flower and Dying Flower |
Form of Rose Bush |
There are 720 roses in the Rose Galleries; many of which have the above series of pictures in their respective Rose Description Page. So one might avoid the disappointment that the 2 elephants had when their trunks were entwined instead of them each carrying their trunk using their own trunk, and your disappointment of buying a rose to discover that the colour you bought it for is only the case when it has its juvenile flowers; if you look at all the photos of the roses in the respective Rose Description Page!!!! |
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