How To Walk In High Heels: The Girl's Guide To Everything (42 page)

When planting, if you fear that squirrels or other pests will be attacking and eating your bulbs, you can sprinkle broken egg-shells on the surface of the soil. But another way to prevent the critters from having supper on you is to make sure the bulbs are planted nice and deep so they do not get exposed through overenthusiastic watering. (For more pest control).

One final requirement is to make sure your box is secure on the window sill, on the ledge, or screwed in place. Be safe or else the neighbours will complain. This is particularly important to remember the higher you are placing the box. A piece of Brie thrown from the top of the Eiffel Tower can slice a man’s head in half so imagine the damage a mini Kew Gardens could do to someone.

Aesthetically speaking, while making one window box it might be better to try to do at least two window boxes, if architecture allows, then they can frame your home.

If window boxes are not an option, and yet you want to have some creativity, foliage and growth to see out of the window, would hanging baskets be a happy alternative? You can buy them ready potted, but for a real sense of achievement, as with the window boxes, you should plant them yourself, mixing a combination of ready grown and bulbs. But always, in your enthusiasm, be careful not to over-cram – this will lead to a short-term affair because all too soon the roots will have nowhere to go. Lobelia, fuchsias, trailing geraniums, dwarf nasturtiums, begonias, french marigolds and morning glory are all great for hanging baskets.

Be as generous as you must be sensible with your watering; this is why you have to ensure your boxes have the correct drainage. If your window sill is sheltered from rainfall make sure you don’t leave them parched; likewise, if there have been weeks of torrential rain, they might be drowning and gasping for shelter. Keep an eye on the buds and protect them and this will help them blossom and grow.

How to create a garden

Contrary to stereotyping, gardening is not the preserve of OAPs and perky television presenters. Gardens are the quintessential English object of affection, and are well worth cultivating as not only do they add colour to the entrance they can also add to the value of the property. Once you get started, and the fruits of your labour start to come into bloom, it is as addictive as it is rewarding, honest.

Decide on what you want, a theme, a purpose, or a goal. Do you want all-year greenery, perennial flowers or fresh herbs and vegetables? Are you going for colour? For privacy? For greenery? Plan your garden, and shop accordingly for what you need. Start in the garden centres at DIY stores and then, as your ability improves, work up to more specialised shops.

Your green fingers and creativity can really explode if you have a garden. First select your plot and where, what and how many you want to plant. You can draw it out à la landscape gardening, roughly plotting lawn, plants and who goes where; it doesn’t matter what size your garden, it’s the attention to detail that counts.

If you are laying a lawn you can by all means use seed, but, just like growing a carpet, it is far easier, and instant, to measure up and lay turf. This is easy to roll out and push into place. Then you can go on to select your flowers to frame the garden.

The best spring bulbs are daffodils, tulips and crocuses, but snowdrops are very good at surviving the winter freeze. For flowers that continue to flower, from spring through to summer, you want to plant geraniums, daisies, and fuchsias. It is also wise to plant some permanent greenery, so your garden is not dependent on what is in flower. The best way to spot evergreens is to look for plants with a slight rubbery feel to the leaves, such as ivy; most garden centres have the sections divided and signposted to help you. Climbing ivy, myrtle and other trailing plants are good for window boxes, balconies and breaking up large expanses of brick wall, and they grow relatively fast.

Herbs such as sage, rosemary and bay look good, or you could add another dimension to the garden with ‘fragrant’ plants such as mint, jasmine and lavender. Lavender will not only attract butterflies but you can dry the heads for pot-pourri, or put sprigs in clothes drawers to freshen linens – a real home sweet home plant. If really ambitious and your local grocer isn’t up to much, you can even try to plant your own vegetable patch.

Rocket is super-easy to grow. Cut a large square hole in a grow-bag, sprinkle seeds on the surface and with your fingers gently rub some earth over them. Water every day and four weeks later you’ll be tossing your own leaves. And once you’ve cut it, it keeps growing back. Magic.

When flowers die, and if they are perennials, rather than dig up all your handiwork you can cut them right back, wait for next year and see if they bloom again. If they are a one-flower wonder you will have to replace with something else.

Annuals are plants that last a year, from seed to bloom to seed. Removing dead flower heads can prolong a plant’s life, but once they reach the final fade they have to go.

Perennials are faithful friends that return each year, and grow in size and status as they reach their full maturity. They can grow from seeds or cuttings and can last 3–4 years before needing to be replaced.

When it is time to replace plants or flowers you must ensure that you use fresh compost, as old and used compost will have gathered germs from previous occupants. You cannot expect plants to flower without all the necessary minerals and nutrients to help them. In addition you must care for your plants, pruning as well as protecting them.

To help your ideas grow, go and see what other people have created; visit the Chelsea Flower Show, Hampton Court, RHS Wisley, Chatsworth and the roses in Regent’s Park.

Garden decor

Giant terracotta pots and elegant watering cans are great props to have around the garden. As well as giving a garden a dramatic look they can also serve a purpose: you can either fill with ready grown flowers, or use them to shelter delicate new clippings, it all depends how addicted to the outdoors you get. Remember that trees and plants that need deep roots and grow big are best saved for gardens and parks; just as it was silly for the Ugly Sisters to try to squeeze their toes into Cinderella’s slipper, so you too should know what will fit and what will grow too large.

Facts and flowers

Amaryllis
denotes passion and adventure and its name means ‘splendid beauty’ or ‘pride’. When you buy cut stems you can place straight into water; you do not need to re-cut as the stem is hollow.

Daffodils
bring bad luck if a single flower is given, but a bunch will ensure happiness.

