FREE! Ma y Issue 1 9
FREE
Are You Passionate About Petunias? We Are! PetuniaS
with every order
Don’t forget your Garden Bargains on page 24 WOOLCOTT & SMITH
We catch up with Adam Woolcott for drought tips.
Some exciting new varieties p4-5
BEANS
Runners, Dwarf & French Climbing
Rob Platt
our resident equipment expert, reviews some of our best grass trimmers
TOP TIPS | HOW TO GUIDES | EQUIPMENT | TOOLS | EXPERT ADVICE
PROMO: MAG19
lead the good life welcomes you... What an April we’ve had! After the driest March for 59 years the snow and rain we yielded to in April has really made it difficult for us gardeners to get stuck into the early Spring tasks especially when temperatures plummeted to a very chilly -7°C in certain areas of the UK. What’s even more irritating is that temperatures in April last year were the highest since 1938! But look on the bright side at least your water butts will be full.
e plot... using thex pert, David The vegetable Allison gives us some tips on what we should be doing.
In this Month’s issue of
plentiful petunias
Plant Portfolio Petunias p.04-05
This month our plant portfolio tells you ever ything you need to know about petunias. Page 04-07
How to grow Petunias p.06-07
Page 12-13
Grow Your Own Beans p.08-09
Moving on to May (one of my favourite months) we can look forward to oodles of gardening excitement. Seedlings are springing up and greenhouses will soon be full to bursting with delicious vegetables and verdant flowers and hopefully all of the bad weather is out of the way so that we can really get stuck into joyous task of May.
Design Ideas Drought Tolerant Boarder p.10-11
I’d like to introduce a few new members to the Lead the Good Life Team. Adam Woolcott from Woolcott & Smith garden design is an award winning garden designer. He brings his Chelsea gold medal winning experience to Lead the Good Life to help you design a drought tolerant garden. Rob Platt is our resident garden power tool expert and what he doesn’t know about power tools isn’t really worth knowing. This month he discusses grass trimmers.
est Plus all the b rc hase. petunia to pu
Top Jobs May: Sald Leaves p.15
From sowing to ha from need to know to get the most your beans page 08-09
ous Spicy i c i l e d a s u Pl recipe Bean Curry on page 14 Design
Rob’s Reviews Grass Trimmers p.18-19
?
The Big Question Weeds p.20-21 Ask the Expert Stephen Answers p.22
Rob’s Reviews In our brand new feature Rob looks into what is out there when it comes to grass trimmers. on page 18-19 www.gardenbargains.com | 08719 77 55 55
Reader’s Corner May 2012 p.16-17
Ideas
RHS Chelsea medal winner Adam Woolcott give us some fantastic design ideas for a drought tolerant garden on page 10-11
02 | Welcome
Recipe of the Month Spicy Bean Curry p.14
n! Grow yourvrestinog;w all you
That just leaves me to say enjoy the latest free issue of Lead the Good Life and have a fantastic month of gardening!
Just hit the basket to add to your basket.
Using the Plot David Allison, Vegetable Expert p.12-13
Wildlife Rest Happy Wildlife p.23 08719 77 55 55 | www.gardenbargains.com
In this Issue | 03
£19.99
Plant of the Month
CP: £17.99
ITEM: 402533 Pair of Jubilee Petuni a Baskets 2 x 25cm
Petunias
Best of British Petunia Collection 12 x plug plants (4 each of 3 colours) £10.82 CP: £9.73 BUY NOW
The genus of 35 species of flowering plants of South American origin is this issues plant of the month...
