Gardening Shows

This time of year there are a lot of Gardening Events to visit, usually starting with the Chelsea Flower Show, then there is the "Gardeners World "Live"" (Photos above) that I usually visit each June, with a few friends. These shows give you a lot of Ideas and Inspiration for your own garden i think . Also how to use plants in certain positions and how you could improve your garden. Also techniques the experts use and solving problems with plants.
There are also many stalls at these shows , where you can purchase plants of all types and garden equiptment, furniture for gardens, water gardening and also talks by the TV Gardeners too. In fact anything connected with gardening & leisure, is found at these events.
The Horticultural Marquee is a showground to the RHS Displays. You'll see the best of certain varieties, like Delphiniums, Geraniums, Fushias, Sweet Peas.......etc, etc.
The photos above give you an idea of what to expect!.

Hanging Baskets

The end of May is the time I make my Hanging Baskets. You buy a basket, usually made of a thick plastic wire coated framework, then lined with either a ready made Coconut matting material, or just black polythene would do.
You then make sure you have enough polythene at the base to collect water, so the basket never dries out completely. You then add Compost, containing a gel and feed, that helps conserve water and also slowly releases feed to the plants.
About halfway up the basket, cut slits in the polythene , to add plants like Impatiens (Busy Lizzies) through the sides , into the compost.
Then gradually build up the compost layers, as you add further plants to the basket.
At the front of the basket you might add a Surfina Petunia (Trailing ), then others could be, Geraniums, Trailing lobelia, Fushias, nepetia, pansies, bidens,Million bells,.....in fact quite a few could be used.
Always nice to have trailing plants near the edges of the baskets, with taller ones in the centre.
After planting up, soak well with water and then start feeding with a Tomato Fertilizer or general plant feed, twice a week. This will encourage flowering till October.
Remove all dead flower heads and make sure the bracket on the wall is secure too.
The Baskets can get rather heavy after watering.