Daisies
picked between noon and 1 p.m. have magical qualities, and are a symbol of good luck.

Honeysuckle
is bad luck in Wales, but foretells a wedding in Somerset; careful where you pick it.

Hydrangeas
are magic plants as they turn blue or pink depending on the type of soil they grow in.

Lavender
is considered an aphrodisiac.

Pansies
must not be picked in fine weather or rain will occur.

Roses
are the rulers of the English garden. White roses illustrate purity and innocence, the yellow rose perfect achievement and sometimes jealousy, while the red rose denotes passion and sensual desire.

Snowdrops
are said, in the West of England, to be bad news. If they are brought into a house before the first chickens have hatched all the eggs will be addled.

How to work with the weather

No one can control or really predict the weather, but you can make an educated guess as to what is suitable for your environment. You need to fill your garden with plants that can thrive with the rainfall, wind, temperature and sunshine that affect your garden.

High summer may ripen your tomatoes but it will also dry the earth out more quickly. Feel the soil to gauge how moist it is, and water in the early morning or sunset; don’t water them whilst they are gasping in the midday sun as they will not be able to absorb it efficiently.

Gale-force winds can cause havoc, but so too can the persistent breeze. Windbreakers or hedges could be necessary; alternatively tie delicate plants into shape so they don’t get battered and bent in half.

It isn’t just humans that don’t like frostbite, plants hate it too. Frost can be one of the most damaging things of all for plants, as ultimately it cuts off the water supply. Check your garden to see if you have any ‘frost pockets’ (areas that defrost slower than others), and also be warned if your garden is located at the bottom of a ditch – you might need to bed the plants in safer areas. You can minimise the damage if you keep soil heavy and moist and have branches and other plants around to protect plants while they grow.

How to prune

Pruning is an important skill in gardening. Not only does it improve the appearance of your bush, it can stimulate growth as well as raise the quality and quantity of the flowers. The most popular plant to get pruning practice on is the rose bush.

Tall thin canes produce smaller blooms while thicker canes result in fewer but superior beauties. You can only improve and rarely kill with pruning, just don’t get carried away. You will need to get your pruning shears out in mid March and mid November each year.

First, take off all the dead wood, dead heads and any twigs that are choking the plant’s growth.

Cut all canes down to where there is a white or pale green pith; any brown coloration on the twig means it is dead or dying.

Use a sharp saw or shears to cut the rose, and always wear gloves as you don’t want to get scratched by its thorns.

Cut between a quarter and a half-inch above the bud, on a downward-sloping cut.

If you cut an outside bud to make the plants grow wider, and the inside bud for a more upright growth, you can shape your rose bush. You want to encourage the plant to open up outwards for better air circulation and exposure to sunlight.

How to deal with pests

Keep an eye on how things are growing. There are all kinds of creepy crawlies to dread.

When you plant your garden, sow the seeds, lay the turf and turn in fresh compost, also invest in a pest and disease guide. Know how to spot the enemy in its early stages. Do the leaves have spots or teeth marks on them? Carefully learn to tell good from bad.

Only use chemical fertilisers sparingly, if you use them at all; weed killers and strong products can strip plants of their good minerals as well as the harmful ones. Add organic composts and good soils so that the plants have good grounding to sink into. Watering with a hose or sprinkler can dislodge new settlers, and it is also a great idea to have lots of varieties of plants so no invader can sit and munch through a whole flower bed.

Slugs need to be eradicated. Water the garden in the morning rather than in the evening, as this will leave the slugs dehydrated and unable to attack, or put down copper strips to slow them in their path. When digging up gardens, or planting fences, put on your gloves and be sure to throw all the slugs out while you can rather than trap them in.

Rabbits are not a gardener’s friend as they like to nibble at leaves and can dig up painstakingly planted bulbs; so rather than being on sentry duty you will need repellent to rid yourself of these. Deers, moles and other non-pets can also invade, so be on your guard.

Soil disease can be kiss of death, and you will need to solarise it to get it out, and dig out any plants in the affected area. Then you have to turn over the fresh soil and mix in fresh compost to restore its health.

Above all, learn to outsmart and outwit your enemy.

How to keep plants alive and well indoors

It goes without saying that plants need to be watered regularly. If plants are particularly leafy you can use a squirter to freshen and moisturise with even more precision. Think about their well-being and try not to place them in direct sunlight, or in the shade. Read their labels, or know what type of plant goes well where. As with Christmas trees, you should not place your plants next to a radiator; you would pass out too if sat in a sauna all day. Think of where you would want to stand if you were that flower, and no doubt they will agree.

How to choose the best cut flowers

No home is complete without a regular supply of flowers. Whether they are grown in your garden, delivered to your door with love, or you’ve sent yourself a delivery to the office, they are an essential addition to spruce up the home.

Buy an odd number of stems – even numbers look contrived and are harder to position in the vase – and do not be stingy with the content. If you are on a budget, get the florist to cut you some foliage and extra leaves to fill out the display, or choose a vase with a small hole. Be careful of what you mix, as larger flowers, such as lilies, will demand all the attention.

When filling the vase, twist and view from every angle to check it is totally aesthetically pleasing. Do not neglect to do an overhead view, as this is in reality the flowers’ best angle and they want to turn to the sun.

Have a selection of vases on hand as different flowers suit different shapes and lengths. Tulips need tall glasses while freesias get lost in anything too elongated. Impressive displays need pride of place on a coffee table; anything wilting should go straight in the bin.

It is often best to see what looks the liveliest when you are in the florist, but you can also have an idea of what is in bloom when. Peonies and tulips are always popular but there are other alternatives.