W
ithout a doubt Petunias are one of the most popular annual plants in UK gardens and whether used as a bedding plant or in containers and baskets Petunias add fantastic colour from late Spring all the way through to Autumn. They first appeared in our gardens in the 19th century and although they weren’t amazing garden plants, breeders, over decades, have crossed them and created larger flowers and more colours than ever before. Now the garden petunia or Petunia x hybrida has an extensive collection which include double flowerers, trailing and even climbing types. Due to their extensive varieties you can create wonderful displays exclusively out of Petunias. Whether you are looking for contrasting or complementary colour schemes or contemporary or traditional planting schemes Petunias give you huge scope to achieve your perfect design. Here are some of my favourites. For a riot of dazzling colours try Petunia ‘Frenzy’ with its velvety
04 | Plant of the Month
textures and brush-stroked blooms that always put on superb displays all summer long right up to the first frost. Our ‘Best of British’ Petunia collection is perfect for hanging baskets, bedding, borders and containers and will produce dense clusters of prolific pink flowers that are frilly and vibrant. Colours include ‘Royal Hearts’, ‘Candyfloss’ and ‘Rosy Ripple’. If you love the idea of Petunias in hanging baskets but you don’t have the time to plant your own then the Jubilee Hanging Baskets are for you. For instant colour this pair of reusable 25cm hanging baskets come fully planted with a mix of red, white and blue ‘Easy Wave’ Petunias that will continue to grow into a ball of colour and stay in flower all Summer long. The joy of Littletunia is in their ability to repeat flower all season from June to September and how the petals quickly regain their shape
after the dampest of weather. The spreading nature of their growth habit, to fill the space in which they are planted, makes them perfect for both pots and borders. And now for something a little bit special! Introducing the world’s first Hardy Petunia. It comes ready to grow in a variety of mixed colours. This hardy Petunia will form a low growing mound of colour and is much more resistant to cold weather, so can be planted earlier. Consists of 24 plugs of mixed colours including Red, Violet, Pastel Pink, White, Rose and Scarlet. The Ebony Petunia Collection is a new revolution in Petunias. This breakthrough in colour has caused lots of excitement in the gardening world as black is a very rare colour in the plant kingdom. The dark flowers set against the mid green foliage make a great combination in your garden. In this collection you will receive ‘Black Velvet’, ‘Phantom’ and ‘Pinstripe’.
www.gardenbargains.com | 08719 77 55 55
Ebony Petunia Collection 12 x plug plants (4 each of 3 colours) £10.82 BUY NOW CP: £9.73
£12.49
Hardy Petunia 402535 24 x plug plants (Mixed Colours)
CP: £11.24
Littletunia 12 x plug plants (4 each of 3 colours) £8.32 BUY NOW CP: £7.48
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Petunia ‘Frenzy’ 66 x plug plants (Mixed Colours) £9.99 BUY NOW CP: £8.99
Plant of the Month | 05
sts Huge bur of colour
How to Grow
£14.99
CP: £13.49
ITEM: 300350 Pair of Easy Fill Hanging Basket
How to Grow...
petunias
For fantastic bedding displays Petunias are about the best plant that you can choose. Difficulty: Full Sun
Partial Shade
Hardy
‘Surfinia’ Petunias are a trailing variety of Petunia which makes them ideal for planting in containers and hanging baskets. Over the years they have become more and more popular as people began to realise their potential. They quite simple revolutionised the bedding industry and brought a new dimension to summer bedding and are now considered, by some, as a plant in their own right. ‘Surfinia’ Petunias are the best loved and most reliable trailing Petunias ever bred. They will form a colourful cascade with every stem drenched in colourful, trumpetshaped flowers. The displays are truly show stopping and will last all summer long and well into Autumn and what’s more they are completely weather resistant too.
£12.49
CP: £11.24
£8.32
Flowering Season
the gates from your easy fill hanging basket and pour some compost into the bottom. Mix in some gel and feed, insert your plants into the holes and replace the gates before toping up with compost. Using your hand scoop out a hole in the centre of the compost and drop in another plant then do the same four more times around the edge ensuring they are equally spaced. Like regular Petunias, ‘Surfinia’ Petunias rage in colours and styles but they all have one thing in common. Masses of vibrant flowers and the ability to fill even the biggest hanging baskets and containers. Take a look at these vivacious varieties. Podium Petunia ‘Surfinia’ With the London 2012 Olympics and Diamond Jubilee just around the corner our Podium Petunia ‘Surfinia’ collection is the perfect way to celebrate this fantastic Summer of events. This collection includes Scarlet Red, Snow White and Blue.
ITEM: 470096
Petunia ‘Surfinia’ Climbing 12 x plug plant (Mixed Colours)
‘Surfinia’ Petunia mixed 12 x plug plants (2 each of 6 colours)
‘Surfinia’ Petunias This unbelievable collection of Petunia ‘Surfinia’ includes 6 vibrant mixed colours that will look extraordinary hanging outside your front door or along your driveway. The colours complement each other perfectly and will leave your neighbours staring in awe. Colours include Purple, Blue Vein, Red, Hot Pink, Blue and White Introducing the world’s first Climbing ‘Surfinia’. Turn your baskets on their heads with this new and revolutionary climbing ‘Surfinia’. Plant in containers with an obelisk or against trellis to give them support as they can grown to a height of 6ft within weeks! This brand new collection includes 12 plug plants which will eventually produce gorgeous funnel shaped flowers in colours of Blue, Opera Pink, Mini Pink, Pink Vein, and Silver Blue.
