Garden

National Garden Scheme - Hampshire

The Community Gardens awards were announced a few weeks ago. For 2022 the National Garden Scheme donated £189,617 supplying funding for 75 Community Projects across England and Wales. Danny Clarke – aka The Black Gardener – and new National Garden Scheme Ambassador added: “It’s great to see this funding going to the heart of so many community projects. Projects that will help invigorate the people they support and introduce new audiences to the huge benefits that gardens and gardening bring to their health and wellbeing and to the environment around them.” There are more details on the website ngs.org.uk

A grant of £1,520.00 was made to Healthy Haven Garden, Waterside Health Centre in Southampton. The garden already exists, constructed by Fairweather's Nursery (who also open for the NGS). The garden is based at Waterside Medical Practice and is run by a team of volunteers, for the benefit of the patients, staff and the whole community. The grant will be used to purchase sleepers, metal edging, a pear tree and plants to attract the wildlife.

If you are looking for a garden to visit for a relaxing afternoon out - Why not try the Down House, Itchen Abbas, SO21 1AX - Opening: Wednesday 3rd August 12 noon to 5pm. Pre-booking available Admission: £5.00 children free. Cash or Card Refreshments: Home-made teas

A 2 acre garden laid out in rooms overlooking the Itchen Valley, adjoining the Pilgrim's Way. In summer, see the agapanthus, herbaceous perennials and potager. A garden of structure with pleached hornbeams, rope-lined fountain garden, yew lined avenue and walks in adjoining meadows. This garden regularly opens in the Spring for the carpets of Spring bulbs. Now is a chance to see it in all it’s Summer glory.

There is something for everyone with the NGS. Enjoy a great afternoon out knowing that you are helping to fund some amazing charities.

Pat Beagley (Publicity) National Garden Scheme - Hampshire pat.beagley@ngs.org.uk

Healthy Haven Garden, Southampton The Down House, Itchen Abbas

Planning the Garden

Hello, Plant Lovers!

In a recent edition of the Forum, we explored ‘Right Plant, Right Place’. You are probably looking forward to your local Summer Plant Fair. But wait! Whether it be the sensory joy they induce, or the wildlife that they attract that you love about plants – take a moment to consider these 6 Design Principles.

Harmony: What feeling does your space give you? Do you feel calm or elegant, playful or quirky? This is the ‘Spirit of the Place’. The principle of Cohesion helps us connect the growing space to the house beautifully. A rural setting suggests a naturalistic or cottage style planting, or urban space could go modern. You could compliment this in the material you choose for your pots or other garden décor.

A formal style is traditionally achieved by Symmetrical planting, using straight lines that mirror each other, and this is easily replicated on a small scale with clever use of statement plants to punctuate. Asymmetry, with the use of curvilinear planting, provides a more relaxed feel.

Think about Balance to maintain proportion (a tall shrub might be offset by a bench, or a water feature, for example).

Simplicity – where less is more. Fewer plants (or pots or materials) in a similar family or colour group together cause a greater impact that many different plants dotted about the place.

Rhythm / Repetition is similar – the designer’s trick of using groups of 3 to 5 plants in regular spacing about the site is very effective in making a place seem ‘put together.’ Divide perennials to multiply plants cheaply.

A nod to these principles will elevate your planting space to a whole new level. Next Time: Plant selection!

By: Patti Carter. Mum, Dr & RHS student. Share your thoughts @ motherspluckingposies or motherspluckingposies@gmail.com

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Drought Control, Water Management

Lawn Watering and Drought Management Lawns need water. Let’s understand the water requirements of your lawn and how wetting agents and drought management products work.

Why do I need to be concerned about moisture levels in my lawn? In times of extended drought, grass reduces the water it supplies to the leaf. It stores water in the roots to keep itself alive. The leaf will turn brown, appearing dead. The plant may be dead, you won’t know for sure until moisture returns to the root zone. If a grass plant had other issues to deal with, such as grub damage, that has reduced its root mass, it may well die in a period of drought as it doesn’t have enough root to retain moisture needed to survive.

Drought conditions often result in more lawn weeds and less beneficial soil biology.

Some grasses tolerate drought better than others. Failure to provide water when your lawn needs it could result in more issues with weed grasses such as Poa Annua (annual meadow grass) which are better adapted to take advantage of poor conditions. Certain weeds thrive in drought conditions. Not watering your lawn could be making your lawn weed issues worse. As grasses die back, this creates space in your lawn for new weed seeds to settle, ready for germination later. In addition, a number of weed types thrive in drought conditions. One such weed is yarrow. Difficult to control once established in your lawn, yarrow is very challenging to irradicate.

Healthy soil biology is essential for a healthy lawn. When moisture levels drop, so does the population of beneficial soil microbes, responsible for breaking down organic matter, excreting nutrients into the soil which benefits your lawn grasses. This breakdown of organic matter also reduces surface thatch.

How do wetting agents benefit my lawn?

Not everyone can water or wants to water their lawn. There was a time when all we could do for lawns in times of drought was add water or wait for rain to return. If soil has dried out too much, then often that water struggles to be absorbed into the soil. This is when soil has become hydrophobic and repels moisture. Soil in this condition also struggles to hold on to water and it quickly drains through the soil out of the grass root-zone. A more modern approach to moisture management involves applications of wetting agents. This technology was developed for golf courses and has now found its way into modern, professional lawncare.

What is a wetting agent and how does it work? A wetting agent is a specialised molecule which is used to reduce the surface tension of water. Surface tension is what forms water into a droplet. The fact that water has a high surface tension can be an issue when we want water to penetrate a surface or spread throughout another material – such as soil. Wetting agents help water penetrate into soil and then hold water in the root zone for longer, reducing water wastage and making any water far more effective for plants.

Wetting agents and moisture retaining products can drastically reduce the quantity of water you need to maintain a healthy lawn through periods of drought.

Typically, wetting agents come in a liquid form and are applied to your lawn using a sprayer. Some manufacturers supply wetting agents in granular form where the liquid has been applied to a carrier which can then be applied using a spreader. In this format the inert carrier would break down following application, releasing the wetting agent into the soil when water is applied, or it rains.

Will wetting agents reduce the cost of watering my lawn? The amount of water you need to apply to your lawn can be significantly reduced through the use of wetting agents. In addition, the time it takes for your lawn to become stressed in a period of drought can be extended and therefore you can start watering later or you may even find that the rain has returned before you need to begin to water.

Do wetting agents work if there is no rain? Wetting agents are there to make water more effective for your lawn. Applied in a period of drought they will sit patiently on the surface of the soil waiting for rain to return. When it does, they spring into action, aiding the penetration of that rain into the soil, spreading it laterally and holding it in the root zone for longer. In this way they make even the smallest amount of rainfall more effective. As lawncare professionals, we have access to industry leading products and technology that not only helps you achieve a wonderful, healthy lawn you can be proud of, but also products that help you to avoid longer term issues you may not even be aware of. Learn more about lawncare from our website or contact us to ask our advice.

Ian Kenyon sits on the committee of the UK Lawn Care Association and owns Shrekfeet Professional Lawncare. He is always happy to offer friendly, professional advice and help: T: 01962 460146 www.shrekfeet.com