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Meet Your Tahoe Merchant: ‘Growing’ business at High Sierra Gardens

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The love for plants, flowers, gardens and the lake brought Dan Yori in 1970 to Tahoe, where he worked for years doing landscaping for different yards along Lakeshore Boulevard.

But even before that, High Sierra Gardens’ owner was shaped and pruned to be in the plant business.

“At age 11, my grandfather made me cut grass and work in the garden,” Yori said.

Yori was raised for the most part by his grandparents, and spent a lot of his childhood in their garden in Sparks. He helped his grandfather with planting and weeding, harvesting vegetables — he was a kid getting his hands dirty.

He said his grandparents asked him to complete his chores in the garden, “before tossing (him) ten cents to play the pinball machines.”

After more than a decade working in landscaping in Inline, Yori bought Ponderosa Nursery and made it his own High Sierra Gardens. Today, his business has expanded into a nursery, florist, gift shop and design landscaping.

Most of Yori’s clients have come from word of mouth, or by people simply liking what they see.

“The next person looked over the fence and saw my work,” he said of the early day marketing.

Design landscape became Yori’s specialty over the years in Incline and he is proud to say that many houses in the North Tahoe area (and nearly half along Lakeshore) are the work of he and his team.

Working with texture and colors, as well as keeping up with the constant changing of yards, keeps Yori intrigued and excited.

“It’s where my creative juices are — it’s what I like to do,” he said of landscape design. “I always had a creative eye with landscape, I can see a yard and see it three different ways or five different ways.”

He often uses large granite, perennials, trees and water features to create a feeling of serenity in a space. Aspens are his favorite for “the way they quake.”

Like many businesses in Tahoe, Yori must work closely with the seasons — not for tourism, but for weather itself.

“Mother Nature is a huge influence on us,” he said. “Having a nursery in the mountains means you have to really pay attention.”

The business owner is thankful for this year’s early spring, as some years he hasn’t been able to open the nursery until as late as mid-June.

“The sunshine comes out and the phone starts ringing and I’m scrambling,” he said.

Although with its flowers and wind chimes, tall trees and greenery, the scrambling he may feel is never felt by customers.

Through the back of the business runs Wood Creek, a small stream which starts in the Sierra and empties into the lake.

Small wood bridges and benches create a feeling of serenity among the potted plants for sale and the native plants all around.

For the volume High Sierra Gardens caters to, the business is relatively small.

“It feels serene now,” Yori said, “but wait until a truck comes in, we get cleaned out quite quickly.”

In his off time, Yori is at home, on his knees in the soil, getting his hands dirty.

“Don’t you ever stop?!” yells a neighbor over the fence as he digs and plants, picks and (as he says) “putzes.”

“Gardening is my stress relief,” Yori said.

Happy birds and the distant sound of passing cars on the highway are the only sounds in Old Brockway as Yori works in his vegetable garden, bringing in his heirloom tomatoes for a salad, picking herbs to cook with.

Like anyone who can make a living doing what they love to do, Yori agrees he is a lucky man.

Working with plants and soil, flowers and yards is what the man has known since a boy and has transformed and brought the love to others through high Sierra Gardens.

“It grew in me where I had this passion for it, now there’s a science to it,” he said.

“It’s where my creative juices are — it’s what I like to do.”n

Dan Yorin

Owner, High Sierra Gardens


Good time to prune, aerate and fertilize

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If those are on your to-do list, here are a few tips to consider:

Azaleas and heathers: This is a good time to shear azaleas and heathers back by a few inches all over the plant to encourage branching and more flowers.

Rhodies: You can control overgrown rhododendrons by removing one third of the tallest branches or shortening the entire shrub right after the plant finishes blooming.

And after you’re done with that, get to work on your lawn.

The end of May is a good time to aerate, fertilize and add lime to your lawn if you haven’t done so yet this spring. Leave grass clippings on the lawn to return valuable nitrogen to the soil and help shade out weed seeds. The secret to having a tidy yard and not collecting the clippings is to mow more often and use a mulching mower that will chop those grass blades into tiny pieces that can fall back into the soil.