£8.32
CP: £7.48
ITEM: 402540
06 | How to Grow
For the best display I recommend you use easy fill hanging baskets. Their design makes planting trouble-free and achieving the best professional displays effortless. Simply remove all
Half Hardy
Petunia ‘Surfinia’ 12 x plug plants (4 each of 3 colours) £9.99 CP: £8.99 BUY NOW
www.gardenbargains.com | 08719 77 55 55
08719 77 55 55 | www.gardenbargains.com
CP: £7.48
ITEM: 402531 Podium Petuni a
How to Grow | 07
Grow Your Own
Grow Your Own...
Beans
£1.65
CP: £1.49
ITEM: 900490 Dwarf French Bean Tenderg reen Seeds
Here are our tips on how you can grow enough beans to last you until Christmas... Difficulty: Beans are one of the most productive crops that you can grow in your garden or allotment and they take up next to no space because they are trained up canes. They are easy to germinate and relatively easy to grow but the key is in the preparation. Do that right and you’ll have so many beans that you’ll be eating them up until Christmas!
Ground preparation
I’ve tried many different methods of growing runner beans but I’ve found that if you don’t prepare the ground properly you’ll not make the most out of your crop. You can start this as early as October by digging a deep trench to a depth of 45cm (18in) or 2 spades depths and about 2ft wide. Loosen the bottom of the trench with a fork and add good quality manure and 01
02
08 | Grow Your Own
03
partly rotted compost. You can leave this trench open for a month then back fill and mix the soil with the compost/manure in November.
Sowing
Sowing to planting takes about 3 weeks so if you plan to sow by the end of May you can plant out in mid June. You should always sow your bean seeds in individual module trays or pots using a good quality multipurpose compost. Do this by poking the end of your seed into the surface of the compost and then push it down to about 1in depth. Try not to let the seeds fall on their sides, this will increase the chance of them rotting. Germination takes roughly 8 days after which they should be grown in well ventilated conditions with a night-time temperature of 04
£1.45
no less than 10°C.
CP: £1.31
Planting out
Before you plant out sprinkle some blood, fish and bone on the surface of the soil and dig it in. Then create a structure of hazel stems or bamboo canes spaced at 45cm (18in) apart for the beans to climb up. Soak your plants with water before you plant them, the planting hole should be a little deeper than the root ball. Place your plant in the hole, backfill, gently tie to the cane and then water in.
After care
A common issue that many gardeners face with beans is a problem called dry set which causes premature flower drop before they have had chance to set their pods. This problem is easily alleviated by removing some of the side shoots and try
ITEM: 900487 Climbing French Bean s Barlotta Di Fuoco Seed
not to over water earlier on in the plants development however during periods of no rainfall you will need to water regularly because beans like moist soil.
Harvesting
Beans are a very productive crop which is good because they are best eaten when they are young. If you let them get too long they can become stringy. Pick them as and when they are produced by pinching the
01 | Runner Bean Hestia Dwarf Seeds 02 | Climbing French Bean Cobra Seeds 03 | Dwarf French Bean Canadian Wonder Seeds 04 | Runner Bean Prizewinner Seeds
£2.25 £1.95 £1.95 £1.75
BUY NOW BUY NOW BUY NOW BUY NOW
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stalk or using a sharp knife. If you find that you have too many to eat in one go you can freeze them by cutting them into small pieces and putting them in to a polythene bag to freeze.
Best Beans
Runner beans are very forgiving vegetables which makes them the ideal plant for beginner gardeners. ‘Hestia Dwarf’ has beautiful red and white flowers followed by 18-20cm slim stringless runner beans. The plant is bushy and produces an early crop often before standard types. A
superb variety perfect small gardens. It only reaches 45cm (18in) in height and produces a good yield with a excellent flavour. As the name suggests ‘Prizewinner’ is a habitual award winner. It’s a popular variety which produces vibrant long green pods of excellent flavour. A reliable cropper. Climbing French Beans are becoming more and more popular due to their bumper crops in summer. ‘Barlotta Di Fuoco’ is easier to grow than to pronounce! It produces bright green flat
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pods splashed with red which disappear on cooking. A dual purpose bean, you can use the pod as a flageolet type. ‘Cobra’ can be grown as a runner bean or under glass to produce an early crop. It produces lovely violet flowers which are followed by fantastic long and tender beans which are stringless and grow up to 8in long. Dwarf French beans are easy to grow, do not need support and many people prefer them over runner beans. ‘Canadian Wonder’ is extremely prolific and has been a popular variety since
Victorian times. This bushy vigorous plant produces a generous crop of long, tender flat pods. ‘Tendergreen’ is a heavy cropping, tasty dwarf variety. It needs no support and is therefore perfect for those who don’t have the time to put up canes.
