The question of the day in the Guardian's G2 features section today is "how do I avoid smelly compost"? written by, er, me. As regulars will know, I get unfeasibly excited by composting, so this was a pleasure to write.
Meanwhile in the latest edition of Weekend Martyn Cox finds out what trends and plants will be red hot at Chelsea and Carol Klein writes about plants for texture.
Also: I am currently loving my sempervivums and lusting after this.
I've been a busy little bee of late: in addition to my "day job" editing the gardening pages of Weekend mag, and trying to move house (don't ask. No, really, don't ask ... I might explode with frustration).
I have written a couple of extra things - a panel for the Guardian's G2 features supplement on theft from gardens (scroll down for my bit, a lighthearted look at what plants will and won't attract the attentions of any fashion-conscious thief - yes to topiary, no to pampas grass) and something for guardian.co.uk on composting timed to coincide with Compost Awareness Week.
I am also going to try to write a weekly post on highlights from the latest edition of Weekend's gardening pages - last Saturday we published a lovely feature by Sue Stickland on growing carrots, and Carol Klein wrote about annual climbers to speedily clothe bare walls.
And I must write a post about my mission to do a mega-mulch on my rather sad-looking allotment. I'm talking industrial (shouldn't that be agricultural?) amounts of well-rotted manure, cardboard, newspaper and straw ...
One of the most popular posts I have ever written on this blog is this one on how to look after African violets.
I have had a couple of questions from readers of late on how to care for their Saintpaulias, so I thought I'd return to the subject. I recently bought Andy Sturgeon's excellent book on indoor plants, Potted, and loved it all, barring one thing - he includes African violets in his list of plant "pariahs" - the deeply naff species that render you deeply uncool.
I love African violets, though, and my one-woman campaign to rehabilitate the Saintpaulia as a cool plant begins here.
Admittedly there are some rather tasteless confections on the market - I am not a big fan of the pink frilly ones that look like your nanny's knickers. But the deep purple of the classic AV is enchanting, and they look great grouped together, and I like the white ones too. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that one of these plants was the first thing I managed to coax into flowering, aged about 10 or so.
Part of the problem is that while they're pretty easy to grow, unless you do a few easy maintenance tasks, AVs don't stay looking like the plants you take home from the garden centre. I can't remember how many times I have seen a pot crowded full of AVs, usually a parent plant that's grown lots of offshoots - so it looks like a vesuvius of furry leaves.
The flowers are long gone, of course. When offshoots appear, usually from the base of the stem, they should be removed - and preferably potted on to make a new plant. Then there's the problem of overwatering, which tends to be the fate of most houseplants that die. African violets are - duh - from Africa, so they prefer things on the dry side - it's best to let them get completely dry and even a little limp before watering. Head back to my original post for the full monty on AV care.
On to the questions. Bonita Goodman says:
My violet leaves gets to the edge of the pot and then break in the middle. The whole plants seem to take up the pot. The pot is 4 ¾ “across, and it has only bloomed once since I have had it. That was 6 weeks ago. It was in bloom when I brought it home, and I removed the dead flowers when wilted. Should I repot, and if yes, then do I have to use African violet soil?
Not quite sure what Bonita means here, but suspect she's got an overcrowded pot - if there's more than one plant in there, they need separating out. If it's a single plant, however, it can probably stay put as their roots like to be a little bit on the crowded side. Yes, it is wise to remove dead flowers - make sure you pull them off cleanly so no stump is left behind. And African violet compost? Well that's a new one on me, but having Googled it seems such a thing does exist - J Arther Bower sells it for one. I don't think it's necessary - any regular peat-free multipurpose compost that states it's suitable for houseplants will be fine.
Bonnie has another good question:
In reading all the different articles on violets there is no mention of the little tiny black flying bugs I have on my one violet. How can I get rid of them? I think I read one time that you can use soapy water?
Hmm. Very hard to know without seeing the plant, but I think that you may have a case of fungus gnats, little beasties that thrive in damp compost. Fortunately Emma Cooper has a great post on her blog that explains the best way to get rid of this problem - installing a couple of sundews. If, however, it's a case of some blackfly - a kind of black aphid - then yes, a spray with some soapy water would usually do the trick. BUT this is a bad idea for an AV - their furry leaves abhor getting wet and you're likely to end up with a very unhappy plant. The only solution then would be picking off by hand, or brushing off with an old (clean) makeup brush. Hope that helps Bonnie!
As some commenters have indicated in my previous post on toddler-proofing the garden, ponds are widely considered a no-no with small kids. There's a really good RoSPA factsheet that explains why and lays out the precautions you need to take if you decide to have a pond when there are under-fives around. There have been many tragic cases of toddlers drowning in just a few inches of water, so you really can't be too careful.
Having said that, I do know a couple of people who have largeish ponds and small children and have never had a problem - they just keep a very close eye on them when they're outside. Personally, I wouldn't be happy with that approach, and I think a covering grille of the necessary strength and size to make a pond safe would make any pond a bit of an eyesore.
But I have been wondering about a container pond - a small watertight pot of some sort, with just two or three water plants in it as a little feature on the patio. There are some examples on the Gardeners World site and at Haute Nature. The only downside for me is that it probably won't be big enough to support any fish, which I'd love to have, although this blogger in Karachi seems to think it's possible with a big enough container. The benefit from a safety point of view is that the child can't fall into the pond as it's not at ground level, and if the child does develop a big fascination it's easy(ish) to move the container to a spot where they can't get at it.