INCREDIBLE EDIBLES TO ADD NOW

There is good eating ahead for anyone who visits a nursery this month. New plants are available that will make you rethink how you enjoy your landscape – and eat your meals. Take a look at these:

Raspberry Shortcake: This compact plant is perfect for containers. This new raspberry plant does not need a pollinator, will not sprout wild vines that need supports and is happy contained in a pot. The berries are full-size and ready to harvest the first summer. Even apartment dwellers with just a bit of a sunny deck or patio can enjoy the fruits of very little labor.

Blueberries: These also are perfect for urban farmers. New blueberry varieties are available in dwarf and compact forms as well as unusual colors such as blueberry “Pink Lemonade.” Blueberry plants can thrive in container gardens if you remember that they love moist, acid soil. Keep them well watered and fertilize with a plant food made for rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas. Blueberry plants do not like lime near their roots.

READER QUESTION

Q: My new house sits on an empty lot and I am overwhelmed about where to start landscaping. What one piece of advice would you give to someone new to the area – or new to gardening? N.M., Woodinville

A: Start at the front door and work your way all around the house. By breaking a landscaping project up into smaller chunks, you can slowly envision and design separate areas as smaller gardens.

Once you add pots of color near the front door, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment. Then choose small and compact evergreens to spread around the property. Evergreens will make up the winter skeleton of the landscape. Fill in with flowering shrubs and small trees arranged in layers around the house. Finally, add groundcovers and splashes of color.

To learn more about what to plant where, pay attention to the plants that do well in your neighbor’s landscape, visit public gardens and go on a lot of garden tours this summer.

Tip: The Enumclaw Garden Tour is June 22.

Marianne Binetti is the author of “Easy Answers for Great Gardens” and eight other gardening books. She has a degree in horticulture from WSU and will answer questions at binettigarden.com.

How to Grow a Great Garden–With Less Pain: Tips From Topical BioMedics

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Gardeners place demands on their bodies and—if done improperly—gardening and yard work can lead to muscle and joint pain, repetitive strain injuries, tendonitis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, as well as other injuries and accidents. Topical BioMedics, Inc., Rhinebeck, NY, offers insights and tips for enjoying gardening more with less pain.

Rhinebeck, NY (PRWEB) May 29, 2013

It’s the time of year people are tidying up their yards, digging in the dirt, and planting flowers and vegetables in their gardens. However, along with the joy and satisfaction of being active outdoors in nature, gardening also brings with it the risks of pain and injury. Topical BioMedics, Inc., of Rhinebeck, NY, offers insights and tips for enjoying gardening more with less pain.

BENEFITS OF GARDENING

Some of the benefits of gardening include being outside in the fresh air and sunshine as well as getting the blood moving. It’s also great form of exercise because it combines three types of physical activity: strength, endurance, and flexibility. Perhaps surprisingly, it’s possible to burn the same number of calories gardening for 45 minutes as doing 30 minutes of aerobics.

Here’s another benefit. In a study of more than 3,010 women, researchers from the University of Arkansas found that those involved in yard work and gardening had lower rates of osteoporosis than women who jogged, swam and did aerobics. In addition, spending time in nature can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and relieve muscle tension.

There’s no doubt that gardeners place demands on their bodies and—if done improperly—gardening and yard work can lead to muscle and joint pain, repetitive strain injuries, tendonitis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, as well as other injuries and accidents.

“Planting, raking, weeding, digging, pruning, stooping, reaching, bending, kneeling, lifting, crouching, carrying heavy debris, and operating machinery puts stress on different parts of the body,” says Lou Paradise, president and chief of research at Topical BioMedics, Inc., the makers of natural Topricin® Pain Relief and Healing Creams. “Gardeners spend hours performing these activities and without warming up and using proper form, they can lead to a variety of problems such as sprains, strains, twisted ankles, hand and wrist pain, lower back and shoulder pain, foot, and knee pain.”

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, last year, more than 41,200 people were injured while gardening. For a safer 2013, Topical BioMedics offers the following tips to help stay injury free and safe from potential hazards throughout the gardening season:

To avoid/reduce injuries:

–Warm up/stretch as you would before any physical activity, and then cool down and stretch afterwards.

–Wear gardening gloves to lower the risk of skin irritations/cuts and reduce blister formation, and use kneepads or a foam cushion to make the work less stressful on knees.