Grow Your Own | 09
Design Ideas
Garden Ideas from Woolcott and Smith Garden Design
Garden Bargains guest presenter Adam Woolcott runs a successful garden design and garden maintenance business based in Hertfordshire. Together with partner Jonathan Smith, Adam has won 3 gold medals at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show together with 2 BBC People’s awards for best small garden in Show. Adam writes various gardening columns and is a regular garden expert on BBC Three Counties radio. You can view more of Adam and Jonathans work at www.woolcottandsmith.com
10 | Design Ideas
available in various colours and can really lift a border through the summer and into the winter. They can then be replaced with winter flowering bedding such as primulas and violas. With any planting scheme we always try to plant in groups of odd number; in ones, threes and fives, unless you are planting in pairs either side of a door or path. This always looks better on the eye. It is always better to have height at the back sloping down to low level planting at the front of the border. All of these plants are very drought tolerant once they get established and aren’t going to worry too much if you can’t get to water them as much as you used to. The combination is a mix of herbaceous plants and evergreens with a purple / pink feel so will look elegant all year long.
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ITEM: 800746 Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’
ITEM: 800823 Pair of Oleander ‘Double Red’ Bushes
A drought tolerant boarder 3 Metres
£4.99
CP: £4.49
ITEM: 800649 Agapanthus
Verbena bonariensis Nerium orleander Agapanthus ‘Midnight Blue’ Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ Petunia Salvia purpurea
2 Metres
planted purple sage (Salvia purpurea) which has striking purple leaves and gives you the added bonus of providing scent in the garden. Either side of the sage we have planted African lily or Agapanthus. The variety we have chosen is ‘Midnight Blue’ which has a beautiful blue/purple flower born on tall stems in late summer. At the front of the border we have planted groups of ornamental grasses. Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ has fantastic steely blue-grey leaves and absolutely loves full sun. It’s evergreen and forms nice low clumps so you don’t have to worry about it. Planted all along the front of the border between the grasses are petunias. Petunias are our plant of the month and along with geraniums are one of the most draught tolerant bedding plants there are. They are
CP: £2.93
CP: £8.99
“Design a border featuring plants that are drought tolerant.” In many parts of the UK, especially in the south and east of the country, we are currently in the grips of a hosepipe ban, so with this in mind we have decided to design a border featuring plants that are drought tolerant. The main feature plant in the centre of the border is a tropical oleander shrub (Nerium oleander) which gives that instant exotic feel of Mediterranean holidays and sunshine. Oleanders are evergreen with the most wonderful flowers in pink, white and red with light green ‘willow like’ leaves. Either side of the oleander are groups of Verbena bonariensis which are tall herbaceous perennials with purplepink flowers which give height at the back of the border and flower their socks off all summer long. In front of the oleander we have
£3.25
£9.99
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Design Ideas | 11
Using the Plot by David Allison
£6.99
CP: £6.29
ITEM: 900540 Sweetcor n ‘Sundance’ 12 plants
£4.99
CP: £4.49
using the plot with david allison
ITEM: 900 530 Summer Ve ge Seed Colle table ction
£4.99
CP: £4.49
ITEM: 300 130 Garden Th er mometer
The vegetable expert tells us the must do’s this May... Gardening in May can be fraught with danger as frosts are still a reality, any potatoes that might have been nipped with frosts with the resulting blackened leaves will soon recover by sending up new shoots that will eventually produce a useful crop. Any plants that have been totally crisped by the cold such as runner beans or courgettes will have to be replaced. Fortunately there is plenty of time to re-sow these but don’t sow too many. A wigwam of twelve plants can yield 26lbs of runner beans. Tomatoes, in my experience, will actually benefit by producing a better crop after being exposed to a few cold, but not freezing, nights.