It was the sight of my daughter with half the leaf from my variegated umbrella plant (Schefflera arbicola) that reminded me that I've been meaning to blog for some time about poisonous plants and the potential hazards to children.
I don't think the schefflera leaf did her any harm - I managed to fish it out before she swallowed - although this plant is supposed to contain a skin irritant. it's definitely time to move that Schefflera from its current position at perfect toddler-baiting height. Indeed there are quite a few plants - both indoor and out - that you should think carefully before introducing if you have small children who aren't quite old enough to heed your entreaties to not put everything and anything in their mouths.
The dumb cane (Dieffenbachia) is a popular houseplant, but not everyone is aware (particularly if you don't read the labels on plants you buy) that the plant's sap is poisonous, causing a range of symptoms including inflammation of the mouth and a tingling sensation on the tongue if chewed.
Cacti can be a peril too. I had a range of shallow dishes on my lounge windowsill that have had to be moved to a less desirable location until my little girl realises that they're not to be used as cute little hairbrushes: likewise other spiky plants like Euphorbia Crown of Thorns, which also happens to be poisonous, too - a double whammy.
There are many garden plants parents of toddlers should be wary of - the RHS has an excellent list here of potentially harmful indoor and outdoor plants. It also offers this sage advice to drum into your offspring: if it isn't recognised food, don't eat it. My parents must have done well at teaching me this one as I clearly remember refusing to eat the elderberries that grew abundantly in an alleyway near our house until I'd taken a bunch home and checked with my mum.
Are there any plants you'd avoid? All advice welcome in the comments below.
Coming up in part two: are ponds a no-no around young children?
So far this year I've managed to kill two Japanese maples, a cyclamen and quite possibly some Japanese painted ferns. Not deliberately you understand, just unhappy accidents, forgetfulness and downright plant abuse.
Oh, and some lamb's ears, which are virtually indestructible, so I must get extra points for them.
Come on guys, make me feel better and tell me what specimens you've had to resign to the compost heap so far in 2008.
Hello and welcome if you've come here after reading Garden Monkey's celebrity hijack number 11 (although the thought of being a "celebrity" makes me want to do a Thomas Pynchon).
I'd better get on and post something new, hadn't I?
If you have no idea what I am talking about, it's time you checked out The Garden Monkey blog, an anonymous, caustic, hilarious and irreverent headlong dive into the world of gardeners. Oh, and vote for your favourite gardening blogs and websites in the inaugural Fork'n'Monkey awards. You know what to do ...
Actual hands-in-the-dirt gardening has been a bit thin on the ground of late around Horticultural Towers, for various reasons I shan't bore you with. The rabbit issue, not surprisingly, remains extant, although I really liked the idea of rubber snakes as bunny scarers, suggested by the Patient Gardener.
In the meantime, here's a bit of fun for you: I discovered recently via this interesting piece in the Indie (this site is down as I write, though) on allotments around the world that Albert Einstein had an allotment*. He even received an untidy plot letter, apparently.
So, aside from George Monbiot, can you name some famous allotmenteers? According to Wipkiedia (which is not always reliable), we can count Alan Titchmarsh and Charles Dance (really?) among our ranks. Surely there are more? (Imagine having the Titch as your plot neighbour ... intimidating or what?)
*Thanks to the Garden Monkey for pointing this one out.
UPDATE: I was delighted to hear from Brian King who confirmed that Alan Titchmarsh certainly had an allotment, even if he doesn't now. Over to Brian:
To confirm, Titchmarsh had a plot on our site - Sunningdale Allotments - from 1977-81 when he lived in the area (while he was working at Kew); he was young(er) and not yet famous [...] He subsequently returned several times during the mid to late 80s (when his name was known) to judge and to show solidarity with plot holders when the future of the site was temporarily threatened in the late 80s. There is a picture of a younger and leaner Titchmarsh on one of his visits. I hope that he does not have a plot now, having several acres of his own!
Brian, who maintains the excellent Sunningdale Allotments website, is encouraging people to write a history of their local allotment site. You can read more about his plea in the "wiki" section of the Allotments4All site (look for "history of allotments") so do go and check it out.
I wrote something about sprouting seeds (alfalfa and the like) for the two-part Grow Your Own special supplement that appeared in the Guardian and Observer this weekend.
If you bought the Observer you can see a rather scary "demon eyes" picture of me and my sprouts on page 27 - if not you can read the piece online, thankfully sans picture.
Both guides - vegetables and fruit - are well worth a look. They're clearly laid out, full of great advice, and replete with words of wisdom from the likes of Carol Klein, Bob Flowerdew and Joy Larkcom. Add culinary advice from Angela Hartnett on how to use your crops in the kitchen and, well, what more do you want for free?
My worst fears have been confirmed.
The holes dug in my raised beds that I'd blithely assumed were the work of one of the small dogs that occasionally roam the plot. But on a recent visit I clocked the poo pellets on the path - the final confirmation of the bad news that rabbits were responsible.
We've never had a bunny infestation before on the site, as far as I know. My plot is right on the edge facing open farmland, so it's a wonder there's not been a problem before now. I have to admit to feeling rather downhearted about it at the moment, and would appreciate any words of advice/encouragement/sympathy from any allotment holders similarly afflicted.
I am already eyeing up recipes for bunny burgers: now I just need to learn how to shoot.