–Dress to protect yourself from lawn/garden pests and the hot sun. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long, light-colored pants made from breathable cotton, tuck pants into socks or boots, and check yourself and family members for ticks. Wear a hat and sunglasses, and if you use a sunscreen make sure it is as safe and natural as possible (for recommendations, visit the Environmental Working Group at http://www.ewg.org).

–Wear goggles when doing things like weed-whacking or chipping and ear protection when using loud equipment.

–Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water throughout the day. Remember that you’re outside in the heat, working up a sweat and perspiring.

–Use ergonomically designed tools, or ones with padded handles that are kinder to hands. Keep your “tools of the trade” in tip-top shape by making sure your power equipment is working properly and your tools are sharpened and properly stored.

–Do not mow grass when it’s wet and slippery. Before mowing, walk around the yard, checking for sticks, stones, toys, and other foreign objects that could shoot out from under the mower.

–Work at a steady, constant speed, take breaks often, and be sure to change positions every 10 or 15 minutes to avoid overusing any one muscle group.

To prevent and treat injuries:

Aches and pains don’t have to interfere with summer gardening when you practice prevention and follow activities/injuries with appropriate treatment protocol.

Topricin Pain Relief and Healing Cream is a favorite treatment for gardeners around the country. Fueled by nature not chemicals, Topricin is a blend of eleven natural medicines that naturally help the joints detoxify by stimulating the body’s desire to drain toxins and excess fluids from the muscle tissue, which restores blood flow back to normal and helps heal the damage that is causing the pain.

–As a preventative, Topricin can be applied prior to outdoor activities. For example, if you are planting flowers or vegetables, apply Topricin lower back, hands and wrists, which are points of stress. Topricin can also be applied to exposed areas of skin, acting as a barrier to the urushiol oil in poison ivy.

–Topricin helps relieve symptoms of pain from other gardening aliments such as blisters, tick bites, Lyme disease, poison ivy, and minor sunburn and dehydration.

HOT AND COLD THERAPY:

Hot and cold therapy, along with Topricin, can shorten the duration of the recovery so the body heals faster and you feel better sooner.

–ICE is the first course of action, for the first 24 – 48 hours to help with inflammation. Ice therapy has an effect when the ice is REMOVED. Ice stops the blood flow, when removed it releases fluids and toxins, stimulates lymphatic and toxin draining and more blood flow. Basic procedures for ice therapy: 10 minutes on; 5 off; 10 on, 5 off.

–MOIST HEAT and ICE/HEAT:

–HEAT: 48 – 72 hours after injury try using heat on the injured area. You’ll know it’s OK to continue if you don’t feel worse afterwards. Heat draws more blood to the area and removes toxins.

–ALTERNATING HOT AND COLD: Cold and heat can be very powerful when used together at this point. Protocol – takes about 45 minutes: Start with HEAT for 10 minutes; followed by 5 minute break. Then COLD for 10 minutes, followed by 5-minute break, then HEAT again for 10 minutes. Follow with application of Topricin.

Topricin Application Instructions:

–Generously apply Topricin as needed three inches on and around to affected area/injury. Rub in well until absorbed. For best results, apply evenings, morning/after bathing and 3 – 4 or more times during the day as needed.

NOTE: For severe pain and swelling, seek medical attention (Topricin may be applied as a first line first aid treatment while enroute to a medical facility).

To learn more about Topricin Pain Relief and Healing Cream, go to http://www.topricin.com.

About Topical BioMedics, Inc.

Topical BioMedics is the research and development leader in patented topical natural biomedicines for pain relief. The company’s flagship product, Topricin® Pain Relief and Healing Cream, was introduced in 1994 and is now a leading natural therapeutic brand. A combination biomedicine formula, Topricin has been awarded a patent for the treatment of pain associated with fibromyalgia and neuropathy.

Topricin products are formulated with approved medicines as found in the HPUS (Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States) and are in compliance with federal rules for homeopathic over-the-counter medicines. Safe for diabetics, the products contain: no parabens, petroleum or harsh chemicals, are odorless, greaseless and non-irritating, and produce no known side effects.