12 | Using the Plot
Cold frames should be bursting at the seams with tender veg being “hardened off” and waiting to be planted out. These include celery, leeks, onions, the brassica family and many others. Sowings of runner beans, dwarf French beans and climbing French beans can be made this month, it is plenty soon enough but watch out for sudden late night frosts and if forecast cover with fleece or cloches. It’s better to sow them in individual 3 inch (9 cm) pots in the greenhouse this month for planting out as strong plants in June. Further sowings of beetroot can be made this month and last sowing of stump carrots for late Autumn use
hoe going between rows of and for storing over winter already planted veg. can be made. The earlier in the month the better, Depending on where especially those who you live, especially garden in the North Gardening on exposed sites, of Britain. in May can be earlier sown crops should be Pot on greenhouse fraught with growing away now tomatoes, peppers danger and some may need and aubergines support for example into their final pots, peas and beans. Succession greenhouse border or growbags later this month sowings of lettuce, spring onion and radishes can be but remember slugs are very active this month so made now; little and often is the key if you don’t want take whatever precautions a glut. Thinning of direct you are comfortable with to sown carrots and parsnips control them. Watch out for should be done now too. aphid attack too, especially You could wait until June in the greenhouse and cold frames, they multiply rapidly and use the thinnings as the first of your cropping as the weather warms up. but later thinned carrots, Seedling weeds will start to grow rapidly too so keep the particularly if the leaves are
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continues, we may be able to grow a number of crops outdoors that traditionally require greenhouse or tunnel protection to get a good crop. Keep an eye on your greenhouse temperatures by using a Have a go at sowing max/min thermometer. sweetcorn, particularly You may be surprised if you are going to Pumpkins by the extreme grow them in a temperatures. It’s tunnel, which is are delicious useful to know recommended for and easy to as you can then more Northerly ventilate or insulate areas. Whilst grow your greenhouse our summers are accordingly. supposed to be getting drier Courgettes, marrows and and warmer it is still taking pumpkins can be sown this a chance to get a decent crop of cobs if grown without month in the greenhouse or cold frame for planting out any protection in the North. in June. They are one family Who knows, in a few years that do not like cold nights time, if global warming bruised when picking, do attract the dreaded carrot root fly. If this is a problem in your area consider covering the crop with horticultural fleece to stop the adult fly laying her eggs.
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and if they become starved, will never make strong plants. Similarly outdoor tomatoes can be potted on ready for planting outdoors around the same time, when the danger of frosts have passed. The latest ground frost I have ever recorded in Yorkshire was on 9th June! The potato tops were a right mess, but they recovered nonetheless. All it meant was the crop was later to mature and slightly smaller. First sowings of greenhouse cucumbers can be made this month, but don’t be in a hurry, their rate of growth is spectacular, and if sown too soon, will be cropped out by late summer. Pumpkins are delicious
and easy to grow, sow a few seeds now and by Halloween you will have enormous fruits ready for carving. Sow one seed in a small pot of multipurpose compost, pushing them about one inch below the surface. On newly planted rhubarb do not harvest any stems in the first year, as tempting as it is, leave the plant to ensure good establishment. Harvest lightly in the second year. White plastic vending cups are ideal for sowing or transplanting seedlings as they reflect the light back onto the plant which will make better and sturdier growth. Make a few drainage holes on the bottom rim of the cup using a sharp knife.
Using the Plot | 13
Recipe of the Month
Top Jobs
Recipe of the month
Spicy Bean Curry PREP: 15 mins
COOKING : 20 mins
You will need...
• 2 garlic cloves • 1 Large onion • 1 pieces of ginger, thumb-sized • 2 pieces of lemongrass • 2 deseeded green chillies
for may
Makes: 3-4
Growing salad leaves in 3 easy steps
• 1 tsp ground coriander • 150ml roast tomato passata • 1 tsp ground cumin • 150g green beans • ½ tsp turmeric • Sunflower oil, for frying • 1 aubergine • 200ml coconut milk
1
Method
Put the 2 garlic cloves diced onion, diced ginger, chopped lemongrass, green chillies, ground coriander, ground cumin and turmeric into a blender with a little water and blend until it forms a smooth paste. In a large frying pan heat the oil and fry the small chunks of aubergine until they are lightly browned. Remove the aubergine and replace with half of the curry paste and then fry for a few minutes, stirring continually. Add the aubergines to the paste and stir ensuring they are entirely coated. Then pour in the coconut milk and tomato passata and green beans. Simmer until the beans are tender.
YUM!
As with most crops it helps to prepare the ground before you sow. Salad leaves don’t require a lot of space because you harvest them when they are young; an area of 1m square would probably suffice for one person. Don’t forget that if you do eat all of your leaves you can re-sow and start again. Start by removing all large stones and weeds to reduce the competition then dig over the area you want to sow your seeds in. Try and make the soil as ‘fluffy’ as possible by adding compost if needed. Finally rake over the soil so that it’s level.
