Party Gardens
May 29, 2015 10:07 am Leave your thoughtsHere comes summer! Says she, spotting a passer by pulling down their bobble hat and tightening their woolly scarf!
When it does arrive, be ready to enjoy it.
If you did the ground work early on then you should be ahead of the game and have some time to enjoy the garden. The shrubs, perennials, biennials and early annuals will be covering the ground so that means less weeding. The lawn won’t be growing quite as fast with the hotter, drier weather and the patio pots and containers are really starting to look colourful.
I say this calls for a celebration!
Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty to do in the garden like watering, feeding, regular deadheading and watching for pests.
As the weather warms up seize every opportunity to enjoy the garden.
Party Time!
In the run up:
Feed the lawn up to four weeks before and weed if necessary. Keep hedges trimmed.
Plant up bedding well in advance or buy some already in flower if your party is imminent. There are usually plenty of plants for sale at Kirkby Underwood Summer Fayre, Saturday 13th June from 11am-4pm
Even add some house plants for a spectacular display.
Themed Pots:
If it’s a special occasion have some special themed pots in red for a Ruby wedding or yellow for a Golden one. Include fragrant plants like this lavender near seating areas.
Images courtesy of http://www.littlestitchesgifts.co.uk/
Lighting:
For an evening event set lights around the garden, near seats, along walkways and to light up focal points.
Decorations:
To really get into the party mood you could try hanging some beautiful bunting to welcome your guests.
Image courtesy of http://www.littlestitchesgifts.co.uk/
Oilcloth Outdoor Bunting by Little Stitches http://www.littlestitchesgifts.co.uk/
Last minute:
Mow and edge the lawn and give hedges a final trim.
Clean paths and patio and weed and rake gravel paths.
Have a general tidy of borders and tidy and arrange containers.
Welcome your guests and enjoy the party!
Enjoying the fruits of your labour
If you’re having a barbeque there are plenty of things you can grow to serve up to your guests.
Rosemary stems can be used as kebab skewers with lamb or drop some into the coals for some flavoursome smoke.
Wow your guests with a floral salad!
There are a number of very colourful flowers which are edible; these include Viola tricolour (Heartsease pansy), Calendula (Pot marigolds), Nasturtium flowers and leaves for a peppery taste, Chive flowers and leaves for an oniony flavour and Borage flowers for colour.
Tasty Leaves
As well as all the variations on lettuce there are many herbs that will make a Salad Sing! Try adding coriander, parsley, basil, chives and rocket. They are not all to everyone’s taste so also provide a plainer option.
Keep sowing salad crops every 2-3 weeks for a fresh supply all summer.
Salad additions
Keep harvesting and sowing, radishes and salad onions.
Cucumbers and Tomatoes need regular watering and feeding.
A little later in the year you can enjoy Corn on the cob but it will need sowing/planting out this month. Plant in blocks for best pollination as it’s wind pollinated.
AND!
New potatoes with butter and Mint Mmmm….
If you’re serving Pimms
No Pimms would be complete without Mint (grow in pots in the shade), Strawberries (water, net and harvest), Apples (thin overcrowded fruit),
Cucumber (water regularly and depending on variety remove male flowers) and of course some Borage flowers.
Ah, blue skies and Borage
It was believed, and may still be, that “I Borage give Courage” and was used in stirrup cups when soldiers went off to the crusades. This may be how the use of Borage in summer drinks came about (but don’t hold me to that.) Borage is also loved by Bees so it’s good news all round!
Well this is how I plan to use my harvest. How will you use yours?
“Till next month….. “Happy Gardening”
If you would like any advice on the above, or any other gardening issues,
follow me on Facebook: Debbie Cooke – Creative Garden Design, tweet me: @Debbie_CookeCGD or visit my website www.creativegardendesign.co,uk