For more information or to sign up for the free newsletter Natural Healing, Natural Wellness visit http://www.topricin.com

# # #

SOURCES:

Topical BioMedics

Rodale.com

Mother Nature Network

SparkPeople/The American Institute of Cancer Research

Health.com

Care2.com

Weed Man

Prevention.com

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/5/prweb10780805.htm

Container gardening: Local Master Gardeners offer advice

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From traditional window boxes to repurposed containers, gardeners everywhere are potting up their plants. It seems no matter how long I work on it, finding the perfect container combinations and keeping them looking great seem to take constant inspiration.

So I asked Clemson Extension Master Gardeners to share their favorite tips and plant combinations for beautiful, low-maintenance container gardens.

Heather Powers says, “You can grow almost everything in a container, and almost anything can be a container.”

She proved it by “up-cycling” a set of old dresser drawers into a creative planter.

Beth McCandless finds that even traditional garden features such as birdbaths take on new life when planted with fragrant herbs such as lemon thyme.

Sue Lawley found the bottom of an old sea buoy on a neighbor’s trash pile. A few drainage holes in the bottom and a coat of paint to enhance its hammered metal finish turned trash into treasure. Lawley’s favorite three-season flowering combination consists of pansies, snapdragons, stock, licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare), alyssum and the prolific blooming hybrid Supertunia.

Filling large containers with high-quality potting media containing slow-release fertilizer can become cost prohibitive and make pots too heavy to move.

Karen Smelter says, “You don’t need to fill a large pot with all soil.”

Adding lightweight packing materials such as Styrofoam peanuts to the bottom of a pot not only lessens its weight, but saves money.

Smelter’s large-scale pots contain topiary hibiscus, combined with sun coleus Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia), and Diamond Frost Euphorbia (Euphorbia graminea).

John Pienadz suggests gardeners try adding a bag of soil, then placing several empty 2 or 3 liter soda bottles with caps on, and adding more soil to fill the pot. Pienadz’s pots pack a tropical punch, combining Kimberly Queen ferns (Nephrolepis obliterata), plumeria, tropical hibiscus and chenille plant (Acalypha hispida).

Yvette Guy uses drill bits made for ceramic and glass to drill drainage holes into clay and concrete vessels. An avid herb gardener, she advises, “Always plant with good drainage in mind … especially for herbs, because wet feet will kill most of them.”

Guy also cautions that plant roots in pots left on patios or in other sunny locations are vulnerable to overheating and “cooking,” so choose heavy clay pots to protect plant roots. Her favorite long-lasting container is a large glazed bowl filled with blooming chives and edible flowering dianthus.

From colorful exuberance to quiet understatement, creative expression draws gardeners to containers.

Cathy Damron prefers the ease of grouping single plants in individual pots to create cohesion. Eve Brown masses glazed blue pots filled with red and white impatiens as a memorial to her son, Gene, who loved gardening and once served in the Navy.

She says she has spent a small fortune on blue pots, but designing a garden in her son’s memory has been great therapy.

Planting in containers allows gardeners to use every inch of space available to them. Master Gardeners grow fruit trees, vegetables, edible flowers and herbs, along with ornamentals, to maximize space. Donna Powell incorporates strawberries, rosemary, lavender, sage, thyme and tarragon into pots. She adds nasturtiums, purple basil and Japanese eggplant for edible elegance.

A drip irrigation system makes watering easier; without it, frequent hand watering is necessary to keep most container gardens thriving during the heat of summer. The Master Gardeners say that while automatic watering with timers and drip systems is great, they also offer the following tips for reducing water use:

Choose light-colored containers to reflect heat.

Edge containers into shadier areas during the summer.

Place pots directly on soil instead of paved surfaces to reduce water loss.

Mulch containers with moss, compost or pine straw.

Choose “garden soil” over “potting soil” so pots don’t dry out too quickly.

After watering, fertilize with water-soluble fertilizer every few weeks or as needed to meet the needs of the plant.

You can find inspiration at local garden centers, magazines and websites such as Pinterest. Stubbs says, “Remember this rule: You will need a “thriller, filler and spiller,” but you don’t have to replace every plant in the container each season.

Susan Seabrook uses evergreens and tall perennials as thrillers and spillers in her combinations, and changes out the filler to match the season. Seabrook recommends canna lilies, coleus, globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa), wire vine (Muehlenbeckia axillaris), and purple-heart vine for part-sun gardens.