2
Now you can sow the seed. If you buy a packet of mixed salad leaves you can simply sprinkle these on to the prepared plot. However if you buy a selection of leaves you
14 | Recipe of the Month
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Supermarket salad leaves are cut and bagged for your convenience however at an average price of £1.50 a bag that does not guarantee freshness it surely must be a better option to grow your own. From plot to plate in minutes there really isn’t anything fresher or tastier. Follow the steps below for fast growing, harvesting in three weeks.
can try a different method that is ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing. Stripped salad rows not only look great but also help you harvest the varieties that you want and works really well with varieties such as ‘Lollo Rossa’ which is a deep red leaf and ‘Australian Yellow’ which is a golden yellow colour. With the back of a rake or hoe make some seed drills in the soil about 6 inches apart. Sprinkle the seeds into the drills then cover lightly and water. Germination takes about 10 days. Alternatively you could use a container or even a hanging basket. The beauty of salad leaves is that they are extremely easy and quick to grow; you could literally grow some in an old boot and you’d get a decent crop.
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3
About three weeks will pass and then you’re ready to harvest. It’s that quick! I personally think it’s best to harvest as soon as you can so that the smaller seedlings have a chance to get some light and shoot up once the surrounding canopy has been opened up a bit. Plus the smaller immature leaves tend to be the most tender and flavoursome. And that’s it. Simple! You’ll save loads of money and receive the freshest crop of salad leaves possible.
£4.99
CP: £4.49
ITEM: 900529 LTGL Salad Leaves
Top Jobs | 15
Reader’s Corner
anagram
READER’S CORNER
How many words can you make? Give yourself 2 minutes to find as many as you can...
Puzzles and Trivia for when you’re not gardening...
1 – 5 terrible
6 - 11 poor
p e
Quiz
12 – 19 average
t
u n
20 – 23 good
24+ excellent
i
a s
The answers to all questions are in this month’s issue and the first 10 correct answers will receive a year’s free membership.
1. When did Petunias first appear in UK gardens? 2. Which variety of Petunia beginning with S is a trailing type? 3. On average how many days do beans take to germinate? 4. Are Oleanders evergreen or deciduous? 5. African lilies are also known as what? 6. If you bruise the leaves of carrots which pest is likely to be attracted? 7. Which bean does Tru compare Goodlife to?
GOODLIFE & TRU #06
8. Which of the grass trimmer is powered by a Lithium Ion battery? Send you correct answers to stephen.mackley@ltgl.co.uk. Winners will be announced in the next issue. Closing date Friday 22nd May. Good Luck!
This pictur e from Terry Arm itt demonstra tes how to use oran ges to create a rea lly hot hanging b asket
Joe En ni in thi s sent s pictu re of a h uge hangi ng basket !
LAST MONTHS CROSSWORDS ANSWERS ACROSS 3 Easter 4 Crocosmia
6 Acidanthera 8 Tomato
16 | Reader’s Corner
Final Word: Perennial
9 Fuchsia 10 Weeds
DOWN 1 Nitrogen 2 Vermiculite
5 Potatoes 7 Plumier
7 Allotment
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feature in the next issue
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Send us your photographs and letters and they could appear in the next issue. Send them to: Stephen Mackley, Lead the Good Life LTD, Ideal Home House, Newark Road, Peterborough, PE1 5WG Email: editor@ltgl.co.uk
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Reader’s Corner | 17
Robs Reviews
grass trimmers
Introducing Rob Platt our resident garden power tool expert. Rob worked at Focus DIY within the Gardening buying department since age 19, spending the last 3 years within the Garden Maintenance section helping source and sell Garden Power Tools, Lawnmowers, Garden Hand Tool & Fertiliser and Chemical ranges. This week Rob reviews a collection of our best selling grass trimmers. If you don’t know your Lithium Ion from Your NiCad Rob explains the benefits and gives you advice and lowdown to help you choose which trimmer is best for you.
