30-Minute Gardening is the perfect rescue remedy for anyone who loves gardening but has little time on their hands. It’s all about how to have a neat garden, a pretty garden, a productive garden… and still have a life.
With all that we cram into our lives, it is hardly surprising that gardening often takes a back seat, but working in the fresh air, growing your own food, and exploring personal creativity are great ways to combat stress. Life in the fast lane Most of us would prefer to have more time to relax and enjoy being outdoors rather than feeling like a slave to the garden. Fortunately this book can not only help you improve your plot, but perhaps even give you some time to spare. It all adds up Broken down into bite-sized activities, 30-Minute Gardening is easy to follow even if you don’t have previous experience. Projects and tasks are organized to achieve a whole lot of gardening in one hit. The timer symbol indicates activities…
If you collect together a basic kit of garden tools and sundries and keep them together in one place, you won’t waste time looking for tools, borrowing them, or making do with implements not suited to the task. Treat yourself to a good-quality stainlesssteel hand trowel and fork and buy a pair of secateurs that suit your hand size and grip. Having a range of sundries in stock also means you won’t have to shop every time you feel the urge to garden. A garden shed, locker, or built-in storage space is ideal for keeping everything together.…
Gel crystals These water-retaining crystals turn into a gel when water is added, helping to keep compost moist. Granular fertilizer Use a general-purpose fertilizer to improve soil before planting new areas or when dividing perennials. Slow-release fertilizers will last longer. Liquid fertilizer Dilute concentrated feeds and apply with a watering can or buy ready mixed. Glyphosate weedkiller A ready-to-use hand sprayer is very useful for spot-treating tricky perennial weeds. Garden twine Tie in climber stems and support tall herbaceous perennials with twine and canes. Multi-purpose compost Keep a bag with added John Innes for container plantings. Crocks and gravel These provide drainage in pots and planters (see over). Crocks can be broken pieces of clay pots, stones, or you can even use broken-up polystyrene packaging. Ornamental bark Mulching with bark…
If soil is compacted, break it up by digging or forking over and reducing large clods. Don’t dig clay if it is too dry as this destroys the crumb-like structure, making it even more poorly drained and likely to dry like concrete.…
Larger pots and baskets need less watering than smaller ones and also give room for roots to grow, which in turn supports top growth. Leave a gap between the compost surface and the top of pot to allow water to pool; this gives the water time to soak in.…
Label check Read plant labels to find eventual height and spread; soil and sun preferences; whether the plant is hardy for your area and if it is perennial (lives from year to year) or annual (completes its life cycle in one year and dies). Picking good specimens Select well-balanced plants with good foliage cover that have been kept well watered. Check for any sign of pests or disease. Avoid root-bound plants (roots matted beneath pot) or ones with exposed roots on the surface or that have lots of weeds. Perfect plants Buy flowering plants in bud or that are just starting to bloom. Select plants that show signs of new growth. Gently remove the pot to check for a healthy root system. Plants to avoid Never buy half-hardy bedding plants…