The last bit of advice from the Master Gardeners is to group plants with similar needs for easier maintenance, keeping in mind these “mini-landscapes” are only temporary. To revamp tired planters, dismantle them, add fresh potting media, divide and re-plant perennials, pop in new annual color and enjoy.

Amy L. Dabbs is the urban horticulture extension agent and Tri-County Master Gardener coordinator for the Clemson University Cooperative Extension. Send questions to gardening@postandcourier.com.

Tips to avoid injuries while gardening

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For many people, gardening is one of life’s greatest joys. But exercising your green thumb carries some risk.

In 2012, more than 41,200 people nationwide were injured while gardening, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Don’t let a day of digging, weeding and watering get the best of you. Take steps to prevent and treat common gardening injuries.

Protect yourself

• Safety goggles and gloves shield your eyes and skin from chemicals and pesticides and protect you from sharp or motorized equipment.

• Spending hours in the sun each day can lead to sunburn and can increase your chance of skin cancer. Sport a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher. Take frequent shady breaks, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun is at its highest.

• While watering your plants, don’t forget to water yourself. Drink plenty of liquids, but avoid alcohol or sugary beverages that will dehydrate you. 

• Use lightweight hand tools with rubber handles and ergonomic designs. Tools with offset handles make digging and weeding easier. Or cover your current handles in foam tubing. Sharp, clean tools work better and require less effort, so maintain or replace your equipment often.  Handle extenders and reachers can help you reduce the need for bending, reaching and stretching.

• Stretch and get ready. “Prepare your knees and low back for all that bending and lifting. Before you get out of bed in the morning, lie on your back and pull your knees to your chest. Then drop your legs from side to side five to 10 times. If you begin this now, you’ll be rewarded with greater flexibility and a reduced chance of sprains and strains later in the season,” says Dr. Lauri Grossman, a New York chiropractor who has been practicing homeopathy for over 25 years.

Natural remedies

• Did you get scraped or cut out there? Treat minor injuries with clove oil or aloe. Aloe also helps relieve sunburn and blisters.

• “Before pain gets in your way, treat it at the first sign with a homeopathic medicine that works with your body to relieve pain rather than mask symptoms,” says Dr. Grossman. She recommends a natural pain reliever like Arnicare Gel.

Try it for neck, back, shoulder and leg muscle pain and stiffness, swelling from injuries, and bruising. Arnicare Gel is unscented, non-greasy and quickly absorbed by the skin, so it’s convenient to apply and easy to use anywhere on your body. More information about muscle pain treatment and a $1 coupon for Arnicare can be found by visiting www.Arnicare.com.

• For stings and bug bites, apply honey, baking soda, toothpaste or ice.

By following a few precautions, you can make this gardening season a safe and pleasant one.

Helen Bergin: Seasonal gardening tips

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In the first of her new monthly columns, Crawley Horticultural Society’s Helen Bergin shares tips and tales from her Southgate garden

HOORAY, it’s spring! Well, it looks like spring even if it doesn’t feel like spring.

  1. ​

  2. ​

    TOP TIPS: Helen Bergin shares gardening expertise in her monthly column

  3. ​

    IN BLOOM: Doronicums are in flower in Helen’s garden

This is the busiest time of year for all gardeners and 2013 has been particularly difficult with the windy, wet and cold weather we have had.

Despite this, my garden still has daffodils in flower as well as blue and pink pulmonarias with their white spotted leaves, forsythia, tulips, forget-me-nots and doronicums.


Main image for myprint-247

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Terms:
Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk

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Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013

Seeds are also being sewn for summer, autumn and winter vegetables.

Currently on my terrace and in the greenhouse I have beetroot, lettuce, spinach, broad beans, runner beans, french beans, sweet peppers, cucumbers, courgettes, leeks, parsnips, peas and tomatoes. Most of them are ready to go into the allotment or out into the flower borders.

For planting in the garden, there are pots of sweet peas, cosmos, annual and perennial dahlias, tagetes (for the pollinators in the greenhouse) and zinnias.

Now is the time to plant hanging baskets with summer bedding. Remember to think about where your basket will be – in the sun or shade – before you buy your plants and decide on a theme or colour.