Flymo Contour XT
The Flymo Contour XT sits at the upper end of NiCad battery cordless grass trimmers. It’s equipped with a class leading powerful 24 volt battery that makes light work of light to medium growth but as with all electric cordless grass trimmers it falls short when things start to get more overgrown. Weight wise it’s placed in the middle of the pack, tipping the scales at 3kg however this is counteracted by the ergonomically designed duel handle system that makes handling a doddle. Coming equipped with a fully tilting head that allows you to switch
Bosch ART 23Li
The Bosch ART 23 Li, as the name suggests, is powered by a 14.4v Lithium Ion battery, each full charge will give you around 800 meters or around 30-40 minutes of use. If you’re not familiar with Lithium Ion technology I’ll give you a quick lowdown to the advantages: the batteries have no self discharge so you can leave it your garage and it will retain its charge. They are much lighter and have shorter maximum charging times than conventional NiCad batteries and in addition to they have no memory effect so can charge it for 10 minutes and use it without any risk of the batteries maximum charge lowering like it can with regular batteries. As with
18 | Rob’s Reviews
seamlessly between trimming and edging; the edging function is further enhanced compared to other models by the unique centre wheel which helps keep the trimmer on track and where you want it. A large 25cm cutting width allows you to clear larger areas much quicker than you would usually expect to do so and the auto feed spool means you can trim continuously without ever needing to worry about how much active line you have. Battery life is great, getting around 30 minutes of cutting time from a full charge, however being powered by a NiCad battery make
sure you fully charge it before use otherwise the batteries maximum charge will start to reduce and in turn reduce your cutting time. Use – Small to medium gardens with moderate growth
£79.99
CP: £71.99
ITEM: 301178 Flymo Contour Cordless 500 XT
Flymo Contour 600HD all electric cordless trimmers it eats through light to medium growth but struggles when things get a bit heavier. The telescopic shaft and adjustable secondary handle are ergonomically designed for ease of use. The tilting head allows switching between trimming and edging with the switch of a button plus the “plant protector” ensures you only cut what you want to. As with all Bosch cordless grass trimmers it utilities’ plastic blades as a cutting medium instead of the traditional spool and line; its similar to those found in lawnmowers and helps maintain maximum cutting efficiency throughout the batteries charge and if one breaks don’t worry as it has an
integrated storage compartment ready built in for quick swaps! Use – Small to medium gardens with moderate growth
£99.99
CP: £89.99
ITEM: 301174 Bosch Art 23 li 301174
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The Flymo Contour 600HD is the most power electric grass trimmer we offer; powered by a monstrous 600w motor it’ll tackle all but the very thickest bush with no problems. Weighing in at 3.5kg it sits at the higher end of the spectrum but the adjustable comfy grip handles and telescopic shaft really helps to counteract and balance the weight making handling relatively easy. The large 26cm cutting diameter allows you to tackle large areas in one go and with the dual line auto feed spool you don’t need to worry if it’s going to suddenly stop cutting. It comes with a generous 10m of cord and features
integrated cable tidy hooks which aids storage. As expected at the upper end of the market it features a head tilt function which allows for trimming and edging. This model also features a centre wheel which really helps getting your edging spot on and straight. Use – Any size garden – will tackle most problems!
£64.99
CP: £58.49
ITEM: 301176 Flymo Contour 600 HD
08719 77 55 55 | www.gardenbargains.com
Rob’s Reviews | 19
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The Big Question
weeds We gardeners love to complain about weeds, it’s a mini hobby in a much larger pastime. Weeds are ubiquitous in gardens and even the best kept gardens will, without a doubt, succumb to a few weeds here and there. There’s no escaping them so it’s just a matter of keeping on top the best we can. Weeding can be a pain especially if you don’t have a lot of spare time but I’ve found the key is stability.
Bindweed I call this weed Gardeners Bane. Bindweed is the ultimate spreading weed, using rhizomes (underground stems) to swiftly stretch from one end of the garden to the other. The weapons in bindweeds armoury are the roots which can sink up to 5m in depth making it almost impossible to dig out. The rhizomes are like tiny little time bombs. They can be brought into gardens from compost or even other potted plants. The smallest section of bindweed rhizome are proficient enough to create whole new plants so be cautious when weeding this perennial weed.
20 | The Big Question
Creating an environment where weeds may be present but not on the level that is noticeable. The war against weeds will never be won but we can restrain them enough to make our lives easier and more enjoyable. I’ve picked out a few weeds that I think plague most gardeners across the UK.
Dandelion Another perennial weed which is possibly more recognisable because of the familiar seed heads. Nevertheless they are still equally infuriating mainly because they popup in the middle of our prized lawn. Dandelions have the incredible ability to spread huge distances via their tiny seeds that float on the gentlest breeze. For this reason they are impossible to stop entering into your garden. The roots also grow fairly deep and are a nuisance to dig out especially if they are situated in a lawn.
Ground elder Many people have asked me how to deal with ground elder. Unfortunately there is no easy answer. This dense clump forming perennial attacks gardens in a similar way to bindweed. The roots spread rapidly and will re-grow from the smallest section. I’ve noticed that the people who are at most risk from ground elder are those who live near wooded regions but again like bindweed it can be brought in with outside compost.