Bees are also a necessity in the garden. The numbers of bees visiting our flowerbeds and vegetable plots have been falling over recent years.

Last spring there were worryingly few and this year is the same, so we should try to think about them when we are planning our gardens.

Bees like plants which help them collect nectar and pollen to turn into honey in their nests.

They love aquilegias, marigolds, cosmos, sunflowers, poppies, achillea, asters and echinops.

Come along to our talk at the Crawley Horticultural Society (in Ifield Avenue, West Green) on June 6 and listen to our bee expert explaining how important bees are to us and what we can do to help them.

Lastly, remember that whilst planning all the good things in the garden, we must remember to keep on top of weeds – the bitter fight for all gardeners.

I am currently digging over my autumn flower border which is infested with pernicious creeping buttercup and dock leaves.

They arrived over winter and will choke the summer day lilies and heleniums if I don’t dig now.

When I have cleared the ground I will also plant a very tall perennial sunflower – Lemon Queen – alongside a deep purple aster, which should look spectacular in the autumn, and be food for the bees at the same time.

If you have any questions or would like more plant recommendations you can e-mail me at editorial@crawleyhorticulturalsociety.org.uk

Crawley Horticultural Society calendar of events (held in the CHS Hall):

6 June – Dr Karin Alton, honey bee research scientist at the University of Sussex, will be giving a talk on “Planting for pollinators, how can we help boost our declining populations?”

9 June – Cats Protection Homing Show 11am – 3pm

22 June – Summer and Pelargonium Show 1.30pm

Helen Bergin: Seasonal gardening tips

Leave a reply

In the first of her new monthly columns, Crawley Horticultural Society’s Helen Bergin shares tips and tales from her Southgate garden

HOORAY, it’s spring! Well, it looks like spring even if it doesn’t feel like spring.

  1. ​

  2. ​

    TOP TIPS: Helen Bergin shares gardening expertise in her monthly column

  3. ​

    IN BLOOM: Doronicums are in flower in Helen’s garden

This is the busiest time of year for all gardeners and 2013 has been particularly difficult with the windy, wet and cold weather we have had.

Despite this, my garden still has daffodils in flower as well as blue and pink pulmonarias with their white spotted leaves, forsythia, tulips, forget-me-nots and doronicums.


Main image for myprint-247

Our heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery VAT included. Choose from 1000’s of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.

Terms:
Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk

Contact: 01858 468192

Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013

Seeds are also being sewn for summer, autumn and winter vegetables.

Currently on my terrace and in the greenhouse I have beetroot, lettuce, spinach, broad beans, runner beans, french beans, sweet peppers, cucumbers, courgettes, leeks, parsnips, peas and tomatoes. Most of them are ready to go into the allotment or out into the flower borders.

For planting in the garden, there are pots of sweet peas, cosmos, annual and perennial dahlias, tagetes (for the pollinators in the greenhouse) and zinnias.

Now is the time to plant hanging baskets with summer bedding. Remember to think about where your basket will be – in the sun or shade – before you buy your plants and decide on a theme or colour.

Bees are also a necessity in the garden. The numbers of bees visiting our flowerbeds and vegetable plots have been falling over recent years.

Last spring there were worryingly few and this year is the same, so we should try to think about them when we are planning our gardens.

Bees like plants which help them collect nectar and pollen to turn into honey in their nests.

They love aquilegias, marigolds, cosmos, sunflowers, poppies, achillea, asters and echinops.

Come along to our talk at the Crawley Horticultural Society (in Ifield Avenue, West Green) on June 6 and listen to our bee expert explaining how important bees are to us and what we can do to help them.

Lastly, remember that whilst planning all the good things in the garden, we must remember to keep on top of weeds – the bitter fight for all gardeners.

I am currently digging over my autumn flower border which is infested with pernicious creeping buttercup and dock leaves.

They arrived over winter and will choke the summer day lilies and heleniums if I don’t dig now.

When I have cleared the ground I will also plant a very tall perennial sunflower – Lemon Queen – alongside a deep purple aster, which should look spectacular in the autumn, and be food for the bees at the same time.

If you have any questions or would like more plant recommendations you can e-mail me at editorial@crawleyhorticulturalsociety.org.uk

Crawley Horticultural Society calendar of events (held in the CHS Hall):

6 June – Dr Karin Alton, honey bee research scientist at the University of Sussex, will be giving a talk on “Planting for pollinators, how can we help boost our declining populations?”

9 June – Cats Protection Homing Show 11am – 3pm

22 June – Summer and Pelargonium Show 1.30pm

Helen Bergin: Seasonal gardening tips

Leave a reply

In the first of her new monthly columns, Crawley Horticultural Society’s Helen Bergin shares tips and tales from her Southgate garden

HOORAY, it’s spring! Well, it looks like spring even if it doesn’t feel like spring.

  1. ​

  2. ​

    TOP TIPS: Helen Bergin shares gardening expertise in her monthly column

  3. ​

    IN BLOOM: Doronicums are in flower in Helen’s garden

This is the busiest time of year for all gardeners and 2013 has been particularly difficult with the windy, wet and cold weather we have had.

Despite this, my garden still has daffodils in flower as well as blue and pink pulmonarias with their white spotted leaves, forsythia, tulips, forget-me-nots and doronicums.


Main image for myprint-247

Our heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery VAT included. Choose from 1000’s of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.

Terms:
Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk

Contact: 01858 468192

Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013

Seeds are also being sewn for summer, autumn and winter vegetables.

Currently on my terrace and in the greenhouse I have beetroot, lettuce, spinach, broad beans, runner beans, french beans, sweet peppers, cucumbers, courgettes, leeks, parsnips, peas and tomatoes. Most of them are ready to go into the allotment or out into the flower borders.

For planting in the garden, there are pots of sweet peas, cosmos, annual and perennial dahlias, tagetes (for the pollinators in the greenhouse) and zinnias.

Now is the time to plant hanging baskets with summer bedding. Remember to think about where your basket will be – in the sun or shade – before you buy your plants and decide on a theme or colour.

Bees are also a necessity in the garden. The numbers of bees visiting our flowerbeds and vegetable plots have been falling over recent years.

Last spring there were worryingly few and this year is the same, so we should try to think about them when we are planning our gardens.

Bees like plants which help them collect nectar and pollen to turn into honey in their nests.

They love aquilegias, marigolds, cosmos, sunflowers, poppies, achillea, asters and echinops.

Come along to our talk at the Crawley Horticultural Society (in Ifield Avenue, West Green) on June 6 and listen to our bee expert explaining how important bees are to us and what we can do to help them.

Lastly, remember that whilst planning all the good things in the garden, we must remember to keep on top of weeds – the bitter fight for all gardeners.

I am currently digging over my autumn flower border which is infested with pernicious creeping buttercup and dock leaves.

They arrived over winter and will choke the summer day lilies and heleniums if I don’t dig now.

When I have cleared the ground I will also plant a very tall perennial sunflower – Lemon Queen – alongside a deep purple aster, which should look spectacular in the autumn, and be food for the bees at the same time.

If you have any questions or would like more plant recommendations you can e-mail me at editorial@crawleyhorticulturalsociety.org.uk

Crawley Horticultural Society calendar of events (held in the CHS Hall):

6 June – Dr Karin Alton, honey bee research scientist at the University of Sussex, will be giving a talk on “Planting for pollinators, how can we help boost our declining populations?”

9 June – Cats Protection Homing Show 11am – 3pm

22 June – Summer and Pelargonium Show 1.30pm

Helen Bergin: Seasonal gardening tips

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In the first of her new monthly columns, Crawley Horticultural Society’s Helen Bergin shares tips and tales from her Southgate garden

HOORAY, it’s spring! Well, it looks like spring even if it doesn’t feel like spring.

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    TOP TIPS: Helen Bergin shares gardening expertise in her monthly column

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    IN BLOOM: Doronicums are in flower in Helen’s garden

This is the busiest time of year for all gardeners and 2013 has been particularly difficult with the windy, wet and cold weather we have had.

Despite this, my garden still has daffodils in flower as well as blue and pink pulmonarias with their white spotted leaves, forsythia, tulips, forget-me-nots and doronicums.


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Seeds are also being sewn for summer, autumn and winter vegetables.