Perennial Nettles These weeds are quick to take over abandoned vegetable plots and are literally a pain to remove. It’s no use pulling them up either as they will spring up again from any root that is left in the ground. I have a love hate relationship with nettles: I hate them because of the obvious reason of making the garden look unsightly but they are very useful weeds. They’re great in compost if you catch them before they flower and they’re also beneficial to many butterfly species such as painted ladies and small tortoiseshells.
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dealing with weeds is all about location. Border Weeds
Ground cover plants are the perfect defence against border weeds. They themselves act like many weeds keeping low to the ground, blocking light and creeping about. However many do not spread to the extent of weeds and they are much more attractive too.
Weeds in Paving
Before you lay your paving spread out a geo-textile membrane to stop the weeds popping up through the gaps between you slabs. If you have weeds poking through already simply run the edge of a hoe along the cracks or pull them out.
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Vegetable Patch
Regular hoeing is the key here. Tackle you weeds early so that they don’t take any essential nutrients away from your fruit and veg.
Container weeds
Simply cover with decorative mulch such as gravel or wood chip. Any weeds that do appear in your containers will not have sufficient media for their roots to grip on to and subsequently will be easy to pull up.
Composting The Big Question | 21
Ask the Expert
Wildlife Rest
Wildlife Rest
ask the experts
Having problems with your prized pansies, struggles with you star Streptocarpus or troubles with top tomatoes? We’re here to help!
As gardeners we all know the importance of wildlife. That’s why we supply a range of food for our feathered friends. Feed them These delicious packets of specially selected seeds and you’ll have friends for life helping you combat those annoying insect pests.
MICHAEL ASKS: Could you have a look at my plants as their leaves seem to be going brown and very brittle. I’ve had then about four months and have potted them on in multipurpose compost in 30L pots. Can you advise what to do please? STEPHEN SAYS: To me this looks like frost damage. Oleanders will tolerate some short burst of cold temperature but not prolonged temperatures of lower than 5°C. Now that it’s starting to get warmer the risk of frost damage has been reduced. You can help protect your Oleanders by bringing them under protection or covering them with a fleece cosy. If you do this when there is a risk of very low temperatures then your plants should be fine.
£3.99
Mic haels’ f rost damaged p lant
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CP: £17.99
ITEM: 100066 Self Assembly Bird Table
CP: £3.59
ITEM: 100046 Robin Seed and In sect Blend 1kg
£9.99
CP: £8.99
£3.99
ITEM: 300101 Pair of Cosy Fleece Covers 80 x 110cm
CP: £3.59
ITEM: 100047 Blue Tit Seed and Insect Blend 1kg
Oleander
Oleander is next month’s Plant of the Month. Here’s a sneak peek into next months Lead the Good Life. Add a sense of the warm, exotic, Mediterranean to your home with these six 18” tall winter hardy Oleander bushes. Very easy to grow, Oleanders thrive on neglect. Hot, dry weather, temperatures down to -6 degrees C, no wonder it’s one of the UK’s favourite hardy exotics! Masses of stunning exotic blooms
22 | Ask the Expert
• Rich, sweet fragrance all Summer long and for many years to come • Easy to grow and very low maintenance
£3.99
CP: £3.59
ITEM: 100049 Songbird Blend 1kg
£3.99
CP: £3.59
ITEM: 100048 Finch Blend 1 kg
• Lush, evergreen leafy foliage adds all year round interest
www.gardenbargains.com | 08719 77 55 55
08719 77 55 55 | www.gardenbargains.com
Wildlife Rest | 23
DO FOR N’T Fre e H GE T Pru eavy ! ner D u t eve sw y ry o
it rde h r.
Free heavy duty pruners with every order Usual price £9.99 Prune like a Pro with these Heavy Duty Pruners! Quick, clean cuts just the way your plants like it!
Perfect for all those tough jobs in the garden, from cutting back hedges, to pruning roses, shrubs and fruit trees in Winter.
A versatile garden essential. aluminium body • Effortlessly cut branches er diamet in Teflon coated carbon • up to 2cm steel blade • Strong die-cast
• Sharp cuts every time • Rubberised easy grip
Free with every purchase in the April Issue of Lead The Good Life.
Remember your Club Membership gives you 10% OFF every order Promo: MAG19
May
26 look out for the june issue In the next issue find out all about Oleanders, how to care for them and make them bloom for longer. Plus we answer your questions and David gives you the top tips for the veg patch. For questions & ordering details contact us on:
08719 77 55 55
Remember to visit us for all featured products plus many more at:
www.gardenbargains.com
FRE E Hea vy D P
uty r un e e v e r rs w i t h y or der.