Currently on my terrace and in the greenhouse I have beetroot, lettuce, spinach, broad beans, runner beans, french beans, sweet peppers, cucumbers, courgettes, leeks, parsnips, peas and tomatoes. Most of them are ready to go into the allotment or out into the flower borders.

For planting in the garden, there are pots of sweet peas, cosmos, annual and perennial dahlias, tagetes (for the pollinators in the greenhouse) and zinnias.

Now is the time to plant hanging baskets with summer bedding. Remember to think about where your basket will be – in the sun or shade – before you buy your plants and decide on a theme or colour.

Bees are also a necessity in the garden. The numbers of bees visiting our flowerbeds and vegetable plots have been falling over recent years.

Last spring there were worryingly few and this year is the same, so we should try to think about them when we are planning our gardens.

Bees like plants which help them collect nectar and pollen to turn into honey in their nests.

They love aquilegias, marigolds, cosmos, sunflowers, poppies, achillea, asters and echinops.

Come along to our talk at the Crawley Horticultural Society (in Ifield Avenue, West Green) on June 6 and listen to our bee expert explaining how important bees are to us and what we can do to help them.

Lastly, remember that whilst planning all the good things in the garden, we must remember to keep on top of weeds – the bitter fight for all gardeners.

I am currently digging over my autumn flower border which is infested with pernicious creeping buttercup and dock leaves.

They arrived over winter and will choke the summer day lilies and heleniums if I don’t dig now.

When I have cleared the ground I will also plant a very tall perennial sunflower – Lemon Queen – alongside a deep purple aster, which should look spectacular in the autumn, and be food for the bees at the same time.

If you have any questions or would like more plant recommendations you can e-mail me at editorial@crawleyhorticulturalsociety.org.uk

Crawley Horticultural Society calendar of events (held in the CHS Hall):

6 June – Dr Karin Alton, honey bee research scientist at the University of Sussex, will be giving a talk on “Planting for pollinators, how can we help boost our declining populations?”

9 June – Cats Protection Homing Show 11am – 3pm

22 June – Summer and Pelargonium Show 1.30pm

Help design a unique experiential children’s garden

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Sunshine Coast Council is developing an innovative and
exploratory children’s garden at Maroochy Regional Bushland
Botanic Garden (MRBBG) to engage the young and the young at heart
– and the community is invited to have a say on its
creation.

Community Programs Portfolio and Division 5 Councillor Jenny
McKay said council and Friends of Maroochy Regional Bushland
Botanic Gardens identified the need for the children’s
experiential gardens as part of the master planning of the
botanic gardens.

“The children’s experiential gardens will encourage, enhance and
inspire children’s learning and connection to the regional
landscape, native vegetation, local ecology and natural elements
through the creative arts,” Cr McKay said.

“Visitors to the children’s gardens will enjoy an innovative and
exploratory experience focusing on the unique ecosystems, flora,
fauna and habitats of the Whipbird Walk forest, where it will be
located.”  

Cr McKay said Friends of MRBBG, local groups, residents,
children, schools and visitors have an opportunity to inform the
design of the experiential gardens and provide feedback about
what they wish to see there.

“The Friends of MRBBG will attend a workshop to discuss the goals
and design objectives of the project,” Cr McKay said.

“The local community and interested residents and groups will
then have the opportunity to attend a “Meet us in the Gardens”
workshop on Sunday 9 June from 10am to 2pm at the Arts and
Ecology Centre, Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanical Gardens,
Tanawha.

“Come along and participate in the design process to create a
children’s garden that enhances the natural setting. The
children’s gardens could incorporate a number of options,
including interpretative signage, subtle complimentary artworks,
playful creative elements and rest points for observing,
listening and engaging with the landscape.

“The feedback and priorities identified by the community will be
used to influence the concept plan and staging of the
project.

“The children’s experiential gardens will link into the current
art workshops and creative programming of the Arts and Ecology
Centre. The children’s gardens will provide visual aid for
creative inspiration within the workshops and complement the
diverse experiences already on offer at the botanic
gardens.”

To attend the workshop, RSVP to
parkscapitalworks@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au. For further
information about the project, visit council’s website.

Sunshine Coast Regional Council
29th of May 2013

Permanent Link: Help design a unique experiential children’s garden

Publish Date: 29 May 13

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